As we get set to start the second half of the year, the Philadelphia 76ers find themselves in a position they haven’t been in quite some time. For the first time in 20 years, the Sixers entered the All-Star break as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Joel Embiid has taken over the association, supplanting himself as the best big man and the overall MVP favorite of the entire league. Ben Simmons is not to be out done, playing some of the best basketball of his career while being a top candidate for Defensive Player of the Year. Coincidentally, the last time the Sixers had the No.1 seed, the MVP and DPOY was in 2001, the year they went to the Finals.
Yes, this year has been full of excitement and enjoyment, as the Sixers have finally seemed to have found their potential in becoming a real title contender under coach Doc Rivers.
With the second half of the season starting up, I think it’s time for us as Sixers fans to take a moment and appreciate how far we have come. We have earned the right to sit back and enjoy this because only we know what it took to get us here. Through the Iverson led teams, to the “Show Ya Luv” era, we saw what mediocre basketball looked like. You know, year in and year out of good enough to have an all-star here and there only to get bounced in the first round of the playoffs.
Then came “The Process” era where only real Sixers fans know the pain we had to endure. Knowing the team was built for failure, we still wanted to pay $15 a ticket to sit in the 200 section to watch Isaiah Canaan, Hollis Thompson, JaKarr Sampson, Brandon Davies, and Henry Sims share the floor. We put our trust in Sam Hinkie, hoping that his plan of asset acquisition and high draft picks will ultimately pan out.
(Jarvis Varnado #40, James Nunnally #12, James Anderson #9, Elliot Williams #25, and Hollis Thompson #31 pictured above after the Sixers lost their 26th consecutive game in 2014-2015.)
But Hinkie was prematurely pushed out by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, so the Colangelo’s were forced upon us. Their regime brought us Markelle Fultz and the burner Twitter account situation that made us the laughingstock of the NBA.
And then finally, we made it through the headache that was the last two years. From going all-in in 2019 just to lose on the craziest buzzer beater in NBA history, to the debacle that was Brett Brown, Al Horford and Josh Richardson, this team has seen every high and low imaginable.
Yes, we have been through some pain. But in the end, we have been a part of this butterfly effect that has taken us to where we are now.
Without the struggle, we wouldn’t have a president in Daryl Morey that is analytically smart and knows how to construct a roster around its best players.
We wouldn’t have a coach in Rivers that holds his players accountable and positions them in ways on the court where they can showcase their true talents.
We wouldn’t have a team that truly compliments everyone and above all, looks like they’re having fun while doing it.
So, rejoice Sixers fans, because this is the team we’ve been waiting for.
Appreciate the struggles and obstacles we overcame to get to where we are now. Just like Sixers two-way player and G-League stud Paul Reed says, we had to get it out the mud. Although the Process isn’t complete, we can confidently say we have escaped that era and are in the midst of a new one for Sixers basketball.
So, before we start the second half of the year. Before we make any crazy trades. Just take a moment to grasp just how good this team is and what we have accomplished. We have been through a lot during our journey, but our journey is far from over.
Here’s to the second half of the season Sixers fans.
