For the first time in what feels like ages, the Philadelphia 76ers are the talk of the town in a positive light. After stringing together an impressive 10-game stretch and showcasing what's in store for the better part of The Process, that alone stands as reason enough to celebrate.
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Of course, as only a fanbase that has grown delirious from several seasons of professional losing could do, the Sixers faithful have come up with a truly weird way to praise the team's reemergence. They're hoisting cats in the air after every win and slapping on a #RaisetheCats hashtag.
Why is this happening, the uninitiated might wonder? Well, it has nothing remotely to do with basketball, but Twitter user @GipperGrove launched the hashtag as a way to engage rookie Ben Simmons, who remains sidelined with a foot injury and has otherwise shown up in Instagram and Twitter pictures with several of his feline friends.
With Sixers victories now piling up, social media feeds have been littered with fans posting pictures of their cats held skyward.
Eventually, Simmons caught wind of what was going on and began to wonder how it all started.
Answers from fans quickly poured into the top draft pick's Twitter replies and Simmons — as had been the goal all along — obliged popular demand with a perfect #RaisetheCats photo.
Naturally, ESPN picked up the story and a ran a segment on what Philadelphians are doing to support their team.
Long story short, get used to seeing cats on Sixers Twitter.