From the Archives: What Sixers History Says About This Core

By the 76ers Nightly Desk · Sunday, September 20

Philadelphia has won titles with Wilt Chamberlain, and with Julius Erving and Moses Malone, and once lost a superstar in a trade that gutted the roster for years. This year's spending runs the opposite direction — trading picks to add stars instead of trading one away — and the franchise's own history is the clearest test of whether that actually works.

76ers Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

Where did the name '76ers' actually come from?

A 1963 fan contest picked "76ers," submitted by Walter Stalberg, tying the newly relocated Philadelphia team to the 1776 signing of the Declaration of Independence downtown. Sixty-three years later, the City Edition jerseys still lean on that same identity — Liberty Bell, Boathouse Row — even as the roster around it turns over completely.

What does a genuinely great Sixers team look like?

The 1966-67 team started 46-4, finished 68-13 behind Wilt Chamberlain, Hal Greer and Billy Cunningham, and got voted the best team in NBA history in 1980. Last season's group finished 45-37 with a -0.1 net rating, 16th in offense and defense alike. That's the gap this $213.2 million payroll is trying to close.

Has trading away a superstar burned this franchise before?

Yes — Wilt Chamberlain went to the Lakers after the 1967-68 season for Archie Clark, Darrall Imhoff and Jerry Chambers, and Philadelphia collapsed to 30-52 by 1971-72, missing the playoffs for the first time just five years after a title. This year the trade ran the other way: two firsts and two seconds left for Boston to bring Jaylen Brown in.

Why does Boston keep showing up at the worst moments?

The Celtics ended Nationals and Sixers seasons repeatedly through the 1950s and 60s, including a quadruple-overtime playoff loss in 1953 that's still the longest game in NBA history, then swept Philadelphia in 2020 and beat them in seven games in 2023. Whether Embiid, Maxey, Brown and James finally get past that team is the open question hanging over October.

Has an aging core ever actually won a title here?

The 1983 championship starred Julius Erving in his ninth Philadelphia season alongside Moses Malone. This year's core is older still: Joel Embiid managed only 38 games last season, LeBron James is 41, and Kyle Lowry is 40. History says a proven vet can still win it here; it doesn't say how many usable seasons two of them have left.

The verdictThis has been a title franchise before, on rosters built around fewer superstars playing more games. The $213.2 million question is whether Embiid's health and James's age leave enough runway to get there again before the bill comes due.

When did the 76ers last win a championship?

1983, with Julius Erving and Moses Malone. The franchise also won in 1955 as the Syracuse Nationals and in 1967 in Philadelphia.

Why are the 76ers called the 76ers?

A 1963 fan contest picked the name, tying the newly relocated Philadelphia team to the 1776 signing of the Declaration of Independence in the city.