With the Phillies, Union and Eagles just missing out on winning championships, the eyes of the Philly sports fan now turn to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Philadelphia sports fans have spent the past fall being bridesmaids, as the Phillies, Union and Eagles (nope, still not over that one) have all made it to their respective league finals, only to lose. In the case of the Union and Eagles in heartbreaking fashion.
For those thirsting to attend a parade, the next, realistic (sorry Flyers fans), is the 76ers. The hopes of the sporting public now turns its lonely (and cried out) eyes to Joel Embiid, James Harden and Co.
The Sixers have spent the past five seasons disappointing its fan base, so why not inflict deep emotional damage on new fans?
We all know the story: The Sixers have not gotten past the second round of the playoffs since 2001. The biggest horrors included:
- They had the NBA title seemingly in their grasp in 2019, only to have Kawhi Leonard’s miracle shot.
- The Sixers were the No. 1 seed in 2021 but got knocked out by the No. 5 seed Atlanta Hawks as Ben Simmons had his public meltdown (which he still has not gotten over).
Yes, to be a 76er fan the past few years has seen a lot of joyful experiences followed by tragic exits from the playoffs. And now, the rest of the city can enjoy the rollercoaster ride.
Time to hop on Philadelphia 76ers bandwagon?
With the stirring comeback against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Sixers have now defeated the No. 1 (Nuggets) and No. 2 (Grizzlies) teams in the Western Conference, so the argument they could not compete in the NBA finals kind of went up in smoke,
Right now, the Eastern Conference appears to be a three-team race between the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks and Sixers. With a tough schedule to close out the season, Philly could finish third in the standings while still being the best team in the conference.
Having come so tantalizing close in the MLS Cup, World Series and Super Bowl, are the local sports fans ready for another playoff ride that might end with a title – or bring more heartbreak.
The odd part is, since getting past the second round has been such a big bugaboo for the team, a loss in the NBA finals would be considered a rousing success of a season. But to the more casual fan, it would be another disappointing finish for a pro sports team that was one step away from winning it all.
With every Sixers win, particularly over good teams, expectations and hopes of this being the year rise.
Having been s close in so many sports, when the NBA playoffs roll around , the eyes of the sporting public will be on the 76ers.
It would be kind of ironic, after years of soul-crushing defeats, it was the 76ers who came through at the end and got the city of Philadelphia a parade.
Philadelphia 76ers: 15 greatest NBA playoff moments
The Philadelphia 76ers have had some incredible postseason moments since the franchise's inception in 1946. Here are 15 moments that stand out the most.