76ers Introduce Matisse Thybulle

 

 

Full Transcript below 

 

ELTON BRAND: Thank you. Welcome everyone, especially those who were here late last night with us. Thanks for coming back. Great moment for the 76ers franchise. I would like to welcome Matisse Thybulle. Great to have him. Solid player. He’s going to grow and be that 3-and-D player that we need. He’s going to shoot the ball. Defensive Player of the Year. So excited to add him to this team with his great fit and what he is going to do for us.

 

MATISSE THYBULLE: It might even feel more like a dream now. Walking through the facility, sitting next to this guy [Elton Brand]. It’s crazy to say, because you always imagine you dream of being in this position. To actually be there is pretty surreal. 

 

 

MT: I’d the say the locker room. Just seeing I had a place in the locker room. The facility is incredible, beautiful. But just knowing I have my place here among it all is pretty cool. 

 

 

EB: We’ve been following him for the last four years as a staff. The last two years, got to meet with him, saw his workout, and I fell in love. Viewed him as a high-character guy, that’s what we need to add to our team, and his on-the-court stuff just blew me away. His speed, his agility, his sense off-the-ball on defense and where he’s growing as an offensive player. After that workout, I was blown away.

 

 

MT: I mean what’s not to like. They’re a great team, great coaches across the board. Throughout the season, being a basketball junkie and watching basketball, I watched Philly, keeping track of their success and was like, ‘Wow, it would be incredible to be a part of something that great.’ And when that became a reality and they made it clear that they were interested, I was like there is nothing else I’d rather be a part of than this. 

 

EB: Yes, we were very interested. You know all the decisions about workouts and things like that. His agent, Eric Goodwin, I’ve known him for a long time, and his family that’s their decision but I know I really like him a lot. When we saw him on the board, a few other players in our box were gone and he was our target. We had to move up to get him, whatever it took. Dealing with whatever team, I had to get it done.

 

 

MT: I think Elton mentioned it earlier—just 3-and-D, just being able to get out there and guard is something I take pride in, something I’ve done throughout college. And then just being able to be an outlet and be a threat from the three-point line. And then on top of that, being able to get out in transition where these guys thrive and just being able to wreak havoc out there.

 

 

MT: I mean it could be a combination of things. I felt personally with my role on the team that I had to make certain sacrifices to try to help us win. And I think, with those sacrifices, we had a pretty good result. We had a really successful season and I just felt like, for me, my role wasn’t going to be trying to take over offensively. It was going to be just be a team player, be a glue guy and just be able to do what I was able to do on the defensive end to just make it hard for the other teams.

 

 

MT: Well, I considered leaving early. And I considered it seriously. But that was one of the things that when I sat down with my family and we discussed it was that I want to be able to contribute right away when I get here. I don’t want to be a whole work in progress. So I felt like if I stayed another year I’d get another year better, have another year under my belt and just be that much more ready to show out when I get here.

 

 

MT: I mean the stats say defense. But I think on top of that, I take pride in doing whatever it takes to win. And whatever that means for my role is what I’m going to hang my hat on.

 

 

MT: You’re a basketball player. You still play basketball, so I’ve been working out every day. I’ve been in the weight room, on the court, and just trying to do what I can to get better every day. Because I feel like as a basketball player, that’s my job now. That was my goal going through it all. And even though I wasn’t working out for teams, it didn’t mean I had an excuse not to work out.

 

 

MT: I mean, with anything there’s a certain level of risk. But I feel like we developed a good enough relationship where there was enough trust and I had enough confidence in it, and I didn’t feel like I had to worry. So come draft night, I was just excited. 

 

 

EB: It’s very important. We have championship aspirations. You look around the league and you look in the past, you don’t see many teams that win championships with a lot of rookies that are contributing.  But, we’ve got some extra assets to protect our future for possible trades or possible growth, and we have five young players that we’re developing. So Jonah Bolden, Matisse [Thybulle], we got Zaire Smith, Shake [Milton]. We have a lot of young talent that’s going to get better and grow. So when we do get to where we need to get to and get that championship, we’re not going to dive off a cliff. We’re still developing and we do have assets to keep us in the hunt for years to come. So I feel good about where we are as an organization.

 

 

MT: It was a learned thing. If you look at my first few years in college, you’ll see I fouled out of most games. Staying out of foul trouble was a struggle for me. So I just had to, I mean, like with anything, with experience and, like I said, staying was something that I was trying to just be able to learn and grow as a basketball player and that was a part of it. Just, being able to do what I’m able to do defensively but do it for longer times by staying out of foul trouble. There was a lot of games where I’d hurt the team because I’d be in foul trouble and couldn’t play, so going into this season I wanted to take some pride in being on the floor as much as I can and that meant staying out of foul trouble.

 

MT: Yeah, me and him have talked about it, and when I was creeping up on his record, I could tell he was getting nervous, but it’s cool. I mean going into the season people were asking me obviously If I was trying to break his record and I looked at those numbers and was like honestly I don’t want to think about it because I don’t think it’s possible. But as the season went on, I just took it a game at a time and to think that I’m in the conversation with guys like him, Jason Kidd for a single-season steals record, like it is pretty special and I mean I’m not sure If I belong but I’m starting to feel like it now, it’s just an honor.

 

 

MT: I don’t think so? I mean as I’m sure people know on draft night your phone kind of blows up. So if any of them have, I’m sorry if I haven’t responded yet because things have just been a little hectic, but… No I’m not sure yet.

 

 

MT: I mean those are incredibly talented guys, and I mean just watching them throughout the season they’re so fun to watch. And they have fun out there, that’s something that I think is great, and I think is huge within basketball, and in college that is something we focused on and just thinking I can be a part of that and the 76ers family is just exciting.

 

 

EB: Yeah, the group has scouted him. I’ve really been following him for the past two years. But just his growth and development, defensively his instincts. You know we talked about him breaking Gary Payton’s record. Just a special person, when I got to sit down with him and learn how he loves photography, he’s so high character, he just wants to work, and his love of basketball. For what we need in Philadelphia, in this organization, it was a no brainer if we could get him. I didn’t know if he was going to be there, just glad we could make it to get him.