The Sixers gave fans everything and more

by Justine Di Filippo photo editor

Driving down the street last May through June one could not help but see the Sixers mania going on in the Philadelphia region. Bars, homes and cars had pennants, jerseys, and any other Sixers memorabilia showing proudly.

The 76ers brought home almost every troph1 in the league. Allen Iverson received MVP of the year, Aaron Mc Kie was sixth man of the year, Dikembe Mutumbo was defender of the year and Coach Lary Brown received coach of the year. With all these awards for great team members Philadelphia was psyched for the championships.

As the Eastern Conference began, every fan was on the edge of their seats. Each series was the best of seven and the Sixers played every game to the last minute. The Sixers won the Eastern Conference on June 4 against the Milwaukee Bucks. The game was won here in Philadelphia, giving fans hope of winning the finals against the L.A Lakers.

Our team took some brutal hits, but up in the eastern conference just would not quit. Iverson was stricken most with injuries. He had Bursitis in the right elbow, causing him to wear that arm sock, and a tailbone contusion to name two of many. Mutombo sprained his left fifth toe and his right-hand pinky finger. Mc Kie had a chip-fracture in his right ankle. George Lynch broke his foot in game four of the Toronto series and never tured the same ankle in a different spot, but continued to play with the fracture for the rest of the season.

The first Game of the finals was played in L.A against the Lakers on June 6. Fans once • again began to sit on the edge of their seats as the game went into overtime. The Sixers, with all of their injuries, came out on top. The final score was Sixers 107 Lakers 101. Fans went crazy the underdogs took away the Lakers 15-0 standing. returned for the season play.

During the next four games the Sixers injuries started to show. Our home team lost to the Lakers, on June 8 the final score was 8998 on June 10, 2001 the photos from www.nba.com/sixers final score was 91-96, Iverson and Bryant battle for the win.

Snow missed 32 games because of a fractured right ankle. When he returned in the forth game of the Milwaukee series he frac- both games played in L.A. The Sixers returned to Philly and the fans were still behind them, but it wasn't enough. On June 13 the final score was 86100 and June 15, 96-108. Each game was close to the final minute.

Days after the finals were over and the Lakers took home the trophy again Sixers fans still had the pennants up, still wearing the jerseys. NBC 10 had a thank you Sixers commercial to show how dedicated their fans were. No matter how they did Philly fans stood right behind our basketball heroes.

Iverson was just one part of the team to carry the 76ers this far.