Iverson pleased to play for new coach Cheeks
PHILADELPHIA -- Maurice Cheeks gets his dream job. Allen Iverson has the coach he always wanted.
Cheeks and Iverson were reunited in Philadelphia on Tuesday, a day after the 76ers fired Jim O'Brien and replaced him with Cheeks, one of the most popular players in franchise history.
"I'm excited about being here. It's a place I've always loved," Cheeks said at a news conference held in the Wachovia Spectrum, where he starred for 11 seasons with the Sixers from 1978-89. "It's a special feeling. It's something I almost can't believe."
Iverson, the perennial All-Star guard, joked he was so elated Cheeks was hired he wanted to kiss him on the mouth. The two formed a close relationship when Cheeks was an assistant coach with the Sixers.
"A lot of times, you think things like this are too good to be true," Iverson said.
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| Maurice Cheeks' playing days in Philadelphia included the 1983 championship. (AP) |
Cheeks was an assistant under three coaches from 1994-2001, and was part of Larry Brown's staff when the Sixers went to the NBA Finals in 2001.
"If you got a problem with Mo Cheeks, there must be something wrong with you," said Iverson, known for feuding with coaches.
Cheeks was fired March 2 after nearly four seasons as coach of the Trail Blazers. He had a 162-139 record in Portland, the fourth-highest win total in Blazers history.
Cheeks guided the team to the playoffs his first two seasons, but the players hardly made his tenure easy -- on or off the court.
The team was nicknamed the "Jail Blazers" after several brushes with the law, many of them involving marijuana possession.
"It certainly couldn't hurt that I started out somewhere else," Cheeks said. "I had to figure out if I was able to do the job. Once I got there, I started believing I can do it."
Cheeks' return to Philadelphia is no surprise. The Sixers wanted him after Brown left for Detroit following the 2002-03 season, but were denied permission to speak to him.
