The 1965-66 Sixers had finished with the NBA's best record, and their exceptional talent led nearly everyone to believe they were destined to push past the Celtics at last. Trades engineered in 1965 by Ike Richman, the co-owner who served as his team's GM, had brought Chamberlain and Jones back home. Drafts had yielded Walker, Jackson, and the rookie Cunningham. Greer was a perennial all-star; set-shooting Larry Costello and forward Dave Gambee were still productive players.