Best Draft Pick In Philadelphia 76ers History

The Philadelphia 76ers are one of the NBA's most storied franchises, with three championships and a history that dates back to 1949 (1946, if you want to include the NBL) as the Syracuse Nationals. In that time, they have produced some of the greatest players the sport has ever seen, with three deserving candidates for the best draft pick in the franchise's history. 

Charles Barkley, selected fifth overall in the 1984 NBA Draft out of Auburn, in the same class as Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon, spent eight seasons in Philadelphia and became one of the most dominant players the league has ever seen. A six-time All-NBA First Team selection with the Sixers, Barkley averaged 23.3 points and 11.6 rebounds per game as an undersized 6’6” power forward. 

Joel Embiid, selected third overall in the 2014 NBA Draft, is another legitimate candidate for the Sixers' best draft pick. Starting the game at the age of 15, Embiid made his way to Kansas before being drafted into the NBA just four years after picking up a ball for the first time. Injuries have plagued Embiid throughout his career, including his first two seasons entirely.  When healthy, he can be one of the most dominant big men the league has ever seen, evident by his three scoring titles, an MVP in 2023, a franchise record 70 points in a single game in 2024, and a career average of 27.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. 

While Barkley and Embiid are great options, the honor goes to Allen Iverson. 

The 1996 NBA Draft is widely considered the greatest in league history, producing Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Ray Allen, and Stephon Marbury, among others. Out of that historic class, the Sixers selected Iverson first overall out of Georgetown. He arrived at a franchise that had finished 18-64, joining a team with almost nothing around him and turning them into must-see TV. 

A two-sport star for the Bethel Bruins, Iverson won State Championships in both football and basketball during his junior year before legal issues impacted his senior season. Despite not playing his final high school year, Iverson had proven himself enough to earn a scholarship from Hoyas coach John Thompson. 

Following two seasons on campus in which he helped the Hoyas to the NCAA Tournament both years, Iverson declared for the 1996 NBA Draft. 

What followed was one of the most remarkable individual careers the sport has ever seen. Joining a Sixers team that posted an 18-64 record the year prior, Iverson averaged 23.5 points, 7.5 assists, and 2.1 steals per game, capturing the Rookie of the Year award. While he was only able to help the Sixers to two more victories, Iverson’s rookie year was filled with highlights, including dropping 40 points or more in five straight games and putting Michael Jordan on skates with what would become his legendary crossover move. 

During his twelve seasons in a Sixers uniform (Iverson would return to the City of Brotherly Love for a 25-game stint at the end of his career), Iverson was the focal point of the team for eleven. 

He won four scoring titles, three straight steals titles, made seven All-NBA teams and seven All-Star selections, and in 2001 won the league MVP while leading the Sixers to the NBA Finals almost entirely on his own. Philadelphia’s playoff run remains one of the most impressive individual efforts in postseason history, capped off by a Finals performance in which he dropped 48 points in Game 1 against the LA Lakers and stepped over Tyronn Lue after a clutch pull-up jumper in one of the most iconic images the sport has ever produced. 

Standing just 6’, 165lbs, Iverson carried the Sixers with little to no help for the better part of a decade, earning an induction into the Hall of Fame in 2016 and being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. His number three jersey hangs in the Wells Fargo Center rafters, and his sculpture joins the list of Philadelphia’s sports legends.