For only the second time since he was fired by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2023, Doc Rivers and Joel Embiid will share the court, with “The Process” leading his team onto the court against the Milwaukee Bucks without Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Though Rivers' era as the 76ers head coach will largely go down as underwhelming, as his team was unable to get over the hump and make an Eastern Conference Finals appearance, he did get a front row seat to some of the very best seasons of Embiid's career, including his MVP win in 2023.
Asked before the game about seeing Embiid look like his old self after a few seasons plagued by injuries, Rivers held nothing back, boldly declaring that Embiid is the most talented player he's coached over his incredible career.
“You know, it's funny, it's like Groundhog Day, you know, it really is. You know, I was telling a very, very, very Hall of Fame player that I coached that Joel is the most talented player that I ever coached. And he was like, ‘What?' And I was like, ‘He is, you know, it's the things that you guys see and then the things you actually don't see in practice sometimes that he can do. It's incredible, it really is,'” Rivers declared.
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“You know, unfortunately for me, I never had him healthy once in the playoffs. He wasn't healthy last year; he wasn't healthy the year before. You know, that's five years straight, I think. And if he ever gets to the playoffs healthy, especially with, they've added some big pieces here. They're gonna be a dangerous team, but it's all gonna come down to that. And nothing's changed.”
Taking the court for 26 games and counting so far this season, seven more than his 2024-25 total overall, Embiid really has looked like his former self, flirting with a point a game in 2026 while still under a mild minutes restriction as he works back from offseason surgery. He's averaging 25.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists on .486/.280/.855 shooting and most crucially, he's been able to make things work in Nick Nurse's new fast-paced offense designed to capitalize on Tyrese Maxey's elite acceleration.
With rebound-focused power forwards like Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker helping to take off the load on the boards, Embiid has been playing like an All-Star and might just join the team in Los Angeles next month as an injury replacement for Antetokounmpo as a result of his play.
"Joel's the most-talented player I ever coached."
Former Sixers head coach Doc Rivers reflects on his time coaching Joel Embiid and how dangerous the Sixers can be if he remains healthy. pic.twitter.com/nNjVS7PjAY
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) January 28, 2026