Still crawling out from the haze that is an NBA Draft Party-live podcast combo. But I feel like we need to point out how awesome the feeling is around the Sixers right now. We talked about it on the podcast, but they are the perfect team for the perfect time. The last great, exciting team Philly had was the 2007-2011 Phillies, but they were comprised mostly of mid-career veterans who came up long before social media. We felt a great connection to them, but they always felt distant– like you could only see them behind a velvet rope. Social media has broken down those barriers in all of society, particularly for young athletes. And the Sixers have more of them than basically anyone else. They are so well poised to not only be great on the court, but also off it. This group, led by Joel Embiid, connects so well to the fans in a way that is totally organic. There’s no filter when Jojo and Ben Simmons stroll down the Parkway during the NFL draft, or when Embiid heads to SIPS, or when Saric and T.J. trust their friendship. Or, like last night, when Simmons and Embiid fire NUCLEAR WARHEADS at the Balls:

https://twitter.com/BenSimmons25/status/878038026122924033

Almost to a man, everyone at Ladder 15 last night was looking at their phones, marveling at those shots from the Sixers’ two superstars. Perfect team. Perfect time.

Of course… there’s always a scripted element to sports, and Markelle Fultz it seems learned his first lesson about sponsored posts– NEVER JUST COPY AND PASTE IT:

Rookie mistake.