From a few inoccuous words out of Tony Wroten's mouth to a phrase the Sixers are trying to trademark.
"Trust the Process" has come a long way.
The Sixers filed a trademark on Sept. 26 for the iconic rallying cry/motto/beacon of hope in the face of ceaseless losing.
The trademark indicates the Sixers plan to use "Trust the Process" to advertise their basketball camps, dance team clinics, and just about everything in between.
The 76ers filed a trademark for TRUST THE PROCESS on Sept 26.
The team has never attempted to protect the phrase, until now.
The filing indicates the @sixers will fully embrace the phrase by using it to advertise basketball clinics, fan clubs, video games and fantasy leagues. pic.twitter.com/zFzmNlO1kq— Josh Gerben (@JoshGerben) October 5, 2018
"Trust the Process" has had a long and winding history. Joel Embiid (who, of course, goes by "The Process"), first tweeted it on Nov. 19, 2014. And the phrase picked up traction after Tony Wroten used it in an article by ESPN's Pablo Torre on then-GM Sam Hinkie's ambitious rebuild.
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From there, "Trust the Process" kind of took on a life of its own.
You just lost by 40 points? Trust the Process. It's all part of the plan.
Embiid finally played NBA basketball and looked like a generational talent? Trust the Process. All the losing was worth it.
GM fired because of a bizarre scandal involving his wife using burner Twitter accounts? Trust the Process. Weird stuff happens sometimes.
In a few years, the Sixers have gone from trying to distance themselves from Hinkie and his approach to fully embracing it, or at least the phrase that embodies what he was all about.
Regardless of who technically first said the three words "Trust the Process" consecutively (probably some random guy hundreds of years ago), there's no doubt Hinkie is the spiritual originator.
Even if Markelle Fultz actually thought he invented the phrase ...
