The Philadelphia 76ers had a nice bounce-back campaign in 2025-26. After winning 24 games a season ago, the 76ers went 45-37 this season and are in the Eastern Conference semifinals for the fifth time in the last eight years. The team is hoping to call upon some of the great 76ers playoff runs of old.
With so much positives going on, not lost on those looking to play in an online casino in PA, it’s important to take a look back at how the franchise got to this point.
Philadelphia is one of the most successful NBA franchises in league history, with 3,170 wins, placing third. The 76ers and the Atlanta Hawks joined the Association during the 1949-50 campaign, becoming the seventh and eighth members. Their 51.9% winning percentage ranks ninth. They have also lifted the Larry O’Brien Trophy three times, tying the Miami Heat and Detroit Pistons for the fifth-most. The franchise has been to nine NBA Finals, the fourth most behind the Los Angeles Lakers (32), Boston Celtics (23), and Golden State Warriors (12).
However, the 76ers have not been crowned World Champions since 1982-83. Moreover, the last time the Sixers reached the Eastern Conference Finals was 2000-2001, which was also the last time they were in the NBA Finals.
Do the 76ers playoff runs of old catapult them in this postseason? While only time will tell, the Sixers are down 1-0 in their second-round matchup against the New York Knicks. Here is a look at the franchise’s top playoff performances.
Ranking The 76ers’ Most Memorable 76ers Playoff Runs
1.1982-1983 NBA Champions, 12-1 Record In Playoffs
The 1982-83 squad is arguably the best team in franchise history. That year’s squad boatraced the league, finishing with the best record by nine games. It is also the season when Sixers center Moses Malone predicted that they were going to sweep through the playoffs with his now famous “fo, fo, fo.”
Led by Malone, Julius Erving, Mo Cheeks, and Andrew Toney, the Sixers almost made Malone’s statement come true. As a result of earning the No. 1 seed in the East, the 76ers received a bye into the Conference semifinals. They swept the New York Knicks in a tough, hard-fought first-round series, with all four contests being decided by 10 or fewer points – Games 3 and 4 were decided by a combined five points.
The 76ers then defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 4-to-1 in the Eastern Conference finals, taking a 3-0 series lead before losing Game 4. The Sixers won Game 5 112-103. They then defeated the Lakers 4-0, by an average score of 110.5-100.5, to earn their second NBA title. Malone, named the Finals MVP, finished the series with a double-double (25.8 points and 18.0 rebounds), and Toney added 22.0 points per game.
2. 1966-67 NBA Champions, 11-4 record in Playoffs
Philadelphia posted a 68-13 record during the regular season, finishing eight games ahead of the Boston Celtics for the best record in the league. The NBA had only 10 teams in 1966-67, and the league was split into divisions, not conferences.
After getting upset by the division’s third-seed Cincinnati Royals in the opening game of the series, the 76ers won the final three games by an average of 14 points.
The 76ers rolled through the Celtics in the East Division Finals, winning Game 4 140-116, to reach the franchise’s first NBA Finals in Philadelphia – they made two Finals appearances when they were the Syracuse Nationals. The Sixers defeated the Golden State Warriors in six games by an average of 124.5-117.8. Hal Greer led the Sixers in the Finals with 26 points per game, while Chamberlain averaged 17.7 points and an incredible 28.5 rebounds per game.
3.1979-1980 NBA Finals Appearance, 12-6 Record In The Playoffs
The 76ers had a solid regular season, posting 59 wins, third most in the NBA during the 1979-80 campaign. The Sixers eased past the Washington Bullets in the opening round of the Eastern Conference finals (2-0). They defeated the Atlanta Hawks and then the Celtics 4-games-to-1 to reach the NBA Finals, where they met the Lakers in one of the most enjoyable 76ers playoff runs in in team history.
The 76ers and Lakers split the first four games of the series, with each team winning one game on the other team’s home court. However, the Lakers won Game 5 108-103, marking the fifth game of the series that was decided by 10 points or less. The Lakers then took Game 6, 123-107. Julius Erving led the charge for the Sixers in the series, averaging 25.5 points along with seven rebounds and five assists. But the Lakers had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
4. 1981-82 NBA Finals Appearance, 12-9 Record In Playoffs
The 76ers finished the regular season with 58 wins, second only to the Celtics, who won 63 games.
The Sixers, the third seed, started the 1981-82 playoffs with a 2-0 series win over the No. 6 Atlanta. The Sixers then pulled off two upsets, defeating the second-seeded Bucks in six games and then knocking out the top-seeded Celtics in seven games, winning Game 7 120-106 on the road. However, the Sixers fell to the Lakers in six games in the NBA Finals, ending the 76ers playoff runs to start the 80s.
5.2000-01 NBA Finals Appearance, 10-9 Record In Playoffs
The 76ers, led by league MVP Allen Iverson, finished tied with the Lakers for the second-best record with 56 wins in 2000-01. While it wasn’t easy, the Sixers reached the NBA Finals for the first time since 1982 and the ninth time in franchise history.
Philadelphia, the No. 1 seed in the East, defeated Indiana 3-1 as the 76ers lost Game 1 by one. The Sixers were taken to seven games in both the Eastern Conference semis and finals by Toronto and Milwaukee.
The Sixers took a 1-0 lead in the NBA Finals against the Lakers with a 107-101 overtime victory as Iverson outdueled Shaquille O’Neal, finishing with 48 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 steals. However, the Sixers struggled on offense throughout the series and were defeated in five games ending one of their most memorable 76ers playoff runs in recent memory.
6. 1984-85 Eastern Conference Finals, 8-5 Playoff Record
Philadelphia entered the 1985 playoffs as the No. 3 seed. The 76ers defeated the Bullets 3-1 in the opening round. The Sixers swept the Bucks in the Eastern Conference semis before running into the buzz-saw that was the Celtics. The Sixers lost the first three games of their Eastern Conference Finals series by at least eight points before taking Game 4. The Celtics eliminated the Sixers 102-100 in Game 5.
