Have you had any instances where somebody sent you a message that was really meaningful to you about you coaching in the NBA? Kristi Tollver: No doubt about it. I get that a lot. But one I would say that I remember very clearly was my first year with the Wizards when [then-]Sacramento head coach Dave Joerger came up to me. He said that he has a young daughter. And he came up to me and was like, ‘My daughter has seen me coaching forever. But I just wanted you to know that it is really, really cool that there is someone special that my daughter can see that looks like you on the sidelines.’ When I hear chirps like that, it keeps me mindful of what I am doing. I just love what I’m doing and what it represents. So, it’s not just about me and my experience, but it’s about the bigger picture.
Dave Joerger rumors
The donation was inspired by the treatment Sixers assistant coach Dave Joerger received at the center after he was diagnosed with head and neck cancer in October. Joerger went through seven weeks of radiation and chemotherapy and returned to the Sixers in early February.
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04 Jan 21
Dave Joerger is tired of slathering pancakes with butter and syrup. And of seeking out soft-textured proteins such as eggs and fish. And of downing scoops of mashed potatoes. It’s still difficult for Joerger to eat and swallow, making every meal and snack feel like a workout with the goal of collecting calories instead of burning them. But it sure beats the feeding tube the 76ers’ lead assistant coach had hooked to his stomach for weeks.
“Where I’ve been, it runs the gamut,” Joerger told The Inquirer by phone last week. “There’s times you feel, ‘This is not going to stop me. There’s nothing that can stop me. I’ve got such a great support system,’ and then there’s times you just don’t know if you can go on anymore. Physically, mentally, it’s like, ‘This hurts.’ It’s given me a great appreciation for all the gifts and all the things that we have been given. … “Should it really take me getting cancer to realize all that? I feel like I’m pretty humble and I’ve always had an appreciation and a gratitude, but not certainly to the level of, ‘Wow, I have it good as a human being.’”
The treatment had a cumulative effect that wore Joerger down. He was physically unable to speak for about two weeks, responding to phone calls with a text message saying that he could only communicate through typed words. Wife Kimberly, whom Joerger called a “saint,” ground up his pills because of his inability to swallow. He had a stretch when his brain got “really foggy” that he still struggles to remember. And the COVID-19 omicron variant surge at that time was dangerous for Joerger because, as an immunocompromised person, “had I gotten COVID, I’d have been a real hot mess,” he said.
Dave Joerger left the Philadelphia 76ers in mid-November to focus on battling cancer. At that time, Joerger shared he had “head and neck” cancer. Because of early detection, Joerger said he had over a 90% chance of beating the cancer. Now, in early-February, Joerger is returning to the Sixers bench on a full-time basis. In a statement, Joerger expressed his thanks for the support he’s received, as well as his excitement to be back.
