Three days after the team replaced him, Cheeks met with reporters on Tuesday to thank the fans and take responsibility for the poor start of a team with playoff aspirations.

Sometimes, Cheeks said, it can be the coach's fault a team does not perform as expected.

"In my case, it was the coach," he said.

Team president Ed Stefanski fired Cheeks on Saturday after the Sixers stumbled to a 9-14 start.

Last season, Cheeks and Stefanski orchestrated a remarkable midseason turnaround that helped the 76ers recover from an 18-30 start to make the playoffs. In the offseason, they acquired star power forward Elton Brand and appeared ready to contend in the Eastern Conference.

But the team struggled early and had lost eight of 10 before Stefanski fired Cheeks and replaced him with assistant general manager Tony DiLeo.

"Things don't always work out the way you expect them to," Cheeks said. "I take solace in the fact I did the best I could."

Cheeks said his affection for the fans and the franchise — where he played 11 seasons — prompted him to agree to a news conference at the 76ers home arena.