With the hopes to mentor Jahlil Okafor and other younger player, Elton Brand signed a contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.
According to ESPN, Brand wrote in a first-person piece of Sports Illustrated's "The Cauldron" that neither financial considerations nor winning championships is the reason why he's coming back. He is returning to repay "what's owed, about making sure that the young men who follow in my footsteps get what they're entitled to [and what I haven't always given them]."
"I know I can affect change and be a part of something,'' Brand said before the 76ers played Minnesota. "I might not make it to the end when it's really, really good around here. But I can be a part of something as a player.''
Brand, 36, played last season with the Atlanta Hawks. He averaged 2.7 points and 2.8 rebounds in 36 games. However, he did not play in the 2015-16 NBA season.
Brand wrote that he was "following the NBA blueprint that had been engrained in me from the beginning: Play well, keep your head down, offend as few people as possible, and get paid," and that is why he never tried to mentor players in the past.
The Sixers likely signed Brand to help the development of Jahlil Okafor. The rookie made some youthful mistakes that got him suspended for two games. Brand, a two-time All-Star who played center and power forward for 16 seasons, will probably work closely with Okafor, Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid, according to CBS Sports.
"I'm not coming here to hold Jahlil's hand -- or anyone else's, for that matter -- because that's not what he needs. But I do believe my experience and wisdom can benefit him and my other young teammates," Brand stated.
"It's about communicating with them like men, starting to grow together, and -- hopefully, eventually -- winning some ballgames. That's what Sam Hinkie and I talked about when he approached me about joining the team, and what has me so excited about this opportunity," he added.
