Sixers’ Bell Ringers Past and Present
“No one cared who I was until I put on the mask. – Bane from the film The Dark Knight Rises.”
– Joel Embiid
In true Michael Scott from The Office fashion, Joel Embiid managed to take a quote from someone else and make it entirely his own.
Late in the 2018 season, the star center for the 76ers suffered an orbital fracture after colliding with Orlando Magic guard, Markelle Fultz.
Yes, that Markelle Fultz.
The same Fultz who years prior forgot how to play basketball when he was a Sixer, now took away our star player weeks before the team’s first playoff run since the beginning of The Process era.
Embiid missed the last few weeks of the season and was a question mark headed into the team’s first-round matchup with the Miami Heat.
Unfortunately, Embiid was ruled out for the first game of the series, which was a total bummer.
I would have loved to announce Joel’s name in the starting lineup for the team’s first playoff game in half a decade in front of a sold-out Wells Fargo Center crowd!
Luckily, there was an epic consolation to that.
Prior to the game, the Sixers were keeping a major secret about who the pregame bell ringer would be for that night’s game.
So when I found out, it was going to be Embiid himself, I was stoked!
When I announced his name, the roof at The Center nearly blew off!
The place was absolutely electric!
Then when the spotlight hit Embiid, it revealed he was wearing a Phantom of the Opera-style mask to protect his face.
He sure has a feel for the theatrics!
Thus, The Phantom of The Process was born.
🔔 A masked Joel Embiid rings the bell in Philly! 🔔#PhilaUnite @ESPNNBA pic.twitter.com/eiwBM7EmQd
— NBA (@NBA) April 15, 2018
As for the current 76ers, they take on the Chicago Bulls on Broad Street tonight.
And for tonight’s bell ringer, there hasn’t been an official announcement, yet.
But I think it might be someone you’ve heard of before, especially his voice!
Tune into the pregame tonight to find out!
Go Sixers!
MATT CORD
Join me weekdays 9am to 2pm right after The John DeBella Show and before André Gardner from 2pm-7pm. CONNECT 3 at 10am for FABULOUS prizes, Noontime Nuggets at 12noon, and you can win concert tickets throughout the show for many of the upcoming MGK Concerts. Text in your requests at MGKMGK or call 215-263-WMGK. I end every show with a voicemail from my late father Jack Cord because he always left the coolest voicemails on my machine and phone.
Also the PA Voice for the Philadelphia 76ers for the past 26 years, and the Voice of NBA2K22 and NBA2K23.
