NBA: 5 Longest Playoff Appearance Streaks EVER

#1 Syracuse Nationals 1950-1963/Philadelphia 76ers 1964-1971, 22 seasons

Wilt Chamberlain and the Sixers celebrate their historic season and Finals win.

The original streak by one of the original teams in the NBA happens to still be the longest. The Nationals/76ers franchise was able to withstand a move from New York to Pennsylvania and keep their consistency rolling. The Nationals made the Finals in the first year of existence and the streak kept rolling until all the early stars that had led all faded away and left the team with a bunch of role players.

This streak was particularly defined by three players, Dolph Schayes, one of the early stars of the NBA, followed by Hal Greer, a preeminent shooting guard in the 1960s, who eventually teamed up with the great Wilt Chamberlain. Schayes led the Nationals to a Finals win in 1955, and then Greer and Chamberlain led the 76ers to 68 wins and the title in 1967, a wins record that stood until 1972.

Just like the Trail Blazers after them, the Nationals/76ers were led by six different coaches during their streak, and, coincidentally, the great Jack Ramsey presided over the end of this streak and the beginning of the Blazers streak. Most unfortunate for the 76ers is they kept running into the Bill Russell-led Celtics in the 60's, only being able to beat them in that magical season of 1967.