Roy Rubin
Encyclopedia
Roy Rubin is a former college and professional basketball
coach.
He coached the 1972-1973
Philadelphia 76ers
— the worst team (a 9-73 win-loss record) in the history of the NBA — for the first 51 games of the season, after which he was fired and replaced with Kevin Loughery
. His record was 4-47.
Rubin had been a highly successful college coach at Long Island University
with a winning percentage just short of .650 in 11 years. Before then, he had coached at Christopher Columbus High School
in New York City
. He was known as a defensive genius, and had even written a book on how to play defense.
However, he walked into an impossible situation in Philadelphia. Only six years removed from winning the NBA title with the best record in league history, the roster had been decimated due when several trades by general manager Jack Ramsay
backfired, most notably that of Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain
.
For all intents and purposes, the Sixers' season ended when Billy Cunningham
bolted to the American Basketball Association
on the day Rubin was hired, leaving Rubin with a roster consisting of Hal Greer
and little else. An 0-15 start started a watch of just how bad the team could get. After 51 games and a 4-47 record—and while in the midst of what would become a (then)-record 20-game losing streak—Rubin was fired in favor of player-coach Kevin Loughery
.
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach.
He coached the 1972-1973
1972-73 NBA season
The 1972–73 NBA season was the 27th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the New York Knicks winning the NBA Championship, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals.- Notable occurrences :...
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...
— the worst team (a 9-73 win-loss record) in the history of the NBA — for the first 51 games of the season, after which he was fired and replaced with Kevin Loughery
Kevin Loughery
Kevin Michael Loughery is an American former professional basketball player and coach.-Career Biography:...
. His record was 4-47.
Rubin had been a highly successful college coach at Long Island University
Long Island University
Long Island University is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution of higher education in the U.S. state of New York.-History:...
with a winning percentage just short of .650 in 11 years. Before then, he had coached at Christopher Columbus High School
Christopher Columbus High School (Bronx, New York)
Christopher Columbus High School is a public secondary school located in the Pelham Parkway, northeast section of the Bronx, New York. It is within walking distance from the Bronx Zoo and the New York Botanical Garden....
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He was known as a defensive genius, and had even written a book on how to play defense.
However, he walked into an impossible situation in Philadelphia. Only six years removed from winning the NBA title with the best record in league history, the roster had been decimated due when several trades by 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...
backfired, most notably that of Hall of Famer 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...
.
For all intents and purposes, the Sixers' season ended when Billy Cunningham
Billy Cunningham
William John "Billy" Cunningham is an American former professional basketball player and coach, who was nicknamed the Kangaroo Kid.- Beginnings :...
bolted to the American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
on the day Rubin was hired, leaving Rubin with a roster consisting of Hal Greer
Hal Greer
Harold Everett Greer is a retired American professional basketball player.He attended Douglass Junior and Senior High School in Huntington. He played college basketball at Marshall University and was drafted by the Syracuse Nationals of the NBA in 1958...
and little else. An 0-15 start started a watch of just how bad the team could get. After 51 games and a 4-47 record—and while in the midst of what would become a (then)-record 20-game losing streak—Rubin was fired in favor of player-coach Kevin Loughery
Kevin Loughery
Kevin Michael Loughery is an American former professional basketball player and coach.-Career Biography:...
.