Bill Streicher
Nassau, Bahamas - Not all that far removed from All-Star candidacy, Sixers reserve big man Andre Drummond is finding happiness in the humble work.
"I take pride in it," Drummond told reporters of being a mentor for young bigs at the first day of training camp.
That willingness isn't going unnoticed. In fact, it's something for which rookie big Adem Bona is immensely grateful.
"You guys don't understand. Having someone like [Drummond] is like a blessing. I watched him do what he does good. Early in his career, he averaged, like, 15 rebounds a game. To have someone like that, for me, early in my career is huge," Bona told reporters at Sixers Media Day on Monday.
Bona and Drummond talk often. They work out together. "He has been a huge, huge step for me. He takes me under his wing, he tells me what I need to do," Bona said.
The budding mentorship doesn't exist just within the confines of a court or the time frame of team activities.
"Practice, after practice. In the cold tub, we talk about the games all the time. We talk about previous plays that happened in practice that I missed or things I didn't do or things I did well. He lets me know when I do stuff well and when I miss a couple things," Bona said.
Perhaps Drummond has taken Bona under his wing because he sees himself in the young center.
"Yeah, just his energy, his physicality, his athleticism, his knack for the ball is incredible, too. He's very, very active," Drummond said on Tuesday.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images"When I got here, I pulled him aside, I said, 'I'm not here to tell you what to do or change your game. If you ever want any type of advice on what to do in the post, just ask'. He's done a great job of just pulling me aside and, like, 'Hey, what do you think about this?' Or, 'When you rebound, where do you go?'. I bring him in at nighttime, we'll work out together, too. So, our relationship is very tight from day one."
Bona isn't taking it for granted.
"I think that's really amazing to have someone like that, that has seen everything out of the league," he said.
"He was young in his career in the league when he was doing what he was doing. So, I think that's going to be big for me."
Bona isn't the only youngster to catch Drummond's eye.
"They got a lot of energy. So, they definitely are pushing us during practice. They definitely got the best out of us today. It was a really good run. Bona's incredible. Jared, too. The rest of our young guys, too," he said after practice on Tuesday.
"We have a good core group all in all. It's a really strong group."
