1990–91 Philadelphia 76ers season

SportsChannel Philadelphia PRISM (lost to Bulls 1–4)

The 1990–91 Philadelphia 76ers season was the 42nd season for the Philadelphia 76ers in the National Basketball Association, and their 28th season in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During the off-season, the 76ers acquired 7' 7" center Manute Bol from the Golden State Warriors, and signed free agent Rickey Green.

After only just four games into the regular season, Johnny Dawkins sustained a torn ACL in his right knee, and was replaced with Green as the team's starting point guard for the remainder of the season. The 76ers got off to a 19–8 start to the season, but then lost 10 of their next 16 games. At mid-season, the team traded Mike Gminski to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Armen Gilliam. The 76ers posted a 7-game winning streak between February and March, held a 25–21 record at the All-Star break, and finished in second place in the Atlantic Division with a 44–38 record, which was nine wins less than the previous season, and earned the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.

Charles Barkley averaged 27.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.6 steals per game, and was named to the All-NBA First Team, while Hersey Hawkins averaged 22.1 points, 3.7 assists and 2.2 steals per game, and led the 76ers with 108 three-point field goals, and sixth man Ron Anderson provided the team with 14.6 points per game off the bench. In addition, Dawkins provided with 15.8 points and 7.0 assists per game during his four-game stint, while Green contributed 10.0 points and 5.2 assists per game, Rick Mahorn averaged 8.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, Andre Turner contributed 5.9 points and 4.4 assists per game, and Bol averaged 1.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Charlotte Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina, Barkley and Hawkins were both selected for the 1991 NBA All-Star Game, as members of the Eastern Conference All-Star team; it was Hawkins' first and only All-Star appearance. Barkley scored 17 points along with 22 rebounds, and was named the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player, as the Eastern Conference defeated the Western Conference, 116–114. In addition, Hawkins also participated in the NBA Three-Point Shootout. Barkley also finished in fourth place in Most Valuable Player voting.

In the Eastern Conference First Round of the 1991 NBA playoffs, the 76ers faced off against the 4th–seeded Milwaukee Bucks, who were led by All-Star guard Alvin Robertson, Jay Humphries and Frank Brickowski. The 76ers won the first two games over the Bucks on the road at the Bradley Center, before winning Game 3 at home, 121–100 at The Spectrum to win the series in a three-game sweep.

In the Eastern Conference Semi-finals, and for the second consecutive year, the team faced off against the top–seeded, and Central Division champion Chicago Bulls, who were led by the trio of All-Star guard, and Most Valuable Player of the Year, Michael Jordan, All-Star forward Scottie Pippen, and Horace Grant. The Bulls took a 2–0 series lead, but the 76ers managed to win Game 3 at home, 99–97 at The Spectrum. However, after losing Game 4 at home, 101–85, the 76ers lost Game 5 to the Bulls on the road, 100–95 at the Chicago Stadium, as the team lost the series in five games. The Bulls would reach the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history, and defeat the Los Angeles Lakers in five games in the 1991 NBA Finals, winning their first ever NBA championship.

This season would also be the final NBA playoff appearance for the 76ers until the 1998–99 season; the seven consecutive seasons that followed, in which they would not make the playoffs, were more than the franchise had missed in total since their inaugural season of 1950, five (missed playoffs in 1972–1975, and in 1988). Following the season, Mahorn left to play overseas in Italy, and Green signed as a free agent with the Boston Celtics.