Gilbert Arenas has spoken out about what went on behind the scenes prior to Doc Rivers being hired for the Philadelphia 76ers coaching job, which he accepted in 2020. For the seven years prior, Rivers – who is one of the most decorated coaches in the NBA having been at the helm of a franchise virtually every season since 1999 – had been leading the Los Angeles Clippers.

In 2019, Tyronn Lue – who had, of course, previously led the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James to their inaugural championship – joined Rivers as an assistant in Los Angeles. According to Arenas, with a job in Philadelphia set to open up, Rivers sent Lue to apply for the head coaching role, only to apply himself once he was let go from Los Angeles.

Gilbert Arenas said: ““Doc [Rivers] sent Tyronn Lue to Philly. Lobbied for him!…[Then] Doc found out he was getting fired… He called Philly and said ‘I want the job now.’”

Rivers, of course, did go on to get the Sixers coaching job ahead of his assistant in Lue, after apparently trying to convince Philadelphia to take Lue on. Rivers would go on to coach Philadelphia for three seasons, but was fired at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season after his team lost in in the Conference Semi-Finals to Boston.

But despite his failure to get the Sixers coaching job ahead of the man for whom he was previously assistant coach, things worked out okay in the end for Lue. With Rivers heading to Philadelphia after being fired by Los Angeles, Lue stepped in to take the reins of the Clippers. Next season, Rivers will find himself on the ESPN broadcasting team. Lue, meanwhile, will begin the season still the head coach of the Clippers.