The Philadephia 76er’s results over the last two decades have failed to match the upper management’s ambitions. The team last won an NBA championship in 1983 and has failed to return to the NBA finals since 2001. They have never even reached the Eastern Conference Championship in that stretch.
A recent piece by Fadeaway World provides a breakdown of the organization’s payroll over the last 20 seasons and it paints a grim picture.
Philadelphia 76ers Have Spent $1.9 Billion In The Last 20 Years Without Even Playing In The NBA Finals https://t.co/ZZivka2si1
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 7, 2024
The 76ers are the 13th highest spenders in the NBA over the last 20 years and have invested $1.9 billion in their payroll. Despite a long list of All-Stars (and some MVP players) on their rosters, the team can’t seem to find a way over the hump.
Over the last 20 seasons, Philadelphia has finished above .500 just eight time times. They have qualified for the playoffs in 11 of those seasons, but have been knocked out in the first round on five of those occasions.
It has been 23 years since Allen Iverson last led the 76ers to the NBA championship. Images of him crossing over Kobe Bryant and stepping over Tyrone Lue are fading in the memories of NBA fans.
After a terrible 20-year stretch, Philly fans will be desperate for something to get excited about this season.
It is not all doom and gloom for 76ers fans. The franchise still has three championships (1955, 1967, 1983) under their belt and their 30-19 offers some hope for this season.
Meanwhile, New York Knicks fans have not witnessed a championship at Madison Square Garden since 1974. The Los Angeles Clippers have never won in their 53-year history. The Hawks’s championship drought stretches back to 1959 when the team was known as the St. Louis Hawks.
