5. 1949-50 season (51-13, lost in NBA Finals)
The Philadelphia 76ers — well, technically, the Syracuse Nationals — made their NBA debut in 1949. It’s fair to say the Nats started on the right foot, winning 51 games en route to a .797 win percentage — the second highest mark in franchise history.
At the time, only 17 teams inhabited the league. It was a mix of NBA originals and NBL mergers, the Nationals falling into the latter category. A 51-13 record was good for No. 1 in the league, meaning the franchise quite literally started out on top.
In the postseason, Syracuse went on to beat the Philadelphia Warriors (yes, that’s weird) in two games. Then came the New York Knickerbockers, who were swiftly dispatched. It led to a Finals matchup with the Minneapolis Lakers. While not in L.A. yet, the Sixers-Lakers rivalry has been brewing since the franchise’s first season.
The Lakers wound up winning the title, sending the Nationals home empty handed. Such a strong beginning to an NBA franchise deserves props, though. The Nationals weren’t quite as dominant the following years, but would end up winning a title in 1955 — just five years removed from their first NBA game.
Dolph Schayes was the Nats’ leading man, averaging 16.8 points and 4.0 assists in his de facto NBA rookie season. He would end up going down as an all-time legend and a top-10 player in franchise history.