NBA Philadelphia 76ers

Philadelphia 76ers Hope To Play On Christmas Day Soon

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By @Greg_Sacidor

Bill Streicher - USA TODAY Sports

Bill Streicher – USA TODAY Sports

On Christmas Day, the NBA will televise five games featuring 10 of the league’s marquee teams. For the Philadelphia 76ers, this is a day they hope to be a part of soon.

Whether it is a good team or because of a star player, the NBA chose each of the 10 teams playing on Christmas Day for a reason. On a day that in recent years has become known as the “unofficial start” to the NBA season, 10 teams across five games will play with the eyes of the world upon them.

When the schedule was released earlier this year, almost everyone immediately looked to see who was playing on Christmas Day. For the league’s five games, the NBA selected teams that would appeal to everyone — either because they are a big market team or because they have a star player(s).

This year, the schedule of games will feature a nice mix of teams. There will be teams like the San Antonio Spurs, who have been at the forefront of the NBA for years. There will also be a collection of young and upcoming teams such as the Golden State Warriors and Washington Wizards, who will be looking to lead the league in the near future.

When Sam Hinkie took over as general manager of the 76ers and began their ongoing rebuilding process, he had one goal in mind. That goal was to get one of the most historic franchises of all time back to the top of the NBA. That of course means that he wants to build a team that will eventually compete for NBA championships year in and year out.

But before the 76ers can ever reach their big picture goal of competing for championships, they will have to accomplish something else — playing on Christmas Day. For any franchise, playing on Christmas Day usually means you have finally made it to the top of the NBA and are one of the league’s few elite teams — unless of course you are the Los Angeles Lakers or New York Knicks.

Although it takes players, coaches and staff away from their families, playing on Christmas Day is a really big deal. This year all 10 teams have been selected to play by the league for one reason or another. For the Hinkie and the 76ers, playing on Christmas Day sometime in the near future would signify not only that they are headed in the right direction, but also that their collective rebuilding efforts have finally paid off.

Greg Sacidor is a Philadelphia 76ers and NBA writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Greg_Sacidor or add him to your network on Google.

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