Philadelphia 76ers have new head coach, Doc Rivers
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The Philadelphia 76ers have named Doc Rivers as the team's new head coach.
General Manager Elton Brand made the official announcement Saturday morning.
Per team policy, the terms of the deals have not been disclosed.
"I am really excited about the opportunity to be joining a world-class franchise, a franchise whose legend inspired my nickname," Rivers said in a statement. "This is a city that loves sports and loves their teams. It's a city that values hard work and that is exactly what we are going to do and who we are going to be. We are ready to do good things in Philadelphia."
A source confirmed to 6abc Action News earlier this week that Rivers would become the 25th head coach in franchise history.
On Monday, Brand reached out to Rivers and his agent, Lonnie Cooper, to gauge interest in the the job. Rivers soon was on a flight to Philadelphia where meetings on Wednesday with Brand, owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer had the sides moving quickly toward negotiating a multi-year deal.
"We are thrilled to welcome Doc Rivers to Philadelphia as the new head coach of the 76ers. Doc is one of the most respected and accomplished head coaches in the NBA," Brand said in a statement. "I believe Doc can help us unlock our full potential on the floor and further our pursuit of an NBA championship. I also respect and appreciate that his impact extends far beyond the basketball court as he truly embraces the platform he has to drive positive change in society. Doc is a great fit for our team and city, and I'm excited for what the future holds with him as our head coach."
Rivers was the head coach of the L.A. Clippers for seven seasons.
Prior to that run, he spent nine seasons with the Boston Celtics, where he led the team to an NBA title.
Rivers has 91 career postseason victories, second-most among active NBA coaches. He is ranked seventh all-time in NBA history.
Prior to coaching, Rivers was selected by Atlanta with the No. 31 overall pick in the 1983 NBA Draft, following a career at Marquette.
A one-time All-Star, Rivers appeared in 864 games (605 starts) over 13 NBA seasons with San Antonio, New York, the Clippers and Atlanta, tallying 10.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.8 steals in 27.3 minutes per game. As a player, Rivers' teams made the playoffs in 10 of his 13 seasons, as he appeared in 81 career postseason contests, notching 11.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 5.9 assists. Rivers remains Atlanta's all-time leader in assists, with 3,866 for his Hawks career, over 100 more than the next-closest player.
The Sixers fired Brett Brown after seven seasons as head coach.
