Back in November, the Philadelphia 76ers received some tough news when they found out that assistant coach Dave Joerger would be out to undergo cancer treatment. It was a tough moment for everybody as Joerger is a beloved part of this team and the team expressed their support for him.
On Wednesday, Joerger will make his return to the team’s bench on a full-time basis and that is something that excites coach Doc Rivers and the rest of the team. They have missed his presence.
“He’s been back for two games, kind of,” said Rivers. “He’s gone through a lot, like, far more than anyone knows and the fact that he’s coaching this year is a miracle. I’d say four weeks ago, there was no way he was going to be coaching this year, six weeks ago, and the fact that he’s doing it is just really good, great. It was good to have him.”
The #Sixers just announced the Dave Joerger will return to the bench in a full-time basis.
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) February 2, 2022
“Last game at our shootaround, he walks out on the floor unassuming, like Dave is and guys, like, that’s Dave Joerger!” Rivers added. “It was really cool watching the players’ reaction to it. So it’s good.”
This has been a tough battle for Joerger as there was a stretch where he couldn’t even speak. So the fact that he is here with the team is something of a spirit lifter for a team that has been playing some terrific basketball as of late.
“There was a period where literally, he couldn’t communicate,” said Rivers. “I mean, I’m telling you, it was he was struggling for a while, and, like literally couldn’t communicate. So that was tough. He would write me emails, but the fact that he couldn’t use his voice was very difficult.”
The reaction from the players was a big example of how much this team enjoys being around each other. The chemistry with this group has been very helpful for their success.
“This team likes each other and he’s part of that team, that group,” Rivers finished. “For all our young guys, I always think things like this, obviously, you don’t want them to ever happen, but it just did give them a dose of reality like we still are living in a real world. Not in the bubble of the NBA.”
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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