Philadelphia 76ers
In 1946, Italian immigrant Danny Biasone established the Syracuse Nationals of the National Basketball League for $5,000. The team finished its first season with a 21, 23 record and lost in the playoffs to the Rochester Royals. Their second year brought a 24, 36 record and another early playoff exit against the Anderson Duffey Packers. A strategic shift occurred before the 1948, 49 season when general manager Leo Ferris signed Al Cervi as player-coach. This move led to a 40, 23 winning record and their first playoff series victory over the Hammond Calumet Buccaneers. The franchise joined the newly formed NBA in 1949 after the merger of the NBL and BAA. They won the Eastern Division that same year with a league-best 51, 13 record. The Nationals defeated the Philadelphia Warriors and New York Knickerbockers to reach the Finals. They lost the championship series to the Minneapolis Lakers in six games despite taking Game One at home. The following seasons saw fluctuating success with records like 32, 34 and 40, 26. A historic moment arrived during the 1952, 53 playoffs when the Nationals played the Boston Celtics in quadruple overtime. The game ended 111, 105 in favor of the Celtics but remains the longest playoff game in NBA history. The team acquired Alex Groza and Ralph Beard from the folded Indianapolis Olympians for the 1953, 54 season. They reached the Eastern Finals again but fell short against the Celtics. In 1954, owner Biasone proposed the 24-second shot clock to speed up play. The rule change increased scoring by 14 points per game league-wide. The Nationals used this new pace to win their first NBA Championship in 1955 against the Fort Wayne Pistons. George King sank a free throw to give them a 92, 91 lead before stealing an inbound pass to seal the victory.
The final game for the Syracuse Nationals took place on the 26th of March 1963. Investors Irv Kosloff and Ike Richman purchased the franchise from Danny Biasone and moved it to Philadelphia. This move filled the void left by the Warriors who had relocated to San Francisco just one year prior. A public contest decided the new name with Walter Stalberg choosing the 76ers. The name honored the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia in 1776. For four years the team played at the Philadelphia Arena and Civic Center-Convention Hall. Dolph Schayes served as head coach during these early transition years. Hal Greer joined the Nationals in 1958 and spent his entire 15-season career with the organization. He won a championship with the team in 1967 after the move. The franchise adopted red and blue uniforms dropping the gold color used during the Syracuse era. By 1963, central New York was no longer large enough to support an NBA team. The league returned to Philadelphia one year after the Warriors departure. The 76ers became one of only eight franchises out of twenty-three to survive the league's first decade.
In the 1964, 65 season the 76ers acquired Wilt Chamberlain from the Warriors. Chamberlain had been a high school legend at Overbrook High School in Philadelphia. The team pushed the Celtics to seven games in the semifinals but lost Game Seven 110, 109. On the 3rd of December 1965 co-owner Ike Richman suffered a heart attack and died courtside during a game at the Boston Garden. The following season under coach Alex Hannum the 76ers started 46, 4. They finished with a record of 68, 13 which stood as the best in league history at that time. The squad included Billy Cunningham and Hal Greer alongside stars like Chet Walker and Lucious Jackson. They defeated the Celtics in five games to reach the Finals. The series against the Warriors ended in six games giving them their second title. In 1967 fans chanted Boston is dead! after eliminating the long-reigning champions. The franchise moved into The Spectrum for the 1967, 68 season. They reached the playoffs again but lost to the Celtics in seven games despite holding a 3, 1 lead. Chamberlain was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers shortly after the championship run. The team entered a decline phase where they never advanced past the second round for three years. A severe injury to replacement center Lucious Jackson accelerated this freefall. General manager Jack Ramsay further weakened the roster by trading All-Star forward Chet Walker to the Chicago Bulls. By 1972 the team had fallen from champions to missing the postseason entirely.
The 1972, 73 season marked the absolute bottom for the franchise. Coach Roy Rubin took over mid-season after Al McGuire and Adolph Rupp turned down the job. The team lost their first 15 games of the year. They later set a record 20-game losing streak finishing with a 4, 58 record at that point. The final tally stood at 9, 73 which remains the all-time low-water mark for any NBA franchise. Their winning percentage of 0.110 was the worst at the time. Skeptical Philadelphia press dubbed them the Nine and 73-ers. Rubin was fired after 51 games leaving Kevin Loughery as player-coach. The next decade saw slow recovery efforts including the acquisition of George McGinnis from the ABA. Darryl Dawkins was selected fifth overall in the 1975 draft but failed to live up to his potential. The team returned to the playoffs in 1976, 77 thanks to the ABA-NBA merger. Julius Erving joined the squad when the Nets paid $3 million to buy his contract. This move brought excitement back to Philadelphia. The 76ers reached four Finals between 1977 and 1983. They won the championship in 1983 led by Moses Malone who predicted four wins in each round. The phrase fo', fi', fo' became a minor hit song by Pieces Of A Dream. Charles Barkley arrived in 1984 bringing humor and controversy to the roster. He finished second in MVP voting in 1989, 90 while leading the team to an Atlantic Division title. The era ended with Barkley being traded to the Phoenix Suns on the 17th of June 1992.
Allen Iverson was selected first overall in the 1996 NBA draft after the team won the lottery. He earned Rookie of the Year honors despite a minimal 22, 60 record that season. Larry Brown took over as head coach in 1997 implementing a defense-first approach. Early trades brought Aaron McKie and Theo Ratliff to bolster the roster. Eric Snow was added from Seattle in January 1998. The lockout-shortened 1998, 99 season saw them finish 28, 22 and reach the postseason for the first time since 1991. They upset the Orlando Magic before falling to Indiana. By 2000, 01 the team had improved to 56, 26 winning their first Atlantic Division title since 1989. Iverson scored 54 points in Game Two against Toronto and 52 in Game Five. A decisive Game Seven win sent them back to the Finals against the Lakers. In Game One overtime Iverson hit a go-ahead three-pointer with 1:19 remaining. He famously stepped over Tyronn Lue after making the basket. Eric Snow clinched the game with a running jump shot as the clock expired. The series ended in five games with the Lakers taking the championship. Iverson won MVP honors in 2001 while leading the squad. Larry Brown received Coach of the Year awards that same year. Dikembe Mutombo earned Defensive Player of the Year honors. Aaron McKie won Sixth Man of the Year. On the 5th of December 2006 Iverson gave management an ultimatum to find supporting players or trade him.
Josh Harris led an investment group that purchased the team on the 13th of July 2011 for $280 million. Other members included David Blitzer and Will Smith among others. The new ownership retained Doug Collins as head coach but fired general manager Ed Stefanski. The franchise finished 35, 31 in their first season under Harris. They reached the playoffs as the eighth seed beating Chicago four games to two. This marked the fifth time an eight seed defeated a one seed in NBA history. A complex four-team trade sent Andre Iguodala to Denver in exchange for Andrew Bynum from Los Angeles. Injuries plagued Bynum who underwent surgery on both knees by the 19th of March 2013. The team finished 34, 48 missing the playoffs entirely. Sam Hinkie replaced DiLeo as general manager in May 2013 initiating a rebuilding strategy known as The Process. Tony Wroten referred to this culture shift publicly. The 76ers traded Jrue Holiday to New Orleans for Nerlens Noel and draft picks. Michael Carter-Williams won Rookie of the Year after being selected 11th overall. The team set a franchise record 26-game losing streak during the 2013, 14 season. They lost 18 straight games to start the following year before breaking the streak against Minnesota. On the 1st of December 2014 they tied the old record of 18 losses to begin a season. A new training complex opened in Camden, New Jersey in September 2016.
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Common questions
When was the Philadelphia 76ers team established and what was its original name?
The franchise began as the Syracuse Nationals in 1946 when Italian immigrant Danny Biasone established the team for $5,000. The organization relocated to Philadelphia on the 26th of March 1963 after investors Irv Kosloff and Ike Richman purchased it from Biasone.
Who won the first NBA Championship for the Philadelphia 76ers after moving from Syracuse?
The team secured their first NBA Championship in 1955 while still known as the Syracuse Nationals by defeating the Fort Wayne Pistons. George King sank a free throw to give them a 92, 91 lead before stealing an inbound pass to seal the victory.
What historic playoff game did the Syracuse Nationals play during the 1952, 53 season?
During the 1952, 53 playoffs the Nationals played the Boston Celtics in quadruple overtime which ended 111, 105 in favor of the Celtics. This contest remains the longest playoff game in NBA history.
How many games did the Philadelphia 76ers lose during the 1972, 73 season?
The franchise finished with a record of 9, 73 losses during the 1972, 73 season which stands as the all-time low-water mark for any NBA franchise. Their winning percentage of 0.110 was the worst at that time and skeptical Philadelphia press dubbed them the Nine and 73-ers.
When did Allen Iverson win MVP honors and what happened in Game One of the 2001 Finals?
Iverson won MVP honors in 2001 while leading the squad to the Finals against the Lakers. In Game One overtime he hit a go-ahead three-pointer with 1:19 remaining and famously stepped over Tyronn Lue after making the basket.
Who purchased the Philadelphia 76ers on the 13th of July 2011 and how much did they pay?
Josh Harris led an investment group that purchased the team on the 13th of July 2011 for $280 million. Other members included David Blitzer and Will Smith among others who retained Doug Collins as head coach but fired general manager Ed Stefanski.