Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers (commonly known as the Sixers) are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, competing in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. One of the oldest and most storied franchises in NBA history, the Sixers have won three championships and have been home to some of basketball's greatest players, including Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Erving, Charles Barkley, and Allen Iverson.

The team plays at the Wells Fargo Center in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, though controversial plans to build a new arena in Center City have sparked intense debate.

History

Syracuse Nationals (1946-1963)

The franchise began as the Syracuse Nationals:

• 1946 — Founded as Syracuse Nationals in the National Basketball League
• 1949 — Joined NBA when leagues merged
• 1955 NBA Championship*** — Defeated Fort Wayne Pistons
  • Featured Dolph Schayes, Hall of Fame forward
• Competed in small-market Syracuse for 17 years
• 1963 — Relocated to Philadelphia, renamed 76ers
  • Name honors 1776 and Declaration of Independence

The Wilt Chamberlain Era (1964-1968)

Wilt Chamberlain came home to Philadelphia:

The Arrival

• 1965*** — Sixers acquired Chamberlain from San Francisco Warriors
• Chamberlain was already a legend (100-point game, 1962)
• Philadelphia native returned home

1967: The Greatest Team Ever?

The 1966-67 Sixers are considered one of the greatest teams in NBA history:

• 68-13 record*** — Best in NBA history at the time
• Wilt Chamberlain*** — MVP, changed game to focus on passing
• Hal Greer***, Chet Walker***, Billy Cunningham***, Wali Jones
• Coach Alex Hannum***
• NBA Finals*** — Defeated San Francisco Warriors 4-2
• Ended Celtics Dynasty*** — Beat Boston in Eastern Finals
• Considered by some the greatest team ever assembled

Chamberlain's Departure

• 1968*** — Chamberlain traded to Los Angeles Lakers
• Controversial move, still debated
• Left void in franchise

The Dr. J Era (1976-1987)

The Arrival of Julius Erving

• 1976*** — Sixers acquired Julius Erving*** ("Dr. J") from New York Nets (ABA)
• One of the most exciting players ever
• Spectacular dunks, afro, style
• Transformed Philadelphia basketball
• Made the Sixers must-see entertainment

Championship Pursuits

• 1977 NBA Finals*** — Lost to Portland Trail Blazers
• 1980 NBA Finals*** — Lost to Los Angeles Lakers (Magic Johnson's rookie heroics)
• 1982 NBA Finals*** — Lost to Los Angeles Lakers again
• Heartbreak defined the era despite regular season success

1983: "Fo, Fo, Fo"

Finally, Philadelphia prevailed:

• Moses Malone*** — Acquired from Houston, MVP center
• "Fo, Fo, Fo"*** — Malone's prediction (four sweeps; actually went 12-1)
• Starting Five***: Dr. J, Moses Malone, Maurice Cheeks, Andrew Toney, Bobby Jones
• NBA Finals*** — Swept Los Angeles Lakers 4-0
• Moses Malone*** — Finals MVP
• Philadelphia's first NBA title since 1967
• Last NBA championship for the franchise (as of 2025)

The Late Dr. J Years

• Continued competitiveness through mid-1980s
• Charles Barkley emerged (drafted 1984)
• Erving retired 1987

The Barkley Years (1984-1992)

Charles Barkley became the face of the franchise:

• 1984 Draft*** — Selected 5th overall from Auburn
• Playing Style*** — Undersized power forward, fierce competitor
• Personality*** — Outspoken, quotable, polarizing
• 1988-1991*** — All-NBA seasons
• Teams were competitive but never reached Finals
• 1992*** — Traded to Phoenix Suns (became MVP there)
• Beloved and controversial figure

The Iverson Era (1996-2006)

"The Answer" Arrives

• 1996 NBA Draft*** — Selected Allen Iverson*** #1 overall from Georgetown
• Controversial*** — Bowling alley incident, questions about attitude
• Revolutionary*** — Cornrows, tattoos, "thug" appearance challenged NBA
• Playing Style*** — Fearless scorer, crossover dribble, heart of a giant

2001: The Peak

The 2000-01 Sixers were Iverson's masterpiece:

• Allen Iverson*** — MVP season (31.1 PPG, league-leading)
• Coach Larry Brown*** — Defensive-minded system
• Supporting Cast***: Dikembe Mutombo, Eric Snow, Aaron McKie, Tyrone Hill
• Eastern Conference Champions***
• NBA Finals*** — Lost to Los Angeles Lakers 4-1
  • Game 1 Overtime Win*** — Iverson's stepover of Tyron Lue
  • Only team to beat Shaq/Kobe Lakers in 2001 playoffs

The Iverson Legacy

• Crossover*** — The signature move, shook defenders
• Cultural Impact*** — Changed how NBA players could look, dress, express themselves
• Cornrows and Tattoos*** — Challenged league dress code
• "Practice?"*** — Famous press conference rant (2002)
• Heart*** — 6'0", 165 pounds, never backed down from anyone
• Philadelphia Icon*** — Embraced by city as one of their own
• Traded to Denver in 2006; returned briefly in 2009-10

The Process (2013-2019)

Tanking for the Future

After years of mediocrity, GM Sam Hinkie implemented "The Process":

• 2013-2016*** — Deliberate losing to accumulate draft picks
• "Trust the Process"*** — Became rallying cry
• Hinkie*** — Traded assets for future picks, embraced tanking
• League intervention*** — NBA pressured ownership; Hinkie resigned (2016)
• Draft picks***: Joel Embiid (2014), Ben Simmons (2016)

Joel Embiid Emerges

• Joel Embiid*** — Dominant center, missed first two years injured
• 2016-17*** — Embiid debuted, became star
• Ben Simmons*** — #1 pick, point forward
• 2018-2019*** — Playoff contention returned
• Jimmy Butler*** trade (2018-19) brought playoff run
• "The Shot" — Kawhi Leonard's bounce four times; Toronto won on last-second shot

Post-Process Challenges

• Ben Simmons saga*** — Refused to play (2021), eventually traded
• James Harden*** acquired (2022)
• Embiid*** — 2023 MVP
• Continued playoff disappointments
• Championship remains elusive

Current Era

• Joel Embiid*** — Franchise player, MVP
• Playoff struggles*** — Second-round exits continue
• Arena controversy*** — Proposed Center City arena sparks debate
• Championship drought since 1983

Championships

Year	Opponent	Series	MVP	Notes
1955	Fort Wayne Pistons	4-3	—	As Syracuse Nationals
1967	San Francisco Warriors	4-2	—	68-13 regular season
1983	Los Angeles Lakers	4-0	Moses Malone	"Fo, Fo, Fo"

Finals Losses

• 1977 — Portland Trail Blazers
• 1980 — Los Angeles Lakers
• 1982 — Los Angeles Lakers
• 2001 — Los Angeles Lakers

Legendary Players

Hall of Famers

Player	Position	Years	Notable
Wilt Chamberlain	C	1965-1968	100-point game, 1967 champion
Julius Erving	SF	1976-1987	"Dr. J," revolutionary style
Charles Barkley	PF	1984-1992	Round Mound of Rebound
Allen Iverson	G	1996-2006, 2009-10	"The Answer," 2001 MVP
Moses Malone	C	1982-1986, 1993-94	1983 Finals MVP, "Fo Fo Fo"
Dolph Schayes	F/C	1949-1964	Syracuse Nationals star
Hal Greer	G	1958-1973	1967 championship
Billy Cunningham	F	1965-1972, 1974-76	Player and coach
Maurice Cheeks	G	1978-1989	1983 championship point guard

Sixers Legends

• Bobby Jones*** — Sixth Man, 1983 champion
• Andrew Toney*** — "Boston Strangler," clutch scorer
• Dikembe Mutombo*** — Finger wag, 2001 Finals
• World B. Free*** — Flamboyant scorer
• Joel Embiid*** — Current franchise player, 2023 MVP

Iconic Moments

Greatest Moments

• 1967 Championship*** — Ending Celtics dynasty
• 1983 Sweep*** — "Fo, Fo, Fo" championship
• Dr. J's Baseline Move (1980)*** — Against Lakers in Finals
• Iverson's Crossover on Jordan (1997)*** — Rookie breaks MJ's ankles
• Iverson Steps Over Lue (2001)*** — Game 1 Finals
• Embiid's MVP (2023)*** — First Sixer MVP since Iverson

Infamous Moments

• Wilt Trade (1968)*** — Lost greatest player
• 1977 Finals Loss*** — Should have won
• 1981 Eastern Finals*** — Lost to Celtics (again)
• Barkley Trade (1992)*** — Gave away All-Star
• Iverson "Practice" Rant*** — Mocked, but misunderstood
• The Shot (2019)*** — Kawhi's bouncing buzzer-beater
• Ben Simmons Saga*** — Refused to play, trade drama

The Process

"The Process" became cultural phenomenon:

What Was It?

• Sam Hinkie's strategy*** — Trade current assets for future picks
• Deliberate losing*** — Ensure high draft position
• Asset accumulation*** — Stockpile picks and young players
• Long-term vision*** — Build championship team from scratch

Cultural Impact

• "Trust the Process"*** — Rallying cry for fans and team
• Joel Embiid nicknamed "The Process"
• Influenced other teams' rebuilding strategies
• Controversial but embraced by Philadelphia

Results

• Drafted Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons
• Returned to playoff contention
• Championship still elusive
• Debate over whether it "worked"

Rivalries

Boston Celtics

The defining rivalry:

• Historical dominance*** — Celtics often blocked Sixers
• 1967*** — Finally beat Boston in playoffs
• 1980s*** — Bird vs. Dr. J, Barkley
• Hatred runs deep*** — Both fanbases despise each other
• Greatest rivalry in Sixers history

Los Angeles Lakers

• 4 Finals meetings*** — Sixers won 1 (1983)
• 1980, 1982, 2001*** — Painful losses
• 1983*** — Sweet revenge, sweep

New York Knicks

• Geographic rivalry
• Atlantic Division battles
• Less intense than Celtics rivalry

Venues

Historical

• Convention Hall*** (1963-1967)
• The Spectrum*** (1967-1996) — Iconic arena
  • Dr. J's playground
  • Philly's basketball home for three decades
• CoreStates/First Union/Wachovia Center*** (1996-2010)

Current

• Wells Fargo Center*** (2010-present)
  • Shared with Flyers
  • Part of Sports Complex
  • Capacity: 20,478

Proposed

• 76 Place*** — Proposed Center City arena (controversial)
  • Chinatown location debate
  • Ownership push vs. community opposition
  • Unresolved as of 2025

See Also

• Wells Fargo Center
• South Philadelphia Sports Complex
• Philadelphia Sports Culture
• The Spectrum

External Links

• Official Website
• Basketball Reference - 76ers