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Sixers reveal Joel Embiid shocked to hear Doc Rivers was being let go

CAMDEN, NJ–The Philadelphia 76ers pulled the trigger on what they believed was the right move to make as they began picking up the pieces following another Round 2 elimination.

On Tuesday, the Sixers parted ways with Doc Rivers after three seasons on the job and they will now move forward with a lengthy coaching search to find the right guy to lead this current group.

Joel Embiid, who endorsed Rivers for the job he’s done following the Game 7 loss, took the news a bit hard. Rivers had been a positive influence for Embiid and the big fella was shocked to hear the news as well as other things the Sixers did as well.

“They had a strong relationship,” said team president Daryl Morey of Embiid and Rivers. “I have to make tough calls all the time a trades. Joel was disappointed in—some of it was he didn’t know the players we were getting in the trade who ended up helping us, but he was disappointed in the players that went out. I think it’s natural to be very close with the people in the locker room.”

It’s curious to think about which players the Sixers sent out that made Embiid disappointed. The big fella obviously had a close relationship with Matisse Thybulle so maybe it was him. Maybe it was Seth Curry in the 2022 trade for James Harden. Who knows?

Morey’s next challenge is to convince Embiid that the next coach is someone he will have a great relationship with as he had with Rivers.

“He was very close with Coach Rivers, and yes, he was shocked about the change,” Morey finished. “It’s my job to help convince him that the new coach is someone that he’ll have a great relationship with as well.”

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Story originally appeared on Sixers Wire