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Sixers new owner: We know fans want wins

Sixers new owner Josh Harris takes in practice, talks of what has taken place so far.

New Sixers owner Josh Harris stood near the scorer's table at Hagen Arena at Saint Joseph's University, about as noticable as someone who may have wondered in off the street to watch the team participate in Day 3 of training camp. Dressed as if he was going on a lazy Sunday walk in a sweater, jacket and casual pants, with a newspaper tucked under his arm, the billionaire went practically unnoticed at the practice.

After, though, he talked to a group of reporters and professed his eagerness for the season to start and his excitement towards the product that will be on the floor, headed by coach Doug Collins.

"This is a good group of men as well as great basketball players," he said. "Everyone seems like they're in shape, we're looking forward to this season."

Since taking over the club, Harris and CEO Adam Aron have relgiously corresponded with fans in an attempt to bring this team back into the minds of basketball fans. Though both say it is still a work in progress, Harris is happy with the results thus far and impressed with the passion of the fans.

"We obviously had a lot of work on the business side in terms of creating the better fan experience and engaging with the fans, like we said," Harris said. "We're trying to get their input and implement some of that. Adam is sort of on the non-basketball side of things and he has been working, literally, 24-7. It was very beneficial from that point of view.

"On the basketball side, it's hard to say. Clearly we got our team back and that team was doing very well last season, clearly improving towards the end of the season. Is the short season going to work for or against us? I don't know. I don't have the answer to that."

With all the contact that Harris and Aron have had with the fans, there is one overriding theme from the faithful: "They want us to win," Harris said. "People say they appreciate all this, but at the same time 'deliver us wins.'"