Whether as the Syracuse Nationals or the Philadelphia 76ers, the basketball franchise that began in 1939 has been a cornerstone for the sport. The team has only won a championship three times, but the team has been a strong contender for years, with playoff tickets more likely than not. Out of the 72 seasons that the basketball team has graced the court the club has only failed to make play beyond the regular season schedule 16 times. The last time Philadelphia made a strong run as the championship came six seasons ago in 2000.
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That season the fire and ice Larry Brown and Allen Iverson stopped arguing and began a truly great run. The 76ers were short on offensive talents, but Iverson took it upon himself to stop, pop, and crossover defenses to death. The guard took care of the scoring while the rest of the team played a tenacious defense. Dikembe Mutombo manned the middle with his long arms after a mid-season trade and the team came together with playoff tickets after a 56-26 season. The playoff run began with an easy series with Indiana and followed with two series that were show downs of the stars. Iverson out-dueled Vince Carter and the Raptors in the second round and out-gunned Ray Allen and Glen Robinson in the Eastern Conference Finals. The NBA Finals against the Lakers found the Sixers incredible underdogs, but Iverson put on one of the best performances in Finals history to win game one before the Lakers would take the four straight and the title.
The Philadelphia 76ers come back in 2008-09 season with a new roster that many expect to challenge for the top spot in the Eastern Conference and not just the Atlantic Division. The addition of Elton Brand and the resigning of Andre Iguodala give the team two incredible stars, one in the low post and one with a combination of athleticism and a decent outside shot. In the years past playoff tickets have been a question whose answer has come down to the few games of the season, but this year the only question is how a seed will the Sixers get and how many rounds will they have home court advantage at the Wachovia Center.
It is not just the two stars that have Philadelphia excited. Andre Miller is a point guard who will have more than one option when running the show on offense. Along with Brand and Iguodala there is Thaddeus Young, who really put his game together last season, and Louis Williams and Willie Green off the bench. Those two provide the quickness that will break the game open when the starters need time to rest. With role players in every nook and cranny of the roster, Sixers playoff tickets will gain entry to a series where they are once again the favorites.