When the Philadelphia 76ers began their infamous “process” in 2013, they picked up a scrappy point guard from Pittsburgh along the way. They picked up a scrawny guy by the name of T.J. McConnell before the 2015-16 season and it was assumed that he would only be with the team for the time being as they continued to grow, but he found a way to stick around for a few years.
In McConnell’s rookie year, the Sixers won 10 games and it was assumed that he would not last there considering his lack of size and talent compared to other players. However, he continued to find a way to stay on the roster as he and coach Brett Brown went through that tough journey together from the bottom to the top.
McConnell stated pregame:
Starting here, winning 10 games, and then kind of at the end of my tenure here, you’re one shot away from going to the Eastern Conference Finals. That’s pretty incredible, the jounrey that we went on and he taught me so much about life and especially basketball.
T.J. McConnell is back in the building #Sixers pic.twitter.com/U1qEPTxLJb
— Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) November 30, 2019
He spent four seasons in Philadelphia averaging 6.4 points and 4.7 assists and he became a fan favorite for how hard he fought and his leave it all on the floor attitude. That goes a long way in Philadelphia, but now that he’s wearing enemy colors, he’s not sure what to expect from the fan base.
He added:
I’m not sure. Hopefully, a lot of cheers, but they root for their team hard. So, we’ll see.
McConnell and the Pacers face-off with the Sixers at 7:00 p.m. EST from the Wells Fargo Center. [lawrence-related id=20289,20279,20272]