Philadelphia 76ers: The 10 craziest episodes in franchise history

Sept. 27, 2018: Zhaire Smith becomes gravely ill due to sesame allergy

On a team desperate for defense from its wings, Zhaire Smith was looked upon as part of the solution as the 76ers geared up for what they hoped would be a title run in the 2018-19 season.

Smith had been part of the 2018 draft-night trade with the Phoenix Suns that sent hometown favorite Mikal Bridges to the Valley.

Smith was listed at just 6-foot-4 but had played power forward in college. He would need a lot of work on his ball handling and shooting skills but, with his great athletic ability, it was hoped he could help on defense guarding wing players who scored off the dribble, a big weak point for the club.

Coach Brett Brown saw Smith as a young Kawhi Leonard-type who could be a lockdown defender and build his offensive skills as his career progressed.

When Smith suffered a broken foot at a skills camp in August, there was still optimism he could contribute that season, as he was projected to be ready by December.

As it turned out, a sesame seed would prove far more problematic than a broken bone.

On Sept. 27, it was announced that Smith had undergone a thoracosopy due to an allergic reaction to a food product.

It turned out Smith was unknowingly allergic to sesame and when he ate something with either sesame seeds or sesame oil, he had a severe reaction to it.

Things got so bad he could not swallow food and had to have a feeding tube inserted into his stomach. He went from a listed 199 ponds down to 160.

Everyone now assumed his season was over before it had even started. However, Smith did not buy it.

With his feeding tube still there, he would go to the 76ers practice facility and work on his shooting. By March he was cleared to play for the G-League team and saw action in six games for the 76ers at the end of the year.

He is expected to compete to be part of the Sixers rotation in the upcoming season, so the story has a happy ending.

However, Sixers fans are left to ponder this question: If Smith had returned in December as planned, with his defensive prowess, would that have made a difference against Toronto, where they lost on a buzzer-beater in seven games?

Could a sesame seed bun have cost the 76ers an NBA championship?

We’ll never know, but it is certainly a crazy question no other sports franchise has had to ask.