Doc Rivers Addresses Future With 76ers After Loss to Celtics

Doc Rivers fields questions about his future after the 76ers' Game 7 loss against the Celtics.

Coming off of a disappointing Game 6 loss at home against the Boston Celtics, the Philadelphia 76ers were forced into a Game 7 scenario. 

On Sunday, the Sixers faced a Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals for the third time since their 2019 playoff run.

In the previous two runs, the Sixers came up short. This time around, the Sixers hoped to get over the hump and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001.

Heading into the matchup, many believed the results of Game 7 against the Celtics could change the direction of the franchise. 

After the Sixers suffered a blowout loss to Boston in Game 7, Philadelphia’s head coach Doc Rivers fielded questions about his future with the organization.

When asked if he was planning to be the coach of the Sixers next season, Rivers was sure he would stick around.

“Yeah,” Rivers told reporters, reminding them he still has multiple seasons left on his contract. “I think I got two years left,” he said.

Considering the loss is still fresh, Rivers acknowledged that job security for head coaches in the NBA has been low lately, considering some of the league’s most notable names have lost their jobs recently.

“No one’s safe in our business,” Rivers continued. “You know, and I get that.”

As Rivers’ Sixers failed to get out of the second round over the last two seasons, many wondered what would happen if the Sixers failed to advance once again. 

While there might be a lot of speculation surrounding Rivers' future as the Sixers’ offseason approaches, Rivers has plans to finish out his contract and hasn’t been led to believe his time in Philly is up. 

With the 2022-2023 season in the rearview for Philadelphia, Rivers wraps up year three with a 154-82 record through three regular seasons. In the playoffs, Rivers' Sixers have gone 20-15, with three Eastern Conference Semifinals appearances. 


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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA