Elton Brand... the new Sixers GM

[Billy Dat]

Samesies to this. Back when the USA men's team was practicing in Vegas for the Olympics, scrimmaging the Puerto Rican team, I went to see them play. I knew K's favorite hotel in Vegas was the Wynn, which was where the team was staying. After the game, I waited around the casino floor for the players and had a chance to speak with Elton and his wife, also a Duke grad. Initially they were hesitant and offered a 'hey, thanks for coming out,' but when I let them know I was a Duke guy, they legit stopped and chatted for fifteen-twenty minutes. He's very well-spoken, as is his wife, and he was all smiles about his time at Duke. Later that night, Elton saw me in the line to get into the club in the Wynn at which the players were partying, and he got and my buddies in sans cover and back to his table. It was a great memory, and he'll always be a favorite of mine.

Great story, thanks for sharing it. Elton is one of my all time faves as we are from the same hometown...Peekskill, NY.

I have been talking to some neighbors with Philly fan ties and they are not happy about the hire. The feeling is that the Sixers are on the cusp of making a finals run with a few more moves and they can't believe they have handed the keys to a relatively inexperienced front office exec, which leads them to believe that Brett Brown will be keeping a very strong hand in things. I am wondering what the Sixers fans on DBR (e.g. Kedsy) think about the hire?

[budwom]

Some years ago, NY Governor George Pataki (aslo from Peekskill) took a dutiful trip up to Plattsburgh for some purpose (not much going on there) and he had a press conference in which he was pretty indifferent to most of the boring questions asked...friend of mine is a VT reporter who went over, and just decided to blurt out "hey Governor, what about Elton Brand?" Pataki suddenly awoke from
his slumber and asked "who said that", and went on to praise Elton at great length, somewhat to the surprise of all the locals, few of whom had the slightest idea of who Elton Brand was...

irrelevant anecdote two: years ago a friend and I and his two little daughters (dutiful DBR fans) were brunching it up at the Washington Duke when the hoop team wandered thru, and one of the girls got the Three Amigos to give her their autographs in a most cheerful fashion...

[johnb]

Elton has been awesome since well before he started getting national coverage.

Here's the NY Times, 1996, writing about a high school Elton:
https://www.nytimes.com/1996/02/25/n...and-tests.html

He joins Justise and Zion as terrific people who are also members of the Guys Most Likely to Inadvertently Hurt Someone While Going in For A Layup.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

Elton has been awesome since well before he started getting national coverage.

Here's the NY Times, 1996, writing about a high school Elton:
https://www.nytimes.com/1996/02/25/n...and-tests.html

He joins Justise and Zion as terrific people who are also members of the Guys Most Likely to Inadvertently Hurt Someone While Going in For A Layup.

Add Gerald Henderson to that club, though many Tar Heels feel that what he did was not inadvertent...

[Furniture]

https://mobile.twitter.com/DukeNBA/s...278144/video/1

Its a real thing according to JJ.

[Billy Dat]

https://mobile.twitter.com/DukeNBA/s...278144/video/1

Its a real thing according to JJ.

On ESPN's Pardon the Interruption (PTI) on Wednesday, Frank Isola (guest hosting for Kornheiser) said something along the lines of, "3 groups run the NBA...The Spurs, USA Basketball and Duke".

[BD80]

On ESPN's Pardon the Interruption (PTI) on Wednesday, Frank Isola (guest hosting for Kornheiser) said something along the lines of, "3 groups run the NBA...The Spurs, USA Basketball and Duke".

And the Spurs and Duke run USA Basketball, so ...

[weezie]

Add Gerald Henderson to that club, though many Tar Heels feel that what he did was not inadvertent...

Nobody cares what they think. Eyes front cheaters!

[Billy Dat]

Good podcast interview with Elton on The (Zach) Lowe Post
http://www.espn.com/espnradio/play?id=24803908

It is mostly about his new job, but also talks about his NBA career and touches on Duke a bit.

At the very end, Lowe says something like, "I have it from an unnamed source that you used to have huge piles of dirty laundry on your dorm room floor." Based on the back and forth, it seems that Shane is the informant, and Elton counters with (paraphrase), "Shane went to Coach K and complained about me leaving the iron on and me and William Avery playing our music too much while he was trying to study. Coach told him to take the stick out of his ***."

Snitches get stitches, Shane.

[BD80]

Good podcast interview with Elton on The (Zach) Lowe Post
http://www.espn.com/espnradio/play?id=24803908

It is mostly about his new job, but also talks about his NBA career and touches on Duke a bit.

At the very end, Lowe says something like, "I have it from an unnamed source that you used to have huge piles of dirty laundry on your dorm room floor." Based on the back and forth, it seems that Shane is the informant, and Elton counters with (paraphrase), "Shane went to Coach K and complained about me leaving the iron on and me and William Avery playing our music too much while he was trying to study. Coach told him to take the stick out of his ***."

Snitches get stitches, Shane.

That stick made him say "Ohmmm …"

[Clipsfan]

Good podcast interview with Elton on The (Zach) Lowe Post
http://www.espn.com/espnradio/play?id=24803908

It is mostly about his new job, but also talks about his NBA career and touches on Duke a bit.

At the very end, Lowe says something like, "I have it from an unnamed source that you used to have huge piles of dirty laundry on your dorm room floor." Based on the back and forth, it seems that Shane is the informant, and Elton counters with (paraphrase), "Shane went to Coach K and complained about me leaving the iron on and me and William Avery playing our music too much while he was trying to study. Coach told him to take the stick out of his ***."

Snitches get stitches, Shane.

Yeah, was listening to that this morning and found it pretty funny. I like Lowe and enjoyed hearing the two of them talk. Thought it was interesting that Elton turned down an assistant GM position to continue playing a few years back.

[79-77]

Samesies to this. Back when the USA men's team was practicing in Vegas for the Olympics, scrimmaging the Puerto Rican team, I went to see them play. I knew K's favorite hotel in Vegas was the Wynn, which was where the team was staying. After the game, I waited around the casino floor for the players and had a chance to speak with Elton and his wife, also a Duke grad. Initially they were hesitant and offered a 'hey, thanks for coming out,' but when I let them know I was a Duke guy, they legit stopped and chatted for fifteen-twenty minutes. He's very well-spoken, as is his wife, and he was all smiles about his time at Duke. Later that night, Elton saw me in the line to get into the club in the Wynn at which the players were partying, and he got and my buddies in sans cover and back to his table. It was a great memory, and he'll always be a favorite of mine.

Outstanding.

Separately: Brand is in my all-time Duke starting 5 (with Laettner, Hurley, Hill and Battier, btw). He was a fantastic player.

[heyman25]

Why did Elton Brand not show up for Duke Hall of Fame ceremony. Was it a timing issue?

[NSDukeFan]

Outstanding.

Separately: Brand is in my all-time Duke starting 5 (with Laettner, Hurley, Hill and Battier, btw). He was a fantastic player.

That’s a big starting five without JWill, Redick or J. Dawkins.

[Kedsy]

Great story, thanks for sharing it. Elton is one of my all time faves as we are from the same hometown...Peekskill, NY.

I have been talking to some neighbors with Philly fan ties and they are not happy about the hire. The feeling is that the Sixers are on the cusp of making a finals run with a few more moves and they can't believe they have handed the keys to a relatively inexperienced front office exec, which leads them to believe that Brett Brown will be keeping a very strong hand in things. I am wondering what the Sixers fans on DBR (e.g. Kedsy) think about the hire?

Yeah, I guess I feel the same way as most. He has essentially no experience and a lot to prove at a critical time for the franchise and I can only assume Brett Brown will be the de facto GM. Which I'm not certain is a good thing, either. Who knows, maybe Elton will become an all-time great GM, but it's an awfully big risk for the Sixers to take if they want to win a championship.

[DevilYouKnow]

I've always loved Elton, as a player and as a man. I had no issue with him calling out Duke students who complained about his decision to go pro. Dude is a beast, a thoughtful beast, and I'll always have his back.

[79-77]

So Elton was on JJ Redick's podcast a few days ago. It was a pretty good conversation -- Brand is pretty funny, honest and articulate. They didn't talk about Duke much until the end, when Brand told a really interesting (IMHO) story about his decision to turn pro.

Evidently, after Brand's freshman year, based on the intel that Duke gathered for him, he would've been taken in the mid- to high teens in the first round. Coach K told him that if he came back for his sophomore year, he would be the focal point of the offense, the team would have a great year, and he would be the #1 overall pick. Meanwhile, he was getting a lot of pressure to turn pro, including from his mom, who said something to him along the lines of "you're really going to leave me here in the projects for another year?"

Brand bucked the pressure and came back to Duke for his sophomore year -- and found himself in Coach K's doghouse and benched in the middle of the year for 2 games!

It all worked out for him, of course -- but the way he told the story made me appreciate what a difficult and stressful period that must've been for him -- even though he told it with good humor.

[bullettoothtony]

^ wow... really interesting stuff. Appreciate the info.

It's so easy for folks to judge players, what they should do, etc., when there's often so much we may not know.

[Gooch]

So Elton was on JJ Redick's podcast a few days ago. It was a pretty good conversation -- Brand is pretty funny, honest and articulate. They didn't talk about Duke much until the end, when Brand told a really interesting (IMHO) story about his decision to turn pro.

Evidently, after Brand's freshman year, based on the intel that Duke gathered for him, he would've been taken in the mid- to high teens in the first round. Coach K told him that if he came back for his sophomore year, he would be the focal point of the offense, the team would have a great year, and he would be the #1 overall pick. Meanwhile, he was getting a lot of pressure to turn pro, including from his mom, who said something to him along the lines of "you're really going to leave me here in the projects for another year?"

Brand bucked the pressure and came back to Duke for his sophomore year -- and found himself in Coach K's doghouse and benched in the middle of the year for 2 games!

It all worked out for him, of course -- but the way he told the story made me appreciate what a difficult and stressful period that must've been for him -- even though he told it with good humor.

This interview was excellent. In addition to his humor and intellect, I was really impressed with Brand's humility and how he spoke so highly of his team within the Sixers organization. I'm really glad my favorite NBA team gave him a chance!

And everyone should listen to JJ Redick's podcast. He gets really interesting guests across a wide spectrum, and his interviews with NBA players are different than any other podcast I've heard. JJ definitely has a future in media if he wants it.