The Philadelphia 76ers’ deliberate tanking strategy from 2013-2017 that became rallying cry and sports business case study.
The Tank Strategy
In 2013, new 76ers GM Sam Hinkie began radical rebuild: trading away all veterans, accumulating draft picks, and deliberately losing to get top picks. The goal: suffer through years of terrible basketball to draft franchise-changing talent. Fans called it “The Process.” The Sixers went 47-199 over three seasons (2014-2016)—historically awful.
”Trust the Process” Mantra
Center Joel Embiid (drafted 2014, injured until 2016) embraced “Trust the Process” as slogan. Fans chanted it despite 10-72 seasons. The phrase became Philadelphia sports culture—representing long-term vision over short-term pain. Critics called it tanking, defenders called it smart rebuilding. The NBA forced Hinkie out in 2016, but the Process continued.
Vindication and Complication
The Process worked—sort of. The Sixers drafted Embiid (star center) and Ben Simmons (2016, talented but flawed). They became contenders by 2018. But they never won a championship, and Simmons’ playoff failures (especially 2021) raised questions. Did the Process work if it didn’t yield a title? The debate continued through 2023 as the Sixers remained good-not-great.
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