It’s safe to say that Jimmy Butler is ingratiating himself with the Philadelphia 76ers more effectively than he did in Minnesota. Sometimes, it’s almost as if he’s going out of his way to drive that point home. They’ve gone 8-2 in their first 10 games since Butler got to town, and they look primed to challenge for the Eastern Conference crown next spring if they keep trending upward.
Their chemistry on and off the court has clearly been a major catalyst for that success so far. One of the ways they’ve built that camaraderie is via friendly wagers that incentivize them on defense to go for blocks and steals. They’ve combined that with their newest headwear-related fashion craze that has earned them the nickname “The Headband Brothers.”
But don’t be so quick to dismiss that playful moniker as just some passing fad between teammates. They obviously take this very seriously, and the established rules for their super secret order are of byzantine complexity, as we learned from Kyle Nuebeck of PhillyVoice.com:
I am officially on the headband beat, it appears. Shout out @ESPNNBA pic.twitter.com/oeB2PizIYa
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) December 6, 2018
The club is apparently so exclusive that not even J.J. Redick is allowed to become a member. Perhaps that will change some day if he decides to wield his podcast power.
When it comes to motivation, you have to steal your fire wherever you can find it, and with all the ongoing turmoil surrounding former No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz, the Sixers have to do whatever they can to maintain morale and keep honing that competitive edge.
