Former Sixer Tony Wroten opens up on his fight to return to the NBA

When one looks back on "The Process" there is a long list of players you might think about. From Joel Embiid to Robert Covington, from Khalif Wyatt to Jarvis Varnado. The spectrum of players was vast and they all left an impact in their own unique way. One player who was especially meaningful during his time was Tony Wroten.

A 6'5" guard who can bounce out of the gym, Wroten was drafted in the first round by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2012. After a rookie year with limited opportunity, Wroten was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers for a second-round pick.

While in Philadelphia, Wroten began to separate himself as a player. He showed a hunger for the game and an ability to defend, ability to pass, and maybe most impressive as all, an ability to score with the best of them.

Beyond his impact on the court, Wroten was absolutely beloved by the fan base. His passion for the came became the reason to watch Sixers' games even though the team wasn't exactly competitive. While there may have been times fans were screaming at him for this or that, fans in Philadelphia don't do that unless they care. Wroten was also the one who coined the phrase "Trust the Process". Wroten's blue-collar approach endeared him to this city and it was expected that he would be around for years to come.

Wroten's career was unfortunately derailed by a torn ACL. After his injury, he attempted a comeback with the Sixers, then tried with the Knicks, went to the G League, and eventually landed in Europe. It seemed like an unfortunate end to one of Philly's favorites. At least so it seemed.

The Comeback

Then came the announcement.

After nearly five years from his last NBA game, Tony Wroten announced his intentions to return to the league. After all, he is still only 27 years of age and maybe even picked up a thing or two in his time in Europe. Why now though? What makes Tony think he's ready to return or even that the league is ready for him to return? I, along with Sean Barnard and James Birrane, spoke with Tony about everything from his time in Philly, to those very questions about his comeback.

Here are some selections from the interview:

Zach: Tony, I'm sure you get this all the time but the first thing I want to make sure, how are you making out with the whole quarantine, you and your family, you guys all healthy?

Tony: Yeah two sides really, I've been quarantined all my life, cause you know. I can be at home and enjoy myself. I'm big on video games, spending time with my family. That's not a big issue, just everything going on in this world and how something so scary can shut down this world it becomes real scary. So really I've been blessed that my family and loved ones are all healthy, so I've just been cherishing that and spending time with them.

Zach: Glad to hear that... We're so excited to have you on, we're all Sixers fans in addition to doing this and for all of us you were a big part of "The Process". I'd love to talk to you about the whole spectrum of what you've experienced in the NBA so far, and what I really want to know is what's to come because I feel like the best of Tony is yet to come.

Tony: Exactly. Philly has a special place in my heart, everything we've been through there and me being one of the originators of "The Process". Me being there through the ups and downs and being there for JoJo Embiid, when he was injured two years in a row. Philly, the city in general, man they'll always be a home to home for me and you know I love it. You know a dream come true, me coming back so we're just waiting on it.

Zach: You know, Philly fans and I'm sure you're aware, they loved you right away for your Grit n' Grind passion, it really matched well with the city. Where do you think that comes from?

Tony: Just upbringing really. Real hard-nosed and a lot of people know now but Seattle, you know, a lot of really great basketball players growing up. That's one thing I love about Philly, even though we weren't winning a lot, they're still going to cheer like we're in the Finals. They still want you to play with that tough Philadelphia nitty-gritty and not everybody can play here. Some people love it and some hate it but once you're loved by Philly it's a love that's so genuine and to this day I get Philly fans and it's just more motivation for me to keep going.

Continued on the page below.

 Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Sean: To dive in on that. Obviously, when you came here, expectations weren't that high, what was the mindset inside the locker room that was going on through all this.

Tony: Us being young. Me being 21 and I was one of the oldest players on the team and that should tell you right there the type of path we were on. And the thing is, people only see us losing a lot and they didn't see how our locker room stayed together and how if you came into one of our practices, it would feel like we were on a 10, 20 winning streak just by how our chemistry was, just by how we never folded and how we stayed together. Regardless of "The Process" or even not winning a lot of games, that helped mold what is today. Embiid was a part of that and all of the tanking, the years they had to sacrifice and look at them now, a championship contender. It all started with Coach Brown and Sam Hinkie and for me to be a part of that was something special.

James: That's another question I wanted to ask you, what was your experience like with Coach Brown? I know there's been a lot of mixed reviews from Philadelphia fans but how did you experience Brett Brown as a coach and have you seen growth from him?

Tony: I've seen growth every day, every year. Coming from Memphis, I had mixed emotions. I had great mentors like Tony Allen, Zach Randolph, Mike Conley so I loved it there but when I found out I was coming to Philly, Brett called me and told me I was going to play off the jump and as an 18-year old that's all you can ask for. As you can see [I] love his Boston accent. I'm just proud of him and the organization and what they became.

Sean: So Sam Hinkie took over right before you came here, what was your interaction with Hinkie? Did you ever talk to him? And what was your vibe with him?

Tony: Nah. That's probably the quietest GM I ever met in my life. I probably had one conversation, I probably heard him talk three times. We never really had a conversation, he was always quiet. He'll pop his head in the locker room and then pop right back out, it was like he was a secret agent, you would see him but you wouldn't hear him. Obviously, you know he was doing his thing, he was doing his job but you know I didn't really have too much of a conversation with him.

Zach: Going back to that trade that brought you to Philly, what were your expectations going into the city? What had you heard? What was true and what wasn't? Obviously, you took well to the city but what was your expectation coming in?

Tony: Oh I wanted to show the world who I was and I felt disrespected that Memphis would trade me after my rookie year, not even giving me a chance to show or a chance to grow. I wanted to show Memphis and I wanted to show the world. As time went on, I was playing the height of my career in Philly, I was showing that. I got injured but I was on the path for showing that and that's why I'm so grateful for Philadelphia because Coach Brown gave me the opportunity, Philadelphia gave me the opportunity. Once Philly saw who I was and saw the type of person I was, they took me in as one of their own.

James: There was an interview later in your tenure with the Sixers where you said there were some trade rumors and you said you were auditioning for everyone. Now obviously, a few years removed from that, you're trying to make this comeback in the NBA, I mean you're only 27, are you still auditioning? What's your plan for right now?

Tony: Yeah, every day is an audition. It's definitely going to happen, I just gotta be patient and keep working. It's a process and it's a process and a road that I'm willing to take. I know that I'm arms reach and I know that I can make it back and that's all the motivation that I need. Knowing that if I do what I need to do I can be back. I know once I do, I'm going to be better than I was before. Experience, being more mature, going overseas..., it just helped me be a man on and off the court. So I'm excited for the future really.

Continued on the page below.

 Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Zach: You played in Estonia, Poland, Spain. Talk to us about playing overseas. How did it compare to the NBA, what did it teach you as a player and more importantly as a person?

Tony: Man, overseas taught me tremendously. I was always the guy who always had my friends around. I had my routine, what I ate, you know I'm a very picky eater. So going overseas, going by myself, being [in] a different culture, different food, one of the biggest things that helped train me is that I became comfortable being uncomfortable.

Once I became comfortable being uncomfortable there was nothing that was foreign to me I couldn't adapt to. A lot of people don't know this but, the NBA players are the best of the best but as far as team defense, as far as the games, overseas basketball is a lot harder. In the NBA they shoot too well to play zone, you can't play zone because of defensive three seconds. you can do all of that overseas, there's no three seconds in the key... people play zone defense. It's a whole different game, you can see how guys like Luka come over and destroy and that's why I feel like being able to come over here, it opened me up in life, in general, and it turned me into a monster on the court. I can't wait to show my NBA peers that.

Zach: You just kind of answered this question but why now? What is it about this moment that makes you know "I'm ready to come back to the NBA and I'm going to take it by storm".

Tony: The first sign of change is admitting your wrongs and the reason I'm not in the NBA has nothing to do with basketball. It was all my immaturity. Going overseas and I loved it but you realize "I want to be back in the NBA". It humbles you, it matures you. I always told myself, "when I get back I know what to do and what not to do". Being able to show the growth and how much I've matured... That's what I'm looking forward to showing people the most because I know they're going to be watching... And I'm excited for it.

James: Obviously you're still hungry, you're still young like we had said before. We don't want to pry but is there interest? Are you interested in anything specifically... is there potentially a comeback in Philadelphia?

Tony: Man honestly, I don't care WHO it is, NBA is NBA. I'll be blessed and thankful to come back for any team but Philadelphia is a special place. I was able to take my career off and show the world who I really was basketball-wise. The way I'm loved in Philadelphia...the way my name is still spoken of out there...for me to be a few years removed from Philadelphia, it just a special place in my heart. Like I said...any team but it just hits different when it's Philadelphia.

Zach: You've talked a lot about what you've taken away from your time overseas, kind of a focus on your comeback. Do you feel like there's one particular area of your game that you've added on... that you perfected or maybe expanded while you were over there?

Tony: Yes my attitude. That hurt me a lot. Looking back at my younger self. Being able to mature and know what's better for a team and not just yourself. Working hard every day you're going to continue to get better on the court but for me, I wanted to really hold my hat on not giving anything negative to say. Everything that people were saying, the reason I'm out of the league, I wrote that down and I'd look at it when I'm overseas and it's just a reminder... In order for me to get back, I can't do those things, I have to get better than this, I have to be better than that. I'm really working on everything, not just on the court... The NBA is not just all about on the court, you're global you know so you're looked at as a celebrity, it's more than just basketball. I've been really working on myself in general and really getting into me and knowing when that time comes... I'll be more than ready.

Zach: Before we go, did you have a message that you just want to put out there in the universe for NBA teams on why they should consider bringing you back?

Tony: Because I'm better than who I was, I'm 10 times better. Any team that wants to sign Tone...it's gonna be a steal. I just use that as motivation and I'm coming so just know that.

Confident words from a man changed by experience. While Wroten may have changed in many ways (all for the better from the sound of it), one thing remains the same. He still has the same passion that endeared him to Sixers fans.

You can hear the who interview along with some discussion on the Sixers' recent scrimmages below:

Apple Podcasts

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-7-tony-wroten/id1519042450?i=1000486527806

Spotify

Spreaker

I can't thank Tony enough for taking the time with us. Follow him on Twitter @TWroten_LOE to track his comeback and we'll certainly give updates as they come.

Tony, we'll see you again in the NBA, hopefully is Sixers' red, white and blue.

 Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports