The Best Sixers to Wear Each Number Part I: 00-10

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Aug 13, 2016

Written by Garrett Catalana – @GarrettCatalana

 

In this five part series, we will breakdown the best player to ever wear each number for the Philadelphia 76ers/Syracuse Nationals franchise. The series will run from early August to training camp in October.

So, without further ado, here is part one of the series: 00-10.

 

00: Spencer Hawes

  • 2010-2014
  • 10.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.2 BPG
  • 12.3 Win Shares (WS), 3.3 Value Over Replacement Player (VORP)
  • Starting center for Sixers playoff teams in 2011 & 2012
  • Taken with the 10th pick in 2007 Draft by the Sacramento Kings, Hawes was viewed as a disappointment when he was traded to the Sixers in the summer of 2010. Hawes immediately became the starting center in Philadelphia as a compliment to Elton Brand who mainly operated in the low post. Hawes helped the Sixers reach the playoffs in 2011 and 2012 as well as come within one win of the Eastern Conference Finals. Sticking around in the new regime, Hawes was traded to the Cavaliers at the 2014 trade deadline for Earl Clark, Henry Sims, and two second round picks (one that became Jerami Grant). Hawes currently plays for the Hornets as a backup off the bench.

 

 

0: Isaiah Canaan

  • 2015-2016
  • 11.44 PPG, 2.1 APG, 36% 3P%
  • 2.2 WS, -0.4 VORP
  • The 6’0 Canaan was acquired from the Houston Rockets on the trade deadline in 2015 in a rather controversial move that sent fan favorite rookie KJ McDaniels away. Over the past year and a half Canaan has shown off his three point prowess on such a short frame (Canaan Ball anybody?) but is pretty limited as an overall player. Canaan is only one of six players to ever wear the #0 in franchise history, but the other five have had basically zero impact on the team (Orlando Woolridge, Alvin Jones, Jeremy Pargo, Darius Johnson-Odom, Brandon Davies), so Canaan is the choice. He signed with the Chicago Bulls this offseason.

 

 

1: Sam Dalembert

  • 2001-2010
  • 8.1 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 1.9 BPG
  • 36.9 WS, 5.2 VORP, 11th all-time in block percentage
  • Starting center for Sixers playoff teams in 2005, 2008, & 2009
  • Some interesting names have worn the #1 jersey for the Sixers in the past 30 years, including former Thunder coach Scott Brooks, former-lottery pick Tim Thomas, the always entertaining Nick Young and JaVale McGee, Ish Smith, and even former Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams, but the easy choice is Sammy “Slamin’” Dalembert. Sam roamed the paint in Philly for nearly the whole 2000s playing for seven different head coaches. Known for his shot blocking and put-back dunks, Dalembert turned out about as well as any player taken 26th in the draft could. Dalembert was traded to the Kings in 2010, but by then he had already cemented himself as one of the best shot blockers in Sixers history. He last played for the Knicks in 2015.

 

 

2: Moses Malone

  • 1982-1986, 1993-1994
  • 21.0 PPG, 12.0 RPG, 1.3 BPG
  • 46.4 WS, 9.0 VORP; 1st in WS in entire NBA for 1982-83 season
  • Starting center for Sixers playoff teams in 1983, 1984, 1985, & 1986
  • Starting center for 1983 NBA champions
  • 1983 NBA MVP, 4x All-Star, 1983 Finals MVP, 1983 1st Team All-Defense, 1983/85 1st Team All-NBA, 1984 2nd Team All-NBA, most offensive rebounds in NBA history, Hall of Famer (Class of 2001), NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
  • #2 jersey set to be retired in 2016-2017
  • Only one player has ever worn #2 in Sixers history, and it will stay that way forever when Moses Malone’s #2 will be sent to the rafters next season. After falling in the NBA Finals three times in a six year span, the Sixers needed to add the one piece that would get them over the top and finally deliver Philadelphia a championship. The Sixers made the trade that would help send them to the Promise Land, with Moses (Malone) leading them to paradise. With Moses the Sixers dominated the 1982-1983 season, going 65-17 in the regular season. Moses won the MVP award and famously proclaimed the Sixers would go “Fo, fo, fo” in the playoffs on a way to a title. Moses was close as the Sixers went “Fo, fi, fo” sweeping the Knicks, beating the Bucks in five games, and sweeping the Lakers in the Finals to finally reach the Promise Land and an NBA championship. Moses played for the Sixers three more seasons before a falling out with Sixers owner Harold Katz led to an unceremonious departure in 1986 that is still known as the darkest day in Sixers history, as he was dealt to the Washington Bullets. Malone would go on to play nine more seasons for five teams, including the Sixers in 1993-1994, before retiring in 1995 at age 39. Unfortunately, the “Chairman of the Boards” passed away this past year before Philadelphia fans could see his #2 raised to the rafters. While he was only a Sixer for a relatively brief time in his long, illustrious career, he left a lasting impact that is still felt by Philadelphia today. His time in a Sixers uniform, especially the 1983 season, will never be forgotten.

 

 

3: Allen Iverson

  • 1996-2006, 2009-2010
  • 27.6 PPG, 6.1 APG, 2.3 SPG
  • 79.7 WS, 39.0 VORP
  • #1 overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft
  • Starting guard for Sixers playoff teams in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, & 2005
  • Starting guard for 2001 Eastern Conference champions
  • 2001 NBA MVP, 8x All-Star, 1997 NBA Rookie of the Year, 2x All-Star Game MVP, 1997 All-Rookie 1st Team, 3x All-NBA 1st Team, 3x All-NBA 2nd Team, 2005 All-NBA 3rd Team, Hall of Famer (Class of 2016)
  • #3 jersey retired in 2014
  • There was never any doubt who the best #3 in franchise history would be, because there was only one answer: “The Answer,” Allen Iverson. Known as the most influential athletes of his time, Iverson transformed the sport and served as inspiration to many young basketball fans (such as myself). The 6 footer played the game like no one before him or since, with his all-out effort every game and a will that no one could match. Iverson was never better than in 2001 when led the Sixers to the best record in the Eastern Conference and winning the MVP award in the process. What followed was one of the most magical playoff runs ever in Philadelphia history. After losing to the Pacers in the previous two playoffs, the Sixers exercised the demons and beat the Pacers 3 games to 1 in the first round. Then an epic seven game series between the Sixers and Raptors, with two titans throwing punch after punch every game of the series, with Iverson and Vince Carter. After Carter missed the game-winning basket in Game 7, the Sixers defeated the Bucks in a tight seven game series to send the Sixers to the Finals for the first time since 1983 to face Goliath: the Shaq & Kobe Lakers. Game 1 of the Finals would be Iverson’s masterpiece, finishing the game with 48 points, 6 assists, 5 steals, and the defining play of his career, the basket that put the Sixers up for good, the step-over of Tyronn Lue. The Sixers had defeated the Lakers in Game 1 in LA, but they lost the next four games. Iverson could never repeat the magic in 2001, with no help from the front office, but his legacy in Philadelphia was already set. For all his faults both on and off the court, Iverson has never wavered his love for his fans in Philadelphia, and they have always loved him. It was a very emotional night when Iverson’s #3 was raised to the rafters, and it will be another emotional night when he is enshrined into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in September.

 

 

#4: Dolph Schayes

  • 1949-1964
  • 18.5 PPG, 12.1 RPG, 3.1 APG
  • 142.4 WS
  • Appeared in 15 straight playoffs
  • Starting forward on 1955 NBA champions
  • 12x All-Star, 6x 1st Team All-NBA, 6x 2nd Team All-NBA, Hall of Famer (Class of 1973), NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
  • #4 jersey retired in 2016
  • One of the most underrated players in NBA history, Schayes was dominate during his prime in the NBA, just before Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain joined the league in the 1950s. A very popular player who played for a powerhouse NYU team in college, Schayes played 14 years for the Syracuse Nationals, now Philadelphia 76ers. Schayes would have certainly been named the MVP in the earlier years of his career, but the award didn’t come into existence until 1957. One of the originators of today’s jump shot, Schayes perfected a high arching set shot that helped the NBA transition into a league of jump shooters. Schayes was enshrined into the Hall of Fame in 1973 and was selected as one of the 50 best players in NBA history in 1996. A storied career that largely went unnoticed by today’s generation. His #4 jersey was finally retired by the Sixers in March of 2016, following his passing in December 2015, as it is continued to be represented on the court by Nerlens Noel.

 

 

#5: Paul Seymour

  • Wore #5 from 1952 to 1960
  • 9.6 PPG. 3.9 APG, 3.1 RPG
  • 37.2 WS
  • Starting guard on 1955 NBA champions; player-coach from 1956 to 1960
  • 3x All-Star, 2x 2nd Team All-NBA
  • Seymour was an original National when the franchise joined the NBA in 1949, and he solidified himself as one of the best and smartest point guards of his time. He would be named an All-Star three times and was a starter on the 1955 champion Nationals team. Later in his career, Seymour would become a player-coach in 1956 for the Nationals until his playing days were over in 1960. He would later coach the Hawks, Bullets, and Pistons.

 

#6: Julius Erving

  • 1976-1987
  • 22.0 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.8 SPG, 1.7 BPG
  • 106.2 WS, 51.6 VORP
  • Starting forward on four Eastern Conference champions (1977, 1980, 1982, & 1983)
  • Starting forward on 1983 NBA champions
  • 1981 NBA MVP, 11x All-Star, 2x All-Star Game MVP, 5x 1st Team All-NBA, 2x 2nd Team All-NBA, Hall of Famer (Class of 1993), NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team
  • #6 jersey retired in 1988
  • The Sixers had just finished the 1976 season with a first round exit in the playoffs to the Buffalo Braves. With a 46-36 record, the Sixers had their first winning season in five years, which included the 9-win 1972-73 season. While Doug Collins, George McGinnis, and World B. Free were looking like a great young core, basketball in Philadelphia would forever change when the remaining four ABA teams merged into the NBA. Julius Erving of the New York Nets was made available and Sixers GM Pat Williams jumped at the opportunity. Over the next 11 years, Erving solidified himself as one of the coolest and most respected players in NBA history. He was dominant on the court, helping the Sixers reach the Finals in 1977, 1980, 1982, and 1983. He won the 1981 MVP award and finally was able to hold up the Larry O’Brien trophy for the Sixers in 1983 with some help from Moses Malone. His impact on the game is still felt today, along with his gravity-defying spectacles.

 

 

#7: Andre Miller

  • 2006-2009
  • 15.9 PPG, 6.9 APG, 6.9 RPG
  • 20.9 WS, 7.9 VORP
  • Starting point guard on Sixers playoff teams in 2008 & 2009
  • The Professor made his way to Philadelphia in 2006 from the trade that sent Sixers legend Allen Iverson to the Denver Nuggets. In his short time with the Sixers, Miller helped the Sixers make the playoffs in both 2008 and 2009, losing both times in the first round. Miller was a model of consistency for the team, missing only one start in 2+ seasons. In the summer of 2009, Miller left the Sixers in free agency to sign with the Trail Blazers on a 3-year, $21 million deal. Miller has since then has played for five other teams. He is still in the league, finishing his 17th season with the Spurs at age 40.

 

#8: Aaron McKie

  • 1997-2005
  • 7.7 PPG, 3.0 APG, 1.3 SPG
  • 28.3 WS, 9.7 VORP
  • Key bench player/starter on Sixers playoff teams in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, & 2005
  • 2001 NBA Sixth Man of the Year
  • The former Temple-standout came back to Philadelphia by way of trade in 1997 when the Sixers traded former 3rd overall Jerry Stackhouse to the Pistons for McKie and Theo Ratliff. McKie was the kind of hard-working player that Larry Brown was looking for and that’s what Brown got. For eight years, McKie played all sorts of roles, whatever was needed as he continued to serve as a mentor to Allen Iverson during his entire tenure as a Sixer. In 2001, McKie won the Sixth Man of the Year award, the first time a Sixer had won it since Bobby Jones in 1983. His hard work has made him one of the fan favorites to this day. Since retirement, McKie has been an assistant coach with the Sixers, an analyst for Comcast Sportsnet, and now, an assistant coach for his alma mater, Temple.

 

 

#9: Andre Iguodala

  • Wore #9 from 2005 to 2012
  • 15.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 4.9 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.5 BPG
  • 61.2 WS, 30.8 VORP
  • Starting forward on Sixers playoff teams in 2005, 2008, 2009, 2011, & 2012
  • 2012 All-Star, 2005 NBA 1st Team All-Rookie, 2011 NBA 2nd Team All-Defense
  • What Andre Iguodala has been able to accomplish over the past three seasons with the Golden State Warriors has shown just how talented Iguodala was. The 2015 Finals MVP was drafted by the Sixers in 2004 9th overall as a wing compliment to Allen Iverson. Iguodala has gone from athletic slasher to an all-around great player with high basketball I.Q. and elite defensive ability. For all the public criticism he received when he signed a 6-year, $80 million contract extension in 2008, Iguodala performed at an All-Star level. He was never meant to have the lead role, but Iguodala always put up stats across the board. He was named an All-Star in 2012 and in his last season with the Sixers, he drained two free throws against the Bulls to advance the Sixers to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2003. Even with all the criticism, Iguodala is still one of the most underappreciated Sixers ever.

 

 

#10: Maurice Cheeks

  • 1978-1989
  • 12.2 PPG, 7.3 APG, 2.3 SPG
  • 87.7 WS, 30.8 VORP
  • Starting point guard on three Eastern Conference champions
  • Starting point guard on 1983 NBA Champions
  • 4x All-Star, 4x NBA All-Defensive 1st Team, 1x NBA All-Defensive 2nd Team
  • #10 jersey retired in 1995
  • Mo Cheeks is the best point guard in team history and it’s not even close. The second round pick from West Texas A&M in 1978 soon made his way to the starting lineup becoming the floor general for the Sixers for a decade. He was instrumental to the team’s success in the 1980s, running point beside some of the greatest players in team history, like Moses Malone, Julius Erving, Charles Barkley, and Bobby Jones. Cheeks was also known for his defensive prowess, being selected to the All-Defensive 1st Team four times as a Sixer and he is currently fifth all-time in steals. He was named to the All-Star team four times and scored the final points in its sweep of the Lakers in the 1983 Finals. His number was retired by the team in 1995 and hopefully one day his name will be called for enshrinement into the Naismith Hall of Fame. Since his playing days were over, Cheeks has been the head coach for the 76ers, Trail Blazers, and Pistons. He is currently the lead assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

 

 

Hope you enjoyed the list so far, and stay tuned for part two of the series, numbers 11-20.

 

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By Garrett Catalana
Main contributor to Sixers Nation Facebook & Twitter pages. Writes articles on a variety of topics both about the ... More about Garrett Catalana
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