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Torrent Description
During the 1972–1973 basketball season, the Philadelphia 76ers were not just a bad team; they were fantastically awful. Doomed from the start after losing their leading scorer and rebounder, Billy Cunningham, as well as head coach Jack Ramsay, they lost twenty-one of their first twenty-three games. A Philadelphia newspaper began calling them the Seventy Sickers, and they duly lost their last thirteen games on their way to a not-yet-broken record of nine wins and seventy-three losses.
Charley Rosen recaptures the futility of that season through the firsthand accounts of players, participants, and observers. Although the team was uniformly bad, there were still many memorable moments, and the lore surrounding the team is legendary. Once, when head coach Roy Rubin tried to substitute John Q. Trapp out of a game, Trapp refused and told Rubin to look behind the teamâ™s bench, whereby one of Trappâ™s friends supposedly opened his jacket to show his handgun. With only four wins at the All-Star break, Rubin was fired and replaced by player-coach Kevin Loughery. In addition to chronicling the 76ersâ™ woes, Perfectly Awful also captures the drama, culture, and attitude of the NBA in an era when many white fans believed that the league had too many black players. Publisher: University of Nebraska Press (October 1, 2014) Language: English ISBN-10: 0803248628 ISBN-13: 978-0803248625 Editorial Reviews Review "The literature of sport usually focuses on championship teams and players. But the road to the top is littered with vanquished foes. The '72–'73 76ers are the ultimate vanquished foe. Great reading."—Wes Lukowsky, Booklist starred review (Wes Lukowsky Booklist) About the Author Charley Rosen is a contributor to HoopsHype.com (USA Today Sports) and is the author of more than a dozen sports books, including Crazy Basketball (Nebraska, 2011), Players and Pretenders (Nebraska, 2007), and two books cowritten with NBA coach Phil Jackson. Most Helpful Customer Reviews Wonderful new book on Disasterous All-Time Worst NBA team...the 9-73 Philadelphia 76ers from 1972-73! By E. Alton on November 8, 2014 Very interesting new book out on disasterous season of '72-73 Philly 76ers. Everything was set - an naïve owner (Kosloff), untested & overawhelmed Coach (Poor Roy Rubin) and amateur GM (Dejardin). Amazing they had to advertise in local Philly Inquirer classified section for this NBA Head Coach job! Yes 76ers were undermanned (a few yrs from their reknown legendary '67 Championship team) but they had some solid parts. Problem was no "go to guy" (Billy Cunningham had jumped to ABA Carolina Couagars), no legitimate Big Man (Chamberlain traded to Lakers after feeling team reneged on his contract). Then the ensuing trades...boy what a disaster they were, often lopsided. To add salt to the wound, the Seattle Super Sonics literally "stole" John Brisker from them and even there they got screwed by the league office. As a longtime knowledgable NBA & Philly fan, I often search for the rare sports book that tells me something informative/new that I didn't already know. This book was great...literally took you back to the early '70s after Jack Ramsey had left (and gutted the team with some of his own poor moves as GM but also rightfully criticized ownership for not being committed to winning). The author (Charley Rosen) takes you thru pre-season into the season....game by game, detailing how under-manned and undercoached the team was. Along w/crippling trades and disrespect to the final remaining player of the '67 Title team (Hal Greer) this team must have been painful to watch. Plus the team held out hopes that after the season they might have legit shot at NCAA Stud Bill Walton going hardship in upcoming draft....of course Walton wanted nothing to do w/76ers and their losing ways. Nothing funny about 9-73 season By Barry Sparks VINE VOICE on November 11, 2014 Perfectly Awful: The Philadelphia 76ers' Horrendous and Hilarious 1972-72 Season is timely reading since the Sixers are coming off a 19-win season, and perhaps headed toward lower depths. The 1972-73 Sixers went 9-73 for the worst full-season record in NBA history. There is some debate, however, whether or not the team was the worst ever. The 2011-12 Charlotte Bobcats finished the strike-shortened season at 7-59 with a lower won-loss percentage than the Sixers. Author Charley Rosen chronicles the Sixers' dismal season game-by-game. He laces the brief game accounts with interesting anecdotes and player profiles. When Coach Jack Ramsey left the club after the 30-win 1971-72 season, he said the team had "no present and no future." A major rebuilding was required, one that interested few veteran coaches. With slim coaching prospects, the desperate Sixers placed a helped wanted ad in the Philadelphia Inquirer. A friend of Roy Rubin, head coach at Long Island University, saw the ad and recommended he apply. The 46-year-old Rubin, who had built an impressive collegiate record, was hired to replace Ramsey. Rubin stated that he loved a challenge. To add to the challenge, the courts announced on the same day that Sixers star Billy Cunningham was obliged to play for the ABA Carolina Cougars. Rubin appeared to be clueless about the professional game. Sixer Fred Carter said Rubin and assistant coach Paul Lizzo were the "Laurel and Hardy of NBA coaching." Rubin lacked knowledge about NBA rules, was strategically challenged and substituted without rhyme or reason. Sixer Kevin Loughery, who succeeded Rubin as coach after 51 games and a 4-47 record, called him a "total con man. 
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English