The Philadelphia 76ers are not content to settle for good. That's why they've added one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
LeBron James willplay his age 42 and potentially age 43 seasons in eastern Pennsylvania, joining a loaded lineup aimed at dethroning the world champion New York Knicks. But even a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals would break new ground for a franchise that cycles through stars but can't find a recipe for postseason success. The Sixers have made the playoffs eight of the last nine years. They advanced out of the first round six times. They haven't made it any further since Allen Iverson was running point.
Here's the history James -- and fellow high profile addition Jaylen Brown -- will try to erase next spring.
2018: The process pays off, seemingly setting the stage for bigger things
A five-year playoff drought reached its nadir in a 10-win 2016 -- a tank job that landed Ben Simmons in the 2017 NBA Draft. He joined a roster that included 2014 draftee Joel Embiid, defensive star Robert Covington and sharpshooter JJ Redick en route to a 4-1 series win over the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs. That joy didn't last; the Boston Celtics nearly swept them out of the semifinals en route to a 4-1 win of their own.
2019: Tobias Harris and Jimmy Butler arrive, Kawhi Leonard breaks their hearts anyway
(deep exhale)
Oooooof.
2020: Swept out of the bubble
The Covid-19 pandemic meant cutting the regular season short, then resuming it in a central location in August. Embiid averaged 30 points per game, but everything felt a little off for this special event postseason. The four Eastern Conference opening rounds lasted a combined 17 games.
2021: Upended by the Atlanta Hawks
Philadelphia rolled to another easy first round win, dispatching the Washington Wizards 4-1. Then came an absolute war against the Eastern Conference's fifth seed, Atlanta. Trae Young caught fire, shooting the Hawks to only their second conference finals of the last six decades. Seth Curry stepped up to make nearly 60 percent of his threes, but Simmons was trapped in the shooting spiral that would eventually usher him out of the league. He had just five points on four attempts as the 76ers were eliminated on their home court.
2022: James Harden arrives, ultimately makes no difference
Harden was an All-Star in 2021-2022, averaging a double-double for a 51-win team. Ultimately, the biggest addition to the starting lineup that season was an emerging Tyrese Maxey. The Kentucky guard slipped to the 21st pick in 2020, but averaged 17.5 points per game after being promoted to a bigger role. His 20.2 points per game led the team in its final series against the Miami Heat. Unfortunately, an injured Embiid and the presence of old friend Jimmy Butler in black and red led to a 4-2 Eastern Conference Semifinals defeat.
2023: It's the Celtics. Again.
After sweeping the Nets, Philly met up with its Atlantic Division rival looking to break its semifinal curse. Despite taking a 3-2 lead, the 76ers couldn't close out Boston at home. They lost the final two games of the series by a combined 33 points.
2024: Embiid and Maxey need help in a first round washout
The Sixers homegrown stars showed out against the Knicks, averaging nearly 63 points and 12.5 assists per game between them. But Tobias Harris was a mess, Kyle Lowry was too old and Kelly Oubre was too Kelly Oubre, leading to a 4-2 defeat at the hands of a rising New York franchise.
2025: The process begins, again
With Embiid limited to 19 games due to injury, Philadelphia won 24 games. This manifested in the third overall pick, making VJ Edgecombe a Sixer. He'd have an immediate impact.
2026: Catharsis and familiar disappointment
The good news: Maxey and Edgecombe shined in the backcourt. Embiid played through injury (mostly) and Paul George was a useful veteran presence. By those powers combined, Philadelphia rallied from a 3-1 series deficit and toppled the second-seeded Celtics.
The bad news: The Knicks were next in full-on housefire mode. The 76ers were swept. losing multiple games by at least 30 points in the process.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: A brief history of 76ers playoff losses pre-LeBron
