1982-83 Moses leads the 76ers to the promised land
When Julius Erving came to Philadelphia in the 1976-77 season, an NBA
Championship was to go to the 76ers. While Philadelphia made the Finals three
time in Erving's first six years with the team, the title was still beyond their
reach. But when Moses Malone (the league's MVP) became a free agent, the club's
officials right away traded Caldwell Jones and a first round draft pick to
Houston to get him. Thanks to this trade, the 76ers won 65 victories and the
Atlantic Division title. When asked how Philadelphia would do in the Playoffs,
Malone stated that the they would beat all rivals in a sweep and win the
Championship.
But the Lakers would have an issue with that. By the addition of James Worthy
from the 1982 draft, the Lakers won 58 games in the regular season and their
third Pacific Division title in four years. In the last week of the regular
season, Worthysuffered an injury, but the Lakers stiil managed to easily beat
Portland and San Antonio to advance to the Finals. The 76ers swept the Knicks
and won over Milwaukee in five games to meet the Lakers. The Lakers, however,
without Worthy, Norm Nixon, and Bob McAdoo, were swept by Philadelphia, which
won its first title since the days of Wilt Chamberlain.
Moses leads the 76ers to the promised land. Julius Erving had won two ABA
Championships with the New York Nets in 1974 and 76. When ABA players proved to
be as talented as the NBA ones, the title went to the 76ers behind Erving. Then
another ABA star, Moses Malone, arrived in Philadelphia. The 76ers finished the
Playoffs with a 12-1 record, with a sweep over the Lakers in the Finals."The
difference from last year and this year is Moses. He gave us inside the court
what the Lakers had always gotten from Abdul-Jabbar. We got that and more from
Moses", said coach Billy Cunningham.
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