FORT COLLINS, Co. — Nick Nurse wasn’t the only head coach the Sixers heard from on Tuesday.
After Day 1 of training camp (without James Harden) at Colorado State’s Moby Arena, the Sixers’ players and coaching staff traveled to Boulder for a dinner with Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders.
In a video posted by Reach The People Media, Sanders took questions on leadership, sacrifice, and the origins of his touchdown dance during a Hall of Fame playing career.
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At one point, when discussing his Super Bowl XXXIX-winning 49ers, Sanders pointed across the table at reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid.
“The big fella’s got to be the big fella,” he said. “We know what we’re going to get from him, we know what we’re going to get from Jerry (Rice), we know what we’re going to get from me. … So the questionable players, I need y’all to stand up and ball out, because I know what I’m going to get from the dogs.
"... Ain’t no slipping, ain’t no, ‘My bads.’ If I had a gun, I’d shoot ‘my bads.’ I can’t stand ‘my bads.’ ‘That’s on me.’ I know that’s on you. That’s why I’m looking at you and I’m pissed off, because that’s on you. So the main guys have to produce and the other guys, you’ve got to do your job, whatever that may be.”
The Sixers came to Boulder after what Nurse called an “excellent” first day of practice.
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“It was really good,” he said. “I think the combination of maybe the roster and there’s a lot of battles going on combined with we’ve got some guys that … they play. When it’s time to compete, they compete, and they’re not afraid to do that. They’re not afraid to get physical and they’re not afraid to tell you about it a little bit as well.
“So there was a lot of that really super-high competitive nature going on. And there should be. Guys are battling for spots.”
Sanders provided a little extra reinforcement Tuesday night about the importance of quality practices.
“I take practice seriously,” he said. “You don’t play for us if you don’t practice well. I’ve got to see it. I’m not getting ready to see it in front of 50,000 for the first time. I don’t like no surprises. I told my mama, ‘Don’t wrap my presents.’”
Sanders told the Sixers he loves basketball, follows the sport closely, and, “I like what you added and I like what you’re doing.”
“You got close,” he said. “You added some pieces, and you added some pieces that y’all feel should be the difference. But how bad do y’all want it? Straight up, you guys need to look at each other and hold each other accountable. And you’ve got to realize, how bad do you really want it? What are you willing to do for it?
“What are you willing to sacrifice for it and how far are you willing to go for it? How hard are you willing to work for it? Because you know what it is. On paper, y’all are amongst the best in the business, right? But you’ve got to put it together.”
Perhaps Sanders will be on hand when the Sixers visit the defending champion Nuggets on Jan. 27. Embiid and reigning Finals MVP Nikola Jokic last faced off almost exactly a year prior, with Embiid’s 47 points and 18 rebounds leading the Sixers to victory.
According to Sanders, he was always down for star matchups as a player.
“I got Jerry,” he said. “We weren’t kicking him to the other side; I got Jerry. Don’t worry about that. I got (Michael Irvin). So it’s a little different today. A lot of folks duck that smoke right now. They want to be Tarzan on paper. Don’t sell me the game, that this is what I’m going to get, but when I turn on the TV, I don’t get that. I don’t like that.
“If Embiid’s playing the Joker, I want to see Embiid vs. the Joker. I want to see that. And he goes and gets it, right? I love it. I love the matchup. That’s what I want to see; that’s why I stayed up. I didn’t stay up for nobody else to be on the Joker. I ain’t got time for that.”