Sixers’ Paul Reed Attends Philadelphia Union Game

Similar to the Philadelphia 76ers’ pregame ritual of having a special guest ring the bell, MLS’s Philadelphia Union brings a special guest to bang the drum before a match.

On Saturday night, the Union brought in the newly re-signed Sixers center Paul Reed to do the honors before they took on New York City FC.

Earlier this week, Reed mentioned that Saturday’s Union game would be the first professional soccer match he attended. The fact that he was the honorary guest before the game made the situation much more special.

.@Bball_paul celebrating that new contract on the drum tonight 😏#DOOP | @sixers pic.twitter.com/cPkimtUPTc
— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) July 15, 2023

Reed returned to the Philadelphia area after a busy week last week. After picking up some attention from the Utah Jazz on the free agency market, Reed nearly found himself a new squad.

As a restricted free agent, Reed was allowed to negotiate with other teams. However, if he signed an offer sheet from an organization, the Sixers would have the opportunity to match the terms, which would prevent him from leaving.

The Jazz offered Reed a three-year deal worth over $20 million. Although Reed admittedly didn’t picture himself playing with the Jazz, the young veteran noted that “business is business” in the NBA. And as a former second-round pick, who started his career out as a two-way player, signing a multi-year deal that’s worth over $20 million is just a smart business decision.

Fortunately, everything went Reed’s way last weekend. After receiving a desirable contract offer, Reed not only got a payday, but he sticks with the Sixers as they decided to match the Jazz’s offer.

This week, Reed returned to Philadelphia to continue putting in work ahead of the 2023-2024 NBA season. He also made his first public appearance in the City of Brotherly Love on Saturday to do the honors for the Union ahead of their 2-1 victory over New York City.