The Philadelphia 76’ers have been a mess for years. A mad scientist experiment that was a combination of tanking, cost cutting moves and an over dependence on “analytics.”
GM Sam Hinkie wanted everyone to “trust the process” which resulted in a ton of draft picks, injuries and a losing environment for young players. Wednesday Hinkie quit as general manager and president of basketball operations for the Sixers after three seasons.
Hinkie was feeling real Aaliyah-esque, but instead of a Four-page-letter, he ended his departure with a 13-page letter. Below are excerpts via ESPN:
“Given all the changes to our organization, I no longer have the confidence that I can make good decisions on behalf of investors in the Sixers — you,” he wrote. “So I should step down. And I have.”
“What I hope to accomplish here is to give you insight into what has transpired behind the scenes in ways you might not have otherwise heard about. Many of you attended our most recent board meeting in New York, where many of these topics were addressed. But for all twelve of you, I hope that this provides a deeper look into what you have at your organization.
“Accordingly, you should anticipate some mild cheerleading [of others] sprinkled with a healthy dose of self-flagellation about things I’ve done wrong. There has been much criticism of our approach. There will be more. A competitive league like the NBA necessitates a zig while our competitors comfortably zag. We often chose not to defend ourselves against much of the criticism, largely in an effort to stay true to the ideal of having the longest view in the room.”
Sources told ESPN.com that Hinkie, sparked heavily by the Sixers’ interest in hiring two-time NBA Executive of the Year Bryan Colangelo to join their front office, decided to leave the organization rather than surrender even more authority than he already had this season.
The list of non-basketball people that Sam Hinkie cites/quotes in his 13-page resignation letter obtained by ESPN: pic.twitter.com/QIwF5C7nb3
— Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) April 7, 2016
