Since purchasing the Philadelphia Eagles on May 6, 1994, Jeffrey Lurie has brought two Super Bowl championships, in 2017 and 2024, to Philadelphia. But could he bring more glory to The City of Brotherly Love in another sport?
Recently, a friend of mine brought up the idea: What if Jeffrey Lurie bought the Philadelphia 76ers from Josh Harris? If Lurie was able to turn the 76ers around just like he did with the Eagles, he would replace William Penn on top of City Hall! This isn’t a crazy idea, as Lurie did express interest in purchasing the Boston Celtics.
As a Philadelphian for the better part of seven years, I have seen the 76ers make the playoffs every year, but they haven’t been able to make it past the second round. Meanwhile, during the same period, the Lurie-owned Eagles have made two Super Bowl appearances, winning last year and making the playoffs six out of seven years.
Per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, a day before last year's Super Bowl, Lurie spoke on his roster construction philosophy that he got from Hall-of-Fame head coach Bill Walsh:
"It was maximizing the roster and realizing when you had some descending players what you needed to do, either to get market value or plan around [their departures]. These are all potentially unpopular decisions. So, for me, really, philosophically, I believe you do what you think correlates with winning big—and not what’s popular."Jeffrey Lurie
He has shown a willingness to keep his team’s core intact, signing star players on both sides of the football, such as Super Bowl MVP Jalen Hurts, a pair of wide receivers, A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith, and linebacker Zack Baun, to long-term extensions.
If Lurie were to purchase the Philadelphia 76ers, he might be able to turn the team around and return them to NBA championship-contender status. Since the 2013-2014 season, the team has not made it past the Eastern Conference semifinals, and some fans may argue that the team’s infamous “process,” even with All-Stars Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey on the roster, is still processing.
Based on his track record of winning and his roster construction philosophy, if Lurie were able to purchase the 76ers, he could put the team in a position to win its first NBA championship since 1983 and help complete the process.