The Philadelphia 76ers are bringing back their iconic Iverson-era jerseys for the 2025-26 season. This upcoming season has been coined a “season-long celebration” of the 2000-01 Eastern Conference Championship team and their run to the NBA Finals. The Hardwood Classic Edition uniform and corresponding court will debut at Xfinity Mobile Arena Nov. 8 when the Sixers take on the Toronto Raptors.
The uniform was first introduced at the start of the 1997-98 season, reflecting a drastic shift from their classic red and blue color scheme. The new jerseys’ look consisted of two main variants — black for away games and white for home games — each of which displayed a modernized logo across the chest in black, silver and gold elements. A blue version of the jersey was added to Philadelphia’s road uniform rotation during the 1999-00 season.
While the black jersey was popular from the time it debuted, it officially cemented itself in NBA history during Allen Iverson’s incredible 2000-01 MVP season. The versatile six-foot guard propelled the Sixers to the 2001 NBA Finals, where the infamous stepover took place against the Los Angeles Lakers. Defended by Lakers point guard Tyronn Lue, Iverson displayed crafty ball handling skills before draining a long jumpshot in front of the opposing team’s bench. Lue fell to the court following an attempt to contest the shot, and Iverson dominantly stepped over him. Iverson went on to record a statline of 48 points, six assists and five steals in the Game 1 overtime victory, in addition to producing one of the most memorable moments in NBA history.
Last season’s influx of injuries caused the team to miss the playoffs for the first time since center Joel Embiid’s first active season (2016-17), leaving a bad taste in the mouths of Sixers fans. Embiid only appeared in 19 total games before being officially shut down Feb. 22 in order to properly rehabilitate a lingering left knee injury. Season-ending injuries to forward Paul George (groin and knee) and standout rookie guard Jared McCain (torn lateral meniscus) added on to roster inconsistencies. The Sixers finished as the 13th seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of 24-58.
Coming off the most miserable season in recent Sixers history, the revival of the Iverson-era jerseys are accompanied by a degree of much-needed excitement surrounding Philadelphia’s basketball team. The uniform “represents an era of franchise history that embraced a distinct identity and captured the attention of the entire city,” as stated by Sixers Chief Operations Officer Lara Price. This element of cultural nostalgia, on top of the health of the roster, is the key to getting Philadelphia sports fans back on board with the Sixers.
