February 26, 2017
Last week was difficult to stomach—alright, it was nauseating—for many loyal fans of the Philadelphia 76ers. The team traded Nerlens Noel in one of two deadline deals that most observers agree didn't yield as much value for the team as the players involved should have gotten them, or could have, had timelines and negotiations been managed more shrewdly.
All of this reopened healing wounds from the pain points of The Process, whose results have been hard to accept whether you've been a supporter of the rebuilding strategy or not.
At times like these, even when it does us no actual good, it helps to look back at the Sixers of yesteryear, if only to smile and remember that this is a storied franchise that will, one way or another, get back to the business of winning.
Remember the excitement when the Sixers stole Kyle Korver, a.k.a. "Threezus," from the Nets following his second-round selection in 2003? It was the year after the experiment with Keith Van Horn and the team badly wanted to develop a young sharpshooter. He stuck with the Sixers for four solid seasons, getting involved in the Philly community and making women swoon, before he was traded to Utah in a deal that netted Gordon Giricek (who played just 12 games here) and a future first-round pick that wound up getting traded to offload salary.
The point being, the Sixers have been botching these things long before The Process ever swept into town. Korver has continually improved his three-point shooting percentage and is now a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He might well win a championship this year.
Now 35, the NBA veteran recently appeared on Richard Jefferson and Channing Frye's Road Trippin' podcast, where he was asked about his early days in the NBA after spending all four years at Creighton. Naturally, the topic of Allen Iverson came up, and Korver was asked to share a good story. It's one most of us already know — not the practice rant — but really the best part about this is Korver's Iverson impression. Give it a listen at the 26-minute mark (h/t FTW).
