At just 28 years old, Sixers forward Luc Mbah a Moute finds himself mentoring an entire team.
Mbah a Moute is the only player in head coach Brett Brown's rotation that has more than three years of NBA experience.
"You are trying to teach them to be pros," Mbah a Moute said. "It doesn't happen overnight. For some people, it doesn't happen the first year or the second year. It takes time. I try to show them how to carry yourself, how to go out there and compete, play hard and do your best."
The soft-spoken Mbah a Moute admits he is not "a big talker." He prefers to lead by example. One person who loves the example he sets is Brown.
"He played with Andrew Bogut in Milwaukee and Andrew used to speak highly about him often," said Brown, who coached Bogut on the Australian national team.
"Watching [Mbah a Moute] from afar, I had great respect for how tough he was and how smart he was. Now to see him and how he goes about his business, how he interacts with people in the locker room, he has a lot of pride.
“He has played every position. For lack of a better word, he is putting up with a bunch of young guys and helping me grow the program. I have so much respect for him. He has been fantastic."
Mbah a Moute is averaging 8.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals in a career-high 27.0 minutes per game in the final year of his contract. Brown believes there is no better way to showcase one's talents than to do what the veteran is doing on a rebuilding team.
"He looks at it like 'I have never had as good an opportunity because I play a lot,'" Brown said. "'Coach loves me. He plays me at point. He plays me at five. This [season] is the greatest job interview I have ever had.'
"Add in the extra layer that he is a fellow countryman of a pretty important player (Joel Embiid). It all fits. He is in the right place at the right time. Selfishly, I say that and I appreciate him."
