Charles Barkley (Photo courtesy of the NBA)
Before The Process, which involved tanking for years on end, the Philadelphia 76ers had some pretty decent teams and some of the greatest players the NBA has ever seen. The list of great Philadelphia NBA players is so great that guys like Bobby Jones, Andrew Toney, Doug Collins, Chet Walker, and George McGinnis are crowded off this list. Here we go, let me know what you think.
10: Billy Cunningham
The Kangaroo Kid was the 6th man on that great 1966–67 season as well as the best player on some really bad 76er teams. Due to his talent and the lack of talent on some of the teams he played on, Billy filled up the stats sheet. In 9 seasons with the 76ers, Cunningham averaged 21.9 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. Billy put up some nice scoring numbers, but wasn’t a great shooter, shooting .446 from the field and 72% from the line. In some ways, Billy was like a left-handed John Havlicek.
9: Dolph Schayes
I’m an old guy, but not quite old enough to remember Dolph Schayes. I know Dolph was one of the best big men in the early NBA, but the stats don’t translate well in today’s game. Dolph averaged 18.5 ppg along with 12.1 rebounds. Of course, back then, there were a lot of rebounds to be had. Dolph shot 38% from the field. However, in true old white guy fashion, he was good from the line, shooting nearly 85% there. Dolph also gets points for leading the 1955 Syracuse Nationals, the franchise that became the 76ers, to an NBA championship. By the way, the term big man has changed over the years. Dolph was big for the era he played in but was only 6’7′. Dolph’s selection is a nod to the history of the 76ers.
8: Moses Malone
Moses was relentless on the boards. He played 5 seasons for the 76ers, 4 of which he was in or near his prime. He led the league in rebounding three of those seasons. At his peak, Moses was good for about 23 points and 14 rebounds per game. Mo gets bonus points for helping the 1982–83 76ers to a world championship.
7: Allen Iverson
Allen was one of the greatest small men in NBA history. Allen played 12 seasons in Philadelphia and amassed an amazing statistical record. Iverson led the NBA in minutes played 6 times, scoring 4 times and steals 3 times. Allen was extremely tough and quick. He averaged 27.6 ppg during his stay in Philadelphia. While The Answer wasn’t always disciplined, he was never dull.
6: Maurice Cheeks
Mo was pretty much everything you could want in a point guard. He took care of the ball, distributed it well, played good defense, and shot well enough to keep defenses honest. In 11 seasons with the 76ers, Mo averaged 2.3 turnovers and steals. His slash line was 12–7–2. He shot .534 from the field and 79% from the line. Mo Cheeks, one of the best point guards I’ve seen.
5: Hal Greer
Hal was one of the great jump shooters in NBA history. The durable Greer spent all 15 seasons of his NBA career with the 76ers/Nationals, averaging nearly 20 ppg. Hal also pulled down 5 rebounds to go with 4 assists. Greer was also part of that great 1966–67 Sixers championship team. Greer was an all-star 10 times, denoting his skill, durability, and longevity.
4: Joel Embiid
Joel has a chance to be one of the all-time greats in NBA history. After missing two seasons with foot injuries, Embiid has proven to be worth the wait. Joel is averaging over 27 points and 11 rebounds per game. Add in about 3.6 assists and 1.7 blocks per game and you have a Hall-of-Fame career in progress. Embiid has averaged over 30 ppg for the last three seasons. How far Embiid rises on this and others is largely dependent on his health.
3: Charles Barkley
Before Barkley became one of the most entertaining sports commentators I’ve ever heard, the Round Mound of Rebound was a tremendous NBA player. Because of the weight of a bumblebee and the relative smallness of his wings, it’s hard to see how they can fly. That’s sort of the way it was with Charles Barkley. Barkley did things that a guy his size shouldn’t have been able to do. Barkley spent 8 seasons with the Sixers, averaging 23.3 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. Barkley shot an outstanding .576 from the field. Five times Charles led the league in 2-point shooting percentage, averaging about 63%. Barkley was a beast down low. He was also an entertaining player to watch.
2: Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt played for both the Philadelphia Warriors and 76ers. He came over from the then San Francisco Warriors about halfway through the 1964–65 season and played through the 1967–68 season. He was the key element in that great 1966–67 76ers championship team. A statistical list of Chamberlain’s accomplishments could go on and on. As his time with the 76ers wore on, Wilt’s game evolved. He wasn’t the overwhelming scorer he had been but was the central cog in a more balanced offense. For his last two seasons with the Sixers, he was good for about 24 points, 24 rebounds and 8 assists a game. That’s to say nothing of his inside defensive presence. Wilt was dominant in his day and would be dominant in today’s game.
1: Julius Erving
Dr. J gets the number one slot over Chamberlain primarily because of his length of time spent with the 76ers. After a spectacular ABA career, Julius came over to the 76ers and spent 11 seasons with them. While Dr. J’s stats were outstanding, he was also the most exciting player to watch in 76ers history. Julius shot a shade over 50% during his stay in Philadelphia en route to scoring 22 points a game. He also was good for about 4 assists and 6–7 rebounds. Dr. J gets the decision as the number one member of the 76ers.
How does that list compare to yours?
