The Philadelphia 76ers won 52 games last season, just two years removed from winning 10 games. Several factors contributed to their rapid ascension — Joel Embiid being chief among them — but the team’s culture stands out. Coach Brett Brown deserves a lot of credit.
Joining the team at rock bottom, Brown kept the locker room in tact during multiple losing seasons. While the Sixers were nightly underdogs, it was Brown who kept the team engaged. It was Brown who kept the team playing hard, night-in and night-out, despite the odds.
In a recent Players’ Tribune article, T.