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Nerlens Noel Pays it Forward to Fans for What They Went Through With Him

Josh Wilson
Josh Wilson

The Sixer Sense

Feb 11, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4) during the national anthem before action against the Miami Heat at Wells Fargo Center. The Philadelphia 76ers won 117-109. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Philadelphia 76ers’ former center Nerlens Noel, who was traded at the trade deadline this season, bought Sixers fans cheesesteaks to pay it forward.

Friday night will be a weird night for a lot of people at the Philadelphia 76ers game against the Dallas Mavericks. Not only will it be the team’s first game against Nerlens Noel as an opponent, but it will also be the first time Nerlens Noel comes into Wells Fargo Center as a visitor.

The Mavericks were in Philly on Thursday night, the day before the game, and Noel sent a Tweet out to fans letting them know that if they wanted free cheesesteak, he would be buying at Chickie’s and Pete’s.

“#AllLove” is what Noel had to say about his actions to the fans. All love, indeed.

CSN Philly’s John Clark captured the moments where fans and Noel reunited. He took pictures, embraced children, smiled, and of course, bought food.

“I wanted to show my appreciation [for the fan’s support] and how much it really meant to me,” Noel said to CSN. “It meant the world to me.”

Speaking to Clark, he said, “no fanbase really goes thru something like what WE’VE gone thru.”

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Certainly not. The things the Sixers fans and Noel had to endure were unique. Noel, who is just 22 years old, has dealt with a lot of NBA drama already in his young career.

Noel, who was drafted in 2013, was the resultant piece of the very first move Sam Hinkie made with general manager powers as he led the Sixers and their fans into a rebuild that would entail much more than we ever imagined.

Noel developed into a solid rim protector and incredible offensive player in transition and pick and roll. He began to develop some signs of a solid mid-range game this season as well.

As the trade deadline approached, the Sixers looked to clear their logjam created by Noel, Jahlil Okafor, and Joel Embiid. All signs pointed to Okafor being on the move, but when the deadline day came, Noel was the one to leave.

Noel had expressed his displeasure a few times with the logjam and how that was detrimental to him and his fellow teammates.

Next: Noel Reunion Signifies New Chapter for Both Sides

Nonetheless, his time with Philly is over. While he may have had some rocky roads, it’s clear that the fans meant a lot to him.

Josh Wilson

Josh Wilson

Josh is currently the Managing Editor of FanSided.com. He has worked with FanSided in some capacity for a total of eight years, starting as a contributor for Swarm and Sting, Toro Times, and HoopsHabit in 2015. He served as a site expert for The Sixer Sense during 'The Process' years while starting his educational track at Temple University as a journalism student. He later transferred to the State University of New York at Cortland where he completed his B.A. in Mass Communication with a concentration in journalism. For FanSided, Josh worked as Operations Assistant before taking on a role as Editorial Director of the NBA Division, a role he held for three years. Along the way he also helped start and lead the FanSided fellowship program which created a path for several young journalists to start their careers in sports media. Nothing is more important to Josh than Yankee wins and his family.