Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Sixers Hire Former Coach from Celtics 2008 Title Team
After Jayson Tatum's record-setting 51-point performance against the Sixers in Game 7 of an Eastern Conference semifinals series clash between rivals, Philadelphia parted with now former head coach Doc Rivers.
Boston's division foe, hoping to change its culture, brought in one of the NBA's top defensive masterminds, Nick Nurse. But the Sixers will continue to share a connection with the Celtics 2008 title team.
Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Philadelphia's hiring Mike Longabardi. He heads to the City of Brotherly Love with 20 years of experience as an NBA assistant coach, including six in Boston, stretching from 2007-2013.
He became the Celtics' defensive coordinator in 2009 after the Bulls hired Tom Thibodeau as head coach. Now, Nick Nurse hopes Longabardi will help elevate a defense constructed around Joel Embiid that allowed the ninth-most points per 100 possessions out of 16 playoff teams.
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