PHILADELPHIA, April 3 -- Philadelphia 76ers President Pat Croce said Tuesday that his brother, John, has been dismissed as the team's strength and conditioning coach after he was caught on videotape stealing money from Allen Iverson's pants in the locker room.
When John Croce left the Sixers Jan. 12, the team press release said it was to pursue other career opportunities.
But Pat Croce and Sixers General Manager Billy King told Philadelphia newspapers that the move was made after surveillance cameras showed John Croce stealing from Iverson.
"I found out about it the day Billy King showed me the video, the day we fired my brother," Pat Croce told the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Billy showed me the video. I said, 'Call (John) in. Ask him pointed questions. Investigate this. If this is true, we'll have to take immediate action.'"
No charges against John Croce have beenfiled.
According to the Philadelphia Daily News, several players had complained about missing money, causing King to authorize the installation of surveillance cameras in the Sixers' locker room at their training site and in locker rooms on the road.
John Croce was called in immediately after the videotape showed him taking money from Iverson during a game on the road sometime between mid-December and early January and was confronted by King.
"When I saw the tape, I felt it had to be dealt with," King said. "So we just took the necessary steps to deal with it."
"This is so painful," Pat Croce said. "We had to take immediate action. There was no way I was going to cover this over."
There was no estimate as to how much money was stolen.
John Croce was in his fifth season with the Sixers, his second as physical conditioning coach.
