Published 12:09 IST, October 7th 2020
Joe Biden quotes new 76ers head coach Doc Rivers in Pennsylvania campaign speech
During his Pennsylvania campaign speech, Democratic Presidential candidate Joe Biden quoted newly appointed 76ers head coach Doc Rivers.
Over the past few months, the NBA community has been at the forefront of the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement, with many athletes and coaches speaking up about racial injustice. The stand taken by the athletes has also attracted praise from politicians and public servants, particularly in the aftermath of NBA players boycotting games to protest against police brutality. Amongst the many comments made by the community was a passionate statement from Doc Rivers which went viral online. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden was recently seen quoting Doc Rivers' statement during his Pennsylvania campaign.
Joe Biden speech quotes new 76ers head coach Doc Rivers
Speaking during his Pennsylvania campaign on Tuesday, Joe Biden was heard quoting Doc Rivers as he discussed social injustice and the change he would like to bring about as president. During his speech, Joe Biden referred to Doc Rivers’ emotional appeal earlier this year. Notably, the then-head coach of the Clippers spoke about the shooting of Jacob Blake by a police officer in Kenosha and said that it was them (African Americans) getting killed, shot and hung due to racism. The 76ers head coach had also claimed that while the African-American community keeps loving the country, the country does not love them back.
It was this statement by Doc Rivers which Joe Biden made a reference to in his speech. Joe Biden admitted that he thinks about the comments made by the 76ers head coach while thinking about what it takes for a Black person to love America. Joe Biden in his campaign speech also admitted that the community’s deep love for the country has not been recognised for far too long.
Doc Rivers opens up about becoming 76ers head coach
Doc Rivers was named as the 76ers head coach just five days after leaving the Los Angeles Clippers. The 58-year-old played in the NBA from 1983 to 1995, turning out for teams like Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks among others. After taking up the 76ers head coach job, Doc Rivers admitted that the team’s talent pool featuring Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons meant that he simply had to take the job. While speaking to the press, Doc Rivers conceded that the potential of the young players and the fact that they’ve already had so much success made him feel that he couldn’t turn down the opportunity.
Image Credits: Joe Biden Instagram, Philadelphia 76ers Instagram
Updated 12:09 IST, October 7th 2020