Not a lot of people in Philadelphia are obviously fond of Doc Rivers, who manned the sidelines for the team from 2020 to 2023. His stint with the franchise was marred by drama without real success to show for it, despite his short tenure. As such, his raving about the current iteration of the 76ers simply hits different, as it reinforces the popular notion that this team is built to outdo all the other versions of this squad that this fanbase has seen.
In a recent appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast, Rivers shared his thoughts on the 76ers' rousing start to the 2026-27 season, ultimately hailing them as the best team in the league right now. He said that Philly, as currently constructed following their blockbuster additions during the offseason, is going to be hard to take down.
Doc Rivers praising the 76ers now hits different given his bitter reps
Rivers' coaching stint with the 76ers did not exactly end on good terms. He had that well-documented fiasco with Ben Simmons that recently resurfaced, and he was also the one at the helm when the team choked a series lead to the Celtics despite having two opportunities to close it out and head to the Conference Finals.
As such, the Hall of Fame coach dishing out that kind of praise toward the current 76ers squad is as objective an assessment as it could get. Philly undeniably has one of the most formidable teams this season, and their 8-2 start through their first 10 games only validates the widespread perception that they are ripe for a championship.
Rivers might have gotten a lot of bad reps due to his teams consistently choking in the biggest moments, but one fact that cannot be denied about him is that he is an NBA champion coach. He knows what it is like having a star-studded roster, having led the Celtics to a title in 2008. Now, the 76ers are banking on the same formula to get themselves over the hump.
Time will only tell if everyone –– including Rivers –– is right about the 76ers. Right now, they are definitely looking poised to mount and perfect a legitimate title bid, although there remain some holes that must first be addressed before this group can consider itself a definitive favorite for the championship, especially since they are still brewing their chemistry as a group compared to other contenders.
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