It was a big game for the organization. Joshua Harris kept saying so. Outside the Sixers locker room, Harris talked to a handful of reporters about myriad modifications the new owners made in order to court fans. The teams managing partner mentioned the lighting and the music, the dancers (re-named The Dream Team, which is mentioned here without further commentary) and the dunk team, the reduced ticket prices and the dollar hot dogs and all the rest.
He also mentioned the scoreboard.
This is really important, Harris said about his new employees putting on a good show once the curtain finally went up. The arena wasnt full in the past. There was a lack of connectionthats the way Id put it. Unless we get the fans interested, its hard to win and do well. Weve changed so much. The food, the lights, the dancers, cheerleaders, the music, the halftime show. But none of that will matter if we dont win. The team has to win.
The team won. Big. Then, confetti shot out of cannons and covered a large portion of the crowd. (I think that means the Sixers won the NBA championship after just six games. Thats unconfirmed.)
The Sixersthe last NBA team to hold a home gamesmashed the Pistons, 96-73, at the Wells Fargo Center on Friday night (see story). With the victory, the Sixers improved to 4-2 and kept a grip on a tie for first place in the Atlantic Division. Jodie Meeks had 21 points. Lou Williams had 16. Thaddeus Young added 15. And Spencer Hawes (!) had a double-double. The crowd even chanted Hawes name. Amazing what they can do with that new lighting and music.
I dont know if anybody thought they would have been chanting Spencer Hawes this time last year, Doug Collins said, but it was nice to hear.
It was a good night for the fans. Some Sixers greats were honored before tip-offWorld B. Free, Bobby Jones, Moses Malone, Earl Cureton and Dr. Jand Williams grabbed a microphone and promised the crowd that the team has been working hard to make you guys proud. There were video montages linking past to present, and Ayla Brown performed the national anthem. (While she sang, her bio appeared on one of the smaller scoreboard screens. It read: American Idol contestant, recording artist, former NCAA Division I womens player. Her dad is also a U.S. Senator, but I guess thats less important than meeting Ryan Seacrest.)
NBA
Not everything went according to plan, though. The new owners were introduced, but the Fresh Prince wasnt among them. (Harris said Los Angeles is a long way from Philly.) Cousin Carlton and Uncle Phil were also absent. Call that a push. And when Harris went to half-court for a ceremonial tip-off with Hawes, the Pistons made him wait for a long time until sending out a representative. It was awkward. Then, it got more uncomfortable when Detroit center Vernon Macklin stole the fake tip and Harris, clearly annoyed, rolled his eyes. And all that in front of a mostly-full building.
As recently as three weeks ago, the Sixers had sold fewer than 4,000 tickets for the home opener. By Friday night, Harris said, the team expected more than 19,000 fans to fill the Wells Fargo Center. (The official attendance was announced as 19,408). That sounded like an impressive feat and possibly a direct reflection on the promotional effortsuntil someone asked Harris if 19,000 tickets had been sold or if 19,000 people would simply be in the building. Big difference. Harris didnt exactly answer the question. Instead, he smirked and said very sly and then added that he hoped the Sixers would put on a good show for the crowd.
And they did, insofar as they beat the Pistonswhich is, at the very least, better for show purposes than losing to the Pistons. Even so, it was the home opener and the Sixers didnt sell out the building. There were a few empty red seats spotted around the arenain the upper deck and the lower bowl and behind both baskets. There are a handful of games on the schedule when you simply assume the Wells Fargo will be packed: when the Heat comes to town, the home opener and, well, thats it. At least for now.
At halftime, I ran into Sixers CEO Adam Aron. He asked how I liked all the changes and the charged-up atmosphere. I told him it was clear the organization is trying, but I wondered why there werent more people in the building. He thought about it for a moment and then pointed up at the scoreboard.
If we keep winning, Aron said, people will come.
Of all the changes, winning would be the biggestand the hardest to pull off.
E-mail John Gonzalez at jgonzalez@comcastsportsnet.com.