Our NBA Tuesday miniseries moves from Phoenix to Philadelphia this week, going across the country to check out the franchise history of the 76ers. Most people don’t know the organization began in Syracuse as the Nationals, from 1950 to 1963, however—winning the NBA title in 1955. Once in Philly, the team also won the league championship in 1967 and 1983. Overall, the 76ers have made 53 postseason appearances across 73 seasons, and this season is no different. Woop!

No. 5: 1949-50 Syracuse Nationals

With a 51-13 record, these Nationals finished first in the Eastern Division. They were third in offense, fifth on defense, and third overall in the SRS. In the Eastern semis, they defeated the Philadelphia Warriors in a two-game sweep, before beating the New York Knicks in a three-game series for the Eastern Conference championship. Then, in the NBA Finals, they played a six-game series against the Minneapolis Lakers, losing 4-2. This was the best of the Syracuse teams.

Frontcourt legend Dolph Schayes (12.8 Win Shares) and point guard Al Cervi (9.3) were the undisputed leaders of this squad, as the Nationals used just 11 players all season. They won the two postseason games against the Warriors by 12.5 ppg, so those were “easy” contests. Beating the Knicks came down to a Game 3 at home, where Syracuse won by 11 points. In the Finals, though, the Lakers overwhelmed the Nationals, winning twice in blowout fashion that made the difference.

No. 4: 1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers

These 76ers won the Atlantic Division with a 65-17 record, built upon the No. 8 offense, the No. 7 defense, and the No. 1 ranking in the SRS overall. The team was so good, it lost just once in the postseason on the way to the NBA championship (still a record). The playoff started with a 4-game sweep of the Knicks, followed by a 5-game series win over the underrated Milwaukee Bucks. In the Finals, Philadelphia swept the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.

How was this team so good?! Well, two-time reigning MVP Moses Malone (15.1 WS) was a monster at center. Small forward Julius Erving (10.9) was slightly past his prime, but he was still a dominant force on his own. Throw in skilled PG Maurice Cheeks (9.4), and there was a formidable trio to lead this deep team. They were so amazing, the 76ers beat the Team of the ’80s (with its five eventual titles) by more than 10 ppg in a surprising sweep that still resonates deeply.

No. 3: 1980-81 Philadelphia 76ers

With a 62-20 record, this Philly team finished second in the Atlantic Division—despite a No. 1 SRS ranking overall. That was based on the No. 4 offense and the No. 1 defense. After a two-game sweep of the Indiana Pacers to open the postseason, the 76ers won a grinding seven-game series over the Milwaukee Bucks to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals against the eventual champion Boston Celtics. This time, the seven-game series didn’t go Philadelphia’s way.

Erving (13.8 WS) and Cheeks (8.5) were joined by power forward Bobby Jones (9.2) atop this roster, with three others supporting players posting at least 5.5 WS, too. But it wasn’t enough in the playoffs: the Bucks actually outscored the 76ers by 2.6 ppg, even though Philly won Game 7 at home by a single point. Then, against Boston, five of the seven games were determined by 1 or 2 points—including the final contest, won by the home-court Celtics by a single point. Touché.

No. 2: 1967-68 Philadelphia 76ers

The defending champion 76ers won 62 games to finish first in the Eastern Division, and they also clinched the No. 1 spot in the overall SRS ratings. With the top offense and the No. 4 defense, Philly looked primed to win another NBA title. But after a six-game series win over the Knicks to open the playoffs, it was time to face the Celtics again: the 76ers had home-court advantage, but Boston wanted to take back what it felt was rightfully its own—and Philly lost Game 7 at home.

This team was led by C Wilt Chamberlain (20.4 WS), shooting guard Hal Greer (11.2), and SF Chet Walker (8.2). With the roster relying so heavily on its stars, the depth was not there in the end. And it was a strange series against Boston, too, as the road team won 5 of the 7 games in the matchup. After the Celtics won the opener on the road, it was Philly’s turn to win 3 straight games. But the 76ers folded in the final three games, by 10.0 ppg, to lose the series and their title.

No. 1: 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers

These 76ers are famous for two reasons: first, they ended the Celtics’ eight-year streak of NBA titles, and second, they won a then-record 68 games in the regular season. Philly was No. 1 on offense, No. 3 on defense, and No. 1 overall in the SRS ratings. In the playoffs, the 76ers beat the Cincinnati Royals in 4 games, the Boston Celtics in 5 games, and the San Francisco Warriors in 6 games to claim the second NBA championship in franchise history.

Guess who was the best player on this team? Yep, some guy named Chamberlain (21.9 WS). Greer (10.1) and Walker (7.6) once again played second fiddle. Philly beat Cincy by 12.5 ppg, and then the 76ers routed the Celtics by 10.0 ppg, too. The Finals were much closer, as Philadelphia outscored San Francisco by just 6.7 ppg, despite Warriors star Rick Barry averaging over 40 points per game. Both team had five players average double-digit scoring in the Finals, which is nuts.