Philadelphia 76ers · Franchise era 1 of 8
The Syracuse Nationals: the Philadelphia 76ers story
Franchise era
1949–50—1962–63
The Syracuse Nationals
Philadelphia 76ers
The story in one sentence
Schayes made the Nationals one of the league's steadiest powers and led the 1955 championship before the move to Philadelphia.
A perennial contender wins in 1955
Dolph Schayes, Red Kerr and Larry Costello gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for wilt and the 1967 masterpiece.
Timeline
How it unfolded
The foundation
The franchise context
From the Syracuse Nationals through Wilt, Dr. J, Moses, Barkley, Iverson and Embiid, Philadelphia history is a chain of overwhelming individual stars and uncompromising expectations.
1950
NBA Finals: Philadelphia 76ers vs Minneapolis Lakers
1954
NBA Finals: Philadelphia 76ers vs Minneapolis Lakers
After 1962–63
What came next
The 68-win 76ers blended Chamberlain's dominance with elite shooting and ended the Celtics' eight-title streak.
The core