Text by Brian Seltzer
Photographs by Kurt Gies, Alex Subers, Maggie Zerbe, Vetri Cucina
Brett Brown has experienced a lot in his five-plus seasons as head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, but nothing like this.
The addition of Jimmy Butler has added to the team a legit, established star - in-season, no less.
There has been plenty of young, ascending talent to play under Brown. No one to-date, however, has boasted the type of credentials that Butler does.
In the hours before the four-time All-Star made his 76ers debut Wednesday at Amway Center in Orlando, Brown aptly summed up the significance of the acquisition. He believes the move represents a launching pad into what could arguably end up being the most pivotal stage yet of the franchise’s pursuit of a championship.
With the help of some fantastic photography, let’s take a look back at the first 48 hours of this all-important era, through the activities involving the Sixers’ new two-way standout.
Monday, November 13th
Arrival
Butler and Patton touched down in Philadelphia late Monday afternoon, just a few short hours after an official trade call between the 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and NBA was finalized. Once settled, the duo was treated to dinner by Sixers ownership and management at Vetri Cucina, the 32-seat, James Beard Award-nominated Italian restaurant in Midtown Village.
“I spent about 4 hours with Jimmy [Monday], and I hadn’t really met him before, other than saying hello to him in passing. He’s a great guy, he’s really a serious person, a thoughtful person, and he wants to win. He’s very raw, he says what he thinks, and I really appreciate that. I think he’s going to play really hard, and play how the city wants. When you’re around a person like Jimmy, it rubs off. Watching his effort, it’s going to really help. Yesterday, dinner ended at 11 pm, and he said, ‘So Justin, how about 6 am [workout]?’ Not even kidding you. He’s going to bring a lot to our team."
Josh Harris, Managing Partner
Tuesday, November 14th
Training Complex
The 6 am workout proposed by Butler that Josh Harris alluded to? Oh it happened alright. Before the sun was up, a momentous day at the 76ers Training Complex in Camden had already begun.
“He’s a trailblazer. He gets up every single day [early in the morning]. It’s trouble when he asks you to come with him, like today. Everybody in Philadelphia, be ready to wake up early, because Jimmy’s in town.”
Justin Patton
Throughout the 76ers Training Complex Tuesday, you could find plenty of personalized touches fit for the occasion of introducing Butler and Patton. Whether in the form of welcome messages displayed on all the facility’s big screen TV monitors, or celebratory Jimmy Butler vanilla kreme-filled Dunkin’ Donuts, it was evident the Sixers had put plenty of thought into making the new guys feel wanted, and welcomed.
“Making Jimmy feel at home was crucial. We pride ourselves on the culture we’ve built and we wanted to make sure to embrace him the moment he arrived. We have some of the most talented people in the world working here and we strategized how we could rally together all facets of our organization to truly welcome Jimmy to Philadelphia. From our partners who celebrated with billboards, to the other teams in market who posted welcome messaging, to the collaborative efforts within each department of the 76ers organization, we worked to ensure all elements of our business captured the magnitude of this trade and Jimmy’s superstardom.”
Chris Heck, President of Business Operations
The gathering that assembled for Tuesday’s 11 am Butler x Pattion introductory press conference was impressive, given what the typical turnout is for these types of things. Surrounding the tables where reporters sat were dozens upon dozens of Sixers employees. Butler couldn’t have sounded more sincere, authentic, driven, positive, and humorous about joining the club.
“I got to be able to love where I’m at, and have a great chance to win a championship. I think for me that’s what it’s about. I think this city is going to absolutely amazing, from the things I’ve heard. Obviously, I’ve played here as the away team plenty. I love what Josh and Elton are doing. I think they’re doing it the right way. That’s what matters, the people who are around here, and how everybody is treated, because basketball is just one part of it. To know you’re wanted, your people are always going to be taken care of, that’s what matters most to me.”
Jimmy Butler
Josh Harris and General Manager Elton Brand also participated in Tuesday's introductory press event. The Butler trade immediately put a signature trade on Brand’s resume less than two months after he was promoted to the job. He described the circumstances and series of events that precipitated the deal.
“When we first found out Jimmy might be available, like many other teams, we reached out to Minnesota. My group - [Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations] Alex Rucker, [Senior Vice President, Player Personnel] Marc Eversley, [Assistant General Manager] Ned Cohen, [Senior Director, Scouting] Vince Rozman - we put together some value propositions we thought were fair, could get the deal done. I spoke to [Minnesota GM] Scott Layden very often. We had a running joke - ‘Hey, this is Elton with our daily call.’ Once [talks] had some legs, Josh was great. He has a great relationship with [Minnesota owner] Glen [Taylor], and with a commitment to winning a championship, he spoke to Glen directly, talked to me, and said, ‘I think we’re very close, we could finish this thing up.’ I spoke to Scott, who was very professional throughout all this, and we closed the deal.”
Elton Brand, General Manager
“When it got public [Butler] wanted to leave Minnesota, we immediately got on it. We worked across all of our relationships, Elton to Scott, Coach [Brett Brown] to Thibs [Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau], me to Glen, and ultimately, that collaborative effort really made it happen.”
Josh Harris, Managing Partner
Following the half-hour press conference, Butler and Patton were whisked off for some internal obligations, which included photo shoots, interviews, and...a fog room (!) [the purpose of the fog room will likely become more clear if you happen to see the team’s updated in-arena hype video]
During one of the photo shoots, in an inventive nod that blended the present with the past, Butler posed to recreate the design of an iconic Sports Illustrated cover first released nearly 36 years to the date of this week’s trade. The original version, which was part of a November 1982 edition of the magazine, featured Moses Malone front and center. At the time, he was on the cusp of beginning his first campaign with the Sixers, after being traded by the Houston Rockets in the offseason. The tie-in had context.
“We take great pride in the history and tradition of our brand and team. When you think of the legends and icons who’ve worn the 76ers uniform, it’s a reminder of the success and championship heritage of this organization. This cover was my all-time favorite SI cover as a kid, and when I got this job, I had always been waiting for the huge star that would put us at the top to recreate it. Jimmy is that guy. Superstar.”
Chris Heck, President of Business Operations
The highlight of Butler and Patton’s introductory day at the 76ers training complex was no doubt the 10-minute meet-and-greet they held with all employees of the Sixers business office (261 strong). The duo fielded questions from the audience, and both answered candidly, with terrific senses of humor. They were a huge hit.
Departure
By mid-Tuesday afternoon, Butler, Patton, Brand, and several other team staffers were off to the airport for a chartered flight, destination Orlando. The plane landed around 5 pm. Two hours later, Butler and Patton were the guests of honor at a team dinner held at an upscale restaurant near the Sixers’ hotel. Needless to say, Butler’s first day with the organization went by at a jetsetting pace.
“We welcomed them both, Justin and Jimmy. We had a team dinner, and it was fantastic, just to get the whole group - the travelling party - to bring everybody out to dinner, to welcome those two, and to share a night with the group is always one of my favorite parts of coaching basketball. The relational side, the team building side is something that I really enjoy, and is necessary. I’m looking two tables over, and I’m seeing in between Ben [Simmons] and Joel [Embiid] Jimmy Butler eating with those guys, that’s a different sight - that’s a really different sight. There’s a real excitement that we got better. We might have gotten significantly better.”
Brett Brown
“I learned JJ likes steak, JJ is married with two kids. Nah, I learned a lot about everybody in the sense, not even basketball, a lot about where they’re from, how they grew up. Obviously, I know who they are as basketball players, but I think there’s still a lot more time to get to know these guys - my guys, at that.”
Jimmy Butler
Wednesday, November 15th
Gameday
Over the course of his eight-year NBA career, Butler has earned a respected reputation for his relentless work ethic. Despite the whirlwind day he experienced and all the travelling he did Tuesday, he was up at 5:30 am Wednesday, and eating by 6. For the next couple hours, he read, got in a lift, and met with Brett Brown one on one. Then, Butler went over to shootaround for early shots.
What was Butler like at shootaround, his first formal team activity?
“He’s Jimmy Butler, he was talkative. He was asking questions, talking, listening to new verbiage and words. I don’t care how long you’ve been in the NBA, all coaches have their own terminology. For somebody coming in new, it’s a different language. He was fantastic, questioning things, asking questions, and certainly came with a spirit and personality right from the get-go.”
Brett Brown
Prior to linking up with the Sixers in Orlando, Butler didn’t know much about the players on the roster, outside of their individual reputations. Nevertheless, he jumped right in at shootaround, and immediately began lending a helping hand.
“It was great, because when I was shooting with him, anytime I missed a shot, he was helping me with what I was doing wrong to improve my shot. The thing that stuck with me was, he said, ‘Just get it over the rim.’ Sometimes, you lose sight of that as a player - you just shoot without thinking, ‘Get it over there. Don’t just get it there, get it over the rim. Give it a chance.’ That’s why he’s such a really good shooter. It was just incredible. He comes in right away, and is just helping out. I appreciated it, and loved working with him, and look forward to working with him.”
T.J. McConnell
Pre-Game
After returning from shootaround, Butler met up with some people for lunch, read more, then prepared for an early arrival to Amway Center. When he got to the arena, a fresh Nike Sixers Association uniform was waiting in his stall. Because the Sixers were on the road when the Butler trade was finalized, there was a little more logistical wrangling involved than usual to physically create his new jersey. Leave it to equipment guru Scott Rego, a 30-plus year veteran of the industry, to get the job done.
“When the team is on the road, I carry a set of blank jerseys of different sizes, numbers, and letters - always - so if something comes up, I’m prepared. In this case, our friends with the Miami Heat and Miami Dolphins helped me get Landry’s no. 1 jersey ready for Monday’s game, and Jimmy’s jersey ready for Wednesday. I gave the Heat equipment manager, Rob Pimental, the jerseys, the numbers, and the letters. He bagged each jersey size up, printed out instructions, and sent everything to the Dolphins’ training facility for the Dolphins equipment staff to attribute each jersey correctly.”
“Once the jerseys are taken care of, you have to learn what else goes into a player’s locker, and his other needs. Every player has his own routine; therefore, you need to make him part of your routine so he doesn’t have to worry about anything else besides basketball. For me, I want to get things right for the player - I would do that for any player on the roster, 1 through 17. You want them to feel like they’ve been here a long time already. I asked Jimmy a couple questions, and he told me he likes putting his jersey on right before the game starts, and right before the third quarter. He switches at halftime, which isn’t uncommon. It’s all about communication. You’re there to provide a service and represent the organization in the right way.”
Scott Rego, Senior Equipment Manager
Integrating a player the caliber of Butler into a new team once the season has already gotten underway is new territory for Brown, even going back to his days as a successful San Antonio assistant. So, given how little time there was Wednesday to introduce Butler to the Sixers’ schematic framework, Brown decided the most prudent course would be to keep things straightforward.
“My belief is that when you get somebody like Jimmy Butler, who will be featured in play calls and his usage rate will be that not of a role player, you try to choose simple, Less is more. Simple is king at this stage. The onboarding of Jimmy Butler from a coaching perspective for me equals that, it equals simple. We’ll go slowly.”
Brett Brown
Tip-Off
While Wednesday’s pre-game introductions were taking place, Butler and Brown found a moment to huddle together alone near the main entrance leading from the visitors locker room to the court. It was one final pre-game chat between player and coach before jumping head first into the beginning of a significant partnership.
“It was just general talk, not anything specific. Just making sure he understands that this takes time. You don’t just click your heels and win NBA games. It takes patience and work and time, and we have that.”
Brett Brown
Debut
Butler thought his premiere in Sixers red, white, and blue was “solid.” He got off to a strong start, making his first three shots. The 2011 no. 30 pick ended the evening with 14 points (6-12 fg), 4 rebounds, and 2 assists. Most significantly, he displayed his signature shot-creating and shot-making capabilities on offense, while offering the Sixers another live, aggressive, switchable body on defense.
“I think I shot the ball when I was open. I passed it to the open guy when they were open, and played to the best of my ability. I think I played basketball the right way. We came up a little bit short.”
Jimmy Butler
Above is a picture of the trio the Sixers hope to ride to sustained success. Butler, Embiid, and Simmons all separately had positive things to say about their first time playing with each other. Not only did Butler provide the Sixers with valuable statistical contributions against the Magic, he supplied key intangible factors, too.
“[Butler] is a positive guy. He is someone who is going to push everybody. He’s going to help a lot.”
Ben Simmons
“[Butler] was pushing me. He told at some point I was communicating defensively, but I wasn’t being loud. He came and told me I need to be loud. I like that. He’s one of the best defensive players in the league, and that’s another thing he’s going to bring to the table.”
Joel Embiid
Capping Butler’s debut with a win wasn’t in the cards, as the Sixers fell to Orlando, 111-106. Leave it to the sage sixth-year head coach to put things in perspective.
“Although we lost, the organization of the tiny few things we put in put us in decent positions. I see tremendous promise, and a tremendous fit from Jimmy into our system.”
Brett Brown