WEBVTT - Offseason Observations with ESPN's Kevin Negandhi 0:00:00.360 --> 0:00:04.200 We are back up and running in seventy Sixers podcast land, 0:00:04.600 --> 0:00:07.680 and there is a lot to discuss since we last spoke. 0:00:08.000 --> 0:00:10.559 The team welcomes some new faces and brought back a 0:00:10.560 --> 0:00:13.360 couple familiar ones too. We're doing everything we can to 0:00:13.440 --> 0:00:16.680 bring another NBA championship to the city of Philadelphia. Believe 0:00:16.720 --> 0:00:19.800 that we discussed the Sixers summer acquisitions with one of 0:00:19.840 --> 0:00:23.360 the great ambassadors of Philadelphia sports. I really liked the 0:00:23.400 --> 0:00:26.599 Sixers chances here to win the East, and I like 0:00:26.800 --> 0:00:29.639 the idea of what Elton's doing. There is no doubt 0:00:29.680 --> 0:00:31.960 they viewed this as a window right now to win 0:00:32.040 --> 0:00:36.040 it all with this group. I'm all in. That's ESPN's 0:00:36.320 --> 0:00:39.560 Kevin A. Gandhi and he's our guest on this episode 0:00:39.640 --> 0:00:48.040 of the broadcast from the Intersections of broad and Cast Streets, 0:00:48.680 --> 0:00:52.919 a very famous intersection here in the Delaware Valley. I'm 0:00:52.960 --> 0:00:55.160 Brian Seltzer. Great to be back with you for another 0:00:55.160 --> 0:00:58.520 episode of the podcast. It's been a little bit and 0:00:58.560 --> 0:01:01.400 I apologize for that, but I did want to make 0:01:01.440 --> 0:01:03.720 sure that the first episode of the podcast we did 0:01:04.400 --> 0:01:07.600 after the big press conference a week and a half ago, 0:01:08.200 --> 0:01:11.480 with the new and returning players. The seventy sixers acquired 0:01:11.560 --> 0:01:15.360 during free agency, came with a guest who brought some 0:01:15.800 --> 0:01:19.800 gravitas to match the significance of the subject matter that 0:01:19.920 --> 0:01:22.520 we are going to discuss, and I think we've got 0:01:22.520 --> 0:01:26.360 someone who fits that profile in Kevin Gandhi of ESPN. 0:01:27.200 --> 0:01:29.800 We're gonna speak to Kevin about free agency and the 0:01:29.840 --> 0:01:32.760 seventy six ers pickups in just a moment. But, as 0:01:32.760 --> 0:01:35.560 we usually do here to begin the podcast each and 0:01:35.600 --> 0:01:39.600 every episode, a friendly reminder that to subscribe to the podcast, 0:01:39.640 --> 0:01:41.920 you can go to a bunch of different places, chief 0:01:41.959 --> 0:01:47.840 among them Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, SoundCloud, tune in, 0:01:48.360 --> 0:01:51.000 type in Sixers podcast Network that will take you to 0:01:51.160 --> 0:01:55.680 our feed, and please do become a subscriber right now 0:01:56.840 --> 0:01:59.600 if you give me, oh, let's say about no more 0:01:59.640 --> 0:02:02.840 than three minutes, and we gonna run through some sound first, 0:02:03.080 --> 0:02:05.600 and then we will dial up Kevin Na Gandhi for 0:02:05.640 --> 0:02:08.960 our chat about the seventy sixers. But let's run through 0:02:08.960 --> 0:02:11.400 what happened on July the twelfth at the seventy six 0:02:11.480 --> 0:02:15.320 ers training complex, starting with Elton Brand, the man who 0:02:15.400 --> 0:02:18.440 took the lead in putting together the very impressive group 0:02:18.880 --> 0:02:24.320 of seventy Sixers on stage, Kyle O'Quinn, Raoul Nato, Tobias 0:02:24.360 --> 0:02:28.560 Harris james enis the third. Al Horford and Josh Richardson 0:02:28.680 --> 0:02:32.360 This group, paired with are All stars Joel embiid Ben 0:02:32.360 --> 0:02:35.080 Simmons puts us in a position to compete, not just now, 0:02:35.600 --> 0:02:37.760 for years to come. And a big reason why is 0:02:37.800 --> 0:02:40.840 because another All Star is being added to the group 0:02:41.040 --> 0:02:44.120 and Al Horford he was soaking it all in on 0:02:44.280 --> 0:02:47.240 stage when he was introduced at the training complex and Camden. 0:02:47.639 --> 0:02:50.840 From his seat, he looked out across some massive literally 0:02:50.919 --> 0:02:55.600 ground to roof windows across the Delaware River and at 0:02:55.600 --> 0:02:58.520 the Philadelphia skyline. It was a pretty nice sight. First 0:02:58.520 --> 0:03:01.600 of all, this view against excited I'd be back there 0:03:01.600 --> 0:03:04.280 to the city. I'm hyped. I'm ready to go. I'm 0:03:04.280 --> 0:03:06.600 just learning, you guys know right now. Horford, a five 0:03:06.680 --> 0:03:09.920 time All Star to Bias Harris, had an all Star 0:03:10.040 --> 0:03:12.840 caliber season last year. You know, he was only, of 0:03:12.880 --> 0:03:15.560 course with the seventy six Ers for three months, but 0:03:15.960 --> 0:03:19.560 that was enough time for the veteran to love the experience, 0:03:19.720 --> 0:03:22.640 which was obviously a big factor or a driving factor 0:03:23.040 --> 0:03:25.360 in his desire to return. For me, it was just 0:03:25.360 --> 0:03:27.480 a win win to come here, to be in a 0:03:27.520 --> 0:03:29.960 situation where I can continue to develop, and to be 0:03:30.040 --> 0:03:32.640 somewhere to win for many years to come. Obviously, we 0:03:32.720 --> 0:03:35.120 hope this is I hope to finish my career here, 0:03:35.360 --> 0:03:38.360 hopefully and God willing. We've heard from Horford, We've heard 0:03:38.400 --> 0:03:41.560 from Harris. Let's now hear from another guy who was 0:03:41.760 --> 0:03:45.560 on the dais during that introductory press conference who figures 0:03:45.560 --> 0:03:47.560 to be in the starting lineup, and that would be 0:03:47.680 --> 0:03:50.360 Josh Richardson, acquired in the signing trade with Miami heat. 0:03:50.720 --> 0:03:53.000 He attributes his growth over the last four years in 0:03:53.000 --> 0:03:55.960 the NBA to how he was molded coming up playing 0:03:55.960 --> 0:03:58.880 at the University of Tennessee, and he's looking forward to 0:03:58.960 --> 0:04:02.000 continuing that development now that he's in Philadelphia. I think 0:04:02.000 --> 0:04:04.560 it'll be fun to just be able to almost compete, 0:04:04.560 --> 0:04:06.400 to almost like see who can be in a gym 0:04:06.440 --> 0:04:08.960 the most, see who can be who, or see how 0:04:09.040 --> 0:04:12.640 much better we can get over over d seasons. Love 0:04:12.720 --> 0:04:14.880 that type of talk. We're going to talk about that 0:04:14.960 --> 0:04:17.880 and more with Kevin Na Gandhi. But Hey, even though 0:04:17.920 --> 0:04:21.200 it may feel like summer is beginning to dwindle now 0:04:21.240 --> 0:04:25.479 that we're terrifyingly already almost through the third week in July. 0:04:26.200 --> 0:04:28.760 There are still opportunities to sign your kid up or 0:04:28.800 --> 0:04:32.159 if you're eligible in terms of age, yourself for seventy 0:04:32.200 --> 0:04:36.679 six ers basketball Camps presented by Rothman Orthopedics and powered 0:04:36.680 --> 0:04:40.440 by ESF. At is seventy sixers Camps dot com for 0:04:40.520 --> 0:04:45.160 all their latest information and details about the remaining camp sessions. 0:04:45.400 --> 0:04:46.920 Could be put on a wait list for one in 0:04:47.040 --> 0:04:50.280 Springfield at Cardinal O'Hara. There's another one coming up at 0:04:50.320 --> 0:04:54.120 the Church Farm School in Exton, and also at Competitive 0:04:54.160 --> 0:04:57.159 Edge Sports out in King of Prussia. All the dats 0:04:57.320 --> 0:05:02.000 at seventy six Erscamps dot com. He is one of 0:05:02.040 --> 0:05:07.279 Philadelphia's native sons. He is an outstanding ambassador for the 0:05:07.400 --> 0:05:10.960 city sports scene. He hosts the six pm Sports Center 0:05:11.040 --> 0:05:14.600 on ESPN and a bunch of other stuff on ESPN. 0:05:14.680 --> 0:05:18.359 He is Kevin Na Gandhi Kevin. How's the summer treating you? 0:05:18.560 --> 0:05:21.080 It's been good, Roan. You know there's no off season, 0:05:21.160 --> 0:05:23.279 you know, I know the NBA doesn't have an off season. 0:05:23.640 --> 0:05:25.360 Here at work, we don't have an off season. So 0:05:25.440 --> 0:05:28.720 once the season ends for the NBA, we go right 0:05:28.720 --> 0:05:31.480 in the covering everything. You know, that is of course 0:05:31.520 --> 0:05:34.120 the draft, that is of course free agency, that is 0:05:34.279 --> 0:05:36.880 the summer league. And then you know, things still hanging 0:05:37.000 --> 0:05:38.960 up in the air with the Chris Paul trade or 0:05:39.040 --> 0:05:41.320 potential trade, whether he's gonna move or not. And then 0:05:41.520 --> 0:05:43.520 and then we go right into what we're a week 0:05:43.560 --> 0:05:46.360 away from training camps, some have opened up in the NFL. 0:05:46.440 --> 0:05:49.520 We're dealing with the Open Championship. So it's been good. 0:05:49.880 --> 0:05:52.800 But we never have an off season here at ESPN. 0:05:53.080 --> 0:05:55.880 It's crazy that even within the individual sports, there's like 0:05:55.960 --> 0:05:57.760 no slowdown time. And of course I'm going to ask 0:05:57.800 --> 0:06:00.760 you about the Sixers and their summer activity, but what 0:06:00.920 --> 0:06:04.599 is the sports center newsroom like when a big bomb 0:06:04.680 --> 0:06:07.200 drops from a news standpoint, whether it's whoa Jo one 0:06:07.200 --> 0:06:10.280 of the other many ESPN staffers, like with all the 0:06:10.320 --> 0:06:12.200 stuff that's been going on in the league, just take 0:06:12.240 --> 0:06:15.040 me inside the newsroom and what the reaction and atmosphere 0:06:15.120 --> 0:06:19.440 is like. It's exciting. Um, there's a lot of oh oh, 0:06:19.480 --> 0:06:21.960 and then and then you know you're you're, you're It's 0:06:22.040 --> 0:06:25.599 kind of like being at an educated sports bar. And 0:06:25.720 --> 0:06:28.599 when I say that that whoever's talking to you about 0:06:28.680 --> 0:06:32.920 something they they know the background, they know how it 0:06:33.000 --> 0:06:35.680 led up to this because we follow it day in 0:06:35.760 --> 0:06:37.840 and day out. You've got to be up to even 0:06:37.880 --> 0:06:39.479 on your days off. You've got to be up to 0:06:39.880 --> 0:06:43.599 the news on every single thing. So we always have 0:06:43.640 --> 0:06:46.960 a background or a different perspective. And the cool thing 0:06:47.680 --> 0:06:50.760 mind for us is that we all come from different places. 0:06:50.839 --> 0:06:55.159 So if something's happening, like in San Francisco, one of 0:06:55.200 --> 0:06:57.240 my producers on the six P is from you know, 0:06:57.279 --> 0:06:59.520 he's a big Bay Area guy. I'm asking about the 0:06:59.560 --> 0:07:02.400 forty nine, I'm asking about the A's I'm asking him, 0:07:02.440 --> 0:07:04.680 you know, he's not a big Warriors guy, but I'm 0:07:04.680 --> 0:07:08.560 asking him something that's related to his city. My segment 0:07:08.560 --> 0:07:11.920 producers a big New Yorker. He's from Connecticut, but he 0:07:12.040 --> 0:07:14.680 loves the Giants, So I'm going right in to say 0:07:14.760 --> 0:07:17.080 what's going on, you know, and I have fun with 0:07:17.120 --> 0:07:20.200 him talking about, you know, how things have been going 0:07:20.240 --> 0:07:22.360 on with the Giants. So, like you know, you go 0:07:22.440 --> 0:07:25.000 back and forth and and you have access to people 0:07:25.040 --> 0:07:29.560 that have a better viewpoint considering they're heavily involved in 0:07:29.560 --> 0:07:33.800 in the team and the cities that they're from, and 0:07:34.080 --> 0:07:37.720 from my perspective being from Philadelphia. I get texts or 0:07:37.760 --> 0:07:40.120 if I'm in the newsroom, Oh what do you think 0:07:40.160 --> 0:07:42.880 of this? What's your first thought? You know about this move, 0:07:43.000 --> 0:07:47.320 this transaction, this trade. So it's never dull. We have 0:07:47.400 --> 0:07:49.720 a lot of fun. We all respect each other's opinions, 0:07:49.720 --> 0:07:51.960 but we also like to talk trash. It is the 0:07:52.000 --> 0:07:57.920 Philadelphia faction strong in Bristol. It's getting there. There's you know, 0:07:58.120 --> 0:08:00.680 I you know, I wear the flag, gonna carry the 0:08:00.680 --> 0:08:04.520 flag around, the Philadelphia flag, and I'm not shy about it. Um, 0:08:05.320 --> 0:08:08.000 there are there are some people behind the scenes you 0:08:08.120 --> 0:08:10.960 run into. I know, Chris mckendry's a big Philadelphia fan 0:08:11.080 --> 0:08:14.360 and uh, you know, obviously she's not in the newsroom 0:08:14.360 --> 0:08:17.640 now because she's covering tennis on the road. Um. You 0:08:17.640 --> 0:08:19.960 you stubble upon a couple of the people that you know, 0:08:20.080 --> 0:08:24.480 no matter what. A director here, a producer there that 0:08:24.600 --> 0:08:27.240 We've had a lot of production assistants come through in 0:08:27.280 --> 0:08:30.960 the last five years that I love when they come 0:08:30.960 --> 0:08:32.920 in and it's their first time in Bristol and then 0:08:32.960 --> 0:08:35.679 they want to talk you know, Philadelphia sports with it 0:08:35.720 --> 0:08:37.200 me and I'm like, all right, great, great, let's have 0:08:37.200 --> 0:08:39.720 a good perspective here. Let's let's get some fresh juice 0:08:39.720 --> 0:08:43.320 and good conversation. So, uh, we we have a lot 0:08:43.360 --> 0:08:46.560 of different flavors. We can't forget that we're also in 0:08:46.840 --> 0:08:51.439 um in the territory where I'm surrounded by Celtics fans, 0:08:51.640 --> 0:08:55.000 Giants fans. You hear about the Patriots, you hear about 0:08:55.040 --> 0:08:58.040 the Mets, you hear about the Yankees. Not so much 0:08:58.040 --> 0:09:00.240 for the Jets, but every now and then you can. 0:09:00.240 --> 0:09:02.520 You're gonna have a conversation with Levy about the Jets. 0:09:03.200 --> 0:09:05.920 That's great. So where do you think the seventy sixers 0:09:05.960 --> 0:09:09.600 are right now after their flurry of moves, acquisitions and 0:09:09.679 --> 0:09:13.280 transactions compared to where they were when we last saw 0:09:13.320 --> 0:09:16.400 them leaving Toronto. I think you're going to see a 0:09:16.400 --> 0:09:21.559 tremendous difference on defense. Yeah, I mean they were they 0:09:21.559 --> 0:09:24.840 were a decent defense team, but the ability to now 0:09:24.920 --> 0:09:29.160 all five positions, uh cover Listen, We're gonna miss JJ's 0:09:29.160 --> 0:09:31.760 ability to shoot the three and spread the floor, and 0:09:31.800 --> 0:09:35.440 of course that relationship that he had with Joel, but 0:09:36.000 --> 0:09:39.560 he was a liability on the defensive side. And when 0:09:39.559 --> 0:09:41.840 you can get to somebody like Josh Richardson who can 0:09:41.880 --> 0:09:45.000 handle a couple of different things that could handle. Potentially 0:09:45.080 --> 0:09:48.000 if he has to play point guard, m he's going 0:09:48.040 --> 0:09:53.280 to defend. You know. I think that the the Sixers 0:09:53.640 --> 0:09:55.840 when you look at length and you look at their 0:09:55.880 --> 0:09:59.400 ability to shut down teams, and that's things get tighter, 0:09:59.440 --> 0:10:01.520 the court gets smaller in the playoffs, and you have 0:10:01.520 --> 0:10:04.200 an Al Horford there, you know, as the guy that 0:10:04.360 --> 0:10:06.760 just in case if Joel's nicked up or he wants 0:10:06.760 --> 0:10:10.640 to night off. The ability that we have the reinforcements 0:10:10.679 --> 0:10:14.000 there that we did not have this spring makes me 0:10:14.040 --> 0:10:18.280 feel comfortable. Now I'm curious to see, you know, Tobiases development, 0:10:18.360 --> 0:10:22.920 and now let's not forget Judging Tobias last year is 0:10:22.960 --> 0:10:25.800 really hard to do because he was the fourth option 0:10:25.840 --> 0:10:28.640 in this offense. And now there's going to be an 0:10:28.640 --> 0:10:31.240 elevation and there's going to be a demand to see 0:10:31.520 --> 0:10:33.960 can he hit that consistent jumper on the outside. I 0:10:34.000 --> 0:10:35.760 feel like he can do it. I think he's going 0:10:35.840 --> 0:10:39.360 to be more comfortable too, with them running more sets 0:10:39.360 --> 0:10:42.800 for him. I really like where this team is. My 0:10:42.840 --> 0:10:46.880 biggest concern, I think everybody has. The concern is the 0:10:46.920 --> 0:10:51.600 bench and the ability to get somebody off that bench 0:10:51.720 --> 0:10:55.640 that can create instant points and man. That would be 0:10:55.679 --> 0:10:58.360 a huge addition to what we've seen from Elton Brand 0:10:58.360 --> 0:11:00.760 and what he's done this offseason. Let's go back to 0:11:00.880 --> 0:11:04.000 Horford first. I'm really excited about that. He's the type 0:11:04.000 --> 0:11:06.720 of player where, of course, if he's on a rival 0:11:06.800 --> 0:11:08.959 team of the one that you root for, he can 0:11:09.000 --> 0:11:11.120 get to you because he's so good. But to me, 0:11:11.120 --> 0:11:13.679 it's also because he's like so poised and composed out 0:11:13.720 --> 0:11:15.840 there on the court. But I'm so pumped to see 0:11:15.880 --> 0:11:18.800 now what he and Joel can do alongside one another together, 0:11:18.840 --> 0:11:21.120 and him getting the chance to play the fourth spot 0:11:21.120 --> 0:11:23.400 that he really hasn't been much traditionally out of the 0:11:23.400 --> 0:11:26.559 course of his career. Yeah, and the ability that you 0:11:26.559 --> 0:11:29.960 can you're not just relying on Joel as a big 0:11:30.000 --> 0:11:32.480 man down low. Now. Of course we've seen Ben developed 0:11:32.480 --> 0:11:35.720 that on the block as well, and it'll be interesting 0:11:35.720 --> 0:11:38.319 to see all three guys on the court, who's getting 0:11:38.320 --> 0:11:40.640 the shots and where they're getting their shots as they 0:11:40.679 --> 0:11:43.840 try to find a way to spread in space on 0:11:43.880 --> 0:11:48.080 the floor. But having Horford there, when you look at 0:11:48.120 --> 0:11:51.240 the young nucleus and you look at the age of Tobias, 0:11:51.400 --> 0:11:53.320 you look at the age of Ben and Joel well, 0:11:53.320 --> 0:11:55.480 what I mean, what's the average twenty four, twenty five, 0:11:55.600 --> 0:11:59.160 twenty six. Right, Yeah, Al has been there, he's battled. 0:11:59.600 --> 0:12:03.400 He's going to be a calming presence that the team needs. Um. 0:12:03.800 --> 0:12:08.000 He never blinks. And listen, I look at it this 0:12:08.440 --> 0:12:11.760 this way that when Al was playing against Joel, I 0:12:11.840 --> 0:12:15.120 think every Sixers fan knew, oh man, there, this is 0:12:15.120 --> 0:12:18.400 gonna be a dog fight on both ends of the floor. 0:12:18.960 --> 0:12:22.400 And whether whether Al can slow twell down. We know 0:12:22.520 --> 0:12:26.800 Joel's gonna be exhausted. Right, you have the ability now 0:12:26.840 --> 0:12:29.760 that you take away that factor from your biggest rival, 0:12:30.000 --> 0:12:33.760 the Celtics, and now you can have both those guys there. Um, 0:12:34.120 --> 0:12:37.400 it's fantastic And and and who knows what you know 0:12:37.440 --> 0:12:39.559 Brett's plan is going to be and what Joel's plan 0:12:39.640 --> 0:12:41.720 is going to be when we talk about load management, 0:12:41.760 --> 0:12:44.679 because it's a real thing. But the Raptors did an 0:12:44.760 --> 0:12:48.800 excellent job last year with Kawhi. When you play sixty 0:12:48.840 --> 0:12:51.440 five games in the regular season and when he's not playing, 0:12:51.520 --> 0:12:53.439 you find a way to win games. What they went 0:12:53.520 --> 0:12:56.880 I think seventeen and four when Kawhi wasn't playing, so 0:12:57.000 --> 0:13:00.320 guys had to step up at in those moments. It 0:13:00.400 --> 0:13:02.920 makes a ton of sense. I could be wrong with 0:13:02.960 --> 0:13:05.520 that staff, but I think that some of the numbers 0:13:05.520 --> 0:13:10.320 are similar that when Kawai has the miss games, you've 0:13:10.400 --> 0:13:14.120 got to have other guys step up. And we have 0:13:14.240 --> 0:13:17.520 that ability now that if Joel wants to play sixty 0:13:17.559 --> 0:13:21.120 five games to make sure he's ready to go in April, 0:13:21.280 --> 0:13:24.360 something we have not seen the last two years at 0:13:24.400 --> 0:13:28.240 the start of the playoffs. It's great to have that option. 0:13:29.040 --> 0:13:31.640 Tobias got off to a huge, huge start last year 0:13:31.640 --> 0:13:33.520 with the Clippers. As you alluded to, it was a 0:13:33.520 --> 0:13:35.959 different type of context he was within in terms of 0:13:36.000 --> 0:13:38.439 the team when he got to the seventy sixers. Do 0:13:38.520 --> 0:13:41.520 you think he's ready for what's to come? Yeah, I do. 0:13:41.840 --> 0:13:43.560 Now that you have the full season, now you know 0:13:43.600 --> 0:13:47.120 the personnel, and now you know the commitment that the 0:13:47.480 --> 0:13:51.120 Sixers have made to him, goes a long way mentally, 0:13:51.800 --> 0:13:54.280 and I think that Tobias is going to come in 0:13:54.320 --> 0:13:57.839 and he's going to embrace this role, this idea that 0:13:58.360 --> 0:14:01.439 this is a Sixers big three, you could say big four, 0:14:02.200 --> 0:14:06.040 and they have the ability that you know, they're not 0:14:06.040 --> 0:14:08.520 going to look at Al's Al's gonna spread it if 0:14:08.559 --> 0:14:10.760 he can if he can hit that three from the outside. 0:14:10.840 --> 0:14:12.840 More and more that we've seen him develop that game. 0:14:13.200 --> 0:14:16.640 But Al got his points not because the Celtics are 0:14:16.640 --> 0:14:18.240 trying to run a bunch of plays for him. He 0:14:18.320 --> 0:14:22.040 got his points because he's working hard inside. Right, They 0:14:22.080 --> 0:14:25.040 don't have to create things for Al. When you have 0:14:25.200 --> 0:14:27.600 Joel down on the blocks, you have been on the break. 0:14:28.040 --> 0:14:31.600 You can create some stuff for Tobias. You've got Joel 0:14:31.640 --> 0:14:36.080 Embiid Ben Simmons, two young talents, all stars. Ultimately, so 0:14:36.160 --> 0:14:38.160 much of what the seventy Sixers have hopes for in 0:14:38.240 --> 0:14:40.760 terms of the future will likely come back to them. 0:14:41.160 --> 0:14:44.239 What's untapped for them? What are your hopes your expectations 0:14:44.240 --> 0:14:47.520 for them as they get ready for their third season together. Oh, listen, 0:14:47.560 --> 0:14:49.600 I think when you look at the East and you 0:14:49.600 --> 0:14:52.120 look at the idea of what the Sixers did without Joel, 0:14:54.920 --> 0:14:57.880 and you give the Raptors their toughest run in the playoffs. 0:14:57.960 --> 0:15:00.640 Now we're going to say that also with the mindset 0:15:00.720 --> 0:15:03.920 that the Warriors did not have a healthy Kevin Duranton 0:15:04.280 --> 0:15:07.760 and of course they lost Klay Thompson. But in the East, 0:15:09.720 --> 0:15:14.360 the Sixers, I mean they went toe to toe fifteen rounds, 0:15:15.160 --> 0:15:18.600 and I view them losing the way they lost, as 0:15:19.120 --> 0:15:22.400 you know, when Rocky and Apollo or in the ring 0:15:22.440 --> 0:15:25.600 and they're both falling down in the second Rocky and 0:15:25.720 --> 0:15:28.960 it's literally there, who's gonna get up? Who's literally gonna 0:15:29.000 --> 0:15:30.760 hang on the ropes to get up? And that's what 0:15:30.800 --> 0:15:34.640 that final shot was from Kauai for Game seven. So 0:15:34.720 --> 0:15:38.440 I really liked the Sixers chances here to win the East, 0:15:38.960 --> 0:15:43.000 and I like the idea of what Elton's doing. This 0:15:43.200 --> 0:15:46.920 window in this league, as we have seen, is a 0:15:47.040 --> 0:15:49.640 two to three year window, and then you kind of 0:15:49.680 --> 0:15:53.120 readjust retool. There is no doubt they viewed this as 0:15:53.160 --> 0:15:55.200 a two to three year window. And if you can 0:15:55.240 --> 0:15:58.280 make it a four year window under Al's contract, fantastic, 0:15:58.560 --> 0:16:00.880 But a two to three year window right now to 0:16:01.040 --> 0:16:06.240 win it all with this group, I'm all in. And 0:16:06.800 --> 0:16:10.120 Josh Richardson is such a welcome edition because he's a 0:16:10.200 --> 0:16:13.200 young guy on a contract that they could afford. And 0:16:13.240 --> 0:16:16.440 then and then you got this thing here where if 0:16:16.600 --> 0:16:19.000 Al after three years they feel like, all right, we 0:16:19.000 --> 0:16:20.960 got to figure something out. You got one year left 0:16:20.960 --> 0:16:23.400 without you could still have the ability to retool, but 0:16:23.480 --> 0:16:26.960 you still got what two more years with Tobias. You 0:16:27.080 --> 0:16:29.200 still got Joel on the books, and you still got 0:16:29.560 --> 0:16:32.320 three potentially three more years of Ben Simmons. So the 0:16:32.680 --> 0:16:36.480 ability to grow with this team, but also the ability 0:16:36.520 --> 0:16:39.640 to say we are in win now mode. That's critical 0:16:39.640 --> 0:16:42.720 in this league. It is critical as we've seen a 0:16:42.840 --> 0:16:45.560 three year window with Kevin Durant come to an end 0:16:45.600 --> 0:16:48.640 in Golden State, and I'm curious to see what the 0:16:48.680 --> 0:16:51.680 Nets are gonna be like a year from now with 0:16:51.760 --> 0:16:54.640 Kevin Durant trying to come back and now that they 0:16:54.680 --> 0:16:57.480 have a you know, Kyrie a year under his belt, 0:16:57.720 --> 0:17:01.080 I'm curious to see where the will be. I think 0:17:01.120 --> 0:17:04.639 a huge hit to the Bucks and Jannest is going 0:17:04.720 --> 0:17:08.359 to be better, which is kind of scary after winning 0:17:08.359 --> 0:17:12.480 the MVP, but let me losing Malcolm Brogden is a big, 0:17:12.600 --> 0:17:15.320 big deal. And what you're seeing around the league and 0:17:15.400 --> 0:17:18.040 we saw this offseason is we're not seeing a lot 0:17:18.119 --> 0:17:21.080 of super teams. Now there's a little bit more balanced, 0:17:21.119 --> 0:17:24.000 and it's like Kauai decided I wanted to add balance 0:17:24.080 --> 0:17:26.399 to the universe. He decided to do that to the 0:17:26.440 --> 0:17:29.760 association by not joining the Lakers, and I think that's 0:17:29.880 --> 0:17:32.119 the benefit of the Sixers. You know, one last thing 0:17:32.119 --> 0:17:34.080 I wanted to ask you about, keV before letting you go. 0:17:34.280 --> 0:17:36.360 I'm sure you have a lot of memories from your 0:17:36.400 --> 0:17:40.440 youth following the Sixers, going to seventy sixers games. Part one, 0:17:40.800 --> 0:17:43.679 do you remember what your first flashbulb seventy sixers moment was? 0:17:44.119 --> 0:17:46.760 And then Part two? I see you at games now 0:17:46.760 --> 0:17:49.040 with your family and your kids. How cool is that 0:17:49.119 --> 0:17:51.560 kind of completion of a part of the circle of 0:17:52.040 --> 0:17:55.000 your life now being able to share in those experiences 0:17:55.000 --> 0:17:58.440 with your family in South Philadelphia. Brian, I really appreciate 0:17:58.560 --> 0:18:01.439 this question because that's I look at some of my 0:18:01.520 --> 0:18:06.080 fondest memories. It surrounds Philadelphia sports, and it surrounds my 0:18:06.119 --> 0:18:10.640 family and experiencing those things with my mom and my 0:18:10.720 --> 0:18:13.760 brother and my dad. You know, my first real memory 0:18:13.800 --> 0:18:18.479 of the Sixers distinct was, you know, my dad taking 0:18:18.480 --> 0:18:21.280 me and my family to a sixer Celtics game in 0:18:21.320 --> 0:18:25.080 the playoffs and I was maybe, I don't know, I 0:18:25.119 --> 0:18:27.720 want to say, five, six, seven years old, and I 0:18:27.800 --> 0:18:31.160 remember it going. You know, we were in the nosebleeds, 0:18:31.200 --> 0:18:34.960 which as a kid you don't care, and we're walking 0:18:35.040 --> 0:18:37.399 up the steps and there was a Celtics fan in 0:18:37.440 --> 0:18:40.080 one of the seats, and I remember how angry I got. 0:18:40.160 --> 0:18:43.040 I was like, how did we let that person into 0:18:43.080 --> 0:18:46.240 this building? Like I was really territorial like and he 0:18:46.280 --> 0:18:49.000 had like a you know, a Celtics penalty was dressed 0:18:49.000 --> 0:18:52.080 in green. And I've never hated a team more than 0:18:52.119 --> 0:18:57.080 those Bird mcale parish teams with Angel And so my 0:18:57.080 --> 0:19:00.200 my passion for the Sixers and the Celtics rivalry was 0:19:00.920 --> 0:19:04.040 born in the early eighties. And my my most distinct 0:19:04.200 --> 0:19:07.040 memory as a kid growing up is my mom taking 0:19:07.080 --> 0:19:12.000 me out of school and taking a friend of mine. 0:19:12.119 --> 0:19:15.200 I'm eight years old and we go to Philly for 0:19:15.320 --> 0:19:18.480 the parade for the Sixers and then taking me to 0:19:18.480 --> 0:19:20.320 the vet and there was a guy who's dressed up 0:19:20.359 --> 0:19:23.639 as Moses saying full, full full, you know, and I 0:19:23.760 --> 0:19:27.920 just remember following the floats and that my mom thought 0:19:27.920 --> 0:19:30.760 it was good enough and that was appropriate to take me, 0:19:31.359 --> 0:19:35.119 my friends, my brother, his friends and leave school to 0:19:35.160 --> 0:19:38.520 go to the parade. And I never forgot that, and 0:19:38.560 --> 0:19:42.439 that stuck with me. You know. I've taken my kids 0:19:43.080 --> 0:19:46.520 to games, whether it's the Eagles, the Sixers, the Phillies. 0:19:46.560 --> 0:19:48.320 One day, we're gonna go to the Flyers, trust me, 0:19:48.920 --> 0:19:52.680 but it just coincides with the bad schedule. We go 0:19:52.800 --> 0:19:56.240 to these games and sometimes driving back, I'm like, ah, 0:19:56.240 --> 0:19:59.159 they can miss school tomorrow, you know, because we're down 0:19:59.200 --> 0:20:01.240 there on a Sunday and you know, we're driving back 0:20:01.280 --> 0:20:04.320 on a Monday, or we're driving back late Sunday night, 0:20:04.359 --> 0:20:05.880 and I'm like, I didn't go into school a little 0:20:05.880 --> 0:20:08.280 bit late because to me, it's it's those memories, in 0:20:08.320 --> 0:20:11.200 those moments. I'll share one funny story with your Brian, 0:20:11.320 --> 0:20:15.240 just how passionate crazy we are as a family. My boys, 0:20:15.760 --> 0:20:17.920 they they wake up, their five and seven, they wake 0:20:18.000 --> 0:20:20.600 up in the morning and they're on YouTube and they're 0:20:20.640 --> 0:20:24.679 watching games. They watch old games and they're watching like 0:20:24.720 --> 0:20:28.919 Sixers games from the past season. And one night I 0:20:28.920 --> 0:20:31.000 put them to bed, both of them, and it was 0:20:31.040 --> 0:20:33.159 this week, and I told them both. I said, dad, 0:20:33.400 --> 0:20:36.680 Daddy loves you very much. And my seven year old 0:20:36.840 --> 0:20:40.560 chimes right after I said, he goes, you love us 0:20:40.600 --> 0:20:46.840 more than Joel Eban I was, I said, son, and 0:20:47.040 --> 0:20:52.720 my five year old was listening intently, and I said, son, absolutely, Now, 0:20:53.160 --> 0:20:55.440 Joel's a place in my heart. But I loved you 0:20:55.440 --> 0:20:58.040 guys more than I love anything in the world. And 0:20:58.320 --> 0:21:01.040 my five year old was complete letely son. He had 0:21:01.160 --> 0:21:05.240 no It's like I rocked his world. That they're higher 0:21:05.320 --> 0:21:09.240 up on the list when it comes to love Joel Embid, 0:21:09.560 --> 0:21:11.840 But that just shows you how much we passionately care 0:21:11.880 --> 0:21:15.320 about our Philadelphia sports and our athletes. And Joel is 0:21:15.359 --> 0:21:18.439 my favorite athlete currently right now, and I think I 0:21:18.480 --> 0:21:21.480 think my boys share the same common interests. That is 0:21:21.480 --> 0:21:24.159 tremendous through multiple generations in your family. It sounds like 0:21:24.280 --> 0:21:28.080 parenting done right. Good stuff. Thank you, Thank you, Brian 0:21:28.440 --> 0:21:32.200 all Right, Kevin and Gandhi ESPN tremendous local success story 0:21:32.440 --> 0:21:36.720 the man. Thanks so much, Thank you, Brian. I love 0:21:36.800 --> 0:21:40.720 hearing Kevin's thoughts about the seventy six ers and the 0:21:40.800 --> 0:21:43.600