Pat Croce excited about hope for the Sixers

Pat Croce was minority owner and president of the 76ers from 1996 through 2001, the year they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in five games during the NBA finals. He still has a passion for the team and likes the direction the Sixers are taking after a three-year record of 47-199.

"I am excited about the current Sixers because there is hope," Croce said Tuesday afternoon after he addressed the Temple football team.

Croce says that no matter where he travels, people talk to him about the Sixers and he says he has taken a lot of grief.

"The past three years have been truly awful," he said. "I suffer because anywhere I go in the world, people think I am still associated with them and I've been told a lot, 'Your Sixers suck.' "

Now with the arrival of 2016 first overall draft pick Ben Simmons; the expected debut of center Joel Embiid, who missed the last two years after two foot surgeries; and the addition of forward Dario Saric, who was acquired in a 2014 draft-day trade but played the last two years in Turkey, Croce says he sees many positives.

"It is really good because they are going to transition with some good players, some good pieces, and the coach (Brett Brown) has some weapons to demonstrate how well he can coach," Croce said.

Even though Croce left the organization when he was denied the chance to become CEO of Comcast-Spectacor, then the owner of the team, he has never stopped cheering for the Sixers.

"I am always a fan, truly a fan," he said. "I am born and bred in Philly. Are you kidding me? I bleed Philly."