Philadelphia 76ers: 15 greatest draft picks in franchise history

Drafted by the Syracuse Nationals in 1958, Hal Greer spent 15 seasons with the franchise. He still holds several offensive records with the team, emerging as one of the most effective scorers in NBA history.

Between the Nationals and Sixers, Greer made 10 All-Star appearances over the course of his career. He averaged 19.2 points per game and holds the franchise records for points scored, field goals, field goal attempts, games played, and minutes played.

Spending 15 years with a franchise is rare, regardless of which era it occurred in. When Greer retired in 1973, he was the all-time leader in games played and top-10 on the all-time scoring list. That all came with Sixers (or Nationals) on the front of his uniform.

Perhaps the most unusual aspect of Greer’s game was his free throw shooing. He became famous for his odd approach, shooting a full-blown jump shot behind the line. It was effective, though, as he was an 80.1 percent shooter from the charity stripe.

Like several other names on this list, Greer was part of the 1967 championship team, ending the Boston Celtics’ reign atop the NBA. He would inevitably be named to the Hall of Fame.

Greer passed away on Apr. 14 at the age of 81. Throughout the entire 2018 postseason, the Sixers paid tribute with a black ’15’ patch on their jerseys.