Report: State of New Jersey pushing for Sixers to come to Camden

As negotiations continue surrounding a potential new location for the Philadelphia 76ers‘ home court, a report suggests that Pennsylvania’s sister state is attempting to steal the Sixers from Philadelphia.

According to a report by Tom Bergeron of ROI-NJ.com, the state of New Jersey is attempting to convince the Philadelphia 76ers’s ownership group to move from Philadelphia into a new arena to be built in Camden, New Jersey.

Bergeron’s sources stated that discussions between state officials and the team’s ownership group, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, have been ongoing for the last two months.

New Jersey’s opportunity to enter the race stems from the lack of progress in negotiations around the proposed stadium in Center City at the Fashion District. Multiple committee meetings and hearings have already been held, and the vast majority of those involved have strongly opposed the project.

Despite claims that the new location would boost the local economy, some, including members of the Save Chinatown Coalition, have suggested that those claims use wildly inaccurate projections that are simply used to justify arenas.

According to one economic analysis, the proposed Center City location could actually lead to the loss of hundreds of businesses, thousands of jobs, and hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue.

Despite many arguments against the Fashion District proposal, the alternative being a Camden arena comes with its own set of challenges. 

Uprooting a franchise with the Sixers’ level of historical significance in the league has never happened in the NBA. The closest comparison would be when the Minneapolis Lakers made the move to Los Angeles despite winning four of the league’s first five championships and another championship during the BBA era. That situation involved significant differences from the one the Sixers find themselves in, however.

The Lakers struggled mightily to fill their stadium after George Mikan’s retirement, and the NBA as a whole was less secure than it is today. Additionally, the Sixers were among the league leaders in attendance last season and have since added Paul George. Filling seats next season will not be an issue.

Since coming to Philadelphia—the team was formerly known as the Nationals and played in Syracuse—the Sixers have won 200 playoff games. That ranks fourth among all NBA teams, only behind the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics, and the San Antonio Spurs. The idea of moving such a storied franchise, even just across the Delaware, would send ripples across the sports world. Not to mention, it would be an incredible disservice to the franchise’s loyal fanbase.

According to ESPN, the Philadelphia 76ers have been a top-three team in average attendance in each of the last seven seasons. The majority of those fans live in the city of Philadelphia and the surrounding Pennsylvania area.

The fans are what have made the Sixers for so much of their rich history. While there is certainly a sizeable portion of fans in South Jersey—mind you, those who have already become accustomed to taking in a game in the city, the numbers simply do not outweigh the Philadelphia phaithful.

To the credit of Sixers ownership, this conversation seems vastly one-sided at the moment. A member of the team’s ownership group has even previously gone on the record claiming that a move to Jersey was not in the plans

David Adelman, a partner in the Harris Blitzer ownership group, spoke transparently to Crossing Broad last year about the Sixers not crossing state lines: “I promise you that. Josh (Harris), David (Blitzer), and I have said from day one that this is a Philadelphia team and it’s not moving to New Jersey.”

While the issue is not so simple to suggest that the statement by Adelman alone officially closes the door, it carries some weight until the ownership group decides that it doesn’t. For the time being, it remains apparent that Center City is still the end goal.

Judging by the information that has been presented so far, the Sixers want to stay in Philadelphia, and the fans certainly want the same.