There are a few things happening this winter down at the Wells Fargo Center that have pleasantly surprised the Philadelphia fan base. Your 76ers have started the year in remarkable fashion, by wining 11 of their 1st 15 games and leading the Atlantic Division by a staggering 5 game margin over the rival Celtics and Knicks, who just can’t seem to get it together. The team plays an intense throwback style of basketball, that has reinvigorated a city resigned to observing mediocrity since the early 2000′s, Allen Iverson v1.0 era.
In an abbreviated 66 game season which started over a month late due to a 161 day lock-out, the Sixers are one of the leagues biggest stories. The teams sizzling start may have taken national pundits and analysts off guard, but former Sixers player and current head coach Doug Collins believes his guys are capable of accomplishing big things this year if they play together.
This next generation of Sixers is led by fresh faces like 2010 2nd overall pick Evan Turner, budding star PG Jrue Holiday and emerging big man, Spencer Hawes. They are the 3rd youngest team in the NBA, with an average player age 23 years, this can be an incredible asset when they are forced to play back to back games and travel to multiple cities with little time for rest in an uber condensed schedule. So far the Sixers have taken advantage of their young legs, demolishing their opponents with suffocating defense, allowing a mere 88 points per game. In a league filled with superstars and egos these Sixers have 7 player who average double figures and none over 20 a game. In fact Lou Williams comes off the bench to lead the team in scoring putting up a little over 15 points a game.
Coach Collins has built the quintessential team, his players have bought in, play hard and the fans are loving it. In the early stages of this season the team has begun to turn things around. The shift is evident both on the court and in the arena. It’s no accident fans are starting to show up to the Wells Fargo Center in large numbers again. This summer the Sixers were purchased by a group of investors led by U Penn Grad and Billionaire buy-out specialist Joshua Harris. The ownership also consists of CEO, Adam Aron who is a Philly native and life long Sixers fan. Hometown hero, actor/musician Will Smith adds star power to consortium. It appears that Smith will be an ambassador for the team, playing a similar role as Jay-Z does in New Jersey for the Nets.
As CEO Aron runs the day to day operations of the franchise. He is a personable guy and dedicated to interacting regularly with the fans. This couldn’t be more evident then by tracking his new found fame on his twitter. Over the pass two months @SixersCEOAdam has amassed over 10,000 followers. The new ownership has attracted more visitors by slashing the ticket prices of over 9,000 seats in the Wells Fargo Center. Game tickets can be purchased now for as low as $10 in the upper bowl. As a result attendance has sky rocketed from recent years and the atmosphere has been simply electric.
These new owners are dedicated to producing a memorable experience at the arena and delivering a quality product on the court. I wouldn’t be surprised if the team adds substantial talent to bolster it’s already exciting roster in the near future. If you haven’t been to a game yet this year, get there! Become a part of the Home Court advantage and experience this passionate, intense and proud team.
