The Philadelphia 76ers recently signed one of the top two-way players of the current era. Paul George chose Philly over several franchises, making a huge splash in this summer‘s free agency frenzy.
George explicitly stated on his podcast that playing alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey was enticing, and he doubled down on that idea at his introductory press conference.
Where does this new Sixers’ big three rank among other top trios in the franchise’s history? Time will tell. For now, it’s time to look at the top three big threes in Philadelphia 76ers history.
Honorable big three mentions:
Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Charles Barkley
In 1984, the Sixers had a dynamic rookie in Charles Barkley and two former MVPs, Moses Malone and Dr. J., going into the season. The problem? They ran into the Celtics with their own Big 3 in Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish. Unfortunately, this Sixers squad could not get the job done that year, losing in the Eastern Conference Finals to a legendary Boston team.
Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler
In 2018, with two young All-Stars in Embiid and Simmons, Philly fans were eager for the season to begin. By the time November ended, they added top 2-way player Jimmy Butler in a trade. They did not make the conference finals that year, but that team went 51-31. If not for a Kawhi Leonard lucky-bounce-of-a-lifetime, Philly realistically could have won a title that season against a banged-up Warriors team.
Top 3 Big 3 Teams in Sixers History
Wilt Chamberlain, Hal Greer, Chet Walker
The 1967 Sixers won the title that season not just because they had the most dominant center in the NBA. They had a Big 3 that consisted of Wilt Chamberlain, Hal Greer, and Chet Walker. Their scoring numbers were impressive. Chamberlain averaged 24.1 that season. Greer put up 22.1 points per night, and Walker was not far behind, averaging 19.3.
According to Basketball Reference, in 1966-1967 the Sixers were first in offensive rating (101.5) and third in defensive rating (93.9). Their net rating? Number one out of the other nine teams in the NBA at the time (+7.7).
To get to the championship they had to get through Boston, who had won eight consecutive titles! Once the Sixers Big 3 broke up the Celtics dynasty of the decade, they went on to beat the San Francisco Warriors 4-2.
Julius Erving, George McGinnis, Doug Collins
In 1977, the Sixers finished with a 50-32 record, good for best in the Atlantic Division. Their Big 3 was stellar and gave Philly fans high hopes for a championship. They eventually made their way to the final round, thanks in most part to the outstanding core that featured three HOF players.
First, there was Doug Collins, the first overall draft pick a few years prior. That year Collins averaged 18 points and almost five assists. Next was George McGinnis, former ABA MVP who averaged 21.4 points and 11 boards. Lastly, this Big 3 was led by Julius Erving, 2x ABA champ, who was the top scorer on that team at 21.6 points per contest.
Despite going up 2-0 in the NBA Finals against the Portland Trailblazers, the Sixers collapsed. The late Bill Walton was the heart and soul of a Portland team that eventually stole the soul of the Sixers while breaking the hearts of the Philadelphia fans.
Although the Sixers dropped four straight games and the title, this Big 3 will go down as one of the top in franchise history.
Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Andrew Toney
In Philadelphia Sixers lore, this Big 3 is most endearing for a few reasons. The first is that a core trio that featured Moses Malone, Julius Erving, and Andrew Toney led a team that gave the city its most recent championship in the last four decades.
The other reason is that prior to that championship, the team had suffered multiple NBA postseason letdowns against teams like Portland, Boston, and Los Angeles (sound familiar, Philly fans?). So, when Dr. J. raised the championship trophy for the first time in his NBA career, it exorcized losing demons that haunted the franchise for many years.
In the 1982-83 season, Moses Malone was the fulcrum that balanced out a team that needed toughness, determination, and rebounding. The HOF center averaged 24.5 points and 15.3 rebounds on the way to a ring. Dr. J. Was instrumental, too. He averaged 21.4 points and 6.8 boards. Finally, you had Andrew Toney who put up 19.7 points per contest.
The parade down Broad Street was epic during the summer of 1983. If not for this Big 3, Philly would be in a near 60-year championship drought as opposed to 40.
Will Paul George be the Moses Malone to this season’s version of the Philadelphia 76ers? Will Nick Nurse be able to design a scheme to maximize the team’s collective strengths? Judging by the hype surrounding this team’s expectations, this could be the year that Joel Embiid leads his team to the Promiseland, with Tyrese Maxey and Paul George by his side to form, arguably, the best Big 3 in the current NBA.
