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Source: 76ers Name Tony DiLeo General Manager

PHILADELPHIA (AP) – A person familiar with the decision says the Philadelphia 76ers have named Tony DiLeo general manager.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because an official announcement was not yet made Friday.

DiLeo will work alongside team president Rod Thorn. Thorn has only one year left on his contract. Thorn has a provision in his contract that will allow him to become a consultant after his contract expires.

The Sixers spent the summer interviewing several candidates for the job. They decided to go with DiLeo, who has had several titles with the team for more than 20 years. He was their interim head coach in 2009 and led the Sixers to the playoffs.

DiLeo had been working as senior vice president and assistant general manager.

DiLeo, a New Jersey native who played at La Salle, also played and coached in West Germany for 10 seasons before joining the Sixers in 1990-91. He had a brief stint as an assistant in the early '90s, and took over as interim coach in December 2008 after Maurice Cheeks was fired. The Sixers lost a first-round series to the Orlando Magic in six games under him.

He withdrew his name from consideration to return as the team's coach that summer and the Sixers hired Eddie Jordan. DiLeo was Philadelphia's director of player personnel from 1999 to 2003.

One of DiLeo's sons, T.J., is a senior guard for Temple.

DiLeo was widely credited with helping the Sixers land center Andrew Bynum from the Los Angeles Lakers in a four-team trade this summer. Sixers coach Doug Collins is also playing a larger role in shaping the roster of a team that is expected to be one of the best in the Eastern Conference. The Sixers advanced to the East semifinals last season.

Led by Collins, the Sixers posted their first winning record (35-31) since 2004-05, and won a playoff series for the first time since 2003.

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