Over the course of the 76ers’ four-game, nine-day Western Conference road trip, we’ll be compiling a collection of short stories involving members of the team, and its traveling party.
Be sure to check back regularly for updates to our ‘Reflections From the Road’ series.
• Part I: Hard to Leave Home
• Part II: The Altitude, It's Real
• Part III: Binge Watching is Coming
• Part IV: A Summertime Destination
• Part V: Bring That Bell, Brotha!
• Part VI: A Running Habit
A FRIENDSHIP GETTING FINER WITH AGE
Take California’s I-80 East from the Bay Area to Sacramento, and you might very well be tempted to peel off at Exit 19 - if you’re of a certain age and inclination, that is.
From there, it takes about another 45 miles to get to the heart of the region where one of the United States’ most renown liquid exports is harvested, crushed, fermented, bottled, and subsequently shipped out all over the world.
Wine, of course, is synonymous with Northern California, specifically Napa Valley and Sonoma County.
It also represents one of the early gateways to what has since become a strong friendship inside the 76ers’ locker room.
Before JJ Redick (ruled out in Sacramento for a planned game of rest) signed with the team, T.J. McConnell was mostly into Cabernets. Over the past year and a half, it’s safe to say the Pittsburgh native’s palette has expanded.
McConnell, however, considers wine merely a minor contributing factor to the bond he’s formed with Redick. That both players are good people with other mutual interests was the biggest reason they hit it off so quickly, McConnell says.
For Redick, leaning into McConnell came with the territory.
Now, whether it’s dinner on the road, or their families doing a dual Thanksgiving meal this past year, McConnell and Redick are about as likely to be found together off the court as they are on it.