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1996–97 Philadelphia 76ers season

NBA professional basketball team season

NBA professional basketball team season

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The 1996–97 Philadelphia 76ers season was the 48th season for the Philadelphia 76ers in the National Basketball Association, and their 34th season in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Before the beginning of the season, the 76ers won the NBA draft lottery, and selected point guard Allen Iverson out of Georgetown University with the first overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft. After two seasons at Georgetown, Iverson quickly established himself as one of the premier point guards in the NBA. During the off-season, the 76ers signed free agents Don MacLean, Mark Davis, Lucious Harris, and Michael Cage. The team also moved into the new 20,000 plus seat CoreStates Center, after calling The Spectrum home from 1967 to 1996.

Under new head coach Johnny Davis, the 76ers played around .500 in winning percentage with a 7–8 start to the regular season. However, the team struggled and lost 23 of their next 24 games, including 10 and 13-game losing streaks posted respectively, and held a 12–34 record at the All-Star break. The 76ers lost ten of their final eleven games of the season, and finished in sixth place in the Atlantic Division with a 22–60 record, missing the NBA playoffs for the sixth consecutive year.

Iverson had a successful rookie season, scoring 30 points in his NBA debut in the 76ers' 111–103 home loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on November 1, 1996, and finishing the regular season averaging 23.5 points, 7.5 assists and 2.1 steals per game, and also leading the team with 155 three-point field goals; he was named the NBA Rookie of the Year, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. In addition, second-year star Jerry Stackhouse finished second on the team in scoring with 20.7 points per game, and 102 three-point field goals, while Derrick Coleman averaged 18.1 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game, but only played 57 games due to a finger injury, and Clarence Weatherspoon provided the team with 12.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Off the bench, MacLean contributed 10.9 points per game, but only played just 37 games due to a hip injury, while Davis provided with 8.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, and starting center Scott Williams averaged 5.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.

During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, Iverson was selected for the NBA Rookie Game, as a member of the Eastern Conference Rookie team; Iverson scored 19 points along with 9 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks, and was named the Rookie Game's Most Valuable Player, as the Eastern Conference defeated the Western Conference, 96–91. In addition, Iverson was also selected to participate in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, but withdrew due to injury, and was replaced with Darvin Ham of the Denver Nuggets.

Iverson also set a rookie record of scoring 40 or more points in five consecutive games in April, plus scoring a season-high of 50 points in a road game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, at the Gund Arena on April 12, 1997, despite the 76ers losing all five of those games. Iverson finished tied in 17th place in Most Valuable Player voting, while Davis finished tied in seventh place in Sixth Man of the Year voting.

The 76ers finished 26th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 610,974 at the CoreStates Center during the regular season, which was the fourth-lowest in the league. Davis and General Manager Brad Greenberg were both fired after Iverson's first season with the club. Also following the season, MacLean, Harris and Cage were all traded to the New Jersey Nets.

Offseason

NBA draft

Main article: 1996 NBA draft

RoundPickPlayerPositionNationalitySchool/Club team
11Allen IversonPG/SGGeorgetown
231Mark HendricksonSFWashington State
232Ryan Minor (from Toronto)SGOklahoma
248Jamie Feick (from Detroit)PFMichigan State

Roster

  • Johnny Davis
  • Ed Badger
  • Maurice Cheeks
  • Bob Ociepka

Regular season

Season standings

Season schedule

82April 19@ AtlantaLoss10413622-60Lost 2

Player stats

Note: GP= Games played; REB= Rebounds; AST= Assists; STL = Steals; BLK = Blocks; PTS = Points; AVG = Average

PlayerGPREBASTSTLBLKPTSAVG
Allen Iverson7631256715724178723.5
Jerry Stackhouse813382539363167920.7
Derrick Coleman575731935075103218.1
Clarence Weatherspoon826791407486100312.2
Mark Davis7532313585316398.5
Don McLean3714037121040210.9
Rex Walters591071132834026.8
Scott Williams623974144413625.8
Lucious Harris5471504132935.4
Doug Overton61681012402173.6
Michael Cage823204348421511.8
Mark Hendrickson29923104852.9
Adrian Caldwell27111787722.7
Mark Bradtke3668755591.6
Frankie King714540202.9
Joe Courtney49000123.0

Award winners

  • Allen Iverson, NBA Rookie of the Year Award
  • Allen Iverson, NBA All-Rookie Team First Team

References

References

  1. [https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/PHI/1997.html 1996-97 Philadelphia 76ers]
  2. Roberts, Selena. (May 20, 1996). "PRO BASKETBALL; Sixers Win the Jackpot and Iverson, or Marbury". The New York Times.
  3. Long, Ernie. (May 20, 1996). "Crystal Ball Helps 76ers Get No. 1 Pick; Croce Couldn't Give Much Insight as to Whether His Team Would Go Big or Small". The Morning Call.
  4. Brown, Clifton. (June 27, 1996). "PRO BASKETBALL; Big Trade and Some Twists in N.B.A. Youth Parade". The New York Times.
  5. Heisler, Mark. (June 27, 1996). "The Surprises Are Few". Los Angeles Times.
  6. "1996 NBA Draft". Basketball-Reference.
  7. (July 16, 1996). "Sixers Sign Free Agent Don MacLean". United Press International.
  8. (September 11, 1996). "76ers Sign Forward-Guard Mark Davis". Associated Press.
  9. (July 23, 1996). "Lucious Harris". United Press International.
  10. (August 23, 1996). "Philadelphia Signs Cage". The New York Times.
  11. Long, Ernie. (August 23, 1996). "Cage Brings Solid Work Ethic to 76ers; Veteran Free Agent Hopes to Shore Up Philly's Inside Game". The Morning Call.
  12. (June 10, 1996). "Davis Named 76ers Coach". Associated Press.
  13. (June 11, 1996). "SPORTS PEOPLE: BASKETBALL; 76ers Hire Davis". The New York Times.
  14. "NBA Games Played on February 6, 1997". Basketball-Reference.
  15. "1996–97 Philadelphia 76ers Schedule and Results". Basketball-Reference.
  16. (November 2, 1996). "Iverson Scores 30 in Debut with 76ers, But Bucks Win". The Washington Post.
  17. (November 2, 1996). "Drexler Dominant; O'Neal Victorious". The Spokesman-Review.
  18. "Milwaukee Bucks at Philadelphia 76ers Box Score, November 1, 1996". Basketball-Reference.
  19. (May 2, 1997). "Iverson Is Voted Top Rookie". The New York Times.
  20. (May 2, 1997). "Iverson Calls Rookie Award a Triumph Over His Critics". Los Angeles Times.
  21. "NBA & ABA Rookie of the Year Award Winners". Basketball-Reference.
  22. (January 10, 1997). "Coleman Is Sidelined". The New York Times.
  23. (January 28, 1997). "76ers Fine Coleman for Going AWOL". Los Angeles Times.
  24. (January 28, 1997). "Coleman Checks In". The Washington Post.
  25. Ford, Bob. (December 29, 1996). "Injured List a Painless Ploy in NBA". Chicago Tribune.
  26. "1996–97 Philadelphia 76ers Roster and Stats". Basketball-Reference.
  27. Fry, Darrell. (February 8, 1997). "On to the Next Stage". Tampa Bay Times.
  28. Roberts, Selena. (February 9, 1997). "Iverson Takes Rookie Honor, But He's No M.V.P. to Fans". The New York Times.
  29. (September 13, 2021). "1997 NBA All-Star Recap". NBA.com.
  30. "1997 NBA Rising Stars: East 96, West 91". Basketball-Reference.
  31. (February 6, 1997). "Stars Are Out for Ewing; Groin Injury K.O.'s Patrick". New York Daily News.
  32. "NBA & ABA All-Star Game Contest Winners". Basketball-Reference.
  33. (April 13, 1997). "Iverson Scores 50 More Points". The New York Times.
  34. Adande, J.A.. (April 15, 1997). "Bullets Rip 76ers, Move Ahead of Cavs". The Washington Post.
  35. "Philadelphia 76ers at Cleveland Cavaliers Box Score, April 12, 1997". Basketball-Reference.
  36. "1996–97 NBA Awards Voting". Basketball-Reference.
  37. "1996–97 NBA Season Summary". Basketball-Reference.
  38. (April 21, 1997). "Final Day: Charlotte Slips, Washington Soars, O'Neal Misses". The New York Times.
  39. (April 21, 1997). "Coach and G.M. Fired by 76ers". Los Angeles Times.
  40. Roberts, Selena. (June 28, 1997). "The Nets Decide the Future Can't Wait". The New York Times.
  41. (June 28, 1997). "Van Horn Finally on His Way to New Jersey in 76er Trade". Los Angeles Times.
  42. Kepner, Tyler. (June 28, 1997). "Nets Get Van Horn from 76ers". The Washington Post.
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