Exclusive with 76ers assistant Reggie Redding: Doc Rivers' door is always open

Reggie Redding is now an individual coach with his Philadelphia 76ers. He makes sure that Joel Embiid, James Harden or Tobias Harris can prepare perfectly for the game. Before the game starts, however, he finds time for an interview for Flashscore.

Reggie, what does a typical working day look like for you at the moment? 

"Early at eight o'clock I drive to the Sixers' training hall. At ten we have shootaround. After training, I return home and try to take a nap. When we play at 7pm, the first player comes for warm-up at around 4:15pm. So I'm on my way to the arena now and arrive around 3:30 p.m. to prepare for the game against the Warriors. Of course, we are also on the road a lot and travel with the team to the away games."

Do you live near the Sixers training arena? 

"I live with my family in the neighbourhood of my university in Villanova, where I played. It's kind of a suburb of Philly. Our NBA training facility is in Camden, New Jersey. I drive about 45 minutes every day to practice. But it's not far, so that's okay."

What is your job with the Sixers? 

"I take care of player development. If the guys want to come in the gym and do basketball drills, that's my job. The player I work with the most is Tobias Harris. But I also help out with other guys, Joel Embiid or James Harden. I'm wherever I'm needed."

What aspects do you work on with the players? 

"It depends on the individual player, of course. Guys like Tobias are so professional and most of the time they know exactly what they want to do. Some days they want to work on their shooting, then we do shooting exercises. Or they want to work on their ball handling."

Do you ever miss playing? 

"That's the cool thing about my job. I play a lot with the boys. If they want to practice one-on-one, I do that. There are also moments when a player is needed in training at five-a-side and I come in. It's great to play with some of the best basketball players in the world. I'm not a 76ers player, but I still think it's cool. So I still get my little dose, but of course I miss the real competition."

Which Sixer is the hardest to defend in training? 

"I would say Joel Embiid. He is just so big and so good. I would have to be a little taller to be able to stop him (laughs). Honestly, Tyrese Maxey is really so hard to defend. My goodness, he's incredibly quick and nimble."

Did you ever officially end your playing career? We couldn't find anything on that.

"It was crazy. The last time I played was in Belgrade (with Partizan until 2020). I had a chest injury and had to have surgery. And then COVID struck and sent us all home. The next season I stayed home and continued to recover from my injury. During that time, I became a father to a daughter. Last summer I asked myself: okay I'm fit again, do I go back over, what do I do? Then in June my father passed away. After that I decided to end my career. I was not ready to just leave home two or three weeks after my father died. Just as I was contemplating ending my career, I got a call from the Sixers. That was a sign for me to quit as a player and get into coaching."  

What is it like to work under head coach Doc Rivers? 

"It's just fantastic to learn from the coaches. Of course, especially from Doc. I've been following him for years. Now to be able to start my coaching career under him is just unbelievable. Doc is a welcoming coach. You can always come into his office. You can always ask him something and talk to him. He helps. His door is always open. He is never angry or in a bad mood. I'm very lucky to work under a coach like him."

You were born in Philadelphia. How does it feel to be part of the Sixers now? 

"I'm very lucky. I was able to finish my playing career and was given the opportunity to join the Sixers right after. That's not something that can be taken for granted. I'm doubly lucky to be able to do that for my hometown team as well. I grew up in Philly, went to high school and college here. My whole life I've been a Sixers fan. And then I get the chance to be a part of this club."

How do you see your own coaching career going? 

"I've thought about that a lot. I'm not sure yet. I have a two-year contract with the Sixers, this season and next season. After next season, I'll have a good idea of what direction I'm going to go. Right now, I'm just enjoying what I'm doing. As long as I'm having fun with it and developing, I love it.L

Do you sometimes remember your time in Germany? You were a very popular player there.

"I love Germany. I always enjoyed living and playing here. The best years of my career were probably the two in Berlin. I played well on the floor, the city was great and ALBA always took care of me. I still maintain good connections with some of my teammates from back then. Berlin was the highlight of my career in Europe."

The Philadelphia 76ers won the game against the Golden State Warriors 118-106.