Just when I thought the Sixers 2020-2021 season couldn’t have ended any worse. Marc Zumoff retires. Why does God hate me? What did I do? I don’t deserve this type of pain. When Kevin and I were tossing around ideas of podcast guests, Marc Zumoff was the first name I wrote down.
Marc Zumoff is a living legend. There are random people out there that make an impact on you that you never meet, they don’t know you and most likely never will. Zumoff is on that list for me. I became a full blown, watch every Sixers game, fan when I was in the 6th grade. Sixers went 49-33, Larry Brown was getting the guys in gear and Allen Iverson had made his first all-star game. I was hooked. Obsessed really. Every night around 7 o’clock, I’d sit at the edge of my bed and go bananas each play. My uncle got me an Allen Iverson black jersey and I wore it every game that year.
My obsession didn’t stop there, in fact it grew stronger. Stopped wearing the jersey every game but still had around 7 o’clock (10 if they were west coast) 82 times a year. And of course the 2001 Finals run. My god what a magical time to be a fan. Had that team pulled off the upset vs the Lakers, those Sixers would be the most beloved Philly sports team to ever represent the city. I think it’s safe to say they are already top 3-5. Had they won though, there would be a Larry Brown statue.
I was a little superstitious back in my younger days. Because of that I ended up watching most of the ECF and Finals from a tiny tv in my kitchen that even Michael Scott would consider useless. Just me, face to face with that screen for roughly 2.5 hours. Standing by the way. And the entire time I had Marc Zumoff MCing the show. I bouncing around my kitchen every time Aaron McKie bangs a three with the perfect Zumoff “ANNNNNDDDD DOWN IT GOES!!!” call on the play. The man was the voice of not only a city but an entire generation of basketball fans.
The one liners that are now apart of the normal Philly basketball fan lexicon:
“Locking all windows and doors!!!”
“Shot clock is unplugged”
“Turning garbage into gold!!”
“Thinking threeeeeeeeeeee”
“Instant Korver, sip it, it’s hot”
“YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!”
“We are coming in for a landing”
They go on and on forever and give you goosebumps every time. An amazing career and selfishly I hate that you are heading off into retirement. But before you go I would like to simply say thank you.
Thank you for making the Sixers my favorite sports team ever. Thank you for always bringing the energy and the fun to the broadcast. Thank you for voicing the countless memories. And thank you for being the voice of basketball for so many young fans out and helping us fall in love with the game.
Cheers