Sixers coach Doc Rivers discusses the importance of playing on MLK Day

Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers discusses the importance of playing on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

The Philadelphia 76ers will have the honor on Monday of playing on the national holiday of Martin Luther King Jr. Day when they take on the Washington Wizards on the road. It is an important day in our nation’s history as we all honor King’s legacy.

It is even more special when the Sixers are playing in D.C. on Monday. They have the opportunity of playing in a historic area where King led the march on Washington in August of 1963. This is a day where the message of love over hate needs to be heard and practiced.

“It’s cool playing here,” said coach Doc Rivers. “The march on Washington, all of the history there, being around (former Villanova basketball player) George Raveling who literally has the I Have a Dream speech, literally has it, which is amazing. I had him come in and tell the story to our players and more importantly, for me, just Martin Luther King and his meaning, love over hate.”

For Rivers, he wants to preach more love for everybody. He wants King’s message to be heard and he wants everyone to really practice what he preached.

“The thing for me though is what year is it, 2022? And we’re still waiting,” Rivers added. “His main thing for me was the time is now and there’s always the right time to do the right thing. Martin Luther King, the one part that people misunderstood is it wasn’t just for blacks. It was for equality, for all. No matter what race you were, that’s what he fought for. That’s why we have a national holiday for him. It’s really cool being here.”

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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