Philadelphia 76ers (1963-Present)

Historical Moments:
1963/64: The Syracuse Nationals and Philadelphia Warriors had many unforgettable playoff battles. It had to seem a little ironic that when the Warriors left for San Francisco that the Nationals would move into Philadelphia to take their place changing their name to the 76ers. After winning their first game on the road against the Detroit Pistons the 76ers would drop their home debut to the same Pistons on October 19th. The 76ers would go on to finish their first season in Philadelphia with a record of 34-46 that landed them in 3rd place, as Dolph Schayes ended a 16-year Hall of Fame Career, while also leading the team as coach. In the playoffs the 76ers would but a strong showing forcing the Cincinnati Royals to a full 5 games before falling 130-124 in the finale.

1964/65: A year after the NBA returned to Philadelphia, the city's all-time biggest star returned as the 76ers acquired Wilt Chamberlain from the San Francisco Warriors in the middle of the season for Paul Neumann, Connie Dierking, Lee Shaffer, and cash. After the trade the 76ers would finish the season on a strong note posting a 40-40 record. In the playoffs the 76ers would make quick work of the Cincinnati Royals advancing to the Eastern Finals in 4 games. In the Eastern Finals the 76ers would give the Boston Celtics all they could handle as they trailed by only 1 pint in the final seconds of Game 7. However, Celtics tar John Havlieck would intercept an inbound pass dribbling out the clock.

1965/66: The 76ers capture the Division Title with a 55-25 record edging the Boston Celtics by 1 game as Wilt Chamberlain wins the MVP award while leading the lead with a league best 33.5 ppg. Winning the division gave the 76ers a first round bye. However, instead of being rested the 76ers seemed rusted as they were beaten by the Boston Celtics who went on to win their 8th straight NBA Championship in 5 games. Following the disappointing playoff performance Coach Dolph Schayes was fired and replaced by Alex Hannum.

1966/67: New Coach Alex Hannum instructed Wilt Chamberlain to pass more often to make the 76ers a more balanced team. It would be the first time in his career that he did not lead the NBA in scoring. However Wilt Chamberlain was still clearly the league's MVP as the 76ers set a new NBA single season record with a 68-13 record, which was sparked by a 45-4 start. In the playoffs the 76ers would easily knock off the Cincinnati Royals to set up a rematch with the Boston Celtics, who had not lost a playoff series in 9 years. However, not even the Celtics could stop the 76ers this time as they jumped out to a 3-0 series lead before advancing to the NBA Finals in 5 games. The NBA Finals would be a battle of Philadelphia as the 76ers took on the San Francisco Warriors who played in Philly from 1946-1962. Game 1 would be tough for the 76ers who needed overtime for a 141-135 win. However, the rest of the series was almost anticlimactic as they jumped out to a 3-1 series lead before taking the series in 6 games.

1967/68: Coming off their NBA Championship the 76ers had a new arena in the Spectrum, while remaining at the top of the league posting a league best 62-20 record as Wilt Chamberlain won his 3rd straight MVP award. In the playoffs the 76ers would need 6 games to knock off the New York Knicks for what seemed to be the annual Eastern Division Finals match up against the Boston Celtics. The 76ers appeared to be on the way to the NBA Finals again after taking a 3-1 series lead. However, the Celtics would rally to win the next 3 games taking the series in 7 games.

1968/69: Prior to the start of the season Coach Alex Hannum would leave for a job with Oakland Oaks of the ABA. His replacement Jack Ramsay decided to rework the team trading Wilt Chamberlain to the Los Angeles Lakers for Archie Clark, Darrell Imhoff, Jerry Chambers, and cash. Without Chamberlain the 76ers would remain a strong contender as they finished in 2nd place with a 55-27 record, as Billy Cunningham finished 3rd in the league in scoring with 24.8 ppg. However, in the playoffs the 76ers would be knocked of by the Boston Celtics in 5 games.

1969/70: The 76ers would play mediocre basketball all season finishing in 4th place with a record of 42-40. In the playoffs the 76ers would make a quick exit as they are beaten by the Milwaukee Bucks in 5 games.

1970/71: The NBA realigns into 4 division as the 76ers finish 2nd in the Atlantic Division with a 47-35 record. In the playoffs the 76ers would be shot down in the first round again losing to the Baltimore Bullets in 7 games.

1971/72: The 76ers add Bob Rule, Fred Carter, Bill Bridges, and Kevin Loughery, prior to the season. However, all would struggle as the team missed the playoffs for the first time in their 25-year franchise history dating back to their NBL years in Syracuse with a record of 30-52. Meanwhile former 76ers MVP Wilt Chamberlain would lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 69-13 record toping the 76ers best ever mark set in 1966/67. Following the season Billy Cunningham would leave the 76ers for the ABA, as Coach Jack Ramsay is fired and replaced by Roy Rubi.

1972/73: Without Billy Cunningham the 76ers would get off to a miserable start winning just 4 of their first 51 games as rookie coach Roy Rubi is fired. Under player-coach Kevin Loughery the 76ers would not fair much better winning just 5 of their last 26 games on the way to an embarrassing 9-73 record that set the record or most losses in a single season with an awful winning percentage of .110.

1973/74: With Tom Van Arsdale putting together a strong full season, finishing second to Fred Carter on the team scoring with 19.6 ppg the 76ers still finished in last place, but improved 16 games in the standings with a record of 25-57.

1974/75: Two years after bolting for the ABA, Billy Cunningham returns to the 76ers. However, they would remain at the bottom of the Atlantic Division with a 34-48 record.

1975/76: As the USA celebrated the Bi-Centennial, with celebrations centering in Philadelphia the 76ers ended a 5-year struggle and made the playoffs by finishing in 3rd place with a respectable 46-36 record. Helping to guide the 76ers turn around was George McGinnis who was signed away from the ABA. However, in the playoffs the 76ers would lose a tough 3-game series to the Buffalo Braves.

1976/77: After their return to the playoffs the 76ers would make revolutionary changes in the off season, as Fitz Eugene Dixon bought the club in May and soon gave it a reputation as a team built on dollars. Dixon would pull off one of the biggest6 deals in NBA history as they purchased Julius Erving from the New York Nets, who need help defraying the cost of entering the NBA, from the now defunct ABA. Dr. J. made an immediate impact as the 76ers captured the Atlantic Division Title with a solid record of 50-32. In the playoffs the 76ers would be tested early as they need 7 games to knock off the defending champion Boston Celtics to reach the Eastern Conference Finals, where they shot down the Houston Rockets in 6 games. In the NBA Finals the 76ers got off to a fast start beating the Portland Trailblazers in the first 2 games at The Spectrum. However, as the series shifted to Portland the Blazers rallied taking the next 2 games. When the series shifted back to Philadelphia for Game 5 the 76ers could not grab the momentum back as they lost 110-104, before losing the series in 6 games.

1977/78: Despite making the NBA Finals the 76ers changed coaches as longtime star Billy Cunningham took over the duties on the bench. Under Cunningham the 76ers stayed strong finishing 1st place for the second year in a row with a record of 55-27. In the playoffs the 76ers would continue to dominate as they swept the New York Knicks in 4 straight games. However, in the Eastern Finals the 76ers would be shot down by the Washington Bullets in 6 games.

1978/79: The Philadelphia 76ers would continue to be frustrated by the Washington Bullets as they were beaten out for first place by 7 games with a record of 47-35. Forced to play in the prelim round, the 76ers would quickly got by the New Jersey Nets with 2 straight wins. However, in the 2nd round they would be tripped up by the San Antonio Spurs in a hard fought 7-game series.

1979/80: With strong seasons from Maurice Cheeks and Bobby Jones the 76ers were even stronger posting a 59-23 record. However, the 76ers would have to settle for 2nd place again finishing 2 games behind the Boston Celtics. In the playoffs the 76ers would get a measure of revenge as they beat the Washington Bullets in 2 straight games. In the 2nd round the 76ers continued to fly as they easily beat the Atlanta Hawks in 5 games to set up a match up in the Eastern Finals with the Celtics. For the 76ers it would be surprisingly easy as they knocked off the Celtics in 5 games. In the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers the 76ers battled to stalemate through the first 4 games. After losing Game 5 on the road 108-103, the 76ers needed a win at The Spectrum in Game 6. Things looked good for the 76ers, as the Lakers would be playing without Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. However, they could not stop Magic Johnson who scored 42 points ending the series in 6 games with a 123-107 win.

1980/81: Following their trip to the NBA Finals the 76ers would battle the Boston Celtics for supremacy in the East as Julius Erving captured the league's MVP award with the 7e6ers posting a 62-20 record. However, the 76ers would lose a division tiebreaker to the Celtics and were forced to play in the preliminary round where they quickly dispatched the Indiana Pacers in 2 straight games. However, in the 2nd round the 76ers would be pushed to the limit, as they need 7 games to beat the Milwaukee Bucks. In the Eastern Conference Finals the 76ers appeared to be on their way back to the NBA Finals as they grabbed a 3-1 series lead over the Celtics. However the Celtics would rally to take the series in 7 games.

1981/82: The 76ers and Boston Celtics continued to fight for supremacy in the East. However once again the 76ers would fall short in the regular season as they posted a 58-24 record. The 76ers would make quick work of the Atlanta Hawks again in the preliminary round taking 2 straight games, before taking out the Milwaukee Bucks in 6 games. Facing the Celtics for the 3rd straight season in the Eastern Conference Finals the 76ers would edge the Celtics in 7 games stunning the Celtics in Game 7 at Boston as Celtics fans "Chanted Beat LA". However, in the NBA Finals the 76ers would not be able to beat the Los Angels Lakers as they were pushed around losing the series in 6 games.

1982/83: After falling short in the Finals again the 76ers signed MVP Moses Malone away from the Houston Rockets with a big deal that gave the 76ers an All-Star starting 5 of Moses Malone, and Julius Erving leading the way. Malone was a force in the middle taking the MVP award as the 76ers took the Division with a league best record of 65-17. Heading into the playoffs Moses Malone would proclaim "Fo, Fo, Fo," meaning they would sweep their way through the playoffs. In the first round Moses looked like a prophet as the 76ers easily swept the New York Knicks in 4 straight games. Prepared to face the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals again the 76ers had to be a little surprised as the Celtics were upset by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2nd round. However, the 76ers would be undeterred as they beat the Bucks in 5 games. Moving on to the NBA Finals the 76ers were matched up against the Los Angeles Lakers again. This time things would be much different as Moses Malone dominated the series leading the 76ers to an overwhelming 4-game sweep as the 76ers claimed their 2nd NBA Championship. Moses Malone who fell 1 game short of his prediction that the 76ers would sweep through the playoffs was named NBA Finals MVP.

1983/84: Coming off their Championship the 76ers were still one of the top teams in the NBA as they posted a 52-30 record while finishing in 2nd place. However, in the playoffs the 76ers would be stunned by the New Jersey Nets in a 5-game series that saw the home team lose all 5 games.

1984/85: The 76ers added some youth by drafting Charles Barkley n the first round. Barkley who would become one of the game's most prolific players, was a raw 6-6, 260-pound rebounding machine in his rookie season as he learned from legends like Moses Malone and Julius Erving who were still the foundation of a 76ers team that finished in 2nd place with a solid 58-24 record. In the playoffs the 76ers would need just 4 games to get by the Washington Bullets before sweeping the Milwaukee Bucks in 4 straight games to set up a Eastern Conference Finals match up with the Boston Celtics. However, the 76ers would be dominated as they fell to the Celtics in 5 games.

1985/86: Under new Coach Matt Gokus the 76ers settled into a familiar place finishing in 2nd place with a solid record of 54-28 despite losing Andrew Toney to stress fracture. As the playoffs started the 76ers injury woes got worse as they lost Moses Malone. However, the 76ers would have a game showing as they slipped past the Washington Bullets in 5 games, before falling by 1 point to the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 7 on the road. Following the season Moses Malone would be traded to the Washington Bullets.

1986/87: Julius Erving announces it will be his last season and has a season long victory tour as the 76ers post a 45-37 record while hanging on to 2nd place. In the playoffs the Dr. J. victory tour would come to an abrupt early ending as they are beaten by the Milwaukee Bucks in a 5-game series.

1987/88: Without Julius Erving, the team was turned over to Charles Barkley who had a solid season finishing 4th in the league with 28.3 ppg. However, the 76ers would struggle all season, as there was no one around to help Sir Charles. The 76ers would miss the playoffs for the first time in 13 years finishing in 4th place with a 36-46 record.

1988/89: With the addition of Hersey Hawkins and Ron Anderson the 76ers would rebound off their lost season by finishing in 2nd place with a record of 46-36. However, in the playoffs the 76ers would be humiliated by the New York Knicks who would sweep them in 3 straight games, which they celebrated by sweeping a broom across the floor of The Spectrum following Game 3.

1989/90: With Charles Barkley and Rick Mahorn gave the 76ers to big bulky forwards that dominated the frontcourt as the 76ers captured the Atlantic Division with a record of 53-29. In the playoffs the 76ers would struggle, as they need 5 games to get past the Cleveland Cavaliers in a hard fought series. In the 2nd round the 76ers struggles would continue as they fell to the Chicago Bulls in 5 games.

1990/91: With basically the same team, the 76ers take a step backward as they win 9 fewer games finishing in 2nd place with a record of 44-38. However, in the playoffs the 76ers appeared to be hitting their stride as they swept the Milwaukee Bucks in 3 straight games. However, in the 2nd round they would run into a Chicago Bulls team rampaging their way onto their first NBA Title, as they fell in 5 games. However the 76ers would deal the Bulls 1 of their 2 postseason losses.

1991/92: Plagued by injuries all season the 76ers would miss the playoffs by finishing in 5th place with a disappointing record of 35-47. Making matters worse Charles Barkley had a falling out with management when they did not resign Rick Mahorn. When the season was over he would demand a trade which the 76ers would oblige sending him to the Phoenix Suns for Jeff Hornacek, Tim Perry, and Andrew Lang.

1992/93: Clearly in a rebuilding mind set the 76ers hired Doug Moe to lead a young team. However, Moe would not even last the entire season as he is fired after a 19-37 start. Under his replacement Fred Carter the 76ers would not fair much better as they finished in 6th place with a record of 26-56.

1993/94: With the 2nd pick in the NBA draft the 76ers selected 7'6" Center Shawn Bradley. Bradley consider a project had only played 1 year of College basketball before spending 2 years as a Mormon missionary in Australia. Bradley would struggle early as the 76ers continued to limp along finishing in 6th place with a terrible record of 25-57. Along the way the 76ers continued to retool trading Hersey Hawkins to the Charlotte Hornets for Dana Barros and Jeff Hornacek to the Utah Jazz for Jeff Malone.

1994/95: Under new Coach John Lucas the 76ers continued to struggle as they finished in 6th place again with a record of 24-58 missing the playoffs for the 4th straight season. However, Dana Barros would provide a bright spot as he ranked 3rd in three-point shooting (.464) and free throw shooting (.899), while earning Most Improved Player recognition. However, Barros would depart right away as he signed a free agent deal with Boston Celtics.

1995/96: Jerry Stackhouse and Clarence Weatherspoon provided a nice young nucleus from which to build. However finding talent to surround them with was often difficult, as injuries and personnel moves forced the 76ers to dress 24 players, the second-most in franchise history. Along the way the 76ers gave up on Shawn Bradley trading him toe the New Jersey Nets for Derrick Coleman, as the 76ers made dubious history increasing their loss total for the 6th straight season while finishing in last place with a 18-64 record.

1996/97: Going into a new start of the art arena named the CoreStates Center the 76ers had many questions surrounding how to rebuild the team. The answer Allen Iverson who captured the rookie of the year while scoring 23.5 ppg with a spectacular crossover dribble and a seeming ability to score at will. Iverson's season was highlighted by a an April offensive explosion that saw in him scored 40 points in 4 straight games. However, the 76ers lost all 4 of those games on the way to finishing in 6th place with a 22-60 record.

1997/98: Still struggling the 76ers decided to bring in Larry Brown to teach the young team how to win. Brown, who has helped turned the Indiana Pacers into contenders has long reputation of helping to build winning teams in both college and pro basketball. In his first season with 76ers the team would still take its lumps missing the playoffs for the 7th straight year with a record of 31-51 that landed them in last place. Along the way Brown made many changes to the 76ers roster as the team had only 5 players that began the season in October finish the season in April.

1998/99: After a 4-month lockout wiped out half the season the 76ers rebuilding project began to bare fruit as they recorded their first winning month in 5 years in February, on the way to making the playoffs for the first time in 8 years with a record of 28-22. Along the way Allen Iverson cemented himself as a superstar capturing the NBA scoring title with 28-.5 ppg. In the playoffs the 76ers would continue to make strides as they stunned the Orlando Magic in 4 games. In the 2nd round the 76ers would be swept by the Indiana Pacers. However, 3 of the 4 games were decided by 4 points or less.

1999/00: Though Allen Iverson remained their key player the 76ers proved they were more then a one-man team as they posted a 6-4 record while Iverson missed 10 games due to a thumb injury. Aaron McKie, Tyrone Hill, Larry Hughes, George Lynch and Eric Snow, all had solid seasons as the 76ers finished in 3rd place with a solid 49-33 record. In the playoffs the 76ers would need 4 games to swat the Charlotte Hornets to set up a rematch with the Indiana Pacers. However, once again the Pacers would prove too strong as they beat the 76ers in 6 hard fought games.

2000/01: The 76ers jumped out of the gate quickly as they won their first 10 games, grabbing control of the Atlantic Division. In December injuries would begin to take their toll as Eric Snow and Allen Iverson both missed several games in December. However, the 76ers stayed hot taking a franchise record 13 straight road wins. Iverson would return and have a spectacular season capturing All-Star Game MVP honors on his way to capturing MVP honors for the season. Not satisfied the 76ers would make strides to get tougher on defense by acquiring Dikembe Mutombo and Rashawn McLeod from the Atlanta Hawks for Theo Ratliff, Nazr Mohammed, Toni Kukoc and Pepe Sanchez. Mutombo would go on to take Defensive Player of the Year. Iverson and Mutombo would be part of a foursome of award winners as they were joined by Aaron McKie who captured the 6th Man Award, and Coach of the Year Larry Brown. The 76ers would go onto to finish with the top seed in the Eastern Conference with a 56-26 record. In the playoffs the 76ers would quickly get past the Indiana Pacers in 4 games, taking the final 3 games after blowing a big lead in Game 1. Things would only get tougher in the 2nd round as the 76ers need 7 games to beat the Toronto Raptors, who had a chance to pull off an upset with a last second shot that rimmed out. In the Eastern Finals the 76ers would need 7 games again to beat the Milwaukee Bucks. All the tough series would take their toll as they faced the Los Angeles Lakers who had swept through the first 3 rounds in the NBA Finals. However, in Game 1 the 76ers would pull off a stunner beating the Lakers in overtime. However, injuries would take their toll as the Lakers overwhelmed the 76ers the rest of the way taking the next 4 games and the series in 5 games.

2001/02: With reigning MVP Allen Iverson, Sixth Man of the Year Aaron McKie, and starting point guard Eric Snow all sidelined due to injuries the 76ers got off to a slow start losing their first 5 games. Both players would return and the 76ers would start to win games. However, as they approached the all-star break injuries would continue to hamper their efforts as they lost Iverson again to a hand injury for the last month of the season as they limped into the playoffs with a 43-39 record. In the playoffs the 76ers would fall behind right away dropping the first 2 games to the Boston Celtics on the road. The 76ers would rally to force a 5th game with 2 hard fought wins at the First Union Center. However, back in Boston for Game 5 the 76ers suffer an embarrassing 120-87 loss.

2002/03: After a turbulent off-season in which Allen Iverson was involved in legal trouble for pointing a gun at his wife the 76ers got off to a flying start winning 15 of their first 19 games. However, in December the 76ers would struggle winning 5 of their next 20 games. The Sixers struggles would finally end in February as they started a 9-game winning streak as they climbed into a race for the Atlantic Division Championship. However, the 76ers quest for a Division title would end 1 game short as they finished in 2nd place with a solid 48-34 record. In the playoffs against the New Orleans Hornets the 76ers would get off to a fast start as Allen Iverson scored 55 points in Game as the 76ers jumped out to a 3-1 series lead. After a disappointing loss at home in Game 5, the 76ers closed out the Hornets in Game 6 as Iverson scored 45. In the second round the 76ers got off to a slow start dropping the first 2 games on the road to the Detroit Pistons. However they would rebound to win the next 2 games at home with a chance to wrestle away control of the series in Game 5, Iverson struggled missing 20 shots as the 76ers lost a heartbreaker 78-77. The 76ers would end up falling in 6 games as hey lost in overtime 93-89 at home despite 38 points from Iverson. Following the season Coach Larry Brown would step down after 7 seasons to take over the coaching job with the Pistons.

2003/04: Under new Coach Randy Ayers the 76ers got off to a shaky start posting only a 9-9 record through the first month. Things would get worse in December as the 76ers fell below .500. As the season wore on instead of improving the 76ers played worse in January as they began to fall behind in the playoff chase. As the All-Star Break approached the 76ers were sitting at21-31 when Ayers was fired and replaced by Assistant Chris Ford. Things would not improve under Ford as he openly clashed with Allen Iverson on several occasions. Nothing the 76ers could do seemed to jumpstart their sinking playoff hopes and when a season worth of nagging injuries sidelined an angry Iverson at the end of March the 76ers season was over as they would go on to miss the playoffs with a disappointing record of 33-49. Meanwhile Larry Brown would go on to lead the Detroit Pistons to a stunning NBA Championship.

2004/05: Under new Coach Jim O'Brien the 76ers played mediocre basketball most of the year as Allen Iverson did not have much help, often being the lone man providing the scoring as he had a NBA best 30.7 ppg. Hoping to bolster their playoff chances the 7ers who battled the Boston Celtics all year for first place in the mediocre Atlantic Division acquired Chris Webber at the trade deadline from the Sacramento Kings. However Webber struggled to adjust to his new surroundings as the 7ers continued to hover around .500. However the 76ers would finish the season strong winning 7 of their final 10 games to slip into the playoffs with the 7th seed and a 43-39 record. In the playoffs the 76ers would face a daunting challenge in the defending champion Detroit Pistons who would make quick work of the Sixers winning in 5 games. Following the season the 76ers would make another coaching change firing Jim O'Brien and replacing him with 76ers legend Maurice Cheeks.

2005/06: Under new Coach Maurice Cheeks the 76ers would play well early in the season as they won six of their first nine games. However, it would not last as the 76ers would struggle to find any consistency as they went into 2006 with a .500 record at 15-15. Despite the struggles Allen Iverson continued to put up strong numbers with 33.0 ppg, but with little supporting help Iverson began to grow frustrated with the team's losing. Still hovering at .500 entering March, the 76ers plunged further losing nine of eleven games during a critical stretch that put their playoff hopes on life support. Needing a strong finish in April the 76ers lost six of their last ten and missed the playoffs for the second time in three years. As the 76ers entered the off-season Allen Iverson the 76ers lone star requested to be traded.

2006/07: The 76ers would be unable to deal Allen Iverson during the off-season, and when the season started Iverson started like a house fire leading the way as the 76ers won their first three games. However, it would not last as the Sixers won just 2 of their next 14 games as frustrations began to mount. On December 5th Iverson gave the 76ers management an ultimatum: "find players who will help support me or trade me." Three days later the 76ers would deactivate Iverson ending an era in Philadelphia as they sought a trade. Two weeks later with 76ers floundering at 5-19 and on a 12-game losing streak dealt Iverson with Ivan McFarlin to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for guard Andre Miller, forward Joe Smith, and two first-round draft picks. Following the Iverson trade the 76ers pulled out of their tailspin, winning two straight, as Andre Iguodala led the way in wins over the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks. As January began and the new players worked their way into the system the Sixers actually played better posting a 7-10 record including a 108-97 win on January 2nd against the Denver Nuggets on the road, as Iverson was ejected in the final minutes, after scoring 30 points against his old team. As the season stretched on the 76ers played the role of spoilers well, playing better as the season went on, as they posted an impressive seven game winning streak as February ended and March began, as they posted winning records in March and April to climb up to 3rd place with a record of 35-47.