Highlights From The Sixth Annual Philadelphia 76ers Gala
Last night was one of my favorite events of the year as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers organization. It was the sixth annual 76ers Gala, and this was definitely the best one yet.
Each year, the event gets better and better, and it is one that I continuously look forward to on the calendar when the new Sixers season starts.
While it is always a ton of fun, it is actually all for a great cause as well because the 76ers Gala benefits The Sixers Youth Foundation.
The Sixers Youth Foundation seeks to give kids access to resources that help them develop constructive habits, and valuable, life-long skills. So it goes without saying that all the proceeds will be going to a fantastic cause.
When you get a group of players, coaches, front office staff, and Sixers alumni all in the same spot, how could you not have fun at the 76ers Gala? Plus, with many season ticket holders and sponsors, it is without a doubt a blast.
This year, the 76ers Gala was at the Please Touch Museum, and it was the perfect venue for the event. There are so many different rooms with different themes, and who could forget the big carousel, which was a big hit — especially amongst players like Joel “The Process” Embiid.
I brought Pattyann to the 76ers Gala for her birthday, and she was thrilled to meet so many of the guys!
In fact, Pat Bev had a funny conversation with her saying “Your name is Pat… so is mine!”
It was awesome!
I know everyone there last night had an unbelievable time, and like I said, it is all for a great cause.
Check out some of the pictures from the event below, and check out how the event went for yourself!
Go Sixers!
More from Matt Cord…
Joel Embiid Is The MVP Of The NBA
Another trophy is making its way to South Philly and taking its rightful home right on Broad Street.
Joel “The Process” Embiid was officially awarded the MVP of the NBA last night, and a lot of us think it has been a long time coming.
The big fella had quite the season!
He led the NBA in points per game with 33.1 and brought in 10.2 rebounds per game, which was good for 8th in the league.
Plus, he got his teammates involved, averaging 4.2 assists per game.
Embiid is the fifth Philadelphia 76ers player to win the award with Wilt Chamberlain winning in 1966, 1967, and 1968, Julius “Dr. J” Erving winning in 1981, Moses Malone winning in 1983, and Allen Iverson winning in 2001.
This is the second MVP season I have had the pleasure to watch up close as the public address announcer for the team.
Both seasons were legendary between Iverson’s season in ‘01 and Joel’s this year!
We all know the ‘01 season ended in an NBA Finals appearance, so hopefully, his year is similar, but we actually finish the job this time and win it all!
But that discussion is for another day!
Today is all about Embiid!
It has been a pleasure to watch him grow as a basketball player.
From a guy who couldn’t get on the floor his first two years due to injury to the best player in the world!
Also, off the floor, he is one of the funniest players to be around.
For example, when we were in London in 2018, I snagged a funny photo of him imitating Dikembe Mutumbo’s finger wave!
That’s just one small moment that sticks out of him as a person.
I look forward to doing his intro every night because I know it is going to be the loudest the crowd gets during the pregame night in and night out.
Plus, I can’t forget our pregame ritual where I give him his first pass of the night and then after getting a feel for the game ball, he passes it back to me so I can give it to the referee!
It is so cool to see all his teammates react and give him his flowers!
He deserves them all!
But I’m sure his focus right now isn’t even on winning the award, it’s on trying to get healthy for his team and working towards a championship!
So let’s get it done, big fella!
Congrats!
Matt Cord is the host of the Matt Cord Show. He is a lover of all Philly Sports and has been the voice of the Sixers for 27 years and NBA2K for the past 4 years. As a cyclist enthusiast, Matt writes about his adventures all throughout the city.
