1982–83 Philadelphia 76ers season
The 1982–83 Philadelphia 76ers season was the 37th season of the franchise (going back to their days as the Syracuse Nationals) and their 20th season in Philadelphia. The 76ers entered the season as runner-ups in the 1982 NBA Finals, where they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
| 1982–83 Philadelphia 76ers season | |
|---|---|
NBA champions | |
Conference champions | |
Division champions | |
| Head coach | Billy Cunningham |
| General manager | Pat Williams |
| Arena | The Spectrum |
| Results | |
| Record | 65–17 (.793) |
| Place | Division: 1st (Atlantic) Conference: 1st (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | NBA Champions (Defeated Lakers 4–0) |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Local media | |
| Television | WPHL-TV PRISM |
| Radio | WIP |
Harold Katz bought the franchise in 1982. On his watch, the final piece of the championship puzzle was completed before the 1982–83 season when they acquired free-agent center Moses Malone from the Houston Rockets in a sign-and-trade for Caldwell Jones, joining an already stacked roster led by Hall of Famers Julius Erving, Maurice Cheeks and Bobby Jones, as well as All-Star Andrew Toney. They went on to dominate the regular season, ending the year with a 65-17 record in what is still their second highest winning season in franchise history.
Erving was the team captain and was named the NBA All Star Game MVP, while Malone was named the league's MVP. When reporters asked how the playoffs would run, he answered, "four, four, four", predicting that the Sixers would need to only play four games in each of the three playoff series to win the title.
The Sixers backed up Malone's boast, breezing through the Eastern Conference playoffs, sweeping the New York Knicks in the Semifinals, then beating the Milwaukee Bucks in five games in the Conference Finals. They went on to win their third NBA championship with a four-game sweep of the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, who had defeated them the season before. Malone was named the Finals MVP, and his prediction turned out to be only one game off, as some used the adapted phrase "fo', fi', fo'" reflecting their one playoff loss to the Bucks.
Regarded as one of the greatest teams in history, their 12–1 playoff record still ranks as the third-best in league history after the 2016–17 Warriors, who went 16–1, and the 2000–01 Lakers, who went 15–1 en route to the NBA title coincidentally beating the 76ers in the finals. The Philadelphia-based group Pieces of a Dream had a minor hit in 1983 with the R&B song "Fo-Fi-Fo", which title was prompted by Malone's quip.
As of 2024, this remains the third NBA championship in 76ers franchise history, though they made NBA Finals appearance in 2001, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers.