The Philadelphia 76ers Fired Doc Rivers After Three Seasons — Details
Published May 17 2023, 9:59 a.m. ET
Since the end of the 2022-23 NBA regular season, several teams have fired their head coaches — including the Philadelphia 76ers. On May 16, 2023, the organization dismissed Doc Rivers after three seasons.
What happened? Why did Doc Rivers get fired? Keep reading for all the known details.
Why did Doc Rivers get fired?
Although he delivered a 154-82 record in his three regular seasons, Doc failed to get the 76ers past the playoffs' second round. So, following that disastrous 112-88 loss to the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, the front office knew it was time to part ways with its head coach.
76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey addressed the firing in a statement, calling Doc "one of the most successful coaches in NBA history, a future Hall of Famer, and someone I respect immensely."
Daryl continued, "We're grateful for all he did in his three seasons here and thank him for the important impact he made on our franchise. After having the chance to reflect upon our season, we decided that certain changes are necessary to further our goals of competing for a championship."
Doc Rivers responded a few hours later: "I really enjoyed my time in Philadelphia — what a great city. I want to start by thanking my staff, the players, and the ownership group for their support."
"We got a lot done in a short amount of time. I'd also like to thank the 76ers fans. Whew... you guys are tough, and I think you've learned I'm tough too," he added. "I absolutely love your commitment to the city and its teams — never lose that I wanted, just as badly as you, to bring another championship to Philadelphia. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to lead, to learn, and to love this great city."
The search for a new coach is already underway, with the 76ers showing interest in Mike Budenholzer, Sam Cassell, Mike D'Antoni, Nick Nurse, Frank Vogel, and Monty Williams.
