What Is Our Sixers Nostalgia Worth?

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JANUARY 31: Hip-Hop poses for a photo during the 25th anniversary of the 2001 Philadelphia 76ers on January 31, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

On Saturday evening, Sixers fans gathered to reminisce about the one shining moment this franchise has had in over four decades. The 2001 Eastern Conference Champions team reunited in South Philadelphia in a celebration of what once made professional basketball so special in this city.

The Sixers, of course, did not win the NBA Finals that season. Facing a vaunted Lakers team in the midst of a three-peat, they won Game 1 of the Finals before falling in the next four. Los Angeles went 15-1 that postseason, just a historical throttling that featured two of the game’s all-time greats at the peak of their powers. On the other side of things were the people’s champion in Allen Iverson, the late, great Dikembe Mutombo and a host of beloved role players.

It was great seeing fans young and old cheer on and pay tribute to the lone great Sixers squad of my lifetime before, during and after Saturday’s win over New Orleans. The energy Pat Croce showcases is the epitome of the spirit a professional sports owner should have. Iverson was instrumental to building my love of not just the Sixers, but the sport of basketball overall. His on- and off-the-court impact for a generation cannot be overstated. What 1990s kid doesn’t love Hip-Hop the mascot on top of it all?

I went out of my way to buy tickets for Saturday because it was specifically a 2001 reunion game. I wanted to soak up all those throwback vibes on top of watching this year’s Sixers team make some noise. I wanted to remember what it was like being six or seven years old and seeing the Sixers be the class of the Eastern Conference.

I had a blast seeing the likes of Iverson, Croce and Eric Snow out there and it was lovely to have Joel Embiid put up a 40-point performance on top of it all, but the more I reflect on it, and this is likely more of a me thing, I feel slightly more empty than I anticipated.

I think of Philadelphia’s own Da’Vine Joy Randolph in her Oscar-winning performance in The Holdovers. Her most famous line in the film is, “You can’t even dream a whole dream, can you?”

The gold standard of Sixers basketball for more than four decades has been a gentleman’s sweep at the hands of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. It’s bittersweet to me. Our memories, the ones we cherish the most, are important. Iverson winning MVP and his iconic step over in Game 1 of the Finals will live forever in NBA lore. The 2001 Sixers were about more than mere hardware, but I am still dreaming about a summertime parade down Broad Street for this franchise for the first time in my life.

I don’t know when the Sixers will return to the NBA Finals. Hell, I don’t when they’ll be back in the Eastern Conference Finals even. Are the memories and highlights of the 2001 team enough to carry us all over until then? I sure hope so.