Doc Rivers was dismissed by the Philadelphia 76ers after another second-round loss, this time to the Boston Celtics.
After three years of being sent home at the same stage, the Sixers chose to break ways with Rivers, kicking off what appears to be a protracted search for a new head coach.
This choice did not go down well with everyone, and Joel Embiid was reportedly taken aback by it. "During a press conference Wednesday afternoon,
Sixers president Daryl Morey said it was very natural for players to become close with people in the locker room."
Morey mentioned an unidentified transaction in which Embiid was originally dissatisfied with the players dealt by the Sixers."
"He was very close with coach Rivers and, yeah, he was shocked about the change," Morey told the Philadelphia Inquirer.
"It's my job to persuade him that the new coach will be a good fit for him as well."Embiid has had a number of head coaches since moving to Philadelphia.
He appeared to be doing well under Doc Rivers, but things never seemed to go their way.