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free encyclopedia
| Philadephia 76ers |
|
|
| Conference |
Eastern
Conference |
| Division |
Atlantic Division |
| Founded |
1939
Charter member in 1946
of the NBL
Joined NBA
in 1949. |
| History |
Syracuse Nationals
(1939-1963)
Philadelphia 76ers
(1963-present) |
| Arena |
Wachovia
Center |
| City |
Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania |
| Team Colors |
Black, Blue, Gold, Red, Silver and White |
| Head Coach |
Maurice
Cheeks |
| Owner |
Ed
Snider |
| Championships |
3 (1955,
1967,
1983) |
| Conference Titles |
6 (1967,
1977,
1980,
1982,
1983,
2001) |
| Division Titles |
11 (1950,
1952,
1955,
1966,
1967,
1968,
1977,
1978,
1983,
1990,
2001) |
The Philadelphia 76ers are a National
Basketball Association team based in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, also known as the Sixers
for short.
Home arenas
- State
Fair Coliseum (1949-1951)
- War
Memorial at Oncenter (1951-1963)
- Philadelphia
Civic Center (1963-1967)
- Philadelphia
Arena (1963-1967)
- Wachovia
Spectrum (1967-1996)
- Wachovia
Center (1996-present)
Franchise History
The team began in 1939
as the Syracuse Nationals and in 1946
were a charter member of the National
Basketball League. In 1949,
the Nationals were one of seven NBL teams that merged
with the Basketball
Association of America to form the NBA.
The Glorious 1950's
In the 1950-51 season, led by Hall
of Famers Dolph
Schayes and Al
Cervi, the Nationals made a serious run at the
NBA
Finals as they beat the best team in the East
- the Philadelphia
Warriors - in 2 straight games in Round 1, but
at the east finals they ran into a dead end as they
lost to the New
York Knicks in a tough 5-game series.
In the 1954-55 season, led by Dolph
Schayes and Paul Seymour the Nationals made
it to the playoffs for the 9th straight year. The
team would go on to beat the Boston
Celtics in 4 games to advance to the NBA finals.
In Game 7 of the finals against the Fort
Wayne Pistons, unsung hero George
King sank a clutch free throw to give the Nationals
a 92-91 lead. King would then steal an inbound pass
to clinch the First NBA Championship for the Nationals.
Although the Nationals would remain a playoff contender
for the rest of the 1950's and into 1963, the Nationals
would never again reach the NBA finals, and by 1963
the Nationals would be gone from Syracuse.
Welcome Back To The NBA, Philadelphia
Thanks to paper magnate Irv Kosloff,
who purchased the team from Daniel
Biasone, who was the inventor of the 24-second
shot
clock still in use today, the Nationals moved
to Philadelphia in 1963
playing at the Philadelphia
Arena, Civic
Center-Convention Hall and The Palestra at the
University
of Pennsylvania, one year after the Warriors
had left for San
Francisco. They were the longest-surviving of
the NBA franchises based in medium-sized cities.
Their name changed to the "76ers," after the signing
of the Declaration
of Independence in Philadelphia in 1776.
In the 1964-65 season, the 76ers acquired the legendary
Wilt
Chamberlain from the Warriors. The 76ers would
push the Boston Celtics to seven games in the Eastern
Conference Finals, with the 76ers trailing 110-108
in Game 7. After Hal
Greer's pass was stolen by John
Havlicek - an infamous blow to 76ers fans, rubbed
in by fabled Celtics announcer Johnny
Most when he yelled into the microphone "Havlicek
stole the ball!" - the Celtics went on to beat the
76ers and win another NBA Championship.
The Unforgettable 1966-67 Season
Led by head coach Alex
Hannum, the 76ers had a dream season as they
won the first 38 of 41 games en route to a record
of 68-13. Chamberlain, Billy
Cunningham, and Hal
Greer, along with all-stars Chet
Walker and Lucious
Jackson, led the team to the Eastern Conference
finals. This time, with the Celtics aging and hurt,
the 76ers beat the Celtics in five games. In Game
Five of that series, as the 76ers went to victory
and the NBA Finals, rabid Philadelphia fans chanted
"Boston
is dead!", a symbol that the Celts' eight-year run
as the NBA titleholders had ended. The 76ers' magicial
season ended with a convicing six game series victory
over the former San
Francisco Warriors to give the Sixers their
first NBA Championship.
The Fall and Rebirth of the 76ers
In the 1967-68 season, with a new
home court in the form of the The
Spectrum to defend their championship, the 76ers
made it back to the NBA Playoffs and in the rematch
of last year's Eastern Conference Finals, the 76ers
held a 3-1 series lead over the Celtics, before
selfish play and ego cost them big, as the Celtics
came back to beat the 76ers in seven games.
This, and the subsuquent trade of
Chamberlain to the Los
Angeles Lakers would send the 76ers into a freefall
that culminated in the 1972-73 season, in which
they won only nine of 82 games, earning the nickname
from the skeptical Philadelphia media of the "Nine
and 73-ers". The seventy-three losses, although
threatened many times, remains the all-time low-water
mark for any NBA franchise.
The next year, the 76ers would hire
Gene
Shue as their head coach and they slowly came
back. In the 1975-76 season, the 76ers got George
McGinnis from the Indiana
Pacers of the ABA
(after the Knickerbockers tried to sign him, not
knowing that the Sixers owned his rights), and with
him, the 76ers were back in the playoffs after a
six-year absence, and even though they lost to the
Buffalo
Braves in three games, a "Doctor" would come
along and get the team healthy enough to stay in
perennial contention.
Dr. J and the 76ers
Doctor J (Julius Erving) was the perscription
the Sixers need in 1976.
The 1976-77 season would be memorable
for the 76ers as they acquired Julius
Erving from the New
York Nets, while the team was purchased by local
philantrophist F. Eugene Dixon, heir to the Widener
fortune. With them, the 76ers began an exciting
ride for the fans of Philadelphia, beating their
long-time nemesis from Boston in a seven-game playoff
slugfest to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
There, they defeatead the Houston
Rockets, led by future Sixer Moses
Malone, in six games to advance to the NBA Finals.
It was there that they would lose to former coach
Jack
Ramsay and the Bill
Walton-led Portland
Trail Blazers in six games, after the building
a commanding 2-0 series lead. That led to the motto
being used in 1977-78 of "We owe you one," which
would ultimately backfire when they lost in the
playoffs the following year to the Washington
Bullets, who went on to win the NBA championship
that year. In the next four seasons, the Sixers
would fall short of the NBA Championship, even after
changing coaches to former Sixers great Billy Cunningham.
In the 1980
NBA Finals against the Los
Angeles Lakers, they lost, four games to two.
In Game Six, rookie Earvin
"Magic" Johnson played center for the Lakers
in place of Kareem
Abdul-Jabbar (who was out because of a sprained
ankle suffered in Game Five) and scored 42 points.
In the 1981
Eastern Conference Finals, the 76ers opened a big
3-1 series lead over the Celtics only to see Boston
come back and win the series in seven games. The
following season, the 76ers again faced the Celtics
in the Eastern Conference Finals, and again jumped
to a 3-1 series lead only to see Boston forge a
3-3 series tie. The 76ers were given little chance
of winning as they faced the Celtics in Game Seven
at Boston
Garden. This time, they played angry but inspirational
basketball, pulling away to a 120-106 victory. In
the game's closing moments, the fans at Boston Garden
began chanting "Beat L.A., Beat L.A.", an
incredible moment in basketball history, and although
they lost in the NBA Finals, the 76ers began the
1982-83 season with great momentum. All they needed
now was Moses (Malone) to lead them to the promised
land of the NBA championship.
The Historic 1982-83 Season: "Fo',
Fi', Fo'."
The final piece of the championship
puzzle was completed before the 1982-83 season when
they acquired center Malone from the aforementioned
Houston Rockets. They went on to capture their historic
second NBA championship as they won 65 games, and
ran the table in the playoffs, first sweeping the
New York Knicks, and then beating the Milwaukee
Bucks in five games. They finally finished it
off with a four game sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers,
who had defeated them the season before. The 76ers
completed one of the most dominating playoff runs
in league history with a 12-1 mark after league
and NBA Finals MVP Moses promised "Fo', fo', fo"
(as in "four, four, four" - four wins to sweep round
1, four wins to sweep round 2, etc.), but it actually
wound up as "Fo', fi', fo." (four, five, four).
The 76ers were also led by Hall
of Famer Erving and All-Stars Maurice
Cheeks, Andrew
Toney, and Bobby
Jones.
Charles In Charge and Another Freefall
The outspoken Charles Barkley was nicknamed
"The Round Mound of Rebound".
After a disappointing 1983-84 season,
which ended with a five-game loss to the New
Jersey Nets in the first round of the playoffs,
Charles
Barkley arrived in Philadelphia for the 1984-85
season. For the next eight seasons, Barkley brought
delight to the Philadelphia fans thanks to his humorous
and sometimes controversial ways. The 76ers returned
to the Eastern Conference Finals, but lost to the
Boston
Celtics in five games. Following the season,
Matt
Guokas replaced Billy Cunningham as head coach,
leading the Sixers to the second round of the playoffs
in 1985-86, where they were defeated by the Milwaukee
Bucks in seven games. On June 16, 1986, owner
Harold
Katz, who bought the team from F. Eugene Dixon
in 1982, made two of the most controversial and
highly criticized personnel moves in franchise history,
trading away Moses Malone to Washington and the
first overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft (which
had been obtained from the San
Diego Clippers in a 1979 trade for Joe
Bryant) to the Cleveland
Cavaliers. In return, the Sixers received Roy
Hinson, Jeff
Ruland, and Cliff
Robinson, none of whom played more than three
seasons with the team. Cleveland, meanwhile, selected
future All-Star Brad
Daugherty with the first pick. The 76ers returned
to the playoffs in 1986-87, but were defeated in
the first round by Milwaukee, three games to two.
In 1987-88, with the team's record at 20-23, Jim
Lynam took over for Guokas as head coach. Overall,
Philadelphia would finish 36-46, failing to reach
the postseason for the first time since 1974-75.
Philadelphia selected Charles
Smith with its first pick in the 1988
NBA Draft, then traded his rights to the Los
Angeles Clippers for their first pick, Hersey
Hawkins. In five seasons with the Sixers, Hawkins
would average 19 points per game, and left the team
as its all-time leader in three-point field goals
attempted and made.
In 1988-89, Philadelphia returned
to the playoffs after a one-year absence, but were
swept in the first round by the New
York Knicks. In 1989-90, Barkley finished second
in the league's MVP voting, as the 76ers won the
Atlantic Division title. After defeating Cleveland
in the first round of the playoffs, Philadelphia
faced Michael
Jordan and the Chicago
Bulls in the second round. The 76ers fell to
the Bulls in five games, and would do the same in
1991
after sweeping the Milwaukee Bucks in the first
round. Some people feel the two postseason losses
to Chicago were the beginning of the end of Barkley's
stay in Philadelphia. In 1991-92, the 76ers missed
the playoffs for the just the second time during
Barkley's eight seasons in Philadelphia. On June
17, 1992, Barkley was traded to the Phoenix
Suns for Jeff
Hornacek, Tim
Perry, and Andrew
Lang.
The trade of Barkley was met with
harsh criticism, and was a key factor in the team's
1990's slide. Lynam relinquished his head coaching
position to become general manager following the
1991-92 season, and hired Doug
Moe, who lasted less than a season, to fill
the vacancy. Popular former player and longtime
assistant coach Fred
Carter succeeded Moe as head coach in March
of 1993,
but could only manage a 32-76 record at the helm.
Following the 1993-94 season, the 76ers hired John
Lucas in the dual role of head coach and general
manager. The enthusiastic Lucas had been successful
as a head coach for the San
Antonio Spurs, and Philadelphia hoped he could
breathe new life into the 76ers. It proved disastrous,
as the team went 42-122 in its two seasons under
Lucas. The acquisition of unproductive free agents
such as Scott
Williams and Charles
Shackleford, players at the end of their careers
such as LaSalle
Thompson, Orlando
Woolridge, and Scott
Skiles along with disappointing high draft picks
such as Shawn
Bradley and Sharone
Wright were also factors in the team's decline.
Starting with the 1990-91 season,
and ending with the 1995-96 season, Philadelphia
had the dubious distinction of seeing their win
total decrease each year. The nadir was the 1995-96
season, when the 76ers finished with an 18-64 record,
the second-worst in franchise history. It was also
the second-worst record in the league that year,
ahead of only the expansion Vancouver
Grizzlies but behind the Toronto
Raptors, who were also in their inaugural season.
Katz, unpopular among fans since the 1986 trades,
sold the team to the Comcast
Corporation at the end of the 1995-96 season,
with Pat
Croce, a former trainer for the Philadelphia
Flyers, taking over as president.
Many 76ers fans call these years
"The Dark Ages." However, after many years of misfortune,
there was a bright spot. The team won the lottery
for the top pick in the 1996
NBA Draft. Questions remained, but with the
first pick, the Sixers found their solution for
the future. "The Answer" was: Allen
Iverson.
"The Answer", and the 2000-01 Season.
The 76ers drafted Allen Iverson with the top
pick in the 1996 NBA Draft.
With new ownership and Iverson in
place, and the 76ers moving into the CoreStates
Center, things seemed to finally be heading
in a positive direction. John Lucas was relieved
of his duties as both coach and general manager.
Johnny
Davis was named head coach, while Brad
Greenberg took over as general manager. Iverson
was named Rookie of the Year, but Philadelphia's
overall improvement was minimal, as they finished
with a 22-60 record. Both Davis and Greenberg were
fired after the 1996-97 season, and Larry
Brown took over as head coach. Known for a defense-first
approach and transforming unsuccessful teams into
winners by "playing the right way", Brown faced
perhaps his toughest coaching challenge. He often
clashed with Iverson, but the 76ers improved to
31 wins in 1997-98. Early in the 1997-98 season,
the Sixers traded Jerry
Stackhouse, who had been the third overall pick
in the 1995
NBA Draft, to the Detroit
Pistons. In exchange, Philadelphia received
Aaron
McKie and Theo
Ratliff, defensive standouts who would have
an impact in the team's resurgence. The 76ers also
acquired Eric
Snow from the Seattle
Supersonics in January of 1998.
Prior to the 1998-99 season, the
76ers signed George
Lynch and Matt
Geiger, but a lenghty lockout delayed the start
of the season, which was shortened to 50 games.
During the season, Philadelphia acquired Tyrone
Hill in a trade with Milwaukee. The team began
its resurgence during the strike-shortened season,
finishing with a 28-22 record and the sixth seed
in the Eastern Conference playoffs, marking the
first time since 1991 the team reached the postseason.
In the first round, Philadelphia upset the Orlando
Magic, three games to one, before being swept
by the Indiana
Pacers. The following season, the Sixers improved
to 49-33, fifth in the East. Again, they won their
first round series in four games, this time defeating
the Charlotte
Hornets. For the second straight year, they
were defeated by Indiana in the second round, this
time in six games. Iverson and Brown continued to
clash, and their relationship and deteriorated to
the point where it seemed certain Iverson would
be traded. A rumored trade to the Los
Angeles Clippers fell through, but a complicated
four-team deal that would've seen Iverson sent to
Detroit was agreed upon, only to see it dissolve
due to salary cap problems. When it became clear
Iverson was staying in Philadelphia, he and Brown
worked to patch things up, and the team would reap
the benefits in 2000-01.
During that season, the 76ers got
off to a hot start by winning their first ten games,
and their record would eventually swell to 41-14.
Larry Brown coached the Eastern Conference All-Stars,
and Allen Iverson was named MVP of the All-Star
Game. Shortly before the All-Star break, Theo Ratliff
was lost for the season with a wrist injury. Feeling
the team needed an established center to advance
deep into the playoffs, Philadelphia acquired Dikembe
Mutombo from the Atlanta
Hawks in a deal that sent Ratliff, Nazr
Mohammed, Toni
Kukoc, and Pepe
Sanchez to Atlanta (Sanchez was reacquired later
in the season after the Hawks waived him) In total,
the team went 56-26 en route to becoming the top
seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. The 56
wins were tied for the second-most in the league
behind San Antonio's 58. The Los Angeles Lakers
also won 56, but gained a higher overall seed than
the Sixers based on tiebreakers.
In the first round of the playoffs,
Philadelphia faced Indiana yet again. In Game One,
the 76ers wasted an 18-point lead and lost, 79-78,
when Reggie
Miller hit a three-pointer in the closing seconds.
Philadelphia fought back, however, and took the
next three games to win the series. In the Eastern
Conference Semifinals, the Sixers sqaured off against
the Toronto Raptors and their superstar, Vince
Carter. The teams alternated wins in the first
four games, with Iverson scoring 54 points in Philadelphia's
Game Two victory. In Game Five, the 76ers jumped
out to a 33-12 lead after the first quarter and
routed the Raptors, 121-88, with Iverson contributing
52 points. Toronto won Game Six, setting the stage
for Game Seven at the Wachovia Center. With the
Sixers ahead, 88-87, Carter missed a jump shot at
the buzzer to send Philadelphia into the Eastern
Conference Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks. After
the teams split the first two games of the series,
it was learned Iverson would miss Game Three due
to various injuries that had plagued him late in
the season. Though many people felt Milwaukee would
win easily, the 76ers kept the game close before
falling, 80-74. The Sixers would win Games Four
and Five before dropping Game Six. In Game Seven,
the Bucks jumped out to a 34-25 second quarer lead
before seldom-used reserve Raja
Bell scored 10 points to spark a 23-4 run that
gave Philadelphia the lead for good. Iverson scored
44 points, and the 76ers pulled away in the second
half, winning by a 108-91 score, putting them in
the NBA Finals for the first time since 1983. Their
opponent would be the Los Angeles Lakers, who had
run up an 11-0 record in the first three rounds
of the playoffs, and were expected by many to make
quick work of the Sixers. Because of a seemingly
meaningless loss to the Chicago Bulls in the regular
season finale, the 76ers had to open a series on
the road for the first time in the 2001 playoffs.
In Game One, the Lakers jumped out
to an 18-5 lead, but the Sixers stormed back to
take a 15-point lead in the second half. Los Angeles
fought back to force a 94-94 tie at the end of regulation.
The Lakers scored the first five points of the overtime
period, but the 76ers went on a 13-2 run to end
the game, winning by a 107-101 score. Iverson hit
a go-ahead three-pointer in the extra period, and
followed that with a jump shot after which he famously
stepped over Tyronn
Lue after making the basket. Eric Snow hit a
running jump shot in the waning seconds with the
shot clock expiring to clinch the stunning victory.
Los Angeles would win Game Two, 98-89. Late in Game
Three, Shaquille
O'Neal fouled out late in the fourth quarter,
and the 76ers pulled to within a point with under
a minute to play. Robert
Horry, however, hit a three-pointer in that
final minute, and the Sixers would lose, 91-86.
The Lakers wrapped up the NBA title with a 100-86
win in Game Four and a 108-96 win in Game Five.
The 2000-01 Sixers featured the NBA's MVP (Iverson),
the NBA's coach of the year (Brown), the Defensive
Player of the Year (Mutombo), and the Sixth Man
of the Year (Aaron McKie.)
The 76ers went into the 2001-02
season with high expectations, but were able to
produce only a 43-39 record, sixth in the Eastern
Conference. In the first round of the playoffs,
Philadelphia was defeated by the Boston Celtics,
three games to two. A few days following the playoff
ouster, Iverson delivered his infamous "practice"
rant. In 2002-03, the Sixers sprinted to a 15-4
start, but a 10-20 swoon left them 25-24 at the
All-Star break. After the break, the 76ers caught
fire, winning nine in a row at one point, and 23
of their last 33 to finish at 48-34, earning the
fourth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Iverson scored 55 points in the playoff opener against
the New Orleans Hornets, and the Sixers went on
to win the series in six games. In the second round,
the Detroit Pistons ended Philadelphia's playoff
run in six games. On Memorial Day, 2003, Brown abruptly
resigned as head coach, taking over the reigns in
Detroit a few days later. After being turned down
by Jeff
Van Gundy and Eddie
Jordan, the 76ers hired Randy
Ayers, an assistant under Brown, as their new
head coach. Ayers lasted only 52 games and was fired
with the team's record at 21-31. Chris
Ford took over, but the Sixers finished the
season at 33-49, missing the playoffs for the first
time in six years. Iverson played only 48 games
in a stormy, injury-plagued season. Following the
season, Philadelphia native Jim
O'Brien was named head coach. Iverson was moved
back to point guard and flourished, having arguably
his finest season. He also impressed many with his
willingness to get other players involved in the
offense. During the 2004-05 season, Philadelphia
acquired Chris
Webber in a trade with the Sacramento
Kings, with the hopes that the team had at long
last found a consistent second scoring option to
compliment Iverson. Andre
Iguodala, Philadelphia's first-round pick in
the 2004
NBA Draft, was named to the All-Rookie First
Team, and the Sixers returned to the postseason
with a 43-39 record. In the first round, they were
defeated in five games by the eventual Eastern Conference
Champion Pistons, coached by Larry Brown. Following
the season, O'Brien was fired and replaced by the
popular Maurice
Cheeks, who played for the team from 1978-89,
and was the starting point guard for the 1983 NBA
Champions.
Uniform History
The Sixers have perhaps had more
uniform changes than any other team in the NBA,
compared to teams such as the Lakers
and the Celtics
who have kept relatively the same uniform design
since the start of their franchises.
|
Year
|
Uniform
|
Duration
|
Description
|
| 1954 |
|
1954-1955 |
Original Syracuse
Nationals Uniform |
| 1963 |
|
1963-1965 |
The Sixers begin their run in Philadelphia
with the Betsy
Ross inspired uniform. |
| 1966 |
|
1966-1970 |
The Sixers went to the straightforward look
during their first championship run. Simple
block letters with the traditional "PHILA" on
the front replaced the star-spangled banner
look. |
| 1970 |
|
1970-1971 |
This uniform was the most unpopular and hardest
uniform to produce. |
| 1971 |
|
1971-1976 |
SonderLevitt Advertising designed a uniform
that had a much longer lifespan than its predecessor.
With the new art deco-like lettering, the uniforms
retained the star-inset blue side stripe, a
graphic element that remained a feature through
the 70’s. |
| 1977 |
|
1977-1978 |
Lettering on the jersey was readjusted. |
| 1978 |
|
1978-1991 |
This uniform becomes the Sixers “hallmark”
look, the Sixers will win more games in this
uniform than any other in the history of the
franchise. |
| 1991 |
|
1991-1994 |
The Sixers uniform was redesigned by Champion
Products and was a departure from the classic
Sixers uniform. The design featured multicolored
stars against a royal blue field that curved
up from shorts to the jersey. |
| 1994 |
|
1994-1997 |
This uniform was actually a throwback to the
classic Sixers look. Designed by Lucy Loeb,
the front featured “SIXERS” in a more ornate
block lettering |
| 1997 |
|
1999-Present |
The Sixers unveiled a completely new look
including the first major logo change since
becoming the Philadelphia 76ers in August of
1963. In keeping with the traditional red and
blue, the logo was “modernized” by adding silver,
gold and black. For the first time in franchise
history, the Sixers wore black uniforms on the
road. Trimmed in red and gold, the jersey that
features the word “SIXERS” on the front with
white numbers trimmed in red on the back |
Players of note
Retired numbers:
- 2 Moses
Malone, C, 1982-86 & 1993-94 (never officially
retired, but taken out of circulation)
- 6 Julius
Erving, F, 1976-87
- 10 Maurice
Cheeks, G, 1978-89
- 13 Wilt
Chamberlain, C, 1965-68 (also Philadelphia
native, and Philadelphia Warriors, 1959-62)
- 15 Hal
Greer, G, 1963-73 (1958-73 if Syracuse Nationals
service is included)
- 24 Bobby
Jones, F, 1978-86
- 32 Billy
Cunningham, F, 1965-72 & 1974-75; Head
Coach, 1977-85
- 34 Charles
Barkley, F, 1984-92
- Microphone - Dave
Zinkoff, public-address announcer, 1963-85
(also Warriors, 1946-62)
Erving, Chamberlain, Cunningham,
Barkley and Sonny
Hill (team executive and director of youth basketball
programs in the city) have also been inducted into
the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame.
Not to be forgotten
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
;)
