25 Most Important Personnel Decisions in Philadelphia 76ers Franchise History

With more than 2,600 victories to their credit, the Philadelphia 76ers have a storied and colorful past that dates back over six decades. From their humble beginnings as the Syracuse Nationals in 1949 to the present-day squad led by Doug Collins, the team has made a number of prudent decisions when it comes to acquiring talent both on and off of the court.

In the combined 62 seasons of the 76ers/Nationals, dozens of talented players and coaches have made an indelible mark on a franchise that has enjoyed success matched by few other teams in the NBA.

Some of them started their careers with the 76ers, and others came to Philadelphia thanks in large part to some shrewd work by the team's front office.

With that in mind, let's take a look at the 25 most important personnel decisions in 76ers' history. 

25) 76ers Draft Jrue Holiday

It may be premature to put Jrue Holiday on this list, considering that he's has been in the NBA for all of two seasons. But if he continues along his current path, he has the makings of a top-10 point guard: a position that hasn't been the 76ers' strong suit in recent memory.

Holiday was the 17th pick overall in the 2009 NBA Draft, and has quickly blossomed into one of the best young players in the entire league. Barring unforeseen circumstances, Holiday should anchor Philadelphia's backcourt for the next decade.

24) The House That Stack Built

Jerry Stackhouse was one of a number of players in the early-to-mid '90s touted to be the "next Michael Jordan." While he (and no one else, for that matter) never quite reached that level, he still had a very productive career after he was drafted by the 76ers with the 3rd overall pick in 1995.

Stackhouse was extremely productive during his two-plus season in Philadelphia, averaging 19.5 points per game. However, it was difficult for he and Allen Iverson to co-exist in the same backcourt, and Stackhouse was dealt to Detroit during the 1997-98 season.

23) 76ers Draft an "All-World" Talent

Like Stackhouse, Lloyd B. Free (nicknamed "World" because of his impressive dunking ability) was a high volume scorer who didn't play in Philadelphia for an extended period of time.

Free spent three seasons with the 76ers during his first stint with the team after they drafted him in 1975 (he later returned to Philadelphia for 20 games in the 1986-87 season).

Between Free, Julius Erving and George McGinnis, there simply weren't enough basketballs to go around, and the talent known as "The Prince of Mid-Air" was dealt to the San Diego Clippers in the fall of 1978 for a first-round draft pick.

Free currently serves as the 76ers' community ambassador and director of player development.

22) Chet Walker Selected by Syracuse Nationals in 1962

The Syracuse Nationals drafted Chet "The Jet" Walker with the 12th pick in the 1962 NBA Draft - the year before the franchise moved to Philadelphia.

In his first season, Walker was named to the NBA's first All-Rookie team, and would later go on to make three All-Star teams during his seven seasons with the Nationals/76ers. During the team's 1967 championship season, the 6'6" swingman averaged 19.3 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.

21) Caldwell Jones Takes Detour Before Heading to Philadelphia

Caldwell Jones was the 76ers' second-round pick (32nd overall) in the 1973 NBA Draft, but he began his professional career in the ABA after being lured to the San Diego Conquistadors by then-head coach Wilt Chamberlain.

The 6'11" power forward would eventually join the Sixers in 1976, and he would spend six years with the team, primarily as a defensive and rebounding specialist. In 1982, he would be dealt to Houston in a blockbuster trade that brought Moses Malone to Philadelphia.

20) 76ers Draft Darryl Dawkins

The Philadelphia 76ers drafted the 6'11" Dawkins directly out of high school with the 5th overall pick in the 1975 NBA Draft.

Understandably, it took him a few years to get accustomed to the size and speed of the NBA. Over time, he learned how to battle against opposing big men and carved out a niche in the 76ers' rotation as they made deep playoff runs in the late '70s and early '80s.

Of course, Dawkins is best known for his ferocious dunks—some of which broke backboards, and all of which he allegedly named. The most infamous? "The Chocolate-Thunder-Flying, Robinzine-Crying, Teeth-Shaking, Glass-Breaking, Rump-Roasting, Bun-Toasting, Wham-Bam, Glass-Breaker-I-Am-Jam." 

19) 76ers Trade Darryl Dawkins

Darryl Dawkins was unquestionably talented, but he wasn't able to handle the top-flight centers in the NBA. Eager to shake up the roster, the 76ers traded the man known as "Chocolate Thunder" to the New Jersey Nets for a first-round draft pick.

The move would free up the team's logjam in the middle, and also gave them the flexibility to trade for Moses Malone in 1982.

18) Doug Collins Returns to Philadelphia

Nearly 30 years after playing for the 76ers, Doug Collins accepted the team's head coaching position on May 21, 2010.

Although he's only been at the helm of the 76ers for a single season, the effect that he's had on both the team and the fan base has been nothing short of miraculous. After a number of sub-par campaigns, Collins appears to have Philadelphia going in the right direction after finishing last season 41-41.

It's safe to day that Collins is likely itching to get back on the court after the lockout - his work with the 76ers just appears to be getting started.

17) 76ers Lock Down on Iguodala

For a number of reasons, Andre Iguodala will never be fully embraced by 76ers' fans. Even so, few can deny his talents on both ends of the court.

At Arizona, he made a name for himself as a triple-double threat that also terrorized opposing teams on the defensive end of the floor. He's pretty much been the same type of player in the NBA ever since the 76ers drafted him 9th overall in 2004.

He hasn't been the offensive threat that many people projected him to be, but he is one of the premier wing defenders in the entire league, and is the cornerstone for the team's current youth movement.

16) Syracuse Nationals Acquire Dolph Schayes

Although Dolph Schayes was drafted by the Tri-Cities Blackhawks in 1948, the Syracuse Nationals (the forerunners of the 76ers) acquired the rights to the 6'7" forward in one of the shrewdest decisions in their history.

Schayes was the Nationals' unquestioned star, leading them to the playoffs in 15 of his 16 seasons with the franchise—the highlight being the team's NBA championship in 1955. 

Schayes totaled 18,438 points and 11,256 rebounds in his career, and was selected the NBA's 25th and 50th Anniversary Teams.

15) "The Boston Strangler" Comes to Philadelphia

If it wasn't for stress fractures in both of this feet, Andrew Toney could have easily finished his career as one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history. Even with his injuries, Toney enjoyed a solid career after being drafted 8th overall by the 76ers in the 1980 draft. 

"The Boston Strangler" used to make it his business to destroy the Celtics' teams of the early 1980s, and was one of the most clutch players in the history of the NBA.

Celtic legend Larry Bird once said about Toney: "I wish we had him. He was a killer... He was the absolute best I've ever seen at shooting the ball at crucial times. We had nobody who could come close to stopping him. Nobody."

14) 76ers Ask Themselves: What Can Brown Do for You?

Larry Brown is known as something of a nomad, having been the head coach for a total of 13 college and pro teams. The city where he stayed the longest? Philadelphia.

In 1997, the 76ers hired Larry Brown to help mold a young team centered around a superstar guard named Allen Iverson. Brown squeezed every bit of effort out of the team's roster, leading a moderately talented team to the playoffs in five of his six years on the bench. 

Brown's tenure in Philadelphia is highlighted by his love-hate relationship with Iverson, but the fact that he took an injury-depleted team to the NBA Finals in 2001 is a testament to his coaching legacy.

13) 76ers Select Maurice Cheeks

After an outstanding collegiate career, the 76ers selected Maurice Cheeks with the 36th overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft.

Almost immediately, Cheeks matured into one of the premier lead guards in the NBA, quickly meshing with a team that boasted a number of stars, none brighter than Julius Erving. Cheeks spent 11 years with the team, earning four All-Star selections and being named to the NBA's All-Defensive First Team for four consecutive seasons.

Cheeks would later become the head coach of the 76ers in 2005, and led Philadelphia to the playoffs in 2008.

12) "Let George Do It"

"Let George Do It" was the 76ers' slogan after they acquired All-World talent George McGinnis from the Indiana Pacers in 1975 (after originally drafting him in 1973). And that season, he pretty much did everything, averaging 23 points and 12.6 rebounds per game.

However, the 76ers got bounced from the 1976 NBA playoffs in three games. A few months later, Philadelphia acquired Julius Erving, and he teamed with McGinnis to become one of the most explosive duos in the NBA. The two led the Sixers to the 1977 NBA Finals, but they weren't able to defeat the Portland Trailblazers, losing the series in six games.

"He would make moves that you'd swear were physically impossible," said former Philadelphia Daily News' beat writer Phil Jasner. "We would watch him do unbelievable things, then we'd look at each other and say, 'Don't write it down, it never happened.'"

11) 76ers Trade One Star for Another

After the 1977-78 season, the 76ers traded star forward George McGinnis to the Denver Nuggets for Bobby Jones and Ralph Simpson.

It didn't take long for Jones to quickly endear him to the fans in Philadelphia with his energy on both ends of the court. Even after starting for most of his career to that point, Jones became the epitome of the NBA sixth man: he was a tenacious defender who was willing to sacrifice any and everything for the sake of the team.

The 6'9" forward was selected to the NBA's All-Defensive First Team in all eight of his seasons in the league, despite the fact that he was primarily a bench player. He earned the league's first-ever Sixth Man Award, and was a key cog in Philadelphia's 1983 title run.

10) The Kangaroo Kid Arrives in Philadelphia

Perhaps better known for his success as a head coach, Billy Cunningham was a phenomenal player for the 76ers after he was selected 5th overall in the 1965 NBA Draft.

Not only did he play a crucial role during the 1966-67 championship season, but the "Kangaroo Kid" was a five-time All-Star and a three-time All-NBA first team selection. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1986.

In 1972, Cunningham actually jumped to the Carolina Cougars of the ABA for two seasons, before returning to Philadelphia in 1974. For his career (NBA and ABA), the 6'6" Cunningham averaged 21.2 PPG and 10.4 RPG.

9) Syracuse Nationals Draft Hal Greer

Due to the fact that he began his career with the Syracuse Nationals and was a member of the team when they moved to Philadelphia, Hal Greer has a legitimate claim to being the 76ers' first-ever star player.

The 6'2" guard from Huntingdon, West Virginia was a prolific scorer and one of the NBA's best players in the decade of the '60s. Greer was the de facto leader of the 76ers when Wilt Chamberlain - who had been an All-NBA selection ever since he joined the league - arrived in 1965. Once the two learned to play to each other's strengths, Philadelphia became a force to be reckoned with in the league's Eastern Division, going toe-to-toe with the legendary Celtics teams of the same era.

8) 76ers Choose Alex Hannum as Coach

Eight years after he coached Bob Pettit and the St. Louis Hawks to the 1958 title, Alex Hannum was tapped to lead the 76ers' at the start of the 1966-67 campaign. At the end of the season, the Sixers would win an NBA record 68 games and capture the franchise's first-ever championship.

Hannum would only coach one more season in Philadelphia, falling in 1968 to the Celtics in the Eastern Division Finals. Not including his stint with the Syracuse Nationals, Hannum boasts the best winning percentage (.798) of any 76ers' coach in history.

7) The First Union Center Becomes the House of Mutombo

It was a bold move, but it was one that had to be made. At the 2001 All-Star break, the 76ers were concerned that injured center Theo Ratliff wouldn't be available for the playoffs. 

In a blockbuster 6-player deal, Philadelphia sent Ratliff and three other players to the Atlanta Hawks for All-Star center Dikembe Mutombo and Rashawn McCleod.

In Mutombo, the 76ers were assured of having the presence in the middle they'd need if they wanted to advance deep into the playoffs. The decision turned out to be prescient in more ways than one as Ratliff didn't fully recover from his injury until the 2002-03 season.

Mutombo finished the season as the Defensive Player of the Year as he patrolled the middle during the 76ers' run to the NBA Finals. Even at 7'2", Mutombo was no match for Shaquille O'Neal and the Lakers, who took the series in 5 games.

6) Cunningham Returns to the 76ers as Head Coach

A year after he retired from the NBA, Billy Cunningham was named the 76ers' head coach on November 4, 1977.

Always known as a heady player, Cunningham was a perfect fit for the bench: he won 400 games faster than any head coach in NBA history. Most importantly, Cunningham led the 76ers to the NBA Finals three times in his first six years at the helm - the last of those three trips ended with the team capturing the NBA title in 1983.

Cunningham is the winningest coach in 76ers history, amassing 454 wins during his eight seasons with the team.

5) Sir Charles Reigns over Philadelphia

"Lightning rod" is probably an adequate phrase to use to describe former Sixer Charles Barkley. While there was no questioning his talent (Barkley was a Hall of Fame power forward, despite the fact that he was only 6'4"), "Sir Charles" always seemed to do or say something so outrageous that it was hard for basketball fans to ever fully embrace him.

You either loved Charles Barkley or you hated him—there was no in-between.

In 1984, the 76ers selected Barkley with the fifth pick in the NBA Draft. Even as a young player on a team with such established veterans such as Julius Erving, Moses Malone and Maurice Cheeks, Barkley quickly asserted himself as one of the team's leaders.

Even as an undersized power player, Barkley ran roughshod over the Eastern Conference during his eight years with the 76ers. Unfortunately, Philadelphia decided to trade Barkley just as he was entering his prime, sending him to the Phoenix Suns in the summer of 1992 for Jeff Hornacek, Tim Perry and Andrew Lang.

4) Philadelphia Gets the Answer

The easiest decision in the history of the 76ers was also one of their best.

With the first pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, the Philadelphia 76ers selected Allen Iverson out of Georgetown University.

Despite his 6-foot, 165-pound frame, Iverson single-handedly carried the franchise on his back from the day he was drafted until he was dealt to the Denver Nuggets in the fall of 2006. The man known as "The Answer" didn't always have the right answers off of the court (most notably, during the infamous "practice" press conference), but to this day, he remains one of the most popular athletes in the history of the NBA.

Even with a mediocre supporting cast, Allen Iverson turned 76ers' games to must-see TV, exciting fans of all ages with his electrifying play. Iverson won four scoring titles as a member of the Sixers, and led the team to the NBA Finals in 2001.

3) 76ers Trade for Moses Malone

Desperate for the final piece to their championship puzzle before the 1982-83 season, the 76ers acquired center Moses Malone from the Houston Rockets for center Caldwell Jones and a first-round draft pick (Rodney McCray).

The Malone deal set the tone for a franchise that had lost in the NBA Finals three times in the previous six seasons. "When we made that trade, you could just see the change in the whole team," said Billy Cunningham, the 76ers' head coach back in 1983.

While Julius Erving was considered the star of the team, Malone would lead the 76ers with 24.5 PPG and 15.3 RPG during the regular season. In the playoffs, Malone was the team's driving force as they rolled through the Knicks, Bucks and Lakers on their way to the franchise's second NBA crown.

2) Wilt Chamberlain Returns to Philadelphia

Born and raised in the city of Philadelphia, Wilt Chamberlain also began his professional basketball career there as a member of the Philadelphia Warriors. However, the Warriors moved to San Francisco in 1962, and took with them the most dominant big man in NBA history.

Three seasons later, Chamberlain found himself back in the City of Brotherly Love as he was traded to the 76ers for three players (Paul Neumann, Connie Dierking, Lee Shaffer) and $150,000.

Wilt only spent three-and-a-half seasons with the Sixers, but in that time he collected three MVP awards, a scoring title (1966), led the league in assists (1968), and was the best player on one of the greatest teams in NBA history. Chamberlain—along with such legends as Hal Greer, Chet Walker and Billy Cunningham—guided the 1967-68 76ers to the NBA title after a regular season in which the team won a then-record 68 games.

1) 76ers' Acquire Julius Erving's Contract from the New Jersey Nets

The most important personnel decision is 76ers' history is the most unorthodox of them all. 

The New Jersey Nets—who were desperately trying to raise money to pay the expansion fee to move from the ABA to the NBA—essentially sold the contract of their superstar forward Julius Erving to the 76ers for $3 million in 1976.

It didn't take long for Erving (who is also affectionately known as "Dr. J") to become one of the best and most exciting players in the history of professional basketball. Erving's 30,026 points in the NBA & ABA combined are fifth-best all-time, and he was named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary Team in 1993.

Most importantly, he led the 76ers to four appearances in the NBA Finals during his first seven seasons with the team, finally capturing the NBA title in 1983.