The Sixer Sense
Fansided

Sixers’ national notoriety is on the rise

By Christopher Kline

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 27: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers is introduced prior to the game against the Houston Rockets at the Wells Fargo Center on January 27, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 27: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers is introduced prior to the game against the Houston Rockets at the Wells Fargo Center on January 27, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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With a pair of nationally (and internationally) relevant games already on the docket next season, the Philadelphia 76ers‘  rise is being accompanied by a sharp spike in notoriety.

The Philadelphia 76ers won 10 games during the 2015-16 season, which measured out as one of the worst campaigns in NBA history. Now, just two years later, the Sixers will play on Christmas Day before heading overseas to spar the Celtics in London just a few weeks later.

Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers /

Philadelphia 76ers

In what will likely be the first game of the evening, the Sixers are scheduled to take on the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden this Christmas. While there’s an obvious letdown in terms of opponent strength, you have to look past the product on the floor in order to understand the value.

New York remains the NBA’s biggest market from a monetary standpoint, and having the Sixers travel there on such an important holiday is a significant accomplishment for such a young team. People are going to tune into a Christmas Day game when the Knicks are playing, and whether or not they’re winning games leading up to it doesn’t really matter.

In terms of the London matchup, this speaks in part to the international flavor that this Sixers team is becoming increasingly noted for. Joel Embiid has already began his outreach in Africa — his home continent — while Ben Simmons, Dario Saric, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Furkan Korkmaz all hail from overseas.

The London game isn’t necessarily about a team’s diversity of national origin, but it is about expanding the reach of NBA basketball on a global scale. That’s something this Philadelphia squad is well-equipped to do.

They’ll have another marquee matchup in Boston as well. The Celtics and SIxers will be discussed together for quite some time in lieu of the Markelle Fultz–Jayson Tatum swap, so pitting budding rivals against one another on the international stage should be an enjoyable experience for those in attendance.

Philadelphia is already selling season tickets at a record pace, which gives us a taste of just how immense the fan support around this team currently is. The excitement is palpable, and Embiid, Simmons and Fultz are already among the Eastern Conference’s most talented trios.

Next: Top 10 Sixers entering the 2017-18 season (Part 1)

As the team continues to grow, their national relevance should increase alongside it. This is a genuinely exciting time for Sixers fans, and the fruits of The Process seem to be ripening even earlier than some expected.