1972–73 Philadelphia 76ers season

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1972–73 Philadelphia 76ers season
Head coachRoy Rubin, Kevin Loughery
OwnersIrv Kosloff
ArenaThe Spectrum
Results
Record9–73 (.110)
PlaceDivision: 4th (Atlantic)
Conference: 8th (Eastern)
Playoff finishDid not qualify

Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Local media
TelevisionWTAF-TV
RadioWCAU
< 1971–72 1973–74 >

The

20-game losing streak in a single season (now since broken by the 2023–24 Detroit Pistons
in terms of single-season records).

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. These 9 wins by this 1972–73 squad is tied for the 4th fewest in NBA history (behind only the 6 games won by the

).

The 73 losses, although threatened many times (including by the 2015–16 Sixers, who themselves lost 72 that season), remains the all-time low-water mark for any NBA franchise in an 82-game non-lockout season. The 76ers .110 winning percentage was the all-time worst mark in the NBA until the 2011–12 Charlotte Bobcats finished with a .106 winning percentage, whilst their −12.1 points per game point differential has been underdone only by the 2011–12 Bobcats (−13.9 points per game) and the 1992–93 Dallas Mavericks (−15.2 points per game).[2] Only six seasons earlier, the 76ers had set the NBA record for most wins in a season and the highest winning percentage.

Offseason

The Sixers ownership offered the head coaching job to Marquette University head coach Al McGuire, and former University of Kentucky head coach Adolph Rupp, who was seventy years old at the time. Both refused the job.[3] Only Hal Greer remained on the roster from the 1966–1967 NBA Championship Team. The 1972–73 season would be his last in the NBA.

1972 NBA draft

Round Pick Player Position Nationality School/Club Team
1 5 Fred Boyd (G)  United States Oregon State
3 Charlie Tharpe  United States Belhaven
4 Marshall Wingate  United States Niagara
5 Joe Bynes  United States
Arkansas AM&N
6 John Glover  United States
Wiley
7 Curtis Pritchett  United States
St. Augustine
8 Jim Kopp  United States Rockhurst
9 Rod Murray  United States Cal State-Los Angeles
10 Gary Watson  United States
Wisconsin

[4]

Roster

Players Coaches
Pos. No. Name Height Weight DOB From
G
11
Boyd, Freddie
6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 1950–06–13 Oregon State
G
3 Carter, Fred 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1945–02–14 Mount St. Mary's
F
14 Ellis, LeRoy 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1940–03–10 St. John's
F
25 Green, Luther 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1946–11–13 LIU Brooklyn
G
15 Greer, Hal 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 1936–06–26 Marshall
G
42 Halliburton, Jeff 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 193 lb (88 kg) 1949–07–03 Drake
C 26 Leaks, Manny 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1945–11–27 Niagara
G
22 Loughery, Kevin 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1940–03–28 St. John's
F
34 May, Don 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1946–01–03 Dayton
G
36 Price, Mike 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1948–09–11
Illinois
F
35 Sorenson, Dave 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 1948–07–08 Ohio State
F
31 Trapp, John Q. 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 1945–10–02 UNLV
F
5 Van Arsdale, Tom 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 202 lb (92 kg) 1943–02–22 Indiana
Head coach

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Unsigned draft pick
  • (FA) Free agent
  • (S) Suspended
  • Injured Injured

Roster
Last transaction: {{{access-date}}}

Season

By the start of the 1972–73 season, most of the core of the 76ers 1966-67 championship team was gone. In the 1972 offseason, coach Jack Ramsay left to coach the Buffalo Braves, while a court order allowed All-Star forward Billy Cunningham to bolt to the ABA.[5] Only Hal Greer, who was 36 years old, remained. Poor trades and draft selections over the years left the team with only a few quality players.[6]

The 76ers finished the 1971–72 season with a 30–52 record and could not find a coach for the upcoming season. In desperation, management placed an ad in

LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds. While Rubin had 11 years coaching in college basketball, he had no professional or major college experience to draw on.[6][7]

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.[8] Players criticized Rubin for his sloppy practices and the lack of meaningful comments during time-outs and breaks. Dave Wohl, who was traded to Portland, called Rubin a ‘con man’.[7] With the club record at 4–47, Rubin was fired and replaced by Sixers player Kevin Loughery. The team's performance improved slightly, going 5–26 with a .161 winning percentage, compared with Rubin's .078 mark.[8]

In their 1st win of the season (a 114–112 victory over Houston), coach Rubin actually injured himself by pulling a leg muscle.[3] The top statistical leaders were Fred Carter (who led the team with 20 points per game), Tom Van Arsdale (with 17.7 points per game), and Leroy Ellis (with 13.7 points 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 or a .065 winning percentage which actually put on a pace to finish with an unimaginable 5–77 record. However, the team surprisingly won 5 of their next 7 games against some of the best competition in the league. 3 of those 5 wins came against teams that would eventually win fifty or more games that year – Baltimore, the 60-win Milwaukee Bucks and the 57–25 eventual NBA Champion New York Knicks. They improved to 9–60 and actually doubled their winning percentage (up from .065 to .130 during that run.) However, the 76ers lost their remaining 13 games to finish 9–73. Before the 1972–73 season the previous mark for fewest wins in an 82-game schedule was 15, and no subsequent NBA team won fewer than 22 until the 1980 Detroit Pistons who finished 16–66.

Season standings

W L PCT GB Home Road Neutral Div
y-Boston Celtics 68 14 .829 33–6 32–8 3–0 18–4
x-New York Knicks 57 25 .695 11 35–6 21–18 1–1 16–6
Buffalo Braves 21 61 .256 47 14–27 6–31 1–3 8–14
Philadelphia 76ers 9 73 .110 59 5–26 2–36 2–11 2–20
#
Team W L PCT
1 z-Boston Celtics 68 14 .829
2 x-New York Knicks 57 25 .695
3 y-Baltimore Bullets 52 30 .634
4 x-Atlanta Hawks 46 36 .561
5 Houston Rockets 33 49 .402
6 Cleveland Cavaliers 32 50 .390
7 Buffalo Braves 21 61 .256
8 Philadelphia 76ers 9 73 .110

Record vs. opponents

1972–73 NBA Records
Team ATL BAL BOS BUF CHI CLE DET GSW HOU KCO LAL MIL NYK PHI PHO POR SEA
Atlanta 3–4 1–5 5–1 2–2 3–4 2–2 1–3 4–4 2–2 3–1 1–3 3–3 6–0 3–1 4–0 3–1
Baltimore 4–3 1–5 5–1 0–4 8–0 2–2 3–1 5–2 3–1 1–3 2–2 3–3 5–1 2–2 4–0 4–0
Boston 5–1 5–1 7–0 3–1 5–1 3–1 3–1 5–1 3–1 4–0 2–2 4–4 7–0 4–0 4–0 4–0
Buffalo 1–5 1–5 0–7 2–2 1–5 1–3 0–4 1–5 1–3 0–4 0–4 1–6 7–1 1–3 2–2 2–2
Chicago 2–2 4–0 1–3 2–2 3–1 3–4 3–3 4–0 5–2 1–5 2–4 3–1 4–0 4–2 5–1 5–1
Cleveland 4–3 0–8 1–5 5–1 1–3 1–3 1–3 4–3 2–2 1–3 1–3 0–6 6–0 1–3 1–3 3–1
Detroit 2–2 2–2 1–3 3–1 4–3 3–1 2–4 1–3 3–3 1–5 2–5 1–3 3–1 4–2 6–0 2–4
Golden State 3–1 1–3 1–3 4–0 3–3 3–1 4–2 3–1 4–2 3–4 1–5 2–2 4–0 2–4 5–1 4–3
Houston 4–4 2–5 1–5 5–1 0–4 3–4 3–1 1–3 0–4 1–3 1–3 1–5 5–1 2–2 2–2 2–2
Kansas City-Omaha
2–2 1–3 1–3 3–1 2–5 2–2 3–3 2–4 4–0 1–5 1–6 0–4 3–1 3–3 4–2 4–2
Los Angeles 1–3 3–1 0–4 4–0 5–1 3–1 5–1 4–3 3–1 5–1 3–3 2–2 4–0 6–1 6–0 6–0
Milwaukee 3–1 2–2 2–2 4–0 4–2 3–1 5–2 5–1 3–1 6–1 3–3 2–2 3–1 5–1 5–1 5–1
New York 3–3 3–3 4–4 6–1 1–3 6–0 3–1 2–2 5–1 4–0 2–2 2–2 6–1 3–1 3–1 4–0
Philadelphia 0–6 1–5 0–7 1–7 0–4 0–6 1–3 0–4 1–5 1–3 0–4 1–3 1–6 0–4 1–3 1–3
Phoenix 1–3 2–2 0–4 3–1 2–4 3–1 2–4 4–2 2–2 3–3 1–6 1–5 1–3 4–0 5–2 4–2
Portland 0–4 0–4 0–4 2–2 1–5 3–1 0–6 1–5 2–2 2–4 0–6 1–5 1–3 3–1 2–5 3–4
Seattle 1–3 0–4 0–4 2–2 1–5 1–3 4–2 3–4 2–2 2–4 0–6 1–5 0–4 3–1 2–4 4–3

Anatomy of a demise

Two and a half months after Philadelphia's collapse against the

1968 NBA Playoffs, Wilt Chamberlain was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. In return, the Sixers received Darrall Imhoff, Archie Clark and Jerry Chambers.[8]

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 or bolting to the ABA. Chamberlain then expressed a desire to play in Los Angeles and suggested a trade.[8][9] On paper, the deal made some sense from the Sixers' perspective, since general manager Jack Ramsay was not willing to risk letting Chamberlain get away for nothing. In the long run, however, the Sixers didn't get nearly enough in return.

After the 1967–68 season, head coach Alex Hannum bolted to the ABA, and Ramsay named himself head coach. 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 2 seasons with the 76ers, Clark spent three, while Chambers never played for Philadelphia after spending two years in the military before being traded. Luke Jackson, Chamberlain's intended successor, suffered a major injury in the 1968-69 season and was never the same player after that. Chet Walker was dealt to the Chicago Bulls for Jim Washington, a role player.[8]

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, while Philadelphia passed on drafting future stars such as Nate Archibald and Calvin Murphy.[8][7]

Ramsay did coax 55 victories out of the 1st 76ers team he coached in 1968–69. That number dipped into the 40s for the next 2 seasons, and sunk even further to 30 in 1971–72—the 1st time they had missed the playoffs in franchise history (dating back to their tenure as the

Syracuse Nationals).[8]

Game log

1972–73 Game Log
Total: 9–73 (Home: 5–26 ; Road: 2–36 ; Neutral: 2–11)
October: 0–9 (Home: 0–4 ; Road: 0–5 ; Neutral: 0–0)
Game Date Opponent Score Location Record
1 October 10 @ Chicago Bulls 89–95 Chicago Stadium 0–1
2 October 11 Seattle SuperSonics 100–105
Philadelphia Spectrum
0–2
3 October 13 Buffalo Braves 101–104
Philadelphia Spectrum
0–3
4 October 17 @ Buffalo Braves 114–122 Buffalo Memorial Auditorium 0–4
5 October 21 @ New York Knicks 88–111 Madison Square Garden 0–5
6 October 23 @ Boston Celtics 85–105 Boston Garden 0–6
7 October 25 Cleveland Cavaliers 108–113
Philadelphia Spectrum
0–7
8 October 28 Milwaukee Bucks 92–96
Philadelphia Spectrum
0–8
9 October 31 @ Cleveland Cavaliers 116–126 Cleveland Arena 0–9
November: 2–13 (Home: 0–5 ; Road: 1–7 ; Neutral: 1–1)
Game Date Opponent Score Location Record
10 November 1 Houston Rockets 104–108
Philadelphia Spectrum
0–10
11 November 3
Kansas City–Omaha Kings
101–114
Philadelphia Spectrum
0–11
12 November 4 @ Atlanta Hawks 120–128 Omni Coliseum 0–12
13 November 5 @ Milwaukee Bucks 113–131
Milwaukee Arena
0–13
14 November 8 @
Kansas City–Omaha Kings
107–125 Omaha Civic Auditorium 0–14
15 November 10 New York Knicks 106–125
Philadelphia Spectrum
0–15
16 November 11 N Houston Rockets 114–112 (San Antonio, Texas) 1–15
17 November 12 @ Phoenix Suns 108–119 Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 1–16
18 November 16 @ Golden State Warriors 106–128 Oakland Arena 1–17
19 November 17 @ Seattle SuperSonics 92–105
Seattle Center Coliseum
1–18
20 November 19 @ Los Angeles Lakers 95–135
The Forum
1–19
21 November 24 N Buffalo Braves 96–105 (Hershey, Pennsylvania) 1–20
22 November 25 Portland Trail Blazers 106–117
Philadelphia Spectrum
1–21
23 November 28 @ Buffalo Braves 101–94 Buffalo Memorial Auditorium 2–21
24 November 29 New York Knicks 91–139
Philadelphia Spectrum
2–22
December: 1–13 (Home: 1–4 ; Road: 0–6 ; Neutral: 0–3)
Game Date Opponent Score Location Record
25 December 1 Boston Celtics 99–105
Philadelphia Spectrum
2–23
26 December 2 @ Boston Celtics 120–131
Philadelphia Spectrum
2–24
27 December 6
Kansas City–Omaha Kings
122–117
Philadelphia Spectrum
3–24
28 December 7 N Phoenix Suns 102–117 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) 3–25
29 December 8 Chicago Bulls 102–118
Philadelphia Spectrum
3–26
30 December 9 @ New York Knicks 109–120 Madison Square Garden 3–27
31 December 12 @ Baltimore Bullets 102–123
Baltimore Civic Center
3–28
32 December 13 Los Angeles Lakers 90–128
Philadelphia Spectrum
3–29
33 December 16 Buffalo Braves 103–126
Philadelphia Spectrum
3–30
34 December 20 @ Detroit Pistons 113–141
Cobo Hall
3–31
35 December 22 @ Houston Rockets 103–116
Hofheinz Pavilion
3–32
36 December 23 @ Atlanta Hawks 112–124 Omni Coliseum 3–33
37 December 27 N Atlanta Hawks 120–121 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) 3–34
38 December 30 N Boston Celtics 107–117 (Providence, Rhode Island) 3–35
January: 1–16 (Home: 0–5 ; Road: 1–9 ; Neutral: 0–2)
Game Date Opponent Score Location Record
39 January 2 @ Buffalo Braves 110–114 Buffalo Memorial Auditorium 3–36
40 January 5 @ Portland Trail Blazers 102–135
Memorial Coliseum
3–37
41 January 6 @ Golden State Warriors 79–111 Oakland Arena 3–38
42 January 7 @ Seattle SuperSonics 85–82
Seattle Center Coliseum
4–38
43 January 9 @ Chicago Bulls 110–126 Chicago Stadium 4–39
44 January 10 Los Angeles Lakers 96–120
Philadelphia Spectrum
4–40
45 January 12 N Cleveland Cavaliers 109–113 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) 4–41
46 January 13 Boston Celtics 95–111
Philadelphia Spectrum
4–42
47 January 15 @
Kansas City–Omaha Kings
108–135
Municipal Auditorium
4–43
48 January 16 @ Milwaukee Bucks 92–108
Milwaukee Arena
4–44
49 January 17 Atlanta Hawks 105–122
Philadelphia Spectrum
4–45
50 January 19 N Baltimore Bullets 94–110 (Hershey, Pennsylvania) 4–46
51 January 21 @ Baltimore Bullets 97–108
Baltimore Civic Center
4–47
52 January 26 @ Cleveland Cavaliers 100–105 Cleveland Arena 4–48
53 January 28 Buffalo Braves 96–101
Philadelphia Spectrum
4–49
54 January 30 @ Buffalo Braves 104–105 Buffalo Memorial Auditorium 4–50
55 January 31 Golden State Warriors 115–131
Philadelphia Spectrum
4–51
February: 5–9 (Home: 4–1 ; Road: 0–6 ; Neutral: 1–2)
Game Date Opponent Score Location Record
56 February 2 @ Detroit Pistons 104–114
Cobo Hall
4–52
57 February 3 Boston Celtics 100–104
Philadelphia Spectrum
4–53
58 February 4 @ Boston Celtics 115–123 Boston Garden 4–54
59 February 6 N Houston Rockets 117–123 (San Antonio, Texas) 4–55
60 February 9 @ Portland Trail Blazers 105–116
Memorial Coliseum
4–56
61 February 10 @ Phoenix Suns 121–126 Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum 4–57
62 February 11 @ Los Angeles Lakers 90–108
The Forum
4–58
63 February 14 Milwaukee Bucks 106–104
Philadelphia Spectrum
5–58
64 February 16 Detroit Pistons 119–106
Philadelphia Spectrum
6–58
65 February 17 @ New York Knicks 89–107 Madison Square Garden 6–59
66 February 18 New York Knicks 114–98
Philadelphia Spectrum
7–59
67 February 23 N Houston Rockets 116–138 (Hershey, Pennsylvania) 7–60
68 February 25 N Portland Trail Blazers 115–111 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) 8–60
69 February 28 Baltimore Bullets 102–96
Philadelphia Spectrum
9–60
March: 0–13 (Home: 0–7 ; Road: 0–3 ; Neutral: 0–3)
Game Date Opponent Score Location Record
70 March 2 Atlanta Hawks 107–130
Philadelphia Spectrum
9–61
71 March 4 @ Atlanta Hawks 130–138 Omni Coliseum 9–62
72 March 7 New York Knicks 94–120
Philadelphia Spectrum
9–63
73 March 9 N Chicago Bulls 84–104 (Hershey, Pennsylvania) 9–64
74 March 10 Seattle SuperSonics 96–106
Philadelphia Spectrum
9–65
75 March 11 N Golden State Warriors 93–97 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) 9–66
76 March 14 Phoenix Suns 114–120
Philadelphia Spectrum
9–67
77 March 17 Baltimore Bullets 115–120
Philadelphia Spectrum
9–68
78 March 18 @ Baltimore Bullets 118–129
Baltimore Civic Center
9–69
79 March 20 @ Cleveland Cavaliers 105–131 Cleveland Arena 9–70
80 March 21 Cleveland Cavaliers 109–112
Philadelphia Spectrum
9–71
81 March 23 Houston Rockets 112–132
Philadelphia Spectrum
9–72
82 March 25 N Detroit Pistons 96–115 (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) 9–73
1972–73 Schedule

Awards and records

References

  1. ^ "1998-99 Vancouver Grizzlies Roster and Stats".
  2. ^ .
  3. ^ "1972 NBA Draft". databaseBasketball.com. Archived from the original on November 21, 2010. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  4. Philly.com
    .
  5. ^ a b "Roy Rubin, 87, dies". The New York Times. August 11, 2013.
  6. ^ a b c "The Spirit of the 76ers is willing...but the flesh is weak". January 8, 1973.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g From 68–13 to 9–73. (1972–73 Philadelphia 76ers)
  8. ^ Ramsay, Jack (February 10, 2007). "Wilt's spirit was larger than life". Retrieved January 26, 2008.

External links