Dr. J has really opened up the last several years in long interviews. Great to hear his stories. Got a seriously sharp mind and memory bank. The greatest.
Julius Erving has always been a nice, humble ,superstar !, that was in his ABA years the greatest natural born talent !, that i ever saw, bar none !, and i was so privileged to see him play in person and on television in his ABA years in 1971 thru 1976 and i still remember him doing things that even superman could not do !!! , and he has not been given the credit that he deserves in being way ahead of his time .
Tony Cento top 10 player that I have ever seen. Terribly underrated ball player. GREATEST OPEN COURT PLAYER AND FINISHER IN HISTORY AND IT IS NOT CLOSE.
Bill Simmons has deep knowledge of and deep love for the game; he's very personable; and he's a very good interviewer. More conversational in his style, and that's fine--his enthusiasm makes up for some of the interruptions, but then again, I interrupt from enthusiasm, too. :) Nice to have found this guy. Dr J is definitely cool--and highly intelligent.
Thank you Doc for giving Kareem the respect and conversation he deserves. "There has not been a more potent weapon on the court than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar." 100% the best ever. If Television, media outlets, highlight reels and things like that didn't exist, Kareem is the best. He made the game look EASY, while perfecting a shot that nobody else has
I like how Ervings pickup team Include s Barkley and Moses and then Cheeks and Toney. What an honor for Barkley to be admired and respected by the veteran legend who ushered him in
Our beloved Julius Dr.J Evrving is a great example of O.G smooth how ta a man should carry himself with ....class, Thank you for being a great example D.r.J Thank You.... Roy Harris
I understand exactly where dr. J is coming from look at NBA TV they will not show any old school games from the 80s 70s and 60s they claim there's no footage but it's all over UA-cam the media and the NBA wants you to forget about the past
Unfortunately, the NBA wasn't run as well as MLB or the NFL. A lot of the 60s and 70s footage was actually shot by NFL Films. Anyhow, the NBA doesn't own a lot of that footage. Some teams individually licensed away the rights to broadcasts and recordings to local TV stations (some UHF/VHF) or individual studios who would sell to local news. Pretty sad.
The ABA Doc was unstoppable!! He was still the high flying Doc the first 2-3yrs in the NBA then his game changed. He could still dunk, he could still posterise you, but he became more team oriented. Especially when you had Andrew Toney and Maurice Cheeks in the backcourt. Bobby Jones and later Moses Malone. Doc didnt have to take over, he had the right teammates around him.
When I was a kid everyone wanted to be Dr. J. He had the first show sponsorship contract. Back then the NBA was struggling and Dr J came along and it took off. He was the greatest in a rugged physical style of play that today's players would struggle with. He was the face of the NBA. A true superstar and gentleman.
To quote Phil Hartman's Ed McMahon: "You are correct, sir!" Everyone credits Bird & Magic for saving the NBA, but it was on life support until Dr. J came along. Suddenly, there were sellouts in every arena he played. Yes, Bird & Magic were very important for popularizing the league, but Dr. J always gets overlooked for his role in keeping the NBA alive. Same with those Philly teams not being mentioned in the Lakers/Celtics hype. It was a knock-down, drag-out, 3-team rivalry among those teams for 5-6 years.
Doc raises a very good point! Why is Julius, Wilt, Kareem, Magic excluded when people talk about the G.O.A.T conversations??? It's always about Jordan, Kobe & Lebron!!!
JUST MAYBE BECAUSE,PEOPLE THAT KNOW THE GAME,ALREADY KNOWS THIS,HE IS VERY MODEST,IM PRETTY SURE HIS PERS,THINK THE LADDER,AND IT WOULD BE HARD PRESS TO SAY,JULIUS,WILT,KAREEM,AND TO ME MAJIC ISN’T EVEN IN THAT ERA,BUT WILT,KAREEM,AND DR,DOESN’T SOUND TO SHABY,I WILL PUT THOSE THREE AGAINST ANY THREE IN HISTORY PERIOD.
Virginia Coleman I think because of the media and social media they don't really want to acknowledge the NBA players of the 80s 70s and 60s when you bring up Bill Russell's 11 Rings they say well he didn't play against anybody or there were only 20 teams in the league as far as the media today's concern the NBA started in 1996 when Kobe came into the league
Virginia Coleman Doc and these guys are forgotten because people no longer read or research . I still got Doc as my number 1 small forward . I got James "Big Games" Worthy very high on my list
He should ask the people that question because the people are the ones creating these conversations. Jordan and Magic and Kareem didn't come up with it but Jordan get's all the flack from these ex-players. Why is that???
omieg89 I am 53. I saw Dr. J play. He took on defenders on the way to the rim and at the rim. Jordan, Because of rule changes, only had to meet the defender at the rim. Career stats between Jordan and Dr. J are similar.
My favorite all-time player the DR. He's absolutely right when he said how can you talk about the GOAT and not mention Kareem because Kareem is the GOAT 😎
Dr. J was one of the best NBA players of all time. Do life his mistakes, learn from them and grow from them. Forgiving himself of his past wrongs, but to be a Man and stand up and be a Man's, Man.. My first love of basketball is with Dr. J. He was the NBA and its entertainment value. He is the reason most black players wanted to dream and be like Dr. J. Give him his flowers now.
I grew up in Brooklyn and Queens in the sixties and seventies I saw the Nets play more than the Knicks. The Doc was the best player in the seventies except maybe Kareem. It funny to hear the host talk about him not being on TV with the ABA. I saw him on TV every week from 72-76 during the season and Rick Barry before that.
You'd never hear Jordan saying the stuff Dr. J., is saying about other greats of the Game. This is vintage Julius Erving, the way he's been his entire life. I still rate Dr. J. as one of the top 5 GREATEST BASKETBALL PLAYERS PERIOD!!! 1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 2. Wilt Chamberlain, 3. Oscar Robertson; 4. Earl Monroe, 5 Julius Erving
@@russelturner5771he does honor the legends before him including some of the less celebrated ones like David Thompson. But those interviews and clips are usually cut out and people think highlights represent his opinions. Nobody has the patience to sit through a whole Arsenio show to hear what he says about Magic and even Isiah Thomas. Plus it’s not polarizing so it won’t get clicks
I just discovered your channel and what a grand entrance. Dr J is and always has been my all time favorite sports personality along with Raymond Dalmau, whom I consider Puerto Rico's best basketball player ever. Raymond was invited to play with Utah during the 1970s but he declined the offer being that doing so meant he couldn't represent Puerto Rico internationally any longer. Thank you for being there and now I'm gonna watch Dominique Wilkins. Not a CELTICS fan but a closet admirer of Kevin McHale. Be safe.
The young folks I see watching basketball today, 2024, are absolutely gobsmacked by Gervin J. They haven’t heard much. The Doctor is much more well-known, but most of those ABA guys got forgotten. Doc was the man.
Moses was traded about 4 or 5 years prematurely by Philly. I understand Chuckie s process here but Moses was still the best player Barkley played with because he was still Philly s most valuable player at the time of the trade. Problem was Malone got hurt fore the Buck Semifinal series that went 7 games in 86. Barkley played so well in the series minus Moses that it flirted an idea inside Philly management that they could replace Moses and put all their eggs into Barkley's basket. They wanted to get cheaper unloading Moses, get younger, and have Barkley pick up the slack that Moses left behind. It was an error. A huge one. A monumental one and was the very first nail in Barkley's Sixers coffin. Rightfully so Barkley left them high and dry for little in return because that's what they got for Malone in return. The same nothing. Barkley and Malone would have beat Boston in 1987, they would have beat Detroit. 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, for certain look different top to bottom if that duo stays in Philly proper due time. An underrated all time duo and one that 2k sports has yet to give us the chance of experiencing. Andrew Toney was special but by the same time Moses was traded Toney was washed up tragically. He did not play with Barkley very long either though he was apart of Barkley's team longer, injuries stopped giving Barkley a healthy Toney around the same time as time Malone was traded. I understand Barkley but he should clear air and let people know that Moses and Barkley as a dynamic duo was robbed prematurely by a cheap Philly front office. They tried a 2 for 1 banking on Barkley's special talent when they could have certified that talent with Moses next to him until Moses's wheels fell off which wasn't for awhile. Yeah his star waned after Philly but he was as valuable as Kareem in years 14,15,16,17,18... And he damn sure remained a top 5 center into the 90's. The Sixers just tried to save a buck and use Barkley as a bandaid to help hide weaknesses left by Moses's void.
Tragic all around and very interesting points. You don't hear enough about Toney's injury or the Malone trade. As a Knick fan I would've enjoyed some Philly-Detroit battles. Those teams didn't play enough big games. I can't recall even one playoff series.
It is not true that the ABA games were NEVER on. I saw the Squires vs. the Colonels on CBS in the spring of 1971, the Squires vs. Florida in a playoff game in the spring of 1972 and the Pacers vs. the Colonels in the championship round in 1973. But, yeah, serious lack of exposure for a very entertaining product.
Look around in Jonny Arnett, and I say the same thing. Dr. J was such an enormous surprise to me when I first saw him playing for the Nets. And, I loved the game and thought I knew it. Wow! Literally. I loved the ABA from that point on. We don't know the ABA, and it was absolutely great. Absolutely in my opinion Dr. J is underrated. First, he was transcendentally athletic in the ABA. Second, he gave gave gave in the NBA. And, he was great. And, Baylor and Hawkins! I'm against the GOAT conversation especially because it doesn't include J. Oh yes, he throws in David Thompson, another under-rated ABA great.
Lost in the Celtics/Lakers hoopla. Is how great Philly v. Boston was. Dr J, Toney, Cheeks, B Jones. Tiny Arch, McHale, Byrd, Parish. Absolute Wars. 81& 82 East Finals. Maybe. Even better than 84 & 85 Finals. In term of All time play off series.
Amen brother. It was a 3-team rivalry for 5-6 years there. What was amazing was that any of those teams could go on a 25-0 run against the other at any time. And then the other team would usually come back. Best sports rivalries of my lifetime.
Wilt would eat Kareem up in wilts prime and Kareem didn't play the defense that wilt did and get the rebounds that will did and shoot the percentage that will fit well it was the greatest no matter what who you bring after being retired and 43 years will head over 90 NBA records tell me who even comes close to that and he still holds over 40 records give me a break
There was a great player on every team cuz I had season tickets for the sixers and you could go to any team in that era and always would see a great player no matter if it was the last place team or first place team and it's never been like that now
Top 5 players my ultimate team...... Kareem, Dr J, Larry Bird, Magic & Stockton ( unfortunately cannot have 2 point guards) so i would take Jordon, instead of Stockton.
All time greatest team according to my good friend the late Ronald Bell of Detroit Michigan. Bill Russell Wilt Chamberlain Bob Lanier Isiah Thomas and Dr. J
Dr j in the ABA was actually better he was unbelievable, he had a better outside jump shot and it's true that he really ruled the ABA in should be up there with the top elite players
100%! His athleticism in the NBA was off the charts. By the early 80’s he was still great, but the high-flying act had diminished. I saw him play in St. Louis (the Spirits) and he got more cheers than our home team.
Wilt after 40 years retired he held 90 and be a records give me any player in any sport that has done something as incredible as that no one so don't tell me and no one in the league ever will have the records that Wilt has greatest of all time and this isn't even close they changed the game because it WILT
Frank findout Looking back, Wilt had five chances to knock Near ready to retire bill Russell out of the playoffs in ‘68 (3-1 lead ) and ‘69 (3-2 lead ) with a superior team-including two game 7s at home-and only needed to submit one monster performance to pull it off.Each time, he couldn’t do it .Each time , Russell’s inferior team prevailed.Each time wilt whines about it afterward. If Jerry west was MR clutch , than wilt was MR crutch
So you're saying that Bill Russell had an inferior team compared to Wilt Chamberlain when they lost what was it for playoff games by a game sevens by a total of nine points that was wilt's fault tell me about the time when will had 55 rebounds against Bill Russell or the time went in 66 67 season he made 35 shots in a row and has anybody ever done either of them has anybody's ever scored 100 points in a game I mean will has 68 records of his own and 72 counting team records how many does Jordan or jabbar or magic Johnson or Larry Bird how many records do they have
Dr.J was my favorite player growing up. It broke my heart to finally admit that Jordan was better than him. I only did that when Jordan became a better outside shooter. Prior to that Jordan and Doc had similar games.
Jordan pattern his game after the Dr.J,most of the moves Jordan did on the court Dr.,already did them,but I has to admit that Mj add little more to his moves.Dr.,were the first flying player.
George McGinnis was traded for Bobby Jones , Ralph Simpson and a first round draft pick in the fall of 78. McGinnis played three full seasons with the Sixers.
Doc has gotten classier with age. It's a shame him and Bird had that fight, and Moses and Barkley were holding Bird when J got a shot in. It actually makes Barkley and Moses look ghetto.
I meet Doc in 1978, sat in the same spot watching practice at F & M college everyday, Darryl Dawkins smiled and would said hi after the first week of seeing me, I saw Billy Ray Bates grab on the side of the backboard and dunk, dude is 6 3', after practice Doc would walk to the side and calmly sign autographs for EVERYONE, it was a special time, I remember the end of that game in 1977 against Portland like it was yesterday and although I love Big mac, Mcginnis was having a HORRIBLE series, I mean ABSOLUTEL FUCKIN HORRIBLE, he was playing like garbage, getting beat defensively, he was a liability that series and the shot he missed was a TOTALLY makable pull up 10 footer, ohhh I fuckin died, like seriously, was 12, my room was plastered with all the sixers , Dr J had my whole closet door. Doc said it, the whole FUCKIN series changed once Maurice Lucas squared up with Dawkins, went downhill from there BUT so what we won it in 83, I was at the parade down Broad street and in the Vet, still got the Daily News, Journal and the Inquirer the day we won. Remember Billy Cunningham coming off the plane with the trophy , pumping his fist !!!! FFuck yeah, greatest day in Philly sports history next to Villanova over G Town and when we beat Boston in the Garden game 7, 1982, fuckin right !!!!!! The 76ers are pathetic now, the current team was fucked when they let go of Butler, Reddick, Fultze, that's right , look at him now., has hit more 3's than tobias harris did,and Elia Souza or however you spell his name and Ballinari or whoever he was with the mustache. That team had heart and jumpshooters to spread the floor, Embiid will never win the title as the best player on a team, he is ver immature, no leadership, makes no one better, Simmons cannot shoot an open 10 foot jumper, TEN FOOT , not a three, a basic mid range pull up, NOT IN hIS SKILL SET ?? Oh fuck let me spit the throw up out of my mouth. TRADE Embiid AND HIRE Dell Curry to work with Simmons AND MAKE HIM GET A JUMPER BUT he is has shown ZERO ambition to work at his game so he will be a spectator of playoff games his career not a participant. Gotta WORK HOMIE, get into the fuckin gym put up 1000 jumpers a day MINIMUM, you MAKE ENOUGH or come playoff time it like playing 4 on 5 cause guys back 8 ft from you BEGGING you to shoot a jumper, when it counts you are a liability to be on the court, this many years in the league and still no fuckin faint sign of a jumper, that is pathetic. Dennis Rodman had a better pull up jumper Ben Simmons, so did Shawn Bradley, Kwame Brown, Luc LOngley they are MARKSMEN compared to Simmons, enjoy him in the regular season. His career may have the trajectory of Isiah Thomas 2, Simmons either gets a jumper or will be in China in three seasons.
Exactly the way I remembered that Sixer/ Blazers series. That Dawkins/Lucas fight just changed the momentum of the series in Portland's favor. I wasn't happy one bit.
The history of 1980s NBA has been revised by the (admittedly great) Bird-Magic Docs. It was a Bird-Erving rivalry. The first 4 yrs(79-83) Dr J either beat Bird & Bos, Bos didn't make it to the Conf Finals or we lost the 3-1 lead in a Heartbreaker. Erving is one of the all time 'stocks' leader,.Great D', great jumper. So disrespected!
I like how prideful these guys are about their legacy...but it is interesting that the ABA gets no respect even tho so many ABA guys were dominant after the merger...Those years and titles in the ABA count as far as I'm concerned..Flip it around: the NBA pre-merger didn't have to deal with ABA talent...so why isn't the NBA disregarded? Because it was more financially successful?
Joe Johnson I agree with you if it wasn't for the ABA a lot of these players wouldn't have all these points the three-point shot came from the ABA along with the slam dunk contest the NBA totally disrespect the Aba
I just miss Grantland...Even the studio here was cool.The quality of the staff and what they did was much better than the Ringer,just so much talent all around.The Ringer even though they do some nice stuff and got some nice ideas here and there,it just isnt on tha level at all.Still better than pretty much any media outlet out there still though.
Unlike the merger of the NFL, NBA did not allow stats and records from ABA players to transfer during the merger. The ABA pioneered the 3pointer and playing style and stat keeping that made the NBA what it is today. It was definitely self serving for the NBA to diminish to influence the ABA had on professional basketball.
Frank findout Looking back, Wilt had five chances to knock Near ready to retire bill Russell out of the playoffs in ‘68 (3-1 lead ) and ‘69 (3-2 lead ) with a superior team-including two game 7s at home-and only needed to submit one monster performance to pull it off.Each time, he couldn’t do it .Each time , Russell’s inferior team prevailed.Each time wilt whines about it afterward. If Jerry west was MR clutch , than wilt was MR crutch
Think about it. High Flyer having bad knees during the 1970's period. It was the shoes causing the knee issues. No doubt, because Derrick Rose first signature shoe looks great but terrible to play in. I swear... I know... it's the reason DRose succumb to his injuries.
Changing the stats would then cause to have to say each ABA championship team was an NBA champion as well, right? Not sure how I feel about that. The Pittsburgh Pipers would barely have made the playoffs much less beaten the Celts or Lakers back in the day. Many ABA players wouldn't and couldn't make the NBA. Many that did go on to play in the NBA didn't do as well. Even Julius's stats dropped tremendously in the NBA. Really the only guy that got clearly better in the NBA was Ice.
CLewey44: As a Hoosier kid, I could watch the Pacers a couple times a week while I did my homework. The ABA was much better than people who didn't see it realize and a bundle of fun.
As stated, he was not needed to score 30+ a game in the NBA....after the merger Ice and David Thompson would battle for the scoring title for the first 3years, Doc lead those two in scoring in ABA days
Maybe some end-of-the-bench guys couldn't hack it, but the ABA stars were just as good in the NBA: Doc, Ice, Thompson, Rick Barry, Artis Gilmore, Dan Issel, etc
You got to go over Wilts statistics I mean have Sunny Hill on one time to tell you some Wilt Chamberlain stories if he wasn't documented you wouldn't believe they have to stuff that he did they don't even mention the 67 season the start of the 67th season he made 35 shots in a row now you ever hear of anybody doing something like that Jordan any of those guys anyone thoughts I don't know I subscribed I like your channel you know you're a big ballistic fan but I'm actually a Laker fan because I was a sixer paying I live in Philly by route for the sixers and the Lakers but you got to have something on Wilt man I mean come on put Sonny Hill on there and he'll tell you something Wilt stories and you won't believe them because it's hard to believe like they're just hard stories to believe I mean unless you you sing it in which we did it's amazing
Dr. J has really opened up the last several years in long interviews. Great to hear his stories. Got a seriously sharp mind and memory bank. The greatest.
The Great Julius Erving, ONE OF THE GREATEST NBA PLAYERS OF ALL-TIME!!!!!
💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💗
agreed James, what a human being, great role model.
The goat.. Julius erving...... greatest of all time.
Julius Erving has always been a nice, humble ,superstar !, that was in his ABA years the greatest natural born talent !, that i ever saw, bar none !, and i was so privileged to see him play in person and on television in his ABA years in 1971 thru 1976 and i still remember him doing things that even superman could not do !!! , and he has not been given the credit that he deserves in being way ahead of his time .
Tony Cento top 10 player that I have ever seen. Terribly underrated ball player. GREATEST OPEN COURT PLAYER AND FINISHER IN HISTORY AND IT IS NOT CLOSE.
God, I’d pay anything to just get all these legends on a podcast and tell stories for hours and hours.
We need this before all the greats are gone.
The Book of Basketball 2.0 podcast led me here...
Dr. J might be the coolest NBA player ever
NBA_FAN shoot maybe on the planet.
Bw him Walt Frazier and Allen iverson
jay scott Ice
He definitely is.
No one smoother and/or cooler. The Doctor.
Bill Simmons has deep knowledge of and deep love for the game; he's very personable; and he's a very good interviewer. More conversational in his style, and that's fine--his enthusiasm makes up for some of the interruptions, but then again, I interrupt from enthusiasm, too. :) Nice to have found this guy. Dr J is definitely cool--and highly intelligent.
Dr. J is PURE class! Epitome of true class.
Thank you Doc for giving Kareem the respect and conversation he deserves. "There has not been a more potent weapon on the court than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar." 100% the best ever. If Television, media outlets, highlight reels and things like that didn't exist, Kareem is the best. He made the game look EASY, while perfecting a shot that nobody else has
I like how Ervings pickup team Include s Barkley and Moses and then Cheeks and Toney. What an honor for Barkley to be admired and respected by the veteran legend who ushered him in
Our beloved Julius Dr.J Evrving is a great example of O.G smooth how ta a man should carry himself with ....class, Thank you for being a great example D.r.J
Thank You.... Roy Harris
I understand exactly where dr. J is coming from look at NBA TV they will not show any old school games from the 80s 70s and 60s they claim there's no footage but it's all over UA-cam the media and the NBA wants you to forget about the past
Unfortunately, the NBA wasn't run as well as MLB or the NFL. A lot of the 60s and 70s footage was actually shot by NFL Films. Anyhow, the NBA doesn't own a lot of that footage. Some teams individually licensed away the rights to broadcasts and recordings to local TV stations (some UHF/VHF) or individual studios who would sell to local news. Pretty sad.
@@allengordon41510 beyond sad, all those legendary players and games lost to history
Nobody to this day was a better dunker than Doc
The ABA Doc was unstoppable!! He was still the high flying Doc the first 2-3yrs in the NBA then his game changed. He could still dunk, he could still posterise you, but he became more team oriented. Especially when you had Andrew Toney and Maurice Cheeks in the backcourt. Bobby Jones and later Moses Malone. Doc didnt have to take over, he had the right teammates around him.
The ABA doc was indeed a spectacular show.
Terrific interview .. thanks4sharing
a mature program promotes a mature comment section. (bravo)
Dr. J is right outside the top 10 he’s in the group with Oscar Robertson Jerry West Kobe Hakeem. The greatest ambassador that basketball ever had.
I love his team -- Wilt, Bill Russell, Elgin, Jerry and Oscar! And GOAT -- Kareem!
But, the greatest all-around player, ever, beats West at guard. Larry Legend.
You mean the Goat Wilt!!!!! Kareem does not even come close to the Stilts stats. Wilt played 7 years less but still owns the record book.
Doc gets cooler the more I get to see him play and talk 🐐
Docs Hairline is the GOAT.
Other than that most said they’d pick Lebron to start their team, yet every Legend would choose Doc to start their league.
That hairline is truly legendary
Dr.J were the first electrifying player in the ABA and NBA.He were jumping and flying from the free throw line before Jordan.
Doc started listing off 5 teams and named the Celtics twice. LOL I love this man so I can't even rip him. A true basketball legend.
When I was a kid everyone wanted to be Dr. J. He had the first show sponsorship contract. Back then the NBA was struggling and Dr J came along and it took off. He was the greatest in a rugged physical style of play that today's players would struggle with. He was the face of the NBA. A true superstar and gentleman.
To quote Phil Hartman's Ed McMahon: "You are correct, sir!" Everyone credits Bird & Magic for saving the NBA, but it was on life support until Dr. J came along. Suddenly, there were sellouts in every arena he played. Yes, Bird & Magic were very important for popularizing the league, but Dr. J always gets overlooked for his role in keeping the NBA alive. Same with those Philly teams not being mentioned in the Lakers/Celtics hype. It was a knock-down, drag-out, 3-team rivalry among those teams for 5-6 years.
Doc raises a very good point! Why is Julius, Wilt, Kareem, Magic excluded when people talk about the G.O.A.T conversations??? It's always about Jordan, Kobe & Lebron!!!
Virginia Coleman facts they all deserve to have a case.personally I got 1.MJ 2.LBJ.3.Wilt but it's all opinion
JUST MAYBE BECAUSE,PEOPLE THAT KNOW THE GAME,ALREADY KNOWS THIS,HE IS VERY MODEST,IM PRETTY SURE HIS PERS,THINK THE LADDER,AND IT WOULD BE HARD PRESS TO SAY,JULIUS,WILT,KAREEM,AND TO ME MAJIC ISN’T EVEN IN THAT ERA,BUT WILT,KAREEM,AND DR,DOESN’T SOUND TO SHABY,I WILL PUT THOSE THREE AGAINST ANY THREE IN HISTORY PERIOD.
Virginia Coleman I think because of the media and social media they don't really want to acknowledge the NBA players of the 80s 70s and 60s when you bring up Bill Russell's 11 Rings they say well he didn't play against anybody or there were only 20 teams in the league as far as the media today's concern the NBA started in 1996 when Kobe came into the league
Virginia Coleman Doc and these guys are forgotten because people no longer read or research . I still got Doc as my number 1 small forward . I got James "Big Games" Worthy very high on my list
He should ask the people that question because the people are the ones creating these conversations. Jordan and Magic and Kareem didn't come up with it but Jordan get's all the flack from these ex-players. Why is that???
Very entertaining podcast. Bill is the perfect person to interview someone like this. Now I'm going to go on a Dr J binge watch.
omieg89 I am 53. I saw Dr. J play. He took on defenders on the way to the rim and at the rim. Jordan, Because of rule changes, only had to meet the defender at the rim.
Career stats between Jordan and Dr. J are similar.
David Solis WOW. VERY GOOD POINTS. YOU ARE RIGHT.
My favorite all-time player the DR. He's absolutely right when he said how can you talk about the GOAT and not mention Kareem because Kareem is the GOAT 😎
That dunk by Doc on Micheal Cooper on a fast break from the left hand side of the court is just disgustingly ridiculous.
Rock the baby!
@@jimbeller7948
That baby went tp sleep and never woke up..
I love you for posting this
Gotta love ole Dr. J.
Dr. J was one of the best NBA players of all time. Do life his mistakes, learn from them and grow from them. Forgiving himself of his past wrongs, but to be a Man and stand up and be a Man's, Man.. My first love of basketball is with Dr. J. He was the NBA and its entertainment value. He is the reason most black players wanted to dream and be like Dr. J. Give him his flowers now.
I grew up in Brooklyn and Queens in the sixties and seventies
I saw the Nets play more than the Knicks. The Doc was the best player in the seventies except maybe Kareem. It funny to hear the host talk about him not being on TV with the ABA. I saw him on TV every week from 72-76 during the season and Rick Barry before that.
THOSE were the days.
I remember lamenting when Barry left, but then, came the DOCTA!
You think the games were only shown locally?
You'd never hear Jordan saying the stuff Dr. J., is saying about other greats of the Game. This is vintage Julius Erving, the way he's been his entire life. I still rate Dr. J. as one of the top 5 GREATEST BASKETBALL PLAYERS PERIOD!!! 1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 2. Wilt Chamberlain, 3. Oscar Robertson; 4. Earl Monroe, 5 Julius Erving
The Doc is my 🐐 but MJ has also paid homage to his NBA predecessors more than once.
@@russelturner5771he does honor the legends before him including some of the less celebrated ones like David Thompson. But those interviews and clips are usually cut out and people think highlights represent his opinions. Nobody has the patience to sit through a whole Arsenio show to hear what he says about Magic and even Isiah Thomas. Plus it’s not polarizing so it won’t get clicks
@@eddieG667 The "Skywalker" may be less celebrated but he was the 💩
Bill "I was at the game" Simmons
I just discovered your channel and what a grand entrance. Dr J is and always has been my all time favorite sports personality along with Raymond Dalmau, whom I consider Puerto Rico's best basketball player ever. Raymond was invited to play with Utah during the 1970s but he declined the offer being that doing so meant he couldn't represent Puerto Rico internationally any longer.
Thank you for being there and now I'm gonna watch Dominique Wilkins.
Not a CELTICS fan but a closet admirer of Kevin McHale. Be safe.
Damn... he’s just cool as hell.
A smooth and talented player whom did it with class and style, the greatest legend ever.
What's the problem with him going old school he doesn't have to choose from today's player like today's media want him to do
The media thinks history started 5 minutes ago.
That one on one bird vs dr j game was one of the 1st great sports games ever made.
The young folks I see watching basketball today, 2024, are absolutely gobsmacked by Gervin J. They haven’t heard much. The Doctor is much more well-known, but most of those ABA guys got forgotten.
Doc was the man.
I can’t really say I”m a basketball fan, I”m a Doctor J fan.
He got me into it, and when he retired, I mostly lost interest.
Dr J is the best drunker of all time most stylish, gentleman. I wish basketball players would follow the DR, excellent role model...true Dr.
Moses was traded about 4 or 5 years prematurely by Philly. I understand Chuckie s process here but Moses was still the best player Barkley played with because he was still Philly s most valuable player at the time of the trade. Problem was Malone got hurt fore the Buck Semifinal series that went 7 games in 86. Barkley played so well in the series minus Moses that it flirted an idea inside Philly management that they could replace Moses and put all their eggs into Barkley's basket. They wanted to get cheaper unloading Moses, get younger, and have Barkley pick up the slack that Moses left behind. It was an error. A huge one. A monumental one and was the very first nail in Barkley's Sixers coffin. Rightfully so Barkley left them high and dry for little in return because that's what they got for Malone in return. The same nothing.
Barkley and Malone would have beat Boston in 1987, they would have beat Detroit. 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, for certain look different top to bottom if that duo stays in Philly proper due time. An underrated all time duo and one that 2k sports has yet to give us the chance of experiencing.
Andrew Toney was special but by the same time Moses was traded Toney was washed up tragically. He did not play with Barkley very long either though he was apart of Barkley's team longer, injuries stopped giving Barkley a healthy Toney around the same time as time Malone was traded. I understand Barkley but he should clear air and let people know that Moses and Barkley as a dynamic duo was robbed prematurely by a cheap Philly front office. They tried a 2 for 1 banking on Barkley's special talent when they could have certified that talent with Moses next to him until Moses's wheels fell off which wasn't for awhile. Yeah his star waned after Philly but he was as valuable as Kareem in years 14,15,16,17,18... And he damn sure remained a top 5 center into the 90's. The Sixers just tried to save a buck and use Barkley as a bandaid to help hide weaknesses left by Moses's void.
Alecsander Hamilton now it is the Raptors. Win a chip make loads of money. Get rid of six money players. One win four losses. Stick a fork......
Tragic all around and very interesting points. You don't hear enough about Toney's injury or the Malone trade. As a Knick fan I would've enjoyed some Philly-Detroit battles. Those teams didn't play enough big games. I can't recall even one playoff series.
My All Time Favorite. The Dr
My top five been the same all my life Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor case closed.
Surely won't argue his top 5, think about it they probably will beat anyone.
My best guard Oscar " Big O " Robertson best forward Elgin " Hangtime " Baylor.
It is not true that the ABA games were NEVER on. I saw the Squires vs. the Colonels on CBS in the spring of 1971, the Squires vs. Florida in a playoff game in the spring of 1972 and the Pacers vs. the Colonels in the championship round in 1973. But, yeah, serious lack of exposure for a very entertaining product.
Look around in Jonny Arnett, and I say the same thing. Dr. J was such an enormous surprise to me when I first saw him playing for the Nets. And, I loved the game and thought I knew it. Wow! Literally. I loved the ABA from that point on. We don't know the ABA, and it was absolutely great. Absolutely in my opinion Dr. J is underrated. First, he was transcendentally athletic in the ABA. Second, he gave gave gave in the NBA. And, he was great. And, Baylor and Hawkins! I'm against the GOAT conversation especially because it doesn't include J. Oh yes, he throws in David Thompson, another under-rated ABA great.
Lost in the Celtics/Lakers hoopla. Is how great Philly v. Boston was. Dr J, Toney, Cheeks, B Jones. Tiny Arch, McHale, Byrd, Parish. Absolute Wars. 81& 82 East Finals. Maybe. Even better than 84 & 85 Finals. In term of All time play off series.
Amen brother. It was a 3-team rivalry for 5-6 years there. What was amazing was that any of those teams could go on a 25-0 run against the other at any time. And then the other team would usually come back. Best sports rivalries of my lifetime.
the greatest book I've ever read!
My Basketball idol
Dr.J had the best dunks they were like watching a ballet dancer
Wilt would eat Kareem up in wilts prime and Kareem didn't play the defense that wilt did and get the rebounds that will did and shoot the percentage that will fit well it was the greatest no matter what who you bring after being retired and 43 years will head over 90 NBA records tell me who even comes close to that and he still holds over 40 records give me a break
Wilt played more minutes to there were games
There was a great player on every team cuz I had season tickets for the sixers and you could go to any team in that era and always would see a great player no matter if it was the last place team or first place team and it's never been like that now
Dr. J. They all copied him, but no one could ever be him.
Connie Hawkens was great
Top 5 players my ultimate team...... Kareem, Dr J, Larry Bird, Magic & Stockton ( unfortunately cannot have 2 point guards) so i would take Jordon, instead of Stockton.
All time greatest team according to my good friend the late Ronald Bell of Detroit Michigan. Bill Russell Wilt Chamberlain Bob Lanier Isiah Thomas and Dr. J
Not bad at Fckng all
Dr j in the ABA was actually better he was unbelievable, he had a better outside jump shot and it's true that he really ruled the ABA in should be up there with the top elite players
100%! His athleticism in the NBA was off the charts. By the early 80’s he was still great, but the high-flying act had diminished. I saw him play in St. Louis (the Spirits) and he got more cheers than our home team.
Wilt after 40 years retired he held 90 and be a records give me any player in any sport that has done something as incredible as that no one so don't tell me and no one in the league ever will have the records that Wilt has greatest of all time and this isn't even close they changed the game because it WILT
Moses was so underated
Frank findout Looking back, Wilt had five chances to knock Near ready to retire bill Russell out of the playoffs in ‘68 (3-1 lead ) and ‘69 (3-2 lead ) with a superior team-including two game 7s at home-and only needed to submit one monster performance to pull it off.Each time, he couldn’t do it .Each time , Russell’s inferior team prevailed.Each time wilt whines about it afterward. If Jerry west was MR clutch , than wilt was MR crutch
So you're saying that Bill Russell had an inferior team compared to Wilt Chamberlain when they lost what was it for playoff games by a game sevens by a total of nine points that was wilt's fault tell me about the time when will had 55 rebounds against Bill Russell or the time went in 66 67 season he made 35 shots in a row and has anybody ever done either of them has anybody's ever scored 100 points in a game I mean will has 68 records of his own and 72 counting team records how many does Jordan or jabbar or magic Johnson or Larry Bird how many records do they have
Classic interview
Class act.
Like Julius mentioned with Dr. Jack, Coaches win Finals more often than not.
Doc's a smart dude.
Dr.J was my favorite player growing up. It broke my heart to finally admit that Jordan was better than him. I only did that when Jordan became a better outside shooter. Prior to that Jordan and Doc had similar games.
Jordan pattern his game after the Dr.J,most of the moves Jordan did on the court Dr.,already did them,but I has to admit that Mj add little more to his moves.Dr.,were the first flying player.
If Doc can dunk on 7 footers,who was Elvin Hayes?
George McGinnis was traded for Bobby Jones , Ralph Simpson and a first round draft pick in the fall of 78. McGinnis played three full seasons with the Sixers.
“What made you decide to write this book”
Hmmmm I wonder 💰💰💰
Doc has gotten classier with age. It's a shame him and Bird had that fight, and Moses and Barkley were holding Bird when J got a shot in. It actually makes Barkley and Moses look ghetto.
Surprised he didn't say Ice as his SG.
I meet Doc in 1978, sat in the same spot watching practice at F & M college everyday, Darryl Dawkins smiled and would said hi after the first week of seeing me, I saw Billy Ray Bates grab on the side of the backboard and dunk, dude is 6 3', after practice Doc would walk to the side and calmly sign autographs for EVERYONE, it was a special time, I remember the end of that game in 1977 against Portland like it was yesterday and although I love Big mac, Mcginnis was having a HORRIBLE series, I mean ABSOLUTEL FUCKIN HORRIBLE, he was playing like garbage, getting beat defensively, he was a liability that series and the shot he missed was a TOTALLY makable pull up 10 footer, ohhh I fuckin died, like seriously, was 12, my room was plastered with all the sixers , Dr J had my whole closet door. Doc said it, the whole FUCKIN series changed once Maurice Lucas squared up with Dawkins, went downhill from there BUT so what we won it in 83, I was at the parade down Broad street and in the Vet, still got the Daily News, Journal and the Inquirer the day we won. Remember Billy Cunningham coming off the plane with the trophy , pumping his fist !!!! FFuck yeah, greatest day in Philly sports history next to Villanova over G Town and when we beat Boston in the Garden game 7, 1982, fuckin right !!!!!! The 76ers are pathetic now, the current team was fucked when they let go of Butler, Reddick, Fultze, that's right , look at him now., has hit more 3's than tobias harris did,and Elia Souza or however you spell his name and Ballinari or whoever he was with the mustache. That team had heart and jumpshooters to spread the floor, Embiid will never win the title as the best player on a team, he is ver immature, no leadership, makes no one better, Simmons cannot shoot an open 10 foot jumper, TEN FOOT , not a three, a basic mid range pull up, NOT IN hIS SKILL SET ?? Oh fuck let me spit the throw up out of my mouth. TRADE Embiid AND HIRE Dell Curry to work with Simmons AND MAKE HIM GET A JUMPER BUT he is has shown ZERO ambition to work at his game so he will be a spectator of playoff games his career not a participant. Gotta WORK HOMIE, get into the fuckin gym put up 1000 jumpers a day MINIMUM, you MAKE ENOUGH or come playoff time it like playing 4 on 5 cause guys back 8 ft from you BEGGING you to shoot a jumper, when it counts you are a liability to be on the court, this many years in the league and still no fuckin faint sign of a jumper, that is pathetic. Dennis Rodman had a better pull up jumper Ben Simmons, so did Shawn Bradley, Kwame Brown, Luc LOngley they are MARKSMEN compared to Simmons, enjoy him in the regular season. His career may have the trajectory of Isiah Thomas 2, Simmons either gets a jumper or will be in China in three seasons.
Exactly the way I remembered that Sixer/ Blazers series. That Dawkins/Lucas fight just changed the momentum of the series in Portland's favor. I wasn't happy one bit.
The history of 1980s NBA has been revised by the (admittedly great) Bird-Magic Docs. It was a Bird-Erving rivalry. The first 4 yrs(79-83) Dr J either beat Bird & Bos, Bos didn't make it to the Conf Finals or we lost the 3-1 lead in a Heartbreaker. Erving is one of the all time 'stocks' leader,.Great D', great jumper. So disrespected!
To merge the stats kills the buildup of one person that David Stern singlehandedly picked and wanted to shine.
Dr. J & bird
Doc+class
What a job to play basketball for a living. If you do a good job. Being called "great and hall of famer."
moses had game in 79" with 33 points and 37 rebounds😀
I like how prideful these guys are about their legacy...but it is interesting that the ABA gets no respect even tho so many ABA guys were dominant after the merger...Those years and titles in the ABA count as far as I'm concerned..Flip it around: the NBA pre-merger didn't have to deal with ABA talent...so why isn't the NBA disregarded? Because it was more financially successful?
Joe Johnson great points I agree
thank you
Exactly
Joe Johnson I agree with you if it wasn't for the ABA a lot of these players wouldn't have all these points the three-point shot came from the ABA along with the slam dunk contest the NBA totally disrespect the Aba
Andrew Toney
I think his best dunk was on Cooper in that Lakers game
I’ve also said that as the years go by Dr. J. keeps getting pushed 2 the rear.
Bill I’d traumatized till this day by that fight.
25:15 lol and not Jordan, Mr Erving ?...
He's good people.
The new people are nosy.
I was told to mind my own business.
And that’s just a sign on bonus
I miss Bill on ESPN but he's great with the Ringer.
I just miss Grantland...Even the studio here was cool.The quality of the staff and what they did was much better than the Ringer,just so much talent all around.The Ringer even though they do some nice stuff and got some nice ideas here and there,it just isnt on tha level at all.Still better than pretty much any media outlet out there still though.
Darnell Hillman I think
Yes. Darnell hillman was known as Dr Dunkenstein
10 Grand was a lot of cash just to play a game you love back then.
Excuse me.... It’s a lot now for folks that love the game 😊
Unlike the merger of the NFL, NBA did not allow stats and records from ABA players to transfer during the merger. The ABA pioneered the 3pointer and playing style and stat keeping that made the NBA what it is today. It was definitely self serving for the NBA to diminish to influence the ABA had on professional basketball.
SKYWALKER ...DAVID THOMPSON
Dr. J could be in the Goat conversation for sure, and Bill always impresses me, he talks about a 76 finals game like if it was yesterday
I’m good how are you?
You a wrote a book....
You can't put lebron with Baylor doc Jordan Kobe in the sense of flash
Wilt was the goat
pause @ 53:15
Looks like a full grown man shaking a toddler's hand
It is.
Come on doc nobody could handle Wilt,and don't tell me Moses nobody can handle Wilt
Frank findout Looking back, Wilt had five chances to knock Near ready to retire bill Russell out of the playoffs in ‘68 (3-1 lead ) and ‘69 (3-2 lead ) with a superior team-including two game 7s at home-and only needed to submit one monster performance to pull it off.Each time, he couldn’t do it .Each time , Russell’s inferior team prevailed.Each time wilt whines about it afterward. If Jerry west was MR clutch , than wilt was MR crutch
Think about it. High Flyer having bad knees during the 1970's period. It was the shoes causing the knee issues.
No doubt, because Derrick Rose first signature shoe looks great but terrible to play in. I swear... I know... it's the reason DRose succumb to his injuries.
Julius'analysis is better than his dunks.
Changing the stats would then cause to have to say each ABA championship team was an NBA champion as well, right? Not sure how I feel about that. The Pittsburgh Pipers would barely have made the playoffs much less beaten the Celts or Lakers back in the day. Many ABA players wouldn't and couldn't make the NBA. Many that did go on to play in the NBA didn't do as well. Even Julius's stats dropped tremendously in the NBA. Really the only guy that got clearly better in the NBA was Ice.
CLewey44 because pat Williams told Julius to tone it down. Sixers fans know this.
CLewey44: As a Hoosier kid, I could watch the Pacers a couple times a week while I did my homework. The ABA was much better than people who didn't see it realize and a bundle of fun.
As stated, he was not needed to score 30+ a game in the NBA....after the merger Ice and David Thompson would battle for the scoring title for the first 3years, Doc lead those two in scoring in ABA days
Maybe some end-of-the-bench guys couldn't hack it, but the ABA stars were just as good in the NBA: Doc, Ice, Thompson, Rick Barry, Artis Gilmore, Dan Issel, etc
You got to go over Wilts statistics I mean have Sunny Hill on one time to tell you some Wilt Chamberlain stories if he wasn't documented you wouldn't believe they have to stuff that he did they don't even mention the 67 season the start of the 67th season he made 35 shots in a row now you ever hear of anybody doing something like that Jordan any of those guys anyone thoughts I don't know I subscribed I like your channel you know you're a big ballistic fan but I'm actually a Laker fan because I was a sixer paying I live in Philly by route for the sixers and the Lakers but you got to have something on Wilt man I mean come on put Sonny Hill on there and he'll tell you something Wilt stories and you won't believe them because it's hard to believe like they're just hard stories to believe I mean unless you you sing it in which we did it's amazing
9 people were operated on by the Doctor.