20 Second Timeout

"Moses and the Doctor": A Dual Biography of the ABA Duo Who Led the 76ers to the 1983 NBA Title

Luke Epplin's Moses and the Doctor: Two Men, One Championship, and the Birth of Modern Basketball (Grand Central Publishing, 367 pages, $30) is a dual biography tracing the initially parallel but ultimately intersecting careers of two of the greatest basketball players of all-time: Julius Erving and Moses Malone each started their professional basketball careers in the ABA before joining forces to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to the 1983 NBA title in one of the most dominant championship seasons in NBA history. Epplin did not interview Malone (who passed away in 2015), but he spoke with Erving and with many players who played with and against Erving and Malone.

If you classify Erving and Malone as basketball superheroes, it must be said that their "origin stories" were very different: Erving was a New York city kid with a flashy playing style yet he was lightly recruited as a high schooler, while Malone was a kid from a small Virginia town whose playing style was brutally direct and who was one of the most highly recruited high schoolers of all-time. 

It may be almost inconceivable to younger readers that a player as fantastically gifted and as spectacular to watch as Erving was so unheralded, but it is important to remember that when he finished high school he was a 6-3 "tweener" built like a guard but with the jumping ability and rebounding prowess necessary to play forward. Erving made a name for himself not only at the University of Massachusetts but also at Rucker Park and as the MVP of the U.S. Olympic Development Tour after not making the 40 man roster and only joining the team because one of the originally selected players got hurt.

Malone was heavily recruited by many colleges after his dominant high school career, and he initially committed to the University of Maryland before signing a huge (for that era) five year deal for approximately $1 million to play for the ABA's Utah Stars. Erving was the biggest star in the ABA--if not all of pro basketball--at that time: he won the 1974 ABA regular season MVP, the 1974 ABA Playoff MVP, and the 1974 ABA scoring title (27.4 ppg), while Malone spent the 1974 season as a high school senior in Petersburg, Virginia.

Erving and Malone first faced each other in the first game of Malone's rookie season as Erving's defending ABA champion New York Nets defeated Malone's Utah Stars, 105-89 on October 18, 1974. 

Here is a UPI photo of Erving and Malone from that game:

Erving scored a game-high 27 points, snared 10 rebounds, dished for seven assists, and swiped a game-high five steals, while Malone had 19 points and 11 rebounds. This game was a rematch of the 1974 ABA Finals, which the Nets won 4-1. Asked after the game what he thought of Malone--the first player to jump directly from high school to pro basketball--Erving replied simply, "I believe."

In 1974-75, Erving finished second in the ABA in scoring (27.9 ppg), eighth in rebounding (10.9 rpg), seventh in assists (5.5 apg), fourth in steals (2.2 spg), fourth in blocked shots (1.9 bpg), and sixth in three point field goal percentage (.333). He won the second of his three consecutive ABA regular season MVPs (this time sharing the honor with another future teammate, George McGinnis). 

Malone enjoyed a successful rookie season, averaging 18.8 ppg while ranking fourth in the ABA in rebounding (14.6 rpg), first in offensive rebounding (5.5 orpg), third in field goal percentage (.571), and 10th in blocked shots (1.5 bpg). He made the All-Star team, and he finished third in the Rookie of the Year voting behind Marvin Barnes and Bobby Jones, a fellow future Hall of Famer who was the NBA's inaugural Sixth Man of the Year in 1982-83 while teaming with Malone and Erving on Philadelphia's championship team.

In 1975-76, Erving had one of the greatest all-around seasons in pro basketball history, winning his third ABA scoring title (29.3 ppg) while ranking third in the ABA in steals (2.5 spg), fifth in rebounding (11.0 rpg), seventh in assists (5.0 apg), and seventh in blocked shots (1.9 bpg). Erving won his third ABA regular season MVP, and he was selected to the ABA's All-Defensive Team. Michael Jordan later received a lot of publicity--and one Defensive Player of the Year award--after notching back to back seasons with 200-plus steals and 100-plus blocked shots, but in 1975-76 Erving tallied 207 steals and 160 blocked shots to become the first 200-100 player. Erving, Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Hakeem Olajuwon are the only players to record at least 200 steals and 100 blocked shots in a season since those numbers have been officially tracked (1972-73 in the ABA, 1973-74 in the NBA); Erving and Olajuwon are the only players who have had both a 200-100 season and a 100-200 season (Erving had 190 steals and 204 blocked shots in 1973-74, narrowly missing becoming the only member of the 200-200 club). 

Erving was even more dominant during the 1976 playoffs, leading the ABA in playoff scoring (34.7 ppg) for the fourth time in his five year career while also ranking second in rebounding (12.6 rpg), third in blocked shots (2.0 bpg), third in steals (1.9 spg) and sixth in assists (4.9 apg). He shot .533 from the field--the best playoff field goal percentage of his 16 season career--and .804 from the free throw line. 

Erving led the Nets to the ABA's last championship as the Nets beat the powerful Denver Nuggets in six games, and he was the easy choice for ABA Playoff MVP honors after setting ABA Finals records for points (226) and scoring average (37.7 ppg, the fourth highest pro basketball Finals average at that time and still sixth on the all-time list). Michael Jordan holds the all-time Finals scoring record (41.0 ppg in six games in 1993), followed by Rick Barry (40.8 ppg in six games in 1967), Elgin Baylor (40.6 ppg in seven games in 1962), Shaquille O'Neal (38.0 ppg in six games in 2000) and Jerry West (37.9 ppg in seven games in 1969). Erving shot 79-134 from the field (.590) and 66-84 from the free throw line (.786) in the 1976 ABA Finals. 

The cash-strapped Stars sold Malone to the Spirits of St. Louis early in the 1975-76 season. Malone averaged 14.3 ppg and 9.6 rpg for the Spirits of St. Louis, with various injuries limiting him to just 43 games. The team went 35-49, did not make the playoffs, and was not included in the ABA-NBA merger, although the team's owners received a settlement package that proved to be very lucrative. After the 1975-76 season, four ABA teams joined the NBA: Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, New York Nets, and San Antonio Spurs. The cash-strapped Nets traded Erving to the Philadelphia 76ers in a $6 million deal, with roughly half of that money going to the Nets and the other half going to Erving as part of a six year contract.

Erving made the All-NBA First Team in 1977 and from 1980-82, and he won the 1981 NBA regular season MVP--becoming the first non-center to earn that honor since Oscar Robertson in 1964--but during that era a team had to have a Hall of Fame center to win the NBA title. Erving's 76ers had the NBA's best cumulative regular season record from 1976-77--1981-82, and during that six season span Erving led the team to three NBA Finals and five Eastern Conference Finals, but most of those playoff runs ended in losses to teams led by a Hall of Fame center: Bill Walton's Portland Trail Blazers (1977 NBA Finals), the Elvin Hayes/Wes Unseld Washington Bullets (1978 Eastern Conference Finals), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's L.A. Lakers (1980 NBA Finals), Robert Parish's Boston Celtics (1981 Eastern Conference Finals), and Abdul-Jabbar's Lakers (1982 NBA Finals). Parish was not the Celtics' best player, but the 7-0 center was an important part of a huge frontcourt featuring fellow Hall of Famers Larry Bird (6-9) and Kevin McHale (6-10) plus Cedric Maxwell (the 6-8 winner of the 1981 NBA Finals MVP) and Rick Robey (6-11). 

While Erving was immediately a big star in the NBA, Malone's ascent took a little longer. After the ABA-NBA merger, the Portland Trail Blazers selected Malone in the ABA dispersal draft of players who were not on the rosters of the four ABA teams that joined the NBA. Portland already had Bill Walton, so the Trail Blazers sent Malone to the Buffalo Braves for a first round draft pick that later became Rick Robey. The Braves then traded Malone for two first round picks, one of which became Wesley Cox and the other of which became Michael Ray Richardson.

Malone averaged 13.2 ppg and 13.1 rpg (third in the league) in 1976-77. He did not make the All-Star Team or the All-NBA Team, but he finished sixth in MVP voting behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, Pete Maravich, Bob Lanier, and Julius Erving. Erving's 76ers defeated Malone's Rockets in the Eastern Conference Finals, 4-2 (yes, Houston was in the Eastern Conference). Erving averaged a series-high 28.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, and a team-high 6.0 apg while shooting .570 from the field and .800 from the free throw line (the NBA did not use the three point shot until 1979-80). Malone ranked third on the Rockets in scoring (18.0 ppg) with shooting splits of .467/.691, and he led both teams in rebounding (17.2 rpg).

The Rockets missed the playoffs in 1978, lost in the first round in 1979, and were swept by the Boston Celtics in the second round in 1980. Erving's 76ers beat the Celtics 4-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals before losing to the Lakers in the NBA Finals. The Rockets moved to the Western Conference for the 1980-81 season, and they reached the NBA Finals after going just 40-42 during the regular season. After the Celtics came back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics defeated the Rockets 4-2 in the 1981 NBA Finals. The Rockets lost in the first round in 1982, while the 76ers beat the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals before losing to the Lakers in the NBA Finals. 

By 1982, Erving had a 12-6 playoff series record with the 76ers with three Eastern Conference titles but no NBA titles, and Malone had a 5-5 playoff series record with the Rockets with one Western Conference title but no NBA titles. Malone had won two regular season MVPs (1979, 1982) and led the league in rebounding three times. 

The Rockets were disinclined to give Malone a market value contract after the 1981-82 season, so they traded him to the 76ers for Caldwell Jones plus a first round draft pick that later became Rodney McCray. Erving now had the Hall of Fame center that was a prerequisite for winning an NBA title, and Malone now had enough perimeter talent around him to avoid losing in the playoffs or even missing the playoffs altogether. 

The Malone-Erving duo teamed with Hall of Fame point guard Maurice Cheeks, Hall of Fame forward Bobby Jones, and guard Andrew Toney (who had Hall of Fame level talent but had his career cut short by foot injuries) to form one of the most dominant single season teams in pro basketball history. The 76ers set a record by starting the season 50-7, and they were threatening to become the first team to win 70 regular season games before late season injuries to Malone and Erving slowed the team to a "mere" 65-17. Neither Malone nor Erving were fully healthy during the playoffs, but the 76ers still set a record by going 12-1 in the postseason, including a 4-0 NBA Finals sweep of the Lakers. The 76ers outrebounded the Lakers 192-171 in the NBA Finals, with Malone grabbing more rebounds (72, 18.0 rpg) than any other two players in the series. Erving ranked second in the series with 34 rebounds (8.5 rpg); in the 1982 NBA Finals, the Lakers outrebounded the 76ers, 284-250, with Erving leading the 76ers with 49 (8.2 rpg), which was not enough to offset the efforts of Magic Johnson (65, 10.8 rpg) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (46, 7.7 rpg).

It is tantalizing to wonder what might have been if Erving and Malone had teamed up earlier and stayed together longer; they were only teammates for four seasons. The duo posted a 5-2 playoff series record, including wins in the 1983 Eastern Conference Finals and 1983 NBA Finals. Their 1984 title defense ended in a shocking first round loss to the New Jersey Nets, and then in 1985 they stormed through the first two rounds of the playoffs with a 7-1 record to reach the Eastern Conference Finals before losing 4-1 to the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics. In 1986, the 76ers finished third in the Eastern Conference standings, but their championship hopes were dashed after Malone suffered a right orbital blowout fracture that prevented him from participating in the playoffs; the 76ers beat the Bullets 3-2 in the first round before falling to the Milwaukee Bucks 4-3 in the second round. While it does not seem likely that the 76ers would have won the championship even if Malone had played in the 1986 playoffs, they would almost certainly have defeated the Bucks and at least had an opportunity to battle the dominant Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. 

After the 1985-86 season, the 76ers traded Malone, Terry Catledge, and two draft picks to the Bullets for Jeff Ruland and Cliff Robinson, a deal that turned out disastrously for the 76ers when injuries forced Ruland to retire after playing just five games with the 76ers (he made a brief comeback to the NBA for the 1992 and 1993 seasons). Malone made the All-Star team in each of the first three seasons after the trade. 

Erving played one season after the Malone trade before retiring. The 76ers had the NBA's best cumulative regular season record during the first 10 seasons after Erving joined the team before falling to second place behind the L.A. Lakers after Erving's 11th (and final) NBA campaign.  

Malone played one season for the 76ers as a backup center (1993-94) before retiring after the 1994-95 season. His playoff series record after being traded to the Bullets was 0-4, and his career playoff series record was 10-12. Erving's career playoff series record was 24-13, including 18-10 with the 76ers.

When two superstars play together, egos often get in the way, but that did not happen with Erving and Malone. After Malone joined the 76ers, he publicly declared, "This is Doc's team. I'm just here to help." Malone was the more dominant player by that stage of their careers, and he won the regular season MVP and the NBA Finals MVP in 1983--but the 33 year old Erving was no slouch: he finished fifth in regular season MVP voting, and he joined Malone, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Sidney Moncrief on the All-NBA First Team. Erving was the oldest player on the All-NBA First Team by five years, and the only player on the All-NBA Second Team who was older than Erving was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was 36.

Epplin notes that Malone's willingness and eagerness to embrace not just Erving but all of his teammates is exemplified by the fact that Malone refused the 76ers' offer to retire his jersey until the team agreed to put the names of every one of his 76ers' teammates--not just his teammates from the 1983 championship team--on the banner honoring him. Erving and Malone were the team's superstars, but they won as a team, and Erving and Malone were two of the most team-first superstars ever. It is impossible to imagine either of them demanding to be given "respect" on a personal level to detract from a team-first approach the way that Lebron James did after the L.A. Lakers won the 2020 "bubble" title.  

I wrote about Malone's jersey retirement: 

For a variety of reasons that fall outside the scope of this article, it is difficult to determine which basketball team is the greatest team ever but Philadelphia's 1983 championship team takes a back seat to no single season squad in pro basketball history; that does not mean that they are definitely the best, but it means you cannot point to a single team that is clearly better.

Malone was the dominant force on that dominant team, along with the incomparable Erving, and it is fitting that the 76ers honored not only Malone's greatness but that they did so in keeping with his wish to recognize all of his teammates as well. 

Epplin concludes that the impact that Erving, Malone, and the ABA had on pro basketball history was as great as it was underrated: 

The open-floor game and in-air improvisations that had struck basketball fundamentalists as heretical soon became as commonplace as bounce passes. Even so, as of this writing, the NBA has yet to incorporate ABA statistics into its record books. As a result, the ABA remains stuck in a liminal state, remembered more as a colorful curiosity than as a cradle for so much of what has elevated pro basketball into a worldwide phenomenon.

Yet the popular narrative about Johnson and Bird resuscitating a faltering league is incomplete without mention of the ABA and two of its signature players who merged their divergent talents in the NBA to disrupt the decade-long dominance of the Lakers and the Celtics on a team as bold as its boast of sweeping the playoffs. The legacy of the ABA lives on through the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers, a testament to the beauty and the guts of a league that made the game modern.

I have spent more than 25 years insisting that the NBA should officially count ABA statistics, and I hope that Epplin's book brings renewed attention to the shameful way that the NBA minimizes ABA history, ABA statistics, and the greatness of ABA players.

Labels: Andrew Toney, Billy Cunningham, Bobby Jones, Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, L.A. Lakers, Magic Johnson, Maurice Cheeks, Moses Malone, Pat Williams, Philadelphia 76ers

posted by David Friedman @ 9:58 PM

0 comments

Julius Erving as Viewed by his Contemporaries, Part II

In my October 3, 2013 article Julius Erving as Viewed by his Contemporaries, I quoted several people--including coaches Adolph Rupp, Kevin Loughery, and Babe McCarthy--who praised Erving as a great all-around player and great clutch performer. Since that time, I did in depth archival research of articles published throughout Erving's pro basketball career, and it is fascinating to see how Erving was perceived and described during those years. This article focuses on 1972-74, covering Erving's first three professional seasons.

Hall of Famers and future Hall of Famers recognized Erving's greatness very quickly. When Erving was a rookie during the 1971-72 season, Rick Barry predicted that Erving would become the greatest forward of all-time: "He's almost reached that point already. He's blessed with everything it takes to be number one: jumping ability, speed, soft touch, big hands, desire to excel, and the great attitude" (quoted in Pete Vecsey's February 5, 1972 New York Daily News column). Carl Braun compared rookie Erving to Elgin Baylor--at that time widely considered to be the greatest forward of all-time--and concluded that Baylor was stronger but Erving was faster. Braun added that Erving was not only a great forward but Erving was versatile and skilled enough to become the best guard in pro basketball: "Like Jerry West, you don't 'stop' Erving, he just has an off night" (quoted in Jerry Cassidy's April 27, 1972 article in the New York Daily News). Even before Erving won the first of his two ABA titles, Willis Reed called him "the best young forward I've ever seen," a quote mentioned in Dave Anderson's October 1, 1972 syndicated column discussing the bidding war for Erving's services.

Gary Long's April 6, 1972 Miami Herald article included quotes from two of Erving's Virginia Squires teammates. After rookie Erving tied the ABA single game playoff scoring record with 53 points as his Squires defeated the Floridians 118-113, Ray Scott--who played 10 years in the NBA before joining the Squires--said, "There's never been anyone in the NBA like him. There's nobody I can compare Julius with. He's first. What's really beautiful is he's still learning, and he's willing to learn." Adrian Smith, the 1966 NBA All-Star Game MVP who joined the Squires after a 10 year NBA career, declared, "In my 11 years in pro basketball, I've never seen another guy come into the game like this one."

Milwaukee Bucks' Coach Larry Costello called Erving "probably the best forward playing basketball today," and Chicago Bulls' Coach Dick Motta asserted that Erving is "the best basketball player around" (both quotes are from a syndicated UPI article published on September 24, 1972).

A little while later, Motta said of Erving, "The man has to be the most exciting basketball player I've ever seen. He means 25 percent, no make that 30 percent, more power to the team he plays for." Motta added, "If Milwaukee gets Erving, everybody can pack it up for the next 20 years. Teaming him with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar would mean the end of any real competition in the NBA." Those quotes appeared in the October 12, 1972 edition of The Atlanta Constitution when Erving was under contract with the Squires, had signed a deal with the Atlanta Hawks, and had been drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks. Erving played for the Hawks in the 1972 preseason before a court ruling sent him back to Virginia, where he played one more season before being traded to the New York Nets.

Atlanta Hawks' Coach Cotton Fitzsimmons called Erving--who was not even halfway through his second pro season--"the most spectacular player I've ever seen play the game, and I've seen a few...For example, Spencer Haywood of Seattle was All-NBA last season, and he can't do HALF the things Erving can on the court" (quoted in Dave Hicks' December 3, 1972 column in The Arizona Republic).

In his August 4, 1973 New York Daily News column, Dick Young wrote (in his trademark staccato style, with some missing definite articles), "It was off-the-record at time, but I suppose it's okay to tell now: About a year ago, Al McGuire was asked to name best basketball player in land. 'Julius Erving,' he said. 'And Number 2 is Rick Barry.'" Note that McGuire expressed that opinion before Erving joined the New York Nets. During Erving's three seasons with the Nets, he won three regular season MVPs, two ABA titles, two ABA Playoff MVPs, and two scoring titles (to go along with the scoring title he won in 1973 with the Squires, averaging a career-high 31.9 ppg).

In an August 9, 1973 Highland Park News and Journal article, Bob Guerrero raved about Erving's first Los Angeles appearance after Erving scored a game-high 31 points in the Ralph Bunche Memorial Basketball Benefit that pitted Erving's Pro All-Stars (including Connie Hawkins, Charlie Scott, and Paul Westphal) versus a UCLA Alumni team featuring Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Sidney Wicks, Curtis Rowe, and Mahdi Abdul-Rahman. The Pro All-Stars won 143-105, and Guerrero was very impressed by Erving: 

He's said to be the best forward in professional basketball and may well be one of the best cagers of all-time...

Dr. J, as he's known around the ABA and the rest of the basketball world, defies description on the basketball court and might be a combination between a Walt Frazier and Elgin Baylor.

At 6-7 he lacks the size of a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or a Wilt Chamberlain, but plays defense with the abilities of a Bill Russell in his prime.

Erving has an unlimited assortment of shots only because he reacts to the pressure of the defensive player after it is applied and can usually be seen sailing or twisting toward the basket with two or three other players trying to stop him.

What he does with a basketball is usually seen just once, he may have as much trouble describing his shot[s] as people who saw them from the stands.

UCLA has long been noted for basketball excellence, having dominated the college game for the past 10 years almost as regularly as the sun coming up, with players like Jabbar, Keith Erickson, Sidney Wicks, Lucius Allen, Curtis Rowe, and company.

But never in the history of Pauley Pavilion has a star the magnitude of Julius Erving done his thing, whatever it may be, with a basketball.

Erving made the All-Defensive Team once in his 16 season professional career, but he ranks among the all-time leaders in both steals and blocked shots, and his teams regularly ranked among the league leaders in points allowed and defensive field goal percentage, so it is interesting that Guerrero heaped such praise on Erving's defense after watching Erving play in an exhibition game. It is also noteworthy that Guerrero called Erving the biggest star to ever play in Pauley Pavilion right after mentioning Abdul-Jabbar's record-setting UCLA career.

A September 4, 1973 article by Ralph Trower of the The Journal Times (Racine, Wisconsin) quoted Jim Chones--a member of the ABA's 1973 All-Rookie Team--declaring, "Erving is the best I've ever seen."

Even at a young age, Erving had a thoughtful approach to his craft. An October 21, 1973 New York Daily News article by Kay Gilman quoted Erving explaining how he developed his unique playing style: "I'm a Pisces. I have a wild imagination and I've always been one to experiment. I used to watch games on TV. My palms would sweat and I'd think of moves no one else had done. I'd learn by watching good guys and bad guys. I'd dream up fantastic moves and then go out on the court and make them work. Some of them took a long time. I'm underweight. I'm not going to be able to jump higher or run faster. Eventually I will slow down. I've got to magnify my strengths--my quickness and my moves. It's called experience."

Erving did not brag, but he always had justified confidence in his abilities. Responding to a question early in his career, Erving said, "Am I the best? Well, I haven't seen them all, but the ones I've seen sure can't do the stuff I can do."

Advertising by definition involves some degree of hype/promotion, but it is worth noting that early in the 1973-74 season the San Antonio Spurs called Erving "one of the best forwards to ever play the game" in a newspaper ad for tickets to the upcoming Spurs-Nets game. Tickets for that game were available for $5, $4, and $2!

Despite all of the accolades and despite his gaudy statistics, Erving focused on team success, not personal glory. Prior to the Nets' October 31, 1973 game versus the Denver Rockets, Erving told reporters, "There are two ways you can determine how well you played. How you feel, and what the stat sheet says. I go by how you feel." Erving scored 38 points on 13-21 field goal shooting in a 107-104 loss, and afterward he said, "How good can you feel about losing?" The Nets started 4-1 in 1973-74, but then lost nine straight games, including a 121-109 setback versus the Kentucky Colonels on November 2, 1973. After that game, Erving said, "I don't care about my own performance. I'm terrifically disappointed because we lost. Nothing else mattered."

It has become fashionable to speak of a star player's "gravity," most notably in reference to Stephen Curry, so it is important to emphasize that Curry is not the first player whose greatness drew extra defensive attention that created open shots for his teammates. Early in the 1973-74 season, Nets' center Billy Paultz said, "Erving has only helped me. Julius opens things up for me, because when Dr. J goes one on one to the basket, he either forces a foul or a double team. If my man tries to double team, that leaves me open for a short jumper." 

In a November 13, 1973 Memphis Commercial Appeal feature article, Woody Paige wrote of Erving, "...he has averaged close to 30 points a game and 15 rebounds a game, and most say he can be the best forward ever to play; others claim he already is. It is said that two doctors influenced basketball: Dr. James Naismith invented it, and Dr. J is making it an art."

In a December 3, 1973 UPI report filed after the Nets defeated the Carolina Cougars, 121-103, Cougars forward and 1973 ABA MVP Billy Cunningham--who became Erving's coach with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1977--said of Erving, "He's sensational, one of the best ever." Erving had 32 points, 17 rebounds, six assists, six blocked shots, and four steals versus Cunningham and the Cougars. In that same report, Nets Coach Kevin Loughery declared, "I've been in basketball a long time, and I've never seen anyone play better than Doc has in the last 10 games. He hasn't just been scoring or rebounding. He's been everywhere." 

Erving's reported salary for the 1973-74 season was $300,000, which ranked third in the ABA and tied for eighth in pro basketball. In the January 4, 1974 edition of the Holland Evening Sentinel (Michigan), Leo Martonosi opined, "We feel that the 'pro jocks' are overpaid and they eventually could kill the goose that laid the 'Golden egg.'" If Martonosi thought that athletes making more than the President earned ($200,000 a year at that time) was a problem, what would he have thought of today's athletes who earn tens of millions of dollars per year?

As noted above, Erving was an excellent defensive player even though he only received one All-Defensive Team selection. After Erving held Dan Issel--at that point the ABA's leading scorer--to 12 points as Erving's Nets defeated Issel's Kentucky Colonels 83-82 in a December 19, 1973 game, Loughery said of Erving, "That's the real superstar...He has such tremendous pride...people don't recognize his defensive ability because he's also a top scorer." Erving finished with 30 points, 12 rebounds, four blocked shots, and two steals. Per Doug Smith's December 20, 1973 Newsday recap, Erving scored 16 fourth quarter points, including the game-winning jump shot from the foul line area.

A January 20, 1974 AP story noted that Erving ranked among the league leaders in scoring, rebounding, blocked shots, steals, assists, and field goal percentage, and contained this Loughery quote about Erving's impact: "I've never seen anyone better. In overall ability, he's as good as anyone I've ever seen. He does so much offensively and defensively, and he's also a leader in his own quiet way. The guys look to him. He's tremendously coachable and that makes it easier for me. He not only has unique talents, he's a unique guy."

A February 27, 1974 L.A. Times article by Dwight Chapin quoted Loughery raving about Erving: "He's the best and most exciting forward in pro basketball. And even though he's only 23, he's a leader. I mean a real leader. You know what he can do on the court. Off the court, he's one of the nicest guys you'd want to be around." Erving transformed the Nets into winners not just with his superior basketball skills but also with his leadership. Erving explained, "The reputation of the Nets last year was that if you got up on them early, they'd start squabbling among themselves. They were losers. From the minute I knew I was coming here I was preparing myself to stop that. I knew I'd have leadership responsibilities. There has to be criticism among the players, but I guess what I've tried to do is make it constructive and cut down on meaningless griping. I don't think you should cuss a guy out for missing a pass. You should boost him up by saying something like, 'It's all right. We'll get it next time.' And when something goes wrong in a game or there's a flareup at practice I know it's easier for me to be the one who apologizes. A guy who the public doesn't consider such a big star might feel, 'Damn, I'm not going to bow down to the blankety-blank just because he's the big shot around here.' But for me it's no problem to go over and say I'm sorry."

In that same article, Doug Moe--a three-time ABA All-Star who later became an assistant coach in the ABA and a head coach in the NBA--said of Erving, "He comes at you with those long, open strides, and you have a tendency to keep backing away because you think he's not really into his move yet. If you keep backing, if you fail to go up and challenge him, he'll simply glide right by you."

A March 25, 1974 article in the Greeley Daily Tribune (Colorado) described a 112-100 Nets victory over the Denver Rockets during which Erving scored 21 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, and "brought the crowd to its feet in the first half when he slam dunked the ball on a fast break. He left the floor at the free throw line, cocked the ball behind his head, then rammed it through the hoop." I have heard some people suggest that the slam dunks from previous eras were "basic" compared to what players do today; the next time any player dunks from the free throw line in a game, feel free to make note in the comments section of this article. 

After Erving scored a game-high 43 points on 19-26 field goal shooting, grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds, and dished for a team-high six assists in the season finale--a 102-96 win over the Denver Rockets that clinched the Eastern Division title for the Nets--Loughery said, "During the last month, Doc has been the best forward I've seen. He can't do any more than he has already done."

In 1973-74, Erving's unselfish leadership and great all-around play--he finished in the top ten in scoring (first, thus notching his second consecutive scoring title), rebounding (seventh), assists (sixth), field goal percentage (ninth), steals (third), and blocked shots (third)--helped the Nets post a 55-29 regular season record before going 12-2 in the playoffs en route to the franchise's first championship. The Nets tied the pro basketball record for best playoff winning percentage set by the 1971 Milwaukee Bucks. That mark stood until Moses Malone and Erving led the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers to a 12-1 postseason run in 1982-83 (the current record is 16-1, held by the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors). 

Erving won the first of his four regular season MVP awards, and as he accepted that honor he said, "My goals were to rise to the top and realize my God-given talents to their greatest potential and to make whatever team I'm playing for a winner. One of the things I want to do in my career is to be acknowledged as one of the best players who has played the game." Erving singlehandedly won several games for the Nets during the last month of the season, prompting Loughery to declare, "In all my years in professional basketball I've never seen a better player than Doc was during that time."

As the 1974 ABA playoffs began, Kentucky Colonels coach Babe McCarthy said, "The Doctor is the most dynamic player in the American Basketball Association. He can do things with a basketball that you thought no mortal man ever could." During the regular season, Erving hit a game-winning shot versus the Colonels that all but clinched the regular season Eastern Division title for the Nets; he scored 41 points on 16-25 field goal shooting in that 114-112 overtime win on March 16, 1974. Eight days later, Erving had 33 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, and yet another game-winning shot as the Nets beat the Spurs, 99-97.

The April 14, 1974 edition of the Lexington Herald-Leader included this quote from Larry Brown, then the Carolina Cougars' coach: "Julius does things with a basketball that must be seen to be accepted. He's 6-7 and he plays like he's 7-7. Or he's quick enough to play like 5-7. He has his own style and nobody else has it. I don't think there's a better player anywhere." 

In the first round of the 1974 ABA playoffs, the Nets faced Erving's previous team, the Virginia Squires, and won the series 4-1 as Erving averaged 26.0 ppg, 8.4 rpg, and 6.0 apg with shooting splits of .562/.400/.737. The Nets swept the Kentucky Colonels in the Eastern Division Finals as Erving averaged 29.8 ppg, 9.0 rpg, and 3.0 apg with shooting splits of .515/.667/.733.

Erving had a game-high 30 points and a team-high 14 rebounds in New York's 89-87 game three win versus Kentucky, capping off his performance by hitting the game-winning shot at the buzzer over Hall of Fame center Artis Gilmore. After the game, McCarthy said, "When the pressure is on and the chips are down, he might be as good as anybody in the game."

Here is a photo of Erving's game three game-winning shot:

After Erving scored a game-high 47 points to lead the Nets to an 89-85 victory over the Utah Stars in game one of the 1974 ABA Finals, the postgame conversation focused on whether Erving had already established himself as the greatest forward of all-time. Loughery said, "Baylor was the best for a longer time, but Doc is a better all-around player than Baylor ever was. Doc can do everything Baylor could do on offense and more, and he plays much better defense." Utah Coach Joe Mullaney declared, "I've seen him have a few other games like this. He's just the best there is. He never throws up a bad shot, and when he's looking to the basket he's just unstoppable." Erving's scoring outburst fell just six points short of the ABA single game playoff scoring record that he shared with Roger Brown. 

In a May 2, 1974 syndicated column, Dave Anderson quoted legendary coach Adolph Rupp, who called Erving "The Babe Ruth of basketball." Rupp also said, "Up until now, I always thought Jerry West was the greatest basketball player I ever saw, with Oscar Robertson right behind him, but I think right now that Julius Erving is the best." One of the things that set Erving apart from other great players is that, even as a young pro, he proved capable of playing forward, center, and guard. Anderson quoted Loughery: "We used Doc at center when Billy Paultz was hurt and Doc did well. We haven't used him at guard too often, but if we did he'd be an All-Star guard. At center, his size might hurt him but he's a leader. If he was a center, he'd be right there when they picked the All-Star center." It is notable that Erving not only dominated game one offensively--shooting 19-29 from the field and 9-10 from the free throw line--but in the final six minutes of the game he took the defensive assignment on Jimmy Jones, and held the All-ABA First Team guard to just one point. Erving's defense and positional versatility are inexplicably ignored or diminished when today's "experts" talk about the greatest basketball players of all-time.

Erving scored a game-high 32 points as the Nets won game two, 118-94. The Nets trailed 94-91 near the end of the fourth quarter of game three, and Loughery drew up a play for Erving to attempt a three point shot. That play call may surprise those who believe the fiction that Erving was not a good shooter or that he only became an adequate shooter later in his career, but the reality is that Erving shot .395 (17-43) from three point range that season; he would have led the league in three point field goal percentage but for the fact that he was just short of making the minimum number of three point field goals (20) to qualify for the leaderboard. It is very important to note that only 15 ABA players made at least 20 three point field goals that season, and Erving's total of 17 3FGM ranked 19th in the league; this was long before "stat gurus" contrived "advanced basketball statistics" to support the argument that every shot attempt should be a layup, a free throw, or a three point shot. Loughery explained why he called the play for Erving: "Doc is by far the best in the league on three pointers." The "by far" description is an exaggeration--Louie Dampier shot .387 (48-124) from beyond the arc that season, just a shade worse than Erving while attempting almost three times as many three pointers as Erving--but it would no doubt surprise many "experts" that Erving was a reliable enough three point shooter that his coach drew up a play for Erving to shoot a three pointer when his team trailed by three points in an ABA Finals game. The Stars guarded Erving tightly to prevent him from getting a shot off, but after Wendell Ladner missed a three pointer the Nets secured the rebound and Brian Taylor drained a three pointer to send the game to overtime. The Nets won 103-100 as Erving led the team in scoring (24 points), rebounding (13), and assists (seven).

In a May 9, 1974 article in The Philadelphia Inquirer, Bill Lyon wrote:

...there is growing opinion that Erving is the best player--ABA, NBA, or interplanetary--to ever slam dunk his way along a baseline. 

Billy Cunningham, who has been a star in both the ABA and the old, established NBA, says point blank: "He's the most exciting player I have ever seen."

Testifies Dave DeBusschere, probably the NBA's finest defensive forward: "He's the best basketball player there is right now. I expect him to go and become the greatest who ever played the game." The reason DeBusschere was smiling when he said that was he has signed a 10-year contract to become the Nets' general manager, starting next year.

Willie Wise of Utah, who tried to guard Dr. J for one half and "held" him to 12-for-14 from the field in the first game of the ABA title finals, just shook his head:

"Baby, if he's not the best, then I'm in for a REAL treat."

Adds a slightly awed writer who has covered Dr. J regularly:

"I gave up trying to describe his moves. Even the average ones are semi-incredible; the rest they ought to get on tape and ship right to the Hall of Fame."

On a ho-hum, so-so night Erving, playing forward, will score 30 points, grab a dozen rebounds, deal out a handful of assists and, at the other end of the court, produce perhaps 10 turnovers with steals and blocked shots. His total worth, offensively and defensively, what points he accounts for and what points he denies the opposition, may approach 75 in a game.

The Stars avoided a sweep by winning game four, 97-89. Erving scored a team-high (but series low) 18 points on 9-22 field goal shooting. In a UPI article dated May 10, 1974, Wise pushed back against any assertions that he had stopped Erving: "Actually, nobody stops Erving. He just had a bad shooting night. All anyone can do is wave, shout, and carry on in the hope that he'll miss a few."

That would turn out to be Erving's second lowest point total in an ABA or NBA Finals game; he scored at least 20 points in 31 of his 33 career Finals games, and his streak of 26 straight Finals games with at least 20 points is second all-time to Michael Jordan's 35 game streak. Note that Stephen Curry, who is often lauded as a Pantheon-level player, failed to score at least 20 points in eight of his 34 NBA Finals games. 

With the Nets on the verge of winning the title, DeBusschere praised Erving's ability to draw fouls by driving to the hoop, and he mentioned an underrated aspect of Erving's game: "He's quite a playmaker...some of those passes just went bang, bang, bang."

After Erving's New York Nets defeated the Utah Stars 4-1 in the 1974 ABA Finals, the Associated Press' Bert Rosenthal wrote a May 12, 1974 article including some interesting quotes about Erving. Utah Coach Joe Mullaney said, "He's just a fantastic player. He's exceptionally gifted. He has a unique talent. He has that real long body, a soft touch on his shots, amazing physical equipment, and he's so unselfish, something you rarely see in a player of his caliber." Arnie Ferrin, then the Utah Stars' general manager, declared, "He's as good a basketball player as I've ever seen. Obviously, he's the best forward in the game." 

In the 1974 ABA Finals, Erving averaged 28.2 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 5.0 apg, 1.8 spg, and 1.4 bpg with shooting splits of .513/.333/.750. In 1974, Erving led the ABA in playoff scoring for the third straight time (27.9 ppg) while also averaging 9.6 rpg, 4.8 apg, 1.6 spg, and 1.4 bpg. Championship teams tend to have experienced veterans, but the Nets featured the youngest starting lineup in pro basketball.

In a May 16, 1974 UPI article, Milton Richman cited Rupp calling Erving the Erving the best basketball player ever, and Richman concluded, "For Julius Erving, or Dr. J as everybody calls him, I have the feeling this is only the beginning. I can't ever remember a young man his age accomplishing and accumulating so much, so quickly, and still staying unspoiled." 

Perhaps Dan Issel put it simplest when asked his opinion about Erving, as quoted in the May 23, 1974 Kentucky New Era: "I think he's the best basketball player in the world today."

Labels: ABA, Artis Gilmore, Billy Cunningham, Dan Issel, Dick Motta, Doug Moe, Julius Erving, Kevin Loughery, Larry Costello, New York Nets, Rick Barry, Utah Stars, Virginia Squires, Willie Wise, Willis Reed

posted by David Friedman @ 8:25 PM

7 comments

Chet Walker Made a Significant Impact on and off the Court

Chet Walker--a key member of Philadelphia's 1967 NBA championship team that set a since-broken record for regular season wins (68)--passed away on Saturday at the age of 84 after a long illness. Sam Smith, who now works for Bulls.com after making his name covering the team for the Chicago Tribune and writing the best selling book The Jordan Rules, penned a must-read tribute to Walker, tracing the arc of Walker's life from childhood in Mississippi and Michigan to leading Bradley University to the 1960 NIT title to a great NBA career highlighted by seven All-Star selections, an 18.2 ppg career scoring average, and tremendous durability (he played at least 76 games in each of his 13 NBA seasons). Walker played seven seasons for the Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers before playing six seasons for the Chicago Bulls. Walker averaged at least 21.5 ppg in each of his first three seasons with the Bulls, and he set a franchise single game regular season scoring record (56 points) that stood from 1972 until Michael Jordan scored 58 points in a 1987 game.

Walker was one of the "NBA 14" who paved the way for the huge contracts that today's players enjoy, but Walker's activism came at a price: his career ended abruptly when no team would sign Walker after a 1975 season during which he averaged 19.2 ppg in 76 games, and he had to wait a long time before being inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, an honor that he belatedly received in 2012. Walker chose Billy Cunningham, Adrian Dantley, Earl Monroe, and Isiah Thomas as his presenters, and those four legends represent a cross section of Walker's impressive life on and off the basketball court: Cunnningham was his teammate, Dantley incorporated Walker's moves into his Hall of Fame caliber arsenal, Monroe played against Walker in the late 1960s through the mid-1970s, and Thomas shares Chicago roots with Walker. Walker produced "A Mother's Courage: The Mary Thomas Story," a movie about Isiah Thomas' mother that won an Emmy.

Years ago, I asked Cunningham--a teammate of Walker's on Philadelphia's 1967 championship team who later coached the incomparable Julius Erving on Philadelphia's 1983 championship team--to compare those two legendary squads, and he told me, "Dr. J would match up against Chet Walker. Julius was obviously better in the open court offensively than Chet and a better shot blocker. Chet was a better one-on-one player offensively and would probably try to post up Julius and do things like that." I asked Cunningham to elaborate about the Erving-Walker comparison, and he replied, "Julius was the greatest open court player who ever played. Chet Walker was a better jump shooter and he had, I think, a little bit more of an arsenal in the set offense. But by no means am I taking anything away from Julius Erving."

There is statistical evidence supporting Cunningham's description of Walker's offensive arsenal. Walker finished in the top 20 in field goal percentage six times--including sixth during Philadelphia's 1967 championship season--and he ranked in the top 10 in free throw percentage six times, including leading the NBA in that category in 1970-71. Walker ranked in the top 10 in free throws made seven times. Walker was a dependable third scoring option (19.3 ppg) behind Wilt Chamberlain (24.1 ppg) and Hal Greer (22.1 ppg) on the 1967 championship team, and when the Bulls needed a clutch basket during the early 1970s they usually relied on Walker.

Jaylen Brown would not be a $300 million player without Walker's sacrifices. A role player like J.J. Redick who shamelessly mocks the basketball stars from the past would not be a famous multi-millionaire without Walker's sacrifices that helped transform the NBA into a multi-billion dollar business. It would be great if Brown, Redick, and everyone else who benefits from the NBA's huge pot of gold acknowledged their debt to Walker and the other members of the "NBA 14."

Labels: Adrian Dantley, Billy Cunningham, Chet Walker, Chicago Bulls, Earl Monroe, Isiah Thomas, Philadelphia 76ers, Wilt Chamberlain

posted by David Friedman @ 10:27 AM

0 comments

NBA TV Celebrates Julius Erving's 72nd Birthday by Airing "Sir Charles and The Doctor"

Julius Erving turns 72 tomorrow, and NBA TV provided a birthday gift for basketball fans by airing "Basketball Stories: Sir Charles and The Doctor," featuring a conversation that Erving had with Charles Barkley (Barkley celebrated his 59th birthday on February 20). Erving and Barkley were Philadelphia 76ers teammates from 1984-87, Erving's final three NBA seasons and Barkley's first three NBA seasons. 

Barkley remembered that before he joined the 76ers he was nervous about meeting Erving for the first time. Barkley asked his college teammates how he should address Erving, and they told him they were not sure. Erving took all of the pressure off by approaching Barkley, and introducing himself. 

Thinking back to his first meeting with Barkley, Erving said that he did not follow college basketball very closely, but his philosophy was always to "extend a hand of friendship" to rookies who joined the 76ers. Erving recalled that there were questions about how Barkley would fit in with the 76ers, and that the 76ers had drafted Barkley hoping that Barkley could provide rebounding. 

Barkley said that every NBA team needs helpful veterans like Julius Erving and Moses Malone, who were Barkley's mentors early in his pro career. Erving agreed that veterans should help young players, but he pointed out that not all young players will listen to advice from veterans.

Barkley told Erving that Moses Malone provided a very blunt reply when Barkley asked Malone why he was not getting more playing time. Malone said, "Young fella, you're fat and you're lazy." Malone offered to help Barkley improve his conditioning. Erving said that as a professional athlete it is important to be in good enough condition to deal with the physicality of the game and to avoid injuries. Erving noted that Barkley, Wes Unseld, and Shaquille O'Neal are among the few players who could carry a lot of weight but still be mobile and avoid serious ankle or knee injuries.

Barkley soon got into better shape, and established himself as a threat to take a defensive rebound and go coast to coast for a dunk. Barkley's direct approach did not fit in with Coach Billy Cunningham's concept of how to play the game. Erving said that Cunningham's philosophy was "Get the rebound, make the outlet pass, and fill the lane," but Barkley's philosophy was the shortest distance between two points was a straight line--so Barkley just grabbed the rebound and dribbled down court without making the outlet pass. Erving said that Cunningham told him that he was going to retire because Barkley was driving him crazy. Cunningham retired from coaching after Barkley's rookie season, and Cunningham never coached again in the NBA, though he was part of the Miami Heat's ownership group for a while. Cunningham has the second highest regular season winning percentage in NBA history (.698, just behind Phil Jackson's .704), and he led the 76ers to one championship and three NBA Finals appearances in eight seasons.

Barkley said that he would have scored 2000 more points if Maurice Cheeks would have passed to him more often on the fast break. Erving laughed, and he said that Darryl Dawkins also thought that Cheeks had a "Dr. J eye," but Erving added that Cheeks loved getting assists and Cheeks knew that if he passed to Erving then the ball was going in the basket with no nonsense.

Barkley remembered that the intensity of the Philadelphia-Boston rivalry surprised him as a rookie. Barkley asked Erving to talk about what that rivalry meant to him. Julius Erving versus Larry Bird was the NBA's best rivalry in the early 1980s, but Erving is too modest to say that. Instead, Erving replied,  "Respect is more important than popularity." Erving remembered how the Boston fans chanted "Beat L.A." in the waning moments of game seven of the 1982 Eastern Conference Finals after it became clear that the 76ers were going to beat the Celtics and move on to face the Lakers in the NBA Finals. Erving finished with 29 points and was the CBS Player of the Game for game seven, though it must be noted that Andrew Toney (game-high 34 points) was also sensational. Erving said that Boston hated Philadelphia and Philadelphia hated Boston, but "When I say 'hate' I don't really mean hate. We all survived it. Everybody got their trophies, and their stats, and life goes on." Erving's approach to life and basketball is different from the Michael Jordan "I took that personally" meme.

The conversation shifted to the beginning of Erving's pro career. Erving described how he signed with the ABA's Virginia Squires after his junior year at the University of Massachusetts (UMASS). In typical Erving style, he said that Charlie Scott was the best player on the team, even though it is obvious that Erving quickly established himself as a better all-around player than Scott. Erving said that he became the team's best player after Scott jumped to the NBA's Phoenix Suns. 

Erving said of going to the ABA, "It was absolutely the right move. I have no regrets about it." Erving won three regular season MVPs (1974-76) and led the New York Nets to two championships (1974, 1976) before the ABA merged with the NBA prior to the 1976-77 season. Erving noted with pride that when he retired he was just the third player in pro basketball history to score at least 30,000 regular season points, trailing only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain. Erving expressed frustration that ABA statistics are disregarded by the NBA and by media outlets, resulting in him erroneously not being listed as a member of the elite 30,000 point club. Erving declared, "The ABA takes a slap to the face, big time...Maybe they'll wait until I die (to count the ABA numbers)."

I have said it for over 20 years, and I will say it again: ABA Numbers Should Also Count. The NFL counts AFL statistics, awards, and championships, and it makes no sense that the NBA ignores ABA statistics, awards, and championships. 

Barkley asked Erving about navigating the turbulent 1960s and 1970s, when Erving was a young adult and Barkley was still a child. Erving said that Arthur Ashe, Reggie Jackson, and Bill Russell provided good guidance. "You don't get through it by yourself," Erving concluded. 

Barkley and Erving talked about mortality. Erving's brother was just 16 when he died from lupus, and Erving's sister died at 34. Erving's son Cory died at 19. Those losses have shaped Erving's thoughts and perspective about mortality. "All of this is gravy," said. "You think about mortality based on what happens in your life. How you react to what happens in your life determines if you are happy."

Erving is proud of how his 1982-83 76ers won the NBA title in dominating fashion with a 4-0 sweep of the L.A. Lakers in the NBA Finals, but he pointedly notes, "Nobody wants to count the ABA. I won two championships in the ABA...If you are going to make me a rookie, then maybe I should have won Rookie of the Year." That latter sentiment is a thought that I have expressed before: if the NBA is not counting ABA experience and ABA statistics, then Erving should have been the Rookie of the Year for the 1976-77 season.

Barkley asked Erving how and when he knew that it was time to retire. Erving recalled the exact moment in the 1985-86 season: "The year before I retired we were in Cleveland. It was a blizzard. The arena was cold. My knees hurt so bad I could not even sleep in the hotel bed. That's when I knew."

Erving mentioned that now players are sticking around to play 20 seasons or more (he played 16 seasons) and he said,  "If I wanted to stay out there, there was a way. But I wanted to go out the front door. I left college early and came in through the side door. That Farewell Tour was second to none."

Barkley said that being a member of the 76ers during Erving's 1986-87 Farewell Tour was a career highlight, and he said that he learned a lot about leadership by watching how Erving conducted himself. Barkley recalled one piece of advice that Erving gave to him at that time: "When you are the leader of the team, you are an amateur psychiatrist." 

Barkley said that he was a great player, but he did not earn a Farewell Tour the way that Erving did. Barkley knew it was time to retire when guys who could not play were outplaying him. Erving said that he had a story along those lines, recalling when rookie Ron Harper dunked on him. Erving was a shot blocker who was not used to players staying in the air longer than he did.

Barkley gave Erving several rapid-fire questions. Erving tapped Kevin Loughery as his best coach, recalling that when he played for Loughery with the Nets, "I had the green light. I had the freedom to express my gifts. That was the greatest feeling." Erving made a similar point years ago in an NBA TV show titled "The Last Night of the ABA": "That was the time when I had the most fun playing basketball. Between age 21 and age 26, I genuinely was empowered with this ability to do anything that I wanted to do on a basketball court and anything that I had ever dreamed of doing." 

Erving said that Moses Malone was the best player he ever played with, and that the teammate he was closest with was Steve Mix, who remains a close friend to this day. Erving's biggest basketball regret is "Not being a little bit more selfish." After Erving joined the 76ers, General Manager Pat Williams instructed Erving that the team wanted Erving, George McGinnis, and Doug Collins to each score around 20 ppg instead of Erving scoring 28-30 ppg like he did in the ABA. Erving went along with this, and the 76ers advanced to the 1977 NBA Finals before losing to Portland, but I agree with Erving that the best player should not have been sacrificing the most. 

Erving said that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the best player that he ever played against: "If I'm starting a team tomorrow, I'm starting with Kareem."

Barkley and Erving ended their conversation by talking again about mortality, and also about legacy. Erving said that he does not focus on what he accomplished or where he ranks all-time: "I don't want to live in the past. I want the carrot out in front of me." Erving hopes that his accomplishments and honors are "inspirational" to his family.

Labels: ABA, Andrew Toney, Billy Cunningham, Charles Barkley, Julius Erving, Kevin Loughery, Moses Malone, New York Nets, Pat Williams, Philadelphia 76ers

posted by David Friedman @ 10:59 PM

0 comments

Revising the NBA's 50 Greatest Players List, Part V

In a February 9, 2016 Sports Illustrated article reflecting on the nearly 20 years that had passed since the announcement of the NBA's 50th anniversary all-time team, Jack McCallum--one of the selectors of the NBA's official 1996 list--not only provided his personal update to the list, but he ranked the players in order, "something we didn't do on the politically-sensitive original panel," notes McCallum.

Here is McCallum's list (an asterisk indicates that the player was not on the NBA's 50 Greatest Players List):

1. Michael Jordan
2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
3. Wilt Chamberlain
4. Magic Johnson 
5. LeBron James*
6. Oscar Robertson
7. Larry Bird
8. Bill Russell
9. Jerry West
10. Tim Duncan*
11. Elgin Baylor
12. Kobe Bryant*
13. Bob Pettit
14. Moses Malone
15. Shaquille O'Neal
16. Hakeem Olajuwon
17. Karl Malone
18. Julius Erving
19. Elvin Hayes
20. Charles Barkley
21. Walt Frazier
22. John Havlicek
23. Scottie Pippen
24. George Mikan
25. Dwyane Wade*
26. George Gervin
27. Rick Barry
28. David Robinson
29. Isiah Thomas
30. John Stockton
31. Stephen Curry*
32. Bill Walton
33. Jerry Lucas
34. Kevin Garnett*
35. Clyde Drexler
36. Dave Bing
37. Dirk Nowitzki*
38. Bob Cousy
39. Patrick Ewing
40. Willis Reed
41. Hal Greer
42. Dave Cowens
43. Kevin Durant*
44. Jason Kidd*
45. Allen Iverson*
46. Bill Sharman
47. Chris Paul*
48. Dolph Schayes
49. Kevin McHale
50. Paul Arizin

Labels: Allen Iverson, Billy Cunningham, Chris Paul, Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade, Jason Kidd, Kevin Durant, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Pete Maravich, Stephen Curry, Tim Duncan

posted by David Friedman @ 10:18 PM

0 comments

1973 ABA All-Star Game Highlights Showcase Warren Jabali's MVP Performance

Warren Jabali won numerous honors during his ABA career, including the 1969 Rookie of the Year award, the 1969 Playoff MVP and selection to the 1973 All-ABA First Team. The 1973 ABA All-Star Game featured Hall of Famers Julius Erving, Billy Cunningham, Artis Gilmore, Mel Daniels and Dan Issel but Jabali earned All-Star MVP honors after leading the West to a come from behind 123-111 win. This video provides a cool recap of that game; Jabali's key contributions are depicted from the 11:07 to 11:50 marks:



Hat tip to Scott Schneider for sharing this video with me.

Labels: 1973 ABA All-Star Game, ABA, Artis Gilmore, Billy Cunningham, Dan Issel, Julius Erving, Mel Daniels, Warren Jabali

posted by David Friedman @ 6:28 AM

0 comments

"The Doctor": Julius Erving's Life Story in his Own Words

ESPN Radio's Scott Van Pelt perfectly summarized the emotional impact of NBA TV's "The Doctor," which premiered on Monday night; Van Pelt reminded his listeners of the great Jim Valvano quote that every day each person should laugh, cry and think: Van Pelt said that if you watch this documentary you will fulfill your quota in all three areas.

Erving's grace--on and off the court--and his remarkable basketball career resonate in a way that is both deeply felt and difficult to explain. Erving is not a perfect man, nor is he considered to be the greatest basketball player of all-time, yet in many ways he embodies what we think a man should be like and what we most enjoy watching in a basketball player; he is confident but not boastful, he is serene but possesses deep reservoirs of inner strength, he played the game with great flamboyance and joy but he was unselfish and very focused on winning.

A Hero Ain't Nothing But a Sandwich is a catchy book title but we need heroes to inspire us. Julius Erving's athletic prowess awed and inspired me as a kid, as did his elegance and class. I wanted to be like him and--when I was really young and really dreaming big--I hoped that his career would last long enough for me to play with him for the Philadelphia 76ers; I imagined running alongside him on the fast break, either throwing him a lob or else receiving a lob from him. I know that I am far from the only person who had that fantasy. In Julius Erving's Transcendence, Scoop Jackson mentions Erving's answer to a question about the impact Erving has had on people who he has never even met:

Well, you never know who is watching, so you can do one of two things. You can assume everyone's watching or you can take the attitude that you really don't care who is watching and who is not. I kind of always liked to assume that there were a lot of eyes--particularly young people--on any professional athlete once they start to get on the big stage, once they have a platform. They have a responsibility that you are a role model. Now I have been far from perfect in my professional life and personal life in terms of role modeling, but, you know, only our Creator is perfect. So perfect is not an option.

But to be good and to be consistent, to be dedicated and to have goals that are achievable and to reach them and then handle that situation with humility...those are doable things. So knowing that there are people out there who are watching, it became important to me. And it will always be important to me. I can't help it. It's something I don't wish on everybody because there are clearly some people that don't want the role, but it is a role.

The challenge of having a balanced perspective versus seeking impossible perfection is fascinating; I struggle fiercely with perfectionistic tendencies that, if unchecked, can lead my thoughts and emotions down a very dark path. Jackson articulates the feelings of so many of us who deeply admire Erving while also realizing that, as Erving said, "perfect is not an option":

Those imperfections upon their discoveries hurt--I can't lie. The children he bore outside of his marriage, the divorce from Turquoise Erving, the auctioning off personal memorabilia that led to speculation of severe financial troubles, the "Reign On" ad.

But those made him human instead of mythological. Something needed to help make many of us face the realization that Erving, as great of a role model and human being as he'd been in many of our eyes and lives, was mortal. A god, but not God.

The one thing I learned directly from Julius Erving is that he never wants a story about himself to be told too soon or before its time.

He held off on an interview once with me because he wanted to make sure other players were interviewed before him: Elgin Baylor, Earl Monroe, Pete Maravich, Connie Hawkins, etc. He felt their stories should have been told before his. Almost as if the Dr. J story was not worthy without others being given similar attention.

Even though no other is similar.

"The Doctor" traces the arc of Erving's life from his Long Island childhood to the present day and in addition to plenty of basketball highlights it also includes his memories of the two most painful tragedies of his life: the death, at 16, of his younger brother Marvin and the death, at 19, of his son Cory. His brother's untimely passing gave Erving both a sense of purpose and a glimpse of his own mortality and it seems like the 63 year old Erving has a heightened awareness of his mortality now; the once intensely private Erving is telling his story to the world (his authorized biography is scheduled for a November 2013 release), no longer content to let others define the meaning of his life and career. As Erving ages and is forced to face mortality, those of us who have admired him since childhood are likewise compelled to think about the meaning/mystery of life and death. At the start of the documentary, Erving buys flowers--and at the end of the documentary, he brings those flowers to the cemetery where his mother, sister and brother are buried. It is easy to think of great athletes like they are invulnerable comic book heroes but they have frailties and strengths--and they even have their own heroes: Erving adored his younger brother and he said that after his brother died he carried his spirit within him, feeling as if he enjoyed a 2 on 1 advantage even when facing the toughest foe on the court.

When Erving graduated high school, he was a lightly recruited 6-3 forward/guard but at the University of Massachusetts he blossomed into a 6-6 multifaceted pro prospect who signed with the ABA's Virginia Squires after his junior year. During that time, Erving made a name for himself by excelling at Rucker Park while competing against NBA players and streetball legends. The Rucker Park stories and footage are priceless; Erving played with joy and ferocity but he never disrespected anyone and he never showboated: not many of today's players could imitate Erving's moves and even fewer of them live up to the standard he set with his personal demeanor.

Erving was much more than just a guy who could fill up a highlight reel; his game contained plenty of substance and that is a big reason why his teams enjoyed so much success. In a February 1985 Esquire article, Erving explained to writer Mark Jacobson how he viewed his impact on the evolution of basketball: "I'd say I've had an effect in three main areas. First, I have taken a smaller man's game, ball-handling, passing, and the like, and brought it to the front court. Second, I've taken the big man's game, rebounding, shot-blocking, and been able to execute that even though I'm only six-foot-six. What I've tried to do is merge those two types of games, which were considered to be separate--for instance, Bill Russell does the rebounding, Cousy handles the ball--and combine them into the same player. This has more or less changed the definition of what's called the small forward position, and it creates a lot more flexibility for the individual player, and, of course, creates a lot more opportunities for the whole team. The third thing I've tried to do, and this is the most important thing, is to make this kind of basketball a winning kind of basketball, taking into account a degree of showmanship that gets people excited. My overall goal is to give people the feeling they are being entertained by an artist--and to win. You know, the playground game...refined."

As Magic Johnson once put it, Erving made the playground official. Near the end of "The Doctor," LeBron James said that without Erving there is no Michael Jordan and that without Jordan there would have been no LeBron James. Many people love to compare James to Magic Johnson but, in both style and substance, James' game is much more similar to Erving's, from the arm-extended overhead dunks to the chase down blocked shots to the ability to blend together backcourt skills with frontcourt skills and even to the question about how much a superstar should defer to less talented teammates. After Erving joined the Philadelphia 76ers, he voluntarily reduced his scoring to blend in with a cast of All-Stars and "The Doctor" includes a clip of Erving answering a question about whether it bothered him that players who he routinely outscored in the ABA were now outscoring him in the NBA. Erving replied, "Scoring is an individual statistic and I think the objectives of the team are the things that have to be paramount and have to come first." Erving's second NBA coach, Billy Cunningham, recalled, "He didn't want to rock the boat. He was too nice a man to say, 'Hey, I'm Dr. J." One big difference between Erving and James, though, is that Erving tended to defer during the regular season but take over during the playoffs--and especially the NBA Finals--while James tends to score big during the regular season only to defer during the NBA Finals. In 22 NBA Finals games, Erving scored less than 20 points only once, while James has scored less than 20 points in six of his 17 NBA Finals games.

One unexpected but fascinating anecdote in "The Doctor" concerns Mike Piazza, the former All-Star catcher; Piazza described being in the Spectrum as a little kid and watching Erving deliver one of his most famous dunks, a windmill over Michael Cooper. Piazza said that Erving provided inspiration for him to become a Major League Baseball player and that even now he sometimes is moved to tears when thinking about Erving's profound influence on his life; Piazza admitted that his wife is surprised by how emotional he gets when he thinks about Erving but he insisted that Erving's example had a huge effect on him. There are many great athletes but very few have Erving's unique combination of skill, style, flair, grace and class--and even fewer can move men to tears nearly 30 years after they retired.

Erving won two championships and three MVPs in the ABA but his 76ers lost three times in the NBA Finals before they paired Erving with another former ABA player, Moses Malone; in 1982-83, the 76ers ran roughshod over the NBA, going 65-17 in the regular season before winning 12 of their 13 playoff games--including a 4-0 Finals sweep of the defending champion L.A. Lakers. Pat Riley, who coached the Lakers at that time, said, "Even though we really would have loved to beat them again and we would have loved to keep him in that pain, you give those who really deserve it their just due when it's time."

Erving said, "It was such a relief, like a brick that was sitting over your head waiting to hit you and suddenly it went the other way and now it wasn't there anymore."

Cunningham remembered, "I was so happy for him, because if there was one player who deserved to have that one little piece that he was missing for his legacy, he had it now."

Erving played four more seasons, making the All-Star team each year, and then he glided seamlessly into retirement, unlike so many athletes who cannot let go of past glories and/or search in vain for something that thrills/challenges them the way that being a professional athlete thrilled/challenged them. Erving neither brags about his own considerable accomplishments nor does he diminish the accomplishments of the players who came after him. One point that Erving gently but firmly mentions now in some interviews--and perhaps he should be less gentle and more firm but that is not his style--is that ABA Numbers Should Also Count; it is a travesty that the NBA and the league's media partners act as if ABA statistics do not exist and/or do not matter. Julius Erving was just the third professional basketball player to score at least 30,000 points and he was the first "midsize" player to score 30,000 points, blazing a trail later followed by Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Erving ranked third on the all-time regular season career scoring list when he retired (behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain) and he still ranks sixth on that list 26 years after playing his last game. Erving is also the sixth leading playoff scorer in pro basketball history--and when he retired he ranked second on that list behind only Abdul-Jabbar.

When Erving's numbers and accomplishments are placed in proper context it is obvious that contemporary commentators often vastly underrate his place in basketball history; he is not the first retired legend to face that fate but in his case these errors are correctable because the statistics exist and the footage exists: his impact can be quantified and demonstrated. For instance, as a rookie Erving averaged 33.3 ppg, 20.4 rpg and 6.5 apg during the 1972 playoffs while shooting .518 from the field and .835 from the free throw line. Those numbers include a 53 point game--tying the ABA's single game playoff scoring record--plus a 39 point, 27 rebound game and an unprecedented triple double of 26 points, 20 rebounds and 15 assists; I have yet to find another 26-20-15 stat line in pro basketball history. College basketball coaches John Wooden and Mike Krzyzewski are celebrated for reaching the Final Four 12 times in 29 seasons and 11 times in 38 seasons respectively; Erving led his team to pro basketball's "Final Four" (the Division Finals/Conference Finals) 10 times in his 16 year career.

Erving's impact extended beyond his statistics and accomplishments. M.L. Carr, who played against Erving in the ABA and the NBA, recalled, "He was carrying the weight of the league on his shoulder. He realized he was an ambassador for the league. He was the ultimate ambassador for the league."

Erving was one of the first athletes who had what was referred to in the 1970s as "crossover" appeal; as Dr. Todd Boyd noted, "Major corporations decided that they wanted this guy to endorse their products. The idea that a black guy would be the face of a national brand--that was really radical."

Erving's importance as a crossover figure is undeniable, as is the influence that he had on multiple generations of young black people, but I never looked at Julius Erving as a black man.

I just looked him as my hero--and, despite his admitted flaws, in my heart he will always be my hero.

Labels: Billy Cunningham, Julius Erving, Magic Johnson, New York Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Scoop Jackson, Virginia Squires

posted by David Friedman @ 6:04 AM

0 comments