Sneak peek: New 76ers owner Joshua Harris
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Sneak peek: New 76ers owner Joshua Harris
First, thanks to everyone who either emailed or Tweeted a question about the 76ers. As I mentioned in yesterday's blog, we're going to do our best to keep things relevant here on Deep Sixer even if the NBA lockout is making it difficult. If you want to follow on Twitter, I'm closing in on 5,000 followers, so you can help in that quest by following here: Deep Sixer. The most popular question asked was about Sixers' guard-forward Evan Turner. Some seemed to have missed this earlier post -- Turner working with Herb Magee -- although some just wanted more, continuing info about the team's No. 2 draft pick in 2010. Check out that post if you missed it, but we'll try to track down ET in the next week or so and get an even more in-depth update on his summer. Also, Sixers point guard Jrue Holiday is back in Philadelphia today.
In Sunday's edition of the Inquirer, we'll be running a long profile of Joshua Harris, who leads the investment group whose purchase of the Sixers is pending approval by the NBA's Board of Governors. Harris declined interview through a spokesman, but we caught up with a number of his long-time friends and also a few former classmates from either Penn's Wharton School or Harvard Business School.
Here are a few quotes; the full story will run on Sunday.
"I think his ease and casualness in the way he does things," said long-time friend Bippy Siegal of Raycliff Investments. "What I mean is, you’ll be sitting and discussing a topic with him and he’ll say, ‘I don’t quite understand that.’ And then in five minutes, not only does he understand it, he knows more about it than you did and you studied it for 10 years. It’s kind of a screwed-up skill to have. And it kind of bums me out."
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"Is this a toy? No. There’s just no way," said Scott Stewart, who attended HBS with Harris. "I can’t see him treating this as a toy. He’s a serious businessman and the way to be successful in this case in the NBA is to win NBA Championships. It’s a very definitive and tangible goal. His seriousness and again his track record of success would lead you to believe that that’s his ambition with the team: not only to win one, but win multiple."
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"We were big fans," said Tony Ignaczak, who attended Wharton undergrad with Harris from 1982-86. "I don’t specifically remember attending Sixers games, because tickets were expensive and as students we didn’t have a lot of money, but we were clearly Philadelphia sports fans and that was a great era for Philadelphia basketball."
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Again, any Sixers questions you want addressed in the coming weeks, please email me at kfagan@phillynews.com or on Twitter @deepsixer3.
--Kate
Each week, Kate will check in from the road and answer fan questions about the Sixers. Click here to ask Kate a question or e-mail her at kfagan@phillynews.com.
I did not see any article on Harris in today's Inquirer. Kate? Did they decide not to go with it, because of all the Eagle and Phillies news? Right now, needless to say, pro basketball is low on the totem pole, as almost everyone assumes either a lost season or severely truncated one. I do question how a supposed genius business man agrees to become merely a tenant of Comcast at the Wells Fargo Center and with no control over TV rights.— chuckw- If I am Joshua Harris,the fist thing I would tell myself is; I have to get rid of Spencer Hawes. You also have to unload the man that brought Spencer Hawes to Philadelphia. I can't wait until Stefanski is shown the door.— is1531
- Totally agree is1531...there is no way we should pick-up the option on Spencer Hawes! I'm hopeful that the new ownership will think the same way & use that money toward signing Nene or get Robin Lopez that (with coaching) will finally give us the inside presence we need!— khouse
- Bippy?— KurtNimphius
- Bk will not give us Lopez. I think brook would be the better fit. Robin can't grab 3 boards. No than you. Nene is not efficient on offense outside of dunking he's undersized 6'8. He does not rotate well from the weakside. And v Miami he's on the slow side. I KNOW THIS! I HAVE SEEN THIS! Wade and James drove and dunked at will when nene was the 5. Not even a hard foul. NO THANK YOU! J.r. Smith owns lebron. I HAVE SEEN IT! And can cancel out wade. I HAVE SEEN IT! J.r. AND/OR KAMAN is the better fit. I would flip if we brought in both! I would call Denver and see if we could grab smith without iguodala being involved. Maybe Lou, noc and a #1. Then turn around and get that #1 back from the clippers along with kaman and aminu. For iguodala and hawes.
Jrue. Jodie. Thad. Brand. Kaman.------ turner.6'5 Smith. 6'6 Aminu 6'9 sp8ts 6'11 Nikola 6'10. Brackins. bring back battie. Or trade iguodala for j r and sign Jason smith. Or throw in mozgov and sign tayshawn. There are ways to improve.— combocancer1975 - Realistically,what can we really do until Elton Brand's contract expires. Brand is making too much money on a team that is barely a playoff team. Maybe Joshua Harris can help us when Brand is gone,but Harris still has to live with the salary cap.
If I were Harris,I would at least ask the NBA to give the 76ers the ist pick in round 2 in 2012 for becoming a new owner. Call it a minor gift,lol.
I love the 2012 draft,but the 76ers have put themselves in a massive jam,being a middle of the pack team.Harris and company must choose a direction.— is1531 
Comment removed.- I feel good that Harris is now the owner. I think he will be a better owner than Snider ever was. Without Iverson, Snider's term as an owner would of been terrible... 76ers need to find out what direction they want to go. If they want to rebuild and develop there youth, then we need to somehow get rid of Brand and Iggy. But, if they want to continue to try and win with a team that we already know can't win a championship, then that is there choice to do so and waste time.
Hopefully, Harris will steer the Sixers in a right direction.— jeano21 - Comment removed.
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- Quixote: I guess Phillynews is saving big bucks by not paying either Bob Cooney or Kate Fagan the remainder of this year and probably well into next year, as the NBA shows no signs of life whatsoever. At least we don't have to watch Dei Lynam's "insider" reports on Comcast.— chuckw
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- Quixote: I feel like the hurricane already hit, just after the earthquake, and we are the only two Sixers fans left. Love your comments on Dei Lynam and Chris Wheeler. Frankly, Lynam is Dianne Sawyer when compared with Wheeler, a former PR guy and beer-league softball veteran, who drives me alsolutely insane with his constant, non-stop pontificating. He needs to just go away!! In any event, stay dry!!— chuckw
John Mitchell is in his second year covering the 76ers for the Inquirer after joining the paper in November 2011. He covered the Washington Wizards for the Washington Times from 1998 to 2008. He's also worked at the Philadelphia Tribune, the Wilmington News Journal, Courier-Post, Trenton Times and Elmira Star-Gazette.Born and raised in West Philadelphia - not too far from Will Smith - he graduated from Overbrook High School the same year the 76ers won their last championship. He's a proud graduate of Howard University and the proud father of two sons, Jared and Jordan.
ABOUT MARC NARDUCCI
Marc Narducci has served in a variety of roles with the Inquirer since beginning in 1983. He has covered the 76ers as a backup and a beat writer. In addition, Narducci has covered everything from the Super Bowl to the World Series and a lot in between. Narducci also has a true passion for South Jersey scholastic sports, which he has covered for many years.
