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As one of the NBA's true eternals, the 76ers have housed plenty of memorable players over the years.
The franchise has failed to collect NBA hardware for its trouble, failing to qualify for the Finals since 2001. Success still runs rife for the Philadelphians, who added another glittering name to a roster increasingly filled with them - at least in the starting lineup.
The 76ers landed LeBron James in free agency, agreeing to a two-year, $8 million deal to bring the Cavaliers, Heat and Lakers legend to the City of Brotherly Love.
James' arrival - and the subsequent hysteria it wrought upon the masses - has us thinking: who are the greatest players to ever play for the 76ers?
Here's what you need to know.
MORE: Can the 76ers win a title with LeBron James?
10. Maurice Cheeks (1978-93)
- Stats: 1,101 games, 11.1 points, 6.7 assists, 2.8 rebounds
- Honors: Four-time All-Star, five-time All-Defensive team selection, one-time NBA champion, Inducted into Hall of Fame in 2018
Cheeks kicks off the list of greatest players to ever touch down in Philadelphia. The 1978 second round pick enjoyed a sterling 11-year spell in the City of Brotherly Love, collecting four-straight All-Defensive first team appearances while helping lead the Sixers to the 1983 NBA title.
Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018, Cheeks was most renowned for his defensive chops. He ranks seventh all-time in steals (2,310), proving to be quite the thief during his time in the league.
"You knew that you were in for a battle every time you went up against Maurice Cheeks," said Magic Johnson. "His anticipation on defense was amazing."
9. Hal Greer (1958-73)
Malcolm Emmons, Imagn Images
- Stats: 1,122 games, 19.2 points, 4.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds
- Honors: 10-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, one-time NBA champion, NBA 75th Anniversary list, inducted into Hall of Fame in 1982
Greer spent the entirety of his 15-year career with the 76ers. He emerged as one of the league's finest point guards during that spell, conjuring up enchanting alchemy with Philadelphia big Wilt Chamberlain. Greer made 10 consecutive All-Star game appearances, all the while producing numbers that would look impressive on a modern scoresheet.
“He always got his shot off, no matter what you did to try to stop him,” Earl Monroe wrote in his book. “It was weird and a mystery. And that mystery is part of all great players, because the thing that makes them great is the fact that they know when to do what they have to do and the defender doesn’t. And boy, was he deadly.”
8. Dolph Schayes (1949-64)
- Stats: 996 games, 18.5 points, 3.1 assists, 12.1 rebounds
- Honors: 12-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA selection, one-time NBA champion, NBA 75th Anniversary list, inducted into Hall of Fame in 1973
Called the Rainbow Kid due to his high-arching jump shot, Dolph Schayes was one of the NBA's earliest superstars. The Bronx native joined the NBA ranks ahead of the 1949-50 season. Schayes, an NYU graduate who was also drafted by the Knicks in the 1948 BAA draft, emerged as one of the league's most well-rounded talents across his time in the spotlight.
That deft jumper proved challenging to stop, especially when he leapt off both feet. Schayes was also a dogged rebounder, leading the league in corralling the rock in 1951 with an absurd 16.1 rebounds per night.
Above all, though, Schayes was a marksman. His jump shot leapt into the rafters before drifting toward the basket. Predictably, his teammates gave him an apt name to label the effort: "Sputnik."
"The only big man who had the shooting range of Dolph Schayes was Larry Bird," said Carl Braun, the Knicks' All-Star guard from the 1950s who played against Schayes, per ESPN.
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6. Joel Embiid (2017-present)
- Stats: 490 games, 27.6 points, 3.7 assists, 10.8 rebounds
- Honors: Seven-time All-Star, two-time scoring champion, one-time MVP, 12-time All-NBA selection, five-time All-NBA selection
Embiid is arguably the most skilled center in NBA history. If not for his postseason woes - and run of poor health - the Cameroonian-born talent could contend for one of the top spots on this list.
Embiid waited two seasons before stepping onto the floor at the NBA level. He ensured that the delay would be worthwhile, swiftly establishing himself as an MVP candidate.
Embiid hoisted the Michael Jordan Trophy in 2022, having just completed a season where he averaged a league-best 33.1 points per game. While his playoff record leaves something to be desired, it stands to improve in the coming few seasons - especially if LeBron James can find his rhythm quickly in Sixers' colors.
5. Allen Iverson (1996-2010)
- Stats: 914 games, 26.7 points, 6.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds
- Honors: 11-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA selection, four-time scoring champion, one-time MVP, NBA 75th Anniversary list, inducted into Hall of Fame in 2016
There has never been a cooler basketball player than Allen Iverson. The Georgetown product was the conductor of quite the chorus during his time with the Sixers, leading Philadelphia to the Finals in 2001 while capturing MVP honors. Iverson was the architect of more highlights than most during his Philly years. He turned opposition defenders into rag dolls, going past them with feints, jinks and his famed killer crossover.
Iverson left defenders quivering with his quickness and mobility. Few players can say as much.
“He played like how we played. He looked like we looked," former NBA player Jamal Crawford told Andscape in 2022. "Somebody got a family member that looks like him, a friend who talks like him. I’m not sure we connected to anybody like that since. Not in our culture."
4. Charles Barkley (1984-2000)
- Stats: 1,073 games, 22.1 points, 3.9 assists, 11.7 rebounds
- Honors: 11-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA selection, one-time MVP, NBA 75th Anniversary list, inducted into Hall of Fame in 2006
Now a fixture on ESPN's "Inside the NBA," it's easy to forget how good Barkley was. At his peak, the Auburn product was one of the sport's greatest-ever talents, pairing harrowing strength with impressive timing to become the sport's preeminent rebounder.
Barkley never hoisted the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Still, he achieved almost everything he could have during his playing career, claiming MVP honours as well as a spot in Springfield, Mass.'s basketball colosseum.
“He was so explosive," said Warriors coach Steve Kerr, per The Athletic. "Kind of like Zion (Williamson) when you see Zion shot out of a cannon.”
3. Julius Erving (1971-87)
Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images
- Stats: 1,243 games, 24.2 points, 4.2 assists, 8.5 rebounds
- Honors: 16-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA/ABA selection, four-time MVP (three ABA, one NBA), one-time champion, INBA 75th Anniversary list, inducted into Hall of Fame in 1993
Dr. J was effortless at the rim, shaking off gravity for a fleeting moment to dance with angels, only to come crashing back down to earth after firing the ball through the hole on fast breaks.
There's a hint of hyperbole about the New York native's journey to NBA fame. He is the NBA's proverbial protagonist, coming to prominence on the asphalt surfaces that line the Big Apple's thoroughfares. Erving became the ABA's best player prior to joining Philadelphia's ranks in 1976. Across his final 11 seasons, Erving cemented his status as one of the sport's, landing his sole MVP in 1981 and his lone title in 1983.
2. Wilt Chamberlain (1959-73)
- Stats: 1,045 games, 30.1 points, 4.4 assists, 22.9 rebounds
- Honors: 13-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA selection, four-time MVP, seven-time scoring champion, NBA 75th Anniversary list, inducted into Hall of Fame in 1979
Like Erving, Chamberlain's career is covered in mysticism. Yes, he was the sport's greatest scorer and rebounder. But was he as good as his numbers would indicate?
Apparently so. Chamberlain was on an entirely different plane from his peers. He scored points in bunches, appeared in Hollywood films and made himself an indispensable part of two-title teams. That's far more than most NBA stars could aspire to during that time.
1. LeBron James (2003-present)
Kirby Lee/Imagn Images
- Stats: 1,622 games, 26.8 points, 7.4 assists, 7.5 rebounds
- Honors: 22-time All-Star, 21-time All-NBA selection, four-time MVP, four-time NBA champion, four-time Finals MVP, NBA 75th Anniversary list
Was there ever any doubt? Yes, James has more games and points scored than any other player before him. But he remains effective even at an advanced age, producing highlights for the Lakers even as his role metastasized in the latter part of his Tinseltown career.
James has yet to play a minute in Sixers colors. When he does, though, he'll become the greatest-ever player to sport Sixers colors. That reputation should stick for the decades and centuries to come.
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