Installment #37 in Monolisticle's Ongoing Campaign Against the "Internet of Endless Listicles."
Am I the only 76ers fan who prayed that the organization wouldn’t trade Ben Simmons for James Harden?
Nothing against Harden—he is a generational talent. And I love watching him play (I'm actually excited to see him play in Brooklyn with Irving and Durant).
But I’d rather the 76ers lose with our core team intact (Embid, Simmons, Harris, and the other players I'm quickly growing attached to) than win by trading away Simmons. Because Simmons, too, is a generational talent. But most importantly, he is OUR generational talent.
He is a 76er.
As fans, we’ve been there with Simmons ever since he first came into the league. We've been there with him as he struggled. And then found his greatness. Even as critics attacked him for lacking an outside shot (despite racking up triple-double after triple-double), we were there with him. We've supported him, no matter what. Because that's what good fans do. But we also want to be there with him to finally reap the sweet, sweet bliss of our loyalty and support—winning an NBA championship.
In Philadelphia.
I’m not a fan of the buy-a-championship approach to winning. I will tolerate it in the case of the Lakers and the Nets, because there was no superstar all-star core foundation already there to disrupt and to re-build. The spirit and culture and heart of the team was not shattered by those trades and acquisitions. Most of the main talent was imported from elsewhere.
There’s a strong sentimental part of me that would rather see the 76ers win the big one with Embid, Simmons, and Harris—or not win it at all. (And I'd also prefer to see it won with Milton, Thybulle, Maxey, Curry, Green, Scott, Howard, Joe, and Korkmaz). After everything we 76ers fans have been through with injuries and trades and a coaching change and unmet expectations, an NBA championship by that core team will mean far more to me—and, I suspect, to other 76ers fans as well. It just will. What fun would a championship be if the narrative is: "Of course the 76ers won the Finals—they had Harden."
And if not the 76ers, I at least want this year’s NBA champion to be a team that loyally stuck with its core players. Like Milwaukee. Or Miami. Or Boston. Or Dallas. (By the way, it was great to see Giannis stay in Milwaukee and I was happy for Bucks fans. They deserve it. He could have gone to a number of teams and almost guaranteed himself a title, but he didn't. And I respect that).
Chances are, it probably won't be any of those teams that wins it all. It'll most likely be the Lakers, the best team money could buy. But nobody likes foregone conclusions, especially in sports. I know I don't.
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