For the first time since 1982, the Philadelphia 76ers bested the Boston Celtics in a playoff series this year.
But, Celtics fans bested Sixers fans when it comes to being the most obnoxious.
NBA Players Say Philadelphia 76ers Have Second-Most Obnoxious Fanbase
PHILADELPHIA, PA – MAY 7: A Philadelphia 76ers fan holds up a sign against the Boston Celtics during Game Four of the Eastern Conference Second Round of the 2018 NBA Playoff at Wells Fargo Center on May 7, 2018 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. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
In an anonymous poll conducted by The Athletic, NBA players voted on which arena has the most obnoxious fans, and the Sixers fans who pack the Xfinity Mobile Arena on a nightly basis came in second with 17.9 percent of the vote – directly behind Celtics fans, who received 32 percent of the vote. Knicks fans and Jazz fans came in third and fourth in the poll, respectively.
From The Athletic:
As for the Philly fans being pegged as the over-the-top type, it’s hard to blame them for taking out all these decades of frustration on visiting teams. The Sixers haven’t won a title since 1983, and haven’t been to a Finals since the Allen Iverson-led 2000-01 team fell in five games to the Shaq-Kobe Lakers. That was their last conference finals appearance, too. More recently, they’ve now lost in the second round in six of the past nine seasons.
As if all of that hasn’t been painful enough to endure, they’re now facing the existential question of whether they truly qualify as a sports town anymore. At least that’s how Josh Hart sees it. After the Knicks’ sweep, the veteran guard who won a national title in 2016 at Villanova trolled the Philly masses during his victory lap.
“I used to think Philly was a sports town,” Hart said after the closeout game at Xfinity Mobile Arena. “I don’t know if it is anymore.”
Mark your calendars for the next time Hart and the Knicks play the Sixers next season. It’s safe to assume we’ll be reminded why their fans made this list.
Sixers Fans Have a Reason to Be Obnoxious
GettyPHILADELPHIA, PA – APRIL 24: Philadelphia 76ers fans cheer during the second half of their 86-82 win over the Miami Heat in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals in the 2011 NBA Playoffs at Wells Fargo Center on April 24, 2011 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. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
As the writer(s) of The Athletic pointed out, Sixers fans have a reason to be obnoxious. The team hasn’t won an NBA championship in over 40 years, which means that many of the team’s current fans have never seen them hoist a banner. The Sixers haven’t even reached the Eastern Conference finals in a quarter of a century.
So, Sixers fans have no choice but to let all of the anger and frustration that they feel annually out on opposing teams and players, and sometimes on their own players, too.
Philadelphia 76ers Fans Voted Second-Most Obnoxious in Entire NBA by Players