Just two years removed from the end of his NBA playing career, former Blue Devil All-American Elton Brand has already been promoted to the top of the Philadelphia 76ers' front office.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Tuesday night that Brand was promoted from vice president of basketball operations to general manager of the 76ers. Brand's hiring comes three months after Bryan Colangelo resigned from the position in the wake of a Twitter scandal in which anonymous accounts shared confidential team information.
Wojnarowski reported Brand beat out Utah Jazz assistant general manager Justin Zanik and Houston Rockets vice president Gersson Rosas for the job, among other external and internal candidates.
In two seasons at Duke from 1997-99, Brand averaged 16.2 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. His freshman year was shortened due to a broken foot, but he rebounded to win National Player of the Year as a sophomore as he led the Blue Devils to the national championship game. The Chicago Bulls selected the big man with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, and he was a two-time All-Star in a 17-year career with stints for the Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, 76ers, Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks.
Brand will be inducted into the Duke Athletics Hall of Fame Friday evening as part of an eight-person class.
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