Sam Hinkie quotes Buffett, Lincoln and Belichick in resignation letter

Sam Hinkie was fond of Elon Musk and Bill Belichick in his resignation letter.

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Sam Hinkie stepped down from his post as the Philadelphia 76ersgeneral manager and president of operations with a 13-page letter that contained more pages than team victories on the year.

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“There has been much criticism of our approach,” Hinkie wrote. “There will be more. A competitive league like the NBA necessitates a zig while our competitors comfortably zag. We often chose not to defend ourselves against much of the criticism, largely in an effort to stay true to the ideal of having the longest view in the room.

“... Given all the changes to our organization, I no longer have the confidence that I can make good decisions on behalf of investors in the Sixers—you. So I should step down. And I have.”

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In the letter, he quotes many non-basketball minds that may have influenced him in his career and pursuit of “The Process,” according to ESPN’s Tom Haberstroh.

Here is a look at the list:

• Atul Gawande, surgeon and writer

• Warren Buffett, billionaire investor

• Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States

• Seth Klarman, billionaire investor

• Charlie Munger, Buffett's business partner

• Elon Musk, billionaire and found of Tesla Motors

• James Clerk Maxwell, physicist

• Bill James, writer

• Bill Belichick, New England Patriots head coach

• Howard Marks, investor

• Amos Tversky, psychologist

• Tim Urban, writer

• Lee Sedol, South Korean professional Go player

• Max Planck, physicist