With Frank Vogel out as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, the team is now turning its focus to who its next bench leader will be.
There are rumors of several people possibly being interested in the Lakers’ head coaching job, and one of the men reportedly intrigued is Doc Rivers, the current coach of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Rivers addressed that rumor and whether he would be interested in returning to L.A. (he was previously the Los Angeles Clippers’ coach for seven seasons) with our own Ky Carlin.
The Sixers’ coach first talked about how Vogel was dogged by rumors of his firing for the last few months and his thoughts on whether it was right.
“I think the Frank Vogel thing was so unfair,” Rivers said. “We work just like you guys (the media) work. How would you like for your job to be mentioned every day even if it’s somebody wanting to have you? It’s just not right. I hate it. There’s nothing I can do about it, but we talk a lot here and everybody’s happy here. We want to get this right.”
Rivers made it clear that right now his focus is on the Sixers, who finished with the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and will begin the 2022 NBA Playoffs against the Toronto Raptors.
“I came here for one reason and like I said when I took the job, you’re gonna like some of the things I do (things) you’re not gonna like, and from a coaching point, you can’t really care about that, but I am committed to winning,” he explained. “I think we can turn this around which we have. From when I first got here to now, but we want to win it and that’s my focus.”
In the end, Rivers also denied that he would be open to coaching the Purple and Gold.
“No, I’m not a candidate,” he finished. “I have a job and I am very happy with my job.”
