The BroadCast | Touching Base with Brett Brown

me incomplete. With a fade of the NBA season still in the balance, the question now shifts after a lengthy hiatus, what could Brett Brown Sixers ultimately be in the event play resumes. We do not want to use this at all as an excuse. The mission has been and will be. We need to hunt for a championship. We catch up with the Sixers head coach on this episode of the broadcast. Hey up their seventy Sixers pod people. I'm Brian Seltzer. I hope you're doing great or as well as can be.

Over the past seven years, Philadelphia has gotten to know Brett Brown pretty well. He's been through downs, he's been through ups, He's dealt with injuries to all stars, and now this a stoppage of play in the midst of a season that he in the seventy six ers had very high hopes for. Not only is Brown persistent and resilient,

he's a worldly guy too. And a conversation recorded May fifteenth, the fifty nine year old head coach and I talked about some of those qualities, what he and his family have been up to bunker down in the suburbs, and what the days and months ahead could look like. From a personal stampoint, I knew that when the pandemic began, none of us knew how long, you know, we were going to be asked to kind of socially distanced with everybody.

That I wanted to try to find a rhythm to my day, you know, I really wanted to find personally a routine. And the routine goes something like this. I get up very very early and go immediately for like long, you know, several hour power walks. I have the fittest dog in Philadelphia, and my wife accompanies me on our walks more than she doesn't. I love spending time with her. We just try to get up and get going, come back to the house, usually at that stage, you know,

the kids are waking up. I am the cook of the house, whether it's breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Some of it is because I really enjoy it. Another part is I feel like I don't have to clean once I do cook, and so there's a little bit of a selfish trade off. And then you're get it going into hoops, you know, and the day, the day jumps like you're

on zoom calls. A lot we can get into, like what the routine and rhythm has been with my team and coaching staff if you want to, you know, go down that path, but in general, you know, you're there for hoops. And then I get a driveway with a basket that I spend a ton of time with my fifteen year old want to be point guard son, Sam Brown,

and just love that. Amazingly, he still listens to me, and you know, I take out my anxiety and frustrations of not coaching on him, which is even more amazing that he lets me do what I do with him and have enjoyed, you know, that experience. I got a Georgetown daughter down in Georgetown, sadly showing this graduation, but she's she's a want to be dentist. She's down there trying to finish up with that side of it and move on to dentals school. And we just play, you know,

touch tag with family and do tons with hoops. I'm always with Elton Brand and bam. You know, at that stage, it gets to be nine at night and I'm close to being ready to go to bid. You know, you are a public figure, and obviously everyone when you speak wants to hear about the basketball team and how it's

doing and that sort of thing. But in the context of today's world, that anecdote about your daughter and not being able to experience a traditional graduation, regardless of what school it's from, that's a major milestone for her, not to be able to experience something like that. That's a touch point of how this whole situation is affecting everyday people in their everyday lives. Have you guys talked at all as a family about how you're going to celebrate

at some point, Um, it's come. It's come slowly, and you know at some point it'll it'll be it'll be more formal. I'm sure there will be a real graduation. You know, next year is sometime or whenever joice sound you know, decides to do like many of the universities. But just the to your point like something like that, you know is stolen, and it's a it's a really it's a minto compared to what's really going on with everybody.

But to your point of it does affect and way more than hoops all of us in different ways, and her not being able to graduate is a fair example. Um. You know, as a family, we have acknowledged that we we intend on doing something special for her and as a family, but it's probably just in general to the family question that has been elite. It's a thing that I've just I can't, you know, tell you that how much personally I've enjoyed being with my family. You know,

you fifty nine years old. I've got an amazing wife, and we've got kids that are still into one roof and I'm gonna lose them quite soon, and so I'm enjoying this, you know, next few years while I got them. That's great. So now more to the mundane, the basketball stuff. You are as compartmentalized a coach as it comes. We've

learned that over the last seven plus seasons. Can you walk me through the week with your staff, how you've structured it, what you hit when you're going through the work week right now, to make sure that your group is staying prepared. Yeah, and I'll try to make this as as detailed but quick as I can. When the eyes when the instruction you're not playing happened, we jump

quickly into okay, go back to my routine thing. Now what And I set up my staff like an NFL staff is offense and defense and special teams and so on. Different coaches are responsible for different parts of that equation. I put out a syllabus right from the get go of this is how we're going to walk down this pandemic, and these are the areas that we're going to focus on. And it's something as simple as like what did we do well? What didn't we do well? Why and why?

And when you ask that question and you take deep dives analytically and then apply it to what drills do you do? And then it's supported by video clips. Then it gets into you know, specifics with individuals. Then it creeps into how do you sub the team? What are the best player rotations? And it can go on and on and on and so the past two months with my bench coaches and the peripheral staff, which represents strength and condition code, it represents analytics people, the sports performance

side of it all. It's deeper than just looking down at three you know, me and three bench coaches. It's it's all encompassing. And so for the past what is it eight weeks, you know, seven weeks. You know, we've walked down those topics on a zoom, you know zoom. There is obviously a huge benefit. None of us should think like this isn't going to carry forward in some way on how the world does business, which I think is an efficient, good way to do it. And you know,

you can share videotape on screen. I can take a mouse and like move an arrow around and we're all like looking at the same thing. We really don't have to be in a room, and in many ways, you know, the distractions aren't as frequent, and you can cut to the chase. And so I'm unapologetic about the forum of which we've taken that syllabus that I've just explained, and walking down offense defense and then we're both three. We're done offense, We're both three. What is it the way

through defense? And you know, along that those paths, you get into special situations. You know, cat shot need two, cat shot need three? You know, do you call it time out and advance the ball? Do you challenge We're all learning about the challenge you will now in the NBA, When is it a good time to challenge something as granular as that. I do that with you know, my bench coaches, and then I get a separate side of it where we do the same thing with the development coaches,

and you know, we dig into the individual player. What's motifs got to do to get better? What does he do well? What does he need to improve on as an example, And you know, we go through that granula like bit by bit, whether it's pick and roll offense or you know, swing steps, slides defensively, whatever it is it is, but it's incremental, it is systematic, and we've walked through whether it's bench coaches or the development of

my players with that type of format. Um, you know, with play is I'm always texting of face timing, you know, just checking in more than anything. With the team, there is no such thing as over communication. And then you know, from time to time we have our team zoom stuff and I really enjoy seeing their faces. I know Tobias has organized as the the I guess bartender team happy Hour,

which the coaches weren't invited to, and I don't blame them. Um, you know, it's like all those things Brian are going on that that really has made me feel like if somebody says it's go time the goal, we will, we will. We will be prepared to try to prepare to win a championship. You know, that's still the bottom line, is trying to put ourselves in a position to do that. To that note, we kind of live in imperfect times these days. I would love to play a game of

in a perfect world. So let's fast forward. Who knows when it would be, but let's say the seventy six ers are taking the floor for Game one of the NBA Finals. In your mind when you map that out, what does the team look like, who's on the court, who's doing what? What are some of the things that you've tried to play out in your mind getting ready for this. I mean, I'll go like global instead of granular. Let's just start with Joel that he's in the best shape of his life, that he is just going rim

to rim and the team around him. The teammates around him understand like, how do we help him, how do we get him the ball? In general, that's it Joel b Joel if he's got his fitness base and he's got that type of attention, and we and me as a coach do a good job of using it the way that we should. He's the best big man in the NBA and as dominant as they come Ben Simmons. You know, we've learned over time that that he it's

more than he has the ball. Ben dribble at a thousand miles an hour and go ahead and beat five guys like that environment. He's got way more to offer and give. And I've taken him off the ball as the season has unfolded, and dribs and drabs and previous year's playoffs as well, and so this year we've done

it more and more and more. He's so gifted and you know, none of us can forget as a two time All Star, I think a perspective defensive Player of the year, a max contract guy, and he's twenty three. It's a young age. It's a really young age. And so Ben's utilization need doing a good job, a better job of like using him in different environments to tap into all the skills that he had. It would look

something like that. You go to Jay Rich, you know it's that dog defensive player, putting him on the side of the floor where he can turn corners in school, like I know that he wants to really tapping him into him where I think he has the most ability to offensively impact the game. You get into al hoof Tobias his growth as a defensive player and continuing to promote him as a score and placing him in those floor spots where he can hunt, freeze and do some

of the things that we've seen him do. You know, all those things interest me and you know, instead of going through like everybody's roadmap, those are probably the high level things. The excitement that we all have and seeing what's happening with Shake and Burke. You know, the excitement we have in drafting Fatise in that bounce, that pogo stick bounce, that he has the tenacity of a Mike Scott.

You know the excitement of getting those two new players in at the all startbreak and Glenn Robinson and Alec Burke, and you know, all those things I think add up to what you wished it could look like, would look like if somebody says you're playing again? More about cooking, Ted Talks and Tunes with Brett Brown and about fifteen seconds. In this time of social distancing, no Vocare Rehabilitation is offering physical therapy from the comfort and safety of your home.

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quarantine questions for you. I hate this game, all right, we'll try to make it tolerable. I'm not going to say the best meal you've cooked, the most challenging or fulfilling rewarding meal that you've cooked for your family so far. I'd go with the potato noki and pink sauce as as a challenge. You know, the simplest and one of my favorite it's just basic croc pot beef stew. Like you can't go you can't screw up a croc pot.

But I say the potato nochi with pink sauce, and pulling that off was a challenge, and I was quite proud how it came out best Ted Talk Neil deGrasse Tyson, like I think that he's just a star, you know, and I'm so fascinated by just like how he thinks, how he presents. There's a doctor if I can have

a second choice. Larry Brilliant, who on Ted Talked two thousand and six, talked talked about you know, expect the pandemic, expects some two thousand and six and like you start going through it and you start learning about, you know, what happened in nineteen eighteen with the Spanish flu, and it is eminent. None of us can say, oh my goodness, I can't believe that there's a pan like this. This was well documented by also Bill Gates, you know a whole And so the Ted Talk world for sure has

influenced my time. I get into like a wide variety of just go to website so I can get some perspective on my version of the truth in it equals something like BBC News, El Jazeera. I do the Fox CNN thing as I should. I jump into the Self Pacific, you know, the Age out of Australia and find like some even though there's a Chin China Global, you know it's a dark a website on their version of the truth. All of it interests me. And from that vision line,

I make my own decisions. What's on your playlist? What music are you listening to? Been going hard at Van Morrison? Uh, just really getting into Van Morrison even more. Um. There's an Australian UH musician Paul Kelly. Uh, that is excellent, just the a great storytelling, you know, like I got into Dire Straits Mark and Offler a lot in my early life and still just appreciate his ability to tell stories.

It's a thing I love in Bruce Springstein and you know some of those musicians have beat up on my Spotify list. I don't know if you saw this, but recently Springsteen released a live recording from I want to say. It was the final night of maybe a five or six show run that he played at the Meadowlands during the summer leg of the River Tour, which would have been nineteen eighty one. I don't know if you've heard

about that. I listened to it yet, and you know what, I have heard about it, but I have not listened to it. I've heard about it. It would interest me very very much. He I mean, I grew up with him. My roommate in Roosh University was from Freehold, New Jersey, so you know, many many, many times Jersey show of Freehold, like that connection got me going, and it was like the start of the Born to Run album jumped out

my senior year in high school. So here's my circuitous way of hopefully asking a somewhat pointed question at the end of this long winded point. I'm listening to this recording from the River Tour and Springstein in the band. They've already played twenty seven songs and they stay out there for one more twenty eighth and final song in the encore, and it is a total, all out, put your pedal to the floor fifteen minute medley of all

these Detroit motown songs. Anyone who's a fan enough of Springsteen or have heard any of his live shows from that era know the medley that he does, and the recording of the show is so good, so pristine. You can hear Springsteen panning, gasping for air, trying to catch his breath. He is leaving everything out there like he's going for his last gasp. And so I'm thinking about this.

I know that you're a fan of his and he is so relentless as performer, and I feel that when we look back on your time here with the seventy six ers, there's one relentless aspect to your job approach as well. Is that part of the reason why you feel like Springsteen's music resonates with you as their connection there a shared trade or quality. He's a snapshot to a bunch of great things for all of us. And I'll get specific as it relates to what I see.

Let's start with he's an amazing shape, Like he really to live a life as a rock and roll person and the fame and the fortune and the travel and still have a level of health. You know, he reads and seems to be a great family man. You look at his children, like how his children have come out, you would think, like that's really hard to do, and you'd have to say his health must be a great starting point. Then you get into like the passion he

loves what he does. He must he must, And then you can into like he's smart, he's he's he's really detailed and creative and smart. And so you weigh those few things up and to your point. Like the last song of probably like a three hour concert, like he just brains it, and you know, you see it in his face. You look at him, he's just drenched and sweat. Like I had a great experience looking at him on Broadway a year ago, and like it's like he's in

your living room and you're just blown away. And his wife would come out, you know, and and accompanying him from time to time. But he's really just telling stories in his living room. And I could talk about him for a long time. Um, you know, just from Afar, there's just a tremendous respect of how he's lived his life and how good he is. And you know, like like all of us, he's getting older, a stud. We'll leave it at this. You always talk so affectionately and

passionately about the fans of Philadelphia seventy sixers fans. The floor is yours. You got a message for him? I mean just you're so grateful and let's just go to a home record for the passion and the oath that you give us. It's uh, they wear their heart on the sleeve. Uh, the real and uh you know there's an element with it. They're they're on you. Um, and it's a good thing. It's just it's a it goes back to that. I think we just talked about that passion like that's a good thing. And um, we we

miss our fans. I'll stay safe and well and I'm glad to have the opportunity to say that. Well put Coach Brown. Great to hear you, even better to see you. Thanks so much, seem from a crock pot Favorites to Neil de grass Tyson and his hopes for the seventy sixers should this season resume. Excellent to hear from Brett Brann. We've been trying to put out as much fresh content

as possible here on the pod feed. If you miss some of our episodes and shows while least this past week, certainly encourage you to go back and check them out. We had a new edition of Posted Up, presented by Caesar's Online profiling Tobias Harris and In the newest episode of Tom's Talks with Tom McGinnis, he catches up with Ed Pink, the former Villanova standout who's going on to be a coach and scout in the NBA, and even if you remember, a television announcer with the seventy six ers.

So again, that's some of the new stuff on our pod feed from this past week. I'm Brian Seltzer saying so long for now, Stay safe and healthy out there, and thanks as always for listening to see Yah