DiLeo beats Portland's GM Tom Penn and former New Orleans GM Jeff Bowers for the job .....
The Philadelphia 76ers have named Tony DiLeo as the 12th General Manager in franchise history, giving him another title to add to his long and illustrious resume.
DiLeo is a former senior vice president and assistant manager of the team, and has served as an interim head coach of the team in the past as well. DiLeo narrowly beat out Portland Trail Blazers General Manager Tom Penn and former
New Orleans General Manager Jeff Bowers for the job, after all three of the candidates were interviewed.
He will now work closely with team president Rod Thorn as the Sixers look to usher in a new era of success for the franchise.
“We are very confident that Tony has the experience and knowledge to flourish in his new role, and we will continue to provide him with the necessary tools and resources – including enhancing our capabilities in analytics – to
strengthen our basketball operations department,” said Sixers owner Josh Harris after the decision.
Philadelphia had a great 2011-2012 campaign, one that saw them defeating the top seeded Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs, only to lose to the more experienced Boston Celtics in seven games in the Eastern Conference
Semi-Finals.
They are now looking to carry the same momentum into the next season and build on their success. The Sixers have a very different roster from last season though, as they parted ways with Andre Iguodala to add All Star Center Andrew
Bynum as part of a blockbuster four team trade that saw Dwight Howard moving to the Los Angeles Lakers.
With Bynum into the line, the Sixers have a young and energetic superstar who is still in his early years in the NBA, and who can become the cornerstone of the franchise for years to come.
“I am very excited about being named general manager of this organization and look forward to building upon our recent success. I will continue to work tirelessly to ensure we put a team that our fans will be proud to support,
both this season and in the future,” said DiLeo after the announcement.
DiLeo joins the Sixers franchise at a time when fan excitement is at a high and the Sixers have a buzz surrounding them. Things are looking good for the Phillies for the next few seasons, provided that the management does not make
any major mistakes and keeps on improving the team.
Tags: