How 76ers' Andre Drummond helps 'push' Joel Embiid to be 'best center in the league'

09/10/2024 03:27 PM

CAMDEN, N.J. — Andre Drummond felt comfortable with the Philadelphia 76ers within his first week on the team, the very beginning of his first stint that began in the 2021 offseason. The embrace he got from the city made the transition to a new team and a role as a backup immensely easier. After being included in the midseason Ben Simmons-James Harden trade and spending two seasons with the Chicago Bulls, he’s excited to be back with the Sixers.

Drummond made an appearance at the Thomas H. Dudley Family School in Camden, New Jersey, joining the Sixers and Five Below in their Back-to-School Tipoff event. Just as thrilled as he is to reacclimate himself to a familiar, friendly community, he’s "really, really happy" for the season to start.

"When I wake up in the morning," Drummond told ClutchPoints, "I just have this energy, like, 'We have something really special here and we can’t let it go to waste.'"

Andre Drummond handing out Sixers water bottles with stickers and a gift card in them to students as they head back to their classrooms pic.twitter.com/nlF9HLeCn6

— Sam DiGiovanni (@BySamDiGiovanni) September 10, 2024

Joel Embiid reached out to Drummond in free agency to see if the veteran big man would return to the 76ers. That meant a lot to Drummond, who already thought of Philly as home. Making the reunion with Philly even sweeter was the signing of Reggie Jackson, who played almost a decade with Drummond on the Detroit Pistons.

Drummond returning to the 76ers gives them more stability at the backup center spot. His sensational rebounding, size and occasional playmaking make him a relatively stable option off the bench. But he also gives the team someone who will compete hard against Embiid in practice.

"I’m playing against the best center in the league every single day, so not only is he getting the best work out of me, vice versa — I’m getting the best work out of him because he’s challenging me, as well," Drummond said. "And for me, he knows I’m not gonna ever back down from him.

"And it’s been like that [since] I’ve been in Detroit," he continued. "I think that’s really why he respects me, because no matter how good he is, he might have the upper hand on me but I’m gonna keep coming. I’m gonna push him to be great. I’m gonna push him to be the best player he can be, really to show the world why he is the best center to play this game."

Drummond knows how much Embiid works on improving himself, a compliment that new Sixer Guerschon Yabusele also offered. Even if his role isn't as prominent as it could have been on another team, the environment and players on Philly’s roster is perfect for the 31-year-old big man.

Just like he was with a second-year Paul Reed, Drummond is slated ahead of another young center in Adem Bona on the depth chart. He doesn't want to overwhelm the rookie out of UCLA, who gets plenty of input and instruction from coaches already, so he resorts to giving him "littlehints" on how to do certain things better.

"Like, if hedoes something that I noticehe could change,I’m like, 'Hey,onscreens, maybeturn your bodya little bit different.' Or, '[on a] pick-and-roll, maybedon’t go up so high.' Justlittle things like that," Drummond said. While being a mentor is part of why the 76ers wanted to get him back, they also want someone more solid behind Embiid.

"He’sjust a dominantplayer,he’sreallyjust a superhardworkingguythatreallywantstobegreat," Drummond said of Embiid. "Youcan’thelpbutsupportaguythatistryingtodosomuchfora city orforateam.I’mgladI’m here tobeable to alleviatesome pressure for him andreally wina lot of games."

Andre Drummond joins Sixers for back-to-school event in Camden

Andre Drummond participated in the first of two Back-to-School Tipoff events, the second of which takes place on Thursday at a school in Philadelphia and features a different, yet-to-be-announced Sixer. Drummond makes it a personal goal to "shedsomelight" on the schools in his adopted home cities.

"I lovedoing stuff like this, man," Drummond told ClutchPoints. "Anything with school kidsand givingback to the community, I’m alwaysfrontin line forthose kinds of things. I live bythat, man. I love to getback to thecommunity,especiallyin the cities that I play in.Itjust means a lot to me ’causethey’re the next generation."

Andre Drummond presents two teachers from Thomas H. Dudley Family School in Camden with $500 gift cards to Five Below to use for school supplies pic.twitter.com/0sTdGMWbtQ

— Sam DiGiovanni (@BySamDiGiovanni) September 10, 2024

Drummond greeted students, answered questions about his NBA career and school — his favorite subject was English and his favorite cafeteria food was a chicken patty — and surprised two teachers with gift cards to Five Below totaling $500 each courtesy of the team and the store.

"Enjoy being a kid. Learn something," Drummond told the students in the crowd. "Enjoy the experience."

Before Drummond was introduced to the crowd, the 76ers’ mascot, Franklin, hosted a layup-free-throw-three-pointer tournament with four student participants and pumped up the crowd as Drummond arrived. The gym was decorated with illustrations of the Sixers logo and pictures of players’ jerseys. Participating in opportunities like these endear Drummond to the community even more — and vice versa.

"It’s an amazingfeelingtobewantedandappreciatedforwhat I do, soit’s an honor to be back here," Andre Drummond said. "It’s an honor to put a Sixers jersey backonanddosomethingbigger than me."

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