76ers Hire Cheeks After Firing O’Brien

Maurice Cheeks is running the show again for the Philadelphia 76ers.

In a surprising move nearly three weeks after the end of their season, the 76ers fired Jim O’Brien on Monday after one season as coach and replaced him with Cheeks, one of the most popular players in team history.

“Mo is family. Mo bleeds 76ers. He bleeds Philadelphia,” team President Billy King said Monday.

Philadelphia is banking on the former point guard to have a happier homecoming than O’Brien, a Philadelphia native who played for Saint Joseph’s. O’Brien’s stubbornness and seemingly unwavering belief in a system that didn’t fit his players cost him his job despite a 43-39 record and a return to the playoffs.

“I just felt the direction we were going and the overall play wasn’t where we wanted to go,” King said.

O’Brien just finished the first year of a three-year deal that included an option and paid him about $4 million annually. O’Brien, though, was not very popular with his players -- most notably former All-Star Chris Webber -- who often complained about their roles.

Cheeks was one of the most popular 76ers from 1978-89 and played on Philadelphia’s last championship team in 1983. He also spent seven seasons as an assistant coach for the 76ers and developed a strong bond with Allen Iverson.

Cheeks was fired March 2 after nearly four seasons as coach of the Portland Trail Blazers. He had a 162-139 record in Portland, the fourth-highest win total in Blazer history.

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John Weisbrod resigned as general manager of the Orlando Magic, only 14 months after the former pro hockey player was hired to rebuild the franchise in his own hard-nosed style.

Weisbrod, much criticized for his trades of Tracy McGrady and Cuttino Mobley before and during a 36-46 season, will pursue opportunities in hockey.

The team’s basketball operations will now be handled by Dave Twardzik, director of player personnel, and Otis Smith, director of player development. Meanwhile, ESPN.com reported the Magic would hire as its coach Brian Hill, who led Orlando to its only NBA Finals appearance in 1995. A Magic spokesman declined to comment.

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Dallas Maverick swingman Michael Finley is expected to have surgery to remove a bone chip in his right ankle and is expected to be ready for training camp.