1992–93 Philadelphia 76ers season

Fred Carter SportsChannel Philadelphia PRISM The 1992–93 Philadelphia 76ers season was the 44th season for the Philadelphia 76ers in the National Basketball Association, and their 30th season in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 76ers received the ninth overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft, and selected power forward Clarence Weatherspoon from the University of Southern Mississippi. During the off-season, the team acquired All-Star guard Jeff Hornacek, Andrew Lang and Tim Perry from the Phoenix Suns, and hired Doug Moe as their new head coach.

The 76ers got off to a bad start, losing 11 of their first 14 games of the regular season after a 7-game losing streak between November and December, and held an 18–31 record at the All-Star break. The team also suffered two defeats that were greater than 50 points, a 154–98 road loss to the Sacramento Kings on January 2, 1993, and a 149–93 road loss to the Seattle SuperSonics on March 6. As the NBA in the 1990s emphasized more defensive play, Moe tried to implement an up-tempo attack offense similar to his former Denver Nuggets team of the 1980s, which failed miserably. With the team holding a 19–37 record in early March, he was fired and replaced with Fred Carter. Moe would return to coaching with the Denver Nuggets in his second stint under head coach George Karl from 2005 until retirement in 2008.

On March 28, during a nationally televised broadcast game between the Suns and the 76ers, former Sixers forward Charles Barkley received a standing ovation from his former home fans at The Spectrum. When the Sixers team was introduced, the crowd booed loudly at them; the Suns won the game, 110–100. In April, the 76ers signed undrafted free agent Thomas Jordan to a 10-day contract; Jordan previously played overseas in Spain. In the final four games of the regular season, Jordan played a sixth man role off the bench, averaging 11.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. The 76ers lost 26 of 30 games between January 30 and April 2, and finished in sixth place in the Atlantic Division with a 26–56 record.

Hersey Hawkins averaged 20.3 points and 1.7 steals per game, and led the 76ers with 122 three-point field goals, while Hornacek averaged 19.1 points, 6.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game, and Weatherspoon provided the team with 15.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. In addition, Armen Gilliam contributed 12.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, while Perry averaged 9.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, Johnny Dawkins provided with 8.9 points and 4.1 assists per game, Ron Anderson contributed 8.1 points per game, Lang averaged 5.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game, and Manute Bol provided with 2.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, Weatherspoon and Perry both participated in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest; it was Perry's second appearance in the Slam Dunk Contest.

Following the season, Hawkins was traded to the Charlotte Hornets, while Gilliam and Anderson both left for free agency and signed with the New Jersey Nets, Lang signed with the Atlanta Hawks, Bol signed with the Miami Heat, and Jordan, Charles Shackleford and Greg Grant were all released; Jordan would return to playing basketball overseas, ending his short lived stint in the NBA.