Eric Snow is enjoying his return to Philly for the 25th anniversary of the Finals

Celebrations of the 25th anniversary of the legendary season 2000/01 Sixers they promise to be numerous this year. A quarter of a century ago, the training he conducted Larry Brown and carries a certain Allen Iverson swept the Eastern Conference, in the regular season and in the playoffs, before losing in the NBA Finals to the Lakers of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal (4-1), not without winning the first game in California.

The festivities began this weekend, with the reception of the Raptors, against whom Philadelphia held an anthology duel in the conference semifinals. This series remains one of the most memorable of the early 2000s, marked by the opposition of Vince Carter (and the late Lenny Wilkens) and “Answer”.

To mark the occasion, the iconic “Hip Hop” mascot is back, as is the legendary black and gold jersey, brought out for the event. While waiting for the big meeting scheduled for January 31, the Sixers used the welcome party Eric Snowpoint guard from 1997 to 2004 and Allen Iverson’s loyal lieutenant.

A memory of a bustling city

The latter enjoyed this return, reliving the memories of an unforgettable season, even without a ring at the end.

“It’s always good to be back. It was the first time I’ve actually been back and I’ve been able to attend a practice and a game. It’s usually one or the other. But it’s good to be back and see the enthusiasm and see the guys playing.”, he slipped into the Philadelphia Inquirer. “I’d like to go all the way to win the title, but there’s still a conference championship. It’s still a banner. It was still fun and the city was buzzing. After my experience here, I can say it’s hard to find a city that’s more passionate about its teams than Philadelphia.”

It’s impossible for Eric Snow to avoid being asked about it Tyrese McKaythe current leader of the Sixers, whose meteoric progress at times resembles the flashes of Allen Iverson. At just 25 years old, the current Seeker impresses with his offensive shots and his infectious energy.

“I talked to a few guys. Of course, I know the oldest ones. I did a little thing with Tirese that they’re going to air. It was fun.”he explained. “To be honest, I don’t give advice to the players. I just say, ‘Hey, how are you, I’m behind you, I’m proud of you.’ I’m not trying to train them or educate them. I’m just a fan, like anyone else. I let him know that I appreciated what he was doing. But I also know the work and the process it all entails, which makes me appreciate what he can do even more. »

Marcus Smart, Cason Wallace or Alex Caruso as successors

At the time, Eric Snow embodied the defensive heart of the Sixers, a rough counterpart to Allen Iverson’s offensive genius. In 2003, he was also selected to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team, which marked the best season of his career (12.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.6 steals on average in 82 games).

When we ask him in which players he recognizes himself today, the answer comes: “We find them on all teams. Of course, Marcus Smart, I’ve been compared to him a lot. Guys like Kaison Wallace, Alex Caruso in Oklahoma City… There’s a lot of guys that do what I did, even though my responsibilities were different. Maybe guys like that aren’t rookies anymore, but I still think Josh (He still plays this role). Not the one with the ball in his hands, but those are the same responsibilities that the team expects from him.

While he waited for other events that will mark the season to celebrate Eric Snow and his gang, the former leader was pleased to see these Sixers achieve their sixth victory of the season, with Joel Embiid still struggling with his knee and Paul George still waiting to play his first minutes.

“From what we’ve seen with the still incomplete group, it’s even more promising. We have to hope that everyone can come back and we can continue to progress while staying healthy. If we can maintain that, in the East, especially with the big teams that are struggling, we can hope for a good result.”