Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers are a National Basketball Association team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, also known as the Sixers for short.

Franchise history

The team began in 1946 as the Syracuse Nationals of the National Basketball League. In 1949, the Nationals were one of seven NBL teams that merged with the Basketball Association of America to form the NBA.

Related Topics:
1946 - Syracuse Nationals - National Basketball League - Basketball Association of America

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The Nationals moved to Philadelphia in 1963, the year after the Warriors had left for San Francisco. They were the longest-surviving of the NBA franchises based in medium-sized cities. Their name changed to the "76ers," after the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia in 1776. The Sixers won two NBA titles in Philadelphia. The first was in the 1966-67 season when they won a then-league record 68 games with hall of famers Wilt Chamberlain, Billy Cunningham, and Hal Greer, along with all-stars Chet Walker and Lucious Jackson. The more noteworthy 1982-83 season was their second championship where they posted a 12-1 playoff record including a four game sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers who had defeated the Sixers the season before. The 76ers were led by hall of famers Julius Erving and Moses Malone, and all stars Maurice Cheeks, Andrew Toney, and Bobby Jones.

Related Topics:
1963 - Warriors - San Francisco - Declaration of Independence - 1776 - Wilt Chamberlain - Billy Cunningham - Hal Greer - Chet Walker - Lucious Jackson - Los Angeles Lakers - Julius Erving - Moses Malone - Maurice Cheeks - Andrew Toney - Bobby Jones

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During the 2000-2001 season, the 76ers got off to a hot start by winning their first ten games. In total the team won 56 games en route to becoming the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. Little did they know, but a season ending loss to the Chicago Bulls, would give the Lakers the #1 seed in the entire playoffs. In the first round of the playoffs, the Sixers defeated the Indiana Pacers 3 games to 1. In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, Raptors forward Vince Carter missed a jump shot during Game 7 to send the Sixers to the Eastern Conference Finals against the Milwaukee Bucks. This series also went to a Game 7. In Game 7, Allen Iverson scored 23 points and dished out 19 assists to help the Sixers win by 17 points. The Sixers were set to face off against the Lakers who had not lost a game in the playoffs. The Sixers came out fighting in Los Angeles, and came away with a shocking Game 1 overtime upset of the Lakers. After Game 1, the Lakers went on to sweep the next four games in the series to win the NBA Title. This Sixers squad had the NBA's MVP, Allen Iverson, the NBA's coach of the year, Larry Brown, the Defensive Player of the Year, Dikembe Mutombo, and the 6th Man of the year, Aaron McKie.

Related Topics:
Vince Carter - Milwaukee Bucks - Allen Iverson - Larry Brown - Dikembe Mutombo - Aaron McKie

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The 76ers also hold the record for the most losses in a season. In the 1972-73 season, the 76ers lost 73 games, a record that has been threatened at times, but still stands to this day.

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The club in the recent years has revolved around Allen Iverson, a high-scoring guard. With the addition of Chris Webber from Sacramento Kings in 2005, the 76ers hoped that the duo would make a volatile and powerful combination. However, the team did not improve significantly and was defeated in the postseason by the Detroit Pistons. In the offseason, the 76ers fired coach Jim O'Brien and hired Maurice Cheeks, a popular former 76ers star.

Related Topics:
Allen Iverson - Guard - Chris Webber - Sacramento Kings - 2005 - Postseason - Detroit Pistons - Jim O'Brien - Maurice Cheeks

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