76ers GM Elton Brand Releases Statement Regarding Brett Brown

The Philadelphia 76ers, as expected, moved on from their longtime head coach Brett Brown on Monday. After spending seven long seasons in Philly, Brown's time was officially up on Sunday night as the team was knocked out of the NBA Playoffs by their longtime rivals, the Boston Celtics.

Heading into the 2019-2020 NBA season, it was clear that Brown was going to be on the hot seat all year long after failing to advance past the second round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs in back to back seasons. After an underwhelming 43-30 year, picking up just the sixth seed in the playoffs, Sixers General Manager Elton Brand took part in making the call to relieve Brown of his coaching duties in Philly.

"I have a tremendous level of respect for Brett both personally and professionally and appreciate all he's done for the 76ers organization and the City of Philadelphia," Brand said. "He did many positive things during his time here, developing young talent and helping position our team for three straight postseason appearances. Unfortunately, we fell well short of our goals this year, and I believe it is best to go in a new direction. This will be an important offseason for us as we look to get back on track towards our goal of competing for an NBA championship."

76ers' Managing Partner Josh Harris also released a statement following Brown's termination on Monday. "I want to thank Brett for not only what he did as our Head Coach, but for the impactful community work he and his family did across the Greater Philadelphia Area over the last seven years," said Harris. "He is a high-character coach and leader and we're fortunate to have had him here. This is a difficult decision, but one we believe is necessary. I wish Brett and his family well."

For the first time in seven years, the 76ers will search for a new head coach. Brown, on the other hand, will look for his next opportunity in the NBA.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_