Why was Doc Rivers fired by Philadelphia 76ers? Reason behind sack explored

Doc Rivers is no longer the head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers. After three years in the City of Brotherly Love, the veteran coach was let go by his team.

The 76ers have a great roster, yet they haven't been able to achieve great results. In three years under Doc's leadership, they had three second-round exits, which was not good enough for such a stacked team.

While the lack of success was a big reason Doc Rivers was fired, there were rumors that James Harden didn't want to return to the team if the coach was still there. Furthermore, many fans criticized the lack of adjustments against the Boston Celtics.

---

Doc Rivers had a disappointing run with the Philadelphia 76ers

In two of the three years in Philadelphia, Doc Rivers had a great chance to reach the Eastern Conference Finals. However, the heavily-favored Sixers lost to the Atlanta Hawks in 2021, which was heartbreaking.

Two years later, they had a 3-2 lead over the Boston Celtics, but failed to advance to the conference finals. The 76ers lost Game 6 at home and were blown out in Game 7.

They have many great players, from reigning MVP Joel Embiid to James Harden. However, it's obvious that Rivers is not the right coach for the team, which is why Daryl Morey decided to let him go.

Rivers had three years to advance to the conference finals (Image via Getty Images)

The blowout in Game 7 has likely played a significant role in Morey's decision to fire Doc Rivers. The veteran head coach is infamous for losing Game 7's. In fact, no coach in the league's history has lost more of these games than Rivers.

You may be interested in reading: What is Doc Rivers' Game 7 Record? Infamous losing record explored as Sixers fire head coach

Not only did Rivers' Game 7 record fall to 6-10, but the 76ers were annihilated by the Boston Celtics. When the final buzzer sounded, they were down by 24 points.

Jayson Tatum scored 51 points against the 76ers in Game 7 (Image via Getty Images)

James Harden will likely decline his player option and become a free agent this summer. According to Ramona Shelburne, the veteran guard had no interest in returning to Philadelphia as long as Rivers was the coach.

“James Harden was not all that supportive of Doc Rivers in his press conference," Shelburne said.

"Behind the scenes ... one person said to me, 'It would be hard for me to see James wanting to come back and play for Doc again.' This is gonna be a situation where those two decisions are linked.”

You may be interested in reading: 5 NBA teams that should sign James Harden next season

Harden had a decent season with the 76ers, but wasn't too happy about his coach. The former MVP will have a chance to return to Philadelphia next season. He can do so by opting into the final year of his contract or by opting out and negotiating a new deal.