Getty Images Sixers guard James Harden of the Philadelphia 76ers.
The sister of former Philadelphia 76ers big man Al Horford took aim at the team and their fans on social media, touting his newfound success with the Boston Celtics.
Anna Horford has been in an extended war of words with Sixers fans since things went south for Al in the City of Brotherly Love. Shortly after a trade sent Al Horford to Oklahoma City after a failed one-year stint in Philadelphia, Anna tweeted: “Pretending to fw Philly was EXHAUSTING. The most miserable fans in the NBA.”
Pretending to fw Philly was EXHAUSTING. The most miserable fans in the NBA:
She has taken shots at the Sixers at every opportunity since, including on May 26, with the Celtics still in the postseason and Philly sitting at home.
“Al doesn’t care about individual recognition, but I would love to see him to get his flowers,” she wrote. “His consistency & leadership has propelled this team. At almost 36, he’s proven to be invaluable to the Cs. Just bc he’s quiet about his success, doesn’t mean it should be glossed over.”
A fan responded, writing: “He was a flaming hot pile of garbage in Philadelphia.” That prompted some fire from Anna.
“Maybe your city should start trying to love & inspire their players instead of trashing them & their families. You guys have been home for a while now… Enjoy your vacation & regroup,” she tweeted.
Horford has had a redemption year after being cast off to Oklahoma City. He started 69 games for the Celtics this season, notching 10.2 points per game and 7.7 rebounds. He’s upped his game in the postseason for the Celtics, who are on the verge of the NBA Finals.
Sixers Left Disappointed After Playoff Failure
The Sixers were bounced by the Heat in six games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, unable to capitalize after a blockbuster mid-season trade for James Harden.
“Everybody’s got to get better,” Embiid said. “It’s not just, not just about me or [Harden]. From 1 through 15, there’s a reason why we lost to Miami. That means we all were not good enough. So everybody just has to be better.”
Harden was thoroughly disappointing, especially in an elimination game where the former MVP shot just nine times — two of them in the second half — scoring 11 points.
“Since we got him, everybody expected the Houston James Harden,” Embiid said. “But that’s not who he is anymore. He’s more of a playmaker. I thought, at times, he could have been, as all of us could have been, more aggressive. All of us whether it was Tyrese [Maxey] or Tobias [Harris] or guys coming off the bench.”
Sixers Face Uncertain Future With James Harden
The Sixers will have some key decisions to make this offseason to stay among the contenders in the Eastern Conference, with much of their flexibility being contingent on what happens with Harden.
Harden could opt in to his hefty $47.4 million player option or negotiate a long-term deal to stay in Philadelphia. Harden has said he wants to stay in Philadelphia and suggested that he’d be open to taking less to make sure the team can stay competitive.
“I’ll be here,” Harden said after the Sixers were eliminated. “Yeah, I’ll be here. Whatever allows this team to continue to grow and get better and do the things necessary to win and compete at the highest level.”
Another top-flight guard like Zach LaVine is an option, or even beefing up the rotation with a viable backup center option, which became an obvious hole when Embiid went down in the postseason.