Editing Philadelphia 76ers (section)

== 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