Philadelphia 76ers hire Elton Brand for player development role

Elton Brand is back with the Philadelphia 76ers, joining the team as a player development consultant.

Brand, 37, played his last of 17 seasons with the 76ers last year before announcing his retirement on Oct. 20.

"We are extremely excited to bring Elton Brand back into the organization where he will be a valuable resource to our young and developing team," 76ers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo said in a statement.

"Elton's leadership and character displayed throughout his playing career align perfectly with our vision, direction and culture of this basketball team, coaching staff and management group."

Brand was the first-overall pick of the Chicago Bulls in the 1999 NBA draft and went on to earn two All-Star selections while averaging 15.9 points and 8.5 rebounds in 1,058 games with five teams.

Before his 76ers' stint, Brand played two years with the Atlanta Hawks before announcing his first retirement on Aug. 11, 2015.