The Sixers Fire Doc Rivers! Dan Le Batard Reacts

Doc Rivers’ time in Philadelphia has officially come to an end.

News broke during today’s Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz show that the Sixers parted ways with future Hall-of-Famer Doc Rivers.

Dan leads off the discussion with a simple thought: “No surprise there.”

Le Batard continues by diving into Rivers’ lengthy history of postseason failures, including 10 (yes, TEN) Game 7 losses. However, despite that history, Dan is confident that Rivers will get another chance.

The discussion then shifts to Isiah Thomas, who has his own history of failures as an NBA executive. Thomas has been notably close to Mat Ishbia, and could work his way back into a front office role in Phoenix.

The group then briefly touches on Thomas’ feud with Charles Oakley, calling for this poll:

The conversation shifts back to Rivers, and Le Batard throws out some harsh — but true — analysis:

“There is not more underachievement on a coaching resume.”

The crew’s focus then turns to the importance of having stability in an NBA front office. A prime example of that is seen in Erik Spoelstra, who doesn’t have to worry about losing his job every time he disagrees with a superstar. It’s impossible to have long-term success as a coach in the NBA without support from the front office.

The shift then focuses to an Eastern Conference Finals preview. Le Batard believes that “better wins in this sport”, but that obviously didn’t happen in Miami’s series against Milwaukee.

Dan continues by saying that the only way Boston loses this series is if they don’t believe they can win, implying that it’s all about mentality. Mike expresses concern about Joe Mazzulla’s late-game execution compared to Spoelstra, and Le Batard agrees that experience could play a huge role in determining the ECF.

The crew wraps things up by wondering if the Celtics are afraid of Jimmy Butler, stating that his mental fortitude could be too much to overcome. However, they also acknowledge the talent gap in this matchup and the possibility that Boston could sweep the series.

One thing is certain: this rematch of the 2021-22 Eastern Conference Finals is going to be a good one.

SHOW BREAKDOWN

Local Hour: How Scared Are You, Boston?

• If you thought we were annoying yesterday... The Heat are a MONSTER underdog against the Celtics, but Bill Simmons and Mike Schur seem to be terrified of Miami. Is the rest of Boston equally afraid of Jimmy Butler and Heat Culture? Then, Dan is sick of all fandom overtaking our production crew including ‘JuJu, the Celtics fan,’ and Greg Cote criticizes his son. Plus, Top 5 Names In Sports That Connote Family and we get some actual analysis of Panthers vs. Hurricanes.

The Big Suey: It’s About Family

• Greg reads not one but TWO submissions for ‘Bot in My Day’ as AI threatens to take over his job. Ron Magill is here to help us save birds from crashing into windows. Plus, did “Top 5 Names That Connote Family” lead us to our worst dueling Top 5’s of all-time?

Hour 1: Winning First, Work First, Family Second

• Dan and the crew discuss just how much family is forced to be put on the back burner for folks in sports after Mike Budenholzer was fired after coaching through the death of his brother. Then, the crew reacts live to Doc Rivers being fired by the 76ers and somehow makes it about the organizational excellence of the Miami Heat. Plus, Nick Cousins of the Florida Panthers joins the show to talk hockey toughness, being annoying, Radko Gudas’ insane photo, and much more.

Hour 2: The Great Pete DeBoer

• Dan, Stu, Greg, and the crew spin the Wheel of Issues and tackle hard-hitting topics like Ronald Acuña Jr. and Shohei Ohtani’s greatness. Peter DeBoer in Game 7, and not JJ Watt. Then, Francis Ngannou has signed a deal with the Professional Fighters League as Dana White continues to fight against unionization in UFC. Dan and Tony break down what this means for the future of fighting. Plus, we have an eggcellent final segment for you and that no yoke. We finally find out how and where Tony found God this weekend.

Postgame Show: Udonis Haslem

• Udonis Haslem joins the show to discuss why and how Heat Culture has led Miami to its 3rd Conference Finals in 4 years. UD shares info on the level of competition in the Heat locker room, his relationship with Jimmy Butler, why he doesn’t care about “assalytics,” and more.

Watch more below!

VIDEO:

Check out the Le Batard and Friends YouTube page for more and subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow the show on Twitter @LeBatardShow.

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