Josh Harris, Philadelphia 76ers owner, has roots in Washington, D.C. It sounded nothing like the Washington Bullets games Harris grew up attending at the Capital Centre. Those were more thrills, fewer frills. "Wes Unseld, Elvin Hayes, Phil Chenier - they were something," Harris said. Harris is a Chevy Chase native who joined the NBA's small fraternity of owners last October, heading a group that purchased the 76ers for $280 million. After graduating from the Field School in Northwest D.C., he attended the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He's returned to Philadelphia three decades later, hoping to resuscitate pro basketball in a rabid sports town - no easy task. The day after he was announced as owner last October, the Philadelphia Daily News published an all-caps, bold headline on its front page: "Rich Penn guys hope to turn Sixers around ... Good luck with that." The team immediately slashed ticket prices, and less than seven months later, attendance jumped by more than 15 percent, the largest increase in the NBA. The 76ers have also sold more new season tickets for next season than any team. Harris says the franchise will come close to breaking even in Year One. Basketball has become very elitist. More people have to stay at home and watch," said Julius Erving, the 76ers" legend. I think by dropping the ticket price in his first year, that was a huge step in trying to open a door that was closing very quickly. ...It's obvious that he's concerned about the connection between the team and the city. Harris walked among the fans last Friday night, stepping onto the court to watch his players warm up for a pivotal playoff game against the top-seeded Bulls. "I used to get a lot more nervous, but I learned to accept that I have no control over this part," he said, as his players fired jump shots. It's like getting in an airplane and waiting for takeoff. Where did he come from? Despite amassing a fortune Forbes tabs at $1.2 billion, Harris might be the most anonymous of NBA owners. In fact, he's the only one without a Wikipedia entry. You have to dig around for the vitals: 47 years old, wife, five children. Born to an orthodontist, grew up cheering for Washington sports teams, hit Wall Street and co-founded the private equity investment titan Apollo Management Group. When Apollo went public last March, Harris's net worth skyrocketed and he began serious discussions to buy a sports team. Little over a year later, he was seated courtside for the 76ers" first home playoff game, just a couple of seats removed from the team bench.