Read the Rough Draft of Sam Hinkie's Resignation Letter

Last night, Sam Hinkie resigned as general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers in a 13-page letter. Unlike the team he is leaving, the letter is a very polished finished product that reflects Hinkie's reasoning and personal philosophies. But reading this rough draft below, we can't help but feel like he removed some of the best parts in lieu of misattributing quotes to Abraham Lincoln.

To the equity partners of Philadelphia 76ers, L.P.:

While the report of Mark Twain's death might have been an exaggeration, the reports of the death of The Process are not.

I've often thought that others' quotes could be repackaged and applied to our own journeys of personal exploration and growth. To that end, I quote the great President Franklin D. Roosevelt, "Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan." Substitute "Since the day I was hired" for "Yesterday, December 7, 1941" and "I" for "The United States of America" and "basically everyone, from the media to my coworkers and superiors" for "naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan" and you've basically got the nuts and bolts of what has happened here.

_As Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth once sang, albeit in a cover version of a Louis Prima song that appeared on his solo record, the 76ers life goes on, without me. But I am heartened and buoyed by the knowledge that for the first time in almost three years I control my destiny. Paraphrasing the great Dr. Seuss, _I_ have brains in my head. I have feet in my shoes. I can steer myself any direction I choose. I'm on my own. And I know what I know. And I am the one who'll decide where to go._

Friedrich Nietzsche once said "he who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you." I'm not real sure what that means, but I bet it's applicable. It's a good quote, anyway.

So, look, we were not a good basketball team. I know this, you know this, everyone knows this. But you cannot deny that we did exactly what we set out to do, which was to be a basketball team I, you, and everyone else could describe as "not good." To me, that is a job well done. Though our win count may have been small, I am comforted by the words of the great Henry David Thoreau who once said "it matters not how small the beginning may seem to be: what is once done well is done forever."

I don't have many regrets—to quote myself "regrets are for suckers"—but if I had one, it would be not being able to bring Paul Pierce to this organization. I've always felt he would be a perfect addition to this team, not necessarily from a skills standpoint, but because I love what he represents. To quote the great John Locke "to love truth for truth's sake is the principal part of human perfection in this world, and the seed-plot of all other virtues." I agree with this quote.

From truth comes justice, and along with justice comes the American Way. Superman knew a thing or two, didn't he?

I came to you with a vision and a request. In work, as in life, sometimes we are not appreciated in our own times. I believe it was the great Jesus Christ who once said "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me." It pains me to realize that your hearts have been troubled, but it also frees me. I do not know what tomorrow holds, or the next day, or even three days from now, but I still trust the process will lead to glory. I still trust myself.

And so, I leave you with this, a rumination on what it is to be Hinkie, as described by the great character actor Daniel Roebuck in the Harrison Ford film, The Fugitive. Tommy Lee Jones questions why Roebuck's character Biggs doesn't just say "strange" when he described something as "Hinkie." Jones tells Biggs "I mean, Hinkie, that has no meaning."

Biggs immediately responds "Well, we say Hinkie."

I wish you the best of luck. Like other Sixers fans, I will cross my fingers for you on lottery night in New York.