IS LEARNING THE PRINCETON OFFENSE
He was a one-year star at Villanova, a transfer from Kentucky averaging 20.8 points and 9.8 rebounds.
From there, 6-10 Michael Bradley became a first-round draft choice of the Toronto Raptors in 2001, the No. 17 overall pick.
He logged time with five NBA teams, including 46 games with the 76ers in 2005-06, then went overseas to play in Spain, Germany and Lithuania.
And all along, Bradley was paying attention to how things worked behind the scenes. Finally, after seven seasons, now with a wife and three children, he has vaulted into a new career, passing the NBA and FIBA (international) certification exams and forming Bradley Sports Management (www.bradleysportsmanagement.com).
''I really wanted to stay involved with the game and be flexible enough to still be at home every week with my family,'' Bradley said in an email. ''I had always been interested in the behind-the-scenes business aspect of basketball and gave the agent idea a hard look, doing a lot of research.''
The results so far include placing six players on teams overseas, including Mark Sanchez (no, no, not the New York Jets rookie quarterback) with Hapoel Holon in Israel. This Mark Sanchez, by the way, is a forward from Boise State.
''I have the history of playing (in the NBA and overseas) and the eye to seek out players who will be successful in Europe,'' Bradley said. ''It's very rewarding helping kids secure their first professional contracts and hopefully helping them on to long careers.''
The Sixers have signed free agent center Primoz Brezec to a 1-year contract worth $1.1 million.
The 7-1 Brezec, who entered the league with the Indiana Pacers as a first-round draft choice in 2000 (No. 27 overall), is the fifth big man on the current roster, joining Dalembert, Elton Brand, Marreese Speights and Jason Smith.
The signing was first reported last week in the Daily News.
“We feel that Primoz will provide us with additional size and depth in the front court, but just as beneficial is the wealth of experience he brings to the team not only on the NBA level, but internationally as well,” Sixers president/general manager Ed Stefanski said in a statement.
Breezec, 29, has career averages of 7.6 points and 4.1 rebounds, also logging time with the Charlotte Bobcats, Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors. He posted career high of 13.0 points and 7.4 rebounds with the Bobcats in 2004-05.
He spent last season in Italy, and last played in the NBA with the Bobcats, Pistons and Raptors in ’07-08, appearing in a combined 50 games. He has been a starter in 214 of his career 321 appearances.
A member of the Slovenian National Team, Brezec has competed in the 2003 and 2005 FIBA European Championships and the 2006 FIBA World Championship.
Royal Ivey is officially back with the 76ers. The 6-4 guard, who agreed to terms last week, passed his physical examination this afternoon and signed a contract.
The deal is believed to be for one year, for slightly more than the minimum. In Ivey's case, that should bring him within shouting distance of $1 million.
Ivey had opted out of the second leg of his original contract, but remained interested in returning.
"We're very, very happy to be back in Philadelphia,'' said Keith Glass, Ivey's agent. ''When we opted out, it wasn't a reflection on the Sixers, it was a belief than Royal was worth more than the minimum, and that's been born out.''
Ivey appeared in 71 games last season, averaging 3.0 points in 12.1 minutes.
The Sixers’ eight-game preseason schedule will take them to Mexico, Canada and a pair or games at the Wachovia Center.
The Sixers open the preseason with a pair of games against Toronto on Oct. 6 and 7, with the first game in London, Ontario and the second in Toronto.
They host New Jersey at the Wachovia Center on Oct. 9 and Washington on Oct. 20, as new Sixers coach Eddie Jordan faces his former team.
As previously announced, the Sixers play the Phoenix Suns on Oct. 18 in Monterrey, Mexico. The league first visited Monterrey in 2006, when the Golden State Warriors defeated the Denver Nuggets in front of a sellout crowd.
That game will be preceded by a game against the Suns in Phoenix on Oct. 16.
The Sixers close will close the preseason against New Jersey at Carnesecca Arena in Queens on the St. John’s campus on Oct. 23.
The regular season opens against Orlando on Oct. 28.
Here is the full preseason schedule:
Tue., Oct. 6, vs. Toronto, London, Ontario, 7:30 p.m.
Wed., Oct 7, at Toronto, 7 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 9, vs. New Jersey, Wachovia Center, 7 p.m.
Tue., Oct. 13, at New York, 7:30 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 16, at Phoenix, 10 p.m.
Sun., Oct. 18, vs. Phoenix, Monterrey, Mexico, 9 p.m.
Tue., Oct 20, vs. Washington, Wachovia Center, 7 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 23, vs. New Jersey, Queens, N.Y., 8 p.m.
News item: Radny Ayers is back for a second stint with the 76ers. He spent six seasons as the lead assisdtant to Larry Brown, then succeeded him in 2003-04.
Reaction: I thought Ayers did his best work under Brown, particularly in helping develop young players. Ayers and then-Sixers assistant John Kuester (now the head coach of the Detroit Pistons) spent countless hours drilling guys before and after practices and shootarounds and in pre-game sessions.
Sadly, Ayers lasted just 52 games (21-31) as Brown's successor, replaced by interim coach Chris Ford. I've heard then-president/general manager Billy King say he should have offered his first-year coach more support, particularly in dealing with star guard Allen Iverson. I remember a legendary night when reporters, waiting to meet with Ayers after a game in the Wachovia Center, could hear loud, angry voices emanating from the locker room. Iverson, for his own reasons, wasn't happy; Ayers wanted to suspend him.
That, of course, didn't happen. That was probably the beginning of the end for Ayers. In retrospect, he never had a chance.
Ayers became the head coach after King went through interviews and calls with Tubby Smith, Jeff Van Gundy, Mike Fratello, Mike Woodson, Terry Stotts and, yes, current Sixers head coach Eddie Jordan. Some of them, for their own reasons, didn't want to come.
But it wasn't as if Ayers didn't have credentials. He had spent eight seasons at
Since leaving the Sixers, he has logged two seasons as an assistant with the Orlando Magic and two under Jordan and interim coach Ed Tapscott with the Washington Wizards. In one season with the Magic, he helped the defense improve from allowing 101.8 points per game to a more manageable 96.0. That's the sort of work that obviously would be beneficial to the Sixers.
Oh, and in case anyone thinks the league office doesn't have a sense of humor, the schedule for this season shows the Sixers playing at
That would be the one-year anniversary of . . . the day
As expected, former Sixers head coach Randy Ayers is rejoining the team as an assistant to Eddie Jordan.
Here is release from the team this afternoon:
The Philadelphia 76ers announced today that Head Coach Eddie Jordan has named Randy Ayers as an assistant coach. Ayers joins a staff comprised of Associate Head Coach Mike O’Koren and Assistant Coaches Jim Lynam and Aaron McKie.
Ayers, who was head coach of the Sixers for 52 games during the 2003-04 season, previously served as an assistant coach on Jordan’s staff in Washington. The Wizards allowed just 99.2 points per game in his first season with the team in 2007-08 after allowing 104.9 ppg the season prior.
Prior to joining the Wizards, Ayers was an assistant coach with Orlando. In his two seasons with the Magic, Ayers helped the team lower its opponents scoring average from 101.8 ppg in 2004-05 to 96.0 ppg in 2005-06 to 94.0 ppg in 2006-07.
No stranger to Philadelphia, Ayers spent six-plus seasons as a member of the Sixers coaching staff, including the stint as head coach in 2003-04. As the top assistant under Head Coach Larry Brown, Ayers helped guide the Sixers to five consecutive playoff appearances, including a trip to the NBA Finals in 2001.
Ayers coaching career also includes an eight-season run as head coach at The Ohio State University, where he led the Buckeyes to four postseason appearances and back-to-back Big Ten Championships in 1991 and 1992. He was named National Coach of the Year by The Associated Press in 1991.
The 76ers have reached an agreement in principle to sign veteran center Primoz Brezec, according to multiple sources.
The deal is supposedly for one year at the minimum for a player with seven seasons of service in the NBA.
The 7-1 Brezec, 29, is expected to come to Philadelphia sometime next week. He is currently playing with the Slovenian National Team.
Brezec spent last season in Italy after logging time with the Indiana Pacers, the Charlotte Bobcats, the Detroit Pistons and the Toronto Raptors.
More coming in tomorrow's Daily News.
The 76ers will open their season the same way last season ended — against the Orlando Magic.
The Sixers visit Orlando on Wednesday, Oct. 28, in the opener, according to the NBA schedule released today.
The home opener at the Wachovia Center is two nights later against Milwaukee on Oct. 30.
The NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers make their only visit to Philadelphia on Jan. 29.
LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal and Cleveland comes to town on Dec. 16 and March 12.
The Sixers have two substantial stretches of road games — playing seven of eight away from home from Nov. 21 to Dec. 5 and their annual holiday road trip with six games from Dec. 22 to Jan. 3.
The first trip leads into five consecutive home games, beginning Dec. 7 against Denver.
OCTOBER
Wed. 28 AT Orlando, 7
Fri. 30 Milwaukee, 7
Sat. 31 AT New York, 7
NOVEMBER
Tue. 3 Boston, 7
Fri. 6 New Jersey, 7
Sun. 8 AT Detroit, 1
Mon. 9 Phoenix, 7
Wed. 11 AT New Jersey, 7:30
Fri. 13 Utah, 7
Sat. 14 AT Chicago, 8
Wed. 18 Charlotte, 7
Fri. 20 Memphis, 7
Sat. 21 AT Cleveland, 7:30
Tue. 24 AT Washington, 7
Wed. 25 AT Boston, 7:30
Fri. 27 Atlanta, 7
Sun. 29 AT San Antonio, 7
Mon. 30 AT Dallas, 8:30
DECEMBER
Wed. 2 AT Oklahoma City, 8
Sat. 5 AT Charlotte, 7
Mon. 7 Denver, 7
Wed. 9 Detroit, 7
Fri. 11 Houston, 7
Mon. 14 Golden State, 7
Wed. 16 Cleveland, 7
Fri. 18 AT Boston, 7:30
Sat. 19 Los Angeles Clippers, 7
Tue. 22 AT Washington, 7
Sat. 26 AT Utah, 9
Mon. 28 AT Portland, 10
Wed. 30 AT Sacramento, 10
Thu. 31 AT L.A. Clippers, 9:30
JANUARY
Sun. 3 AT Denver, 8
Tue. 5 Washington, 7
Fri. 8 Toronto, 7
Sat. 9 AT Detroit, 7:30
Mon. 11 New Orleans, 7
Wed. 13 New York, 7
Fri. 15 Sacramento, 7
Mon. 18 AT Minnesota, 3:30
Wed. 20 Portland, 7
Fri. 22 Dallas, 7
Sat. 23 AT Indiana, 7
Mon. 25 Indiana, 7
Wed. 27 AT Milwaukee, 7
Fri. 29 L.A. Lakers, 7
Sun. 31 AT New Jersey, 6
FEBRUARY
Wed. 3 Chicago, 7
Fri. 5 AT New Orleans, 8
Sat. 6 AT Houston, 8:30
Tue. 9 Minnesota, 7
Wed. 10 AT Toronto, 7
Tue. 16 Miami, 7
Fri. 19 San Antonio, 7
Sat. 20 AT Chicago, 8
Tue. 23 AT Golden State, 10:30
Wed. 24 AT Phoenix, 9
Fri. 26 AT L.A. Lakers, 10:30
MARCH
Mon. 1 Orlando, 7
Wed. 3 AT Atlanta, 7
Fri. 5 Boston, 7
Sun. 7 AT Toronto, Noon
Tue. 9 AT Indiana, 7
Wed. 10 Charlotte, 7
Fri. 12 Cleveland, 7
Sun. 14 AT Miami, 6
Mon. 15 New York, 7
Wed. 17 New Jersey, 7
Fri. 19 AT New York, 7:30
Sat. 20 Chicago, 7
Mon. 22 Orlando, 7
Wed. 24 AT Milwaukee, 8
Fri. 26 Atlanta, 7
Tue. 30 Oklahoma City, 7
Wed. 31 AT Charlotte, 7
APRIL
Sat. 3 Toronto, 1
Tue. 6 Detroit, 7
Wed. 7 AT Miami, 7:30
Fri. 9 Milwaukee, 7
Sat. 10 AT Memphis, 7
Mon. 12 Miami, 7
Wed. 14 AT Orlando, 8
The NBA schedule will be released Tuesday afternoon, the league said today.
Check back here for the complete schedule.
Phil Jasner joined the staff of the Daily News in 1972. He has covered the 76ers and the NBA on a full-time basis since 1981. He won the 2004 Curt Gowdy Media Award, presented by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for outstanding contributions to the sport during his career; he was a finalist for the award in 2001, when he also received a lifetime achievement award from the Professional Basketball Writers Association during the NBA Finals. He is a past president of the Professional Basketball Writers Association and the Philadelphia College Basketball Writers Association. Along the way, he has covered high school sports, the Big 5, the Eagles and the NFL, the World Football League, the North American Soccer League and what was then the Major Indoor Soccer League. He is a proud graduate of Temple University, and spent his early professional days at the Pottstown (Pa.) Mercury, Montgomery Newspapers (Fort Washington, Pa.), the Norristown (Pa.) Times-Herald and the Trentonian.
Bob Cooney has been at the Daily News for almost 20 years, working in the sports department the past 12 years. This is his first season on the Sixers beat. He has covered just about everything, but mostly college basketball, where he has been the La Salle beat writer for the past six seasons.
