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THE 76ERS ARE TEAMING UP WITH EASTSIDE GOLF AND ZENITH WEALTH PARTNERS TO HELP SELECT THIS YEAR’S WINNER AND PROVIDE ADDITIONAL BUSINESS SUPPORT.

The Philadelphia 76ers announced today that its Buy Black Program is now accepting applications through Feb. 21. Business owners interested in applying can visit Sixers.com/community/buy-black to learn more.

The Buy Black Program, which first began in the 2021-22 season has received more than 600 applications from local Black-owned businesses. Selected businesses have seen incredible success from participating in the program, including SPERGO, a business that later became a winner on ABC’s Shark Tank.

“We are proud to launch our Buy Black Program for the third year and join two incredibly talented black-owned businesses to help us promote and support this year’s winner,” said David Gould, 76ers Chief Diversity and Impact Officer. “Over the past few years, we’ve made a concerted effort to create programs that amplify diverse Philadelphia businesses and this year’s Buy Black program is a prime example of that continuing commitment.”

This year’s selected business will have the opportunity to partner with the 76ers for the remainder of the 2022-23 NBA season and into the 23-24 season. While the strategy for each business will be determined based on their specific needs, the 76ers understand the importance of building custom marketing plans for the selected business and helping develop it into a company that thrives in the Philadelphia community and beyond.

In addition to a custom marketing plan, the selected business will receive free advertising across the team’s social and digital platforms, custom created content, radio spots on 97.5 the Fanatic, and other opportunities. New this year, the 76ers have teamed up with Eastside Golf, a Black-owned sports apparel company and Zenith Wealth Partners, who will not only help select the winner, but also provide mentorship and networking opportunities.

"Partnering with the 76ers for the Buy Black Program is another example of how Eastside Golf continues to show there are no limits to what can be done when people come together with the same goal,” said Earl Cooper, Co-Founder, Eastside Golf. “We are a sports brand rooted in golf, but our missions align when it comes to building and supporting the Black community."&nbsp;

Led by Managing Partners Josh Harris and David Blitzer, and in continuance of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment’s $20 million commitment to racial equity, the 76ers Buy Black Program was developed to promote local, Black-owned businesses and provide entrepreneurs with expert marketing consultation, advertising value, and additional tools to succeed.

“Our firm wins when Black business wins. We are excited to partner with the Sixers on the Buy Black Program to mobilize and uplift Black-owned businesses in Philadelphia,” said Jason Ray, Founder and Investment Director, Zenith Wealth Partners. “This partnership provides us with a great opportunity to showcase our value to Black founders and entrepreneurs.”

Philadelphia is filled with a great diversity of innovative entrepreneurs and the 76ers are committed to including them throughout its business and brand. This focus extends to all assets of the company, whether it be its plans for a new arena in Center City, marketing platforms such as Buy Black or Spirit of Small Business, or through day-to-day business operations.

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The Philadelphia 76ers Buy Black Program Is Now Accepting Applications for Black Business Owners Through February 21

Thursday in South Philadelphia, the 76ers hosted their annual Sixers Youth Foundation Gala.

The result? More than $1.5 million raised for the youth of Camden, Philadelphia, and the Greater Delaware Valley.

“We’re so excited to be able to help Philly,” 76ers Managing Partner Josh Harris said at the gala. “We have a lot of history with the city, and with the Sixers and with the Sixers Youth Foundation, we can do a lot of good.&nbsp;

“We’re paying it forward, it’s really exciting. If people hadn’t paid it forward for us, we wouldn’t be here. So it’s our pleasure to give back.”

The gala, which featured a silent auction and performances from the Sixers’ own Danuel House Jr., DJ Jazzy Jeff, and the Sugarhill Gang, reached its fundraising goal well before doors opened.

“I feel so inspired by this organization,” Sixers Youth Foundation Chair Marjorie Harris said. “I think it really allows the whole organization to feel like something bigger.

“It’s been an amazing opportunity for us to really hone in, dig deep, and figure out how to give the kids of this city a great opportunity to do whatever they need to do to succeed.”

The Sixers players, coaches, staff, and ownership were all in attendance.

“We have a lot of people who are invested in these programs, a lot of people who care about kids growing up being able to have access to resources and opportunities,” Shake Milton said. “I think it’s important to continue to try to pour into our youth and pour into the people that are going to be building and leading this country one day.”

Georges Niang sees himself in the young people supported by the foundation’s initiatives.

“Basketball was huge for me growing up,” Niang said. “It was definitely a direct avenue to success for me. So if these after school programs, and everything that they do with this money can help a kid have direction of their own, I would consider that a huge success.”

Reflecting on the evening, Matisse Thybulle was honored to step into a role once served by other professional athletes during his own childhood.

“Often times I forget what it was like to meet an NBA player when I was a kid. We have the opportunity because of our fans to have a platform, so to come back and give back a little bit in small gestures like this, I think, is the least we can do.”

For more information on the Sixers Youth Foundation, visit sixersyouthfoundation.org.

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Sixers Youth Foundation Reaches New Heights at Annual Gala

Lauren Rosen

76ers Star Earns First NBA Cares Community Assist Award

During the 76ers’ Nov. 18 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, Tyrese Maxey sustained a left foot fracture - the first major injury of his pro career.

Less than a day later, he joined his teammates on the bench, in a boot but smiling, as the team faced the Minnesota Timberwolves on Nov. 19.

Less than a day after that, Maxey and his family were in West Philadelphia, passing out Thanksgiving meals to more than 300 local families on Nov. 20.

Even so shortly after an injury, Tobias Harris wasn’t surprised to see Maxey in either place.

“Tyrese is a man of his word,” Harris said. “He has a lot of pillars and morals that he sticks to, that make up who he is - a trustworthy person, somebody who’s loyal, and also knows his impact.”

Circumstances had no bearing on Maxey’s attendance. There was never a doubt.

“People were asking me if I was still going to do [the Turkey Drive] because I got hurt,” Maxey said following the event. “And I was like, ‘Of course. I can stand, I can walk, I can talk, I can smile. So I’m still going to be here.’”

It was a decision supported by his family - literally - with every step.

“I’ve always tried to teach our kids that when you are going through something, that’s when you really need to reach out and help somebody else,” Denyse Maxey, Tyrese’s mom, said during a recent visit to Philadelphia.&nbsp;

“So he put on the boot that morning, and we very gingerly went to the event. If you go back to some of the footage, I’m standing directly in front of him, I straddled his foot to protect him. And sometimes my mom (Tyrese’s grandmother) was standing to my left, to help protect people from bumping into his foot.”

Maxey has felt that support from those women from the very beginning.

“It started at the very top - both of my grandmothers lived with me since I was four or five years old,” Maxey explained. “They taught me all my manners. And they told me that if I was going to make it, it would be great for me to be able to give back.”

That seed, planted by his grandmothers, nurtured by his parents and family, has now grown into something special, as Maxey prepares to accept his first NBA Cares Community Assist Award as the November 2022 honoree.

Denyse remembers the inception of The Tyrese Maxey Foundation well.

“I came to him, I told him he’s settled, and said, ‘Your career is off to a really good start. Now we need to put some things in place as far as what you need to do to give back to your communities.”

“He was immediately like, ‘Okay Mom, I’m on it.’”

The Community Assist accolade is just the next in a host of accomplishments Maxey has accumulated, rapidly, since his 2019-2020 season at The University of Kentucky, through the 2020 NBA Draft, and into his quickly ascending career - but this award stands out to him.

“It’s right up there at the top. It means that the foundation and I are doing the right things. What I think is really important is putting smiles on people’s faces. That’s one of the biggest things that I’m about - I like to see people happy.”

That mission was accomplished en masse this offseason, as Maxey put smiles on 750 young faces this summer, hosting a series of three camps in his three homes: his hometown, Garland, Texas, his college home, Lexington, Kentucky, and his new home, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

“But he had some stipulations,” Denyse remembers of planning the camps with her son.

“[Tyrese] didn’t want any mom, or single mom, or family, to be in a financial bind. He referenced how rough things got for us - trying to get from one tournament to the next tournament, to get the latest shoe, pay for training, making sure the bills were paid, and his sisters were taken care of. And he said, ‘I don’t want to put another family through that.”

“If we’re going to do the camps, they have to be absolutely, 100% free to each child that attends.”

But that wasn’t enough for Maxey, who remembers attending LaMarcus Aldridge’s camp in Dallas as a kid. As he stepped into Aldridge’s role in the lives of the kids who would attend his camp, he wanted to make sure each child took home a personal, tactile, memory.

“I didn’t want to just come in at the beginning or the end and speak. I wanted to let the kids be able to see me, to touch me. They’ll never forget me being there playing one-on-one, or blocking their shot, or scoring on me. They’ll never forget the time you spent with each individual.”

Though only a third-year pro, Maxey’s impact has already been felt by youth across Philadelphia, and beyond. Maxey remembers a Pennsylvania girl - who missed the Philadelphia camp - making the over-600 mile trip to Lexington with her mom, just for a chance to play alongside her favorite player.

“It means a lot. It means I’m doing something right, I hope,” Maxey reflected.&nbsp;

“It’s amazing, it really is,” Denyse added. “Sometimes it’s still kind of hard for me, because at the end of the day, for me, he’s just Tyrese. He’s my kid.”

Following the series of camps, as Maxey and his teammates descended upon Philadelphia for pre-Training Camp runs, Maxey was two miles away from the practice facility, speaking to students and handing out school supplies at Forest Hill Elementary School in Camden, New Jersey.

A year-round effort: exemplifying his morals and values, on and off the court.

Around that time, Maxey first met teammate De’Anthony Melton, who was immediately struck by Maxey’s punctuality.

“Tyrese is kind of militant with some things… It makes me mad sometimes - how early he is,” Melton said mid-December, with a laugh.

“When I first met him, it was a 10:00 a.m. workout,” Melton remembers. “I’m showing up at like 9:50. And Tyrese is sitting down, ready already, shoes tied.”

“I was like, ‘You’re just getting here?’”

“And Tyrese said, ‘Nah, this is my second workout already.’ And I was just like, ‘Now I see. That’s the type of stuff great players do.’”

In the time since, Melton and Maxey have grown close.

“They put my locker next to his, so we’ve had extensive conversations,” Melton said. “We just kept having fun, and then after a while, we started seeing what each other was doing, and what we’ve got going on. There’s never been a dull moment or a sad moment. We’re always happy.”

From shooting together after each team shootaround, to late-night Call of Duty sessions, Melton says Maxey has been one of the best parts of his move to the Sixers.

“Tyrese got a little better at [Call of Duty] so I’m proud of him. We play the game almost every day. Just talking to him, coming off of road trips, after games, stuff like that. Playing video games definitely builds a connection.”&nbsp;

Melton says that even while he’s been injured, Maxey has been one of the first people in the building each day.

And despite Maxey being two years Melton’s junior, he’s managed to become a role model.

“It makes you want to be better,” Melton said. “It makes me worried about - What time am I getting here? What am I doing? Tyrese definitely makes you want to be better.”

Those working closest with Maxey - though they hold different perspectives - describe their colleague similarly.

76ers Assistant Coach Sam Cassell has worked alongside Maxey since his earliest days as a pro. Cassell described that experience on Nov. 12:

“He’s a true professional. It’s a blessing for me personally to have a guy like that to work with. I wish we had 12 more Tyrese Maxeys on this ball club. He works extremely hard. He takes my criticism. I’m very, very hard on him. I think the sky’s the limit for the kid.”

“He’s humble, and he’s a joy. He’s a hard worker - probably the hardest worker I’ve ever been around. He’s always happy, with a smile on his face.”

Harris on Oct. 29, the day after Maxey’s career-high 44-point performance in Toronto:

“Tyrese is special. When he’s out there playing, we embrace his energy. We embrace who he is as a person and a player. He’s young, but he has this glow about him on the court. Anytime I step on the court with him is an honor.”

In his 15 games played this season prior to injury, Maxey was averaging career-highs across the board: 22.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.0 steals per game, shooting 42.2% from long range on a career-high 6.8 3-point attempts per game.

And away from the court, as the holiday season approached, his efforts in the community were reaching new highs too.

“The holidays can be a hard time,” Maxey said. “You want to make sure everybody has a great time, and spends it happy, with a smile on their face, with food to eat.”

The Turkey Drive came just ahead of Thanksgiving, as the Maxey family shared much more than just turkey. The boxes distributed to hundreds of families contained a 14-to-16 pound turkey, stuffing, potatoes, green beans, corn, and a variety of snacks and beverages.

“We just wanted families to enjoy and not be stressed,” Denyse said. “If we could take one little thing off your plate, and make you happy, that’s all we wanted to do… I wanted them to have a package of something that was special, from our family to their family.”

And as Christmas approached, The Tyrese Maxey Foundation launched a Toy Drive in Dallas and Philadelphia. They gathered 1,600 toys in Philadelphia alone.

All while balancing his young career, rise to stardom, and rehabbing an injury.

“It shows that he cares,” Harris said. “With the hectic schedule, and being a young player in the NBA, being able to devote his time, it just shows who he is and what he’s about.”

Despite being one of the youngest on the team, his presence, his spirit, and voice carry heavy weight - another achievement, also years in the making.

“As a kid, my mom’s goal was for me to be able to have a conversation with anybody in the world, whether it was the President, whether it was our owners, or trying to make a business deal. I feel like I’ve done that. I took school extremely seriously while I was there.”

Add championship-winning coaches, MVPs, NBA veterans, officials, and staff to that list.

“What she taught me really has helped me because I’ve been on a team that has championship aspirations. I’m able to communicate with my older teammates while being one of the youngest guys on the team, and communicate with them at a respectful and adult level.”

Harris - now a 12-year NBA veteran - wholeheartedly agrees.

“He’s still very young, but he’s a very mature young man,” Harris said. “Everybody knows how special he is on the basketball floor, but he’s even more special off the floor.”

For Maxey, it all comes back to the goal he once set as a kid - spread as much joy as he can, using the platform he’s rightfully earned.

“Life is hard. So when you can make somebody smile, when you can make somebody’s day, or make somebody’s whole holiday season, then you try to do that,” Maxey said. “That’s what I’ve been trying to do, and it’s really made me happy inside. We’re going to continue to do the same thing.”

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The Maxey Effect: How Tyrese Maxey Found His Voice, and Uses It To Do Good

Matt Murphy

Joel Embiid’s impact on the City of Philadelphia continues to transcend the basketball court.

Embiid, who enters the new season a five-time NBA All-Star and reigning scoring champ, repeatedly aims to uplift his community.

On Thursday, Embiid launched “In Memory of Arthur” (IMOA), a community initiative designed to make a positive change in Philadelphia by investing in some of its most impactful non-profit organizations. Embiid and his team contributed to the IMOA initiative with a $1 Million grant shared among the following organizations:

“Philadelphia has been a place where many of my dreams were able to come true, and I wanted to do my part to bring that to others,” Embiid said.

The name for the initiative honors Embiid’s late brother, Arthur, who died in a car accident in 2014 at age 13. Joel “hopes that this initiative can create a positive legacy around Arthur's name, one that he believes Arthur would have built himself had he not been lost at such a young age.”

When Embiid became a father in 2020, he named his son Arthur.

Actively engaged in his community throughout his tenure as a 76er, Embiid announced prior to the 2021 All-Star game that he would donate $100,000 to three local organizations serving the homeless.

Embiid also adopted local families over the holidays during the 76ers’ “Season of Giving” in December 2020, providing the families with gifts, groceries, clothing, and rent or mortgage relief for a year.

Earlier in 2020, while the NBA season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Embiid partnered with Sixers Managing Partner Josh Harris and co-Managing Partner David Blitzer to donate $1.3 million to Penn Medicine in order to develop antibody testing for frontline workers.

“As an NBA player, I’ve been blessed with resources and influence, and with IMOA, I hope to pour back everything I have into my community, by empowering the experts that are the real MVP’s of making a difference.”

Part of Embiid’s mission includes hosting youth members of the respective organizations at 76ers games as well as taking an active role within each group by visiting and volunteering on a year-round basis.

On and off the floor, Embiid continues to make a legendary impact.

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Joel Embiid Launches "In Memory of Arthur", Gives Back to Philadelphia Through New Initiative Named For His Late Brother

Saturday in Philadelphia, Tyrese Maxey kicked off his slate of three free basketball camps for youth in one of his “three homes.”

With the first camp in Philadelphia complete, Maxey will host his second camp on Aug. 13 in Dallas, and the final camp on Aug. 20 in Lexington.

Following Saturday’s festivities, the now-third year Sixer caught up with Sixers.com…

“The main reason [I wanted to do these camps] was just to help out kids, and give back to the community. I call Lexington, Philadelphia, and Dallas my three homes. So to be able to give back to my three homes, and spread joy across the country with the kids, that makes me happy as well.”

Maxey remembers playing in LaMarcus Aldridge’s camp as a kid, and now has faced Aldridge as an NBA opponent. How would Maxey feel if one of his campers someday faced him in the NBA?

“That’s crazy - It just makes me sound like I’m going to be old! But I’ll be blessed to be there if I am. That means I had a long and healthy career. I can’t do anything but thank God for this opportunity that I have, and this platform I have to give back to everybody. I’m just blessed to be here.”

Accessibility was also a priority for Maxey, making sure all three of his camps would be free of charge:

“It was all about giving back to the kids, giving back to the community. I wasn’t, sometimes, able to afford some camps, and my Mom and Dad wanted to. So to be able to come to a camp of an NBA player, I feel like that’s pretty cool. I’m not cool, but I just hope I can spread a little joy with the kids, and everything will be ok.”

As for the weeks ahead, Maxey plans to continue his early morning workouts, while recharging with his family:

“I’m excited to go home for a little bit, hang out with the fam. Then I get to go back to Lexington. I moved into my new house, my dog has a lot of space to run around. I’m just happy, I’m just blessed. I’m ready for the next opportunity I have for next season, and I can’t wait to get out here with my teammates.”

Upon the conclusion of his camps, Maxey will return to his new home in Philadelphia - a city with which he’s already developed a deep connection:

“I feel like I relate to everybody in the city. The fans that come to the games, they work, and spend their hard-earned money to be able to attend these games. I feel like I worked extremely hard to be able to get to where I am. Nothing was given to me, everything was earned. So I really understand where they’re coming from.”

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Tyrese Maxey's Tour of Free Basketball Camps Starts in Philadelphia

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PHILADELPHIA – JAN. 13, 2022 –&nbsp;The Philadelphia 76ers announced today that&nbsp;the team has selected&nbsp;Thunder Mug Cafe as its second recipient of&nbsp;the annual 76ers Buy Black Program. This year, the&nbsp;Buy&nbsp;Black&nbsp;Program again received several hundred applications from local Black-owned businesses.  After opening its doors in September 2019, owner Lizette Apy has grown the cafe behind the love and support of the East Falls community where it is located. Thunder Mug Cafe serves coffee, tea and pastries at its Ridge Avenue location to numerous dedicated patrons everyday between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Thunder Mug offers many delicious menu items, while the vanilla oat milk latte, bacon quiche and gluten-free sweet potato muffins are among customer favorites.

Click below to listen Thunder Mug Cafe owner Lizette Apy speak about her journey to become a small business owner in a podcast with 76ers digital reporter Lauren Rosen.

In continuance of&nbsp;Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment’s action plan and $20 million commitment to racial equity, the 76ers Buy Black program was developed to promote local, Black-owned businesses and provide entrepreneurs with expert marketing consultation, advertising value, and additional tools to succeed. HBSE is committed to providing communities in need with the power to grow from within and recognizes that supporting small businesses is vital for the sustainability of these neighborhoods.

“With leadership from Josh Harris and David Blitzer, this program was designed to help promote local Black-owned businesses that are doing great work but wouldn’t otherwise have access to a platform like the 76ers,” said David Gould, Philadelphia 76ers Chief Diversity and Impact Officer. “We are so excited to bring Thunder Mug Cafe on as an official team partner for this season and look forward to working closely with them to grow their business over the course of the next year.”  Gould continued, “Thunder Mug has grown its business in their first two years of operation and is ready to continue doing so. We know it will greatly benefit from the assets we will provide and look forward to watching its continued success. The 76ers and Thunder Mug both put a premium on giving back to the communities they serve, and we are excited to collaborate with the Cafe to foster those shared values.”

In the first year of the Buy Black Program, the 76ers worked closely with local government nonprofits and the local African American Chamber to identify over 700 local Black-owned businesses that applied for the program, The team selected and onboarded two businesses in Girl Contracting – a female operated contracting group, and SPERGO - an apparel company owned by&nbsp;​16-year-old entrepreneur&nbsp;​Trey Brown&nbsp;who&nbsp;​recently&nbsp;received $300,000 in funding on ABC’s Shark Tank.  As an official partner of the Philadelphia 76ers, Thunder Mug Cafe will receive a customized marketing strategy&nbsp;​and activation&nbsp;led by the organization’s&nbsp;social responsibility team.&nbsp;This strategy will be executed utilizing the strength of 76ers platforms and resources and will be tailor-made to help grow and sustain Thunder Mug Cafe’s business.  During this process, Thunder Mug Cafe will benefit from the expert advice and marketing assets of the Clio award-winning brand and creative teams, Emmy award-winning content team and the 76ers digital, research and award-winning analytics teams. Other marketing assets include radio spots, email marketing and access to millions of fans across 76ers digital and social platforms.

“The Buy Black Program is distinctive because the program highlights and partners with Black-owned businesses,” said Lizette Apy, Thunder Mug Cafe owner. “The Buy Black Program serves as an illuminant of hope for existing and future black entrepreneurs, showing that there is support and mentorship available to strengthen and grow the Black business community. As a Black woman running her own independent business, this partnership means the world to me and the entire Thunder Mug team.”

Over the course of five years, the 76ers will contribute a combined $2.5 million, as the team continues&nbsp;to expand the program in order to empower diverse small businesses and their communities within their respective markets.

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76ers Select Thunder Mug Cafe for Buy Black Program

NEW YORK, Dec. 10, 2021 – Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris has been honored with the NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente for the month of October in recognition of his efforts to improve literacy and education outcomes, the NBA today announced.&nbsp; Each month of the regular season the award recognizes a player who best demonstrates the passion that the league and NBA players share for giving back to their communities.

As part of his&nbsp;Tobias Lit Labs&nbsp;campaign, an initiative that brings diverse books and authors to schools and families launched in 2019, Harris partnered with Read by 4th to host a Book Block Party on Oct. 17 in North Philadelphia.&nbsp; The free festival highlighted the importance of building home literacy habits, brought thousands of diverse books to youth and families in the community and connected them with local literacy resources.&nbsp; As part of the festival, Harris invited special guest and award-wining author Kelly Starling Lyons and provided thousands of copies of her book,&nbsp;Dream Builder: The Story of Architect Philip Freelon, to attendees at no cost.&nbsp; Freelon is a Philadelphia native and was the architect of the iconic National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.

Harris’ support of educational equity extends beyond Philadelphia to his native Long Island, Orlando, Haiti and South Africa.&nbsp; Through the Tobias Harris Charitable Fund, he has contributed more than $2 million in addition to donating classroom supplies and supporting professional development for educators and students, ensuring all are equipped with the necessary tools to learn every day.&nbsp; Harris also serves on the Board of Directors for the NBA Foundation, which was created by the 30 NBA teams to invest in local and national organizations that promote school-to-career and workforce development opportunities for Black youth.

Harris will be presented with the award tomorrow prior to the 76ers home game against the Golden State Warriors (8:30 p.m. ET on ABC) by 76ers Managing Partner Josh Harris.&nbsp; The NBA and Kaiser Permanente will donate $10,000 on Harris’ behalf to the Kappa Alpha Psi Foundation, Inc., the 501(c)(3) arm of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., which provides grants for community projects, scholarships, after-school programs and more.

The NBA Cares Community Assist Award presented by Kaiser Permanente honors the standard set by NBA Legend David Robinson, who improved the community piece by piece.&nbsp;&nbsp;To learn more, please visit&nbsp;https://communityassist.nba.com/.

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Tobias Harris Receives October NBA Cares Community Assist Award

PHILADELPHIA – NOV. 30, 2021&nbsp;– The Philadelphia 76ers have announced that the second annual round of applications for the 76ers Buy Black Program will begin today and continue through Dec. 10 at midnight via&nbsp;Sixers.com/BuyBlack. In its first year, the 76ers Buy Black Program received over 700 applications in two weeks. In continuance of&nbsp;Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment’s action plan and $20 million commitment to racial equity, the 76ers Buy Black program was developed to promote local, Black-owned businesses and provide entrepreneurs with expert marketing consultation, advertising value, and additional tools to succeed. Selected businesses will become an official team partner for the 2021-2022 season and will be promoted and marketed across 76ers channels.

Trey Brown, the 15-year-old founder of SPERGO, a 2020 76ers Buy Black recipient and recent winner on&nbsp;ABC’s Shark Tank, rang the ceremonial bell on Monday, Nov. 29, to open the 76ers game vs. the Orlando Magic and initiate the opening of the 2021 Buy Black application process.

“Last year was an amazing start to the 76ers Buy Black program; not only were we able to partner with two outstanding local businesses in SPERGO and Girl Contracting, but the program also introduced us to multiple local businesses with whom we have since been able to support, partner and develop relationships,” said Philadelphia 76ers Chief Diversity and Impact Officer David Gould. “As we seek to use our business to promote more equity in our communities, we’re excited to discover and work with our next Buy Black partners to amplify their brand, tell their story to our fanbase, and support the success of their business.”

In Feb. 2020, the 76ers announced the selection of&nbsp;SPERGO, a Philadelphia-based designer apparel brand and&nbsp;Girl Contracting, Inc., a female-managed construction and real estate development company, as the inaugural recipients of its Buy Black program.

“Being the 76ers Buy Black Partner has helped SPERGO reach unimaginable heights, and appeal to a wider audience,” said SPERGO Founder Trey Brown. “This partnership has helped us take our first step into the sports world, and this is only the beginning!”

“The 76ers Buy Black program widened Girl Contracting’s access in a meaningful way,” said Lynette Sutton, Girl Contracting Managing Partner. “Often our community is ‘planned for, versus planned with.’ Since this program commenced, we are increasingly part of the design, build and planning meetings as opposed to just being hired for the build.&nbsp; We appreciate the Sixers’ shared commitment to long-lasting impact.”

Once onboarded as an official partner of the Philadelphia 76ers, the local businesses will be led by the 76ers Partnership Activation team in identifying their key performance indicators and building a customized marketing strategy to be executed utilizing 76ers platforms and resources designed to help grow and sustain their businesses. During this process, businesses will receive expert advice and marketing assets from the Clio award-winning brand and creative teams, Emmy award-winning content team and the 76ers digital, research and award-winning analytics teams.

While the strategy for each business will be determined based on their needs, the customized plans may include amplification across 76ers platforms, including social media marketing, custom content produced by Studio 76, professionally-designed email marketing,&nbsp;Sixers.com&nbsp;website presence, in-game exposure at 76ers home games, radio and broadcast advertisements and more.

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76ers Buy Black Program Opens Applications for Black Business Owners in Greater Philadelphia Region

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