Live Blog: Daryl Morey’s introductory press conference

On Monday morning, the Philadelphia 76ers officially announced the hire of Daryl Morey as President of Basketball Operations for the franchise and along with it the news that the team will hold an introductory press conference for Morey Monday afternoon at 2:00 pm ET. Managing Partner Josh Harris, President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey, General Manager Elton Brand and Head Coach Doc Rivers are all schedule to address the media. The following will serve as a live blog of that press conference, featuring all the notes and quotes you need to know from the session.

2:05 pm: The presser has started with a statement from Josh Harris, who comments this is an exciting time for the Sixers after what was a disappointing season. Harris praises both Doc Rivers and Daryl Morey, and says that when guys like those two are available, “you move quickly.” Harris says that Elton Brand encouraged Harris to go after Morey. Harris says the direction of the franchise is bright.

2:07: Daryl Morey says he’s so excited to be with the Sixers and can’t believe how quickly it came together. Notes that committed ownership makes for an exciting opportunity. Morey is happy to work with Elton Brand. Morey says from his time in Boston, he can tell Philly fans are the best and he’s ready for them to be tough on him.

2:08: Morey mentions that roster has championship aspirations and can win it.

2:09: “There aren’t many opportunities where you get a chance to win and I feel like this is the right fit,” says Morey. Mentions Joel Embiid and Yao Ming in the same sentence, and emphasizes that with Embiid, they can go all the way.

2:10: “The more you dig into the players that are here, the more you get excited about what they can do.” - Morey

2:11: Morey asked about whether there’s an urgency to surround Embiid with talent given his public frustrations, “To me, I love it. He wants to win a championship. He’s a smart player who recognizes you don’t get a lot of chances.” Comments that he’s excited about Embiid and Ben Simmons.

2:12: “How we play will be up to Doc.” Morey continues that winning counts on using your players in a way that maximizes their talents.

2:13: Morey: “Joel is the kind of player you win championships with.”

2:14: Doc, “We have a loaded roster.”

2:15: Morey comments that organizations make mistakes locking into rosters on day one. Says you want to do great moves when they’re available, but sometimes the best moves aren’t available right away.

2:16: Morey on what went wrong last season: “Well they were missing one of their best players.”

2:17: Morey: “For me to come in and act like I know exactly what the Sixers need to do on day one is not good decision-making.”

2:17: Elton Brand says it means the world to have been a part of convincing and landing Morey, a top executive for last 15 years.

2:18: Morey says his process starts with evaluating championship probability and working backwards from there. “We all feel good about the roster... We feel like people are underrating the Sixers right now.”

2:20: Morey, asked about the partnership of Embiid and Simmons: “I think they absolutely can work together.” Doc agrees, has no doubt they can. “They haven’t won yet. It’s not that they can’t win.”

2:21: Morey is optimistic about the financial situation of the league, feels its better suited than other major sports to move forward.

2:23: Harris says when they came out of the bubble, they were self-reflective. The minute Doc and Daryl were available, they jumped on it. Harris feels they’re now set up with great leadership.

2:24: Asked about the hierarchy of the front office, Elton says that they’ll figure out the org chart over the coming days. Morey adds that he has a very collaborative style and was happy to hear that Elton was excited to have Daryl join the team. Morey says the best ideas can come from anywhere, from interns to himself and Elton. Morey: “All our job is is to make great decisions.”

2:27: Morey: “The goal is not to shoot three pointers, the goal is to win.” “I used to get the question what would I do if I had Shaq. I’d give him the ball 100 times a game.” Says his team’s style in Houston was built around the personnel they had.

2:30: Morey, asked whether he believes he can win a championship without any major trades, “I do think we have a very good roster. The reality is, our championship team probably isn’t going to have the same exact players we have now.” “To know exactly who will work, at least give me to day 2.”

2:33: “I think ownership will do what it needs to do to stay out of the way,” says Josh Harris. “We’re looking forward to setting this thing up so its supportive and can win.”

2:35: Asked about upcoming draft, Morey says, “We’ll be ready.”

2:36: Asked about the first time the team interviewed Daryl, Morey says the timing wasn’t right. Josh Harris says he’s been aware of Daryl for many years and jumped on the chance to hire him.

2:41: Morey. asked about preparing for the short offseason: “It’s going to be a sprint from here to game 1. It’s actually a little overwhelming... Elton and I will be locked in a room for quite a while”.

2:41: That’s a wrap for the presser.

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