Philadelphia 76ers Fire Choke Artist Doc Rivers Two Days After He Voiced His Plans To Return Next Season

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After the Philadelphia 76ers were embarrassed in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals by the Boston Celtics, Doc Rivers explained his plans to return to Philadelphia's bench next season.

Fast-forward less than 48 hours, and Rivers is unemployed.

The Sixers dismissed Rivers on Tuesday morning after what was his third season in Philadelphia. The 61-year-old led Philly to the Eastern Conference semifinals in each of his three seasons but failed to take the franchise to that next level.

Doc Rivers Says 'When I Hear America First, That Scares Me'

Doc Rivers has been fired by the Philadelphia 76ers. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Rivers is a fine regular-season coach, but when the going gets tough, he simply can not deliver, as the numbers do not lie.

In games in which his team has a chance to clinch a playoff series, Rivers owns a record of 17-33. Those 33 losses are the most of any coach in the history of the NBA, according to Action.

Something clearly flipped between the time of the Sixers' postgame news conferences Sunday and Tuesday morning.

READ: WANNABE HISTORY TEACHER DOC RIVERS SAYS ‘WHEN I HEAR AMERICA FIRST, THAT SCARES ME’

Not only did Rivers say "Yeah, I think I have two years left" when asked about whether or not he planned to return next season, but Joel Embiid said Rivers "has been fantastic" after the Game 7 loss.

Philadelphia ownership clearly didn't agree with the franchise player's opinion and thought it was best to send Rivers packing.

Rivers joins the likes of Phoenix's Monty Williams and Milwaukee's Mike Budenholzer as notable coaches looking for new employment this summer.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.