76ers Reportedly Don't Anticipate Having Fans Next Month

The Philadelphia 76ers haven't played a game of hoops at the Wells Fargo Center since March 11. On that night, the Sixers hosted the Detroit Pistons in front of a rowdy crowd of fans. Not even an hour after the game concluded, the NBA announced the suspension of the 2019-2020 season after a player tested positive for COVID-19.

Although the Sixers and the NBA resumed the 2019-2020 season, the circumstances were unusual. Instead of having all 30 teams get back to playing as normal, the 76ers and 21 other franchises traveled down to Orlando, Florida, to stay in a bubble where they would live and compete until eliminated.

The Sixers' 2019-2020 run ended in August, but the NBA Finals didn't conclude until mid-October. Plans for next year's tip-off were unclear for a while, but now the NBA and the Players' Association have agreed to begin competing for the 2020-2021 season on December 22.

Originally, the NBA was hoping to have fans in the stands once again at the start of next season, but it seems that won't be the case. Not for everybody, at least. Teams can have a limited amount of fans at their arenas on game days/nights, depending on the state's laws regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, indoor venues can only allow up to 250 people in attendance. Whether those rules will change in the future or not is up in the air. For the time being, though, the Sixers are reportedly operating without the expectation of having fans at the Wells Fargo Center when the season begins, according to John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia.

No fans in South Philly for the Sixers is a bummer. Last season, the 76ers were the NBA's best team when playing at home. With an impressive 28-2 record at the Wells Fargo Center, the 76ers proved to be elite when they have the crowd on their side. 

The chances of the Sixers getting their arena back to full capacity this season is quite slim, but having a few crowds here and there could get the team feeling like they are back to normal at some point. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like that will happen as early as next month.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_