A New Attitude From 76ers Fans

By Andrew Curran (@andrewjc417)

I sat at my seat waiting for biology class to start, wearing my ‘Trust The Process’ t-shirt. It was the last class I would have before the debut of Joel Embiid. I sat there thinking about someday when my grandkids will ask me (hopefully) “Where were you when Embiid was drafted?”

I still remember that fateful summer evening in 2014. During a water break at a club lacrosse practice everyone frantically checked their phones to see who the Sixers selected. I remember reading the Bleacher Report alert. The Sixers took Joel Embiid. There was a collective groan on the sideline. Everyone had their hearts set on Andrew Wiggins or Jabari Parker. It may only be one game, but oh how foolish we were. 

We all know that the Sixers are supposed to be slightly improved this year, and naturally there will be more buzz around the team. For you casual fans, it might be sports as normal. But for firm Process believers, who supported this team nearly every game for three years, something feels different. People used to laugh at you if you wore 76ers attire at school. A large part of the city pretended not to be with the Sixers like you do with that one weird aunt you’re embarrassed to be seen with in public. However, in the span of one offseason, the general attitude about the team has clearly shifted.

While waiting for the bell to ring in Biology, a teacher I didn’t even know walked past my desk, raised his fist in the air, and said ‘Trust The Process’. As crazy as it sounds, this shocked me. In French last year when the Sixers were around 0-13, my teacher who doesn’t even watch sports was bashing the Sixers. That was rock bottom.

This gesture by that unknown teacher was just the first thing that really opened my eyes to how much the attitude towards the Sixers has changed. Throughout the hallways I saw numerous Simmons jerseys, Embiid jerseys, even old school Dr. J and Charles Barkley jerseys. The causal Sixers fans came out of the shadows. For God’s sake, the Sixers sold out a game that wasn’t full of people who just wanted to see Steph Curry or Kobe Bryant. The sorrowful seats of The Center were finally filled with fans.

“So what, it was opening night, of course people are excited, right?” Wrong. People don’t realize it’s been over three whole years since they have been broadcast on national television (NBA TV doesn’t count)! That ended the other night. While the game may have been nationally televised partially because of the Thunder and what could be a historic run for Russell Westbrook, there’s no doubt the new Sixers were at least part of the reason for the scheduling. The impact of a number one pick in Simmons, and the heavily anticipated debuts of Joel Embiid and Dario Saric all added to the equation for a national broadcast.

Although I was watching the game at home, in my basement, instead of doing homework and watching my usual Wednesday night line up of TV, I could tell the crowd was buzzing. I thought I would have to wait until at least 2020 to heard Embiid MVP chants, but no, they were loud and clear when Embiid was at the foul line. And I’m sure the opera of semi-drunken “Trust The Process” chants made Sam Hinkie, wherever he was, cry a little. Someone even got thrown out of the game for being too angrily enthusiastic! And if that’s not enough, a chorus of boos rained down on Desiigner at halftime. Welcome back Philly, I missed you.

It’s not just that, either. Even after the Sixers took the L, the enthusiasm did not go away. The day after the game, people still wore Sixers jerseys! And still gushed about the team! And still cared! People are planning to watch the Sixers game together on Saturday. That may not sound like a big deal, but when was the last time you truly had a Sixers viewing party that was not lottery/draft/Warriors related?

The casual fans are back. Now, they might dip in energy as the season goes on, as it is made apparent the Sixers won’t be that good this year. But that reaction would sum up this whole season. This year is a preview. A preview of what the end result of The Process will look like. A preview of how the city and the league will embrace the 76ers. A preview of what this team can be with just one more top-5 pick. Sports, just like movies, are entertainment, and what’s the purpose of a movie trailer? To get you excited for the movie. This season is a movie trailer, and I, along with the city, can’t wait to see the full movie in the coming years.