Many of you, although most likely just four, may remember that Derek and I took our talents to Secaucus, New Jersey in May for the 2010 NBA Draft Lottery. While there, I became best friends with Jrue Holiday while Derek used the power of synergy and advanced statistics to land the Sixers the opportunity to select second in the draft. If four of you remembered that, then I'm sure at least five will recall when Mike selected Evan Turner with that second pick in his journey to New York City. Well, credentials aren't something we take lightly here and when the opportunity presents itself, we go full steam ahead (it's a train metaphor, guys).

Sixers' Public Relations official Mike Preston sent Derek an e-mail inviting us to attend the game last night from a media standpoint. Unfortunately for Derek, he couldn't make it, but guess what guys, I was! That's right, I was in attendance all night in the press room, media row, and even the luxurious Sixers locker room.

Walking into the depths of the Wells Fargo Center was something I've only dreamt about while watching the Sixers come out of the locker rooms and watching WWF superstars arrive at a special event (WrestleMania XV to be exact because I was there). Never would I have imagined that I would actually be granted access to hang out in it one day.

When I arrived, I met up with Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com, who I previously met at the draft lottery, and he was more than happy to show me the ropes (and turnbuckles) of what goes on in the normal life of a credentialed basketball writer. My first introduction, considering I downed a full bottle of water on the way down to Philly, was to the horrendous restroom, but that's neither here nor there.

I went with Tom down to the entrance to the Sixers locker room as Coach Doug Collins' pre-game press conference was about to begin. When we arrived, Collins was not yet ready so Tom took me into the locker room to show me around. In the short time I was in there, I saw Lou Williams rapping and Thaddeus Young eating a big plate of what looked like spaghetti but I can't confirm it. It's exactly how I pictured an NBA locker room to feel like before the game.

Collins was finally ready and he talked very early about how they can come back from a winless road trip. "I think our guys are pretty resilient. I hope that I try to give them that mentality," said Collins. "I try not to walk around saying ‘woe is me'. They take a lot of cues from the way I react to things because being young, it's important they have somebody that will keep them on an even keel."

More super credentialed thoughts, including a nice Evan Turner surprise, after the jump.

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I had originally planned on writing this last night, immediately after the Draft, juicing flowing and adrenaline still high. I didn't get back to my place until 1:45, had to catch up on all the comments in the threads, and by that point I was just wiped. So this is the morning after. I'm still beat, not forming terribly cohesive thoughts, but ready and raring to pump this mother out as quickly (and efficiently, of course) as possible.

Before I get into the nitty-gritty, I want to backtrack and preface the whole article. You were, presumably, watching the draft. You didn't come to this site to find out who the Sixers picked this morning. I think we're more of a community than a Parliament-Peasantry dynamic and I don't feel like I'm worlds more important anybody reading this. So when I found out that after months of begging Jordan to ask, I was being given media credentials for the Draft, the first thing that came to mind was the behind-the-scenes post I'd be writing to give you guys a sense of how things go down. So here goes an all-access, hold-onto-your-jockstrap look at what went down last night.  TAFKAMB? More like DRAFTKAMB!

You'll have to hit the jump first.

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After asking my boss for a long lunch break, I headed out of my office in Times Square only two blocks southwest to the Westin with a childlike grin on my face. Nervous and not knowing what to expect, I called my recent best friend and Hebraic brethren Seth Rosenthal from Posting and Toasting and Roasting to see where he was at. After a few nudity-related texts to find out what he looked like ("Fly-ass khakis, blue shoes"), I headed for the elevator when a 6'7 well-dressed black man with glasses walked in front of me. Jelly-legged, I changed my pants for the first time -- and that was when the bullet points started.

• This was my only case of the "Oh My God's" I got all day. The first guy I happen to see is the guy the Sixers will, in all likelihood, select with the 2nd overall pick. No easing me in with Ed Davis or anything? Okay, God, we'll play it your way. I took a breath, summoned my inner Joan Rivers, and tried to confidently say the following:

Hey Evan, I'm Mike from the Sixers blog Liberty Ballers, how's it going?

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About one month ago, Jordan sent me an e-mail about the possibility of getting credentialed for the 2010 NBA Draft Lottery.  I immediately went on this new invention called "the internet" to see if I had any exams conflicting with the opportunity (our finals week is very late).  My last final was the morning of May 18, the same date as the lottery.  It was destiny (insert LOST reference here).  I could take the exam in the morning and leave straight for the capital of the United States of America; Secaucus, New Jersey.

I promptly told Jordan I would gladly be a part of this if it could get done.  Low and behold, the NBA credentialed both Derek and me for the evening's events.  Continue after the jump for an in-depth analysis of the heart-wrenching drama occurring.  You think you know, but you have no idea.  This is the diary of Ja Rule Tanner's lottery experience.

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