October 24, 2019

Sixers rookie Matisse Thybulle already has a signature emoji

The 22-year-old is already turning heads with his defense, but his trademark might be his smile

By Adam Hermann
PhillyVoice Staff

Kate Frese/for PhillyVoice

Rookie Matisse Thybulle shoots a three pointer during the Philadelphia 76ers' season opener against the Boston Celtics.

Sixers rookie Matisse Thybulle seems like an extremely positive young man. He works hard on defense, a part of the floor where plenty of players tend to slack off; he's equally passionate about his off-the-court pursuits, like photography; and he's constantly smiling.

Seriously, it feels like half of the Internet's photos of the 22-year-old showcase his smile, which is big and infectious, and a relative breath of fresh air in a sports landscape rife with mean-mugging superstars.

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Here's the first shot on his Instagram with a Sixers jersey, smile and all:

View this post on Instagram

@sixers

A post shared by Matisse Thybulle (@theycallmetisse) on Jun 23, 2019 at 11:32am PDT

If you listen to the Sixers' new unofficial Internet Liaison Mike Scott, it seems the smile is quickly and rightly becoming Thybulle's signature.

After Wednesday night's season-opening win, in which Thybulle flashed the defensive instincts and shot-making abilities which so excited the Sixers' front office, Sixers fans were thrilled with the rookie's performance, so much so that some started plotting a Thybulle fan club after just one game:

Can we get a Matisse Thybulle Hive going?
— Freedom (#HereTheyCome #PhillyOrNothing) (@DelcoPhillyVRS) October 24, 2019

Scott was tagged as the conversation continued, and he endorsed the movement while adding his own take: Thybulle's signature emoji, like Ben Simmons' 😤 and Scott's 🐝, should be the 😄 emoji:

Hell yea. I’m wit it. His shit gotta be 😄😄😄😄😄😄😄 https://t.co/govc4Fijq0
— Mike Scott (@mikescott) October 24, 2019

Scott, who at this point is basically a Philadelphia tastemaker, seems to have nailed it once again. Look at this picture and tell me Thybulle's signature emoji should be anything else:

View this post on Instagram

I want to take this opportunity to thank the many people who helped me get here. My dad, My sister, Coach Hopkins, Coach Romar, the entire UW Coaching staff, Eric Hughes, Phil Beckner, Chris Farr, The Lipsen Family, My Grandparents, Jamal Crawford, Spencer Hawes, AG and of course Uncle E. Above all, a huge thank you to the @sixers for making a kids dream come true!!

A post shared by Matisse Thybulle (@theycallmetisse) on Jun 20, 2019 at 10:54pm PDT

Scott continued campaigning to make the emoji official Thursday afternoon, sending a horde of the emoji to Thybulle's Twitter account:

@MatisseThybulle 😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄😄
— Mike Scott (@mikescott) October 24, 2019

Sixers fans replied with a litany of the 😄 emoji, which means we probably have a movement on our hands.

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And, just to be sure, Scott went over to Thybulle's Instagram page and left a comment on the rookie's most recent post. As you might've guessed by now, it was just nine 😄 emojis.

Whether Thybulle will adopt the emoji is unclear, but at least a few fans are hoping he makes it his own: