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CAMDEN, N.J. -- The Philadelphia 76ers are moving forward now under the guidance of new President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey. After leading the search, Bob Myers landed on Gansey, who spent the previous 14 seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the last four seasons as the team's GM.
Gansey will now look to lead a new era of Sixers basketball and look to make sure everybody in the building is aligned and on the same page toward winning. Philadelphia is coming off a season in which it went 45-37, upset the Boston Celtics in Round 1, but was then swept out of Round 2 by the New York Knicks. Gansey knows there is work to do and Myers feels confident in what he found in the Olmsted Falls, OH native.
"I think you saw some of it up there today," Myers said on Monday as he spoke after Gansey's introductory press conference. "Leadership qualities, experience. I think he's at the right age, apprentice for a long time. I like guys that came up through the scouting ranks. I do think the former player, the relatability to players, even though he wasn't an NBA guy necessarily."
Gansey never played in the NBA, but he played professionally overseas and had a successful collegiate career at St. Bonaventure, first and then at West Virginia. He knows what it takes to succeed on the basketball court, and that led to him succeeding as GM of the Cavs' G League affiliate, the Cleveland Charge, and then rising to be the GM of the Cavaliers.
"He made a good comment, I think, about being a G League GM," Myers continued. "It's the closest thing you can do to approximate being a GM. Very different level of scrutiny, obviously, but you're managing a coach, you're managing a roster, you're dealing with agents, you're negotiating, not at the same level as the NBA, but I think all those things combined."
Myers, obviously well-connected in NBA circles, made some calls around the league when it came to Gansey to get a better read on what he brings to the table.
"He presents a certain way," Myers added. "He’s a work with type of guy, had some good conversations about what he thought about our staff. So, it was over a course of time that started growing on me, and then I asked a lot of people—one advantage is I've worked in the NBA a long time, so I know a few people, and really good responses when I asked about Mike. What kind of guy was kind of universally praised. So, a lot of those factors."
In terms of when Gansey popped up on his radar, Myers admitted that he didn't exactly pop up in his thought process. He had heard of the former All-Big East Team member, but he was pushed by his peers to give him a call.
"I’d always heard about Mike," Myers admitted. "Just, I didn't know him realistically. I mean, I do know quite a few people, but I didn't know Mike. Just talking to people I knew and liked, they all said, ‘You should talk to Gansey. He's a great guy. He’s well respected. I don't know if he'd leave Cleveland, the only place he's ever been.’"
Being a part of the Cavaliers for so long, Gansey saw a championship in 2016 when Cleveland rallied from 3-1 down in the finals to beat Myers' Golden State Warriors. He then had to help lead the Cavaliers out of the LeBron James era and into a new era of winning and he helped the Cavs make the Eastern Conference finals--although, they were swept by the Knicks as well.
"I think Cleveland's done a good job," Myers finished. "Obviously, in the LeBron era, and then climbing back up out of that, they made a lot of good decisions. Haven't totally broken through yet, but they're a place that players I know used to not want to go to, and now Cleveland's a—people comment on how much they enjoy playing there. That takes time and effort and energy to build a culture like that. So, admire what he did there, and then just getting to know him and talking to him and feeling the same way."
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Bob Myers explains why Sixers hired Mike Gansey as new president
Continue reading...
Gansey will now look to lead a new era of Sixers basketball and look to make sure everybody in the building is aligned and on the same page toward winning. Philadelphia is coming off a season in which it went 45-37, upset the Boston Celtics in Round 1, but was then swept out of Round 2 by the New York Knicks. Gansey knows there is work to do and Myers feels confident in what he found in the Olmsted Falls, OH native.
"I think you saw some of it up there today," Myers said on Monday as he spoke after Gansey's introductory press conference. "Leadership qualities, experience. I think he's at the right age, apprentice for a long time. I like guys that came up through the scouting ranks. I do think the former player, the relatability to players, even though he wasn't an NBA guy necessarily."
Gansey never played in the NBA, but he played professionally overseas and had a successful collegiate career at St. Bonaventure, first and then at West Virginia. He knows what it takes to succeed on the basketball court, and that led to him succeeding as GM of the Cavs' G League affiliate, the Cleveland Charge, and then rising to be the GM of the Cavaliers.
"He made a good comment, I think, about being a G League GM," Myers continued. "It's the closest thing you can do to approximate being a GM. Very different level of scrutiny, obviously, but you're managing a coach, you're managing a roster, you're dealing with agents, you're negotiating, not at the same level as the NBA, but I think all those things combined."
Myers, obviously well-connected in NBA circles, made some calls around the league when it came to Gansey to get a better read on what he brings to the table.
"He presents a certain way," Myers added. "He’s a work with type of guy, had some good conversations about what he thought about our staff. So, it was over a course of time that started growing on me, and then I asked a lot of people—one advantage is I've worked in the NBA a long time, so I know a few people, and really good responses when I asked about Mike. What kind of guy was kind of universally praised. So, a lot of those factors."
In terms of when Gansey popped up on his radar, Myers admitted that he didn't exactly pop up in his thought process. He had heard of the former All-Big East Team member, but he was pushed by his peers to give him a call.
"I’d always heard about Mike," Myers admitted. "Just, I didn't know him realistically. I mean, I do know quite a few people, but I didn't know Mike. Just talking to people I knew and liked, they all said, ‘You should talk to Gansey. He's a great guy. He’s well respected. I don't know if he'd leave Cleveland, the only place he's ever been.’"
Being a part of the Cavaliers for so long, Gansey saw a championship in 2016 when Cleveland rallied from 3-1 down in the finals to beat Myers' Golden State Warriors. He then had to help lead the Cavaliers out of the LeBron James era and into a new era of winning and he helped the Cavs make the Eastern Conference finals--although, they were swept by the Knicks as well.
"I think Cleveland's done a good job," Myers finished. "Obviously, in the LeBron era, and then climbing back up out of that, they made a lot of good decisions. Haven't totally broken through yet, but they're a place that players I know used to not want to go to, and now Cleveland's a—people comment on how much they enjoy playing there. That takes time and effort and energy to build a culture like that. So, admire what he did there, and then just getting to know him and talking to him and feeling the same way."
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Bob Myers explains why Sixers hired Mike Gansey as new president
Continue reading...
