January 21, 2017

Sixers' Ben Simmons, ESPN salute bizarre #RaisetheCats celebration

By Michael Tanenbaum
PhillyVoice Staff

Ben Simmons/Twitter

Ben Simmons raises pair of Savannah cats in response to new Sixers meme.

For the first time in what feels like ages, the Philadelphia 76ers are the talk of the town in a positive light. After stringing together an impressive 10-game stretch and showcasing what's in store for the better part of The Process, that alone stands as reason enough to celebrate.

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Of course, as only a fanbase that has grown delirious from several seasons of professional losing could do, the Sixers faithful have come up with a truly weird way to praise the team's reemergence. They're hoisting cats in the air after every win and slapping on a #RaisetheCats hashtag.

Why is this happening, the uninitiated might wonder? Well, it has nothing remotely to do with basketball, but Twitter user @GipperGrove launched the hashtag as a way to engage rookie Ben Simmons, who remains sidelined with a foot injury and has otherwise shown up in Instagram and Twitter pictures with several of his feline friends.

@BenSimmons25 this pic of yours pic.twitter.com/nt6hMRBTDK
— Ryan Cohen (@RCohen44) January 21, 2017

The more the 76ers win, the more fans lift up their cats in victory#RaiseTheCat https://t.co/ZIa7faJRus pic.twitter.com/yQNbjHy22c
— SB Nation (@SBNation) January 21, 2017

With Sixers victories now piling up, social media feeds have been littered with fans posting pictures of their cats held skyward.

This @Sixers team is pawsitively exciting. What a W #RaiseTheCat @JoelEmbiid pic.twitter.com/VkS6B2SIxi
— Keith (@phillyindiefan) January 19, 2017

@GipperGrove Raise the cat, everybody, for Philadelphia, Seventy-Sixers #RaiseTheCat pic.twitter.com/sznLGXrCGc
— Dan McQuade (@dhm) January 19, 2017

#RaiseTheCat she hates when I pick her up and I don’t wanna get scratched so heres her on a couch arm pic.twitter.com/2cPInkpi9H
— Fredshirt Reshman (@OhWowHmm) January 19, 2017

Sharing the #RaiseTheCat love with local pals @Sixers + animal champs @phillypaws @MorrisAnimal @WomensHumane @MainLineRescue. Rescue. Adopt pic.twitter.com/5MvuAaFQpL
— Petplan Insurance (@Petplan) January 21, 2017

West Coast #RaiseTheCat pic.twitter.com/o2Up36c999
— John Gonzalez (@_JohnGonz) January 21, 2017

#RaiseTheCat pic.twitter.com/fgblqxhGGE
— Kevin Kirchoff (@NutsytheDog) January 21, 2017

Great win by @APlayersProgram! #BearDown #GoCats #RAISETHECAT (cc @GipperGrove) pic.twitter.com/Qf8GvxSf5p
— Lou Brock Shakur (@Advantage_CT) January 21, 2017

Getting fired up for tonight @Sixers #RaiseTheCat pic.twitter.com/alSsO7neF0
— Matt (@MatthewCP93) January 21, 2017

Eventually, Simmons caught wind of what was going on and began to wonder how it all started.

Someone tell me how raise the cat started
— Ben Simmons (@BenSimmons25) January 21, 2017

Answers from fans quickly poured into the top draft pick's Twitter replies and Simmons — as had been the goal all along — obliged popular demand with a perfect #RaisetheCats photo.