WEBVTT - The BroadCast: 10/15/2018 ~ A Feature on Markelle Fultz 0:00:00.520 --> 0:00:02.920 The new season is almost upon us, and in the 0:00:03.000 --> 0:00:05.480 context of the seventy six Ers, the hope is that 0:00:05.559 --> 0:00:08.680 markl Folks will add another weapon to the fold. Following 0:00:08.680 --> 0:00:11.480 an encouraging preseason, the Combo Guards seems to be in 0:00:11.520 --> 0:00:13.840 a good place. The stuff that happened to me last 0:00:13.880 --> 0:00:16.000 year only made me a better man named basketball player. 0:00:16.079 --> 0:00:18.200 Some people can look at it as something bad, but 0:00:18.320 --> 0:00:20.240 I look at it as you know and blessing. Ahead 0:00:20.239 --> 0:00:22.959 of this year's season opener, we'll speak with Folts plus 0:00:23.040 --> 0:00:25.880 venture into enemy territory and get some nuggets on the 0:00:25.920 --> 0:00:29.520 Boston Celtics, where you've got Irving and Hayward coming back. 0:00:29.600 --> 0:00:32.280 Everyone is jacked up around here about what this team 0:00:32.280 --> 0:00:34.519 can accomplish. It's gonna be really interesting to see if 0:00:34.520 --> 0:00:37.240 it can all come together. Coming up on this episode 0:00:37.360 --> 0:00:45.360 of the broadcast, is it could it be? Yes? Just 0:00:45.560 --> 0:00:50.120 about time for the start of the twenty eighteen nineteen 0:00:50.159 --> 0:00:53.840 regular season. What's going on at there? Brian Seltzer saying 0:00:54.040 --> 0:00:59.040 hello and welcome to the broadcast. We are finally going 0:00:59.080 --> 0:01:03.480 to be talking about fresh Sixers basketball of consequence. As 0:01:03.520 --> 0:01:06.880 the Sixers open things up Tuesday night at ted Garden 0:01:06.920 --> 0:01:10.160 against the Boston Celtics. In addition to our feature on 0:01:10.240 --> 0:01:13.040 markl Foltz, we're going to hear from Mark Demiko, who 0:01:13.040 --> 0:01:16.000 does what I do for Celtics dot Com. He'll give 0:01:16.040 --> 0:01:18.319 us a sense of what's been happening with the seas 0:01:18.360 --> 0:01:21.000 throughout the preseason. But first I want to remind you 0:01:21.040 --> 0:01:22.959 that to subscribe to the broadcast, you can do a 0:01:22.959 --> 0:01:25.360 couple of things. You can go to Apple Podcasts, Google Play, 0:01:25.600 --> 0:01:30.800 tune in, Stitcher, SoundCloud, any of your favorite podcasting platforms. 0:01:30.800 --> 0:01:33.760 Type in Sixers podcast Network and that will take you 0:01:33.880 --> 0:01:38.640 to our feed. Now let's go in depth on markl Foltz, 0:01:40.040 --> 0:01:42.720 perhaps no member of the seventy sixers roster, or a 0:01:42.720 --> 0:01:45.400 few other players in the entire NBA for that matter. 0:01:45.760 --> 0:01:47.840 We'll be entering the new season with the same type 0:01:47.840 --> 0:01:51.600 of intrigue surrounding him as Mark el Foltz will. Coming 0:01:51.680 --> 0:01:54.480 up through the amateur ranks. There was obviously so much 0:01:54.560 --> 0:01:58.320 potential about faults, and then there was last season at 0:01:58.360 --> 0:02:01.640 the twenty seventeen consents, number one pick wasn't able to 0:02:01.680 --> 0:02:05.000 consistently stay on the floor, but an offseason of tireless 0:02:05.040 --> 0:02:07.880 work reading in bolden sense of inner belief in the 0:02:07.920 --> 0:02:11.040 twenty year old, and it showed during an encouraging preseason. 0:02:11.400 --> 0:02:14.919 Folts both seems and sounds like he's going to very 0:02:15.000 --> 0:02:17.200 much be a factor this year. I'm feeling great, you know, 0:02:17.600 --> 0:02:19.040 really confident. I put him a lot of work to 0:02:19.080 --> 0:02:21.160 summer preseason. You know, I got a chance to go 0:02:21.280 --> 0:02:23.840 out dare and build my chemistry with my teammates. So 0:02:24.160 --> 0:02:26.519 I feeling really good. Just before training camp started a 0:02:26.520 --> 0:02:28.359 few weeks ago, I had the chance to spend a 0:02:28.400 --> 0:02:31.440 few minutes with Folts and our conversation started talking about 0:02:31.440 --> 0:02:34.080 the summer he spent mostly in Los Angeles training with 0:02:34.160 --> 0:02:38.079 Drew Hanlon and guys like Joel Ebiden former teammate Justin Anderson. 0:02:38.480 --> 0:02:41.200 It was a regiment that yielded Brett Brown estimated about 0:02:41.200 --> 0:02:44.560 one hundred and fifty thousand total shots. Pretty much. My 0:02:44.639 --> 0:02:47.920 summer preparation was crazy this year. You know, I literally 0:02:48.080 --> 0:02:51.519 was sleeping in the gym. I woke up in the morning, 0:02:51.560 --> 0:02:53.440 I worked out, I wanted to go eat, came back 0:02:53.440 --> 0:02:54.800 and work out, and then I would come back at 0:02:54.880 --> 0:02:57.480 nineing workouts. Was pretty much doing you know, three workouts 0:02:57.480 --> 0:02:59.760 a day. I was trying to get lifts in, but 0:02:59.840 --> 0:03:00.960 you know, at the end of the day, I was 0:03:01.000 --> 0:03:03.320 just grinding, you know, getting back to the love of 0:03:03.760 --> 0:03:07.120 working hard to get what you want. And that's literally 0:03:07.160 --> 0:03:09.560 what it's been the whole summer. And I had a 0:03:09.600 --> 0:03:12.079 little like little to numb breaks, you know. I had 0:03:12.080 --> 0:03:14.200 to go to China a little bit for you know, 0:03:14.400 --> 0:03:16.760 for things, but even out there, I had a great 0:03:16.760 --> 0:03:19.600 time just interacting with fans and then coming back just 0:03:19.680 --> 0:03:22.240 getting close to, you know, that feeling of being back 0:03:22.280 --> 0:03:24.160 in the season. You know, as it got closer and closer, 0:03:24.160 --> 0:03:26.080 I got more and more excited just to be able to, 0:03:26.440 --> 0:03:30.280 you know, just showcase myself and get back around to 0:03:30.360 --> 0:03:32.840 people that you know made me happy last year, like 0:03:32.880 --> 0:03:36.320 my teammates and everything. So I'm pretty excited. One hundred 0:03:36.360 --> 0:03:38.880 and fifty thousand shots. Is that an accurate number? I 0:03:38.920 --> 0:03:41.520 think that's actually a little bit lower than what I 0:03:41.560 --> 0:03:43.960 shot because you know, those are just shots that I 0:03:43.960 --> 0:03:45.880 shot in gym. Those are not the shots you know 0:03:45.920 --> 0:03:48.240 that people don't see like at home and I'm just 0:03:48.240 --> 0:03:50.880 shooting around or when I go to the playground and play. 0:03:50.960 --> 0:03:53.840 So I mean I definitely shot one hundred and fifty 0:03:53.880 --> 0:03:55.760 thousand shots. You know, I put it in a lot, 0:03:55.800 --> 0:03:58.560 a lot of hours, but it wasn't about the shots really, 0:03:58.560 --> 0:04:01.240 it was about the hard work that I put And 0:04:01.280 --> 0:04:03.480 I didn't do it for, you know, for the publicity. 0:04:03.520 --> 0:04:05.920 I did it for myself just to get an outcome 0:04:06.000 --> 0:04:08.000 that I want it and I'm happy with the work 0:04:08.040 --> 0:04:10.200 I put in. So what do you think made the 0:04:10.600 --> 0:04:14.000 fit with you, Drew Hanlon and this team's developed program 0:04:14.040 --> 0:04:16.599 work over the summer. I just think it was just 0:04:16.640 --> 0:04:18.479 an openness. You know. He was opening and try to 0:04:18.480 --> 0:04:20.440 help me, and I was just opening, you know, working 0:04:20.440 --> 0:04:22.280 with him. You know, it was something different for me. 0:04:23.200 --> 0:04:25.280 So for both of us, it was just you know, 0:04:25.720 --> 0:04:27.359 we found a way. We both have a love for 0:04:27.400 --> 0:04:29.320 a game, and he was willing to, you know, to 0:04:29.360 --> 0:04:31.599 put in hours and the gym just like I was. 0:04:31.640 --> 0:04:33.359 So it just happened that we both you know, and 0:04:33.400 --> 0:04:35.720 he has summer in my teammates, you know, he had 0:04:35.800 --> 0:04:37.920 he worked out justin Joel, So it was just cool, 0:04:37.960 --> 0:04:40.440 you know, to be around my teammates and just grind. 0:04:40.520 --> 0:04:43.919 So I'm thankful for what he's done. That Folks was 0:04:43.960 --> 0:04:46.520 looking to surround himself with more people who made him 0:04:46.520 --> 0:04:49.800 feel comfortable. It's easy to understand, especially given hell last 0:04:49.839 --> 0:04:52.280 year went. After peering in the six ers first four 0:04:52.320 --> 0:04:54.720 games the regular season, he was shut down due to 0:04:54.800 --> 0:04:57.840 scapular muscle and balance in his shoulder. It wouldn't be 0:04:57.920 --> 0:05:00.400 until March when Brett Brown made a surprise and ouncement 0:05:00.400 --> 0:05:02.839 before home game against the Denver Nuggets that we'd see 0:05:02.839 --> 0:05:05.280 Folts again in uniform. I want to tell you something 0:05:05.320 --> 0:05:08.000 about Mark L. Folts. He's going to play tonight. Mark 0:05:08.160 --> 0:05:13.719 LL Folks will play tonight. It was his decision. It's 0:05:13.760 --> 0:05:16.880 been fluid, you know. I get goosebumps telling you all that, 0:05:17.520 --> 0:05:20.520 I'm so proud of him. Just listening to that SoundBite, 0:05:20.600 --> 0:05:23.320 you know you can hear it usually Steady Brown was 0:05:23.400 --> 0:05:26.560 emotional that night, and it made sense. Folts had been 0:05:26.600 --> 0:05:29.520 through so much it still managed to persevere through it 0:05:29.600 --> 0:05:31.960 all and get back on the court. He'd gone to 0:05:32.000 --> 0:05:34.400 appear in the six ER's final ten regular season games 0:05:34.680 --> 0:05:36.760 and three more in the playoffs in the series against 0:05:36.760 --> 0:05:40.600 the Miami Heats. Yes, Folts definitely had to endure more 0:05:40.640 --> 0:05:43.480 than his fair share of adversity in twenty seventeen eighteen, 0:05:44.000 --> 0:05:46.240 but in some ways it's been a way of life 0:05:46.279 --> 0:05:49.480 that's become familiar to him. Talk about adversity obstacles. I 0:05:49.560 --> 0:05:51.160 mean I've been going through that since I was young. 0:05:52.080 --> 0:05:53.800 It started at a young gay you're just trying to 0:05:53.880 --> 0:05:57.159 make a varsity and getting cut there and then all 0:05:57.200 --> 0:05:59.080 the way. So you can go back to my last 0:05:59.120 --> 0:06:02.920 year in the NBA, you know, um just uh the 0:06:03.040 --> 0:06:04.640 year I had, you know, I had an injury happening 0:06:04.680 --> 0:06:07.720 and I wasn't able to be my normalself on the 0:06:07.800 --> 0:06:10.920 court and I had to fight through you know, going 0:06:10.960 --> 0:06:13.520 against the media, going against you know, just wanting to 0:06:13.560 --> 0:06:16.560 do something that I love and I couldn't do it anymore. So, um, 0:06:17.080 --> 0:06:19.080 going through that, it was just you know tough, and 0:06:19.120 --> 0:06:20.760 I had to stick to my roots of what got 0:06:20.800 --> 0:06:23.000 me here, you know, just working hard, believing in my 0:06:23.080 --> 0:06:26.320 family and support system and and just praying and going 0:06:26.400 --> 0:06:28.880 by by that. You're expanding that a little bit deep 0:06:29.440 --> 0:06:32.000 instead have helped you push through and overcome some of 0:06:32.040 --> 0:06:36.039 the stuff that you've gone up again. Sure, the biggest support, 0:06:36.360 --> 0:06:38.920 um that I had going through these obstacles and you 0:06:39.000 --> 0:06:42.000 know tough times is definitely my mom, you know, coach, 0:06:42.839 --> 0:06:46.000 my teammates, you know, and just praying and then just 0:06:46.080 --> 0:06:48.279 working hard really so you know, my mom has been 0:06:48.360 --> 0:06:50.400 there no matter what, you know, just telling me that 0:06:50.680 --> 0:06:53.200 I got here for a reason and it's it's a 0:06:53.240 --> 0:06:55.800 reason I got here. And then just being able to 0:06:55.880 --> 0:06:58.280 come into you know where I work at and my 0:06:58.360 --> 0:07:00.920 workplace and just have my team, you know, supporting me 0:07:00.960 --> 0:07:03.160 no matter what, and having a coach and you know 0:07:04.080 --> 0:07:06.320 front office that that understands what's going on with me. 0:07:06.600 --> 0:07:08.800 It just helped you, you know, want to fight more 0:07:09.240 --> 0:07:12.000 for not only yourself, but your teammates and your loved ones. 0:07:12.440 --> 0:07:14.360 If you've been around folks at all or read up 0:07:14.400 --> 0:07:16.600 on him or filed parts of his career, you know 0:07:17.000 --> 0:07:19.680 that his mom, Ebony, is a really important figure in 0:07:19.720 --> 0:07:21.560 his life. So when he mentioned her as part of 0:07:21.600 --> 0:07:23.920 the support group and the source of strength she's helped 0:07:23.920 --> 0:07:26.800 provide him, we talked about her some more. Describe my 0:07:27.000 --> 0:07:33.840 mother first, hardcore First. My mom is you know, loving, caring, 0:07:34.280 --> 0:07:39.720 over protective, sweet, smart, strong. I can go on and on, 0:07:39.920 --> 0:07:42.400 but my mom is really I think she's a superhero. 0:07:42.760 --> 0:07:46.120 So what are some of the sacrifices she's made in 0:07:46.200 --> 0:07:48.640 your life to help you. My mom has made plenty 0:07:48.680 --> 0:07:52.040 of sacrifices, you know, from you know, working two jobs 0:07:52.320 --> 0:07:54.320 just for me to be able to go to work 0:07:54.400 --> 0:07:56.360 out with a trainer, or go to camps, or get 0:07:56.400 --> 0:07:59.160 the shoes that I wanted to, you know, sacrificing her 0:07:59.240 --> 0:08:01.040 meal for me to eat, and now you know her 0:08:01.120 --> 0:08:03.920 being a single mom, it was tough for her, but 0:08:04.280 --> 0:08:06.640 she she always seemed to always have a smile on 0:08:06.720 --> 0:08:08.520 her face when she was around me or my sister 0:08:08.760 --> 0:08:12.440 around people. So my mom made a lot of sacrifices. 0:08:12.800 --> 0:08:15.360 I'm thankful for it. She still does anything that drives 0:08:15.400 --> 0:08:18.120 me crazy. Ah, yeah, she always you know that mom 0:08:18.280 --> 0:08:20.080 is always gonna be mom. I'm a mom's but I'm 0:08:20.120 --> 0:08:22.400 not ashamed admitted. But you know, she still does little 0:08:22.440 --> 0:08:24.320 things but like lick her finger and try to get 0:08:24.360 --> 0:08:27.200 stuff off my face, and like still try to kiss 0:08:27.240 --> 0:08:29.520 me in front of everybody, and little stuff like that. 0:08:29.680 --> 0:08:32.800 But you know, I don't like it. But at the 0:08:32.840 --> 0:08:35.439 same time, I'm still appreciative of having a mom that's 0:08:35.480 --> 0:08:37.960 to care so much about me. There have been plenty 0:08:37.960 --> 0:08:40.480 of people inside the six Ers organization who have leaned 0:08:40.480 --> 0:08:43.200 into faults, with the recently promoted general manager Elton Brand 0:08:43.600 --> 0:08:46.120 being one of them. Brand isn't just a former player, 0:08:46.360 --> 0:08:48.280 but he's a former number one pick as well, so 0:08:48.640 --> 0:08:51.080 he had faults of that in common. The relationship has 0:08:51.080 --> 0:08:54.400 seemed to help, all right, man, Elton, You know we 0:08:54.600 --> 0:08:56.640 chatted since I first got drafted here, you know, just 0:08:56.840 --> 0:09:00.240 him being an ex player and then you know, just 0:09:00.480 --> 0:09:03.400 his experience that he's been through, you know, being a player, 0:09:03.440 --> 0:09:07.480 and now he's of course the GM. He just talks about, 0:09:07.559 --> 0:09:09.920 you know, just keeping the confidence really and just knowing 0:09:10.160 --> 0:09:11.959 what I can do on and off the court, and 0:09:12.200 --> 0:09:14.800 how great of a guy I am. And I'm really appreciative, 0:09:14.800 --> 0:09:17.120 you know, to have somebody I just want to talk 0:09:17.160 --> 0:09:19.520 to somebody that knows a lot, but it's different to 0:09:19.600 --> 0:09:21.719 talk to somebody who's actually been through what you've been through. 0:09:21.800 --> 0:09:23.920 So just being able to talk to somebody who was 0:09:23.960 --> 0:09:25.679 a number one pick and had a lot of expectation 0:09:25.760 --> 0:09:28.160 and playing and Philly, you know, it's really is different 0:09:28.200 --> 0:09:31.520 from most organizations. It was. It was just dope. You 0:09:31.600 --> 0:09:33.400 don't have to be a pro athlete to know that 0:09:33.520 --> 0:09:36.640 playing in Philadelphia is a different kind of beast. We 0:09:36.760 --> 0:09:39.040 know how the town is and it's what makes it 0:09:39.160 --> 0:09:42.040 so great. But put yourself for a moment in False's 0:09:42.120 --> 0:09:46.000 nikes and consider the circumstances that surrounded him a season ago, 0:09:46.520 --> 0:09:51.640 nineteen years old, linked to a major trade, injury issues, expectations, 0:09:52.040 --> 0:09:55.599 all that. Yeah, it's the life false chose, but that 0:09:55.880 --> 0:09:58.320 didn't mean it was easy. In the year and changed. 0:09:58.360 --> 0:10:00.880 Since he's been in Philadelphia, m b native has come 0:10:00.920 --> 0:10:02.880 to love the city and all it has to offer. 0:10:03.480 --> 0:10:05.439 It's nothing like Philly, you know, it's it's it's a 0:10:05.559 --> 0:10:08.640 love hate city. But they definitely love you more than 0:10:08.679 --> 0:10:10.120 they hate you. But they're gonna let you know if 0:10:10.120 --> 0:10:12.199 you're not if you're not doing what you're supposed to do, 0:10:12.240 --> 0:10:13.720 and that's what I love about it. I want somebody 0:10:13.760 --> 0:10:15.920 to hold me accountable for if I'm not doing something. 0:10:16.040 --> 0:10:18.640 So Philly is gonna be behind you and they're gonna 0:10:18.679 --> 0:10:20.760 root for you. But you better not stink it up 0:10:20.840 --> 0:10:23.360 or you're gonna you're gonna know. So give me some 0:10:23.480 --> 0:10:26.880 favorite things to do in the city, favorite places to visit, eat, 0:10:27.000 --> 0:10:28.920 stuff like that. Okay, first of all, we're gonna go 0:10:28.960 --> 0:10:30.360 with favorite place to eat and it has to be 0:10:30.480 --> 0:10:32.839 Chick fil A, no matter where it's at in Philly. 0:10:32.880 --> 0:10:34.640 Any Chick fil A, I'll come to you, you know, 0:10:35.120 --> 0:10:36.839 hit you up. But you know, favorite things to do, 0:10:36.920 --> 0:10:40.080 I'll just like you know, riding a bike around the city. 0:10:40.160 --> 0:10:42.559 You know, just being able to be myself, you know, 0:10:42.600 --> 0:10:45.480 a ride a bike. Um, there's a lot of fun 0:10:45.559 --> 0:10:48.000 things you do. You know, you got some history places here, 0:10:48.120 --> 0:10:51.439 but just driving around Philly is is good enough for you. 0:10:51.520 --> 0:10:54.079 You're gonna see almost anything you can think of, really, 0:10:55.080 --> 0:10:58.439 from something good to something bad. But it's definitely, you know, 0:10:59.400 --> 0:11:01.800 a great city to be in where the culture here 0:11:02.000 --> 0:11:05.600 is to win. A season ago, the Sixers still enjoyed 0:11:05.640 --> 0:11:07.880 a breakout year with fifty two wins and a second 0:11:07.960 --> 0:11:11.080 round playoff appearance, even without Folts as a regular member 0:11:11.120 --> 0:11:14.360 of the rotation. Now, one of the team's tasks early 0:11:14.440 --> 0:11:16.320 on in the season will be to figure out how 0:11:16.360 --> 0:11:19.199 to use Foults the best in the preseason he started, 0:11:19.480 --> 0:11:21.520 and that's how Brett Brown plans to keep things with 0:11:21.640 --> 0:11:23.960 one caveat. He could come off the bench to begin 0:11:24.040 --> 0:11:29.040 the second half. Part of my responsibility is to be 0:11:29.200 --> 0:11:32.719 able to put these guys in environments, you know, with 0:11:32.840 --> 0:11:35.920 different combinations and try to figure that out as quickly 0:11:36.000 --> 0:11:40.839 as I'm abel and I believe that that Markel is 0:11:41.040 --> 0:11:44.439 at his best with the ball, and so when you 0:11:45.360 --> 0:11:50.160 watch how I substitute and determine patterns. When you can 0:11:50.280 --> 0:11:53.600 bring him off the bench in the second half, you're 0:11:53.679 --> 0:11:56.640 able to get him like four or five more minutes 0:11:57.559 --> 0:12:02.040 as a point guard, and I believe it's something that 0:12:02.200 --> 0:12:05.240 we will continue to look at. Regardless of how Faults 0:12:05.360 --> 0:12:07.719 is deployed, one thing is clear. The fortunes of the 0:12:07.760 --> 0:12:11.199 Sixers figure to be enhanced if he's contributing. The partnership 0:12:11.240 --> 0:12:13.760 he forges with young stars Joel and beating Ben Simmons 0:12:13.880 --> 0:12:16.040 will also be pivotal. I think it's important, you know, 0:12:16.280 --> 0:12:19.199 the relationship that we have is not only key just 0:12:19.360 --> 0:12:23.040 for you know how the team's going to do, but 0:12:23.440 --> 0:12:25.679 more so, you know, just being comfortable coming in knowing 0:12:25.760 --> 0:12:29.839 that you have a teammate slash brother who's going to 0:12:29.880 --> 0:12:32.040 hold you accountable when you're not doing well or when 0:12:32.080 --> 0:12:34.160 you are doing well, or going to get on you 0:12:34.240 --> 0:12:36.079 when you where you're not going as hard as you should. 0:12:36.120 --> 0:12:38.319 You know. So, I think the relationship that not only 0:12:38.400 --> 0:12:40.679 do us three have, but our whole core team, the 0:12:40.800 --> 0:12:44.360 whole team has is truly special. Up first for Faults 0:12:44.480 --> 0:12:47.920 and the Sixers promising core, the club that ousted them 0:12:48.040 --> 0:12:51.559 from the playoffs last year. Boston opening night against the 0:12:51.600 --> 0:12:54.280 Celtics at Ted Garden has been circled on the calendars 0:12:54.679 --> 0:12:57.520 of many Sixers players, not just Faults. The series this 0:12:57.600 --> 0:13:00.280 past spring was a learning lesson that definitely show us 0:13:00.480 --> 0:13:03.160 what we're capable of, you know, just doing what we did. 0:13:03.320 --> 0:13:05.600 We finished the game on a win streak, and then 0:13:05.840 --> 0:13:08.439 going to the second round of the playoffs, you know, 0:13:08.880 --> 0:13:13.400 competing and building team chemistry and just seeing what we 0:13:14.280 --> 0:13:18.640 how a young group of guys and some vets, how 0:13:19.040 --> 0:13:21.679 we bonded together. It was pretty amazing. So coming back 0:13:21.720 --> 0:13:23.599 this year, you know, we're looking to spend on that 0:13:24.080 --> 0:13:26.480 and just come come in and you know, starting the 0:13:26.520 --> 0:13:29.920 way we finish, not taking any breakcause the way we 0:13:30.000 --> 0:13:31.560 finished last year is the way we want to start 0:13:31.600 --> 0:13:35.240 this year. You know. For me, just listening to Falter's 0:13:35.280 --> 0:13:39.240 words or imagining him as he described it, riding around 0:13:39.640 --> 0:13:43.160 Center City on his bike, he just projects the vibes 0:13:43.559 --> 0:13:45.800 of a guy who's at peace, someone who at this 0:13:45.920 --> 0:13:48.679 point in his life is settled. We'll soon find out 0:13:48.800 --> 0:13:51.640 how it translates the floor. Oh man, I'm super excited. 0:13:51.640 --> 0:13:54.760 I Mean, I don't know if God's can tell or 0:13:54.800 --> 0:13:56.760 people can tell, but I definitely have a different swagger 0:13:56.880 --> 0:13:59.640 coming in the gym this year. You know, I'm definitely happier. 0:13:59.840 --> 0:14:01.520 I don't want to make my teammates happy. I want 0:14:01.559 --> 0:14:04.080 to make everybody you know, joyful, and I'm just ready 0:14:04.160 --> 0:14:06.000 to compete. You know. I feel like I put in 0:14:06.040 --> 0:14:08.880 a lot of work this summer and it's it's paid off. 0:14:08.960 --> 0:14:11.560 You know, I've seen the results, and I'm still working 0:14:12.200 --> 0:14:13.959 even to this day, you know, to get better. But 0:14:14.160 --> 0:14:17.880 I'm confident and happy going into the season. In some ways, 0:14:18.000 --> 0:14:20.560 is that is still aligning to what happened last season? 0:14:20.600 --> 0:14:22.000 Do you think you could have had an outlooked like 0:14:22.080 --> 0:14:25.720 that without hadn't gone through the last year. I think 0:14:25.800 --> 0:14:27.720 it would be different, you know, last year. I think 0:14:27.800 --> 0:14:30.440 that the stuff that happened to me last year only 0:14:30.480 --> 0:14:32.360 made me a better man and basketball player. You know. 0:14:32.840 --> 0:14:34.960 You know, some people can look at it as, you know, 0:14:35.760 --> 0:14:37.720 as something bad, but I look at it as you know, 0:14:37.800 --> 0:14:40.000 a blessing, you know, a blessing for me to see 0:14:40.080 --> 0:14:42.920 that early in my first year in the NBA, you know, 0:14:43.000 --> 0:14:46.080 at a young age or nineteen years old, just to 0:14:46.120 --> 0:14:47.680 be able to go through that, it just makes me 0:14:47.760 --> 0:14:50.240 show that makes me more hungry to work hard, you know, 0:14:50.560 --> 0:14:52.320 It makes me not take anything for granted, and it 0:14:52.400 --> 0:14:55.520 just makes me appreciate it. Where I'm where I'm at. 0:14:55.600 --> 0:14:57.320 Every day I wake up, you know, it's a blessing 0:14:57.360 --> 0:14:59.600 to be here. No matter what's going on in my life. 0:14:59.640 --> 0:15:01.400 I know that. You know, at the end of the day, 0:15:01.440 --> 0:15:04.960 I'm blessed and I'm an opportunity where not many have 0:15:05.760 --> 0:15:09.000 great perspective from a guy who very well, once it's 0:15:09.000 --> 0:15:13.080 all said and done, could be great himself. Coming up 0:15:13.120 --> 0:15:15.920 next on the podcast, I'll speak with my counterpart from 0:15:15.920 --> 0:15:18.720 the Boston Celtics. His name is Mark Demiko, and he'll 0:15:18.800 --> 0:15:21.000 give us the pulse of everything that's been going on 0:15:21.200 --> 0:15:23.760 up in Beantown the last couple of months since the 0:15:23.840 --> 0:15:26.760 Sixers and the season last squared off in the playoffs. 0:15:26.920 --> 0:15:32.440 You're listening to the broadcast, but first Sixers fans please 0:15:32.520 --> 0:15:34.800 do listen up. I want to talk to you about 0:15:34.880 --> 0:15:38.720 Club seventy six. Club seventy six is the official season 0:15:38.760 --> 0:15:42.120 ticket waiting list for your team, your town, your Philadelphia 0:15:42.320 --> 0:15:45.080 seventy Sixers. We want you to get priority access for 0:15:45.160 --> 0:15:48.800 two nineteen two twenty season tickets. So here's what you 0:15:48.880 --> 0:15:51.160 gotta do. Sign up for either club seventy six Elite 0:15:51.520 --> 0:15:53.720 or Club seventy six Free. You'll get some benefits. They 0:15:53.720 --> 0:15:57.160 include exclusive seventy Sixers gear and access to special ticket 0:15:57.200 --> 0:15:59.440 offers and events. All you gotta do is go to 0:15:59.520 --> 0:16:03.200 six ers dot com slash join Club seven six, or 0:16:03.440 --> 0:16:05.680 you can email Club seven six at seventy six ers 0:16:05.760 --> 0:16:09.680 dot com or very lastly called two one five, three 0:16:09.840 --> 0:16:13.200 three nine seven six seven six. Again the numbers two 0:16:13.240 --> 0:16:15.320 one five three three nine seven six seven six for 0:16:15.400 --> 0:16:18.680 Club seventy six the official season ticket wait unless for 0:16:18.760 --> 0:16:25.280 the seventy six Ers for two thousand, nineteen, two thousand twenty. Indeed, 0:16:25.920 --> 0:16:28.760 especially when it comes to tickets, we're already talking about 0:16:28.800 --> 0:16:31.680 two thousand nineteen two twenty. But in respect to the 0:16:31.720 --> 0:16:35.520 immediate season in front of us two eighteen two nineteen 0:16:36.080 --> 0:16:40.920 seventy six is opening up on Tuesday night. Ted Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, 0:16:41.280 --> 0:16:44.160 the scene of the crime last May, where the Sixers 0:16:44.240 --> 0:16:47.480 were eliminated from the playoffs in a five game series 0:16:47.480 --> 0:16:51.000 in the second round versus their arch nemesis. No rivalry 0:16:51.080 --> 0:16:53.640 in the games and played more frequently than the Sixers 0:16:53.760 --> 0:16:56.720 and the CS, and it was always great to frequently 0:16:56.800 --> 0:16:59.920 touch base with the guy who covers the Boston Celtics 0:17:00.080 --> 0:17:03.000 for Celtics dot Com. His name is Mark Demiko, and 0:17:03.120 --> 0:17:05.600 Mark's gonna give us a preview of what the Sixers 0:17:05.680 --> 0:17:09.120 may have in store on Tuesday night. Mark, what's going on, man? 0:17:09.560 --> 0:17:12.480 I've been great. It's nice to see you again after 0:17:12.560 --> 0:17:14.600 a long off season. I felt like we just saw 0:17:14.680 --> 0:17:17.600 each other. Though. It is very true. I can recall 0:17:17.680 --> 0:17:20.560 the steps that I took in Vegas running into you guys, 0:17:20.600 --> 0:17:24.320 and also like down Boylston Street in the springtime, where 0:17:24.359 --> 0:17:26.359 to revisit now that the Sixers are going back up 0:17:26.400 --> 0:17:28.919 to Boston. But I don't know about you. I love 0:17:29.000 --> 0:17:31.000 the fact that this is not only the first game 0:17:31.040 --> 0:17:33.600 of the season, but the first game of the NBA season. 0:17:34.560 --> 0:17:36.399 It should be. I mean, you look at the way 0:17:36.480 --> 0:17:38.480 the last season played out, and you look at the 0:17:38.560 --> 0:17:41.919 way the offseason played out. Clearly, these are the two teams, 0:17:42.240 --> 0:17:44.680 the top dogs that everyone wants to see in the East. 0:17:44.720 --> 0:17:47.520 Obviously Toronto is there as well, but that's kind of 0:17:47.560 --> 0:17:49.000 a little bit of an unknown that they've got a 0:17:49.040 --> 0:17:51.639 new coach, they've got a new star player in Kawhi. 0:17:51.800 --> 0:17:55.359 So these are the two known quantities in the Eastern Conference. 0:17:55.440 --> 0:17:57.240 You know the Celtics are going to be there. You 0:17:57.320 --> 0:17:59.159 know the Sixers are going to be there, and you 0:17:59.240 --> 0:18:01.520 know the one those team play, they're gonna hate each other. 0:18:02.200 --> 0:18:04.919 Before we jump into looking ahead to this season, can 0:18:05.000 --> 0:18:07.520 you give us a refresher of what the populace in 0:18:07.680 --> 0:18:10.639 Boston and New England thought about last season for the 0:18:10.720 --> 0:18:12.600 Celtics and what they made of it once it was 0:18:12.680 --> 0:18:14.680 all said and done at the end of the Eastern 0:18:14.720 --> 0:18:17.560 Conference Finals. Yeah. No, I mean, I think the run 0:18:17.680 --> 0:18:20.960 that they made last season really set the bar for 0:18:21.119 --> 0:18:23.920 this season, if that makes sense. I mean, when you 0:18:24.000 --> 0:18:27.200 don't have Hayward, you don't have Kyrie Irving, you don't 0:18:27.240 --> 0:18:29.960 have Daniel Tyson. Daniel Tyson is a guy who you know, 0:18:30.160 --> 0:18:32.800 in a series against the Sixers would have been really important. 0:18:32.880 --> 0:18:35.720 And same thing going up against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 0:18:35.760 --> 0:18:38.879 the Conference finals. But when you're missing those players and 0:18:39.040 --> 0:18:42.360 you still somehow reach Game seven of the Conference Finals 0:18:43.240 --> 0:18:45.840 and really like they should have won that game. You know, 0:18:46.920 --> 0:18:49.080 Terry Rosier gooes o for ten from three point range. 0:18:49.080 --> 0:18:52.159 It's kind of like a fluke offensive performance, but they 0:18:52.240 --> 0:18:53.960 really had a shot to get to the finals, and 0:18:54.000 --> 0:18:56.440 then who knows what happens there, they steal a game 0:18:56.520 --> 0:18:59.680 or two against the Warriors, but you know the way 0:19:00.160 --> 0:19:03.400 that they handled themselves with such young players like Rogier, 0:19:03.840 --> 0:19:07.040 like Jaylen Brown, like Jason Tatum, who obviously had an 0:19:07.119 --> 0:19:11.320 outstanding series against you guys last season, when those guys 0:19:11.400 --> 0:19:13.399 set the bar so high for what they can do, 0:19:13.720 --> 0:19:17.040 and then they're not even necessarily the top dogs going 0:19:17.119 --> 0:19:21.120 into this season, when you've got Irving and Hayward coming back. 0:19:21.200 --> 0:19:24.080