NBA playoffs: After Super Bowl, World Series, MLS misery for Philadelphia, will 76ers be better?

It has been a story of sporting agony for the city of Philadelphia in the six months. Now, the 76ers begin their bid to do what the Eagles, Phillies and the Union could not – win a title.

The 76ers host the Brooklyn Nets in the first two games of their playoff series and are among the favorites to win the overall NBA title amid fierce competition from the Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks.

But in Joel Embiid – the leading MVP candidate – and James Harden, the 76ers have stars capable of spearheading a run at the championship. The 76ers haven’t won the title since 1983.

And for the City of Brotherly Love, the desperation for a sporting triumph is rapidly on the rise after so much agony in America’s other sports.

In February, the Philadelphia Eagles were defeated by the Kansas City Chiefs at the Super Bowl in Arizona – Patrick Mahomes leading his team to a 38-35 triumph.

Back on November 5, Philadelphia had a double-whammy of sporting misery.

Firstly, Philadelphia Union twice surrendered a one-goal lead to LAFC in the Major League Soccer final before losing to Gareth Bale’s team on penalties.

Later that day, the Philadelphia Phillies were beaten by the Houston Astros to decide the World Series, with Dusty Baker’s team clinching the silverware.

And it isn’t the first time Philadelphia has endured such an agonizing run of defeats.

In the 1979-80 season, the Flyers lost the Stanley Cup Final in six games to the New York Islanders, the 76ers lost the NBA Finals in six games to the Los Angeles Lakers, and the Eagles lost Super Bowl XV to the Oakland Raiders that crowned them champions of the 1980 season. 

76ers star Embiid was bullish on his team’s chances prior to tip-off against the Nets.

‘That’s the ultimate goal,’ Embiid said. ‘Since I’ve been in the league, I saw it as a goal. 

‘And you want to do whatever is possible to try to win it. It’s not going to take just one person.

‘You can’t win alone. You got to win as a team. So we just got to stay together and come together.’