When former Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers returned to the City of Brotherly Love for the first time since he was hired by the Milwaukee Bucks in January, he received a reception contrary to Philly’s popular moniker.
On Sunday, Rivers’s Bucks faced the 76ers in a tense road matchup that pitted the ex-Philadelphia coach against his old team. As one would expect, the Philly home crowd wasn’t too enthused about seeing Rivers on the other side of the court.
76ers fans began booing Milwaukee during the Bucks’ pregame introductions, and the boos rained down even harder once Rivers’s name was called.
Warm reception for Doc Rivers. pic.twitter.com/LyqMRAY4Nm
— Paul Hudrick (@PaulHudrick) February 25, 2024
Rivers coached the 76ers for three seasons from 2020 to ’23, leading Philly to three straight Eastern Conference semifinal appearances. By the end of his stint, Rivers finished with a 154—82 record, which included 54 wins in the 2022-23 season, the franchise’s most in two decades.
Still, the 76ers found themselves in a bit of a rut having lost each semifinal playoff series and decided to part ways with Rivers, whose infamous Game 7 record is well-documented.
One year removed from the drama, Rivers beat his former team, 119—98, on Sunday and improved his coaching record in Milwaukee to 5—7. The Bucks (37—21) currently sit in third place in the East, two seeds ahead of the 76ers (33—24).
