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Former Sixers assistant Sam Cassell to join Boston Celtics staff

Cassell became available after Doc Rivers was fired by the Sixers on May 16. In Philly, he had worked closely with James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, and former Sixer Ben Simmons.

Sixers Assistant Coach Sam Cassell during warm ups before the Sixers played the Brooklyn Nets in Game 2 in the first round Eastern Conference playoffs.
Sixers Assistant Coach Sam Cassell during warm ups before the Sixers played the Brooklyn Nets in Game 2 in the first round Eastern Conference playoffs.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer

Sam Cassell is heading back to Boston.

The 53-year-old who spent the past three seasons as a Sixers assistant under Doc Rivers has accepted an assistant coaching job with the Boston Celtics.

This will be sort of a homecoming for the Baltimore native. Cassell played in Boston during his final NBA season in 2007-08 when the Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers for the NBA championship.

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Cassell became available after Rivers was fired on May 16. In Philly, he had worked closely with James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, and former Sixer Ben Simmons.

In all, he’s spent the past nine seasons as one of Rivers’ assistants. He spent six seasons as an assistant coach under Rivers with the Los Angeles Clippers. Rivers was hired by the Sixers within days after being fired by the Clippers at the conclusion of the 2019-20 season. Cassell came with Rivers to Philly.

In addition to the Sixers and Clippers, Cassell was an assistant coach with the Washington Wizards.

Cassell got into coaching after winning the 2008 NBA title, his third NBA championship overall. He then joined the Wizards’ coaching staff on May 21, 2009. While in Washington, Cassell was credited for helping develop John Wall into one of the league’s elite guards.

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After five seasons with the Wizards, Cassell reunited with Rivers with the Clippers in 2014. He followed Rivers to Philadelphia after the coach was hired in October 2020.

Cassell had been in the mix for Houston’s head coaching job before the Rockets hired former Celtics coach Ime Udoka in April. That came after Temple inquired about hiring Cassell for its coaching job in March. The Owls hired Adam Fisher after learning Cassell wasn’t interested in leaving the Sixers at that time.