Thursday, August 25, 2022
The Philadelphia 76ers were founded in 1946 and since then, they have been in the postseason more than half of their existence in the league. They only have three championships to their name. But aside from that, the 76ers have had a lot of talented players on their rosters.
Here’s my personal Philadelphia 76ers Mt. Rushmore:
This is an obvious choice. Many view Erving as one of the most talented players in NBA history. He is also widely declared one of the game’s greatest dunkers.
During his 11 years with the 76ers, he was a 11-time All-Star (1977-1987) who made the All-NBA First Team five times (1978, 1980-1983) and the All-NBA Second Team twice (1977, 1984). He was also named league’s Most Valuable Player in 1981.
Erving even helped the 76ers win the 1983 NBA champion as they swept the Los Angeles Lakers, 4-0.
While playing in Philadelphia, he averaged 22 points, six rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block. He is their all-time leader in blocks (1,293). He is also their fourth all-time leader in points (18,364), seventh all-time leader in rebounds (5,601), third all-time leader in assists (3,224), and third all-time leader in steals (1,508).
FUN FACT: Erving was one of the first basketball players to endorse many products and have a shoe marketed under his name.
This is another obvious choice. Although his career was faced with controversy here and there, Iverson is often acknowledged as one of the greatest scorers and one of the most influential players in NBA history.
He played 12 of his 17 years in the league with the 76ers. During his tenure there, he was named Rookie of the Year in 1996 who went on to become an eight-time All-Star (2000-2006). He also made the All-NBA First Team three times (1999, 2001, 2005) and the All-NBA Second Team three times (2000, 2002, 2003). He even won league MVP in 2001.
While playing with the 76ers, Iverson averaged 27 points, three rebounds, six assists, two steals, and 0.3 blocks. He led the league in scoring four times (1999, 2001, 2002, 2005) and steals three consecutive occasions (2001-2003).
He is currently the 76ers’ all-time leader in three-pointers made (885). He is also their second all-time leader in points (18,931), third all-time leader in assists (4,385) and second all-time leader in steals (1,644).
FUN FACT: On January 7, 2022, Iverson recorded first and only career triple-double in a contest against the Los Angeles Clippers. He logged in 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists.
Chamberlain is known for his time with the Lakers and the Warriors but people forget that he actually performed for the 76ers for four years. He even led them to their second of three franchise championships.
While playing in Philadelphia, he is a three-time All-Star (1966-1968) who made the All-NBA First Team three times (1966-1968) and the All-NBA Second Team in 1965. He even won league MVP three times (1966-1968).
And of course, he won the 1967 championship as they defeated the San Francisco Warriors in the NBA Finals, 4-2.
During his time with the 76ers, Chamberlain averaged 27 points, 23 rebounds, and six assists. He led the league in scoring twice (1965, 1966) and rebounding three times (1966-1968). He even led the NBA in assists in 1968. He is the 76ers’ fifth all-time leader in rebounds (6,632).
FUN FACT: During the four years Chamberlain played for the 76ers, he recorded a total of 62 triple-doubles.
4. Hal Greer
Greer is one that gets overlooked a lot when discussing great 76ers players. He helped the 76ers win their second of three franchise championships.
He played with the 76ers his entire 15-year career (they went by the Syracuse Nationals for five years). While playing in the NBA, he was a ten-time All-Star (1961-1970) who made the All-NBA Second Team seven times (1963-1969).
And obviously, he won the 1967 championship.
During his career, he averaged 20 points, five rebounds, and four assists. He is currently the 76ers’ all-time leader in points (21,586). He is also their sixth all-time leader in rebounds (5,665) and second all-time leader in assists (4,540).
FUN FACT: On February 21, 1964, Greer scored a career-high 50 points against the Boston Celtics.
Honorable Mentions: Charles Barkley, Dolph Schayes, Maurice Cheeks, Andre Iguodala