Sixers dialing back pregame bell-ringing ceremony to 13 games this season
The team said the ceremony now will be centered on the season’s top matchups, including those televised nationally or featuring a rival.
A fan-favorite Sixers tradition is being dialed back.
Only 13 Sixers games this season will feature the pregame bell-ringing ceremony, the team announced Thursday. The team said in a news release that the ceremony now will be centered on the season’s top matchups, including those televised nationally or featuring a rival.
“Inspired by Philadelphia’s ‘Circle of Stars’ logo and the city’s connection to the original 13 colonies, the Bell Ringer Ceremony will feature notable personalities who will help create greater anticipation, unforgettable pregame moments, and even more energy for fans before tipoff,” according to the release.
Legendary boxer and Philly native Bernard Hopkins rang the bell ahead of the Sixers’ home opener on Thursday, in which they mounted a 29-point comeback to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers, 114-106, and improve to 2-0 this season.
With Hopkins ringing the bell Thursday, only 12 other games this season will feature a pregame bell-ringer. It’s unclear which contests those will be, and it’s also unclear why the Sixers decided to reduce the tradition from every game to just 13.
The bell-ringer is a pregame ceremony in which a well-known local, Philly sports star, or other celebrity hits the bell with a mallet while on-court projections and dim lighting add to the effect.
Some notable previous bell-ringers include Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, two-time Olympic gold medalist soccer player Carli Lloyd, Phillies star Bryce Harper, comedian Kevin Hart, and actor Michael B. Jordan.
The bell is supposed to be a replica of the Liberty Bell and was introduced in the 2013-14 season. The players initially didn’t care for the bell, but that soon changed after iconic Philly sports figures like Allen Iverson and Julius Erving took part.
It blew up on a national scale when Sixers star Joel Embiid rang it ahead of Game 1 of their first-round series against the Miami Heat in 2018. Embiid was out with an orbital bone fracture, but rang the bell in a mask and walked off the floor to “Mask Off” by Future.
If you want to see a game with the pregame bell-ring, the Sixers’ home matchup against the Boston Celtics on Nov. 10 might not be a bad choice.
Beat reporters Gina Mizell and Chris Hine break down their most intriguing quotes from LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey during the preseason, along with what they most hope to learn about this revamped roster during the first month of the season. Watch here.
Watch the full interview below and subscribe to the Sixers Extra podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
