NBA: All-Time starting 5 Of the Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers is one of the most storied franchises in the history of the NBA along with the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Sixers entered the league in 1949 and they were known back then as the Syracuse Nationals.
As the Nationals, the franchise never missed the playoffs in Syracuse until they relocated to Philadelphia in 1963. They even won the 1955 NBA Finals against the Fort Wayne Pistons in seven games. The Nationals were led by Hall of Famer, Dolph Schayes.
The Sixers continued their success in Philadelphia, making the playoffs in their first eight seasons in the city. With a superstar player in Wilt Chamberlain, the Sixers won their second NBA championship in 1967. The Sixers missed the postseason from 1972 to 1975 but their fortunes changed when Julius Erving arrived from the ABA in 1976.
With Erving as their franchise player, the Sixers made the playoffs every season and they capped it off by winning the 1983 NBA championship. The team have not won their fourth NBA championship since then but they were able to produce players like Allen Iverson, Andre Iguodala, Ben Simmons, and Joel Embiid.
A total of 16 Hall of Famers have played for the Sixers so it is difficult to narrow it down to their ten best players. Nevertheless, here are the all-time starting five for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Guard – Hal Greer
A speedy point guard back in his day, Hal Greer played his entire 15-year career with the Nationals-Sixers franchise from 1958 to 1973. Greer was the perfect complimentary star alongside the towering Wilt Chamberlain. Together, the duo helped the Sixers win their first NBA championship in 1967.
Greer was a ten-time All-Star with the Sixers and he was even named All-Star Game MVP in 1968. He is still the all-time leading scorer for the Sixers with 21,586 points. He also ranks sixth in rebounds and second in assists. Besides his No. 15 jersey hanging from the rafters of the Wells Fargo Center, he has a statue at the team’s training center.
Honorable Mention: Guard – Maurice Cheeks
Another Hall of Famer point guard, Maurice Cheeks played for the Sixers in his first ten seasons. He was a four-time All-Star and a four-time All-NBA Defensive Team member during that time. Cheeks also helped the Sixers win an NBA title in 1983. He served as the Sixers’ head coach from 2005 to 2008.