Brown, Sixers agree to 2-year contract extension
Brett Brown always has said he wanted to see the 76ers rebuilding process through. Now, the coach will get a chance.
Brett Brown always has said he wanted to see the 76ers rebuilding process through. Now, the coach will get a chance.
Brown and the Sixers agreed to a two-year contract extension on Friday. With another year left on his initial contract, the extension has Brown scheduled to remain the coach through the 2018-19 season.
"It's a kind of thing I thought a lot about this summer," general manager Sam Hinkie said of extending Brown. ". . .The more we talked about it, the more we decided this was the right time."
Brown first had contract-extension talks with Hinkie and co-managing owner Josh Harris and David Blitzer a few weeks ago. Both sides got together again on Sunday before the Sixers' Family Day.
"All of us shook hands at that time," Hinkie said.
Brown had compiled a 38-149 record heading into Friday's game against the Detroit Pistons in two-plus seasons. However, he's not being judged at this point on wins and losses.
Sacrificing wins has been part of the team's plan since Hinkie was hired as general manager in May. The Sixers are using this season for player development, evaluating talent, and developing a culture. In the process, they hope to lose enough games to secure a top pick in the NBA draft in June.
"To have experienced that time frame and see the growth that we made and take the hits that we made, why wouldn't I want to see this through," Brown said. "We started something extremely difficult, but it's going to end up extremely special."
The coach believes the Sixers will have a winning record three seasons from now. He said that's part of the excitement to accept the extension.
"I see great things that can happen and we have to find ways to get young guys older and young guys better," Brown said. "I think we'll end up going into a whole new world with free agents at some point soon and with the draft picks and some of our players."
The Sixers hired the former longtime San Antonio Spurs assistant in Aug. 14, 2013.
Brown held an unofficial post with the Spurs during their NBA championship season in 1998-99. He rejoined coach Gregg Popovich's staff in San Antonio in July 2002 as an assistant coach/director of player development. Brown moved to the bench as an assistant coach before the 2006-07 season. He won four NBA championship rings with San Antonio.
"I hope [this extension] sends a message that we mean what we say," Hinkie said. "And that our ownership means what we say about trying to build something that's really special for the city of Philadelphia."
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