The Philadelphia 76ers' long-running mantra of “Trust The Process” may have landed them in some hot water. After Sixers big man Joel Embiid sported some sneakers with the phrase plastered all over them during his team's game against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night, CNBC Marcus Lemonis, who apparently trademarked the phrase, wasn't happy:
Thanks for pointing this out. Glad my trademark keeps getting used. And @JoelEmbiid and @sixers have already been put on notice. @UnderArmour @BobbyGerber71 #TheProfit https://t.co/s3rYSuCoEv
— Marcus Lemonis (@marcuslemonis) December 23, 2018
So now, Joel Embiid may be embroiled in a legal battle over this phrase.
Sounds a bit ridiculous, but that is how trademarks work.
Philadelphia began using the mantra during the Sam Hinkie years, as the Sixers tanked for draft positioning and ended up landing Embiid in 2014 as a result.
The Sixers' method of accumulating top picks became a very controversial topic around the league, with many fans and pundits calling their strategy a disgrace to basketball.
Now, Philadelphia is long past those days, as it is one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, but “Trust The Process” reminds the Sixers of their humble beginnings.
It seems like they won't be able to use the phrase any longer. At least not on any of their athletic attire, anyway, but we'll see how this plays out.
The Sixers defeated the Raptors on Saturday night to improve to 22-12 on the year. They won 52 games last season after five straight years without a playoff appearance, including three seasons in which they won under 20 games.
Philadelphia will now head on the road for a Christmas Day showdown with the Boston Celtics, the team that eliminated the Sixers from the playoffs back in May. The Celtics also won the season opener over the Sixers.
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