What Doc Rivers Said After Being Hired As 76ers’ New Head Coach

Doc Rivers is ready to feel the brotherly love.

The Philadelphia 76ers appointed Rivers as their new head coach Saturday. The former Boston Celtics boss joins Philly on a reported five-year contract days after the Los Angeles Clippers fired him.

Rivers explained Saturday in a statement why he’s excited to take over the 76ers.

“I am really excited about the opportunity to be joining a world-class franchise, a franchise whose legend inspired my nickname,” Rivers told the 76ers’ website. “This is a city that loves sports and loves their teams. It’s a city that values hard work and that is exactly what we are going to do and who we are going to be. We are ready to do good things in Philadelphia.”

Prior to his seven-year stint in Los Angeles, Rivers was Boston’s head coach for nine seasons. His Celtics won the NBA Finals in 2008, elevating his status as a Boston sports hero.

How his move to the 76ers, one of the Celtics’ chief rivals in the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference, will affect his standing among Boston fans will be one of the big storylines of the next NBA season and beyond.