Back in 2020, when the Sixers moved on from Brett Brown, the fan base wasn’t exactly up in arms. Many seemed to think a change was in order. The team was picking between two excellent candidates in Mike D’Antoni and Tyronn Lue at the time, when suddenly, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer made the tough decision to fire (a less excellent candidate in) Doc Rivers as head coach in L.A.
The collaborative front office at the time in Philly, the uncannily Knicksesque decision making entity comprised chiefly of Josh Harris, David Blitzer, and Elton Brand (the same basic unit who prioritized keeping Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris and signing Al Horford over Jimmy freaking Butler) pivoted to offer Rivers a massive five-year, $40M deal.