Top 5 players to wear number 9 jersey in Philadelphia 76ers history
The number 9 jersey has currently been worn by 25 players in the history of the Philadelphia 76ers. So, in fine Sixers Wire fashion, we are going to rank the top five players to ever throw on the jersey number.
The list is going to be based on what the players did while wearing the specific uniform number. These five players aren’t superstars in the purest sense, but they were solid players. One of the players on this list also did a good job of using his time in Philadelphia to work and develop and earn a spot on other teams in the league.
With that said, let’s get into this list:
No.5 JaKarr Sampson
John Geliebter-USA TODAY Sports
As mentioned before, Sampson is the one who was referenced about using his time in Philadelphia to earn a spot in the league. He was a true Process player averaging 5.2 points and 2.4 rebounds which are not spectacular numbers at all, but he was a solid player and he did end up sticking in the NBA. He has seven years of NBA experience under his belt last with the Indiana Pacers in the 2020-21 season.
No. 4 George Lynch
TOM MIHALEK/AFP via Getty Images
Lynch was in Philadelphia for only two seasons, but he made an impact with the Sixers. He started 198 of his 200 games played and he averaged 8.8 points and 7.3 rebounds in those seasons. He played a key role for them as being a good perimeter defender and also providing just enough offensive punch to make defenders pay attention to him.
No. 3 Kenny Thomas
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
Thomas was underrated in Philadelphia. He was a solid, yet unspectacular, power forward who did all of the dirty work for them to succeed and he averaged 12.0 points and 8.7 rebounds. A case could be made that the Sixers should have kept Thomas instead of trading him for Chris Webber. As good as Webber was, he was not the same player when Philadelphia traded for him.
No. 2 Dario Saric
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Saric was a major part of the team’s rise from the Process to title contenders. He was in the running for Rookie of the Year in 2017 before coming up short to Milwaukee Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon and then he was a starter on the 2018 playoff team as he was a main contributor on the team. His production was so valuable that he was able to help the Sixers land a legitimate star in Jimmy Butler. He averaged 13.5 points and 6.5 rebounds during his tenure with Philadelphia. He is currently with the Phoenix Suns.
No. 1 Andre Iguodala
Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Iguodala started wearing number 4 before Webber was acquired and he then changed his number to 9, and he is the clear best player in franchise history to wear the number. He averaged 15.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.9 assists while being named an All-Star in 2012. The Sixers wanted him to become a clear-cut No. 1 go-to guy, but that just was not his personality. However, he did make plenty of huge plays during his career, including knocking down for the go-ahead free throws to eliminate the Chicago Bulls in the 2012 playoffs. He also hit a game-winner against the Orlando Magic in Game 1 of the 2009 playoffs.
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