Is Doc Rivers a serious contender for Sixers' head coach job?

Share

Sep 13, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; LA Clippers head coach Doc Rivers looks on during the third quarter against the Denver Nuggets in game six of the second round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Doc Rivers might not be out of a job for long.

A report surfaced Monday -- the same day the Los Angeles Clippers fired Rivers as their head coach and team president -- that the Philadelphia 76ers had already reached out to Rivers about their head coach vacancy.

Now, the Sixers plan to host the former Boston Celtics coach for an in-person visit, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported Wednesday.

The process clearly is moving fast for Rivers and Philly, which fired Brett Brown last month. Former Celtics big man Kendrick Perkins, who played under Rivers in Boston, added more insight into their negotiations Tuesday on the "Scal and Pals" podcast with Brian Scalabrine.

https://twitter.com/ScalAndPals/status/1310983485998403584

"I heard he's having a lot of conversations with the Philadelphia 76ers right now," Perkins said of Rivers. "That's where he's getting the most interest."

Recently-fired Houston Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni and Rivers' former Clippers assistant, Tyronn Lue, reportedly are also in the running for the Philly gig.

It appears Rivers is the first to get an in-person interview with the Sixers, though, and Perkins believes he'd be a great match for star big man Joel Embiid.

Forsberg: How can Celtics address their crunch time shortcomings?

"That's what he needs," Perkins said of Embiid. "He needs a person like Doc. Think about what DeAndre Jordan did under Doc Rivers. Hell, think about what I did under Doc Rivers. Doc Rivers gets the best out of you. ... You know he's able to manage egos and things like that."

Rivers returning to the Eastern Conference to coach the Sixers after spending nine seasons in Boston would be a fascinating storyline and would add plenty of juice to what's already a strong rivalry.

Contact Us