Brad Stevens Appreciated 'Celtics Suck' Chants From Fake Sixers Fans
Tuesday night's preseason opener against the Boston Celtics was anything but typical for the Philadelphia 76ers. As COVID-19 cases continue to spread nation-wide, most NBA teams aren't allowed to have any fans in attendance. The situation is no different for the Sixers at the start of the preseason.
Instead of having fans in the stands, the 76ers covered the lower seats at the Wells Fargo Center with a branded tarp. And to make up for lack of crowd noise, the team pumped in noise from a fake crowd of screaming Sixers fans.
It was a strange scene in South Philly for sure, but the Sixers did all they could to make the game feel as realistic as possible. So, to make the scene feel authentic, the Sixers even had a 'SUCKS' chant during team introductions for every Boston Celtics starter when getting announced moments before tip-off.
You would think that might bother the opponent a bit, but Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens admired every second of it. “I appreciate Philly when they announced our starting lineup, they did the ‘You suck’ chant,” Stevens said after the game, according to Masslive's Matt Vautour. “That made it feel a little more like Philly. I missed all those people behind me wishing me ‘happy holidays’ in their own special way.”
In case you haven't caught on or you're completely out of the loop, Sixers fans and Philly sports fans, in general, don't exactly have the greatest reputation among other franchises' and their fan bases -- especially with rivals.
The Celtics would've surely heard some boos, you suck, and likely some other NSFW messages from the crowd had there been one. However, they shouldn't take it personally. If the Sixers would've gone through a notable rough patch during the game, the crowd would've let them hear it as well. It's just all a part of playing a game of hoops in South Philly.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_
