J.J. Redick’s comments further validate the Sixers’ culture

Joel Embiid, Brett Brown and the Philadelphia 76ers‘ culture seems to have had a sizable influence on J.J. Redick’s decision to join the team this summer.

The Process is continuing to build towards results. With one of the league’s best young cores now in place, the Philadelphia 76ers are now becoming a legitimate free agency destination for veterans. Their impending success isn’t the only reason a name like J.J. Redick was willing to sign onto a one year deal, though. It’s their culture.

Philadelphia 76ers

Much of this ties back to Joel Embiid, who has been the solidifying force in one of the league’s youngest locker rooms ever since getting drafted back in 2014. Giving himself the moniker that most Sixers fans have rallied around in years past, Embiid’s glowing personality and general positivity has clearly had an impact on how this Philadelphia team approaches the game.

Rather than sulking through another losing season, the team went through a cultural revitalization in lieu of the Cameroonian’s debut last season. Their defensive effort skyrocketed even further, while the entire team oozed an overwhelming sense of optimism that simply doesn’t come from most organizations that are situated towards the bottom of the totem pole, as the ever-articulate LaVar Ball would say.

Embiid has played 31 games in three years, yet has already established himself as the focal point of a Philadelphia culture that seems to embrace the foremost characteristics of the city itself. The team grinds hard, and the guys on the team seem to enjoy the company of their teammates, both on and off the court.

From late night workouts to harmless video game spats on Instagram Live, Embiid seems to have given the Sixers a jolt of energy that this long-rebuilding squad was in desperate need of. He was always a voice of positivity during a time where not much was going right for Philadelphia, and now their most recent improvement has done little more than highlight the sheer magnitude of Embiid’s influence over the organization.

Embiid, however, wasn’t the only figure who played a part in Redick’s decision, as Redick himself claimed that is was Brett Brown who inevitably swayed him in the Sixers’ direction. With all the attention (rightfully) focused on Embiid’s presence in the locker room, Brown’s actions have likely gone overlooked far too often.

JJ Redick " To be honest coach Brown was the biggest factor in this decision."
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) July 9, 2017

As a former assistant to Gregg Popovich in San Antonio, Brown — who has worked extensively with the Australian National Team in the past — clearly has a strong pedigree at his position. Not only is his system similar to Pop’s, but his approach in the locker room bears many resemblances as well. The Sixers’ grittiness and on-court harmony has always stemmed from Brown’s presence, and his combination of systematic know-how and overarching personality is something a player like Redick can come to appreciate.