Sixers 'Thrilled' To Increase Wells Fargo Center Capacity To 50% Ahead Of First Round Of NBA Playoffs
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The Sixers will be able to have 50% capacity inside the Wells Fargo Center for the first round of the playoffs. Philadelphia announced it will ease more COVID-19 restrictions on May 21, including a 50% capacity at gatherings with fixed seating indoors and outdoors as long as a minimum of three feet distance is between people in different groups.
The 50% capacity increase comes at the perfect time for the Sixers and their fans as the first round of the NBA Playoffs is set to begin on May, 22.
"We are thrilled by the city's decision to increase capacity to 50% in time for the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs," the Sixers said in a statement. "Our fans have created the most passionate and intense atmosphere in the NBA, and it gives us the type of home-court advantage our players can feed off in the postseason."
Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey says with more fans attending games, opposing players will definitely hear how much they "suck" during lineup introductions.
"What I am mostly excited for with the announcement that we will have 10k fans in the playoffs is that during opposing team lineup introductions the players will now for sure hear how much they truly suck," Morey tweeted. "This is my current favorite @sixers crowd tradition -- when did it start?"
The Wells Fargo Center also released a statement following the city's announcement.
"This is a great day for our city. We've worked incredibly hard to safely welcome back fans to Wells Fargo Center, and today's announcement means that starting June 11, we'll be open at full capacity once again for games, concerts, and other events. For more than a year, we've missed the incredible feeling of a full capacity crowd on Broad Street, and now, we can finally say that those are officially coming back," said President of Wells Fargo Center Valerie Camillo. "The health and safety of our guests will always be our first priority, so as we bring our arena back to full capacity, we'll continue working with public health officials to ensure that everyone who visits the arena can do so safely."
Masks must still be worn at all times unless you are eating or drinking.
The Sixers can clinch the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed with a win against the Indiana Pacers Tuesday night. Tip-off is at 8 p.m.
