PHILADELPHIA, PA — Philadelphia 76ers star Jaylen Brown held his introductory press conference as a member of the Sixers Thursday from the Francis J. Myers Recreation Center in Southwest Philadelphia. 

Brown’s offseason took a turbulent turn when Boston traded him to Philadelphia, ending a decade-long tenure in the place he had come to call home and was an active member of the community. Brown did not shy away from acknowledging the emotional component of such a move.

“[There have] been a lot of emotions,” Brown said. “It’s been a process. To be honest, I’m still processing to some degree. The excitement of coming to a new city, new place, new expectations, new energy, and then also leaving somewhere that you’ve been for a very, very long time. I’ve been in Boston for 10 years. I’m 29 years old, so I was there a third of my life. I met some people, some lifelong friends, people I’ll still be connected to. Starting something new, it’s an end of something else. So, it’s just a process, just like everybody else has to deal with certain things; it’s no different. It’s just been public, so that’s the only difference.”

While Brown continues to process the changes, he has already begun to shift his focus to the task at hand, winning another championship, this time in Philadelphia. The Sixers have yet to officially take the court with Jaylen Brown and LeBron James, and while Brown is unsure exactly how his role will look at this time, he’s going to approach the season with one goal in mind: winning.

“I’m not sure completely yet,” Brown said. “I think we’ll figure out as time goes on, as we start to spend time with each other, get on the court, and have conversations, etc. But I’m excited to just be myself. I think that’s one thing that I can promise the city and the organization and the coaching staff that I’m gonna come in every single day and be myself with my best foot forward, lead with my integrity, lead with my mentality, and lead with my capacity and my will to win. So we’ll figure out the X’s and O’s and the ins and outs. But winning is the agenda. So that’s the first thing that’s on my mind.”

The Jimmies and Joes, as Tyrese Maxey refers to the player/personnel aspect of the game, will come in time, but ahead of the season, the best anyone can do is approach the upcoming year with an open mind and a relentless work ethic.

Despite already being established as a five-time All-Star and Finals MVP, Brown continues to place a heavy emphasis on improvement, both physically and mentally.

“My approach has always been my work ethic, being the first to the gym, being in the film room. I’m looking forward to learning from LeBron. Looking forward to learning from all them, all those guys. But you know, LeBron, just everything that he’s endured during his career, on and off the floor. One of my favorite things to do is learn. I can’t wait to just soak up as much information as I can and apply it to myself.”

Brown confirmed that he’s spoken with many of his new teammates, including Tyrese Maxey — who Brown stated was likely the first to reach out, though he couldn’t remember as he threw his phone upon learning of the trade — and Joel Embiid, with whom Brown stated he’s developed a friendship over their shared years in the league.

Brown also stated that several players communicate frequently through several group chats and among the most vocal teammates in the chat has been LeBron James.

With the ensemble of star talent that is now featured in the Sixers’ starting lineup, a frequent question has arisen around who is the team’s ultimate leader. Some have characterized this as the current face of the franchise, others as the lead voice in the locker room, and more still have considered the answer as the player who will take the last shot in a clutch situation.

While many on the outside have been focused on these answers, Brown doesn’t see the situation the same way, instead pointing to mutual respect, trust and sacrifice as more pertinent to the team’s goals.

“To be honest, it doesn’t have to be anybody’s team. It just needs to be based in respect and work, and that’s kind of like my approach. I want to earn everybody’s respect and trust, which takes time. Obviously, there are a lot of guys with talent and egos, but to win, you have to be able to sacrifice. You have to be able to have trust and communication. So I want to come in transparent. I want to come in with my agenda on the table. ‘Look, this is what I’m here to do. This is what I want to do. I want to win,’ and we kind of can figure out how to respectfully move around each other. But it takes a level of time to develop and earn respect from each other.”

Alongside concerns about touches, fans and media members have voiced concerns about how the arrival of Brown and James could potentially stunt the growth of promising young star VJ Edgecombe.

Like Edgecombe, Brown was a No. 3 overall pick who entered the league on a team with far greater expectations than typically surround a top-three selection. Having been in a similar situation previously, Brown pointed to the opportunity for Edgecombe, not the obstacle that others see.

“I think VJ is in a similar situation, maybe that I was a couple years ago when we had like some of those rosters that were really stacked with a decent amount of talent, and I looked at it like a learning opportunity. You know what I mean? Some of those moments that I learned from back then with the players that I play with, Kyrie Irving, Gordon Hayward, Kemba Walker, etc. Some of that stuff I benefited from later in my career because I took the time to learn and talk to and watch their workouts and see their mentality and their approach, take things that they do well and add it to my game, and just keep an open mind.”

Brown also referenced Edgecombe’s skill as something that has already led to him carving out a role on a competitive team. That ability, paired with his work ethic, has already earned Brown’s respect, particularly after Edgecombe was, in Brown’s words, “the difference maker” in several matchups between the Sixers and Celtics last season.

In Boston, Brown was no stranger to being influential for the younger players on the roster. In Philadelphia, that same opportunity will present itself and as much as Brown is looking to learn from some of his new teammates, he’s ready and willing to help the upcoming generation of players as well.

“I’m gonna be in VJ’s ear all year to just like learn and grow. He just turned 21, so he’s got a bright future. This could be a great opportunity for him to learn from a bunch of guys.”

For Brown, that opportunity goes both ways. As he begins the next chapter of his career in Philadelphia, he’ll have the chance to learn from some of the game’s most accomplished players while passing along the lessons he gathered over a decade in Boston. 

Exactly how it all comes together for the Sixers on the court will take time. But as Brown made clear Thursday, his approach to this new chapter is already set: learn, sacrifice and, above all else, win.

MORE: How far can the Sixers go with LeBron James?

Keywords

Jaylen Brown,

Sixers,

Philadelphia 76ers,

LeBron James,

VJ Edgecombe,

Joel Embiid,

Tyrese Maxey,

NBA