"Aint No Stoppin' Us Now, We're On The Move"

Born after the spring of "Fo', Fo', Fo'", we didn't know much about basketball. Actually, our knowledge was limited for the first decade or so. Our lives consisted of tee-ball & soccer (or just eating oranges at halftime); our houses were made with Lincoln Logs or Legos; and Matchbox Cars ruled the roads. Our world was so consumed with great games & activities that we didn't know much about anything. Little did we know that we weren't missing much in professional basketball.

The historic 1982-83 76ers championship team had entered a period called the "dark ages". Yes, Charles was in charge. Unfortunately, the team & organization were marred by bad hires and unwise draft picks. After 8 seasons, Charles was shipped out in 1992. This move was highly criticized. Fans bared witness to Shawn Bradley & Sharone Wright the next few years until an "Answer" came in 1996.

We all have different memories, but 1995 seems to be the year when basketball and the Sixers caught my eye. It first started when we were introduced to baseball cards & collecting. For three years, I spent looking for this certain hologram Michael Jordan card. We nagged our parents to take us to the card store or to the card show in the mall. Our allowance money went straight to Conte's Cards; our parents could have simplied things by sending monthly checks there. Anyway, basketball became relevant to us in the 90's. Therefore, the most memorable season in our lifetime (since 1995) is the 2000-01 Sixers.

This team opened the regular season with 10 straight wins and never looked back. Upon entering the playoffs, a "Sixers remix" of the song "Aint No Stoppin Us Now" hit the radio. According to Wikipedia, McFadden & Whitehead's 1979 classic was first used as a theme song by the 1980 Phillies and 1980-81 Eagles, but we associate this song with the 2000-01 Sixers. A 56-26 record. The clutch shots. AI's 50+ point games. The 7 game series'. Iverson's step over Lue. Coach of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Most Valuable Player. We shouldn't live in the past, but we are reminded of it. So with a (as Sir Charles would say) "TER'BLE" season finally over, you can't help but think of the good times. We appreciate great teams. Thank you to the 2000-01 Sixers. As for the 2010-11 Sixers, "Aint No Stoppin Us Now, When Do We Choose?"...6th overall, nice job guys. Where did I put those Legos?