The Basketball Fans

Philadelphia 76ers

Published April 18, 2026 · Updated April 23, 2026 · By The Basketball Fans Editors

Editorial tile: Philadelphia 76ers
Photo via Unsplash. Unsplash License.

The Philadelphia 76ers have won three NBA championships (1955, 1967, 1983) and produced five MVPs (Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Erving, Allen Iverson, Moses Malone, Joel Embiid), tied with the Celtics and Lakers for most in franchise history. The 1966–67 Sixers (68–15) and the 1982–83 Sixers (65–17) are both ranked among the top-fifteen single-season teams in NBA history. The franchise has cycled through eras on the scale of its entire league: the Syracuse Nationals Dolph Schayes era (1949–63), the Wilt 1965–68 window, the 1976–87 Julius Erving run including the 1983 ring, the Allen Iverson 2001 Finals team, the Sam Hinkie “Process” rebuild from 2013 to 2017, and the ongoing Joel Embiid era. The franchise has not reached the NBA Finals since 2001. Current ownership is Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, led by Josh Harris and David Blitzer, who purchased the team in 2011 for approximately $280 million.

Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia
Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia, the 76ers' home since 1996. The arena is shared with the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers and is scheduled to be replaced by a new arena at the former Philadelphia Gallery Mall site in the 2031-32 season. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

The Syracuse Nationals (1946–1963) and the 1955 championship

The franchise was founded in 1946 as the Syracuse Nationals, a member of the National Basketball League. The Nationals joined the Basketball Association of America in 1949 and became an NBA charter member that same year via the BAA-NBL merger. Owner Danny Biasone is credited with inventing the NBA’s 24-second shot clock in 1954, the single most-consequential rule change in the league’s history.

The 1954–55 Nationals, coached by Al Cervi with Dolph Schayes at power forward, won the first NBA championship of the shot-clock era, defeating the Fort Wayne Pistons 4–3 in the Finals. Schayes averaged 18.5 points and 12.3 rebounds across the series. It was the franchise’s first NBA championship. Schayes, a twelve-time All-Star, played all sixteen of his Hall of Fame seasons with the franchise.

The Nationals relocated to Philadelphia for the 1963–64 season. The move was prompted by ownership’s inability to sustain Syracuse-market revenue and by the departure of the Philadelphia Warriors to San Francisco in 1962. The Nationals were renamed the Philadelphia 76ers in reference to the 1776 Declaration of Independence.

The Wilt Chamberlain 1965–1968 era and the 1967 championship

On January 15, 1965, the 76ers acquired Wilt Chamberlain from the San Francisco Warriors for Connie Dierking, Paul Neumann, Lee Shaffer, and $150,000. Chamberlain had scored 100 points in a game as a Philadelphia Warrior in 1962. Full Chamberlain story here.

The 1966–67 76ers, coached by Alex Hannum, went 68–15. Chamberlain averaged 24.1 points, 24.2 rebounds, and 7.8 assists. The roster also included Hal Greer, Chet Walker, Lucious Jackson, Billy Cunningham, and Wali Jones. They beat Cincinnati, Boston, and San Francisco to win the 1967 NBA championship. It was the first championship in the nine-year stretch of the Russell-era Celtics dominance to be won by any other team. Wayne Lynch’s Season of the 76ers: The Story of Wilt Chamberlain and the 1967 NBA Champion Philadelphia 76ers (Grand Central, 2002) remains the most complete account of that season.

The 1967–68 76ers went 62–20 and lost to Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals. Chamberlain was traded to the Lakers on July 9, 1968.

The Julius Erving era (1976–1987)

The 1976 ABA-NBA merger absorbed the New York Nets (later to be rebranded). On October 20, 1976, the 76ers acquired Julius Erving from the New York Nets for $3 million. Full Erving story here.

The Erving-era Sixers reached four NBA Finals (1977, 1980, 1982, 1983), winning the 1983 championship. The 1976–77 Sixers lost to the Portland Trail Blazers 4–2 in the Finals. The 1979–80 Sixers lost to the Magic Johnson Lakers 4–2. The 1981–82 Sixers lost to the Lakers 4–2.

The 1982–83 76ers, coached by Billy Cunningham, acquired Moses Malone from the Houston Rockets in September 1982 for Caldwell Jones and a first-round pick. Malone was the 1979 and 1982 MVP. The roster also included Erving, Maurice Cheeks, Andrew Toney, and Bobby Jones. They went 65–17 in the regular season.

Before the playoffs, Malone predicted the 76ers’ postseason run would be “Fo, Fo, Fo” (four wins in each of three rounds, a 12–0 run). The actual run: 4–0 over New York, 4–1 over Milwaukee, 4–0 over the Lakers. The 12–1 playoff record remains the most efficient championship run in NBA history. Malone was Finals MVP. It was Erving’s only NBA championship.

Erving retired in 1987. Malone had been traded to Washington in June 1986.

The post-Erving decline (1987–1996) and the Allen Iverson draft

The 76ers reached the playoffs only three times between 1987 and 1996. Charles Barkley had been drafted fifth overall in 1984 and was an All-Star through his Philadelphia tenure (1984–92). The 1986 trade of Moses Malone, Terry Catledge, and two first-round picks to Washington for Jeff Ruland, Cliff Robinson, and Dave Corzine is widely considered a major roster misstep.

The 1996 NBA Draft Lottery produced the first overall pick. The 76ers selected Allen Iverson out of Georgetown. Full Iverson story here. Iverson was 1996–97 Rookie of the Year. He won the 2000–01 MVP.

The 2000–01 Sixers, coached by Larry Brown, went 56–26 and reached the NBA Finals. They beat Indiana, Toronto, and Milwaukee in the playoffs. They lost to the Shaq-Kobe Lakers 4–1 in the Finals despite winning Game 1 in Los Angeles (Iverson’s step-over-Tyronn-Lue moment). Iverson averaged 35.6 points across the series.

The post-Iverson years and the Process (2007–2017)

Iverson was traded to Denver in December 2006. The 76ers missed the playoffs in most of the 2007–2012 seasons. Sam Hinkie was hired as general manager in May 2013. His operational philosophy, known as “The Process,” explicitly prioritized long-term rebuilding through high draft picks over short-term competitiveness.

The Sixers went 19–63, 18–64, 10–72, and 28–54 from 2013–14 through 2016–17. The 2013 draft produced Nerlens Noel (6th overall) and Michael Carter-Williams (11th overall). The 2014 draft produced Joel Embiid (3rd overall) and Dario Šarić (12th overall). The 2015 draft produced Jahlil Okafor (3rd overall). The 2016 draft produced Ben Simmons (1st overall). The 2017 draft produced Markelle Fultz (1st overall). Hinkie resigned under ownership pressure in April 2016.

Hinkie’s rebuild produced Embiid and Simmons as the core of the post-2017 Sixers, but also produced several significant draft misses (Fultz was traded in 2019 after one season; Okafor and Noel did not develop into starters).

The Joel Embiid era (2014–present)

Joel Embiid missed the 2014–15 and 2015–16 seasons with foot injuries. Full Embiid story here. He made his NBA debut in 2016–17 and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting (behind Malcolm Brogdon, despite playing only 31 games). He won the 2022–23 NBA MVP.

The Embiid-era 76ers have made the playoffs nine times. They have reached the second round seven times. They have not reached the Eastern Conference Finals under Embiid. The 2022 trade for James Harden (for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two first-round picks) did not produce the championship run the front office had promised. Harden was traded to the Clippers in October 2023 after a public dispute with the front office.

The 2023–24 76ers reached the first round. The 2024–25 Sixers, with Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George (signed as a free agent in July 2024), were limited by Embiid’s recurring left knee issues. The 2024–25 team made the play-in tournament.

Ownership

Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, led by Josh Harris and David Blitzer, purchased the 76ers in 2011 for approximately $280 million from Comcast Spectacor. Harris is the founder and managing partner of Apollo Global Management and of 26North Partners. The group also owns the NHL’s New Jersey Devils, the NHL’s Washington Capitals (minority), and Crystal Palace F.C. of the Premier League.

The 76ers’ 2025 Forbes valuation was approximately $4.0 billion. A new arena at the former Philadelphia Gallery Mall site was announced in 2023 but canceled in 2025 after community opposition. The 76ers have signed a new twenty-year lease at the Wells Fargo Center (which is owned by Comcast Spectacor).

Retired numbers

Eight jersey numbers have been retired:

Billy Cunningham (32, coaching and playing banner) and the franchise’s 1983 championship banner are also at Wells Fargo Center.

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