NBA Commissioner Adam Silver Speaks on Sixers Arena Decision

Sixers are no longer moving to new downtown arena.

Dec 17, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver presents the trophy to the Milwaukee Bucks after they won the Emirates NBA Cup championship game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

On Sunday afternoon, shocking news broke regarding the Philadelphia 76ers and their new venue. Weeks after getting city council approval for a downtown arena, the massive plans have been scraped.

Moving forward, the Sixers are still in progress to have a new arena by 2031. However, the will be remaining in the city's "stadium district." This announcement came after reports emerged that NBA commissioner Adam Silver and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell held a meeting with the higher-ups of the franchise.

Less than 24 hours after the initial reports, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker held a press conference to make an official announcement. The Sixers would also put out a press release on the matter, which included a statement from commissioner Silver.

"I greatly appreciate the leadership of Mayor Parker and Governor Shapiro and the willingness of HBSE and Comcast to join forces," Silver said. "The result of which will be a world-class arena for 76ers and Flyers fans, with opportunities for more teams to come."

Sixers' owner Josh Harris also issued a statement, calling the decision a victory for the city:

“From the start, we envisioned a project that would be transformative for our city and deliver the type of experience our fans deserve. By coming together with Brian and Comcast, this partnership ensures Philadelphia will have two developments instead of one, creating more jobs and real, sustainable economic opportunity,” said HBSE’s Josh Harris, David Blitzer, and David Adelman. “We are grateful to Mayor Parker, Council President Johnson, Council Member Squilla, Governor Shapiro, our partners in labor and the many community and business leaders who supported us throughout this process. This is a massive win for our fans and for the city.”

Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment 🤝 Comcast Spectacor 
 
Together, we are announcing a joint venture to build world-class arena in South Philadelphia as well as revitalize Market East. pic.twitter.com/8ZkZhaTBsS

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) January 13, 2025

As for the current on-court product, the Sixers are gearing up for a back-to-back where they will host the OKC Thunder and New York Knicks.