PHILADELPHIA -- As the Philadelphia 76ers now move forward following an impressive win over the champion New York Knicks on the road on Tuesday, the focus and the goal now turn to continuing to build championship habits.
The Sixers have not been past Round 2 since 2001. They have not won a championship since 1983. Over the offseason, the Sixers added superstars in the form of LeBron James and Jaylen Brown in an effort to help change their fortunes.
James' resume doesn't need any explanation and he will look to bring the habits he built along the way in his 24 seasons in the league that helped him win four championships.
"By going out and doing the (expletive) that I preach," James said after the win. "I’m in there every day. I'm there before everybody
gets to the gym. I’m one of the last ones to leave. I mean, I work. I don't just be like telling guys to do it and I don't hold myself accountable. And if I'm not doing something, I want the guys to hold me accountable. So, I think that goes a long way."
The work James puts in on his body and overall game is something that has allowed him to be successful over his brilliant career. Even at this late stage, he is still a threat to score 20-plus points and put up a triple-double. Those are the championship habits the Sixers must build.
Then, there's Brown. The 2024 finals MVP winner has seen success in his 10 seasons with the Boston Celtics. He knows that one win on opening night isn't going to mean much.
"Patience is virtue and God is patient with me, so I got the ability to be patient with everything else," Brown said when asked about those same habits. "So just letting the game come to me, taking my time. It's a long season. Team want to be aggressive, want to attack, get my teammates involved, and just finding whatever is needed for our team to win that’s together."
April and May are still a long ways away, but the Sixers are looking forward to the journey led by James and Brown. The Sixers have a ton of talent. The challenge now is to build the habits and keep growing as a team.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: LeBron James, Jaylen Brown talk Sixers building championship habits
