Looking tired, but not exhausted, Keith Van Horn finished his final sprint to close out his third practice as a Philadelphia 76er.

On a day when Aaron McKie returned to full contact practices and former NBA coaches Jeff Van Gundy and John Calipari looked on from the bleachers at the Bryce Jordan Center, Van Horn was not the big story. And he was happy for that, especially after a summer where he was more than prominent in the headlines. A summer that turned his world upside down.

Things were going so well for Van Horn.

During the 2001-2002 season, the 6-10 power forward from Utah, came into his own for the New Jersey Nets. While his point production was down, his rebounds and assists were up. And, more importantly, the Nets, a team Van Horn had spent the entirety of his five seasons with, had just reached the NBA finals.

Van Horn was a cornerstone of one of the league's top, young teams.

Then came Aug. 6, 2002 and everything changed.

In one of the summer's blockbuster trades, Van Horn and center Todd MacCulloch were traded from New Jersey to Philadelphia for center Dikembe Mutombo.

It came as a shock to Van Horn. Two months before he was playing for the NBA championship, now he was playing for a different team.

"I was surprised," Van Horn said during a break from practice. "But the more I thought about it the more I liked it."

Van Horn has taken to his new surroundings well. He's been in Philadelphia for about a month and has recently purchased a new home.

"My family loves it," Van Horn said. "My kids go to great schools and we really like the city. It's a great area for families."

While things are settled on the domestic front, there is still the minor issue of playing basketball.

With the Nets just four games away from the title last season, it had to be a hard situation to leave. But Van Horn insists he is happy.

"I think if I had to leave a team that just went to the finals, I might as well go to the team that went the year before," he said. "This is a similar team to the Nets. Both teams are deep and have a lot of guys that can play. Also, both teams are filled with guys that like to play basketball and compete. That's what it's all about."

That's a good sign for a team whose effort was questioned during last year's first-round playoff exit.

And it's a pleasant sight for the sore eyes of Philadelphia head coach Larry Brown.

"What I'm most pleased about is the roster," Brown said when asked for his highlights of training camp to date. "I like this group because they're trying so hard. I really think we upgraded with the new players."

Brown is not the only one taking to the new players.

"Keith and Todd have been great. They're good players," guard Eric Snow said. "It was hard to see Dikembe go, but I think Keith and Todd are a good fit here."

While Van Horn enjoyed his time with the Nets, he is ready to make his mark with a new team.

"Most of my goals are directed toward the team," he said. "I just want to help this team get back to where they were a few years ago, in the finals, and just go from there."

Notice how he left the future open after the part about the finals.