Doc Rivers shares surprising take on coaching future

After 24 years and four head-coaching stops in the NBA, Doc Rivers' most recent gig with the Philadelphia 76ers may have been his last. 

The recently fired Rivers told TMZ this week he was having a "phenomenal" summer, but didn't sound like he was in a hurry to return to the bench when asked about his coaching future. 

"I don't know what I'm gonna do," Rivers said. "I'm just gonna enjoy life." 

The Sixers decided to move on from Rivers in May, only two days removed from the team's shellacking by the rival Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Roughly two weeks later, the Sixers hired Rivers' replacement, former Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse.

Under Rivers, Philly underachieved again in 2022-23. The season ended with a resounding thud as the franchise's two biggest stars, MVP Joel Embiid and James Harden, laid eggs in their biggest game of the year. While that's not all on Rivers, the Sixers' latest failure was but one in a developing trend. Throughout Rivers' three-year tenure in Philly, many wildly criticized the longtime coach for failing to make adjustments in critical times while running systems that lacked creativity. Those same faults crept up again in the postseason.

While his end with the Sixers wasn't pretty, Rivers will still go down as arguably one of the most successful coaches in NBA history if he has indeed patrolled the sidelines for the final time. The 61-year-old ranks ninth all-time in head-coaching wins (1,097) and is one of only 10 to surpass 1,000 victories.