Philadelphia 76ers: 5 opponents the fans will actually cheer for

2. Boban Marjanovic

Fri. Dec. 20, 7 p.m.

It is hard to beleive that a player who was only on the team for four months and spent most of that time as a third-string center would become a popular icon.

But that was the case last year with Boban Marjanovic.

On February 6, 2019, Marjanovic was shipped from the Clippers to the 76ers as part of the Tobias Harris.

On the court, Marjanovic used his 7-foot-3 frame to block out the sun when opponents drove to the basket. He also had a multitude of offensive moves, including the ability to hit a 3-pointer, and was great in pick-and-roll situations with Harris, a close friend.

In the Sixers first round series with Brooklyn, Marjanovic had some good outings. However, his lack of foot speed and inability to play on the perimeter against a much faster Toronto squad hurt him and he was on the bench by the end.

However, Bobi’s playful personality made him great in the eyes of the Sixers followers.

Always treating the fans with respect, Bobi was a fan favorite from the first time he took the court.

It was a true love affair between the fans and Marjanovic and, when the season ended, he talked about how he hoped to return to Philadelphia. At one point, he said he was ‘90 percent’ sure he would be back.

And how cool is it to have a player who got to battle Keanu Reaves, like Bobi did in John Wick 3.

But the signing of Al Horford away from the Celtics sucked up almost all the Sixers cap space, what remained went to a long-term deal for Shake Milton.

So Marjanovic went where he could be paid and inked a two-year, $7 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks. This ended his three-team partnership with Harris.

Maybe, strictly basketball-wise, the Sixers were better off with Kyle O’Quinn rather than Bobi as a reserve center, but it did not make the hurt Sixers fans feel any better.

When Marjanovic shows up with Luka Doncic & Co., we know how the Sixers fans will react to him: Standing ovation.