August 6, 2025 • 24 mins
Adem Bona checks in to discuss his offseason, then Summer League coaches T.J. DiLeo and Reggie Redding go in depth on their basketball journey from local hoopers to player development coaches for their hometown Sixers. To read Matt Murphy's written feature on DiLeo and Redding, check out sixers.com.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Avatari's Maxie and you're listening to the seventy six Ers
Insiders podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Search seventy six ers Insiders wherever you get your podcasts?
When you're in Vegas at Summer League. It's your first
(00:25):
NBA off season. I know you had a London trip
over the summer. What's life like as a den Bona
these days?
Speaker 1 (00:33):
It's fun, you know, it's amazing trying to figure out, well,
my office's gonna look like this is my first office,
so I'm trying to dab to land. You know. I've
been on a couple of trips, went back home for
the first time in a while. I went back to Nigeria.
I had a chance to watch your first Arsenal game
in London, so that was really exciting. Also, I had
(00:53):
a chance to go to Morocco to I went with
the MVPA to learn about impact investment and stuff. So
it has been it has been an eventful summer, inventful summer.
Mosses in and now we're in the Summer League and
the phone just continues.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
How long has it been since you were back in Nigeria.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
It has been nine years. So that was my first
time going back home in nine years since I left.
Was it crazy to be back? He's crazy? You know,
so many since that's changed. My siblings. My siblings are
all mine. My brother has a kid, so I have
my my first little nephew. Naturally, I'm so bad. My
sisides having a song. My brother has a daughter, have
(01:32):
my first niews. My sister's having a recently. But yeah,
I'm on my niece for the first time. She's amazing.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Which brother was the seventy six Ers fan even before
you got drafted? Is that that's a true story. There
was a Sixers fan in your family. It is a
true story.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
My brother has a tais Massive Jersey before I got drafted.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Wow, And now he has a den Bona Sixers Jersey.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
I'm sure he has a Bonu Jersey. I took one
back home for him. He's really excited. But yeah, it's
really amazing going back home. And it's just kind of
like a like something that's meant to be. You know,
my brother has been a sick It was it was
he was a Sixers fan even before I got drafted.
And I got drafted, he just like he just got
to being a Sixest fan. And and he's been proud
of me this whole time.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
What do your wristbands say these days?
Speaker 1 (02:17):
I've added more I have, I have Joshua nine. It
talks about courage. He's I have John trecy Stein and
I still have my I still have my strength. And
what's the new one. I don't think this has an
exact same but he has a Luke one thirty seven
and this is given to me by my mom. When
(02:38):
I went back home, he just said child of God.
So yeah, I still sit up my wristband on.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
My Ris rocking five of them right now. This Summer League,
one of your new teammates, Dominic Barlow, was talking about
how loud you are communicating, how deep your voice is,
and coach Summer League coach TJ. De Leo kind of
echoed the same thing. In your rookie NBA season, how
long long did it take for you to get comfortable
knowing what to say and when to say it?
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Yeah, you know, there's there's two aspects of it. First
of all, you got to know what to say. You
can't just be yelling, you know, and also also building
a courage to like communicate with guys on the team
who are much older to older than you. But as
the year went on, I more relationship with the guys.
I learned more of the NBA teams what to communicated.
As time goes on, I got better at it. And
(03:23):
this this all coming year, I want that to be
really key. I want to be the anchor of defense,
of the defense of the team. You know. I got
able to be vocal to tell guys where to go,
what to do. You know, I think that's really key
defensively communication and I want to be a huge part
of that.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
You, honest is one of the players you admire that
you went against. What did you learn playing against him
and other stars in the NBA?
Speaker 1 (03:44):
I mean I learned a lot. I mean watching you
when I was young is really amazing. I've always really
really enjoyed watching him and playing against it was huge,
you know, I saw him. It never stop, It's relentless,
it goes every time for every play he goes had
every play. I think I kind of wanted to want
to be like that way. I go, let's ever play
hard fast, you know, do give all our air fort
(04:05):
every play? So yeah, I think I picked that up
from it.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Where do you think you improved? Will end on this
over the course of last season the most. And what
are you working on most specifically for the coming season.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Yeah, I mean there's the I mean, you know what
it said, growth is constant, So I'm always trying to
involve my game shooting, passing and rebounding. The maintain the
team really needs me to do is rebound on space
to flow by running down the floor and eventually down
the line. We're gon we're gonna add more by spreading
floor by shooting, also helping out when the main guys
(04:37):
get chopped to be able to catch and find the pass.
So I think shooting and passing has got to deal
other teams. I need to walk on and rebounding is
are so key. Thanks Adam, appreciate you, Thank you very much.
All Right, we're here with TJ. De Leo and Reggie
Reading at the Sixers Summer League in Las Vegas. Let's
start with summer league and then we'll get into some
of your paths to the Sixers. Both been in the
(04:59):
organize for a few years now and both from the
Philadelphia area, so it's it's great to have this collab
with the two of you, and TJ with you as
the Summer league head coach. As we're recording this, it's
halfway through the Vegas portion, but of course the Sixers
were in Salt Lake City as well. So how would
you assess things so far, maybe compared to what you
(05:22):
expected coming in.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
I mean, I think I knew there was a lot
to learn and experience, and but just going through it,
it's every day there's something new you're gonna you're gonna experience,
something new is gonna happen, and just figuring out ways
to deal with that and grow from that and make
decisions based on that kind of stuff. It's it's been cool.
(05:47):
It's been a great, great learning experience.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
And Reggie, for you, you played in in summer league.
In NBA Summer League, what was your experience like as
a player.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
Yeah, as a player, it was cool, you know, with
the Hawks for that summer and it was fun. It
was my first real NBA experience, I guess, we can say.
And I got the chance to see how things go
in this league. And but now I've been on the
other side coaching, I see it's a challenge on this
(06:17):
side too, and I'm just learning every day and it's
it's it's it's even better that I get to do
it with TJ Benn at the hit spot.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
And how would you describe your role on the staff
at Summer League?
Speaker 4 (06:29):
Whatever TV needs you know, you know, I mean, I
just been wanting to support him in every in every way,
just make it whatever we can do to make it
easier for him to help out, to take some things
off his plate so he can focus on things he
wanted to get done during the game. So you know,
every day I just try to check in with him
and regardless of what he needs, if it's something for
(06:51):
a video or sending out schedule or just communicating with people,
just making his job easier while we're down here.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
What do you normally need from him?
Speaker 3 (06:59):
I mean, he's been my right hand man for four years,
like just me and him together coming up through the organization,
and no, I need all that, Like I'm gonna I
ask him for a lot, but I also need his
own ideas, stuff he sees other than the stuff I ask,
like his input things we should do on the court,
off the court. Just lean on him for that that
type of stuff. And I think he has a he
(07:22):
has a really good feel with the players and communicating
with them and talking with them, And I think that's
really important to have as this we get through this
summer league. It's a long a couple couple of weeks,
and the players, they're in a new environment, they all
have something to prove. They all are want to play
well and trying, and we're trying to figure out how
(07:44):
we do that and like helping them grow as players
within a team. And Reggie's really good at, uh, those
those conversations with the players and keeping them, keeping them
in the right mindset, mind.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Frame, and in that aspect the teacher. Your playing career
collegiately was at Temple, Reggie at Villanova, And the years
aren't too far apart for you guys as as players.
How long have you guys known each other and played
against each other?
Speaker 3 (08:14):
But since those college days for sure. Probably you played
Sunny Hill Summer League too. I played that, and then
we've played each other a bunch overseas as well.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
So both played in Germany. So let's before Germany. Let's
stick with college. What were those battles like between Villanova
and Temple at that time?
Speaker 4 (08:34):
So how many what year you graduated it was?
Speaker 3 (08:40):
But I started in two thousand and eight. I redchareded
a year.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
So my senior year, I think, yeah, Temple got us good.
At Temple, they got us. I think maybe every other
year we played against Temple, I think Nova might have won.
But the one I really remember is my senior year
when they kind of got after us down there at
the lead of chorus center Wan Fernandez gave us thirty And.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Then you found each other playing against each other in Germany.
Did you hang out outside of the games in Germany
or just saw each other on the court in those years.
Speaker 4 (09:16):
Yeah, it was just just on the court. We never
like played close to each other in the same city,
so but every time we would play against each other,
we would always chat, you know, and and talk to
each other Jesse, see how it's going and everything. But uh,
it was always cool, you know, seeing a familiar face,
especially being so far away from home, even if it's
someone on another team, seeing them familiar face and someone
(09:38):
you know, it just gives you a sense of comfort
and sometimes you just need that. Being away for months,
you're like somebody that's close, you know what I mean.
It helps you, It helps you a lot. What was
the league like that you were in.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
It was a good league, the German Legue obviously, Reggie
played on some EuroLeague teams as well. So Reggie was
always on great teams. And I think, I don't know
if we ever got you, maybe got you guys once
or twice, And.
Speaker 4 (10:01):
Yeah, for sure y'all got Especially in Bond. He played
that you go to that gym and then you it's
close to Cologne, so you know, I might have me
a night in Cologne before that, but no. But it
was always tough playing in Bond, you know, just the
fans and the atmosphere, and they would get after other
teams there. And uh, it's funny because I was very
(10:22):
I was close to signing to the team to play
with TJ. And I ended up, I think, going to
Serbia that year, but I was I was really close
to going to go play with TJ.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
So TJ being a sentiments in New Jersey guy, Reggie
a Philly guy. Do you ever stop and think about
where you're from when you're putting the Sixers logo on
as a coach?
Speaker 3 (10:44):
I mean definitely. I think, just like you know, so
many of the people you grow up with and stuff
like that, they're such big fans of the team and
the organization, and so you're always a part of it.
And uh, it's just I'm always thankful to be able
to be in this position and kind of get my
professional journey started with the Sixers and it's been really
(11:05):
cool experience.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
Yeah, yeah, Sam, I feel the same, you know, growing
up in the city and being a fan of the Sixers,
growing up and watching and now being able to be
a part of the organization and coaching and trying to
you know, get guys better and help win for the city.
It's amazing and just yeah, you know, I feel like
we kind of got lucky because a lot of guys
(11:27):
might have to move away for their first jobs in
the NBA. Like we both got lucky to be able
to work for the organization that we grew up being
fans of and a part of, you know. So that's
it's a great feeling just to see that Philly Phila
on the front of the jerseys when when you're out there.
It's funny, funny story about the when we were getting
(11:48):
hired and coach Hughes, Eric Hughes, he calls, he calls me,
He goes, hey, man, you know, we're down to two
guys and one A and one B. Like we we
love both of you guys, and we don't know if
he will be aby hire both of you guys, but
we'll see. A couple of days later, he called back, Hey,
we were able to hire two people. We're hiring both
of y'alls. So I said, coach, if you don't mind
(12:11):
me asking who's the other guy? And he goes TJ
de Leo and I literally go, oh my god. I
called TJ. I texted TJ give me a number. I
call him, TJ. You got hired too, and he like yeah.
I'm like, I was so happy to hear it with you,
to be able to come win with you and start
this or this part of our career and our lives together.
And it just even in that part, I was just
(12:31):
made me more comfortable being able to start with the
Sixers know he was coming in with me.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
What were those early days? Like, what were you guys doing?
Speaker 3 (12:38):
It was a lot like like I said, I had
no idea Redu was one of the other candidates. I'd like,
I think my last year playing overseas, I'd hit coach
Dumbfy from Temple and said, hey, I might be done
playing if you hear of any coaching opportunities that would
be good for me, just like keep me in mind.
About a month later he texted me and said, hey,
(13:00):
one of the assistants from the Sixers reached out and said,
do you have any former players that can really get
on the floor and guard and basically be like in
workouts and everything, guarding the guys, banging with the guys
all that, and so coach Dumphie gave gave my name
the coach and said, Okay, if I get this job,
I'm done playing. I'm retiring from overseas and this is
(13:20):
gonna be my start in the coaching journey. And we
got in there our first day and it was just
like then that first week, we workouts like it was
the week before, like kind of everyone's getting back in town,
trying to get back in shape, and it was eight
am to like two pm, just work out after workout,
guarden the whole time, and it was we got back
(13:41):
in shape pretty quickly.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
I think after that week I told TG, I said, TJ,
I can't keep up with this now for the whole year.
I can't do this. And then it was cool because
the first couple of days the guys didn't know us
too well, and then they found out that we played
and we can still play a little bit. Then after that,
it was as soon as we got done on one
quart Hey TJ coming my quote one on one Regie
and it's like, gosh, tired, I'm tired. But it was cool,
(14:06):
it was fun. I think that helped us out a lot,
and I think it helped us get that relationship with
the players that we were able to create and keep
that and keep that going for the years we've been here.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
How have you guys seen the role of player development
coaches kind of change over the years in the NBA.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
I mean, I think kind of red touched on it
a little bit, like how much you're doing with a
live defender in front of you, And like that's why
a lot of the player development parts, especially ours right now,
like we got a bunch of coaches that can play
and guard and so everything is more live, more realistic.
They're making reads instead of just going one on oh
and drills like that. It's it's very much more live
(14:45):
and kind of reading stuff and just trying to get
more bodies out there to make that learning process a
little more realistic.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
You grew up around the organization with your dad in
the front office, and coaching. How did that impact you?
Speaker 3 (15:00):
I mean the first thing is just like going through
those iverson days and with an organization in the city,
it was just like an unbelievable like everybody knows how
the city was buzzing that time in the finals run
and all that.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
And was he your favorite player? Yeah, for sure, for sure.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
And then I kind of finished my Coege career, went overseas,
my dad went to the Wizards for like eight ten
years something like that. And then after that just being
able to come back a little bit and be a
part of the organization was was really cool.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
Reggie, what are your earliest Sixers memories as a fan?
Speaker 4 (15:38):
Oh, the Iris in days for sure.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
You know.
Speaker 4 (15:40):
Even even before that, me and my dad we will
watch a lot. I remember watching it comcasts and all that,
all those and just sitting on the couch watching those
games with my dad. But for sure the Iris and Days,
you know, that was he came to us with ninety
six ninety seven year and I was about eight years old,
(16:00):
and I just I vividly remember when he got Michael
Jordan at the top of the key for the ISO
and watching on TV you see the whole everyone in
the crowd stands up and as that's happened that me
and my dad is in the house and we both
standing up in front of the TV like come on,
let's go. So like the most Iris and D's and
that run he had and just what he was, the
(16:22):
way the city was at that time, it was amazing,
It was amazing.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
It's such a great story. You guys are a great
story with your return to the organization over the last
few years. When the announcement came out about you being
the Summer League head coach, was your phone blowing up?
Speaker 3 (16:37):
Uh? Yeah, definitely, But like when we first heard it,
like from the coaching staff. When coaching, there's total all
of us. Like as soon as the meeting and that,
Reggie came up to me and said, come on, this
is what we talked about, Like you're gonna be awesome.
I'm gonna help you along the way. And he was
the first person to talk to me about it. But yeah, afterwards, yeah,
full blowing up a little bit.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
But what was it like talking to your family about it,
about the opportunity.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
They were They were excited, they were really happy. Obviously,
Like my dad has some experience, like he coached overseas
and everything back in the days, and he's a lot
of coaching experience, so he's giving me somebody he's not
trying not to overwhelm me. And it's like it's like
you hear from a lot of people, a lot of coaches,
and the biggest thing is everyone says, just be yourself,
(17:22):
Like if you're going to be coach, you just gotta
be yourself. And it's been cool though. Family's super proud
of me, and they're watching their invested I know they're
all watching every game. Sells cool.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
Before Summer League, Reggie, you were part of the Dallas
workouts with Tyrese Maxy and Justin Edwards. So take us
inside that a little bit.
Speaker 4 (17:44):
It's just it was It was really cool because just
number one, Tyrese Maxie is just him as a person,
not even as a player. I think he might be
a better person than player, you know what I mean.
It's just how he is and just how he cares
for everyone and want to just take care of her.
So that was cool in itself. And you look at him,
(18:04):
what twenty five years old, twenty four just twenty four
years old, like having the just knowing, like all right,
let me get this young guy out here with me.
A lot of twenty four year olds don't think that way.
They're just worried about themselves. There, them getting better, them
getting to the next contract. Normally, like the older guys
who then made their money and been all start, they
(18:26):
start thinking about the younger guys and rookies and trying
to string him along. But MAXI is I don't won't
even say he hit his prom yet, but he's still
working on himself. But still got just in mind, like
this kid can be good, you know what I mean.
I want to get him out here and start building that.
And I think when you got that type of leadership,
it can only help you, you know what I mean.
(18:48):
Justin gets out there, he sees how MAXI works, you know,
getting in a few workouts a day. We all did,
like pilates and stuff together. I was dying, how I
was dying, but that was definitely Maxie's idea. So we
all got into pilates, some hot pilates and stuff like that,
and it was cool, you know, we worked out together,
We all lifted together in the morning times and had
(19:10):
dinner at Maxie's house, watched the draft lottery together. So
I think that type of stuff is what Bill's like,
good team chemistry, and that's what helps you be a
better team.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
I don't know the exact crew and staff that was
at that particular workout, but for both of you, who
are some of the Sixers players that you've worked most
closely with that are on the current roster, Like on
an individual.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
For me, I work closely with Justin and Kyle, but
you know, and Kyle had a relationship since we were younger.
So just being able to catch his career at the
end missing all the years me being in Europe, it's
been cool. And just working with Justin it has been
has been fun, and it's been a challenge, you know,
(19:54):
just trying to help them get better. But that's and
that story is actually cool because I kind of grew
up with just his mother, and I remember when she
got pregnant with him and I was like, oh my god,
be pregnant and it was Justin, you know. So it
turned out to be Justin ever so full circle. He
comes to the Sixers and I'm working with him and
it's like he like, Yo, you know, you know my mom.
(20:15):
You you grew up with my mom.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
I'm not get on my.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
Face, you know what I'm saying. But just having it
all that and that's how it comes to full circling
and watching them. It's been really really cool.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
MVP of the Public League championship and he did it
many years later. It must be surreal.
Speaker 4 (20:33):
I remember going to that game, watching her player in
that game, and I was just like wow.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
It was just like wow.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
But it's just been so cool being able to have
that experience and have that little connection with him, you
know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
Philly connection with Kyle too. Is it surreal that Kyle
Lowry's going into year twenty.
Speaker 4 (20:49):
And yeah, yeah, hell yeah. You know. I mean if
you think about it, like even him being the first
round pick, nobody thought after one and a half seasons
at Llanova he would be a first round pick. Then
no one thought he would be a six time All
Star arguably the greatest raptor ever, you know what I mean.
No one would have thought about that coming from a six,
(21:11):
five or eleven dude who can't jump. We ain't that fast,
you know what I'm saying. But that's just a testament
to his hard work and how he worked his whole career.
And that's the reason why he's where he is.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
DJ, some of your guys on the development side.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
I mean just mainly, like we've worked, we work with
a ton of the young guys, like they're they're the
biggest part of the development. So we spend a lot
of time with Bona.
Speaker 4 (21:33):
Lately, especially like us, you know, being in the summertime
because we both live in the area and it's like
we're in Philly and the guys that's coming to Philly. Hey, TJ. Yeah,
I know. I get a text from MAXI maybe eight
o'clock at night, Hey, what's going on? How you doing?
And my first response is with time tomorrow morning early,
(21:54):
I know you in town. I know you're in town.
So it's all good. But man, like I said, you
get that, you know, you get to build that relationship
with them. They respect you being out there with them,
sweating with them, putting and work with them, and that's
that's been amazing for us.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
And I think like the first year or two we
didn't travel, so whenever guys were hurt or then go
on trips and trying to get back, it's like that
was me and Reggie's opportunity to really like work with
guys and try and help build them to get ready,
get conditioned to be ready to join the team in
the next whenever the team got back from the trip,
and so that that part of it was cool too. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
Yeah, well, wrapping up just kind of calling back to
this year's Summer League. I see, Reggie when you guys
thought that the ball was out of bounce off the
other team in the last game and they made you
come back out on the court at one point. So like,
this experience is just I see Coach Nurse with his
arm around you at shoot around one of the first
days as well. How do you think you'll you'll look
back on this experience someday of coaching the six or
(22:51):
summer league team together with the rest of the staff.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
Yeah, I think like, no matter what, I'm gonna need
like a couple of weeks and I look back on
it and realize how awesome this is, and just I'm
sure I'll be like, man, I wish I could go
back to it, but it's been good. Like like you said,
Coach Nurse has been awesome. Let's just give me advice
and being there for me and would also let me
learn on my own a little bit in some aspects.
(23:15):
But he's been great on that ridge. And the other
assistants have been unbelievable helping me with just ideas. I
keep saying, just like, give me all your ideas. If
I might keep saying no to some of them, but
like there's gonna be some that I love, just like
the in game stuff with just end of the game,
like what every situation possible that I got to tell
(23:37):
our guys like hey, if this happens, we got to
do this. If we make this free throw, then we're
gonna foul or like that stuff just getting and like
that's what the assistance really can help you with, just
kind of making sure you get everything to the team.
Especially timeouts are shorter, there's less time outs, so you
really got to get information to the team and all that,
and my assistance has been great and helping them.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
That I had to end on the Charlotte game because
I was sitting in the media section and it definitely
out off Charlotte, But you guys didn't have the challenge. Yeah,
it was just a wild ending. But it's it's making
you guys better. It's it's really cool to see your
your growth over the years. Reggie reading TJ to Leo,
thanks for joining me.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
Thanks Man, thanks for having us. Man appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
This was great. Thanks a lot, Thank you.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
Thanks
Avatari's Maxie and you're listening to the seventy six Ers
Insiders podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Search seventy six ers Insiders wherever you get your podcasts?
When you're in Vegas at Summer League. It's your first
(00:25):
NBA off season. I know you had a London trip
over the summer. What's life like as a den Bona
these days?
Speaker 1 (00:33):
It's fun, you know, it's amazing trying to figure out, well,
my office's gonna look like this is my first office,
so I'm trying to dab to land. You know. I've
been on a couple of trips, went back home for
the first time in a while. I went back to Nigeria.
I had a chance to watch your first Arsenal game
in London, so that was really exciting. Also, I had
(00:53):
a chance to go to Morocco to I went with
the MVPA to learn about impact investment and stuff. So
it has been it has been an eventful summer, inventful summer.
Mosses in and now we're in the Summer League and
the phone just continues.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
How long has it been since you were back in Nigeria.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
It has been nine years. So that was my first
time going back home in nine years since I left.
Was it crazy to be back? He's crazy? You know,
so many since that's changed. My siblings. My siblings are
all mine. My brother has a kid, so I have
my my first little nephew. Naturally, I'm so bad. My
sisides having a song. My brother has a daughter, have
(01:32):
my first niews. My sister's having a recently. But yeah,
I'm on my niece for the first time. She's amazing.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Which brother was the seventy six Ers fan even before
you got drafted? Is that that's a true story. There
was a Sixers fan in your family. It is a
true story.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
My brother has a tais Massive Jersey before I got drafted.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Wow, And now he has a den Bona Sixers Jersey.
Speaker 1 (01:53):
I'm sure he has a Bonu Jersey. I took one
back home for him. He's really excited. But yeah, it's
really amazing going back home. And it's just kind of
like a like something that's meant to be. You know,
my brother has been a sick It was it was
he was a Sixers fan even before I got drafted.
And I got drafted, he just like he just got
to being a Sixest fan. And and he's been proud
of me this whole time.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
What do your wristbands say these days?
Speaker 1 (02:17):
I've added more I have, I have Joshua nine. It
talks about courage. He's I have John trecy Stein and
I still have my I still have my strength. And
what's the new one. I don't think this has an
exact same but he has a Luke one thirty seven
and this is given to me by my mom. When
(02:38):
I went back home, he just said child of God.
So yeah, I still sit up my wristband on.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
My Ris rocking five of them right now. This Summer League,
one of your new teammates, Dominic Barlow, was talking about
how loud you are communicating, how deep your voice is,
and coach Summer League coach TJ. De Leo kind of
echoed the same thing. In your rookie NBA season, how
long long did it take for you to get comfortable
knowing what to say and when to say it?
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Yeah, you know, there's there's two aspects of it. First
of all, you got to know what to say. You
can't just be yelling, you know, and also also building
a courage to like communicate with guys on the team
who are much older to older than you. But as
the year went on, I more relationship with the guys.
I learned more of the NBA teams what to communicated.
As time goes on, I got better at it. And
(03:23):
this this all coming year, I want that to be
really key. I want to be the anchor of defense,
of the defense of the team. You know. I got
able to be vocal to tell guys where to go,
what to do. You know, I think that's really key
defensively communication and I want to be a huge part
of that.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
You, honest is one of the players you admire that
you went against. What did you learn playing against him
and other stars in the NBA?
Speaker 1 (03:44):
I mean I learned a lot. I mean watching you
when I was young is really amazing. I've always really
really enjoyed watching him and playing against it was huge,
you know, I saw him. It never stop, It's relentless,
it goes every time for every play he goes had
every play. I think I kind of wanted to want
to be like that way. I go, let's ever play
hard fast, you know, do give all our air fort
(04:05):
every play? So yeah, I think I picked that up
from it.
Speaker 2 (04:08):
Where do you think you improved? Will end on this
over the course of last season the most. And what
are you working on most specifically for the coming season.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Yeah, I mean there's the I mean, you know what
it said, growth is constant, So I'm always trying to
involve my game shooting, passing and rebounding. The maintain the
team really needs me to do is rebound on space
to flow by running down the floor and eventually down
the line. We're gon we're gonna add more by spreading
floor by shooting, also helping out when the main guys
(04:37):
get chopped to be able to catch and find the pass.
So I think shooting and passing has got to deal
other teams. I need to walk on and rebounding is
are so key. Thanks Adam, appreciate you, Thank you very much.
All Right, we're here with TJ. De Leo and Reggie
Reading at the Sixers Summer League in Las Vegas. Let's
start with summer league and then we'll get into some
of your paths to the Sixers. Both been in the
(04:59):
organize for a few years now and both from the
Philadelphia area, so it's it's great to have this collab
with the two of you, and TJ with you as
the Summer league head coach. As we're recording this, it's
halfway through the Vegas portion, but of course the Sixers
were in Salt Lake City as well. So how would
you assess things so far, maybe compared to what you
(05:22):
expected coming in.
Speaker 3 (05:25):
I mean, I think I knew there was a lot
to learn and experience, and but just going through it,
it's every day there's something new you're gonna you're gonna experience,
something new is gonna happen, and just figuring out ways
to deal with that and grow from that and make
decisions based on that kind of stuff. It's it's been cool.
(05:47):
It's been a great, great learning experience.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
And Reggie, for you, you played in in summer league.
In NBA Summer League, what was your experience like as
a player.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
Yeah, as a player, it was cool, you know, with
the Hawks for that summer and it was fun. It
was my first real NBA experience, I guess, we can say.
And I got the chance to see how things go
in this league. And but now I've been on the
other side coaching, I see it's a challenge on this
(06:17):
side too, and I'm just learning every day and it's
it's it's it's even better that I get to do
it with TJ Benn at the hit spot.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
And how would you describe your role on the staff
at Summer League?
Speaker 4 (06:29):
Whatever TV needs you know, you know, I mean, I
just been wanting to support him in every in every way,
just make it whatever we can do to make it
easier for him to help out, to take some things
off his plate so he can focus on things he
wanted to get done during the game. So you know,
every day I just try to check in with him
and regardless of what he needs, if it's something for
(06:51):
a video or sending out schedule or just communicating with people,
just making his job easier while we're down here.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
What do you normally need from him?
Speaker 3 (06:59):
I mean, he's been my right hand man for four years,
like just me and him together coming up through the organization,
and no, I need all that, Like I'm gonna I
ask him for a lot, but I also need his
own ideas, stuff he sees other than the stuff I ask,
like his input things we should do on the court,
off the court. Just lean on him for that that
type of stuff. And I think he has a he
(07:22):
has a really good feel with the players and communicating
with them and talking with them, And I think that's
really important to have as this we get through this
summer league. It's a long a couple couple of weeks,
and the players, they're in a new environment, they all
have something to prove. They all are want to play
well and trying, and we're trying to figure out how
(07:44):
we do that and like helping them grow as players
within a team. And Reggie's really good at, uh, those
those conversations with the players and keeping them, keeping them
in the right mindset, mind.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Frame, and in that aspect the teacher. Your playing career
collegiately was at Temple, Reggie at Villanova, And the years
aren't too far apart for you guys as as players.
How long have you guys known each other and played
against each other?
Speaker 3 (08:14):
But since those college days for sure. Probably you played
Sunny Hill Summer League too. I played that, and then
we've played each other a bunch overseas as well.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
So both played in Germany. So let's before Germany. Let's
stick with college. What were those battles like between Villanova
and Temple at that time?
Speaker 4 (08:34):
So how many what year you graduated it was?
Speaker 3 (08:40):
But I started in two thousand and eight. I redchareded
a year.
Speaker 4 (08:42):
So my senior year, I think, yeah, Temple got us good.
At Temple, they got us. I think maybe every other
year we played against Temple, I think Nova might have won.
But the one I really remember is my senior year
when they kind of got after us down there at
the lead of chorus center Wan Fernandez gave us thirty And.
Speaker 2 (09:07):
Then you found each other playing against each other in Germany.
Did you hang out outside of the games in Germany
or just saw each other on the court in those years.
Speaker 4 (09:16):
Yeah, it was just just on the court. We never
like played close to each other in the same city,
so but every time we would play against each other,
we would always chat, you know, and and talk to
each other Jesse, see how it's going and everything. But uh,
it was always cool, you know, seeing a familiar face,
especially being so far away from home, even if it's
someone on another team, seeing them familiar face and someone
(09:38):
you know, it just gives you a sense of comfort
and sometimes you just need that. Being away for months,
you're like somebody that's close, you know what I mean.
It helps you, It helps you a lot. What was
the league like that you were in.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
It was a good league, the German Legue obviously, Reggie
played on some EuroLeague teams as well. So Reggie was
always on great teams. And I think, I don't know
if we ever got you, maybe got you guys once
or twice, And.
Speaker 4 (10:01):
Yeah, for sure y'all got Especially in Bond. He played
that you go to that gym and then you it's
close to Cologne, so you know, I might have me
a night in Cologne before that, but no. But it
was always tough playing in Bond, you know, just the
fans and the atmosphere, and they would get after other
teams there. And uh, it's funny because I was very
(10:22):
I was close to signing to the team to play
with TJ. And I ended up, I think, going to
Serbia that year, but I was I was really close
to going to go play with TJ.
Speaker 2 (10:31):
So TJ being a sentiments in New Jersey guy, Reggie
a Philly guy. Do you ever stop and think about
where you're from when you're putting the Sixers logo on
as a coach?
Speaker 3 (10:44):
I mean definitely. I think, just like you know, so
many of the people you grow up with and stuff
like that, they're such big fans of the team and
the organization, and so you're always a part of it.
And uh, it's just I'm always thankful to be able
to be in this position and kind of get my
professional journey started with the Sixers and it's been really
(11:05):
cool experience.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
Yeah, yeah, Sam, I feel the same, you know, growing
up in the city and being a fan of the Sixers,
growing up and watching and now being able to be
a part of the organization and coaching and trying to
you know, get guys better and help win for the city.
It's amazing and just yeah, you know, I feel like
we kind of got lucky because a lot of guys
(11:27):
might have to move away for their first jobs in
the NBA. Like we both got lucky to be able
to work for the organization that we grew up being
fans of and a part of, you know. So that's
it's a great feeling just to see that Philly Phila
on the front of the jerseys when when you're out there.
It's funny, funny story about the when we were getting
(11:48):
hired and coach Hughes, Eric Hughes, he calls, he calls me,
He goes, hey, man, you know, we're down to two
guys and one A and one B. Like we we
love both of you guys, and we don't know if
he will be aby hire both of you guys, but
we'll see. A couple of days later, he called back, Hey,
we were able to hire two people. We're hiring both
of y'alls. So I said, coach, if you don't mind
(12:11):
me asking who's the other guy? And he goes TJ
de Leo and I literally go, oh my god. I
called TJ. I texted TJ give me a number. I
call him, TJ. You got hired too, and he like yeah.
I'm like, I was so happy to hear it with you,
to be able to come win with you and start
this or this part of our career and our lives together.
And it just even in that part, I was just
(12:31):
made me more comfortable being able to start with the
Sixers know he was coming in with me.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
What were those early days? Like, what were you guys doing?
Speaker 3 (12:38):
It was a lot like like I said, I had
no idea Redu was one of the other candidates. I'd like,
I think my last year playing overseas, I'd hit coach
Dumbfy from Temple and said, hey, I might be done
playing if you hear of any coaching opportunities that would
be good for me, just like keep me in mind.
About a month later he texted me and said, hey,
(13:00):
one of the assistants from the Sixers reached out and said,
do you have any former players that can really get
on the floor and guard and basically be like in
workouts and everything, guarding the guys, banging with the guys
all that, and so coach Dumphie gave gave my name
the coach and said, Okay, if I get this job,
I'm done playing. I'm retiring from overseas and this is
(13:20):
gonna be my start in the coaching journey. And we
got in there our first day and it was just
like then that first week, we workouts like it was
the week before, like kind of everyone's getting back in town,
trying to get back in shape, and it was eight
am to like two pm, just work out after workout,
guarden the whole time, and it was we got back
(13:41):
in shape pretty quickly.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
I think after that week I told TG, I said, TJ,
I can't keep up with this now for the whole year.
I can't do this. And then it was cool because
the first couple of days the guys didn't know us
too well, and then they found out that we played
and we can still play a little bit. Then after that,
it was as soon as we got done on one
quart Hey TJ coming my quote one on one Regie
and it's like, gosh, tired, I'm tired. But it was cool,
(14:06):
it was fun. I think that helped us out a lot,
and I think it helped us get that relationship with
the players that we were able to create and keep
that and keep that going for the years we've been here.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
How have you guys seen the role of player development
coaches kind of change over the years in the NBA.
Speaker 3 (14:23):
I mean, I think kind of red touched on it
a little bit, like how much you're doing with a
live defender in front of you, And like that's why
a lot of the player development parts, especially ours right now,
like we got a bunch of coaches that can play
and guard and so everything is more live, more realistic.
They're making reads instead of just going one on oh
and drills like that. It's it's very much more live
(14:45):
and kind of reading stuff and just trying to get
more bodies out there to make that learning process a
little more realistic.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
You grew up around the organization with your dad in
the front office, and coaching. How did that impact you?
Speaker 3 (15:00):
I mean the first thing is just like going through
those iverson days and with an organization in the city,
it was just like an unbelievable like everybody knows how
the city was buzzing that time in the finals run
and all that.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
And was he your favorite player? Yeah, for sure, for sure.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
And then I kind of finished my Coege career, went overseas,
my dad went to the Wizards for like eight ten
years something like that. And then after that just being
able to come back a little bit and be a
part of the organization was was really cool.
Speaker 2 (15:34):
Reggie, what are your earliest Sixers memories as a fan?
Speaker 4 (15:38):
Oh, the Iris in days for sure.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
You know.
Speaker 4 (15:40):
Even even before that, me and my dad we will
watch a lot. I remember watching it comcasts and all that,
all those and just sitting on the couch watching those
games with my dad. But for sure the Iris and Days,
you know, that was he came to us with ninety
six ninety seven year and I was about eight years old,
(16:00):
and I just I vividly remember when he got Michael
Jordan at the top of the key for the ISO
and watching on TV you see the whole everyone in
the crowd stands up and as that's happened that me
and my dad is in the house and we both
standing up in front of the TV like come on,
let's go. So like the most Iris and D's and
that run he had and just what he was, the
(16:22):
way the city was at that time, it was amazing,
It was amazing.
Speaker 2 (16:26):
It's such a great story. You guys are a great
story with your return to the organization over the last
few years. When the announcement came out about you being
the Summer League head coach, was your phone blowing up?
Speaker 3 (16:37):
Uh? Yeah, definitely, But like when we first heard it,
like from the coaching staff. When coaching, there's total all
of us. Like as soon as the meeting and that,
Reggie came up to me and said, come on, this
is what we talked about, Like you're gonna be awesome.
I'm gonna help you along the way. And he was
the first person to talk to me about it. But yeah, afterwards, yeah,
full blowing up a little bit.
Speaker 2 (16:58):
But what was it like talking to your family about it,
about the opportunity.
Speaker 3 (17:01):
They were They were excited, they were really happy. Obviously,
Like my dad has some experience, like he coached overseas
and everything back in the days, and he's a lot
of coaching experience, so he's giving me somebody he's not
trying not to overwhelm me. And it's like it's like
you hear from a lot of people, a lot of coaches,
and the biggest thing is everyone says, just be yourself,
(17:22):
Like if you're going to be coach, you just gotta
be yourself. And it's been cool though. Family's super proud
of me, and they're watching their invested I know they're
all watching every game. Sells cool.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
Before Summer League, Reggie, you were part of the Dallas
workouts with Tyrese Maxy and Justin Edwards. So take us
inside that a little bit.
Speaker 4 (17:44):
It's just it was It was really cool because just
number one, Tyrese Maxie is just him as a person,
not even as a player. I think he might be
a better person than player, you know what I mean.
It's just how he is and just how he cares
for everyone and want to just take care of her.
So that was cool in itself. And you look at him,
(18:04):
what twenty five years old, twenty four just twenty four
years old, like having the just knowing, like all right,
let me get this young guy out here with me.
A lot of twenty four year olds don't think that way.
They're just worried about themselves. There, them getting better, them
getting to the next contract. Normally, like the older guys
who then made their money and been all start, they
(18:26):
start thinking about the younger guys and rookies and trying
to string him along. But MAXI is I don't won't
even say he hit his prom yet, but he's still
working on himself. But still got just in mind, like
this kid can be good, you know what I mean.
I want to get him out here and start building that.
And I think when you got that type of leadership,
it can only help you, you know what I mean.
(18:48):
Justin gets out there, he sees how MAXI works, you know,
getting in a few workouts a day. We all did,
like pilates and stuff together. I was dying, how I
was dying, but that was definitely Maxie's idea. So we
all got into pilates, some hot pilates and stuff like that,
and it was cool, you know, we worked out together,
We all lifted together in the morning times and had
(19:10):
dinner at Maxie's house, watched the draft lottery together. So
I think that type of stuff is what Bill's like,
good team chemistry, and that's what helps you be a
better team.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
I don't know the exact crew and staff that was
at that particular workout, but for both of you, who
are some of the Sixers players that you've worked most
closely with that are on the current roster, Like on
an individual.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
For me, I work closely with Justin and Kyle, but
you know, and Kyle had a relationship since we were younger.
So just being able to catch his career at the
end missing all the years me being in Europe, it's
been cool. And just working with Justin it has been
has been fun, and it's been a challenge, you know,
(19:54):
just trying to help them get better. But that's and
that story is actually cool because I kind of grew
up with just his mother, and I remember when she
got pregnant with him and I was like, oh my god,
be pregnant and it was Justin, you know. So it
turned out to be Justin ever so full circle. He
comes to the Sixers and I'm working with him and
it's like he like, Yo, you know, you know my mom.
(20:15):
You you grew up with my mom.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
I'm not get on my.
Speaker 4 (20:18):
Face, you know what I'm saying. But just having it
all that and that's how it comes to full circling
and watching them. It's been really really cool.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
MVP of the Public League championship and he did it
many years later. It must be surreal.
Speaker 4 (20:33):
I remember going to that game, watching her player in
that game, and I was just like wow.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
It was just like wow.
Speaker 4 (20:38):
But it's just been so cool being able to have
that experience and have that little connection with him, you
know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
Philly connection with Kyle too. Is it surreal that Kyle
Lowry's going into year twenty.
Speaker 4 (20:49):
And yeah, yeah, hell yeah. You know. I mean if
you think about it, like even him being the first
round pick, nobody thought after one and a half seasons
at Llanova he would be a first round pick. Then
no one thought he would be a six time All
Star arguably the greatest raptor ever, you know what I mean.
No one would have thought about that coming from a six,
(21:11):
five or eleven dude who can't jump. We ain't that fast,
you know what I'm saying. But that's just a testament
to his hard work and how he worked his whole career.
And that's the reason why he's where he is.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
DJ, some of your guys on the development side.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
I mean just mainly, like we've worked, we work with
a ton of the young guys, like they're they're the
biggest part of the development. So we spend a lot
of time with Bona.
Speaker 4 (21:33):
Lately, especially like us, you know, being in the summertime
because we both live in the area and it's like
we're in Philly and the guys that's coming to Philly. Hey, TJ. Yeah,
I know. I get a text from MAXI maybe eight
o'clock at night, Hey, what's going on? How you doing?
And my first response is with time tomorrow morning early,
(21:54):
I know you in town. I know you're in town.
So it's all good. But man, like I said, you
get that, you know, you get to build that relationship
with them. They respect you being out there with them,
sweating with them, putting and work with them, and that's
that's been amazing for us.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
And I think like the first year or two we
didn't travel, so whenever guys were hurt or then go
on trips and trying to get back, it's like that
was me and Reggie's opportunity to really like work with
guys and try and help build them to get ready,
get conditioned to be ready to join the team in
the next whenever the team got back from the trip,
and so that that part of it was cool too. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
Yeah, well, wrapping up just kind of calling back to
this year's Summer League. I see, Reggie when you guys
thought that the ball was out of bounce off the
other team in the last game and they made you
come back out on the court at one point. So like,
this experience is just I see Coach Nurse with his
arm around you at shoot around one of the first
days as well. How do you think you'll you'll look
back on this experience someday of coaching the six or
(22:51):
summer league team together with the rest of the staff.
Speaker 3 (22:54):
Yeah, I think like, no matter what, I'm gonna need
like a couple of weeks and I look back on
it and realize how awesome this is, and just I'm
sure I'll be like, man, I wish I could go
back to it, but it's been good. Like like you said,
Coach Nurse has been awesome. Let's just give me advice
and being there for me and would also let me
learn on my own a little bit in some aspects.
(23:15):
But he's been great on that ridge. And the other
assistants have been unbelievable helping me with just ideas. I
keep saying, just like, give me all your ideas. If
I might keep saying no to some of them, but
like there's gonna be some that I love, just like
the in game stuff with just end of the game,
like what every situation possible that I got to tell
(23:37):
our guys like hey, if this happens, we got to
do this. If we make this free throw, then we're
gonna foul or like that stuff just getting and like
that's what the assistance really can help you with, just
kind of making sure you get everything to the team.
Especially timeouts are shorter, there's less time outs, so you
really got to get information to the team and all that,
and my assistance has been great and helping them.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
That I had to end on the Charlotte game because
I was sitting in the media section and it definitely
out off Charlotte, But you guys didn't have the challenge. Yeah,
it was just a wild ending. But it's it's making
you guys better. It's it's really cool to see your
your growth over the years. Reggie reading TJ to Leo,
thanks for joining me.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
Thanks Man, thanks for having us. Man appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
This was great. Thanks a lot, Thank you.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
Thanks
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Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Herd with Colin Cowherd is a thought-provoking, opinionated, and topic-driven journey through the top sports stories of the day.