“Really had to check in wit Joker”: NBA fans roast Sixers for reportedly asking Nuggets’ permission to train in Colorado
The Philadelphia 76ers have kicked off their training camp in an unconventional location: Fort Collins, Colorado. Despite the considerable distance of nearly 2,000 miles from their home base, the Sixers have chosen this unique setting to prepare for the season, following yet another disappointing finish.
According to NBA writer Sam Amick, Sixers coach Nick Nurse's choice of Fort Collins was primarily motivated by his desire to give the team a break from the relentless media attention on the East Coast. This move was intended to create a more secluded training environment, with only the most committed Sixers reporters ablr to make the extended trip.
Amick also revealed that the Sixers decided to conduct their training in the same state where the reigning champions, the Denver Nuggets, are located. Nurse believed that the physical and motivational advantages offered by this location made a lot of sense.
However, the Sixers needed to obtain the consent of the Nuggets in order to conduct their training camp, as Fort Collins is in close proximity to Denver.
The Sixers' need to seek permission from the Nuggets provoked amusing responses from fans.
Some fans found humor in the fact that Embiid's team had to request permission from Nikola Jokic’s team, with one fan jokingly commenting, "Embiid had to get his father’s permission."
Embiid, the star of the Philadelphia 76ers, and Jokic, the do-it-all big for the Denver Nuggets, were in a close race for the MVP award last season. Ultimately, Embiid secured the award.
However, during the playoffs, Embiid saw a significant dip in his performance compared to his regular-season averages of 33.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, averaging only 23.7 ppg and 9.8 rpg, which culminated in another second-round exit for his team.
Meanwhile, Jokic and the Nuggets secured the first championship in franchise history.
How Nick Nurse views shaky Sixers situation
According to Sam Amick's report, for Nick Nurse, the James Harden situation is just another incident.
"Just about every season (in the NBA), there’s always something going on, right?" he said.
Nurse also looked back on his first year as coach of the Toronto Raptors during the 2018-19 season when the team clinched the championship.
"Even my first year at Toronto, going into Day 1, I think you’re just trying to get your vision and your philosophy settled," he said. "But I mean Kawhi (Leonard) hadn’t played in, what, 14 months? Kyle (Lowry) was pissed because DeMar (DeRozan) got traded. Serge (Ibaka) was pissed because he thought he might be coming off the bench.
"I mean, there’s always something. It’s part of the gig. And for me, I’m just trying to continue to hone and build the philosophy, you know? It always needs work. It always needs polish.”
Harden, who has requested a trade and expressed his discontent with Sixers team president Daryl Morey throughout the offseason, has now joined the Sixers' training camp and, surprisingly, reports indicate that he is actively participating.