Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers, known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. They play in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Their home games are held at Xfinity Mobile Arena in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex.

The 76ers have won three NBA championships. They first won as the Nationals, then again in 1967 led by Wilt Chamberlain, and later in 1983 with Julius Erving and Moses Malone. The team reached the NBA Finals again in 2001, led by Allen Iverson, but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Many famous players have played for the 76ers, including Chamberlain, Erving, Malone, Iverson, Dolph Schayes, Hal Greer, Chet Walker, Billy Cunningham, George McGinnis, Maurice Cheeks, Bobby Jones, and Charles Barkley. Five of these players have been named the NBA's Most Valuable Player a total of seven times, including Chamberlain, Erving, Malone, Iverson, and Joel Embiid.

History

The Philadelphia 76ers, also called the Sixers, are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia. They play in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and are part of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. Their home games are held at Xfinity Mobile Arena in South Philadelphia Sports Complex.

The team started in 1946 as the Syracuse Nationals in Syracuse, New York. They joined the NBA in 1949 and later moved to Philadelphia in 1963, becoming the 76ers. Over the years, the team has had many changes in players and coaches but has remained a key part of the NBA. They have won championships and made deep playoff runs, especially in the 1970s and early 2000s. Recent years have seen new players like Joel Embiid lead the team back to success.

Team identity

The Philadelphia 76ers, also called the Sixers, have had many changes to their team logo and uniforms over the years. Their original logo had a red "7" and blue "6" with 13 blue stars to represent the original 13 American colonies. The early uniforms had "PHILA" written on them in different colors and styles.

In the 1970s, the uniforms changed many times, with different colors and designs. The team brought back some older styles in later years. In the 1990s, they used black, silver, and gold colors to attract younger fans.

In recent years, the Sixers have created special uniforms for each city. These uniforms often use designs inspired by important places or events in Philadelphia's history, like the Liberty Bell or the Declaration of Independence.

Mascots

The Philadelphia 76ers have had a few fun mascots over the years. In the 1980s, their mascot was named Big Shot. Later, they had a rabbit mascot named Hip Hop who would do fun tricks during breaks in the game. After a break in the league called the 2011 lockout, Hip Hop did not come back.

In 2015, they introduced a new mascot named Franklin the Dog. He was first shown to fans and media at The Franklin Institute on February 10, 2015. After visiting New York City for the NBA All-Star Game, Franklin made his first appearance at a game at the Wells Fargo Center on February 19, 2015.

Rivalries

Boston Celtics

Main article: 76ers–Celtics rivalry

The Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics have one of the oldest rivalries in the NBA. These two teams have faced each other many times in the playoffs, with the Celtics winning more of those matches. This rivalry is considered one of the best in NBA history. Famous players like Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell made this rivalry very exciting in the 1960s. The 76ers had a great team in the 1960s, winning lots of games and ending the Celtics' long winning streak.

Both teams were very strong in the 1980s, with either the 76ers or Celtics winning the Eastern Conference championship every year. In the 2000s, they met again in the playoffs, creating more exciting moments for fans.

Toronto Raptors

The 76ers and the Toronto Raptors have also had some thrilling playoff games. memorable moments include Kawhi Leonard’s 2019 Game 7 buzzer-beater and Philadelphia's 2022 comeback series win. The Raptors have won more regular-season games between the two teams, but the 76ers have had a slight advantage in the playoffs.

Season-by-season record

List of the last five seasons completed by the 76ers. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Philadelphia 76ers seasons.

Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, W–L% = Winning percentage

Facilities

Home arenas

Xfinity Mobile Arena is where the 76ers play their home games now. Before that, they played at The Spectrum from 1967 to 1996.

The team has also played at other places like the State Fair Coliseum, Onondaga County War Memorial, Convention Hall, and Philadelphia Arena.

Training facility

The 76ers train at the Philadelphia 76ers Training Complex in Camden, New Jersey. They moved there in 2016.

New arena

Main article: New South Philadelphia Arena

In 2022, the 76ers planned to build a new arena in Center City, Philadelphia. But in 2025, they decided to build a shared arena with the Philadelphia Flyers in the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. This new arena will open in 2031.

Personnel

The Philadelphia 76ers have a team of players who currently play for them, shown in a list.

The team also has rights to some players who were chosen in drafts but are not currently playing in the NBA. These players might be playing basketball outside of the NBA, and the 76ers keep their draft rights until the players' contracts end. This includes players they got through trades with other teams.

Franchise leaders and records

The Philadelphia 76ers have many important players in their history. Some of their special numbers are displayed at their home arena, Xfinity Mobile Arena. The team has also had players and coaches who are very famous and respected in basketball history.

Notes:

• ¹ Also served as player-coach (1963–1966).
• ² Nerlens Noel wore the number at the time of the announcement (2013–2017)
• ³ Also retired league-wide in honor of Bill Russell on August 11, 2022.
• ⁴ Also served as head coach (2005–2008).
• ⁵ Also Philadelphia native, and Philadelphia Warriors, 1959–1962.
• ⁶ 1958–1963 in Syracuse
• ⁷ Also served as head coach (1977–1985).
• ⁸ Also Philadelphia Warriors, (1946–1962).

Notes:

• ¹ He also coached the team in 1963–1966.
• ² He also coached the team in 1948–1958.
• ³ He also coached the team in 1977–1985.
• ⁴ In total, Barkley was inducted into the Hall of Fame twice – as player and as a member of the 1992 Olympic team.
• ⁵ Also served as assistant coach (1994–2001) and head coach (2005–2008).
• ⁶ He also played for the team in 1949–1951.
• ⁷ Inducted posthumously.
• ⁸ Lloyd was inducted as a contributor as the first African American player and bench coach in the NBA.
• ⁹ Costello was inducted as a contributor.
• ¹⁰ Collins also played for the team in 1973–1981.

Notes:

• ¹ In total, Daly was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame twice – as coach and as a member of the 1992 Olympic team.

Coaches

See also: List of Philadelphia 76ers head coaches

The Philadelphia 76ers, often called the Sixers, have had many coaches guide their team through the years. These coaches help lead the players and make important decisions during games. A list of all the head coaches can be found in the related article linked above.

Esports ventures

In September 2016, the Philadelphia 76ers bought two esports teams, Team Dignitas and Apex Gaming. They combined these teams under the Dignitas name, making the 76ers the first North American professional sports team to own an esports team.