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SPORTS Wednesday 15 May 2019
Brown’s hot seat actually quite cool as 76ers stand pat

By DAN GELSTON it made sense to put it all to to consecutive 50-win sea-
AP Sports Writer rest and move on,” Harris sons — would be retained
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Josh said. for another season. Brown
Harris is a billionaire and he Brown held exit interviews had agreed last year to a
if wants to shuttle between with the entire roster Mon- three-year contract exten-
New York and the Philadel- day before he headed to sion through the 2021-22
phia 76ers headquarters New York for dinner with season.
in New Jersey on a heli- the ownership group and “We have everything that
copter, the team owner general manager Elton we need to move this pro-
can do it with ease. If Har- Brand. The Sixers players gram forward,” Brown said.
ris wants to pay $45 million then mostly had to defend The Sixers are willing to
for his luxury home, he can Brown at the season-end- give Brown everything he
spend pocket change on ing session with reporters, needs to keep the Sixers in
a new pad, too. And he with All-Star center Joel the hunt for their first NBA
if really wanted to silence Embiid using an expletive championship since 1983 .
speculation that Brett Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown speaks with members to answer a question on The Sixers surrendered key
Brown was coaching for of the media during a news conference at the NBA basketball whether his coach was on assets in two trades this
his Sixers career during the team’s practice facility in Camden, N.J., Tuesday, May 14, 2019. the way out. Again, ques- season for Jimmy Butler
playoffs, well, all Harris had Associated Press tions that wouldn’t have and Tobias Harris that sig-
to say was that he had his it wouldn’t have been fair reports would have all but been wasted had a deci- naled they were all-in for a
guy. to respond to each report vanished. Of course, may- sion on Brown been an- championship. Butler and
Harris instead settled for a about the future when the be the Sixers didn’t feel it nounced. The Sixers used Harris are free agents who
milquetoast endorsement focus was firmly on the was necessary before the a late-night news dump to can command max con-
before the Brooklyn series, postseason. But had Har- Brooklyn series to squelch say Brown — who led the tracts on the open market
saying Brown was a “great ris simply said what he said unfounded rumors. Sixers from the painful un- — money the Sixers have
coach” but offering no as- Tuesday a month ago, the “Once the playoffs ended, dertaking of the Process and are willing to spend.q
surance he would return for
another season if the Sixers
failed to make a deep run
in the playoffs.
“We think he’s the right
leader to take us where we
need to go in the playoffs,”
Harris said. “I’m focused on
the Brooklyn Nets.”
Harris let Brown twist
through the Brooklyn and
Toronto series, the sixth-
year coach’s fate seeming-
ly hinging on the outcome
of four bounces of Kawhi
Leonard’s jumper that fi-
nally plopped through the
net at the Game 7 horn,
ushering the Sixers into the
offseason.
So, would Brown return?
It turned out Brown’s hot
seat was actually as cool
as the hockey ice under
the hardwood at Wells Far-
go Center.
“Brett’s job was never in
jeopardy,” Harris said Tues-
day in Camden, New Jer-
sey.
Oh. And if Harris is to be
taken at his word, Brown’s
fate was never in doubt.
“Brett knew through the
Toronto series that his job
was not in jeopardy,” Har-
ris said.
Brown, 178-314 (.362) in six
seasons, said he knew from
multiple conversations
with Harris that his job was
safe no matter if the sea-
son ended in the second
round or a championship
parade.
Harris and Brown both said