The Philadelphia 76ers were the laughing stock of the NBA just a few years ago, constantly being mocked as one of the league’s worst teams. The franchise was not fixed overnight, but rather through several years of drafting quality players, most notably Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.

The Process became the moniker for their turnaround, spearheaded by their young, charismatic center. So after all those years of humiliation, did The Process pay off for the Sixers? It still remains to be seen, but Paul Pierce believes that the Sixers front office has done all it can, which is to build a team that can contend for years to come.

“The best thing you can do is put yourself in position to be a contender for a long time,” Pierce said. “And I think that’s what Philadelphia has done.”