Philadelphia 76ers owner Joshua Harris may just be among the most optimistic people in the world after he declared that his team's 19-win season a success.
This after the Sixers lost 26 straight games, tying an NBA record and ultimately ending up with a 19.9 percent chance at winning the overall number one pick in next June's draft
''I think the season has been a huge success for us,'' Harris told AP via Yahoo! Sports on Friday.
He added that while losing was tough, the organization was not focused on the final record this season.
''We don't want to be 41-41. We don't want to be one-and-done,'' Harris said. ''We want this team, this city to be proud of the Sixers. We want to be proud of the Sixers.''
Coach Brett Brown had also been saying beforehand that the Sixers were not focused on this year but are instead setting sights on a multi-year rebuilding program.
The Sixers are a young team led by Michael Carter-Williams, a point guard widely expected to be this year's Rookie of the Year. They also have another young building block in rookie center Nerlens Noel who sat out the entire season recovering from a left knee injury.
''All these pieces are in place to make this an elite team that will compete consistently for the NBA championship,'' Harris said. ''There's no shortcuts to it. Unfortunately, it takes a long time. I'm really happy with the progress.''
With the league's worst team this season, the Milwaukee Bucks, having been sold for a reported $550 million, Harris dismissed speculations that the Sixers will be next on the market.
''Clearly, this has been a successful investment so far for the ownership group,'' he said. ''But the reality is, I don't think we're going to sell this investment for a long time. I expect my kids to be around the Sixers. We're building this thing for the long run.''
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