philadelphia 76ers history
philadelphia 76ers history
The Eastern Conference is up for grabs, and the Philadelphia 76ers have both hands out. The Sixers have been a dominant force in the league and will try again this year for a shot at the NBA title. Excitement fills The Wachovia Center, as 76ers ticket holders follow some of the best action in the NBA. Head coach Maurice Cheeks will lead the Sixers for the first time this season after signing on in May of 2005. He came from the Portland Trail Blazers where he led them to the playoffs in two of his three-plus seasons on the sidelines at the Rose Garden. After an 11-year playing career, Cheeks is back in the Philadelphia, where he set team records for total assists and steals per game.
His floor general is the slight but elusive Allen Iverson. Iverson has spent his entire career with the Sixers. The former Georgetown great recently Iverson surpassed 17,000-point mark for his career. Only four other active players, including Shaquille O'Neal of the Miami Heat, have accomplished that feat.
Forward Chris Webber is looking to resurrect his All-Star days that he experienced in Sacramento. The former Michigan Wolverine struggled in his first season alongside Iverson, but the two superstars appear to have gelled.
But the 76ers' ticket back to the NBA Playoffs is their defense. Second-year forward Andre Igoudala has shown great skills beyond his years and is considered to be the team's top defender. A Arizona Wildcat product, Igoudala was selected ninth in the 2004 draft and was only the second rookie in history to record a triple-double.
The Sixers franchise began as the Syracuse Nationals in 1949 when the
National Basketball League merged with the Basketball Association of America to form the NBA. In 1963, Irv Kosloff and Ike Richman, two Philadelphians, bought the team and moved it to the City of Brotherly Love. The name of the team came by way of a contest, and the Philadelphia 76ers were born. The franchise has amassed an amazing 43 playoff visits and three World Championships since its inception. Wilt Chamberlain joined the Sixers in 1964 and spent four years in Philadelphia. He helped the Sixers to a World Championship in 1967 and is considered an NBA great. He is the only player in NBA history to score 100 points in a game and holds the league record for scoring average at more than 50 a game. Let us not forget "Dr. J" Julius Erving and his spectacular dunks. Forever a Sixer legend, Erving is one of the most popular athletes to play for any Philadelphia franchise. And then there was "Sir" Charles Barkley, a tough and aggressive player who would battle like a cornered dog for a rebound. If we can learn from the past then we can be sure that the Sixers will return to the top of the league and capture their fourth NBA title, making Philadephia 76ers tickets one of the hottest tickets in the NBA.
