Matt Cord Shares Memories of the 2001 Sixers

You’ll hear the ‘City of Underdogs’ cliche often, but you might never see a professional sports team substantiate it quite like the Philadelphia 76ers when they became the 2001 Eastern Conference Champions.

It took every bit of talent and energy from the NBA’s MVP, Coach of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Sixth Man of the Year at their career peaks. The Sixers sparked the uniquely contagious energy that characterizes the passion and unity of Philadelphia when a local team has a chance to do something special.

93.3 WMRR's Matt Cord shared stories about Allen Iverson, Larry Brown, and the 2001 Sixers going the distance to meet an all-time dynasty in the NBA Finals.

Philadelphia watched Julius Erving and the 1983 champions fade late into the decade. They sat through a forgettable stretch through most of the 1990s, but a progressive climb back into contention under President Pat Croce manifested during the 2000-01 season.

The city predictably exploded during the 2001 NBA Playoffs, and Sixers PA announcer Matt Cord was the perfect voice to fire them up. Fans flocked to hear Cord’s iconic introduction of “The six-foot guard from Georgetown” send chills through the building.

Matt Cord adores the memory of driving on city streets seeing the car flags celebrating the red hot Sixers throughout the spring of 2001 during a playoff run Philadelphia will never forget.

The Sixers first conquered Reggie Miller and the Indiana Pacers, the opponent that knocked them out of the NBA Playoffs the previous two seasons. Iverson snuck out on top of Vince Carter in a superstar showcase against the Toronto Raptors in the tightest final seconds of a Game 7 you’ll ever see (at least at that point).

As the spring weather and early sunsets turned into summer heat, the Sixers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in another tight seven-game series to win the Eastern Conference at the height of the franchise's success in the 21st century.

The First Union Center (at the time) suddenly became the place to be in Philadelphia in just its fifth season. Cord told stories about pop culture icons like Destiny’s Child, Sugar Ray, Lil Bow Wow, and the Beastie Boys joining a party with Allen Iverson as its larger than life central character. 

He observed the other side of Philadelphia’s incredible passion too. When the Sixers returned from two road games against the Los Angeles Lakers with the NBA Finals tied 1-1, Destiny's Child took the court for a special halftime performance.

Mark McGrath of Sugar Ray followed up Destiny's Child in Game 4. Cord remembers McGrath's hesitation to step on the court for an introduction. Croce saved the day. He took the microphone and introduced McGrath as his close personal friend. The blessing of a beloved Philly sports executive was all the crowd needed.

After the mighty Lakers finally ended the championship dreams in Game 5 at the First Union Center, the NBA also hesitated to face the wrath of a passionate Philadelphia crowd.

The Sixers car flags and Eastern Conference Champion merchandise will perennially collect dust in attics throughout the Philadelphia area. The most passionate market in professional sports will inevitably shift focus to Super Bowl titles and parades down Broad Street.

However, the city of Philadelphia will never forfeit the fascination with Allen Iverson, the hysteria surrounding the underdog with a sliver of hope, and the 76ers memories that haven’t been matched since 2001.