Along the way such figures as Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Erving, Moses Malone, and Charles Barkley have registered some of their finest seasons in a Philadelphia uniform. Other notables, such as Hal Greer, Billy Cunningham and Maurice Cheeks, have earned their reputations with the team as well. Philadelphia, one of the country's great basketball cities, and its 76ers are an important part of the league's history and of its future.

The league suffered from disorganization (teams scheduled games at their own discretion), but the participation of many of the top college players of the era helped the NBL last 12 seasons. For the 1946-47 season Syracuse joined the fold, one of five new teams that year. The Nationals were coached by Bennie Borgmann and led by rookie guard Jerry Rizzo and by the 6-9, 31-year-old veteran center, Mike Novak. Syracuse finished the regular season 21-23 and was ousted in the playoffs by Rochester, three games to one. The following season, 1947-48, the Nationals went 24-36.

In the summer of 1948 four of the NBL's top teams-the Minneapolis Lakers (who had the sport's biggest name, George Mikan), Rochester Royals, Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons, and Indianapolis Kautskys-left that league for the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The National Basketball League made it through the 1948-49 season but folded shortly thereafter.

While the NBL was dying, Syracuse had revitalized its team with a new starting five, including veteran Al "Digger" Cervi and rookie Dolph Schayes. Cervi, a fiery guard, had been the captain of the Rochester Royals since 1945, but an argument with owner Les Harrison caused him to switch teams. The Nats finished at 40-23 for the second-best record in the league. Indiana's faster Anderson Packers team, which had the league's best record, ran past the Nationals and their more deliberate style in the division finals.

The new league was a mess. It contained three divisions and 17 teams, with the divisions aligned so that the older BAA squads were separated from small-town NBL leftovers such as Sheboygan, Waterloo, and Anderson.

Syracuse was placed in the Eastern Division with New York, Washington, Philadelphia, Boston, and Baltimore, beginning the franchise's longtime rivalries with the Celtics and the Knickerbockers. Syracuse stormed onto the NBA scene by posting a 51-13 record to win the division title. Syracuse then proved it belonged in the league by beating Philadelphia, two games to none, and New York, two games to one, in a complicated playoff schedule. The Nationals met the Lakers in the first-ever NBA Finals.

The Nats, with a 31-1 record at home, had the home-court advantage, meaning that Minneapolis had to win a game at Syracuse to take the crown. The Lakers pulled that trick in the first game, 68-66, on a 40-foot shot by Bob Harrison at the buzzer. Mikan scored 37 points. The Lakers went on to win the championship, four games to two, with Mikan averaging 31.3 points in the postseason.

Dolph Schayes was joined on the team by Player-Coach Cervi, center George Ratkovicz, forward Alex Hannum, and guards Billy Gabor and Paul Seymour. For 1950-51 the NBA was down to 11 teams as Chicago and St. Louis folded and Anderson, Denver, Sheboygan, and Waterloo left to reorganize the NBL with four new franchises. Syracuse stayed in the NBA (a wise decision as it turned out).

The Nats finished the regular season at 32-34, fourth place in the Eastern Division, but earned a playoff spot. They made the most of it, sweeping the division-champion Warriors in the first round. However, New York got past Syracuse in the division finals, three games to two, to advance to the Finals against the Rochester Royals. In the first seven-game Finals in NBA history, played partly in a 5,000-seat armory in New York City because a circus was occupying Madison Square Garden, the Royals triumphed, four games to three.

Individually, Schayes tied for sixth in scoring (17.0 ppg), first in rebounding (16.4 rpg), and 10th in assists (3.8 apg). Despite such stellar statistics, Schayes was not selected to the All-NBA First Team. It was comprised of Mikan, Alex Groza, Ed Macauley, Ralph Beard, and Bob Davies. For Syracuse, Ratkovicz shot .415 from the field to finish among the league leaders. Fred Scolari, who played for both Washington and Syracuse during the year, finished eighth in the league in assists with 3.9 per game.

Syracuse finished in first place in the Eastern Division in 1951-52, edging Boston and New York in a close race. Cervi, playing less and coaching more, emphasized a patient offense and a scrappy defense-the team led the league by yielding a stingy 79.5 points per game. On offense, Schayes topped the team with his 13.8 points per game, the 16th-best mark in the NBA. Red Rocha, a 6-9 player who joined the club from Baltimore, averaged 12.9 points, and rookie George King added 10.0 points per contest. In the playoffs Syracuse defeated the Philadelphia Warriors for the second consecutive year, though it took three games in 1952. In the Eastern Division Finals, the Knicks took the first game on the Nats' floor, 87-85, and then sent Syracuse home for the season by winning Games 3 and 4 in New York. Syracuse Survives A "Foul" Season

The 1952-53 NBA season was particularly rugged. League officials were experimenting with rule changes to limit fouling in the final minutes. The rules still needed adjustment-the average number of fouls per game rose to 58 during this season. The Eastern Division race was a close one. The Nats fell half a game short of New York for the division title and needed a tiebreaker to take second place from Boston. But the Celtics got revenge with a two-game sweep of Syracuse in the first round of the NBA Playoffs. The series consisted of an 87-81 Celtics win at Syracuse and then an amazing four-overtime, 111-105 Celtics victory at Boston. Schayes finished fifth in the league in scoring (17.8), third in free throw percentage (.827), and third in rebounding (13.0). He was named to the All-NBA First Team at season's end. Back-To-Back NBA Finals

Syracuse found the bright lights of the NBA Finals twice during a two-season span that ended with the Nationals' only championship in 1955. It was a time when basketball was becoming a major national sport and the NBA was searching for its identity. The game was still marred by fouls but benefited from a plethora of skilled scorers.

The Indianapolis Olympians folded prior to the 1953-54 season after key players Alex Groza and Ralph Beard, who had helped form the team, became embroiled in a gambling scandal linked to their days with the University of Kentucky. Indianapolis's departure left nine teams in the NBA. The league's top five teams continued to slug it out. New York finished two games ahead of both Syracuse and Boston in the Eastern Division, while Minneapolis edged Rochester by a pair of games in the Western Division. (Fort Wayne also made the playoffs.)

A wacky playoff system-the top three teams in each division played in a round-robin to determine four finalists-resulted in division championship matchups of Syracuse-Boston and Minneapolis-Rochester. The Nats conquered Boston in two straight, while the Lakers triumphed in three games. The Nats-Lakers series went seven games, with neither team reaching 90 points in a single contest. The struggle opened in Minneapolis, where the Nats stole one of two games, but the Lakers countered by winning two of three at Syracuse. A 65-63 Nats win in Game 6 forced a seventh contest, which the Lakers won, 87-80, to post their fifth title in six years (cementing Mikan's place as the most dominant player of the NBA's early years).

In 1954-55 Syracuse won the team's only NBA championship. Schayes enjoyed a superb season (18.5 ppg, 12.3 rpg), but the Nationals' crown was earned by a balanced team well equipped for the new 24-second shot clock and for the retirement of Mikan. Syracuse's Paul Seymour (6.7 apg) and George King (4.9 apg) were two of the top eight assists men in the league, while Seymour scored 14.6 points per game and spearheaded the league's stingiest defense. Red Rocha (11.3 ppg), John Kerr (10.5), and Earl Lloyd (10.2) all made solid contributions on the offensive end.

The seven-game Finals was a classic; the largest margin of victory was only seven points. In Game 7, King sank a free throw to give the Nats a one-point lead, then came up with a steal to preserve the 92-91 victory. The series and the shot clock infused the league with excitement. The Nationals, however, had advanced as far as they would go until landing in Philadelphia eight years later.

In 1955-56 Syracuse had trouble repeating its success. Seymour missed 15 games due to an injury, and the team finished in third place in the Eastern Division, escaping a last-place finish only by beating New York in a tiebreaker. In the playoffs the Nats were stronger, defeating Boston, two games to one, in the division semifinals before falling to the Philadelphia Warriors in the Eastern Division Finals. Philadelphia went on to win the championship.

On the court the Nationals were still big-league caliber. The team finished in second place in the Eastern Division at 41-31 but was tossed from the playoffs by Philadelphia, two games to one. Schayes led the team in scoring (24.9 ppg), but the Nats had three other players hover around 15.0 points per game: swingman Conlin (15.0 ppg), center Johnny Kerr (15.2), and guard Larry Costello (14.9).

The team finished in third place in the Eastern Division with a 45-30 record, not good enough to surpass Chamberlain and the Warriors in the regular-season standings or in the playoffs. The Warriors ousted the Nationals, two games to one, in the division semifinals. In 1960-61 Syracuse turned in a disappointing third-place finish behind Philadelphia and Boston, posting a 38-41 record. But the Nationals proved that, as powerful as Chamberlain was, he couldn't win a championship single-handedly. In the playoffs the Nats pressured the other Philadelphia players and swept the Warriors in three games to advance to the Eastern Division Finals. Boston took care of business there, handing the Nats a five-game series defeat.

Philadelphia has long been a basketball town. Professional teams have been in and around the city since before World War I. The Philadelphia SPHAs were one of the top barnstorming clubs between the wars, while the Philadelphia Warriors were an original BAA and NBA team. Several colleges in the city have traditionally fielded strong programs. But in the 1962-63 season there was no professional basketball in Philadelphia. Warriors owner Eddie Gottlieb had sold his club to a San Francisco group, which took the team west. The void was to be filled within a year.

The Nationals, still in Syracuse for 1962-63, should have had a hard time winning half of their games. Schayes (9.5 ppg) was running out of tricks, and the team was consistently outsized. But the club hustled to a 48-32 record on the shooting of Greer and Lee Shaffer and the scrappy play of center John Kerr. The team was upended in the Eastern Division Semifinals by Cincinnati, which was led by Oscar Robertson. The series went five games, with Cincinnati prevailing in Game 5, 131-127, in overtime.

With professional basketball back in Philadelphia, it wasn't long before the city's greatest individual talent returned. Wilt Chamberlain had left his native Philadelphia to play college ball at the University of Kansas and had then toured with the Harlem Globetrotters. Possessing a unique combination of both height and agility, Chamberlain entered the NBA in 1959 at home with the Philadelphia Warriors. With the Warriors he quickly became the most dominant scorer in league history. Yet, as the franchise resettled out West, not all was well with the team and its star. The Warriors, despite Chamberlain's continued scoring bursts, were having trouble winning games and fans in 1964-65. The team wanted to unload "the Big Dipper" and his salary for new players and big money. The 76ers welcomed the proposition.

Halfway through the 1964-65 season the Warriors traded Chamberlain for guard Paul Neumann, center Connie Dierking, forward Lee Shaffer (who never signed with the Warriors or played again in the NBA), and cash. The trade was the start of something very good for Philadelphia's second NBA team. The 76ers finished the 1964-65 season at 40-40, good enough for third place in the division behind Cincinnati and Boston. They advanced past Cincinnati in the Eastern Division Semifinals, then battled the Celtics for seven games in the division finals before falling, 110-109, in Game 7.

Prior to the 1965-66 campaign, with Chamberlain entering his first full season with the Sixers and getting support from Hal Greer, Chet Walker, rookie Billy Cunningham, and Wally Jones (obtained from Baltimore), many fans felt it was finally time to dethrone Boston, which had claimed seven straight division titles. The observers were only partially correct. Chamberlain averaged 33.5 points, the lowest output of his first seven seasons. But it was a well-balanced Sixers squad that won 18 of its final 21 games, including the last 11, to finish at 55-25, a single game ahead of the Celtics.

However, a first-round bye dulled the 76ers' edge, while the Celtics sharpened their attack with a three-games-to-two series win over Cincinnati. In the Eastern Division Finals the Sixers managed only a six-point win in Game 3 against the Celtics and dropped the series in five games.

The team was simply awesome. Walker (19.3 ppg) and Cunningham (18.5) were deadly from the corners, and Luke Jackson (8.9 rpg) was active in the paint. Greer was a master scorer and playmaker, finishing with averages of 22.1 points and 3.8 assists per game. The other guard was Jones (13.2 ppg), and top reserves included rookies Matt Guokas and Billy Melchionni and veteran Larry Costello.

The team won 45 of its first 49 games, flattening most of the opposition en route to a 68-13 regular-season record, eight games ahead of the Celtics, who managed 60 wins for the year. In the playoffs the 76ers kept rolling, eliminating Cincinnati in the division semifinals.

In the Eastern Division Finals, Chamberlain scored 32 points against Bill Russell in a Game 1 win, and the 76ers surprised the Celtics with a 107-102 Game 2 victory at Boston. The teams split the next two before Philadelphia exploded for 140 points to win Game 5 and the series, advancing to the NBA Finals and ending the Celtics' hopes for a ninth straight title.

Philadelphia's championship, which was Chamberlain's first, was almost anticlimactic. The 76ers overwhelmed the San Francisco Warriors in six games to take the crown. That Sixers team has since been recognized as one of the greatest ever. As part of the NBA's 35th-anniversary celebration in 1980, the 1966-67 Sixers were voted the best team in NBA history. Cunningham, Guokas, and Costello each would go on to coach in the league while Chamberlain piloted a team for one season in the ABA.

Lacking the mission but not the talent of the year before, the 76ers were strong again in 1967-68. They stormed to a 62-20 regular-season record to finish in first place in the Eastern Division. The seemingly ageless Celtics came in runners-up but then shocked the Sixers by rallying from a three-games-to-one deficit in the Eastern Conference Finals to win the series and advance to the NBA Finals.

The new Sixers, with Billy Cunningham ranking third in the league in scoring (24.8 ppg), managed 55 wins for a second-place showing behind Baltimore. But Philadelphia didn't possess the power to compete in the playoffs and lost to Boston, four games to one, in the Eastern Division Semifinals. The trade of Chamberlain had ushered in a period of decline that would drag the 76ers to new depths in the NBA. In 1969-70 Philadelphia finished 42-40 and in fourth place in the Eastern Division. The club then fell to Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the playoffs. The following season (the first in which the NBA was split into four divisions) the Sixers placed second in the Atlantic Division. Cunningham, Hal Greer, and Archie Clark fired the team to a 47-35 regular-season mark, but the flame was doused in a seven-game series loss to Baltimore in the conference semifinals.

The 1971-72 club brought in Bob Rule, Fred Carter, Bill Bridges, and Kevin Loughery, but Philadelphia dropped to a dismal 30-52 record and failed to make the playoffs, despite an All-Star season from Cunningham. It would get worse.

Things were slightly better in 1973-74, as the Sixers climbed to a 25-57 mark. Tom Van Arsdale (19.6 ppg), acquired from Kansas City-Omaha the previous year, was with the team for the full season and finished second behind Carter (21.4) for the club's scoring lead. Steve Mix, who had been playing semipro ball, added an unexpected 14.9 points per game.

In 1974-75 Philadelphia managed a 34-48 record but ended the season 26 games behind division-winning Boston. Carter (21.9 ppg), Cunningham (19.5), second-year player Doug Collins (17.9), and Mix (15.6) had solid seasons, but Van Arsdale was traded to Atlanta nine games into the season. As the nation celebrated its 200th year of independence in 1976, the 76ers rejoiced in their return to the playoffs. Former ABA big gun George McGinnis signed with the Sixers for 1975-76 and scored 23.0 points per game, while Collins chipped in 20.8 points per contest. The team finished 46-36 but was dismissed in the first round of the playoffs by Buffalo and Bob McAdoo, who led the league in scoring with 31.1 points per game.

Erving's contributions to professional basketball were incomparable. By expanding on the high-flying, creative game originally made popular by Connie Hawkins (and later taken to new heights by Michael Jordan), he helped develop the sport's acrobatic aesthetics and, in turn, its enormous success. Erving's on-court elegance was matched by his off-court eloquence.

In 1976-77 Erving and McGinnis combined for more than 40 points per game, leading the Sixers to a 50-32 record. The 76ers advanced to the NBA Finals, which they were expected to take from the Portland Trail Blazers. However, the Blazers had team chemistry and a big guy named Bill Walton. They rallied from an early two-game deficit to win four straight and claim the title.

With Erving and a deep-pocketed owner, Philadelphia remained a powerful team. In the late 1970s the club had more than its share of colorful players. Alongside the popular Erving was McGinnis, with his one-handed jump shot; Lloyd B. Free, a free-flinging guard who later changed his name to World B. Free; and Darryl Dawkins, a massive youngster who skipped college, wore a tangle of jewelry, and named his colossal dunks.

Billy Cunningham took over as coach in 1977-78, and the Sixers captured the Atlantic Division title with a 55-27 record. They then swept the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals but were upset by the Washington Bullets, four games to two, in the conference finals. In 1978-79, the 76ers couldn't push the bulky Bullets-who had a front line of Elvin Hayes, Wes Unseld, and Mitch Kupchak-out of first place in the Atlantic Division. The Sixers eliminated New Jersey in a best-of-three playoff series but fell to San Antonio, four games to three, in the conference semifinals.

Nevertheless, the Sixers' experience carried them past Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals. Philadelphia met Los Angeles (with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jamaal Wilkes, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, and Norm Nixon) in the 1980 NBA Finals and fell in six games. The series will long be remembered for rookie Magic Johnson's remarkable 42-point performance in Game 6, which the Lakers had to play without the injured Abdul-Jabbar. The Sixers and Lakers would meet again in the Finals two of the next three seasons. Bird's Celtics and Moses Malone's Rockets took the championship spotlight away from Philadelphia and Los Angeles during the 1980-81 season, a campaign that nevertheless found the Sixers and the Celtics on fairly equal ground. Both teams finished the regular season with 62-20 records, and they split their six regular-season matchups. In the playoffs the Celtics had the home-court advantage against the Sixers, and they needed every bit of it. In a seven-game Eastern Conference Finals, with five of the first six contests having been decided by two points or less, Bird cashed in a last-minute jumper for a 91-90 win at Boston Garden in Game 7. For the regular season, Erving was voted the NBA Most Valuable Player.

Harold Katz, a self-proclaimed "sports fanatic," bought the team in July 1981. He had purchased a winner. With Erving, Bobby Jones, Caldwell Jones, Maurice Cheeks, Lionel Hollins, Darryl Dawkins, and shooter supreme Andrew Toney, the team was talented, experienced, and deep.

The Sixers finished behind the Celtics in 1981-82 but got revenge for the previous season's playoffs with a seven-game triumph in the Eastern Conference Finals. In the NBA Finals, though, the Lakers' Abdul-Jabbar was too much in the middle, and Los Angeles won the championship, four games to two.

Malone's arrival gave the 1982-83 team a starting five for the ages: Erving (21.4 ppg), Bobby Jones (9.0 ppg, often off the bench), Malone (24.5 ppg, 15.3 rpg), Toney (19.7 ppg), and Cheeks (6.9 apg, 184 steals). Clint Richardson, Clemon Johnson, and Marc Iavaroni also played valuable roles. The team demolished the East with a 65-17 record; swept New York in the Eastern Semifinals; beat Milwaukee in five; and then overwhelmed the Lakers in the NBA Finals in four straight. It was a playoff run with only one loss. Malone was named Most Valuable Player for both the regular season and the Finals. The beginning of the 1983-84 season brought with it a steady decline for the Sixers that would last into the 1990s. Then again, most anything would be a decline from Philadelphia's dominant championship run in 1983. The 1983-84 team was still stronger than most of its competition, going 52-30 and finishing runner-up to Boston in the Atlantic Division. But the upstart New Jersey Nets, led by Buck Williams, shocked the defending champs by ousting them in a wild, five-game first-round playoff series in which the home team lost every game.

For 1985-86 Philadelphia settled into its familiar position-second to Boston in the Atlantic Division. Andrew Toney missed the season with a stress fracture, and the Sixers missed his jump shots. Moses Malone was shelved with an injury just before the playoffs, and new coach Matt Guokas saw the team fall to Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, losing Game 7 by a single point. The struggles continued in 1986-87. The team traded Malone, Terry Catledge, and two draft picks to Washington for big bruiser Jeff Ruland and Cliff Robinson, who had suffered a knee injury that would ultimately spoil his career. Toney's comeback wasn't sensational, and newcomer Roy Hinson was no George McGinnis. The team still finished second to Boston in the regular season, thanks to the zealous play of Barkley. Philadelphia advanced to the postseason but lost to Milwaukee in the first round.

Jim Lynam replaced Matt Guokas as head coach in Philadelphia midway through the 1987-88 season, but the 76ers were without the firepower to manage a winning record, finishing at 36-46 and out of the playoffs. Barkley had a tremendous season, finishing fourth in the league in scoring (28.3 ppg) and sixth in rebounding (11.9 rpg). Cliff Robinson was the team's second-leading scorer at 19.0 points per game. Philadelphia enlisted rookie bomber Hersey Hawkins and swingman Ron Anderson for the 1988-89 campaign. They were welcome additions, and they teamed with Barkley (25.8 ppg, 12.5 rpg) and center Mike Gminski (17.2 ppg) to compile a 46-36 record and a second-place finish in the Atlantic Division (behind New York but ahead of Boston). Philadelphia met the Knicks in a first-round playoff series and lost in three straight.

Barkley's era with the 76ers peaked in 1989-90. Rick Mahorn was enlisted to give the Sixers 500 pounds of forwards, while Johnny Dawkins and Hersey Hawkins formed the league's best-rhyming backcourt. Hawkins scored to the tune of 18.5 points per game; Dawkins chimed in with 14.3 points per contest. The Sixers finished at 53-29 and edged Boston by one game for the Atlantic Division title. They then slipped past Cleveland in a tightly-contested five-game playoff series but ran into a rising Chicago Bulls team in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Chicago would begin its three-year title reign the following season, and in 1990 Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were too much for Philadelphia, as the Bulls won the best-of-seven series in five games.

Dawkins was lost to a knee injury four games into the 1990-91 season, knocking a hole in the team's chances for a long postseason run. Barkley was brilliant as ever, averaging 27.6 points (fourth best in the NBA), shooting .570 from the field (also fourth), hauling in 10.1 rebounds per game, and capturing the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Award. Hawkins was a model of consistency at off guard, contributing 22.1 points per contest.

Injuries took their toll, however. The only two Sixers to play in all 82 games were Ron Anderson and Manute Bol, a 7-7 former tribesman from Sudan who blocked 247 shots (fourth best in the NBA) despite playing just 18.6 minutes per game.

The 1991-92 Sixers dipped below .500, finishing 35-47 and fifth in the Atlantic Division. The club let Rick Mahorn go to Italy, a move that did not sit well with Barkley, and suffered from injuries and poor chemistry throughout the year. The 1983 championship team now seemed a distant memory, as positions once played by Moses Malone, Julius Erving, and Maurice Cheeks were now occupied by Charles Shackleford, Armon Gilliam, and Johnny Dawkins.

The Sixers also changed coaches, moving Jim Lynam into the general manager position and hiring Doug Moe to run the team. Philadelphia then scored in the 1992 NBA Draft with the selection of Southern Mississippi's Clarence Weatherspoon, an explosive forward who, ironically enough, reminded many of Barkley.

The changes didn't produce immediate results, though. Hornacek averaged 19.1 points, but Perry and Lang didn't excel, and Dawkins seemed to fall out of favor. Weatherspoon was a pleasant addition, averaging 15.6 points and 7.2 rebounds and earning selection to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.

With the team stalled at 19-37 after a 56-point loss to Seattle, Philadelphia replaced Moe with Fred Carter, a former Sixers player who had spent 12 years as an NBA assistant. The team finished with a 26-56 record and with the No. 2 pick in the 1993 NBA Draft. (Barkley, meanwhile, carried Phoenix to the NBA Finals and won the league's Most Valuable Player Award.)

Philadelphia received another solid season from Clarence Weatherspoon, as well as inspired and promising work at forward and center from both rookie Sharone Wright and newly acquired Scott Williams. Center Shawn Bradley's development continued on an upward path. Early in the season he was frequently in foul trouble-he led the league in disqualifications-yet he flourished in the second half of the campaign, posting 13 double-doubles in points and rebounds in his last 17 contests. Bradley finished third in the league in blocks with 3.34 per game.

A foot injury that limited off guard Jeff Malone to only 19 games resulted in a gap in the Sixers' attack. Looking for help at that spot and on the bench, Philadelphia used a team-record 20 players during the year. The team called up three players from the Continental Basketball Association and used four others who were frequent minor league performers. The Sixers were 9-26 in games decided by six points or less, losing more games by that margin than any other team in the league. Philadelphia's outlook for the 1995-96 season got a little brighter when they selected underclassman Jerry Stackhouse out of North Carolina with the third overall pick in the 1995 NBA Draft.

The team stumbled home with a record of 18-64, finding a dubious place in NBA history as the first team to see its losses increase for a sixth straight season. Dana Barros had left before the season, signing with the Boston Celtics as a free agent. Shawn Bradley, the onetime future of the team, was dealt to New Jersey in a trade that brought Derrick Coleman to Philadelphia, but injuries limited Coleman to only 11 games.

Stackhouse led all NBA rookies with 19.2 ppg, and was the Rookie of the Month in March, but even he wasn't immune to injuries. He suffered an injured thumb on April 5, and was lost for the final weeks of the season. Weatherspoon added 16.7 points and led the team with 9.7 rebounds.

The Sixers' four biggest moves came in the offseason. The team was sold by Harold Katz to Pat Croce, a former 76ers strength and conditioning coach, and the Comcast Corporation. The coaching reins were handed from John Lucas to Johnny Davis. The team moved from the Spectrum, their longtime home, into the new CoreStates Center for the 1996-97 season, and having won the first overall pick in the 1996 NBA Lottery, tabbed point guard Allen Iverson to run the team's offense.

Iverson proved his worth under the national spotlight on All-Star Saturday, winning Most Valuable Player honors at the Schick Rookie Game. But the telltale sign of his explosiveness came in April, when he set an NBA rookie record by scoring 40 or more points in five consecutive games, highlighted by a 50-point outburst against the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 12. He was named the NBA's Rookie of the Year.

Iverson (23.5 ppg) and teammate Jerry Stackhouse (20.7 ppg) were one of the highest scoring duos in the NBA. Forward Derrick Coleman was hampered by an assortment of injuries but averaged 18.1 ppg and 10 rpg, while Clarence Weatherspoon continued to improve. But a lack of depth proved costly to the Sixers.

Solving that problem was high on the list of priorities for Larry Brown, who was named the team's head coach at season's end, replacing Johnny Davis. Brown began to reshape his team after the 1997 NBA Draft by acquiring veterans Eric Montross and Jimmy Jackson and draftees Tim Thomas and Anthony Parker in exchange for second overall pick Keith Van Horn and three expendable veterans.

By season's end, only five players remained from the previous summer's roster. The Sixers ended the season with a record of 31-51, a nine-game improvement. Despite not making the playoffs, Philadelphia accumulated enough impressive wins to indicate that Brown and his team are on the right track, and the fanatic Philly fans turned out in record numbers to show their approval.

Allen Iverson followed last season's Rookie of the Year performance with a strong sophomore season, leading the team in scoring (22.0 ppg, 8th in the NBA), assists (6.2 apg) and steals (2.20 spg, 5th). The 22-year-old continued to develop his game and improved his shooting percentage from last season's .416 to a respectable .461.

Derrick Coleman was the team's leading rebounder (9.9 rpg) and second-leading scorer (17.6 ppg). When healthy, Coleman combined with Iverson to provide the Sixers with a powerful inside-outside tandem. The other constant in Philadelphia's lineup was rookie forward Thomas, an athletic player who averaged 11.0 points and 3.7 rebounds.

On Dec. 18, the nucleus of players around Coleman, Thomas and Iverson began to take on a new look. The Sixers traded Jerry Stackhouse and Eric Montross to Detroit for forward-center Theo Ratliff, guard Aaron McKie and a conditional first-round draft pick. Though Stackhouse was a visible presence in Philaelphia, he appeared to be worth the price of obtaining Ratliff, who led the Sixers in blocks (3.15 bpg) and field goal percentage (.513). Prior to the trade with the Pistons, the Sixers ranked 18th in the league in blocked shots per game. With Ratliff on board, Philadelphia moved up to fifth. Philly's other big move came on Feb. 17, when Jim Jackson and Clarence were sent to Golden State in exchange for forward Joe Smith (14.6 ppg and 6.0 rpg) and guard Brian Shaw.

The new-look Sixers had success against teams it had beaten for some time. The Sixers, who beat defending NBA champion Chicago twice, snapped losing streaks against the Bulls (16 games), the Cavaliers (12 games) and the Rockets (11 games), and notched their first win over the Suns at America West Arena. In addition, the Sixers swept the season series against the Lakers for the first time since the 1982-83 season and won all their home games against rival New York for the first time since 1989-90.

February ended with an 8-5 record, marking the first time since January of 1994 that the Sixers registered a winning month. After averaging 28.5 points, 6.0 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 2.31 steals in 40.3 minutes per game, Allen Iverson made his way into the record books by becoming the fourth player in team history to earn League Player of the Month honors,

In March the Sixers claimed a 15 point victory over the Lakers (105-90), before a sell-out crowd at the First Union Center. This was Philadelphia's largest victory over LA since 1978 and marked the third straight time the Sixers have defeated the Lakers.

April saw the Sixers record double-figure home victories over Orlando and Indiana, both on national TV and in front of sellout crowds. The team won each of their final six games in the month and went 5-5 on the road.

In May the Sixers beat Toronto at home, clinching a play-off spot for the first time since the 1990-91 season. The Sixers finished the regular season with an overtime win over Detroit. Allen Iverson finished the game with 33 points and became the first 76er since Wilt Chamberlain to win the NBA scoring title. Allen finished the year averaging a career high of 26.8 points, the sixth best in franchise history. Larry Brown finished second in the race for Coach of the year and Eric Snow finished second in the race for Most Improved, along with being selected as the Divisional winner for the 1998-1999 NBA Sportsmanship Award. The Sixers ended the regular season with a 28-22 record.

The Sixers returned to the NBA Playoffs ending their longest post season drought in franchise history. They upset Orlando in the first round capturing the best-of-five series, three games to one. With the win over the Magic, the Sixers advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals to take on the Indiana Pacers. Although the Pacers took the series 4-0, 3 of the four meetings were decided by four points or less.

The incredible part of the Sixers playoff run included more than just the team. The support of the fans was truly amazing. From ralley towels to "Croce Crew Cuts", the fans were in the game 100% from beginning to end. There were signs filling the arena claiming "Allen Iverson for MVP", "Larry Brown Coach of the Year", and "Let It Snow." However, the one that stood out the most and will remain clear was "We'll Be Back."

Because of the wide array of talent being exhibited by the team, the loss of Iverson for 10 games when he suffered a fractured right thumb did not cause a major disruption. The 76ers rallied in his absence and were 6-4 while their star was out. Upon his return on Dec. 15, Iverson took over the scoreboards, leading the team in scoring for 22 straight games.

To start the New Year, the Sixers scored 100 or more points in nine straight games. On Jan. 22 the team avenged their 0-4 sweep out of the last season's playoffs by Indiana, when they defeated the Pacers in front of a sold out home crowd and a prime-time national TV audience.

In February Iverson became the first 76er to be voted a starter for the Eastern Conference All-Star team since Charles Barkley in 1992. Even though the Eastern Conference Team fell to the West, Iverson led all scorers in the game with 26 points.

Toni Kukoc, who the Sixers acquired in a three-way deal with Golden State and Chicago, recorded a triple-double in March. This was the first triple-double for the team in five years. Kukoc's contribution, along with Iverson's scoring, the consistent rebounding of Hill and an outstanding overall number of assists by Snow, led the team to win five of their last six games. This secured a spot in the playoffs for the second straight year.

Head Coach Larry Brown would have one of his bigger coaching challenges in Dec as injuries began to take their toll on the squad. Despite the losses of Eric Snow and Allen Iverson, the Sixers began a franchise high 13 game road win streak with wins in Vancouver and Portland. Aaron McKie closed out the month of Dec by recording his first career triple-double versus the Kings and earned Player of the Week honors.

Aaron McKie began the new year the same way he ended the last with a triple-double. Iverson was named Player of the Week for the first week of Jan, making him and McKie the first back-to-back Player of the Week winners since Chicago's Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan. The Sixers 13-game road winning streak ended in Toronto on Jan 28.

Larry Brown, Allen Iverson and Theo Ratliff represented the Sixers in the All-Star Game in Washington, DC. Iverson earned MVP honors for the game in the East's come from behind victory. Ratliff had to sit out of the game because of injuries and eventually had surgery on his wrist. After missing 32 games, Eric Snow returned to the Sixers lineup versus the Bucks on Feb 13. A few days after the All-Star Game, General Manager Billy King pulled the trigger on six-player trade that sent Ratliff, Nazr Mohammed, Toni Kukoc and Pepe Sanchez to Atlanta for Dikembe Mutombo and Roshown McLeod.

The Sixers clinched their first Atlantic Division crown since 1989-90 on Apr 6 against Cleveland. The following game on Apr 9, they officially claimed the best record in the Eastern Conference with a victory over the Celitcs. They ended the regular season with a 56-26 record.

The playoffs proved to be just as exciting as the regular season for the Sixers. They knocked off the team that ousted them the previous two seasons, the Pacers. After a scare in Game One, the Sixers won the series in four games. Their opponent in the Eastern Conference Semis were the Toronto Raptors. This exciting series was extended to seven games and came down to the last shot and resulted in the Sixers in the Eastern Conference Finals. This is where they faced the Bucks in another grueling seven game series that sent the Sixers to the NBA Finals versus the defending champion Los Angels Lakers.

The underdog Sixers went into the Finals against the heavily favored Lakers and pulled out a Game One victory. But they eventually fell to the Lakers in five games.

If there was one impressive and lasting impression of the Sixers 2000-2001 season, it was the constant overcoming of adversity. From playing an NBA second most back-to-back contests and sweeping 10 of them, to overcoming numerous injuries such as losing No 1 draft choice Speedy Claxton in the preseason to starting point guard Eric Snow for 32 games to Allen Iverson for 11 games to Matt Geiger for 43 games to Aaron McKie for six games.

Fortunately, things picked up with the return of Iverson and McKie, which helped the Sixers win their next seven consecutive contests. Brown won his 1,200th career game as a college and NBA head coach on Nov. 21 with a victory versus Detroit. During the week of Nov. 12, Iverson was named the NBA's Eastern Conference Player of the Week for his performance in the seven-game winning streak.

Dikembe Mutombo led the Sixers to victory against Chicago on Dec. 1, where he recorded his first triple-double as a Sixer (10th career) and tied an NBA record with eight blocks in the third quarter of that game. Later in the month, Brown earned his 800th NBA victory in his 30th year as a head coach when the Sixers knocked off the L.A. Clippers on Dec. 26.

The Sixers came out strong in the New Year, winning three of their first four contests in January. Perhaps this was due to the headbands that the team sported for the first time at Phoenix on Jan. 2 as a statement of unity. Iverson recorded his first career triple-double versus the L.A. Clippers on Jan. 7, and knocked down his 500th career three-pointer on his way to 58 points in an overtime victory versus Houston on Jan. 15. His 58 points proved to be a career-high, NBA season-high, and tied for the fourth best mark in Sixers history. For his play in the month, Iverson was named the NBA's Eastern Conference Player of the Week twice, becoming the first player to win back-to-back awards since Karl Malone in 1997.

In February 2002 both Iverson and Mutombo were starters for the Eastern Conference team in the 2001-02 NBA All-Star Game played in Philadelphia. After the All-Star break, the Sixers began a roller-coaster ride with the .500 mark.

The Sixers had been battling injuries all season long, and had only been able to play with a full roster on three occasions. Following a streak of six straight road victories in March, the Sixers had to face the fact that they would be playing with the remainder of the season without Iverson, who suffered a fractured left hand in a March 22 game at Boston. The team rallied to win the Boston game despite playing the entire second half without the NBA's leading scorer. Snow scored 25 points in the game and began a stretch that lasted the final 22 games in which he shouldered the scoring load. In nine of those 22, Snow scored 20 or more points per game, with an overall average of seven assists per game.

A 95-89 victory at Orlando in April assured the Sixers of a playoff berth for the fourth straight season. The team ended the regular season sixth in the Eastern Conference and fourth in the Atlantic Division.

After trailing the Celtics 0-2 in the first round series, the Sixers extended the best-of-five contest to a fifth and deciding game when they came back to win both Games 3 and 4. Unfortunately, their bid to become the seventh team in NBA history to win such a series after trailing 0-2, fell short in Boston. They were handed their third worst loss in Philadelphia playoff history with a 120-87 defeat.