The 1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers - NBA Champions

During the 2002-03 season, the 76ers honored members of the 1982-83 Championship Team. This season, we pay tribute to the 25th anniversary of their championship run.

The 76ers honor Julius "Dr. J" Erving and Clint Richardson on Friday, December 21, in the first of four nights this year that will honor the 25th anniversary of the 1982-83 NBA Championship team. Serving as a backdrop for Erving's and Richardson's return to the City of Brotherly love is a clash between the Sixers and Philadelphia-native Kobe Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers.

Hardwood Classics
Also during the 2007-08 season the 76ers will honor different members of the 1982-83 Championship team, including Julius Erving, Bobby Jones, and Marc Iavaroni. During these 'Hardwood Classics' games the Sixers will wear retro uniforms from the 1982-83 season to commemorate the Championship team. Check out the Schedule to see which games the Sixers will be honoring Champs and don't forget to take a look at the Photogallery of the celebration. See what they are wearing, or purchase your own retro gear at the NBA Store.

1982-83 Team Considered One NBA's 10 Best
After coming close for several seasons with Caldwell Jones and Darryl Dawkins at center, the Philadelphia 76ers decided prior to the 1982-83 season that if they were to go all the way, they had to upgrade their pivot play. So they went after the best: Moses Malone, who had led an otherwise weak Houston team to the NBA Finals in 1981 and was coming off a year in which he had averaged a career-high 31.1 ppg and a league-leading 14.7
rpg for the Rockets. Julius Erving talks about the 1983 NBA Finals when his Sixers played the Lakers. Video

Mind Games: 76ers Championship Memories
Tim Malloy, who would later serve as the 76ers PR Driector, recalls his memories of the 1982-83 season. "Basketball fans in Philadelphia with a memory bank that stretches back to 1982-83 will mark with great affection this 20th anniversary of the 76ers championship season. It was a magical NBA campaign that began with the dramatic signing of an All-Star free agent as the missing piece to a winning puzzle and ended with a parade that drew an estimated two million of the team’s closest friends who gathered to revel and salute their hardwood heroes."

FLASHBACK: 1982-83 Season Overview
When Julius Erving came to Philadelphia prior to the 1976-77 season, an NBA Championship was predicted for the 76ers. While the 76ers did make three trips to the NBA Finals in Dr. J's first six years with the team, the title continued to elude them.

76ers Honor the 20th Anniversary of the 1982-83 NBA Champs
As part of the 2002-03 season-long anniversary celebration of 40 seasons of 76ers basketball in Philadelphia, the Sixers reunited members of the 1982-83 championship team for a halftime tribute when the Sixers hosted the Portland Trailblazers. The halftime tribute for the 1983 NBA Championship team, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, was sponsored by Mitchell and Ness, and American Airlines.

Photo Gallery

Who's Better?
The 1982-83 76ers are considered one of the best teams in NBA history. Led by Moses Malone and Julius Erving this team could go inside, outside, and could completely shut down opponents on the defensive end. But how would they stack up against the 1966-67 Champs led by Wilt Chamberlain, Hal Greer, and Chet Walker who scored over 125 points a game? Will Billy Cunningham be more of a factor as a player for the '66 team, or as a coach for the '82 squad?

1982-83 Statistics and Season Results

1982-83 Roster
No.	Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Birthdate	College
11	Mitchell Anderson	F	6-7	195	9/23/60	Bradley ’92
10	Maurice Cheeks	G	6-1	181	9/8/56	W. Texas State ’78
25	Earl Cureton	C	6-9	215	9/3/57	Detroit ’80
14	Franklin Edwards	G	6-1	170	2/2/59	Cleveland St. ’81
6	Julius Erving	F	6-6	210	2/22/50	Massachusetts ’72
8	Marc Iavaroni	F	6-10	225	9/15/56	Virginia Univ. ’78
45	Clemon Johnson	C	6-10	240	9/12/56	Florida A&M '78
33	Reggie Johnson	F	6-9	210	6/25/57	Tennessee ’80
24	Bobby Jones	F	6-9	205	12/18/51	North Carolina ’74
2	Moses Malone	C	6-10	255	3/23/55	Petersburg H.S. ’74
31	Mark McNamara	C	7-1	235	6/8//59	California ’82
4	Clint Richardson	G	6-3	195	8/6/56	Seattle ’79
3	Russ Schoene	F	6-10	215	4/16/60	Tennessee-Chat. ’82
22	Andrew Toney	G	6-3	190	11/23/57	SW Louisiana ’80
Head Coach: Billy Cunningham
Asst. Coaches: Jack McMahon and Matt Guokas
Trainer: Al Domenico
Owner: Harold Katz
General Manager: Pat Williams
Asst. General Manager: John Nash