With a Sweatshirt and Hat, Jameer Nelson Is Ready to Disrupt in the Sixers' Front Office

CAMDEN — Pat Riley would've nodded in approval as Mike Gansey stepped to the podium for his introductory press conference in a slim-fitting suit and slicked-back hair.

Bob Myers looked every part of an executive who deals with billionaires on a day-to-day basis, toggling from question to question in a blazer, white shirt, blue striped tie and a white pocket square.

And then there was Jameer Nelson, who wore a gray hoodie over a buttoned-up shirt and a khaki '47-branded hat to his first media availability as the Sixers' newly-promoted executive vice president of basketball operations.

That is not a knock on the Chester native. Rather, it tells you who he is.

And that's someone who has always been confident and comfortable in who he is.

It's a microcosm of why Nelson got the job.

He doesn't conform to what everyone else is doing.

Nelson is a proud disruptor, unafraid and maybe even eager to challenge the room and zag from group-think.

"When I first started, one of my former coworkers who was above me in terms of title, he challenged me to make him better. So, he's like, 'You know, you bring a different perspective'," Nelson told reporters at his introductory press conference on Monday.

"Because I came in and I had no idea about the front office as much as I do now obviously. So my goal was just to get better every day and try to learn and help people grow. And he told me if I didn't make him better, I failed."

It's something Nelson has carried with him, and clearly to success.

And as much as he and Gansey differed in wardrobe on Monday, they appear aligned in approach to installing a new culture in Philadelphia.

"Obviously I'm very, very excited to have Jameer as my number two. That was kind of a sticking point talking to Josh and Bob. He was someone I really, really wanted throughout the process. Jameer is very, very well respected around the league," Gansey told reporters at his introduction on Monday.

"I'm 0-2 against him when I was at St. Bonaventure and he was at Saint Joe's. But I think I got the win now because I got him on my side. So I'm excited to have him."

Gansey wants the Sixers to build a family. He envisions a world where everyone in the building wakes up in the morning and is excited to get to work.

Nelson couldn't agree more.

"It's not rocket science. You treat people a certain way and people work hard and the expectation is to continue to grow and help people internally grow. But also, like, let's do it together. I just want to deal with people I enjoy, people I combine with, I can cry with and laugh with," Nelson said.

"All the emotions that are going to come with the job. It's hard to win in this league. You need good people around you and people that have the same vision and same alignment."

The Sixers' new front-office duo thrives on building connections. There may be a hierarchy, but that doesn't mean they're above building relationships outside of their assigned office spaces.

"Like I said, I want to work with good people but I also want to help people grow. Again, like, my time in the G League, it showed me what it meant to be a leader. Not just leading a basketball team or a coach; it was the entire group of people that we worked with," Nelson said.

"It's important for me for people to get opportunities within the organization internally just because I think for us to grow our environment and our culture, that's important."

Gansey and Nelson aren't dissimilar in their paths to this point, either.

Myers likes candidates who came up through the scouting ranks. He thinks being a former player endears stakeholders to the players on the roster.

"Being around Jameer all last season. I think Daryl [Morey] did a great job of empowering him a little bit more. He was on the road a lot, interacting with Nick [Nurse]. Another guy that came from the G League space. And look, I don't know how many of you are from here, I think it's important that somebody from this community is in a leadership role with this team," Myers said.

"Not being from here, you recognize the importance of connecting to the community and the fanbase. Jameer has that, and he has that equity. And he has that equity with our players and the community."

On some level, you get the impression that Nelson's ability to relay what will and will not fly in Philadelphia was a critical advantage for him in the process of rebuilding the front office.

But he's more than a Philadelphian.

Nelson is a point guard. One with the cachet of an All-Star appearance and more than a decade of NBA experience. He can relate to the players that are already in the building. Nelson can sniff out the ones who can truly thrive in the unique sports landscape of Philadelphia, too.

"Like Mike said and talking to Mike, he asked me multiple times, 'Can we keep Jameer? Can we elevate Jameer?' I said, 'Look, I'm not going to tell you who has to be on your staff, but I think Jameer is great,'" Myers said.

"And then speaking to Jameer, asking if he's ready for it. And certainly Jameer...one thing you may or may not know is how much he led as a player. And I just think leadership is so important. And so to have those two guys together moving forward is a tremendous advantage."

Nelson doesn't believe you can be ready for everything. But he does believe you can prepare yourself for anything.

Everyone in that building believes he's prepared for his dream job.

"In the past, I've had opportunities other places. I want to be a part of the solution here. Thing that matters here most to me is I'm home," Nelson said.

"To do it for the home team gives me goosebumps, to be honest with you."

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