Philadelphia 76ers Playoff History

The Philadelphia 76ers has a storied history dating back to their inception in 1946 as the Syracuse Nationals before relocating to Philadelphia in 1963. The NBA team in Philadelphia is called 76ers as it pays homage to the year 1776, when the Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia, solidifying the city's place in American history. Over the years, several legendary Hall of Fame players donned the 76ers jersey as they franchise have a total of 10 retired numbers hanging in their rafters.

One of the earliest superstars for the 76ers jersey was the legendary Wilt Chamberlain, who joined the team in 1964. Chamberlain's sheer dominance on the court made basketball truly popular in Philadelphia. However, when Chamberlain departed Philadelphia in 1968, it seemed like the team's fortunes left with him, ushering in a period of struggle and rebuilding from 1967 to 1976.

However, in 1976, the Philadelphia 76ers had a resurgence with the arrival of the great Julius "Dr. J" Erving. Dr. J's highlight-filled and exhilarating style of play was absolute poetry in motion as it captured the hearts of fans and catapulted the Sixers back into mainstream relevance and title contention. Later, Erving was joined by the dominant force of Moses Malone, and together, they formed a formidable duo that dominated the NBA. Post Dr. J, Philly had continued success in the 1980s and early 1990s with “Sir” Charles Barkley leading the way. It was a fun time to witness Barkley light it up on the court for Philly but the team struggled to find success in the playoffs.

Eventually in the 90s came the Allen Iverson era, which truly brought the 76ers franchise global fan-following. Iverson's iconic crossovers, his sleeves, cornrows hairstyle, rebellious attitude and overall charisma made him a cultural icon in the NBA and endeared him to youngsters and teenagers worldwide.

In recent years, "The Process" era ushered in a new chapter for the 76ers, with Joel Embiid leading the charge. Embiid remains the focal point for the Philadelphia 76ers, showcasing his MVP-caliber talent alongside emerging stars like Tyrese Maxey. The 76ers continue to compete at the highest level in the NBA, with hopes of bringing another championship back to the City of Brotherly Love.

How many times have Philadelphia 76ers made the playoffs?

The Philadelphia 76ers have made the NBA playoffs a total of 53 times in their history. relocation to Philadelphia in 1964. During their time in Philadelphia, spanning 61 seasons, the franchise reached the playoffs 39 times. Before relocating to Philadelphia, the franchise was based in Syracuse, New York, from 1946 to 1963, where they experienced considerable success.

The playoff success of the 76ers has been defined by several distinct eras marked by superstar players. The first era of success was led by legendary Dolph Schayes. This was followed by the dominant era of Wilt Chamberlain, during which the team achieved numerous playoff appearances. Then the Julius Erving era brought further playoff accomplishments to the franchise.

Later, Allen Iverson became the face of the franchise in the 1990s and early 2000s, leading the 76ers to multiple playoff runs. In the current era, the 76ers franchise has remained a perennial playoff contender, anchored by star center Joel Embiid. Barring a few exceptions, throughout their history, the Philadelphia 76ers have consistently showcased their ability to compete at the highest level in the NBA playoffs.

Philadelphia 76ers Playoff Record

The Philadelphia 76ers have an overall playoff record of 249-234 throughout their franchise history.

Throughout 76ers playoff history, they have encountered several fierce rivals but there's no doubt that the Boston Celtics is the name that comes to mind when we talk about 76ers’ fiercest rivals. The Celtics vs 76ers has been one of the most fierce and storied rivalries in NBA history as they have played each other numerous times in playoff matchups over the years.

In fact, no two teams have faced each other more times in the NBA playoffs than the 76ers and the Celtics. The 76ers have clashed with the Celtics in a total of 22 playoff series, with the Celtics emerging victorious in 15 of those encounters.

Number of conference finals won by Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers have won a total of five Eastern Conference Finals titles, as of April 2024. They have reached the Eastern Conference Finals (ECF) a total of eight times, emerging victorious on five occasions. While they have reached the NBA Finals five times in their history, they have only secured one championship.

In the 2001 NBA playoffs, the Philadelphia 76ers embarked on an extraordinary journey to the NBA Finals, led by the iconic Allen Iverson, known as "the answer." This marked the last time Philadelphia reached the conference finals and actually won to advance to the 2001 final.

Facing the Milwaukee Bucks in the conference finals, led by stars like Ray Allen and Sam Cassell, the 76ers found themselves down 2-1 in the series at one point. However, Iverson's stellar performance in Game 4, where he scored 28 points and dished out eight assists, helped Philadelphia tie the series at 2-2.

Iverson continued his dominance throughout the series, culminating in a spectacular Game 7 performance where he erupted for 44 points, carrying the 76ers to the NBA Finals for the first time in two decades.

Despite this memorable run, Philadelphia has not been able to replicate this success in subsequent years, as they have not reached the Eastern Conference Finals since 2001, let alone secure an NBA championship.

Number of NBA championships won by Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers have won a total of 3 NBA championships in their history. One championship was won in 1955 when the team was known as the Syracuse Nationals. The other two championships were won in Philadelphia as the 76ers, with the first one in 1967 led by Wilt Chamberlain. Notably, they are the only team other than the Boston Celtics to win an NBA title in the entire 1960s decade.

The second championship as the 76ers came in 1983, with a dominant team featuring Moses Malone and Julius Erving. This team is often regarded as one of the greatest assembled, and they had a remarkable playoff run, losing only one game.

The championship is sometimes referred to as the "fo fo fo" championship, as Moses Malone famously predicted they would win every series in four games ("fo fo fo"), although they ended up losing one game in the second round, resulting in a "fo fi fo" title. Nonetheless, many still fondly remember it as the "fo fo fo" championship.

Philadelphia 76ers Last Playoff Appearance

The Philadelphia 76ers last playoff appearance was in 2023. Led by the duo of James Harden and Joel Embiid, and great players Tyrese Maxey and Tobias Harris providing strong support, the 76ers made a promising start in 2023 playoffs by sweeping the Brooklyn Nets in the first round.

However, in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Sixers faced their eternal rivals, the Boston Celtics. Despite holding a 3-2 series lead and having the opportunity to close out the series at home in Game 6, the Sixers suffered a devastating collapse.

Celtics star Jayson Tatum was struggling in Game 6 as he missed many shots and made poor turnovers but the Sixers allowed the Celtics to rally and secure the victory, leaving the Philadelphia crowd stunned with a 3-3 series tie.

In Game 7 at TD Garden, the Celtics dominated the Sixers, propelled by Tatum's 51-point performance, ending Philadelphia's 2023 playoff run prematurely.

What is the biggest playoff series comeback in the Philadelphia 76ers history?

The Philadelphia 76ers biggest playoff series comeback occurred in the 1955 Finals against the Fort Wayne Pistons. Facing a daunting 2-3 deficit in the 1955 finals, the 76ers rallied back to secure victory in 7 games.