When the debate of a Mount Rushmore comes up in sports, the debate is a tough one as coming up with the top four players is always a challenge. For a franchise as historic as the Philadelphia 76ers, it is always hard to come up with just four players, but that’s what we are going to attempt here.
There are plenty of players that can have a case made for them, but we are going to break it down to these four players and match them up with their presidential counterpart:
Julius Erving-George Washington
Just like Washington on the real Mount Rushmore, Erving takes the lead on this Sixers version and for good reason. He is the face of the franchise as he is the franchise’s all-time leader in blocks, he’s fourth in points, fourth in assists, third in steals, and he is seventh in rebounds. Sure, Moses Malone won Finals MVP in 1983, but Erving was the clear best player on the team and they don’t go anywhere without the good doctor.
Wilt Chamberlain-Thomas Jefferson
Chamberlain is an important figure in Sixers history, but he isn’t the face of the franchise. That belongs to Julius Erving and that is why he gets the Jefferson treatment here. However, that doesn’t mitigate his impact in Philly. His time in Philadelphia was short–just a little over three seasons–but in those three full seasons, he was named MVP each season. He averaged an insane 27.6 points and 23.9 rebounds in Philadelphia and if blocks would have been recorded during his time, he probably would have averaged something like eight blocks per game or so. The guy was a superhero.
Allen Iverson-Theodore Roosevelt
Iverson played with a heart that was much bigger than his size and that is why he gets this part of Mount Rushmore. He threw the franchise on his bony shoulders plenty of times including carrying them to the 2001 NBA Finals. He is second in franchise history in scoring, second in steals, third in assists, and he has an MVP award to his credit as well. He definitely deserves a spot on the Sixers Mount Rushmore.
Charles Barkley-Abraham Lincoln
Barkley did it all. He is third in franchise history in rebounds, fifth in steals, fifth in points, and seventh in blocks while throwing the late ’80s and early ’90s Sixers on his back after Malone was traded and Erving retired. He gets the back end of this version of Mount Rushmore because the three in front him did more in franchise history, but Barkley is still an important piece of the franchise’s history and deserves to be up here as well. [lawrence-related id=30118,30112,30105]