Joel Embiid, Dario Saric, Ben Simmons, Markelle Fultz. Just uttering those names excites me as a Sixers fan. Oh, and don't forget the most cap room in the NBA, a #1 protected Lakers pick in 2018 and a #1 protected Kings pick in 2019. It is easily the most excited I have been as a fan since the Sixers went to the NBA Finals in 2001.
This was a bitter, rugged, painful road, but I feel a sense of pride that I was able to endure it with all of the other Sixers fans. The journey is just as important in life as the destination. There is a reason daring(and possibly insane?) people risk their lives every single year scaling Mount Everest, which is statistically the most dangerous thing a human being can do. If you could just take a teleporter and appear at the peak of the mountain, no one would any desire to do such a thing. People do it because it's dangerous and incredibly difficult and trying. People do it because few in this world can claim such a feat. They do it because it gives them a great deal of pride that they were able to overcome one of planet earth's greatest challenges. I feel that way about being a fan during the era of 'The Process'. This level of tanking was unprecedented throughout NBA history, and their level of losing was close to it. It took every ounce of sports fan strength to stomach it. I'm glad I did and I wouldn't change it for anything.
Philadelphia had the longest four sport championship drought between 1983 and 2008. It was a bitter pill to swallow for Philly sports fans, but one thing it accomplished was make us more appreciative of how hard it is to win a championship. Anytime you endure adversity in life, it makes you appreciate the little things. Then once you get over the hump, it's nothing but pure elation. Ask the 2+ million fans who stormed Broad Street on October 31st, 2008. The Sixers didn't take any shortcuts. They didn't lure some hometown superstar from another team to come home and save the franchise. They didn't have a superstar already who could attract other stars to come play here. The Sixers built this roster from scratch. Through draft picks, trades, a few signings here and there, and lots and lots of losing.
As a gamer, if you've ever played The Elder Scrolls series, you'd understand. It's an open-world video game where you can go anywhere and do anything. You start off with basically nothing and have to build up your character as you progress in the world. It sucks starting off with rags as clothing and crappy iron swords, but what makes it so much fun is building yourself up from nothing, the character progression as you advance, and seeing the final result hundreds of hours later. Progression keeps us motivated and interested in life. Like watching a painting or sculpture come together bit by bit.
With all that said, there's a fine line between journey and hell. If you knew you had to run across a bed of hot coals that lasted forever, no one would do it. That's sadistic. If this tanking went on forever, over time it would have become unbearable and even the most steadfast of fans would have checked out eventually. It didn't, though. The hard part is over. We reached the other side. And when we (hopefully) reach the pinnacle of success one day, we can look back and say we all endured 'The Process' together.
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