LeBron says he wants to bring 'blueprint' for success to unproven Sixers core

LeBron James officially faced the local media throng at Philadelphia 76ers media day on Monday at the team's practice facility in Camden, and the 23-year professional said he had some lessons to impart that were passed down to him by a Hall-of-Famer.

When asked if Shaquille O'Neal -- James' teammate briefly on the 2009-10 Cleveland Cavaliers -- had some valuable things to tell him on his own journey that could be passed down to this generation of Sixers struggling to win a second playoff series, he said: 

"I have a lot of experience in this game, obviously, so I hope I can bring that knowledge, bring that blueprint to the guys that's trying to accomplish things they haven't done in their careers," he said. "I've seen everything that this league has to offer on the floor and off the floor.

The message isn't just for Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe and others. Apparently King James has something to offer the likes of new acquisition Jaylen Brown, a champion two Junes ago with the Boston Celtics.

"I hope that, every single day with my approach to the game, approach to the work, that it can translate to every single guy -- even the guys that's been able to win at the highest levels."

As far as being a lightning rod for criticism externally or a calm water internally whenever the club eventually goes through a rough stretch this upcoming season, James appeared to want to put himself at the center so his teammates could work through whatever issues arise.

"You never get too high, never get too low. Understand that the noise is gonna be the noise," he offered. "What happens outside this building is going to consistently happen and it's going to be doubled and tripled and quadrupled when I'm here."

Regarding the role he wants for himself, or that which he's discussed with head coach Nick Nurse and his staff, James gamely offered up his services as a Swiss Army knife. His quiet, veteran confidence was on full display in 10 words, with a knowing smile.

"The luxury of my game is, I can do everything," he said.

The 41-year-old native of Akron, Ohio has pretty much done everything one can think of during a career which spans three decades of the 21st century: 22-time NBA All-Star, 21-time All-NBA selection, 6-time All-NBA defensive player, 4-time league MVP, 4-time NBA champion, 2003-04 Rookie of the Year, one of the best of the league's 75-year history and more which true fans could rattle off at the snap of a finger which I don't care to address in this piece.

It's the 4-time NBA champion that will be the thrust of James' work both on and off the court for however long he lasts in Philadelphia. James has won once with Cleveland, twice with Miami and once with the Lakers. The Sixers, however, not including Brown, haven't advanced past the second round of the playoffs in 25 years, when the franchise led by Allen Iverson, lost to Shaq's Lakers.

And so maybe take the second knuckle out of your mouth when James talked about still "loving the process" of preparing to play each season. He said he will never get tired of putting in the work -- a word he said more than 20 times in a 17-minute interview -- claiming it is part of his DNA. He also said he won't miss the sacrifices inherent in playing one place while his children are scattered in age and location. 

On Embiid, James said it was a little premature to make any judgments or statements about his role as a mentor since it was his first day within the confines of the organization but he admitted he was "looking forward to seeing what his process is."

James was also looking forward to seeing how Embiid himself defines his pathway to becoming the best version of himself and the best version he can be for the Sixers, given his largest obstacle to both has been nagging injuries which slowed him down and affected how the team performed. 

"As an elder statesman of the team, as a guy who's been through a lot, hopefully I can give him resources and whatever he needs on a day-to-day basis to make him feel more and more comfortable about where he is, where we are, as a team."

To view James' full remarks from earlier today, bang the link.

NBA, Sixers release full 2026-27 regular-season schedules

The National Basketball Association released the full schedules for all 30 member clubs on Thursday afternoon, including that for the Philadelphia 76ers. 

The new-look Sixers open the season unusually early, Tuesday, Oct. 20 at Madison Square Garden to help the rival New York Knicks raise their championship banner. Two nights later, their home opener welcomes LeBron James' OG club, the Cleveland Cavaliers. And on Halloween Eve (Oct. 30), the Knicks make their first trip back to Philly since their Game 4 blowout victory in the Eastern semifinals on May 10.

The regular season concludes on Sunday, Apr. 11 at home against the Charlotte Hornets. 

In between some key matchups are as follows:

Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 6 pm a national TV contest as Jaylen Brown welcomes his former team, the Boston Celtics, to South Philly.

A Thanksgiving Eve (Wed. Nov. 25) 5 pm start at home vs. LeBron's second team, the Miami Heat.

Of course, the previously-announced 5 pm ET Christmas Day national TV broadcast of the Sixers in Los Angeles to face the Lakers.

New Year's Day finds the Sixers taking on the Bucks in Milwaukee, while Monday, Jan. 16 finds the club with a Martin Luther King Day matinee at Atlanta. Philly will also be on the road for a Presidents' Day afternoon (Feb. 15) tilt in Dallas.

The league ratchets up the drama between the old rivals, as the Sixers play in Boston twice in the latter half of the season: Jan. 21 and again on Mar. 7 -- a matinee start scheduled for ABC.

For the full schedule with dates and times, bang either this link or this one.

Sixers make it 'internet official' with LeBron

The Philadelphia 76ers officially announced the signing of future Hall of Fame forward LeBron James via social media late this morning.

James spent the past 8 seasons toiling for the Los Angeles Lakers, helping the legacy franchise win their last NBA title in the 2020 COVID bubble. Over 60 games last year for the Lake Show, James posted 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per contest, alongside a .515 shooting percentage en route to his 22nd All Star selection. 

Since arriving as the No. 1 overall pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003, the Akron native has posted averages of 26.8 points, 7.5 boards, 7.4 assists 1.5 steals and 0.7 blocks per regular-season game over 1,622 appearances for the Cavs, Miami Heat and Lakers - the most in NBA history.

Further, while participating in a league-record 302 postseason contests, James has compiled averages of 28.2 points, 8.9 boards. 7.2 helpers, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks while winning four NBA titles (2012, '13, '16 and '20) and appearing in 10 NBA Finals. James won Finals' MVP in each of his club's four championships.

Vibes around the Sixers franchise are at an all-time high due to the signing, with multiple reports of thousands of LeBron jerseys either bought or on order by fans across the region. Additionally, there are multiple unconfirmed reports of astronomical mark-ups on tickets for the team's as-yet-unannounced home opener. 

Nick Nurse's provisional lineup now includes James, along with recently-acquired Jaylen Brown, former league MVP Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ edgecombe.

LeBron's 'last decision' is apparently going to be Philadelphia

King James will apparently finish out his career by balling for South Broad instead of South Beach.

ESPN's Shams Charania reported late Friday morning, that agent Rich Paul stated LeBron will sign a 2-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers worth $8 million.  

James took to X himself shortly after the reports were made, saying in a series of tweets: 

"I thought I was done when the season ended. I wasn't ready to announce it and I knew I needed some time to really decide, but I was pretty sure I played my last game. I was honest at that last press conference when I said I needed to look at myself and decide if I still love this game.

"I've had an incredible few months with all the people I love trying to figure it all out. This is my last decision. I'm not going for money. I'm not going for for family. What am I really playing for at this point? I still want to sacrifice. I still want to work. I still want to grind. I still want to compete, to win and have the chance at the feeling of winning another championship.

"I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time."

Once made official, the deal will bring the highest-profile NBA player to this city since Julius Erving retired following the 1986-87 season. 

James, 41, will be heading into his 24th NBA season since his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers took him with the first overall pick in the 2003 draft.

Sixers get Wallace, draft consideration

PHILADELPHIA - That sure was a short homecoming.

The Sixers sent Mount Laurel native Jason Thompson back west Friday, trading the big man to the world champion Golden State Warriors for veteran forward Gerald Wallace and a draft consideration.

Wallace, a 14-year veteran, has appeared in 832 career regular season games, averaging 12 points, six rebounds, two assists and over one steal in 30 minutes per game. He has also appeared in 33 career playoff games.

A first-round pick (25th overall) in the 2001 NBA Draft, Wallace was named to the Eastern Conference All-Star Team and earned NBA All-Defense First Team honors during the 2010 season.

Wallace has finished the season in the Top 10 in steals per game five times and steal percentage four times during his career.

Like most veterans, however, he probably has no real role in this Sixers organization.

Sixers sign pint-sized PG Pierre Jackson

PHILADELPHIA - The Sixers have signed Pierre Jackson to a partially guaranteed four-year contract.

The 5-foot-10 point guard has been playing playing with the Sixers playing in the NBA Summer League in an effort to prove he was healthy after an Achilles injury last summer.

The Sixers originally drafted Jackson with the 42nd overall selection out of Baylor in 2013 but he was traded that night, along with Jrue Holiday, to the New Orleans Pelicans for the rights to Nerlens Noel. A year later, the Sixers reacquired Jackson on a draft night deal that sent Louisville guard Russ Smith to New Orleans.

The dynamic Jackson averaged 29.1 points for the Idaho Stampede of the D-League in 2013-14 before injuring himself that summer in Sixers' first Orlando Summer League game.

Sixers sign Okafor

PHILADELPHIA – The Sixers have rookie center Jahlil Okafor under contract.

Okafor (6-foot-11, 270) was the third overall pick by Philadelphia in the 2015 NBA Draft.  He was an early entry candidate for the draft following a standout freshman season at Duke, during which he helped lead the Blue Devils to a 35-4 mark and the National Championship.

A consensus First Team All-American, Okafor averaged 17.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.4 blocks.  He was named the 2015 ACC Player of the Year and the USBWA 2015 National Freshman of the year, while also being selected as a finalist for the Wooden and Naismith National Player of the Year awards.

Okafor is also a three-time gold medal winner while playing for Team USA during the 2011 Under 16 FIBA Americas, the 2012 Under 17 World Championships and the 2013 Under 19 World Championships.

Last night, the 19-year-old had a game-high 20 points along with nine rebounds and two blocks in his debut at the Utah Jazz Summer League.

Hinkie crowns Kings, gets shooter in Stauskas

PHILADELPHIA - Is Sam Hinkie actually moving forward?

The love-him-or-loathe-him Sixers general manager delighted his followers on Wednesday night by taking advantage of the Sacramento Kings in a Vlade Divac salary sump.

The Sixers acquired shooting guard Nik Stauskas, power forwards Carl Landry and Jason Thompson, a 2018 protected top-10 pick and the right to swap first-round picks in 2016 and 2017 in a late-night deal with Sacramento.  The Kings in turn will receive the rights to two of  last week’s second-round draft picks who were set to remain stashed overseas for the time being in Arturas Gudaitis (47th) and Luka Mitrovic (60th).

“I’m excited to start a new chapter in Philly! #The MarathonContinues,” Stauskas tweeted out after YAHOO! Sports reported the deal.

"Thank you to the whole Kings organization for drafting me and helping me start my NBA career. The city and fans were awesome," the University of Michigan product also tweeted.

The move clears significant salary-cap space for Sacramento, which is believed to be targeting players like Portland swingman Wesley Matthews, and Dallas guards Rajon Rondo and Monta Ellis.

The Sixers reportedly wanted Stauskas in the 2014 draft and were set to take the 6-foot-6 marksman with the second of two first-round picks at No. 10 overall but when the Kings selected him two spots earlier Hinkie grabbed guard Elfrid Payton and traded him to the Orlando Magic for Dario Saric’s draft rights.

Stauskas wasn't all that impressive during his rookie season, averaging 4.4 points and shooting 36.5 percent from the field.  He did, however, get better as the season progressed, connecting on 48 of his final 149 three-pointers.

In Philadelphia he will be given every opportunity to create space for post players like the incoming Jahlil Okafor as well as Nerlens Noel and possibly Joel Embiid, depending on the big man's health situation.

The other two players are more typical Hinkie pickups, the next round of so-called gypsies that Brett Brown is asked to incorporate for short periods or not at all.

The 6-foot-11 Thompson is a local product out of Lenape High School in South Jersey as well as Rider before being taken by the Kings as the 12th overall pick in '08. The big man averaged a career-low 6.1 points and 6.5 rebounds last season and was deemed expendable after Sacramento drafted Willie Cauley-Stein last week.

The 6-foot-9 Landry scored 7.2 points and snared 3.8 rebounds per game and is currently recovering from wrist surgery.

Sixers' Okafor set to play in Summer Leagues

PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia 76ers announced their invitees for the team’s mini-camps in preparation for both the Utah Jazz Summer League and the Samsung NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Jahlil Okafor, who was the third overall pick by Philadelphia in the 2015 NBA Draft, is expected to see action in both leagues.  Fellow draft additions Richaun Holmes, the 37th overall pick, and J.P. Tokoto, the 58th overall pick, are scheduled to compete in the Utah league only.

Returning Sixers Jerami Grant and Furkan Aldemir are anticipated to participate in the Utah league while JaKarr Sampson is slated for the Vegas league.  Jordan McRae, whose rights the Sixers acquired in the 2014 NBA Draft, and Arsalan Kazemi, whose rights Philly acquired in the 2013 NBA Draft, are both scheduled to play in the Vegas league.

Sixers hire Martin as Director of Performance Research and Development

PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia 76ers have hired Dr. David T. Martin as the team’s Director of Performance Research and Development.

Martin has been a pioneer in revolutionizing the way world-class athletes train for two decades. In this newly created role, Martin will oversee all aspects of the Sixers sport science, performance, training, rehabilitation and medical initiatives.

“Building up our sport science capabilities has been an important focus of the Sixers under Josh Harris and David Blitzer,” said Sixers President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Sam Hinkie. “To give our players every opportunity to be healthy and remain healthy, while also allowing them to perform at their best, we have made many investments – adding staff and integrating outside experts, partnering with pioneers in sports science and technology, and adjusting our day-to-day training, practice and recovery plans.”

“But none like David Martin. He is a scientist. He is also a coach to some of the world’s highest performing, most resilient athletes and coaches. We are delighted to add someone of his immense talents to lead and grow our efforts.”

Martin’s hire was the result of a yearlong search and recruitment effort, and he joins the Sixers from his Senior Sport Science position within the renowned Australian Institute of Sport (AIS).

“The opportunity to work with the Sixers at this particular time is incredibly exciting for me. This organization has attracted an amazing group of high caliber leaders, innovators and coaches who are all focused on pursuing excellence in sport. The leadership group that is currently in place is fostering a positive culture that encourages a creative, forward-thinking approach. I can’t think of a better place to be – the mission and goals of the Sixers align very closely with mine and the people with whom I get to work are outstanding.

"I am looking forward to getting started, growing resources and expertise that will contribute to player readiness, providing competitive advantages and creating something special for the city of Philadelphia."

Martin has accumulated 21 years of experience working with elite athletes and is widely recognized as an innovator and leader in high performance sport. He is also an accomplished applied sport scientist with more than 100 publications investigating topics such as talent identification, development of power, fatigue management, competition analysis, altitude training, and thermoregulation. Additionally, Martin has worked with numerous world-class coaches across a number of different sports, including basketball.

Most recently, Martin was appointed as the Senior Sports Scientist and Team Leader for the AIS Combat Centre, a new initiative he spearheaded designed to raise international competitiveness in four Australian Olympic combat sports.

Since the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Martin acted as the National Sport Science Coordinator for Cycling Australia.  Over the last five summer Olympic Games, the cycling teams supported by Martin and his colleagues have won eight Gold, eight Silver and 12 Bronze medals.  He has also worked with Australian World Record holders, World Champions and Australia’s only winner of the Tour de France, and frequently presents findings from his research at international sport science meetings.

Sixers introduce Okafor

PHILADELPHIA - The latest centerpiece of Sam Hinkie's consistently pushed back rebuilding plan was unveiled Saturday at PCOM.

Big man Jahlil Okafor, the No. 3 overall pick  in Thursday's NBA draft, was introduced, along with the second-round selections that have a chance to see league action this season, Richaun Holmes and J.P. Tokoto.

The Duke product immediately affirmed he wasn't in Philadelphia to lose, something that has become second nature to the organization during Hinkie's tenure which has been built on tanking in order to acquire players like Okafor, a true low-post threat with the footwork of a 15-year veteran.

"Winning has always been my main focus," Okafor said. "I have always hated losing. I am a sore loser. I do not take losing well. I have always been about winning because I have been winning my entire life."

Winning will have to wait a little while here, however, as Hinkie continues to slowly add talent to a roster that was stripped bare and still lacks competent guards as well as wing players.

"I am excited to be here, and start winning some games," Okafor said. "I have already walked around the city. I can see that the fans are so excited and so enthusiastic. It makes you feel really good, and you can't imagine what it will be like when we start winning."

Like most upper echelon players in this draft, Okafor wanted nothing to do with the Sixers organization and an NBA source confirmed to The Phanatic Magazine that his agent, Bill Duffy, did call the team Thursday asking it not select his client.

Okafor and his father, who was at the introductory press conference, both denied that but the die is cast now and while Okafor would have preferred Los Angeles or New York, he's not the kind of kid who is going to sulk.

"No, we didn't do any of that," Okafor claimed when asked about his agent's maneuverings. "We were just trying to figure out where I was going to go. We raised the question that we didn't know which team I was going to end up with, but we knew Philadelphia was one of the possibilities."

Sixers get Okafor and little help in second round

The latest Sixers big man

PHILADELPHIA – The Sixers went the best player available route at No. 3 overall, taking 6-foot-11 big man Jahlil Okafor out of Duke.

The 272-pound Okafor was an early entry candidate following a standout freshman season with the Blue Devils where he helped lead the team to a 35-4 mark and the NCAA Championship. The 19-year-old  averaged 17.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.4 blocks, and was selected as a consensus first-team All-American.

Additionally, Okafor was named the 2015 ACC Player of the Year and the USBWA 2015 National Freshman of the year, while also being selected as a finalist for the Wooden and Naismith National Player of the Year awards. He is also a three-time gold medal winner while playing for Team USA during the 2011 Under 16 FIBA Americas, the 2012 Under 17 World Championships and the 2013 Under 19 World Championships.

A fundamentally sound offensive player with the footwork of a veteran and huge hands, Okafor now becomes the so-called centerpiece in the Sam Hinkie rebuild which will now need to be pushed back yet another season because of the lack of guards and wing players on the Sixers' roster.

Okafor's presence also muddles the future of Joel Embiid, the former centerpiece who has yet to play a game for Philadelphia and recently had a setback in his attempt to recover from a stress fracture in the navicular bone in his right foot.

"I don't know," Okafor said when asked how he fits in with the Sixers. "It's not my job to figure out. I'll just go there and work as hard as I can."

The knocks on Okafor are his defense and rebounding, along with tepid free-throw shooting. That likely means Nerlens Noel is the keeper with Okafor because his defensive prowess will be key but nothing is ever certain with Hinkie.

The second round was a disappointment to most with Philadelphia garnering Bowling Green power forward Richaun Holmes with the 37th overall pick, Lithuanian stretch four Arturas Gudaitis with the 47th overall pick, North Carolina wingman J.P. Tokoto with the 58th overall pick and Serbian forward Luka Mitrovic with the 60th overall pick.

Additionally, the Sixers acquired the rights two future second round picks from the New York Knicks in exchange for the rights to the 35th pick, Spanish center Guillermo Hernangomez.

The Euro players were taken to stash and as the saying goes are probably two years away from being two years away.

The 6-10 Gudaitis has spent the past three seasons playing for Zalgiris in Lithuania’s LKL league. Last season he averaged 8.6 points and 4.8 rebounds in 57 total games, which included 21 starts.

Mitrovic averaged 9.7 points and 5.7 rebounds for Crvena Zvezda during the 2014-15 season, where the team won the Adriatic ABA League title. He has spent three seasons with Crvena Zvezda, where he played in 75 games in 2014-15, which included 60 starts.

Holmes was named MAC Defensive Player of the Year for Bowling Green  in addition to a first-team All-MAC selection. The 6-8 forward averaged 14.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.7 blocks as a senior and recorded 244 career blocks to top the Falcons’ all-time list.

Tokoto spent three seasons at North Carolina, where he averaged 8.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game as a junior in 2014-15. The 6-6 wing was selected first-team All-ACC Defensive Team for two consecutive seasons.

Trust this process: Hinkie is done

By John McMullen
jmcmullen@phanaticmag.com

PHILADELPHIA - Russell? Okafor? Porzingis? Mudiay?

No matter what embattled Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie has up his sleeve on Thursday night, his three-card-monte act, which has turned one of the NBA's marquee franchises into a national embarrassment, has run its course.

We all understand the "Sons of Sam" will defend anything Hinkie puts his fingerprints on so arguing whether D'Angelo Russell has the necessary athleticism to turn into the sequel to Stephen Curry (he doesn't) or Jahlil Okafor can ever develop into a competent NBA defender (unlikely) or if Kristaps Porzingis is the next Dirk Nowitzki (please), is an exercise in futility.


Whomever Hinkie winds up with will be the logical decision to those tortured souls.

Sam Hinkie has a big problem

NBA general managers, though, do not perform their duties in a vacuum and, believe it or not, basketball will not even define Hinkie's failed stint in Philadelphia.

And it's so ironic that the elitists who parrot Hinkie's basketball philosophies and believe his process is a religion are the most obtuse of all, blissfully unaware that the most important news regarding the 2015 Sixers draft broke long before the event even started.

"There are agents that have told the 76ers not to draft their players," ESPN NBA insider Chris Broussard said on Mike and Mike this morning. "Because of the history of losing the last few years, trading away the rookie of the year Michael Carter-Williams after a great season.

"So, there are guys that do not want to play in Philadelphia."

Fellow ESPN reporter Jeff Goodman confirmed Broussard's take calling it "Absolutely true."

FOX's Howard Eskin has been reporting that at the local level for months but his general lack of credibility and personal disdain for Hinkie was all the cultists needed to ignore the warnings. And they can continue to do so at their own peril but two different agents e-mailed confirmation of Broussard's reporting to the Phanatic Magazine this afternoon.

If they had their druthers, virtually every power broker in basketball wants their clients anywhere but Philadelphia.

Russell, the consensus "it pick" for the few Sixers fans left, dispelled that to the diehards by playing public relations 101, claiming he didn't have a problem playing for Philadelphia in front of the microphones as his agent worked tirelessly behind the scenes to steer his client away from the City of Brotherly Love.

In fact the planted rumor that claims the Lakers are set on taking the former Ohio State star at No. 2 overall and had many Sixers devotees contemplating jumping off the Ben Franklin Bridge came directly from Russell's camp.

The hard truth is there is probably no transcendent player in this draft and the lone possibility will be calling Minneapolis home (Karl-Anthony Towns) so those worried about the repercussions on the floor between Russell and anyone else the Sixers might take are burying the lede.

You see the whole problem with #TrusttheProcess is that those blindly following the dogma are part of the same generation which has no interest in playing in Philadelphia.

To the Russells and Okafors of the world this is no longer the franchise of Wilt, the Kangaroo Kid, Dr. J, Moses, Charles and A.I. This is a barren wasteland where players are treated like disposable pieces in some kind of twisted lottery.

And the funny thing about human beings, no matter the generational differences they don't like being treated  that way.

Some might argue that's what professional sports is at its core. And guess what? They're right but optics and theater matter, and the great ones understand that ... Hinkie does not.

The real heavyweights in this sport have spoken and they want nothing to do with Sam Hinkie and the Philadelphia 76ers.

That's the process you've been trusting.

Sixers' Pollack passes at 93

PHILADELPHIA - The father of analytics, legendary Sixers statistician Harvey Pollack, passed away Tuesday night at the age of 93.

An last original employee of the NBA, Pollack began his career in 1946 as the assistant publicity director for the Basketball Association of America's Philadelphia Warriors. He spend the last 28 seasons as the Sixers' director of statistical information.

"He may never have laced up his sneakers, but few have done more to advance the game, in the NBA or Philadelphia basketball, than Harvey," Sixers CEO Scott O'Neil said. "He did what he loved until the end, and shared that love of statistics and basketball with his family, who we remember at this difficult time.

"We count ourselves incredibly lucky to have had his wealth of knowledge, indomitable spirit, passionate drive and love for our sport with us here in Philadelphia and with the Sixers for so many years. He will be missed while his legacy will endure." 

Pollack was in Hershey on March 6, 1962, when then-Warriors center Wilt Chamberlain scored an NBA record 100 points against the New York Knicks and he was the one who scribbled "100" on a piece of paper and gave it to Chamberlain to hold for what is now one of the most iconic photos in sports.

Often refereed to as "Super Stat" Pollack created many of the current basketball statistics, things like offensive and defensive rebounds, steals, turnovers, blocked shots plus-minus and minutes played. He was the first to actually count the number of dunks for players and coined the term triple-double.

Pollack's annual statistical information guide was a must-read for fans and media alike and he was  honored by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame with the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002.

"There has never been an NBA without Harvey Pollack," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. "He documented NBA history for nearly 70 years with passion, curiosity and a relentless work ethic. Harvey has been a true caretaker and ambassador of the game, and he will be sorely missed."

Report: Hinkie being investigated for violating CBA

Is Hinkie rubbing people the wrong way?

PHILADELPHIA -  Sam Hinkie is in the sights of the NBPA, which has told agents they are investigating the polarizing Sixers general manager for a possible violation of the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement, according to RealGM.

Reporter Shams Charania did not confirm what Hinkie is being investigated for but an NBA source told The Phanatic Magazine that the NBPA was very updet over Hinkie's handling of the Andrei Kirilenko situation.

When Hinkie made the deal for the Russian with Brooklyn last December, which sent him along with Jorge Gutierrez, the Nets' second round draft pick in 2020 and the right to swap second round picks in 2018, to Philadelphia  for Brandon Davies, he made assurances to both Brooklyn and  Kirilenko himself that former All-Star would be released.

Hinkie reneged on that promise, however, and Kirilenko refused to report to the Sixers. The 13-year veteran was suspended without pay by Philadelphia in early January before being released on Feb. 21.

That issue, however, is hardly the only one that has raised the ire of the NBPA and agents around the league when it comes to Hinkie.

Kirilenko, meanwhile, told Sport Express his is retiring from basketball and the Russian-based Kommersant
says he intends to run for president of the Russian Basketball Federation.

Saric will remain in Turkey

Darip Saric will stay in Turkey for now

PHILADELPHIA - Dario Saric, the 12th overall selection by the Sixers in the 2014 NBA draft, will not be playing in Philadelphia next season.

Saric remains under a three-year contract with his Turkish team Anadolu Efes but the Sixers reportedly explored a buyout over the past few weeks. The Croatian forward's agent, Jeff Schwartz, told ESPN those talks have ended and Saric will remain overseas for now.

Saric signed his deal with Efes three days before the draft last year and Sixers GM Sam Hinkie drafted the big man understanding it would likely be years before Saric made the move to the NBA.

Right now the most likely scenario for Philadelphia is the 2017-18 season although the 21-year-old
Saric has a player option in his deal that will allow him to opt out in time for '16-17 season.

However, if Saric plays out his entire deal in Turkey he will no longer be constrained by the rookie salary cap, meaning he could work out a much bigger deal with the Sixers in '17-18.

Schwartz will certainly push for that outcome because the NBA's massive new television deal is set to start that season and a substantial rise in the NBA salary cap is expected.

Saric is a well-rounded player in the mold of ex-Sixer Toni Kukoc, averaging 9.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in his rookie season with Efes.

Embiid suffers setback

Joel Embiid

PHILADELPHIA - A CT scan taken Saturday on injured 76ers center Joel Embiid revealed that his surgically repaired right foot was not healing properly.

Embiid missed the entire 2014-15 season after the Sixers selected the Cameroon native and University of Kansas standout third overall last June. The 7-footer suffered a back injury late in his lone college season and had two screws inserted into his right foot during surgery just before the draft.

"As part of the conservative approach focused on the long-term health, recovery, and care of Joel, we have been closely monitoring his progress," said Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie in a statement.

Embiid was in Los Angeles for a routine exam when a scan revealed the setback.

"Our priority remains providing Joel with every opportunity to ensure he has a long and successful NBA career, and as such, these findings cause us to pause and reassess his current activities."

Embiid was set to make his Sixers debut next month at the Utah Jazz Summer League but now his entire future is up in the air as is Hinkie's controversial "tanking" philosophy, which is focused on optimizing opportunities to garner a superstar as the expense of putting a passable product on the floor.


The Sixers select third once again in the upcoming draft, and Embiid's cloudy future will likely push Hinkie's "plan" back another year.

"Discussions regarding the appropriate next steps are currently ongoing and we will share an update once it becomes available," Hinkie clamined.

Sixers to unveil new uniforms on June 18

PHILADELPHIA -  The 76ers today will reveal the team’s new uniforms on Thursday, June 18 at a special event held at Wells Fargo Center, or as the organization calls it, the Sixers’ home arena.

The event begins at 7:00 pm, with free admission for all fans.

“In creating a new uniform, we wanted a clean, modern style that would also honor our past,” said Sixers Chief Executive Officer Scott O’Neil. “These designs integrate key elements of uniforms worn by legends Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Erving and Billy Cunningham, and bring them together in one seamless presentation. The uniform reflects another key element of our updated brand identity reflecting a spirit of strength and patriotism which we cannot wait to share with our fans.”

The event’s guest list includes Sixers legends Billy Cunningham, Darryl Dawkins, Moses Malone, Bobby Jones and Allen Iverson and special guest Barbara Chamberlain-Lewis, sister of the late Wilt Chamberlain, in addition to current Sixers players and staff.


“When I joined the Sixers in 1976, we were the marquee team in the league, the one fans around the league wanted to see in person," Erving said. "It’s great seeing this new generation of Sixers come together, and I hope they will be as inspired and proud to wear this new uniform – which shares elements from my first year as well as the ’83 championship team – as I was during my time in the wonderful city of Philadelphia.”

Programming for the event will be hosted by Sixers Television Broadcaster Marc Zumoff, Sixers Sideline Reporter Molly Sullivan and in-arena host Christian Crosby.

Sixers get third pick in NBA Draft

Ohio State star D'Angelo Russell,

NEW YORK – D'Angelo Russell, come on down.

The Philadelphia 76ers were awarded the third overall pick in the 31st annual edition of the NBA Draft Lottery held Tuesday night, the second straight year Sam Hinkie's controversial "tanking plan" produced
the third overall selection.

Entering the lottery, the Sixers had a 15.59 percent chance of landing the third selection.

Minnesota, which had the best chance to land the top spot at 25 percent, did exactly that and will have its choice between big men Karl-Anthony Towns of Kentucky and Jahlil Okafor of Duke.

The Los Angeles Lakers leapfrogged both the New York Knicks as well as the Sixers to land the third spot and figure to take the loser of the Towns-Okafor debate in Minneapolis although it's at least conceivable that the Lakers could snare Russell, the Sixers perceived desire, before Sam Hinkie gets the chance.

In that case the SIxers would chose between another big man in Okafor, not a natural fit because of the presence of Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel, or a much lesser prospect in guard Emmanuel Mudiay.


Los Angeles' good fortune further hurt the Sixers because if the Lakers pick had fallen outside the top-five, it would have been conveyed to Philadelphia as part of a prior trade. That pick now becomes top-three protected for the 2016 draft and likely will revert to Philly then because LA figures to be much improved next season.

Additionally Miami stayed at No. 10 in the Draft Lottery, meaning that selection also doesn't convey to the Sixers. Next year's Heat pick remains top-10 protected and becomes unprotected in 2017.


In addition, Philadelphia owns the protected rights to Oklahoma City's 2016 first round pick as well as the Sixers own first round pick, giving Hinkie as many as four first-round picks in the 2016 NBA Draft if the chips fall in the Sixers' direction.

This marks the fourth time Philadelphia has held the third overall pick.  Last year, the Sixers used the third overall selection on Embiid, who was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year as a freshman for Kansas in 2013-14 but missed his entire rookie season due to injury.

The third overall pick has produced several marquee players over the years, including Nate Thurmond, Pete Maravich, Kevin McHale, Dominique Wilkins, Michael Jordan, Penny Hardaway and Grant Hill.  More recent third-pick alumni include Baron Davis, Pau Gasol, Carmelo Anthony, Deron Williams, Al Horford, James Harden and Bradley Beal.

The Sixers also own five second rounds picks heading into the upcoming draft: 35th, 37th, 47th, 58th and 60th. 

The 2015 NBA Draft will be held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Thursday, June 25.

NBA Draft Lottery Primer

The 2015 NBA Draft Lottery will be held at the New York Hilton Midtown tonight. ESPN will televise the lottery beginning at approximately 8:05 p.m. ET. The order of selection for the top 14 picks will be unveiled starting at approximately 8:30 p.m. ET.

The 2015 NBA Draft will be held at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Thursday, June 25 at 7 p.m. ET.

HOW THE LOTTERY WORKS

The lottery process will take place in a separate room just before the national broadcast. Select media members, NBA officials and representatives of the participating teams and the accounting firm of Ernst & Young will be in attendance for the drawing.

Fourteen ping-pong balls numbered 1 through 14 will be placed in a lottery machine. There are 1,001 possible combinations when four balls are drawn out of 14, without regard to their order of selection. Before the lottery, 1,000 of those 1,001 combinations will be assigned to the 14 participating lottery teams.

The team with the worst record (Minnesota) will be assigned the first 250 combinations and the best team in the lottery (Oklahoma City) will have five combinations out of 1,000.

All 14 balls are placed in the lottery machine and they are mixed for 20 seconds; then the first ball is removed. The remaining balls are mixed in the lottery machine for another 10 seconds, and then the second ball is drawn. This process continues for the third and fourth balls. The team assigned that combination will receive the No. 1 pick. The second and third picks are then decided using this same method with the ping-pong balls and lottery machine.

LOTTERY NOTES

Each team will have one on-stage representative for the 2015 NBA Draft Lottery. Nerlens Nowl will represent the Sixers.

Since the present lottery format was instituted in 1994, the team with the best odds has won three of 21 lotteries: Philadelphia in 1996 (drafted Allen Iverson No. 1), Cleveland in 2003 (LeBron James) and Orlando in 2004 (Dwight Howard).

In the last 18 drawings, teams with the ninth-best chance of getting the top pick have won the lottery as often as teams with the best chance (twice apiece). The 2007-08 Bulls (who drafted Derrick Rose No. 1 in 2008) and the 2013-14 Cavaliers (Andrew Wiggins in 2014) both won the lottery after starting in the ninth slot.

The Cavaliers have won two consecutive lotteries and three of the last four, but they are not entered in this year's drawing after making the playoffs.

Every team has appeared in the draft lottery (based on their own performance) at least once since 2007 except the Spurs. San Antonio hasn't been in the lottery since 1997, when it got the No. 1 pick and drafted Tim Duncan.

The winningest lottery teams of all time have finished 48-34: the Warriors in 2007-08 and the Suns in 2013-14. 

PROBABILITIES

The teams entered in the lottery are as follows. The first three picks in the draft will be determined by the lottery as described above and the remainder of the "lottery teams" will select in positions 4 through 14 in inverse order of their consolidated standings at the end of the regular season.

TEAM	REC	CHANCES	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	5TH
MIN	16-66	250	.250	.215	.178	.357	-
NYK	17-65	199	.199	.188	.171	.319	.123
PHL	18-64	156	.156	.157	.156	.226	.265
LAL	21-61	119	.119	.126	.133	.099	.351
ORL	25-57	88	.088	.097	.107	-	.261
SAC	29-53	63	.063	.071	.081	-	-
DEN	30-52	43	.043	.049	.058	-	-
DET	32-50	28	.028	.033	.039	-	-
CHA	33-49	17	.017	.020	.024	-	-
MIA	37-45	11	.011	.013	.016	-	-
IND	38-44	8	.008	.009	.012	-	-
UTA	38-44	7	.007	.008	.010	-	-
PHO	39-43	6	.006	.007	.009	-	-
OKC	45-37	5	.005	.006	.007	-	-