From 1959-1969, the Boston Celtics won 10 of 11 NBA titles. The one year Boston didn't win was 1967, when the Sixers ran roughshod over the entire league, including the Celtics. That 1966-67 Sixers team went 68-13 in the regular season, which remains one of the top five regular-season records in NBA history.
You probably know some of the names from that team. Wilt Chamberlain, obviously. Hal Greer, Billy Cunningham, Chet Walker — all Hall of Famers. What's great about this video, which is essentially a video yearbook of that 1966-67 team, is that you really get to understand the skill sets of those players and what made the team so dominant. It's also a time capsule. The shots of fans in suits and dresses inside the old Convention Hall really drive home that you're in a completely different era. (The Spectrum would open the following season.)
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At the 1:55 mark, head coach Alex Hannum breaks down what each player brought to the team while you see video of those players. By the time he's done, you understand that Greer was a great mid-range jump shooter and that Luke Jackson and Chamberlain gave that team a "Twin Towers" look in the paint. It's a fascinating breakdown of what each player brought to the table and how the pieces fit together.
The real fun begins at 6:04, with a look at the Eastern Division Finals series against the Celtics. You get to see Chamberlain tangle with Bill Russell, and his combination of size, athleticism and skill just jumps off the screen. He averaged 21 points, 32 rebounds and 10 assists for the series. The absurdity of those numbers begins to make sense when you watch him do it. It’s impossible to watch the video and not believe that Chamberlain would have been a star in any era.
You also have to put into perspective what you’re watching as the Sixers overwhelmed the Celtics 4-1 in that series, including a 140-116 beatdown in Game 5 in Philadelphia. The Celtics were the eight-time defending champions. Russell had thwarted Chamberlain’s championship aspirations at every turn. But in 1967, the Celtics were a mere speed bump on the Sixers' road to a title.
At 16:47, you see Sixers fans holding a banner that says “Boston Is Dead” and you can feel the magnitude of that moment. At 18:21, you hear Chamberlain, Walker, Cunningham and others describe their feelings on finally vanquishing the Celtics as you watch the pure joy of the champagne celebration in the locker room.
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The Sixers still had to finish the job, and the Finals series against the San Francisco Warriors begins at the 20:25 mark. You see the Sixers clinch the championship on the road in San Francisco before returning home to cheering fans at the airport.
The video begins and ends with a song from that era celebrating the 1966-67 Sixers. Here’s the chorus:
There's Hal and Larry, Matt and Bill and Wali Jones to pass it.
Luke and Billy, Chet and Dave and Wilt to guard the basket.
Those are names Sixers fans should know from what remains one of the greatest teams in NBA history.
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