Revisited: "I feared Andrew Toney even more than Michael Jordan,"- Danny Ainge; a Philadelphia 76ers shooting guard so ferocious that media dubbed him as "The Boston Strangler"

The Philadelphia 76ers were one of the most popular teams in the 1980s. The team had Moses Malone, Julius Erving and Charles Barkley. In an era when the Boston Celtics dominated the East, the 76ers and Detroit Pistons were the only teams to put up a fight.

While Erving and Malone were the biggest names on the roster, there was one man who caused serious problems for the Celtics.

Andrew Toney was drafted by the 76ers in 1980. He had the ability to take off on a whim and put up solid performances. In the 1982 Eastern Conference Finals, he led the team in scoring with 22.1 points against the Celtics. Philadelphia ended up winning a hard-fought series in seven games.

Utah Jazz executive Danny Ainge, who was a part of the Celtics’ roster at the time, spoke about Toney in an interview.

“He [Toney] just had an assassin’s mentality. He scored 46 points in 31 minutes against the Lakers in a nationally televised game.”

Toney was particularly good against the Celtics, challenging Larry Bird with ease. He possessed raw physical strength, which he knew how to utilize effectively. Toney constantly gave the Celtics a tough time in the playoffs, earning the nickname "The Boston Strangler."

“He’s not just a great scorer, the guy wanted to beat you up and score. I feared Andrew Toney even more than Michael Jordan.”

Andrew Toney was so ferocious on the offensive end that he was able to put up points in a flurry. His best performance against the Celtics came on March 21, 1982, when he dropped 38 points in a 119-94 win. Toney secured his one and only title the following season after sweeping the LA Lakers in the 1983 NBA Finals.

Toney’s growth was tremendous, and was slated to be a future Hall of Famer. However, a magnificent career was cut short due to a series of chronic foot injuries. Toney even had a fallout with the management. The Philadelphia 76ers refused to believe he was in pain. It was later revealed that he had stress fractures on both feet.

Philadelphia 76ers’ chances in the upcoming season

The Philadelphia 76ers had a strong showing in 2021-22 on the back of Joel Embiid's performances. Embiid constantly came up in MVP discussions as he averaged 30.6 points, 11.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks.

The Brooklyn Nets traded James Harden to the 76ers at the trade deadline. However, given the limited time and Embiid’s injury in the first round of the playoffs, the 76ers fell short of their championship aspirations.

The Philadelphia 76ers seem determined to get the ball rolling for the 2022-23 campaign. They signed P.J. Tucker, who helps their wing defense. The 76ers also signed forward Danuel House Jr.