Sixers History

The Philadelphia 76ers, formerly known as the Syracuse Nationals, are celebrating their 60th anniversary as an NBA franchise. Each issue this season, Drive Magazine is taking a look at some of the most memorable players in team history, position by position. This month, we take a look at guards, including all-time greats like Hal Greer and Allen Iverson.

Maurice Cheeks
Yrs w/Franchise: 11 • Career Averages: 11.1 ppg, 6.7 apg, 2.8 rpg, 2.10 spg

One of the great two-way point guards in NBA history, Cheeks ranks fourth in NBA history in steals and ninth in assists. He is also the Sixers all-time leader in both categories. A four-time All-Star, Cheeks was named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team four times and was the starting point guard for the 1983 Championship team. For his career, Cheeks recorded more steals than turnovers.

Larry Costello
Yrs w/Franchise: 10 • Career Averages: 12.2 ppg, 4.6 apg, 3.8 rpg

Regarded as one of the great guards of his era, Costello was known for his relentless tenacity. Celtics legend Bob Cousy said it was Costello who gave him the most trouble out on the court because of his “animal determination.” Philadelphia made the playoffs in nine of his 10 seasons with the team, with Costello being selected to six All-Star games along the way. He would later enjoy great success as a head coach, guiding the Milwaukee Bucks to the championship in 1971.

Allen Iverson
Yrs w/Franchise: 11 • Career Averages: 27.7 ppg, 6.3 apg, 3.8 rpg, 2.26 spg

Pound for pound one of the toughest players in NBA history, Iverson helped usher in a new era for not only the Sixers, but in some respects, the entire league after being selected by Philly with the first overall pick in the 1996 draft. Iverson collected a plethora of honors during his Sixers career, including Rookie of the Year, three All-NBA First Team appearances and the MVP award in 2000-01. He also owns the third-highest scoring average in league history.

Eric Snow
Yrs w/ Sixers: 7 • Career Averages: 6.8 ppg, 5.0 apg, 2.5 rpg, 1.15 spg

Before the Sixers acquired him via trade from Seattle in 1998, Snow spent two-plus seasons as the backup to Gary Payton, arguably the greatest defensive point guard in league history. Obviously Snow took notes, as he emerged as a top-tier defender in his own right, even earning NBA All-Defensive Second Team honors with Philly in 2002-03. Snow started over 400 games during his stint with the Sixers, posting an assist-to-turnover ratio of over 3-to-1.

Paul Seymour
Yrs w/Franchise: 11 (13 with two NBL seasons included) • Career Averages: 9.4 ppg, 3.8 apg, 3.1 rpg

The captain of the Syracuse Nationals 1955 Championship team, Seymour is remembered as being a feisty player who didn’t back down from any opponent. Dolph Schayes, a teammate of Seymour’s and one of the NBA’s first superstars, once said of him, “He was the heart and soul of that Syracuse Nats team in the 1950s.” The Nationals made the playoffs in nine of his 11 seasons, with Seymour making three All-Star games along the way.

Hal Greer
Yrs w/Franchise: 15 • Career Averages: 19.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.0 apg

Named one of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players, the case can certainly be made for Greer as the greatest player in franchise history in terms of both longevity and accomplishments. Greer spent his entire career with Philadelphia, with the team making the playoffs in 13 of his 15 seasons. He made the All-Star game in 10 consecutive seasons from 1961 through 1970 and teamed with Wilt Chamberlain to end the Celtics streak of eight consecutive championships in 1967.

Andrew Toney
Yrs w/Franchise: 8 • Career Averages: 15.9 ppg, 4.2 apg, 2.2 rpg

Although his career was cut short by injury, Toney remains one of the more beloved players in franchise history. Best remembered for his exploits against the Boston Celtics in the playoffs, Toney earned the moniker “The Boston Strangler.” In the deciding Game 7 of the 1982 Eastern Conference Finals at Boston, Toney exploded for 34 points. Larry Bird once said of Toney, “He was the absolute best I’ve ever seen at shooting the ball at crucial times.”

Fred Carter
Yrs w/Franchise: 6 • Career Averages: 15.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 3.5 apg

Now an analyst for ESPN, Fred “Mad Dog” Carter playfully refers to himself as the best player on the worst team in NBA history. Carter averaged a team-high 20.0 points per game when the Sixers went 9-73 in 1972-73 and was one of the few bright spots for the team during its transition period from the Hal Greer era until the acquisition of Julius Erving. Carter endured the “losingest” season in NBA history and helped the Sixers return to the playoffs just three seasons later.

Hersey Hawkins
Yrs w/Franchise: 5 • Career Averages: 19.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.79 spg

Hawkins was originally selected with the sixth overall pick in the 1988 NBA Draft by the L.A. Clippers before his rights were acquired by the Sixers. The “Hawk” stepped in right away, starting 79 games as a rookie while averaging over 15 points. Hawkins started all but a possible seven games during his five seasons with the Sixers and is the 12th leading scorer in franchise history. He also shot over 40% from 3-point range for his career and was named an All-Star in 1991.

Andre Iguodala
Yrs w/Franchise: 4 • Career Averages: 14.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 4.1 apg, 1.85 spg

At just 24 years of age, Iguodala has already established himself as one of the top two-way players at his position as well as being a constant staple in the nightly highlight footage. Since he entered the league in 2003-04, Iguodala has missed just six games and has recorded the third-most steals of any player. Last season, Iguodala was one of two players in the league among qualifiers to average at least 19 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals.