 |
|
Season Recaps
1937-49: It All Started in 1937
The original Philadelphia 76ers were neither in Philadelphia nor
called the 76ers. But the team did begin in a northeastern city
and did have a patriotic name, the Syracuse Nationals. The Nats
had been in the NBA since the league's first year of existence
and came to the City of Brotherly Love in 1963, just after the
Warriors had abandoned Philadelphia for San Francisco. Thus began
the Philadelphia 76ers, an organization that has featured one
of the best NBA teams ever to swagger onto the court (68-13 in
1966-67) and one of the worst to be blown off it (9-73 in 1972-73).
Along the way such figures as Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Erving,
Moses Malone, and Charles Barkley have registered some of their
finest seasons in a Philadelphia uniform. Other notables, such
as Hal Greer, Billy Cunningham and Maurice Cheeks, have earned
their reputations with the team as well. Philadelphia, one of
the country's great basketball cities, and its 76ers are an important
part of the league's history and of its future.
1949-50: Syracuse Joins the NBA
The three-year fight for survival between the NBL and the BAA
ended when the two leagues merged for the 1949-50 season. Six
franchises from the NBL, including Syracuse, were brought into
the BAA for the 1949-50 season, and the new league became the
National Basketball Association. (Philadelphia's heritage in the
new league is worth noting: the Philadelphia Warriors were one
of 11 charter members of the BAA and were in the original NBA.)
The new league was a mess. It contained three divisions and 17
teams, with the divisions aligned so that the older BAA squads
were separated from small-town NBL leftovers such as Sheboygan,
Waterloo, and Anderson.
Syracuse was placed in the Eastern Division with New York, Washington,
Philadelphia, Boston, and Baltimore, beginning the franchise's
longtime rivalries with the Celtics and the Knickerbockers. Syracuse
stormed onto the NBA scene by posting a 51-13 record to win the
division title. Syracuse then proved it belonged in the league
by beating Philadelphia, two games to none, and New York, two
games to one, in a complicated playoff schedule. The Nationals
met the Lakers in the first-ever NBA Finals.
The Nats, with a 31-1 record at home, had the home-court advantage,
meaning that Minneapolis had to win a game at Syracuse to take
the crown. The Lakers pulled that trick in the first game, 68-66,
on a 40-foot shot by Bob Harrison at the buzzer. Mikan scored
37 points. The Lakers went on to win the championship, four games
to two, with Mikan averaging 31.3 points in the postseason.
1950-55: The Franchise's First Star
Syracuse was led by 6-8 Dolph Schayes, who averaged 16.8 points
for the year, sixth best in the new league. Schayes, who joined
the team in its last season in the NBL and contributed 12.9 points
per game as a rookie, was one of the first players to combine
size with shooting skills. A player with a deadly long-distance
two-handed set shot and a rugged game inside, he would lead the
team in scoring for 13 consecutive years, pace the team in rebounding
in 10 of 11 years, and earn a spot in the Naismith Memorial Basketball
Hall of Fame. He would also father a son, Danny, who would have
a lengthy career of his own in the NBA some three decades later.
Dolph Schayes was joined on the team by Player-Coach Cervi, center
George Ratkovicz, forward Alex Hannum, and guards Billy Gabor
and Paul Seymour. For 1950-51 the NBA was down to 11 teams as
Chicago and St. Louis folded and Anderson, Denver, Sheboygan,
and Waterloo left to reorganize the NBL with four new franchises.
Syracuse stayed in the NBA (a wise decision as it turned out).
The Nats finished the regular season at 32-34, fourth place in
the Eastern Division, but earned a playoff spot. They made the
most of it, sweeping the division-champion Warriors in the first
round. However, New York got past Syracuse in the division finals,
three games to two, to advance to the Finals against the Rochester
Royals. In the first seven-game Finals in NBA history, played
partly in a 5,000-seat armory in New York City because a circus
was occupying Madison Square Garden, the Royals triumphed, four
games to three.
Individually, Schayes tied for sixth in scoring (17.0 ppg), first
in rebounding (16.4 rpg), and 10th in assists (3.8 apg). Despite
such stellar statistics, Schayes was not selected to the All-NBA
First Team. It was comprised of Mikan, Alex Groza, Ed Macauley,
Ralph Beard, and Bob Davies. For Syracuse, Ratkovicz shot .415
from the field to finish among the league leaders. Fred Scolari,
who played for both Washington and Syracuse during the year, finished
eighth in the league in assists with 3.9 per game.
Syracuse finished in first place in the Eastern Division in 1951-52,
edging Boston and New York in a close race. Cervi, playing less
and coaching more, emphasized a patient offense and a scrappy
defense-the team led the league by yielding a stingy 79.5 points
per game. On offense, Schayes topped the team with his 13.8 points
per game, the 16th-best mark in the NBA. Red Rocha, a 6-9 player
who joined the club from Baltimore, averaged 12.9 points, and
rookie George King added 10.0 points per contest. In the playoffs
Syracuse defeated the Philadelphia Warriors for the second consecutive
year, though it took three games in 1952. In the Eastern Division
Finals, the Knicks took the first game on the Nats' floor, 87-85,
and then sent Syracuse home for the season by winning Games 3
and 4 in New York. Syracuse Survives A "Foul" Season.
The 1952-53 NBA season was particularly rugged. League officials
were experimenting with rule changes to limit fouling in the final
minutes. The rules still needed adjustment-the average number
of fouls per game rose to 58 during this season. The Eastern Division
race was a close one. The Nats fell half a game short of New York
for the division title and needed a tiebreaker to take second
place from Boston. But the Celtics got revenge with a two-game
sweep of Syracuse in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The
series consisted of an 87-81 Celtics win at Syracuse and then
an amazing four-overtime, 111-105 Celtics victory at Boston. Schayes
finished fifth in the league in scoring (17.8), third in free
throw percentage (.827), and third in rebounding (13.0). He was
named to the All-NBA First Team at season's end. Back-To-Back
NBA Finals.
Syracuse found the bright lights of the NBA Finals twice during
a two-season span that ended with the Nationals' only championship
in 1955. It was a time when basketball was becoming a major national
sport and the NBA was searching for its identity. The game was
still marred by fouls but benefited from a plethora of skilled
scorers.
The Indianapolis Olympians folded prior to the 1953-54 season
after key players Alex Groza and Ralph Beard, who had helped form
the team, became embroiled in a gambling scandal linked to their
days with the University of Kentucky. Indianapolis's departure
left nine teams in the NBA. The league's top five teams continued
to slug it out. New York finished two games ahead of both Syracuse
and Boston in the Eastern Division, while Minneapolis edged Rochester
by a pair of games in the Western Division. (Fort Wayne also made
the playoffs.)
A wacky playoff system-the top three teams in each division played
in a round-robin to determine four finalists-resulted in division
championship matchups of Syracuse-Boston and Minneapolis-Rochester.
The Nats conquered Boston in two straight, while the Lakers triumphed
in three games. The Nats-Lakers series went seven games, with
neither team reaching 90 points in a single contest. The struggle
opened in Minneapolis, where the Nats stole one of two games,
but the Lakers countered by winning two of three at Syracuse.
A 65-63 Nats win in Game 6 forced a seventh contest, which the
Lakers won, 87-80, to post their fifth title in six years (cementing
Mikan's place as the most dominant player of the NBA's early years).
In 1954-55 Syracuse won the team's only NBA championship. Schayes
enjoyed a superb season (18.5 ppg, 12.3 rpg), but the Nationals'
crown was earned by a balanced team well equipped for the new
24-second shot clock and for the retirement of Mikan. Syracuse's
Paul Seymour (6.7 apg) and George King (4.9 apg) were two of the
top eight assists men in the league, while Seymour scored 14.6
points per game and spearheaded the league's stingiest defense.
Red Rocha (11.3 ppg), John Kerr (10.5), and Earl Lloyd (10.2)
all made solid contributions on the offensive end.
1955-57: A Gut-Wrenching Championship Series
With the old Baltimore Bullets folding early in the season, eight
teams remained in the NBA. The top three teams in each division
made the playoffs, and the division winners each received a bye
to the division finals. Syracuse took the bye and then thumped
Boston, three games to one, to reach the NBA Finals against Fort
Wayne, a young team that had outgunned Minneapolis and Rochester.
The seven-game Finals was a classic; the largest margin of victory
was only seven points. In Game 7, King sank a free throw to give
the Nats a one-point lead, then came up with a steal to preserve
the 92-91 victory. The series and the shot clock infused the league
with excitement. The Nationals, however, had advanced as far as
they would go until landing in Philadelphia eight years later.
In 1955-56 Syracuse had trouble repeating its success. Seymour
missed 15 games due to an injury, and the team finished in third
place in the Eastern Division, escaping a last-place finish only
by beating New York in a tiebreaker. In the playoffs the Nats
were stronger, defeating Boston, two games to one, in the division
semifinals before falling to the Philadelphia Warriors in the
Eastern Division Finals. Philadelphia went on to win the championship.
The 1956-57 season began the Celtics' incredible stranglehold
on NBA crowns (11 titles in 13 seasons). Rookie Bill Russell brought
defense, rebounding, and shotblocking to a team that was already
flush with shooters and ballhandlers such as Tom Heinsohn, Bob
Cousy, and Bill Sharman. Syracuse could only watch. The Nationals
got off to a slow start that cost Al Cervi his job as coach. Seymour
replaced Cervi, and Syracuse closed with a flourish to finish
in second place in the Eastern Division at 38-34. The Nationals
advanced past Philadelphia in the division semifinals but offered
little resistance to the championship-bound Celtics, who dropped
Syracuse in three straight. Schayes finished third in the league
in scoring (22.5 ppg) and rebounding (14.0 rpg). Ed Conlin was
the team's No. 2 scorer at 13.4 points per game.
1957-59: Small-Time Syracuse Fields A Big-League
Team
In 1957-58 Fort Wayne and Rochester, two of the smaller cities
whose teams began in the NBL, saw their franchises move to Detroit
and Cincinnati, respectively, to seek higher revenues. Minneapolis
and Syracuse remained as the league's only small-market franchises.
On the court the Nationals were still big-league caliber. The
team finished in second place in the Eastern Division at 41-31
but was tossed from the playoffs by Philadelphia, two games to
one. Schayes led the team in scoring (24.9 ppg), but the Nats
had three other players hover around 15.0 points per game: swingman
Conlin (15.0 ppg), center Johnny Kerr (15.2), and guard Larry
Costello (14.9).
A couple of additions to the Nationals' roster for 1958-59 propelled
them back into the playoffs with a 35-37 record. Rookie Hal Greer,
a 6-2 guard from Marshall, threw in 11.1 points per game coming
off the bench, and the team obtained George Yardley, the previous
season's scoring champ, 46 games into the year. Yardley (19.8
ppg) combined with Schayes (21.3) to give the Nationals a high-powered
frontcourt. Syracuse finished in third place in the Eastern Division
behind Boston and New York but then swept the Knicks in two straight
in the Eastern Division Semifinals. In the division finals the
Nationals took the Celtics to seven games in a high-scoring series,
only to fall, 130-125, in Game 7. Boston then swept the Minneapolis
Lakers to take their second championship in three years.
1959-61: Nats Wilt After Chamberlain Arrives
Wilt Chamberlain arrived in the NBA in 1959-60, bringing a wave
of offense to a league suddenly awash with scorers. Chamberlain's
37.6 points per game led the NBA, followed by gunners Jack Twyman
(31.2 ppg), Elgin Baylor (29.6), Bob Pettit (26.1), and Cliff
Hagan (24.8). Schayes, a set-shooter from the old school, held
his own with 22.5 points per game, which ranked seventh in the
league, and he posted the circuit's best free-throw percentage
at .893. The Nationals tried to keep pace with the Celtics and
Warriors. They added rookie Dick Barnett, a guard with a good
shot, to strengthen the bench. Costello, joined in the backcourt
by Greer, ranked fourth in the NBA in assists (6.3 apg) and fifth
in free throw shooting (.862).
The team finished in third place in the Eastern Division with
a 45-30 record, not good enough to surpass Chamberlain and the
Warriors in the regular-season standings or in the playoffs. The
Warriors ousted the Nationals, two games to one, in the division
semifinals. In 1960-61 Syracuse turned in a disappointing third-place
finish behind Philadelphia and Boston, posting a 38-41 record.
But the Nationals proved that, as powerful as Chamberlain was,
he couldn't win a championship single-handedly. In the playoffs
the Nats pressured the other Philadelphia players and swept the
Warriors in three games to advance to the Eastern Division Finals.
Boston took care of business there, handing the Nats a five-game
series defeat.
As the country entered a new decade, the NBA stretched across
the country-the Lakers moved to Los Angeles for the 1960-61 season-and
was more high-powered than ever. In 1961-62 Chamberlain averaged
50.4 points, including a record 100-point outing on March 2, while
Walt Bellamy, Oscar Robertson, Bob Pettit, and Jerry West each
topped 30.0 points per game.
1961-63: Syracuse Hangs Tough Without Injured
Star
Schayes missed 24 of 80 games with a broken jaw, and his 14.7
points per game weren't enough to place him among the league's
leaders. As a result, Greer (22.8 ppg) became the first player
other than Schayes in 14 years to lead the Nationals in scoring.
Dave Gambee averaged 16.7 points for Syracuse, which continued
to hang tough in the standings, finishing 41-39 and third in the
Eastern Division behind Philadelphia and Boston. The Nationals
advanced to the 1962 NBA Playoffs but lost to Chamberlain's Warriors,
three games to two, in the division semifinals.
Philadelphia has long been a basketball town. Professional teams
have been in and around the city since before World War I. The
Philadelphia SPHAs were one of the top barnstorming clubs between
the wars, while the Philadelphia Warriors were an original BAA
and NBA team. Several colleges in the city have traditionally
fielded strong programs. But in the 1962-63 season there was no
professional basketball in Philadelphia. Warriors owner Eddie
Gottlieb had sold his club to a San Francisco group, which took
the team west. The void was to be filled within a year.
The Nationals, still in Syracuse for 1962-63, should have had
a hard time winning half of their games. Schayes (9.5 ppg) was
running out of tricks, and the team was consistently outsized.
But the club hustled to a 48-32 record on the shooting of Greer
and Lee Shaffer and the scrappy play of center John Kerr. The
team was upended in the Eastern Division Semifinals by Cincinnati,
which was led by Oscar Robertson. The series went five games,
with Cincinnati prevailing in Game 5, 131-127, in overtime.
1963-66: Basketball Returns to Philadelphia
In the spring of 1963, Irv Kosloff and Ike Richman teamed to buy
the Syracuse Nationals and moved the team to Philadelphia as the
76ers. Despite the changes, the new team didn't look all that
different on the court. Schayes spent the season, his last, as
player-coach; Greer poured in 23.3 points per game; and Chet Walker,
a 6-7 second-year player, added 17.3 points per contest. Shaffer,
Kerr, and Costello were still with the team, though Shaffer and
Costello each missed almost half of the season with injuries.
The team finished with a record of 34-46 and was knocked from
the playoffs again by Cincinnati.
With professional basketball back in Philadelphia, it wasn't long
before the city's greatest individual talent returned. Wilt Chamberlain
had left his native Philadelphia to play college ball at the University
of Kansas and had then toured with the Harlem Globetrotters. Possessing
a unique combination of both height and agility, Chamberlain entered
the NBA in 1959 at home with the Philadelphia Warriors. With the
Warriors he quickly became the most dominant scorer in league
history. Yet, as the franchise resettled out West, not all was
well with the team and its star. The Warriors, despite Chamberlain's
continued scoring bursts, were having trouble winning games and
fans in 1964-65. The team wanted to unload "the Big Dipper" and
his salary for new players and big money. The 76ers welcomed the
proposition.
Halfway through the 1964-65 season the Warriors traded Chamberlain
for guard Paul Neumann, center Connie Dierking, forward Lee Shaffer
(who never signed with the Warriors or played again in the NBA),
and cash. The trade was the start of something very good for Philadelphia's
second NBA team. The 76ers finished the 1964-65 season at 40-40,
good enough for third place in the division behind Cincinnati
and Boston. They advanced past Cincinnati in the Eastern Division
Semifinals, then battled the Celtics for seven games in the division
finals before falling, 110-109, in Game 7.
Prior to the 1965-66 campaign, with Chamberlain entering his first
full season with the Sixers and getting support from Hal Greer,
Chet Walker, rookie Billy Cunningham, and Wally Jones (obtained
from Baltimore), many fans felt it was finally time to dethrone
Boston, which had claimed seven straight division titles. The
observers were only partially correct. Chamberlain averaged 33.5
points, the lowest output of his first seven seasons. But it was
a well-balanced Sixers squad that won 18 of its final 21 games,
including the last 11, to finish at 55-25, a single game ahead
of the Celtics.
However, a first-round bye dulled the 76ers' edge, while the Celtics
sharpened their attack with a three-games-to-two series win over
Cincinnati. In the Eastern Division Finals the Sixers managed
only a six-point win in Game 3 against the Celtics and dropped
the series in five games.
1966-67: Chamberlain Loses Scoring Title,
But Sixers Win NBA Title
Dolph Schayes was subsequently ousted as head coach, and Alex
Hannum took control of what turned out to be one of the finest
teams of all time. Hannum instructed Chamberlain to pass more
and shoot less in 1966-67. Chamberlain's average dipped to 24.1
points per game, the first time in eight years he hadn't won the
scoring title. But he may have been more effective than ever,
ranking first in field goal percentage (.683), first in rebounding
(24.2 rpg), and third in assists (7.8 apg).
The team was simply awesome. Walker (19.3 ppg) and Cunningham
(18.5) were deadly from the corners, and Luke Jackson (8.9 rpg)
was active in the paint. Greer was a master scorer and playmaker,
finishing with averages of 22.1 points and 3.8 assists per game.
The other guard was Jones (13.2 ppg), and top reserves included
rookies Matt Guokas and Billy Melchionni and veteran Larry Costello.
The team won 45 of its first 49 games, flattening most of the
opposition en route to a 68-13 regular-season record, eight games
ahead of the Celtics, who managed 60 wins for the year. In the
playoffs the 76ers kept rolling, eliminating Cincinnati in the
division semifinals.
In the Eastern Division Finals, Chamberlain scored 32 points against
Bill Russell in a Game 1 win, and the 76ers surprised the Celtics
with a 107-102 Game 2 victory at Boston. The teams split the next
two before Philadelphia exploded for 140 points to win Game 5
and the series, advancing to the NBA Finals and ending the Celtics'
hopes for a ninth straight title.
Philadelphia's championship, which was Chamberlain's first, was
almost anticlimactic. The 76ers overwhelmed the San Francisco
Warriors in six games to take the crown. That Sixers team has
since been recognized as one of the greatest ever. As part of
the NBA's 35th-anniversary celebration in 1980, the 1966-67 Sixers
were voted the best team in NBA history. Cunningham, Guokas, and
Costello each would go on to coach in the league while Chamberlain
piloted a team for one season in the ABA.
Lacking the mission but not the talent of the year before, the
76ers were strong again in 1967-68. They stormed to a 62-20 regular-season
record to finish in first place in the Eastern Division. The seemingly
ageless Celtics came in runners-up but then shocked the Sixers
by rallying from a three-games-to-one deficit in the Eastern Conference
Finals to win the series and advance to the NBA Finals.
1967-72: A Short-Lived Dynasty
Indeed, the 76ers' dynasty was short-lived, and the team was quickly
transformed. For the 1968-69 season Coach Hannum went to the Oakland
Oaks of the ABA, leaving General Manager Jack Ramsay at the helm.
Desiring a running club, Ramsay traded Chamberlain to Los Angeles
for guard Archie Clark, center Darrall Imhoff, forward Jerry Chambers,
and cash.
The new Sixers, with Billy Cunningham ranking third in the league
in scoring (24.8 ppg), managed 55 wins for a second-place showing
behind Baltimore. But Philadelphia didn't possess the power to
compete in the playoffs and lost to Boston, four games to one,
in the Eastern Division Semifinals. The trade of Chamberlain had
ushered in a period of decline that would drag the 76ers to new
depths in the NBA. In 1969-70 Philadelphia finished 42-40 and
in fourth place in the Eastern Division. The club then fell to
Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and the Milwaukee
Bucks in the first round of the playoffs. The following season
(the first in which the NBA was split into four divisions) the
Sixers placed second in the Atlantic Division. Cunningham, Hal
Greer, and Archie Clark fired the team to a 47-35 regular-season
mark, but the flame was doused in a seven-game series loss to
Baltimore in the conference semifinals.
The 1971-72 club brought in Bob Rule, Fred Carter, Bill Bridges,
and Kevin Loughery, but Philadelphia dropped to a dismal 30-52
record and failed to make the playoffs, despite an All-Star season
from Cunningham. It would get worse.
Back to recaps
1972-76: Victories Hard To Come By
The 1972-73 Sixers set an NBA record for futility, finishing 9-73
for the year. The team's ineptitude stemmed from many factors-Cunningham
had fled to the ABA, trades had not been favorable, and draft
choices had been busts. Carter, who would later coach the team,
was the top scorer (20.0 ppg) on a miserable roster that shuffled
players in and out but never came close to a winning formula.
Freddie Boyd, Manny Leaks, and Leroy Ellis were other starters.
Rookie coach Roy Rubin didn't last past his 4-47 start, and his
replacement, player-coach Kevin Loughery, didn't fare much better.
The team set the standard by which bad NBA teams would be judged
for years to come.
Things were slightly better in 1973-74, as the Sixers climbed
to a 25-57 mark. Tom Van Arsdale (19.6 ppg), acquired from Kansas
City-Omaha the previous year, was with the team for the full season
and finished second behind Carter (21.4) for the club's scoring
lead. Steve Mix, who had been playing semipro ball, added an unexpected
14.9 points per game.
In 1974-75 Philadelphia managed a 34-48 record but ended the season
26 games behind division-winning Boston. Carter (21.9 ppg), Cunningham
(19.5), second-year player Doug Collins (17.9), and Mix (15.6)
had solid seasons, but Van Arsdale was traded to Atlanta nine
games into the season. As the nation celebrated its 200th year
of independence in 1976, the 76ers rejoiced in their return to
the playoffs. Former ABA big gun George McGinnis signed with the
Sixers for 1975-76 and scored 23.0 points per game, while Collins
chipped in 20.8 points per contest. The team finished 46-36 but
was dismissed in the first round of the playoffs by Buffalo and
Bob McAdoo, who led the league in scoring with 31.1 points per
game.
Back to recaps
1976-79: Basketball's $6 Million Man
Just as quickly as they had fallen from grace, the 76ers ascended.
Fitz Eugene Dixon bought the club in May 1976 and soon gave it
a reputation as a team built on dollars. Dixon opened the vault
immediately, paying $6 million for Julius "Dr. J" Erving ($3 million
to the ABA New Jersey Nets and $3 million to Erving's bank account)
prior to the 1976-77 season.
Erving's contributions to professional basketball were incomparable.
By expanding on the high-flying, creative game originally made
popular by Connie Hawkins (and later taken to new heights by Michael
Jordan), he helped develop the sport's acrobatic aesthetics and,
in turn, its enormous success. Erving's on-court elegance was
matched by his off-court eloquence.
In 1976-77 Erving and McGinnis combined for more than 40 points
per game, leading the Sixers to a 50-32 record. The 76ers advanced
to the NBA Finals, which they were expected to take from the Portland
Trail Blazers. However, the Blazers had team chemistry and a big
guy named Bill Walton. They rallied from an early two-game deficit
to win four straight and claim the title.
With Erving and a deep-pocketed owner, Philadelphia remained a
powerful team. In the late 1970s the club had more than its share
of colorful players. Alongside the popular Erving was McGinnis,
with his one-handed jump shot; Lloyd B. Free, a free-flinging
guard who later changed his name to World B. Free; and Darryl
Dawkins, a massive youngster who skipped college, wore a tangle
of jewelry, and named his colossal dunks.
Billy Cunningham took over as coach in 1977-78, and the Sixers
captured the Atlantic Division title with a 55-27 record. They
then swept the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals but
were upset by the Washington Bullets, four games to two, in the
conference finals. In 1978-79, the 76ers couldn't push the bulky
Bullets-who had a front line of Elvin Hayes, Wes Unseld, and Mitch
Kupchak-out of first place in the Atlantic Division. The Sixers
eliminated New Jersey in a best-of-three playoff series but fell
to San Antonio, four games to three, in the conference semifinals.
Back to recaps
1979-82: Sixers Enjoy Magical Season, But
Lakers Have More "Magic"
In 1979-80 Philadelphia kept the talent stream flowing right to
the NBA Finals. Maurice Cheeks took over as point guard; Bobby
Jones was remarkably efficient at forward; and although Collins's
career came to an end because of injuries, Lionel Hollins was
obtained from Portland to add scoring from the backcourt. The
team won 59 games but fell short of the 61-21 Celtics, who had
reloaded with Larry Bird.
Nevertheless, the Sixers' experience carried them past Boston
in the Eastern Conference Finals. Philadelphia met Los Angeles
(with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jamaal Wilkes, Earvin "Magic" Johnson,
and Norm Nixon) in the 1980 NBA Finals and fell in six games.
The series will long be remembered for rookie Magic Johnson's
remarkable 42-point performance in Game 6, which the Lakers had
to play without the injured Abdul-Jabbar. The Sixers and Lakers
would meet again in the Finals two of the next three seasons.
Bird's Celtics and Moses Malone's Rockets took the championship
spotlight away from Philadelphia and Los Angeles during the 1980-81
season, a campaign that nevertheless found the Sixers and the
Celtics on fairly equal ground. Both teams finished the regular
season with 62-20 records, and they split their six regular-season
matchups. In the playoffs the Celtics had the home-court advantage
against the Sixers, and they needed every bit of it. In a seven-game
Eastern Conference Finals, with five of the first six contests
having been decided by two points or less, Bird cashed in a last-minute
jumper for a 91-90 win at Boston Garden in Game 7. For the regular
season, Erving was voted the NBA Most Valuable Player.
Harold Katz, a self-proclaimed "sports fanatic," bought the team
in July 1981. He had purchased a winner. With Erving, Bobby Jones,
Caldwell Jones, Maurice Cheeks, Lionel Hollins, Darryl Dawkins,
and shooter supreme Andrew Toney, the team was talented, experienced,
and deep.
The Sixers finished behind the Celtics in 1981-82 but got revenge
for the previous season's playoffs with a seven-game triumph in
the Eastern Conference Finals. In the NBA Finals, though, the
Lakers' Abdul-Jabbar was too much in the middle, and Los Angeles
won the championship, four games to two.
Back to recaps
1982-84: 76ers Sign A Savior In Moses
The Sixers needed a center, and after the 1981-82 season they
went out and got a great one. Moses Malone, who had become the
dominant man in the pivot at Houston, came to the Sixers through
a trade that was prompted by his free agency. After Malone signed
a lucrative offer sheet with Philadelphia, Houston matched the
offer and then traded Malone to the Sixers for Caldwell Jones
and a 1983 first-round draft choice.
Malone's arrival gave the 1982-83 team a starting five for the
ages: Erving (21.4 ppg), Bobby Jones (9.0 ppg, often off the bench),
Malone (24.5 ppg, 15.3 rpg), Toney (19.7 ppg), and Cheeks (6.9
apg, 184 steals). Clint Richardson, Clemon Johnson, and Marc Iavaroni
also played valuable roles. The team demolished the East with
a 65-17 record; swept New York in the Eastern Semifinals; beat
Milwaukee in five; and then overwhelmed the Lakers in the NBA
Finals in four straight. It was a playoff run with only one loss.
Malone was named Most Valuable Player for both the regular season
and the Finals. The beginning of the 1983-84 season brought with
it a steady decline for the Sixers that would last into the 1990s.
Then again, most anything would be a decline from Philadelphia's
dominant championship run in 1983. The 1983-84 team was still
stronger than most of its competition, going 52-30 and finishing
runner-up to Boston in the Atlantic Division. But the upstart
New Jersey Nets, led by Buck Williams, shocked the defending champs
by ousting them in a wild, five-game first-round playoff series
in which the home team lost every game.
Back to recaps
1984-87: Charles Is In Charge, But So Are
The Celtics
Charles Barkley was the only significant addition to the 1984-85
Philadelphia team. Barkley, who would become one of the game's
most prolific players, was a raw 6-6, 260-pound rebounding machine.
His enthusiasm sparked the Sixers to a 58-24 record, a three-games-to-one
series win over Washington in the first round of the playoffs,
and a sweep of Milwaukee in the conference semifinals. But Boston
had another date with Los Angeles in the NBA Finals and dismissed
the 76ers, four games to one, in the Eastern Conference Finals.
For 1985-86 Philadelphia settled into its familiar position-second
to Boston in the Atlantic Division. Andrew Toney missed the season
with a stress fracture, and the Sixers missed his jump shots.
Moses Malone was shelved with an injury just before the playoffs,
and new coach Matt Guokas saw the team fall to Milwaukee in the
Eastern Conference Semifinals, losing Game 7 by a single point.
The struggles continued in 1986-87. The team traded Malone, Terry
Catledge, and two draft picks to Washington for big bruiser Jeff
Ruland and Cliff Robinson, who had suffered a knee injury that
would ultimately spoil his career. Toney's comeback wasn't sensational,
and newcomer Roy Hinson was no George McGinnis. The team still
finished second to Boston in the regular season, thanks to the
zealous play of Barkley. Philadelphia advanced to the postseason
but lost to Milwaukee in the first round.
1987-90: "Dr. J" Calls It A Career
Julius Erving retired after the 1986-87 season, having scored
30,026 points in his combined ABA and NBA careers. He played 11
marvelous NBA seasons with the Sixers-totaling 18,364 points-and
left in third place on the team's all-time scoring list behind
Hal Greer (21,586) and Dolph Schayes (19,249). Erving was elected
into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993.
Jim Lynam replaced Matt Guokas as head coach in Philadelphia midway
through the 1987-88 season, but the 76ers were without the firepower
to manage a winning record, finishing at 36-46 and out of the
playoffs. Barkley had a tremendous season, finishing fourth in
the league in scoring (28.3 ppg) and sixth in rebounding (11.9
rpg). Cliff Robinson was the team's second-leading scorer at 19.0
points per game. Philadelphia enlisted rookie bomber Hersey Hawkins
and swingman Ron Anderson for the 1988-89 campaign. They were
welcome additions, and they teamed with Barkley (25.8 ppg, 12.5
rpg) and center Mike Gminski (17.2 ppg) to compile a 46-36 record
and a second-place finish in the Atlantic Division (behind New
York but ahead of Boston). Philadelphia met the Knicks in a first-round
playoff series and lost in three straight.
Barkley's era with the 76ers peaked in 1989-90. Rick Mahorn was
enlisted to give the Sixers 500 pounds of forwards, while Johnny
Dawkins and Hersey Hawkins formed the league's best-rhyming backcourt.
Hawkins scored to the tune of 18.5 points per game; Dawkins chimed
in with 14.3 points per contest. The Sixers finished at 53-29
and edged Boston by one game for the Atlantic Division title.
They then slipped past Cleveland in a tightly-contested five-game
playoff series but ran into a rising Chicago Bulls team in the
Eastern Conference Semifinals. Chicago would begin its three-year
title reign the following season, and in 1990 Michael Jordan and
Scottie Pippen were too much for Philadelphia, as the Bulls won
the best-of-seven series in five games.
Back to recaps
1990-92: Injuries Take Their Toll
In 1990-91 Philadelphia charted a similar course through the playoffs,
winning a first-round series before losing to the Bulls again
in the conference semifinals. During the regular season a Sixers
team in decline had won nine fewer games than the previous year
and had finished second to the Celtics in the Atlantic Division.
Dawkins was lost to a knee injury four games into the 1990-91
season, knocking a hole in the team's chances for a long postseason
run. Barkley was brilliant as ever, averaging 27.6 points (fourth
best in the NBA), shooting .570 from the field (also fourth),
hauling in 10.1 rebounds per game, and capturing the NBA All-Star
Game Most Valuable Player Award. Hawkins was a model of consistency
at off guard, contributing 22.1 points per contest.
Injuries took their toll, however. The only two Sixers to play
in all 82 games were Ron Anderson and Manute Bol, a 7-7 former
tribesman from Sudan who blocked 247 shots (fourth best in the
NBA) despite playing just 18.6 minutes per game.
The 1991-92 Sixers dipped below .500, finishing 35-47 and fifth
in the Atlantic Division. The club let Rick Mahorn go to Italy,
a move that did not sit well with Barkley, and suffered from injuries
and poor chemistry throughout the year. The 1983 championship
team now seemed a distant memory, as positions once played by
Moses Malone, Julius Erving, and Maurice Cheeks were now occupied
by Charles Shackleford, Armon Gilliam, and Johnny Dawkins.
1992-93: Rebuilding Sixers Trade Barkley
Although the Sixers didn't make the playoffs, Barkley kept them
in the headlines with his tremendous play (23.1 ppg, 11.1 rpg)
and his public restlessness in Philadelphia. At season's end,
the Sixers obliged Barkley and took a major step toward rebuilding
when they traded their portly superstar to the Phoenix Suns for
guard Jeff Hornacek, forward Tim Perry, and center Andrew Lang.
The Sixers also changed coaches, moving Jim Lynam into the general
manager position and hiring Doug Moe to run the team. Philadelphia
then scored in the 1992 NBA Draft with the selection of Southern
Mississippi's Clarence Weatherspoon, an explosive forward who,
ironically enough, reminded many of Barkley.
The changes didn't produce immediate results, though. Hornacek
averaged 19.1 points, but Perry and Lang didn't excel, and Dawkins
seemed to fall out of favor. Weatherspoon was a pleasant addition,
averaging 15.6 points and 7.2 rebounds and earning selection to
the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
With the team stalled at 19-37 after a 56-point loss to Seattle,
Philadelphia replaced Moe with Fred Carter, a former Sixers player
who had spent 12 years as an NBA assistant. The team finished
with a 26-56 record and with the No. 2 pick in the 1993 NBA Draft.
(Barkley, meanwhile, carried Phoenix to the NBA Finals and won
the league's Most Valuable Player Award.)
1993-94: Sixers Stumble, Then Look To Lucas
For Help
The Sixers used their No. 2 pick on Shawn Bradley, the most intriguing
prospect in the 1993 NBA Draft. Bradley was a 7-6 center with
undeniable athletic ability, but he had played only one year of
college basketball before spending two years as a Mormon missionary
in Australia. Nevertheless, Philadelphia made the untested giant
the center of its rebuilding effort. Prior to the 1993-94 season
the Sixers released several players and shipped Hersey Hawkins
off to the Charlotte Hornets in a deal that brought Dana Barros
to Philadelphia. Then, at midseason, the Sixers traded Jeff Hornacek
to the Utah Jazz for Jeff Malone. The team started slowly as Bradley,
who hadn't played for two years, tried to learn the NBA game.
He quickly developed into one of the leading shotblockers in the
league, improved his scoring gradually, and often kept the Sixers
competitive. But on February 18 he dislocated his kneecap and
was lost for the rest of the year. The team fared poorly after
that, dropping 11 straight home games in one stretch and 17 of
its final 19 contests on the road to finish at 25-57. Clarence
Weatherspoon, who was quietly developing into one of the league's
best young forwards, topped the Sixers in both scoring (18.4 ppg)
and rebounding (10.1 rpg). In the summer of 1994 Philadelphia's
rebuilding effort continued at a frantic pace. The Sixers replaced
Fred Carter with John Lucas, who came over from the San Antonio
Spurs to serve as the team's head coach and general manager. Then,
wielding two first-round picks in the NBA Draft, Philadelphia
came away with center Sharone Wright and point guard B. J. Tyler,
two excellent prospects. And finally, the Sixers signed free agent
Scott Williams.
1994-95: Barros's Brilliant Breakthrough
The Philadelphia 76ers were weak again in 1994-95, finishing at
24-58 and out of the playoffs for the fourth year in a row. Philadelphia
fans nevertheless found a few reasons to be hopeful for the future.
Foremost among them was the play of 5-11 Dana Barros, who won
the NBA's Most Improved Player Award after emerging as one of
the league's most dangerous point guards. Barros ranked second
in the league in minutes (3,318), third in three-point shooting
(.464) and free throw shooting (.899), 10th in steals (1.82 per
game), 11th in assists (7.5 apg), and 18th in scoring (20.6 ppg).
On March 14 he poured in 50 points to become only the third player
under 6 feet tall in NBA history to reach that mark, and he finished
the campaign with a single-season NBA record of 58 games in which
he made at least one three-point field goal. He played in the
All-Star Game, set a franchise single-game road record with 19
assists, and registered his first career triple-double on April
8.
Philadelphia received another solid season from Clarence Weatherspoon,
as well as inspired and promising work at forward and center from
both rookie Sharone Wright and newly acquired Scott Williams.
Center Shawn Bradley's development continued on an upward path.
Early in the season he was frequently in foul trouble-he led the
league in disqualifications-yet he flourished in the second half
of the campaign, posting 13 double-doubles in points and rebounds
in his last 17 contests. Bradley finished third in the league
in blocks with 3.34 per game.
A foot injury that limited off guard Jeff Malone to only 19 games
resulted in a gap in the Sixers' attack. Looking for help at that
spot and on the bench, Philadelphia used a team-record 20 players
during the year. The team called up three players from the Continental
Basketball Association and used four others who were frequent
minor league performers. The Sixers were 9-26 in games decided
by six points or less, losing more games by that margin than any
other team in the league. Philadelphia's outlook for the 1995-96
season got a little brighter when they selected underclassman
Jerry Stackhouse out of North Carolina with the third overall
pick in the 1995 NBA Draft.
1995-96: Sixers "Stack" Deck for Future
The addition of Jerry Stackhouse gave the Sixers one of the brightest
young stars in the NBA. He 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 team to dress 24 players, the second-most in
franchise history.
The team stumbled home with a record of 18-64, finding a dubious
place in NBA history as the first team to see its losses increase
for a sixth straight season. Dana Barros had left before the season,
signing with the Boston Celtics as a free agent. Shawn Bradley,
the onetime future of the team, was dealt to New Jersey in a trade
that brought Derrick Coleman to Philadelphia, but injuries limited
Coleman to only 11 games.
Stackhouse led all NBA rookies with 19.2 ppg, and was the Rookie
of the Month in March, but even he wasn't immune to injuries.
He suffered an injured thumb on April 5, and was lost for the
final weeks of the season. Weatherspoon added 16.7 points and
led the team with 9.7 rebounds.
The Sixers' four biggest moves came in the offseason. The team
was sold by Harold Katz to Pat Croce, a former 76ers strength
and conditioning coach, and the Comcast Corporation. The coaching
reins were handed from John Lucas to Johnny Davis. The team moved
from the Spectrum, their longtime home, into the new CoreStates
Center for the 1996-97 season, and having won the first overall
pick in the 1996 NBA Lottery, tabbed point guard Allen Iverson
to run the team's offense.
1996-97: Iverson Points the Way
Billed as "The Answer," Allen Iverson arrived on the NBA scene
and immediately became one of the league's most exciting players.
With unmatched quickness, Iverson wowed crowds at the new CoreStates
Center with a spectacular crossover dribble and a seeming ability
to score at will. While he couldn't save the Sixers from a disappointing
22-60 season, his play gave every indication that he is indeed
the Answer to many of the Sixers' struggles.
Iverson proved his worth under the national spotlight on All-Star
Saturday, winning Most Valuable Player honors at the Schick Rookie
Game. But the telltale sign of his explosiveness came in April,
when he set an NBA rookie record by scoring 40 or more points
in five consecutive games, highlighted by a 50-point outburst
against the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 12. He was named the
NBA's Rookie of the Year.
Iverson (23.5 ppg) and teammate Jerry Stackhouse (20.7 ppg) were
one of the highest scoring duos in the NBA. Forward Derrick Coleman
was hampered by an assortment of injuries but averaged 18.1 ppg
and 10 rpg, while Clarence Weatherspoon continued to improve.
But a lack of depth proved costly to the Sixers.
Solving that problem was high on the list of priorities for Larry
Brown, who was named the team's head coach at season's end, replacing
Johnny Davis. Brown began to reshape his team after the 1997 NBA
Draft by acquiring veterans Eric Montross and Jimmy Jackson and
draftees Tim Thomas and Anthony Parker in exchange for second
overall pick Keith Van Horn and three expendable veterans.
1997-98: Brown Begins to Build a Winner
A new day dawned in Philadelphia in May, when Larry Brown hired
as the new head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers. Brown, a master
of improving the fortunes of young teams, spent the 1997-98 season
tinkering with his latest project, and the result was a Sixers
team that was much different, and much better, than the one which
took the court on opening night.
By season's end, only five players remained from the previous
summer's roster. The Sixers ended the season with a record of
31-51, a nine-game improvement. Despite not making the playoffs,
Philadelphia accumulated enough impressive wins to indicate that
Brown and his team are on the right track, and the fanatic Philly
fans turned out in record numbers to show their approval.
Allen Iverson followed last season's Rookie of the Year performance
with a strong sophomore season, leading the team in scoring (22.0
ppg, 8th in the NBA), assists (6.2 apg) and steals (2.20 spg,
5th). The 22-year-old continued to develop his game and improved
his shooting percentage from last season's .416 to a respectable
.461.
Derrick Coleman was the team's leading rebounder (9.9 rpg) and
second-leading scorer (17.6 ppg). When healthy, Coleman combined
with Iverson to provide the Sixers with a powerful inside-outside
tandem. The other constant in Philadelphia's lineup was rookie
forward Thomas, an athletic player who averaged 11.0 points and
3.7 rebounds.
On Dec. 18, the nucleus of players around Coleman, Thomas and
Iverson began to take on a new look. The Sixers traded Jerry Stackhouse
and Eric Montross to Detroit for forward-center Theo Ratliff,
guard Aaron McKie and a conditional first-round draft pick. Though
Stackhouse was a visible presence in Philaelphia, he appeared
to be worth the price of obtaining Ratliff, who led the Sixers
in blocks (3.15 bpg) and field goal percentage (.513). Prior to
the trade with the Pistons, the Sixers ranked 18th in the league
in blocked shots per game. With Ratliff on board, Philadelphia
moved up to fifth. Philly's other big move came on Feb. 17, when
Jim Jackson and Clarence were sent to Golden State in exchange
for forward Joe Smith (14.6 ppg and 6.0 rpg) and guard Brian Shaw.
The new-look Sixers had success against teams it had beaten for
some time. The Sixers, who beat defending NBA champion Chicago
twice, snapped losing streaks against the Bulls (16 games), the
Cavaliers (12 games) and the Rockets (11 games), and notched their
first win over the Suns at America West Arena. In addition, the
Sixers swept the season series against the Lakers for the first
time since the 1982-83 season and won all their home games against
rival New York for the first time since 1989-90.
1998-99: Iverson Claims Scoring Title as
the Sixers Capture the Heart of the City
The 1998-1999 NBA Season was one never to be forgotten in Philadelphia.
It began post-lockout in January and ended in May with the Sixers
first post-season play-off berth in eight years.
February ended with an 8-5 record, marking the first time since
January of 1994 that the Sixers registered a winning month. After
averaging 28.5 points, 6.0 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 2.31 steals
in 40.3 minutes per game, Allen Iverson made his way into the
record books by becoming the fourth player in team history to
earn League Player of the Month honors.
In March the Sixers claimed a 15 point victory over the Lakers
(105-90), before a sell-out crowd at the First Union Center. This
was Philadelphia's largest victory over LA since 1978 and marked
the third straight time the Sixers have defeated the Lakers.
April saw the Sixers record double-figure home victories over
Orlando and Indiana, both on national TV and in front of sellout
crowds. The team won each of their final six games in the month
and went 5-5 on the road.
In May the Sixers beat Toronto at home, clinching a play-off spot
for the first time since the 1990-91 season. The Sixers finished
the regular season with an overtime win over Detroit. Allen Iverson
finished the game with 33 points and became the first 76er since
Wilt Chamberlain to win the NBA scoring title. Allen finished
the year averaging a career high of 26.8 points, the sixth best
in franchise history. Larry Brown finished second in the race
for Coach of the year and Eric Snow finished second in the race
for Most Improved, along with being selected as the Divisional
winner for the 1998-1999 NBA Sportsmanship Award. The Sixers ended
the regular season with a 28-22 record.
The Sixers returned to the NBA Playoffs ending their longest post
season drought in franchise history. They upset Orlando in the
first round capturing the best-of-five series, three games to
one. With the win over the Magic, the Sixers advanced to the Eastern
Conference Semifinals to take on the Indiana Pacers. Although
the Pacers took the series 4-0, 3 of the four meetings were decided
by four points or less.
The incredible part of the Sixers playoff run included more than
just the team. The support of the fans was truly amazing. From
ralley towels to "Croce Crew Cuts", the fans were in the game
100% from beginning to end. There were signs filling the arena
claiming "Allen Iverson for MVP", "Larry Brown Coach of the Year",
and "Let It Snow." However, the one that stood out the most and
will remain clear was "We'll Be Back."
1999-2000: Sixers Make Second Straight
Playoff Appearance
The opening of the 1999-2000 season showcased the Sixers' ability
to exhibit a team effort, as six different players tied or led
the team in scoring during the first month: Allen Iverson, Aaron
McKie, Tyrone Hill, Larry Hughes, George Lynch and Eric Snow.
Rookie center Todd MacCulloch also made an impression on Sixers
fans as he filled in admirably for Theo Ratliff and Matt Geiger,
who were both injured.
Because of the wide array of talent being exhibited by the team,
the loss of Iverson for 10 games when he suffered a fractured
right thumb did not cause a major disruption. The 76ers rallied
in his absence and were 6-4 while their star was out. Upon his
return on Dec. 15, Iverson took over the scoreboards, leading
the team in scoring for 22 straight games.
To start the New Year, the Sixers scored 100 or more points in
nine straight games. On Jan. 22 the team avenged their 0-4 sweep
out of the last season's playoffs by Indiana, when they defeated
the Pacers in front of a sold out home crowd and a prime-time
national TV audience.
In February Iverson became the first 76er to be voted a starter
for the Eastern Conference All-Star team since Charles Barkley
in 1992. Even though the Eastern Conference Team fell to the West,
Iverson led all scorers in the game with 26 points.
Toni Kukoc, who the Sixers acquired in a three-way deal with Golden
State and Chicago, recorded a triple-double in March. This was
the first triple-double for the team in five years. Kukoc's contribution,
along with Iverson's scoring, the consistent rebounding of Hill
and an outstanding overall number of assists by Snow, led the
team to win five of their last six games. This secured a spot
in the playoffs for the second straight year.
The Sixers dispatched of the Charlotte Hornets in the first round
of the playoffs, 3-1 and advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
There they squared off against the Pacers once again. Although
Philadelphia did not come close to enduring the sweep of the previous
season, the Sixers ultimately fell to the Pacers in Game 6 after
putting up an amazing fight. The season seemed to make quite an
impression overall on the fans of Philadelphia, as the team once
again shattered previous attendance marks. New highs were set
for both average attendance and total attendance this season,
and Philadelphia fans knew that the following year promised to
be even brighter for their 76ers.
2000-01: Sixers Go for Greatness Once Again
The Sixers came out of the gate full throttle in the beginning
of the season and never slowed down. They began the season with
a franchise record 10-straight wins, beginning with a 101-72 victory
over the Knicks in New York.
Head Coach Larry Brown would have one of his bigger coaching challenges
in Dec as injuries began to take their toll on the squad. Despite
the losses of Eric Snow and Allen Iverson, the Sixers began a
franchise high 13 game road win streak with wins in Vancouver
and Portland. Aaron McKie closed out the month of Dec by recording
his first career triple-double versus the Kings and earned Player
of the Week honors.
Aaron McKie began the new year the same way he ended the last
with a triple-double. Iverson was named Player of the Week for
the first week of Jan, making him and McKie the first back-to-back
Player of the Week winners since Chicago's Scottie Pippen and
Michael Jordan. The Sixers 13-game road winning streak ended in
Toronto on Jan 28.
Larry Brown, Allen Iverson and Theo Ratliff represented the Sixers
in the All-Star Game in Washington, DC. Iverson earned MVP honors
for the game in the East's come from behind victory. Ratliff had
to sit out of the game because of injuries and eventually had
surgery on his wrist. After missing 32 games, Eric Snow returned
to the Sixers lineup versus the Bucks on Feb 13. A few days after
the All-Star Game, General Manager Billy King pulled the trigger
on six-player trade that sent Ratliff, Nazr Mohammed, Toni Kukoc
and Pepe Sanchez to Atlanta for Dikembe Mutombo and Roshown McLeod.
The Sixers clinched their first Atlantic Division crown since
1989-90 on Apr 6 against Cleveland. The following game on Apr
9, they officially claimed the best record in the Eastern Conference
with a victory over the Celitcs. They ended the regular season
with a 56-26 record.
The playoffs proved to be just as exciting as the regular season
for the Sixers. They knocked off the team that ousted them the
previous two seasons, the Pacers. After a scare in Game One, the
Sixers won the series in four games. Their opponent in the Eastern
Conference Semis were the Toronto Raptors. This exciting series
was extended to seven games and came down to the last shot and
resulted in the Sixers in the Eastern Conference Finals. This
is where they faced the Bucks in another grueling seven game series
that sent the Sixers to the NBA Finals versus the defending champion
Los Angels Lakers.
The underdog Sixers went into the Finals against the heavily favored
Lakers and pulled out a Game One victory. But they eventually
fell to the Lakers in five games.
If there was one impressive and lasting impression of the Sixers
2000-2001 season, it was the constant overcoming of adversity.
From playing an NBA second most back-to-back contests and sweeping
10 of them, to overcoming numerous injuries such as losing No
1 draft choice Speedy Claxton in the preseason to starting point
guard Eric Snow for 32 games to Allen Iverson for 11 games to
Matt Geiger for 43 games to Aaron McKie for six games.
Aside from the trip to the NBA Finals the season will also be
remembered for the individual achievements. The Sixers became
the first team in NBA History to win four major awards: MVP (Allen
Iverson), Coach of the Year (Larry Brown), Defensive Player of
the Year (Dikembe Mutombo) and Sixth Man of the Year (Aaron McKie).
2001-02: Sixers Show Tenacity and Resiliency
Despite Injuries
The injury-plagued Sixers got off to a slow start at the beginning
of the 2001 season, with reigning MVP Allen Iverson, Sixth Man
of the Year Aaron McKie, and starting point guard Eric Snow all
sidelined due to injuries. The Sixers started out 0-5, their worst
start since Head Coach Larry Brown's first year with the team
in 1997-98.
Fortunately, things picked up with the return of Iverson and McKie,
which helped the Sixers win their next seven consecutive contests.
Brown won his 1,200th career game as a college and NBA head coach
on Nov. 21 with a victory versus Detroit. During the week of Nov.
12, Iverson was named the NBA's Eastern Conference Player of the
Week for his performance in the seven-game winning streak.
Dikembe Mutombo led the Sixers to victory against Chicago on Dec.
1, where he recorded his first triple-double as a Sixer (10th
career) and tied an NBA record with eight blocks in the third
quarter of that game. Later in the month, Brown earned his 800th
NBA victory in his 30th year as a head coach when the Sixers knocked
off the L.A. Clippers on Dec. 26.
The Sixers came out strong in the New Year, winning three of their
first four contests in January. Perhaps this was due to the headbands
that the team sported for the first time at Phoenix on Jan. 2
as a statement of unity. Iverson recorded his first career triple-double
versus the L.A. Clippers on Jan. 7, and knocked down his 500th
career three-pointer on his way to 58 points in an overtime victory
versus Houston on Jan. 15. His 58 points proved to be a career-high,
NBA season-high, and tied for the fourth best mark in Sixers history.
For his play in the month, Iverson was named the NBA's Eastern
Conference Player of the Week twice, becoming the first player
to win back-to-back awards since Karl Malone in 1997.
In February 2002 both Iverson and Mutombo were starters for the
Eastern Conference team in the 2001-02 NBA All-Star Game played
in Philadelphia. After the All-Star break, the Sixers began a
roller-coaster ride with the .500 mark.
The Sixers had been battling injuries all season long, and had
only been able to play with a full roster on three occasions.
Following a streak of six straight road victories in March, the
Sixers had to face the fact that they would be playing with the
remainder of the season without Iverson, who suffered a fractured
left hand in a March 22 game at Boston. The team rallied to win
the Boston game despite playing the entire second half without
the NBA's leading scorer. Snow scored 25 points in the game and
began a stretch that lasted the final 22 games in which he shouldered
the scoring load. In nine of those 22, Snow scored 20 or more
points per game, with an overall average of seven assists per
game.
A 95-89 victory at Orlando in April assured the Sixers of a playoff
berth for the fourth straight season. The team ended the regular
season sixth in the Eastern Conference and fourth in the Atlantic
Division.
After trailing the Celtics 0-2 in the first round series, the
Sixers extended the best-of-five contest to a fifth and deciding
game when they came back to win both Games 3 and 4. Unfortunately,
their bid to become the seventh team in NBA history to win such
a series after trailing 0-2, fell short in Boston. They were handed
their third worst loss in Philadelphia playoff history with a
120-87 defeat.
Despite the final loss, this season will be commemorated for the
tenacity and resiliency showed by the Sixers throughout the season
despite numerous injuries affecting many of their key players.
In addition, the various awards, honors, and milestones by both
the players and Head Coach Larry Brown made the 2001-02 season
one to remember.
2002-03: Sixers Stage Second Half Surge;
Brown Steps Down As Coach
The Sixers opened the 2002-03 season with the additions of Todd
MacCulloch and Keith Van Horn in the line-up after an offseason
trade with New Jersey. Allen Iverson captured back-to-back Player
of the Week honors on Nov. 25 and Dec. 2, when he led the Sixers
to a 7-1 record.
The 76ers won their first 10 home games, their longest streak
to begin a season since 1966-67. In a December 18 three-team trade,
the Sixers acquired forward Kenny Thomas from the Rockets. Two
nights later, Iverson°s 32 points and team-record-tying nine steals
carried Philadelphia to a 107-104 overtime victory against the
Lakers.
After heading into the New Year with a 13-2 home record, the 76ers
posted a 2-8 record at the First Union Center in January. Iverson
scored his 12,000th career point in the second quarter against
Boston on Jan. 20, becoming the 11th fastest player in NBA history
to reach the plateau.
A midseason slump left the Sixers with a 25-24 record at the All-Star
Break. After the break, the 76ers rattled off eight-straight wins.
On Feb. 26, Eric Snow recorded his first career triple-double
against Memphis with a season-high 22 points, 11 assists and a
season-high 10 rebounds.
Larry Brown earned back-to-back Coach of the Month honors in February
and March as he guided the Sixers to an 11-5 record in March,
including wins in nine of 12 road games. On March 6, the Sixers
held Portland to a 76ers post-shot clock opponent low 60 points.
Philadelphia erased double-digit deficits in wins against East
leaders Indiana on March 12 and the Nets on the 16th. The month
ended as the Sixers clinched their fifth-straight playoff berth
in an overtime win at Orlando while Iverson had a season-high
42 points. With 24 points and 20 rebounds, Kenny Thomas had Philadelphia°s
first 20-20 performance since 1997.
Without the services of MacCulloch since February with foot neuropathy,
the Sixers also lost Van Horn and Coleman for multiple games in
April. Luckily for the depleted Sixers, Thomas posted 10 double-doubles
in the season°s final 15 contests. In a win against the Pistons
on April 8, Iverson scored 37 points, including the 13,000th point
of his career, and broke the Sixers single-season steals record
set by Steve Mix (212) in 1973-74. A season-best crowd of 21,257
sent Michael Jordan off in his final NBA game on April 16 with
a 107-87 against Washington, clinching home-court advantage for
the first round of the playoffs.
The Sixers defeated New Orleans in the first year of the NBA°s
best-of-seven First Round format. Allen Iverson started off the
playoffs with gusto, scoring a franchise playoff record 55 points
in a 98-90 win in Game 1 against the Hornets. The teams split
the two games in New Orleans before the Hornets stole Game 5 at
the First Union Center to close the gap to 3-2. Iverson°s 45 points
in Game 6 helped the Sixers advance to the Eastern Conference
Semifinals for the fourth time in five years.
Philadelphia fell to top-seeded Detroit in a Semifinal series
that included two overtime losses and another defeat at the buzzer
for the 76ers. Facing a 2-0 deficit, Iverson totaled 61 points
and 22 assists in the two home contests as the Sixers knotted
the series at 2-2. Coleman°s goaltending violation on a Chucky
Atkins layup with 0.9 seconds to play lifted Detroit to a 78-77
Game 5 victory at Auburn Hills. The Sixers and Pistons went to
overtime in the Game 6 elimination contest, where Chauncey Billups
scored nine of his 28 points to end Philadelphia°s season.
Ten days after bowing out of the Eastern Conference Semifinals
and after six years at the helm, Brown announced on May 26, 2003,
that he was stepping down as the 76ers coach and vice president
of basketball operations. At the same time it was announced that
General Manager Billy King was named president of the team, and
that Dave Coskey, the team°s executive vice president, will expand
his duties and become president of a new Comcast-Spectacor Marketing
Division.
Return to top of page
Back to Team History Index
|
|
|
