ESPN Analyst Doc Rivers Talks About The Relationship He Shares With 76ers James Harden

The Philadelphia 76ers will have a new head coach when they play their first game of the 2023–24 season on Thursday night. After the team’s playoff defeat to the Boston Celtics in the second round of the previous season, Doc Rivers was dismissed. According to him, his connection with James Harden was a contributing factor in his dismissal.

ESPN Analyst Doc Rivers Talks About The Relationship He Shares With 76ers James Harden

On Wednesday, Rivers spoke on “The Dan Patrick Show” and offered a candid assessment of his relationship with Harden. According to Rivers, neither side was afraid to be honest—sometimes a bit too honest.

A major disappointment, Philadelphia’s inability to advance to the NBA Finals the previous season was heavily attributed to players like Rivers, Joel Embiid, and James Harden.

“You know what was funny about our relationship?” stated Rivers. “It was an honest one. I’ll tell you that. It’s probably why I’m doing TV (as a commentator) right now.”

In addition, Rivers offered a potential reason for why, following the All-Star break in February, his relationship with Harden and the 76ers as a whole encountered difficulties. Harden’s morale was evidently affected negatively by his exclusion from the All-Star squad, according to Rivers.

“I would say not making the All-Star team really bothered him,” Rivers said. “I thought that was egregious. The coaches just didn’t put him on. He was only leading the league in assists. He was having the best three-point shooting percentage of his career. He was averaging plus-20, and the coaches didn’t put him on the All-Star team. He would never say this, but in my gut, I thought he changed almost immediately.”

“This is something — when I was a player, I studied it,” he said during a recent ESPN conference call when asked why he returned to the TV. “I worked at Turner in the summertime as an intern. This is something I really enjoy doing. I love basketball, and I like being around it and I like talking about it, and I want people to enjoy it and learn it.”

The story between Harden and the 76ers goes on even with Rivers gone. Harden is still in Philadelphia and just re-joined the team ahead of opening night, despite trade negotiations that took place in the offseason between the 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers.

Harden will miss the first travel games of the season, which include matches against the Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors.

 

 

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