Sixers Virtually Erase “Wells Fargo Center” From Home Court

The bizarre feud with the arena sponsor continues.

By Jared Shelly· 10/14/2015, 5:04 p.m.

Don’t tell the Sixers, but this place is called the Wells Fargo Center. (Photo | Jeff Fusco)

The Philadelphia 76ers and their feud with Wells Fargo is getting to a pretty ridiculous level. We already know that the team’s front office refuses to utter the words “Wells Fargo Center” publicly and won’t use the arena sponsor’s name on its website or other official literature. Instead they call it “The Center.” Weird.

Now, the team has made the words “Wells Fargo Center” very difficult to read on its home court. What used to appear in dark lettering, is now painted white and virtually blends in. It’s passive-agressive warfare folks!

The 76ers took their petty feud w/ Wells Fargo to the next level w/ their new court design http://t.co/YxNtvmPaxK pic.twitter.com/VjMW0CuJwI
— local bIogger (@fergoe) October 14, 2015

The strangeness originally came to light during a press conference in May, when Sixers CEO Scott O’Neil kept saying things like “the arena where we play” rather than “Wells Fargo Center.” In a June 9 news release about auditions for the Sixers Phlight Squad, the team said the event would be held “at the Sixers home arena.”

Back in June, the Sixers sent over a statement from Chief Revenue Officer Chris Heck who said “the particular bank referenced is currently not a sponsor of the Philadelphia 76ers.” He did say the team is happy with its arena, which is owned by Comcast-Spectacor. (So don’t worry about the team moving to New Jersey anytime soon. Even though its building a headquarters in Camden. And the ownership group also owns the New Jersey Devils. Ugh.)

Here’s an invitation to a Sixers event this summer. Notice the venue is “The Center.”