1972–73 Philadelphia 76ers season
Encyclopedia
In the 1972–73 Philadelphia 76ers season, the 76ers
lost their first 15 games of the season, and a few months later set a then-record 20 game losing streak in a single season. Their record following the 20 game losing streak was 4–58, and the team at that point had just lost 34 of 35 games. The 76ers finished the season with a 9–73 record, earning the nickname from the skeptical Philadelphia media of the "Nine and 73-ers". The 76ers finished an NBA-record 59 games behind the Atlantic Division champion Boston Celtics. The nine wins by the 1972–73 squad is the second fewest in NBA history—to the six games won by the Providence Steamrollers
in the 48 game 1947–48 season. The 73 losses, although threatened many times, remains the all-time low-water mark for any NBA franchise. Only six seasons earlier, the 76ers had set the NBA record for most wins in a season.
, who was seventy years old at the time. Both refused the job.
The Sixers, whose roster included the likes of Manny Leaks, Jeff Halliburton, Mike Price, John Q. Trapp and Dave Sorenson, started the season 0–15 and later lost 20 consecutive games. With the club record at 4–47, Rubin was replaced by Sixers player Kevin Loughery. The new coach inspired the troops to a 5–26 record and a .161 winning percentage, compared with Rubin's .078 mark. The most productive player for the club was guard Fred Carter, who averaged 20 points for a Sixers team that used 19 players by season's end.
In their first win of the season (a 114-112 victory over Houston), Sixers head coach Roy Rubin actually injured himself by pulling a leg muscle. After a 4-47 start, Rubin was released from his job. Attendance was averaging 6,000 fans a game. The top statistical leaders were Fred Carter (led the team with 20 points per game), Tom Van Arsdale (17.7 points per game), and Leroy Ellis (13.7 points per game and 10.8 rebounds per game).
As bad as their season was, it would have been far worse if not for a 5-2 run the team put together in the last two weeks of February 1973. By Valentine's Day 1973 the 76ers' record stood at 4-58 for an .065 winning percentage which actually put on a pace to finish with a even worse 5-77 record. However, the team surprisingly won five of their next seven games against some of the best competition in the league. 3 of those 5 wins would come against teams that would eventually win 50 or more games that year, including a 60-win team (the Milwaukee Bucks) and the eventual NBA Champions (New York Knicks 57-25). They improved to 9-60 on the year and actually doubled their winning percentage (up from .065 to .130 during that run.) However, they lost their remaining 13 games to finish 9-73. Up to that point the previous mark for fewest wins in an 82 game schedule was 15.
in the 1968 NBA Finals
, Wilt Chamberlain
was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers
. In return, the Sixers received Darrall Imhoff
, Archie Clark and Jerry Chambers
.
The background of the deal can be traced back to Sixers owners Ike Richman and Irv Kosloff
. Chamberlain indicated that Richman promised him part ownership of the club, but Richman died before the deal was completed. When Kosloff became sole owner, he refused to honor the agreement Chamberlain had reached with Richman. This infuriated Chamberlain, and he contemplated retirement. Chamberlain then expressed a desire to play in Los Angeles and suggested a trade. As Chamberlain had hinted at retirement, the 76ers could have lost him and received nothing in return.
After the 1967–68 season, 76ers general manager Jack Ramsay
added coaching duties to his job description, replacing Alex Hannum
. He decided that Clark, Imhoff and Chambers would be part of a smaller, quicker, fast-breaking team. This plan had never truly materialized. Imhoff spent only two seasons with the 76ers, Clark spent three seasons and Chambers never played for Philadelphia after spending two years in the military before being traded.
Another contributing factor to the poor season was Philadelphia’s first-round draft choices from 1967 through 1972. Selections such as Craig Raymond
, Shaler Halimon, Bud Ogden, Harris Ahmad, Al Henry, Dana Lewis and Fred Boyd
made no impact with the club.
Ramsay did coax 55 victories out of the first 76ers team he coached in 1968–69. That number dipped into the 40s for the next two seasons and sunk even further to 30 in 1971–72.
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
lost their first 15 games of the season, and a few months later set a then-record 20 game losing streak in a single season. Their record following the 20 game losing streak was 4–58, and the team at that point had just lost 34 of 35 games. The 76ers finished the season with a 9–73 record, earning the nickname from the skeptical Philadelphia media of the "Nine and 73-ers". The 76ers finished an NBA-record 59 games behind the Atlantic Division champion Boston Celtics. The nine wins by the 1972–73 squad is the second fewest in NBA history—to the six games won by the Providence Steamrollers
Providence Steamrollers
The Providence Steamrollers were a National Basketball Association team based in Providence, Rhode Island. As of November 2011, the Steamrollers remain the last pro sports franchise from one of the Big Four leagues to be based in Rhode Island....
in the 48 game 1947–48 season. The 73 losses, although threatened many times, remains the all-time low-water mark for any NBA franchise. Only six seasons earlier, the 76ers had set the NBA record for most wins in a season.
Offseason
The Sixers ownership offered the head coaching job to Marquette University head coach Al McGuire, and former University of Kentucky head coach Adolph RuppAdolph Rupp
Adolph Frederick Rupp was one of the most successful coaches in the history of American college basketball. Rupp is fourth in total victories by a men's NCAA Division I college coach, winning 876 games in 41 years of coaching...
, who was seventy years old at the time. Both refused the job.
1972 NBA Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | School/Club Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Fred Boyd Fred Boyd Freddie L. Boyd is a retired American National Basketball Association player whose career lasted from 1972–1978.He played in college for Oregon State University, and was drafted in the first round of the 1972 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers.Boyd played in 327 career games over six seasons for... |
(G) | Oregon State Oregon State University Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the... |
|
| 3 | Charlie Tharpe | Belhaven | |||
| 4 | Marshall Wingate | Niagara Niagara University Niagara University is a Catholic university in the Vincentian tradition, located in the Town of Lewiston in Niagara County, New York. Originally founded by the Congregation of the Mission in 1856 as Our Lady of Angels Seminary, it became Niagara University in 1883. The University is still run by... |
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| 5 | Joe Bynes | Arkansas AM&N | |||
| 6 | John Glover John Glover John Glover may refer to:*John Glover *John Glover , American general*John Glover , English-Australian painter*John Montgomery Glover , U.S. Representative from Missouri... |
Wiley Wiley College Wiley College is a four-year, private, historically black, liberal arts college located on the west side of Marshall, Texas. Founded in 1873 by the Methodist Episcopal Church's Bishop Isaac Wiley and certified in 1882 by the Freedman's Aid Society, it is notable as one of the oldest predominantly... |
|||
| 7 | Curtis Pritchett | St. Augustine | |||
| 8 | Jim Kopp | Rockhurst Rockhurst University Rockhurst University is a private, coeducational Jesuit university located in Kansas City, Missouri, founded in 1910 as Rockhurst College. The school adheres to the motto etched into the stone of the campus bell tower: "Learning, Leadership, and Service in the Jesuit Tradition." It is one of 28... |
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| 9 | Rod Murray | Cal State-Los Angeles California State University, Los Angeles California State University, Los Angeles is a public comprehensive university, part of the California State University system... |
|||
| 10 | Gary Watson Gary Watson Gary Watson is a retired British television actor who started out as a stage actor most notably acting in Friedrich Hebbel's 1962 play Judith at Her Majesty's Theatre in London, England with Sean Connery... |
Wisconsin |
Regular season
By 1972–73, Jack Ramsay left the Sixers and was coaching the Buffalo Braves and Roy Rubin given the head coaching job in Philadelphia. Hired by G.M. Don DeJardin, Rubin had coached at Long Island University the 11 previous seasons. Part of the problem was attributed to the loss of Billy Cunningham and his 23.3 scoring average, and the loss of Archie Clark a year earlier in a trade with the Bullets.The Sixers, whose roster included the likes of Manny Leaks, Jeff Halliburton, Mike Price, John Q. Trapp and Dave Sorenson, started the season 0–15 and later lost 20 consecutive games. With the club record at 4–47, Rubin was replaced by Sixers player Kevin Loughery. The new coach inspired the troops to a 5–26 record and a .161 winning percentage, compared with Rubin's .078 mark. The most productive player for the club was guard Fred Carter, who averaged 20 points for a Sixers team that used 19 players by season's end.
In their first win of the season (a 114-112 victory over Houston), Sixers head coach Roy Rubin actually injured himself by pulling a leg muscle. After a 4-47 start, Rubin was released from his job. Attendance was averaging 6,000 fans a game. The top statistical leaders were Fred Carter (led the team with 20 points per game), Tom Van Arsdale (17.7 points per game), and Leroy Ellis (13.7 points per game and 10.8 rebounds per game).
As bad as their season was, it would have been far worse if not for a 5-2 run the team put together in the last two weeks of February 1973. By Valentine's Day 1973 the 76ers' record stood at 4-58 for an .065 winning percentage which actually put on a pace to finish with a even worse 5-77 record. However, the team surprisingly won five of their next seven games against some of the best competition in the league. 3 of those 5 wins would come against teams that would eventually win 50 or more games that year, including a 60-win team (the Milwaukee Bucks) and the eventual NBA Champions (New York Knicks 57-25). They improved to 9-60 on the year and actually doubled their winning percentage (up from .065 to .130 during that run.) However, they lost their remaining 13 games to finish 9-73. Up to that point the previous mark for fewest wins in an 82 game schedule was 15.
Season standings
| Team | W | L | PCT. | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which... |
68 | 14 | .829 | – |
| New York Knicks New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association... |
57 | 25 | .695 | 11 |
| Buffalo Braves Buffalo Braves The Buffalo Braves were a team in the National Basketball Association. They later moved to San Diego, California to become the San Diego Clippers then subsequently the Los Angeles Clippers.... |
21 | 61 | .256 | 47 |
| Philadelphia 76ers Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA... |
9 | 73 | .110 | 59 |
Anatomy of a demise
Two and a half months after Philadelphia's collapse against the Boston CelticsBoston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
in the 1968 NBA Finals
1968 NBA Finals
The 1968 NBA Finals pitted the Boston Celtics from the East, against the Los Angeles Lakers from the West, for the sixth time in ten years. The Celtics won their tenth NBA Championship in twelve seasons, by defeating the Lakers in six games...
, Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain was an American professional NBA basketball player for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers; he also played for the Harlem Globetrotters prior to playing in the NBA...
was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. In return, the Sixers received Darrall Imhoff
Darrall Imhoff
Darrall Tucker Imhoff is an American former professional basketball player. He spent twelve seasons in the NBA , playing for half a dozen teams...
, Archie Clark and Jerry Chambers
Jerry Chambers
Jerome Purcell "Jerry" Chambers is a retired American professional basketball player. At 6'5" and 185 pounds, he played as a forward....
.
The background of the deal can be traced back to Sixers owners Ike Richman and Irv Kosloff
Irv Kosloff
Irving "Irv" S. Kosloff was an American businessman and sportsman.He was born in Philadelphia in 1912, the son of Russian immigrants. He graduated from South Philadelphia High School in 1930, where he played football. He attended Temple University but left to find a job...
. Chamberlain indicated that Richman promised him part ownership of the club, but Richman died before the deal was completed. When Kosloff became sole owner, he refused to honor the agreement Chamberlain had reached with Richman. This infuriated Chamberlain, and he contemplated retirement. Chamberlain then expressed a desire to play in Los Angeles and suggested a trade. As Chamberlain had hinted at retirement, the 76ers could have lost him and received nothing in return.
After the 1967–68 season, 76ers general manager Jack Ramsay
Jack Ramsay
Jack T. Ramsay is an American former basketball coach, commonly known as "Dr. Jack" . He is best known for coaching the Portland Trail Blazers to the 1977 NBA Title, and for his broadcasting work with the Indiana Pacers, the Miami Heat, and for ESPN TV and ESPN Radio...
added coaching duties to his job description, replacing Alex Hannum
Alex Hannum
Alexander Murray Hannum was a professional basketball player and Hall-of-Fame coach.-Coaching career:Hannum is mostly known for coaching the Wilt Chamberlain-led Philadelphia 76ers of 1966-67 to the NBA championship, ending the eight-year title streak of the Boston Celtics. He had also coached the...
. He decided that Clark, Imhoff and Chambers would be part of a smaller, quicker, fast-breaking team. This plan had never truly materialized. Imhoff spent only two seasons with the 76ers, Clark spent three seasons and Chambers never played for Philadelphia after spending two years in the military before being traded.
Another contributing factor to the poor season was Philadelphia’s first-round draft choices from 1967 through 1972. Selections such as Craig Raymond
Craig Raymond
Craig Raymond is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6'11" center from Brigham Young University, Raymond was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers with the twelfth pick of the 1967 NBA Draft...
, Shaler Halimon, Bud Ogden, Harris Ahmad, Al Henry, Dana Lewis and Fred Boyd
Fred Boyd
Freddie L. Boyd is a retired American National Basketball Association player whose career lasted from 1972–1978.He played in college for Oregon State University, and was drafted in the first round of the 1972 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers.Boyd played in 327 career games over six seasons for...
made no impact with the club.
Ramsay did coax 55 victories out of the first 76ers team he coached in 1968–69. That number dipped into the 40s for the next two seasons and sunk even further to 30 in 1971–72.
Game Log
| 1972–73 Game Log Total: 9–73 (Home: 5–26 ; Road: 2–36 ; Neutral: 2–11) |
|
|---|---|
| 1972–73 Schedule | |
Player stats
Note: GP= Games played; REB= Rebounds; AST= Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points; AVG = Average| Player | GP | REB | AST | STL | BLK | PTS | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|