12 People who turned their backs on the Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers have not won a championship since 1983. Joel Embiid is one of the best in the world but has been unable to lift the franchise to a title. Allen Iverson and Charles Barkley could not do it, either. The Sixers need a bit more help and to focus on building a championship team around their superstar.

Things are rarely easy in Philly. There is always drama and questions hanging over the organization. Fans haven’t forgotten the James Harden trade demand, but it was just one of many instances. Such is the life of an NBA franchise chasing a championship.

There have been plenty of front-office blunders in recent years. From failed draft picks to trades that never worked out, the 76ers have made mistakes. They have also had multiple players force their way out and create messy exits. Here is a look at several people who betrayed the franchise.

12. Jerry Stackhouse

The Sixers moved up to third in the 1995 NBA Draft lottery and selected Stackhouse. He was an All-American at UNC and immediately one of the best scorers in the NBA. Philadelphia won just 18 games in his rookie season and took Allen Iverson with the number one overall pick in 1996. They dreamed of an elite scoring backcourt, but the fit just never worked.

Stackhouse told the franchise he planned to leave in free agency in 1998. The 76ers could not allow him to walk with no compensation, so they traded the 6’6 wing with Eric Montross and a second-round draft pick to the Pistons for Aaron McKie, Theo Ratliff, and a 2003 first-rounder. Stackhouse went on to be a two-time All-Star in Detroit and play 18 seasons in the NBA.

Jerry Stackhouse wanted out, so the Philadelphia 76ers sent him packing. It was a messy exit, but there were certainly worse ones in franchise history.