PHILADELPHIA, PA - MAY 10: Philadelphia 76ers fans cheer after a 79-78 win over the Chicago Bulls in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals in the 2012 NBA Playoffs at the Wells Fargo Center on May 10, 2012 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 Drew Hallowell/Getty Images)
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.
This story will be updated.
Michael Kaskey-Blomain Michael Kaskey-Blomain is an experienced sports media member covering the NBA and NFL for Heavy. He has been in the industry for well over a decade with previous stops including the Philadelphia Inquirer and CBS Sports. Michael also serves as a Philadelphia 76ers reporter and insider for ESPN 97.3 and an NBA and NFL contributor for The Sporting News. More about Michael Kaskey-Blomain