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Lakers Legend Magic Johnson Praises 76ers HC Doc Rivers

Following the announcement of the Philadelphia 76ers hiring Doc Rivers, Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson took to Twitter to praise the new head coach.

Justin Grasso

Although the Philadelphia 76ers spent over a month considering a handful of prospects, including Ty Lue, Mike D'Antoni, and Billy Donovan, for the vacant head coach position, the Sixers ultimately ended up with former Clippers head coach Doc Rivers just days after he became available.

Knowing Rivers has tons of experience with different organizations and has won the NBA Finals in the past, the Sixers figured he'd be a top candidate for other organizations once he became available. 

Therefore, the 76ers had Rivers in Philly for a meeting in less than two days since his firing. Following the discussions between Rivers, General Manager Elton Brand, and Managing Partners Josh Harris and David Blitzer, the 76ers had a five-year deal ready to go for the former Clippers head coach.

After heading back home and discussing the opportunity with his family, Rivers decided to agree to Philly's offer and officially became Brett Brown's replacement. Within a couple of hours, Sixers center Joel Embiid took to Twitter to welcome his newest head coach to the City of Brotherly Love. And Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson also tweeted out his praise for the veteran head coach, too.

"The 76ers ownership group made an excellent decision hiring Coach Doc Rivers," the Hall of Famer tweeted on Thursday night. "I believe he will take Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and the entire organization to the next level!" 

Obviously, that's the hope for the Sixers. Although Simmons and Embiid have established themselves as NBA stars over the last couple of seasons, it's clear they still have room for improvement. Former head coach Brett Brown failed to get the absolute best out of them over the last few seasons. Now, Rivers will get a crack at seeing what he can do with the two stars.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_

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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

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