Reliving "Basketball Hell" in Philadelphia

The Philadelphia Daily News takes readers on a trip down memory lane and into basketball hell.  As the Nets threaten the Sixers' futility mark, Phil Jasner writes about the 1972-73 Sixers, who won only nine games.  Fred Cartrer, who calls himself the best player on the worst team in history, recalls what it was like and has advice for the young Nets. "I would tell the Nets, 'Stick together, hang in. Don't point fingers,' " Carter said. " 'Don't give up games. Play hard, so people on the better teams see that."  And the man who was was GM of the woeful franchise offers this hope. "Our approach, once we recognized the struggle it would be, was to work toward the draft. I believe we had the best draft in Sixers history," says Don DeJardin. In fact, the Sixers used the debacle to rebuild quickly.  Over the next decade, they won an average of 46 games, went to the Finals three teams, then won it all in 1982-83 ...the tenth anniversary of setting the futility mark.

• Nets threatening infamous 9-73 Sixers of 1972-73 - Phil Jasner - Philadelphia Daily News
• Carter, of worst team in NBA history, wants to keep place in record books - Phil Jasner - Philadelphia Daily News
• Former Sixers GM DeJardin feels Nets' pain - Phil Jasner - Philadelphia Daily News