Former Sixers coach Doc Rivers fires back at JJ Redick’s comments
Former Philadelphia 76ers, now Milwaukee Bucks, coach Doc Rivers spent three seasons in Philadelphia from 2020-2023. He compiled a 154-82 record during that time and led the Sixers to their first No. 1 seed in 20 years in the 2020-21 season.
However, the Sixers could never get past Round 2. Philadelphia was eliminated in the East semifinals in all three of his seasons and he was dismissed after the 2022-23 season.
Former Sixers guard JJ Redick, who played for Rivers while with the Los Angeles Clippers, called out Rivers for his tendency to make excuses and such when things aren’t going well. Rivers hopped on “The Stephen A. Smith Show” and fired back at Redick’s comments:
JJ’s had a problem with me for a while and that’s fine. Players do. When you coach, you can be called a player’s coach, or whatever you want to be called, but if you make decisions that the player doesn’t agree with, and in JJ’s case, we didn’t sign him back. With the Clippers, I stopped playing him as much because he wasn’t very effective in the playoffs. That’s all known, but I’m fine with that. Usually, they come back to you, they do, because they know everything you tried to teach them or do for them was in good–JJ Redick’s best numbers of his career was under one coach and you’re looking at him. Right here. I’m the one who grabbed him out of Milwaukee and decided to start him. From that point on, his career took off.
Overall, nothing but love for JJ. Obviously, there’s things he doesn’t like, and I have no issues with him.
To Rivers’ point, he did give Redick his first chance to start in the NBA. He was a reserve with the Orlando Magic and the Bucks to begin his career and he started 265 of the 266 games he played with the Clippers and averaged 15.8 points.
However, Redick’s best numbers were certainly the two seasons he played in Philadelphia. He averaged 17.6 points and 2.8 assists while shooting 40.7% from deep with the Sixers. He and Joel Embiid played a terrific two-man game together so Rivers is a bit off with that one.
