Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. You may be watching the Philadelphia 76ers playing in the NBA playoffs and noticed a snake drawn on the court at the Wells Fargo Center. Wondering what the deal was? We’re here to help.
That’s right, THERE’S A SNAKE ON THE COURT! And it definitely caught me by surprise when I was watching the Sixers take care of business against the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
Let’s dive into this whole thing and explain what it’s all about:
This one!
I’ve watched NBA for 40 years and feel like I should know this but have no clue.
What is this terrible snake on 76ers court pic.twitter.com/coQmAfogTN
— Brian Griffin (@BGriffinMTown) February 1, 2022
This goes back to Ben Franklin, whose drawing of a cut-up snake in 1754 became famous. More from the Washington Post:
His snake is cut into eight segments, each representing an American colony (or region, in the case of New England) with the phrase “Join, or Die” written below it. The image accompanied Franklin’s persuasive editorial about the “disunited state,” delivering a message during the French and Indian War that America would be strongest if united. Back then, word was a severed snake could be resurrected if the pieces were reattached before sunset.
Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons have helped rally Philadelphia 76ers fans around the formerly moribund franchise during a thrilling 52-win regular season and first-round NBA playoffs win over the Miami Heat.
They're also giving Sixers fans a bit of a history lesson in the process, one that features a chopped up snake curling around the Liberty Bell and Benjamin Franklin.
Last month, the Sixers unveiled a playoff marketing campaign titled "Phila Unite," which pulls together multiple themes from the American Revolution and applies them to the team's first playoff appearance since 2012.
The most notable addition is at center court of the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers reworked their throwback bell logo, which is an homage to the Liberty Bell and the 1976 bicentennial celebration, to add the segmented snake.
The snake comes from a 1754 political cartoon published by Franklin in his Pennsylvania Gazette newspaper. The cartoon was titled "Join, Or Die," and each segment of the snake was labeled with the initials of an American colony or region. Franklin was pushing for the unification of the colonies, and the slogan was later modified to "Unite, Or Die" by some.
The logo has popped up all over the city in the weeks since the campaign was launched. The Sixers said they distributed more than 10,000 logo decals to residents and businesses, and they commissioned murals in Philly neighborhoods such as Fishtown and Brewerytown. The logo is also prominently displayed on a 50-foot by 50-foot banner on the Wells Fargo Center and a 30-foot by 20-foot flag on the Humphrys Flag Center.
"The 'Phila Unite' campaign was thoughtfully developed for our fans and city over the past several years in anticipation of this moment, the moment when the 76ers returned to the NBA Playoffs," Sixers President of Business Operations Chris Heck said. "The energy in the Greater Philadelphia Area is electric right now and we wanted to rally together all of our fans from not only this region, but from around the globe. 'Phila Unite' pairs the rich and storied history of our city with the passionate, proud fans who we consider irreplaceable members of the 76ers family. We're thrilled that this moment has finally arrived and look forward to watching the best fans in the world come together for the 2018 NBA Playoffs."
The Sixers have added "Phila Unite" branding all over the Wells Fargo Center, including on the sideline in front of their bunch. The Sixers are also wearing their "City Edition" uniforms, a set which featured the segmented snake hidden on the sorts all season, for all home games. The "City Edition" uniforms also feature a script inspired by the Declaration of Independence.
The Sixers face the Celtics on Saturday evening in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Boston leads the series, 2-0.
--@danieljtgallen
Throughout this year’s NBA playoffs, a lot of fans have been asking the question, Why does the Philadelphia 76ers’ court feature a snake logo
The Philadelphia 76ers and the Miami Heat are involved in a heated playoff series. Many people are watching the game and asking why the Sixers have a snake emblem on their home floor. Let us investigate its significance.
Why Do The PHILADELPHIA 76ERS Have A Snake Logo On Their Court?
At WELLS FARGO CENTER, There are 2 Blue Snakes on the court:
In case you missed it, there’s a snake on Philadelphia’s home court at Wells Fargo Center. On both sides of the floor, the snake picture can be found just inside the three-point line. The snake is blue and has been dismembered, which is unusual.
Reason Behind It:
Fans were naturally curious as to why the Philadelphia 76ers had a snake on their court. In 1754, the snake picture was originally published in the Pennsylvania Gazette, a local newspaper.
Franklin’s snake design was published in the Pennsylvania Gazette in 1754 as what is widely regarded as America’s first political cartoon.
“His serpent is divided into eight segments, each symbolizing a different American colony (or area, in the case of New England). With the message “Join or Die” printed beneath it.
The artwork accompanied Franklin’s convincing essay about the “disunited state,” giving a message during the French and Indian War that America would be stronger if it were united. Back ago, it was said that if a severed snake’s bits were reattached before sunset, it may be revived.
During the 2018 playoffs, the 76ers used the image as part of their “Phila Unite” marketing campaign, and the rest is history.
How the 76ERS-Heat series has gone thus far:
Despite suffering from various injuries, Embiid participated in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. In the previous round, he sustained a broken orbital and a moderate concussion against the Raptors.
In Game 1, the 76ers were outscored 106-92 by Miami without Embiid. The Miami Heat then won Game 2 119-103, putting them up 2-0 in the series. Embiid scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a crucial Game 3 victory. The Heat now leads the series 2-1.
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Snakes on a plane.
Fans tuning in to watch 76ers playoff games might notice something interesting about the design on the court: Just inside the 3-point arc on both sides of the floor is an image of a dismembered snake, leading some to question just why exactly the reptilian invader exists on the court.
The 76ers have had several logos through the years, including imagery of the snake being used in their Liberty Bell logo now, which was introduced in 2018 in preparation for the team's playoff run.
In order to understand why there's a snake, you have to open up the history books. Here's why:
Why is there a snake on the 76ers court?
Playing off of a famous political cartoon drawn by Benjamin Franklin, the snake is the imagery of "Join, or Die," a rallying cry to pre-independence United States.
The 76ers adopted the image as homage to Philadelphia in 2018 during the team's playoff run as part of the "Phila Unite" marketing campaign. The "City of Brotherly Love," as it were, is also obviously the birthplace of American Independence.
The snake was integrated into the team's liberty bell logo, and obviously, the pro-America imagery is used throughout the Sixers' identity, from team name to logos to on-court imagery.
Drawn in 1754, the snake is segmented into eight separate pieces, representing South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and New England.
At the time, Delaware was part of Pennsylvania, while there were four colonies represented in the single New England segment. Georgia, one of the original 13 colonies, was curiously omitted. The idea behind it was the colonies would be better suited as a Union if they would simply come together.
The general public knows better now, but the urban legend persists that snakes were able to re-join together if separated as indicated in the cartoon.
The rest, as they say, is history — both literally and figuratively.