The Sixer Sense
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Throwback Campaign is Exactly What the Sixers Need

By Josh Wilson

Dec 22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers mascot Franklin waves a flag at center court prior to tip off in a game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 22, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers mascot Franklin waves a flag at center court prior to tip off in a game against the Memphis Grizzlies at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Philadelphia 76ers are debuting a throwback campaign this season with new jerseys, and it’s exactly what they need to move forward.

The Philadelphia 76ers announced on Thursday that they would be debuting a new campaign for the upcoming season. No, it doesn’t have to do with pushing for an emphasis on Joel Embiid, Dario Saric, or even Ben Simmons. In fact, it really ignores anything that is going to be upcoming for the team in the next few seasons.

In fact, it looks back to 1967, when the Sixers won their first title in Philadelphia. The team will be rolling out new jerseys with a patch that honors that title team, as well as a new center court design that will also be signed by the ticket holders.

Some think this is holding onto the past and ignoring the future, but this is exactly what this team needs. This is exactly what the Sixers should be doing moving into this pivotal season.

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The Sixers unfortunately put themselves in a tough position with fans last year when they hired Bryan Colangelo. Colangelo was put in a position that seemingly clashed with the president and general manager Sam Hinkie. It was evident that Hinkie had been pushed out when he resigned from his post, and moved on (now he’s taking a gap year in California, according to his newly active Twitter feed).

The franchise lost a lot of trust with the fans because of this. Fans had fallen in love with the radical rebuilding process Hinkie implemented over the past three seasons. Now they had to move forward without him.

This year is pivotal because the team finally got the first overall draft pick, taking Ben Simmons. They will also debut Joel Embiid and Dario Saric, both players who were drafted in 2014. So it does seem odd that with those hugely exciting names, the team isn’t pushing them for their campaign for this season.

The message is clear — Remember the successes of the past as we embark on our journey into the future.

That 1967 team was something else. They had Wilt Chamberlain, Hal Greer, and Billy Cunningham. They went 61-20, and went 11-4 in the playoffs.

The spotlight isn’t due on the young players yet. Yes, they are hyped, but they need to live up to that hype before they get the credit of a season-long campaign.

Remembering the past, and the huge success of the franchise up to this point is important. We can’t forget about where the team was in the past three seasons, and we definitely can’t forget about the multiple titles the franchise has.

Allen Iverson was also just inducted to the Hall of Fame, something that is giving the Sixers much more attention than they’ve gotten over the past few seasons.

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Oh, and it’s pretty cool that the Sixers are involving and rewarding ticket holders by allowing them to sign the emblem at center court. The future is coming, but the past is still important to the Sixers.