Top 5 small forwards of all time in my opinion. 1. Larry bird 2. LeBron James 3. Dr.J Irving 4. Kevin Durant 5. Kawhi Leonard Honorable mention: Scottie pippen Also great work on this video bruh, keep up the grind.👍
When the Sixers won the NBA Championship they did it with an All ABA frontline!!! Bobby Jones, Moses Malone and Dr. J were all former ABA players!!! The ABA deserves more respect than it gets!!!
BingCherry11, Yes. The NBA absolutely raped the ABA in the process of the merger. Yet, the 4 former-ABA teams held their own in the NBA (meaning their average quality was equal to the average quality of the merged NBA); and the All-NBA teams had their fair share of former-ABA players. Further, the two Leagues had had many pre-season exhibition games - which, contrary to the usual exhibition games, were highly competitive because both Leagues were trying to prove their superiority. After the first couple of seasons, the ABA teams actually won more than half those exhibition games. I have Dr J AHEAD of Larry Bird; and have him in my GOAT Top 10.
@@teddy1234599 I only got to see one of those games and Dr. J played very limited minutes. If Dr. J had played the entire game the ABA would have won that game!!!!! Before the game took place many of the kids in my neighborhood were thinking the NBA would beat the ABA by a lot of points!!!! But one kid in our group said "Not if Dr. J has something to say about it!!! We all asked him "Who is this Dr. J????" How will he score vs Frazier and Monroe??? The kid answered he will dunk on them!!!!! As a matter of fact he will dunk on Kareem!!!! At that point we all said "We have to see this Dr. J"!!!!!
@@BingCherry11 Thanx for this (I wonder if I could ever get tired of Dr J stories?). Born and raised in New Jersey, with my dad being a huge George Mikan fan; for us the #1 source of entertainment was going to see the Harlem Globetrotters. That year they had this amazing "point guard" ... what was his name? Oh, yeah - Wilt. I "followed" Wilt into the NBA; and instantly fell in love with Dr J's forerunner: Elgin Baylor. Been a "rabid" NBL-ABA-NBA fan ever since. All my GOAT dunks are by Dr J; with the exception of one by Elgin - he's floating across the key getting ready to unload one when Wilt comes over ready to swat the ball and him into oblivion. Elgin flips the ball to his opposite hand and hammers it home! Probably my favorite PLAY by Dr J is he's on a one-man fast break against the entire other team; he tries to squeeze thru an impossibly tight spot - between two opposing players; at full speed, he dribbles the ball between his legs, zooms right between them and ... another all-time highlight.
The NBA is The ABA. All they need now is the three-color Basketball. The only thing the ABA didn't have was the Euro-Step!!! The entire offensive philosophy of the NBA especially in the Western Conference is ABA.
You nailed it! Most will compare numbers (stats). I was lucky enough to see Dr. J play and watch Secretariat win the Triple Crown. Somehow numbers don't fully represent what we are witnessing-simply the best that can be.
As a Celtics fan in the early 80's, he drove me nuts. Every damn fast break he was on the wing, I knew the ball was going to him and then right through the hoop.
I was a huge Dr. J and Sixers fan as a high schooler during the same time as you (early 80s), except I felt the way you did about Larry Legend. I really didn't like Bird back in the day - ALWAYS respected his talent and game though).) By the end of the 80s/into the early 90s I came to really appreciate his game and what he accomplished. Doc, Larry and Dominique are my three favorite players from that era and probably all-time. As much as I love(d) Julius, I have to admit that Bird is the best forward to ever play the game. Period.
He also did a lot of it in Canvas or inferior sneakers. People don’t factor in the difference in footwear. It’s totally different now and these guys get a new pair every game. Huge difference in wear and tear every night
@@harrypool71 the whole sports science in general was alot different. so much has changed today in terms of coaching, fitness, nutrition, etc... i mean they used tp think smoking cigarrettes was good for you lol
One of the best things I ever heard was, "if I were to start a team I'd start with michael jordan. If I were to start a league I'd start with dr.j." pure class
@@traslenpatterson3478 Well good thing it's not boxing, all those blows to the head from Tyson you would not have an opportunity to recover from failure.
I met Doc when I was a kid and what I remember most was just how smooth and classy he was.. he was a cool ass brotha!! its like you would hear jazz music in your head when he got near you That's how cool this guy was
Til this day, this very day. Dr J. Is the Godfather of the NBA... Every player after him, that we love and respect!!! Followed his footsteps!!! A true legend beyond words...
Rahmel Pervez There won’t be a Michael Jordon without a DR J and there won’t be the great power centers without Chamberlain. BOTH changed and made the NBA plus the rules were much tougher in those days. They didn’t have 3 point scoring or Rick Barry and Jerry West would hold all the scoring in that department. DR J’s scoring would have increased by a lot as his outside shots were from the perimeter.
When I was a kid, everyone wanted to be Dr. J He was phenomenal. His athletic ability was far above anyone else. Him and the Ice man George Gervin set the league on fire. It was something to see!
All his teammates loved him because he was very considerate of his teammates feelings, treating them with the utmost respect no matter their how low their status was among the team.
The Doctor is the only reason I watched the NBA as a teenager back in the late 70s and early 80s. He's the greatest forward and he could teach the guys playing today about class and respect.
The Doctor was the classiest player, the most exciting, the most difficult to defend, the best responder to pressure situations and historically he was the pace setter for iconic players. He was the greatest!!!
The Doctor was and always will be one of my all-time favorite basketball players. He had the skills of any modern player and more class than any of them.
I'm slightly envious of that. My basketball knowledge kicks off just after the end of the Bad Boy Pistons, the tail end of Magic and Bird I never got to experience Dr. J in my memory. Hell, the year his Sixers won the title was the year I was born.
Anyone who was alive to see Dr. J lead the Nets to two ABA Championships would hold him in very high esteem!!! I remember the opposing team was putting so much pressure on the Net guards that Dr. J had to bring the ball up court!!!! And he did a great job!!!!
I was in that time as you I born 59 so I know Dr J like you he was awesome had moves like no other he was a class act truly a treat to have been able to see him play
There is not much footage on Connie Hawkins, but his autobiography is a good read. His exlpoits are mentioned in Wilt's, Bill Russell's AND Dr. J's autobiographies as well. Like Ali, he was denied "practicing his Craft" during his prime.
From the time I was 6 years old, (1971)until I he retired, he was definitely a god of basketball. Earl the Pearl, Connie Hawkins, Elgin Baylor, Jazzy Cazzie Russell, Larry Special K Kenon, who incidentally was “Dr. K” at first, none of those dudes compared to the Doctor! And every one of them cats was bad in their own rite.
Game 6 of the 77 nba finals is my favorite DrJ game. Backs against the wall he threw in a cool 40 while dunking over Gross and Walton. His take it the entire court and dunk over Walton is my all time favorite. The doctor was truelly cool!
Dr J SAVED THE LEAGUE. The ABA folded and the NBA only agreed to merge because they were going bankrupt. In short, there wouldn't have been a league for Magic, Bird and Jordan to inherit.
You got that right! The ABA merger and its influence is the NBA today. The All-Stars weekend, the 3-pt shot and the flashiness from the old ABA were responsible for making the NBA being the greatest league in the world. The only thing that the NBA left out was the red, white and blue basketball, except for the 3-pt contest.
@@keithlabarrie3098 The 1980's were the best time for the NBA ever - 4 great teams dominated the decade, the Celtics, the Lakers, The 76ers and, of course, the Bad Boys with Daddy Rich as coach (the Detroit Pistons for those not in the know).
I went to a Sixers game in 78 in Kansas City when the Kings were still there. I was all excited to see Dr. J in person. He got injured in the 1st quarter and went to the locker room then came out in street clothes shortly after. Talk about a buzzkill. Lol
Dr. J! One of the all time greats! My favorite player of all time! He got me in to playing basketball and later being a coach. Phenomenal both on and off the court.
Here-Here! I remember him all the way back to his early days in the ABA with the Virginia Squires before the New York Nets got him from them. amd he's as good as I ever saw too. I mentioned it before in one of my comments that anything people ever saw Michael Jordan or Koby Bryant(RIP) or whoever do in the NBA, Julius Erving had already done it 10, 15, or in some cases 20 years prior to that. He was as unstoppable and untouchable in the ABA as Michael Jordan was in the NBA, IMO.
So accurate. I'm glad someone made this vid & it sucks that ABA stats weren't cumulative with NBA stats. It really undercuts his legendary importance to basketball.
He was at his best in the ABA. If he got off the ground between the foul line and basket it would usually be some kind of dunk. That is why he didn't have a better jump shot. He took it to the hole and couldn't be stopped. His ABA stats should be included.
Julius Erving was absolutely unbelievable. I think historically he's way underrated. He ranks right up there with the very best whoever played the game.
Part of the problem is back then there was no ESPN or FOX Sports to broadcast every game. Truth is, few people saw Doc in the ABA. Well maybe in NY but you were truly lucky to have seen him in Virginia. If he played today though, he would run circles around some of these guys.
The Doctor. Watch him operate! Still considered to me the games most exciting player. The "original" Jam Master. I would also add Bernard King in the list of best small forwards.
Dr. J is my ALL time favorite player. Not only as a player, as a gentleman and an ambassador for the game. I discovered him when I was in the 8th grade thru a kid in my PE class. I'll never forget how good this kid was and how much he loved, The Doc. I started watching the NBA as much as I could. In those days, there was no cable and I had to try to catch Sixers games on CBS. In 1982, I was 17 years old. I told my mom that I wanted to go see the Doc play in person. Me and 3 buddies of mine, ordered tickets from the Atlanta Hawks(We all lived in the Columbia, SC area) with my mom's credit card, then we made hotel reservations(the Days Inn on Cleveland Ave in the outskirts of Atlanta) and then proceeded to make our way to ATL in November of 82. Because I had ordered tickets so early, we were able to purchase seats right behind the SIXER bench, for $12 each!! Yes, $12!!! This was Dominque Wilkins rookie season, so during warm ups, Tree Rollins, Dan Roundfield, Niq and a few other Hawks proceeded to almost destroy the Omni's rims!! The Hawks ended up winning the game and we all waited outside of the locker room when the Sixers came out. I saw Bobby Jones, Mo Cheeks and finally Doc. No autograph(that would come a few years later) but I did get to shake his hand! We had such an amazing trip, we decided to come back in April of 1983 for the next Hawk/Sixers meeting in ATL. Unfortunately, we didn't have the same seats, but we were in the same section, about 17 rows up. AGAIN the Sixers lost as it would be the 2nd loss of that magical 82/83 team that went 65-17 to the Hawks. In 1985, the Sixers scheduled an exhibition game against the Denver Nuggets in my hometown of Columbia, SC as that's where Alex English of the Nuggets and the USC Gamecocks was from. I was delighted my Sixers were coming to town. We got our tickets and this was Barkley's rookie season and of course, Charles was being Charles!! There was a players reception after the game that you could purchase tickets for in the Elephant Room of the Frank McGuire Arena. We paid the extra $20 for that and on that night, I was able to get autographs from the following, Leon Wood, Bobby Jones, Doug Moe, here's a funny one, Billy Cunningham's PARENTS!! yes, I got his parents autograph, Alex English and finally.......Yes, the Doctor! I had put together a scrapbook of pictures, articles and newspaper clippings of the Doc's career. I had the pic from Sports Illustrated that showed him with his ring and the caption, "Doc gets his ring".......He signed right over the top of it!! In 1987, as I watched Matty Guokas pull Doc from that game in Milwaukee, I knew I had just watched the last game Doc would ever play and tears filled my eyes. Here I was, a 22 year old kid from South Carolina, who grew up in a single parent home, no fatherly figure to speak of, one who certainly didn't know or even care to know who this black man was, how this kid was able to see this man play a game and to live his life and raise a family and to be a gentleman, not some brash, trash talking, "in yo face" type guy who never held out on a contract, who never let his ego override the team and who was the most gracious and eloquent speaker, who touched millions by all of this, I was bawling my eyes out, knowing he was gone from the NBA. 5 years later, my wife and I welcomed our 2nd son into the world. To honor the man I admired and considered my childhood hero, I named my son Julius Dalton. We call him Dalton, but when he was in high school, ALL the girl called him Julius! Here's the sad part of this story. That son, whom I love so very much and is WELL aware of who he is named after, is a CELTICS fan!!!!!! WHATTTTTTTT?!?!?!?!?! These kids, this generation, what do they know?? My LIFELONG dream, to play one round of golf with the Doctor. So Doc if you ever see this, you do have relatives in and around the Columbia, SC area, please let me know!!
Dr. J. The Most Exciting Player in NBA HISTORY!!! The ONLY reason Doc isn't remembered is because Doc wasn't PROPERLY MARKETED!!! The ONLY reason why players in the NBA AFTER Julius "Dr. J" Erving are remembered is because they were OVERMARKETED, & they had ESPN constantly building HYPE about them!!! Every last one of Post Dr. J. players should get down on their HANDS & KNEES and THANK Dr. J., for opening up the NBA. For making the NBA honor another way of playing the game. Dr. J. CREATED the "Above The Rim" game that is taken for granted TODAY!!! WITHOUT DR. J. THERE IS NO MICHAEL JORDAN, THERE IS NOBODY, & the NBA is STILL playing Basketball BELOW THE RIM!!!
@prowlifik It wasn't Doc's timing, it was Converse's inability to SEIZE Doc's STAR POWER, i.e. make Doc a HOUSEHOLD NAME!!! Converse had the monopoly on the NBA being the ONLY Company supplying shoes to the Pro's. Of course Converse thought it would last FOREVER!!! When Doc came into the NBA it was perfect timing because the NBA was flat on its BACK!!! They were losing Stars and fans to the ABA by the boatloads. Rick Barry, Billy Cunningham, Zelmo Beatty; Spencer Haywood, had defected, and many others were making the jump. These players were paid more to play in the ABA. The ABA was beating the NBA in the College Draft. College Players were opting for the ABA. Doc was already the FACE of the ABA, the ABA marketed Doc very well, and that was what was crushing the NBA, EVERYBODY wanted to play with or against the Doctor. In the off-season Rucker Park was the center of attention ALL THE PLAYERS WERE THERE. In Philly, we had the Baker League. Converse didn't see NIKE coming. NIKE started at the College level giving schools shoes. When those players became Pro's NIKE WAS AT THEIR DOOR WITH SHOE CONTRACTS. CONVERSE HAD Magic Johnson & Larry Bird, but they couldn't overcome NIKE. The ABA wasn't losing money, they couldn't get franchises in NBA Cities, because of something called territories. So the ABA was operating in markets not friendly to Pro Basketball, that's what killed the ABA!!! The NBA bought out the ABA and their best markets, and suddenly the NBA was back in business because they had Dr. J. who was the TARGET ALL ALONG. The NBA swallowed the ABA just to get DR. J. then squandered the opportunity to market THE KING OF BASKETBALL!!! They didn't miss with Jordan tho', they sold Jordan to the WORLD, whether they liked Basketball or not!!! They even put Jordan in the OLYMPIC GAMES, with the U.S.A. FIRST EVER PRO BASKETBALL TEAM IN THE OLYMPIC GAMES!!! THAT'S CALLED MARKETING!!!
@@omoowobhd Without a doubt. Doc has said on many occasions that Hawk & Eldge were players he admired. Hawk was cut down before he really got started, but managed to get back to the NBA as the NBA'S OLDEST ROOKIE, and still was playing at a high level. Hawk ran with the Globetrotters and won a Championship with the Pied Pipers in the ABA. Poor Eldge, the Lakers tricked him out of his Championship, after all he did for the Lakers. They let Eldge retire without letting him know they were going after Chamberlain. Eldge retires, and the Lakers pick up Chamberlain, and Eldge misses the Championship run!!! There are a lot of disappointed players in the NBA many of whom are in the Hall of Fame.
I think you are spot on- as someone who lived in the dr. J era i remember him being the player that every kid wanted to be- in fact he is the pioneer of the "above the rim" basketball
@@fredsteeples8491 Fred u need to learn to read first before you comment hes clearly says Jordan and Kobe duhh 🤣u guys need fact check before u comment
Ole' Bill Russell ain't too bad. I must give the Doctor his due. If ever an argument to raise the basket to 12 feet, Erving and David Thompson could make a case?
Although I believe MJ to have been the more complete player, Dr. J would have had an easier time covering MJ than MJ would have covering Dr. J. Size and physicality matter, and Dr. J was a power forward with a point-guard’s body control, a shooting guard’s mentality, a small forward’s agility, a power-forward’s power, and a center’s shot-blocking ability. Dr. J wasn’t as skilled as a perimeter defender, but inside the key and in the low post he was better than MJ. That’s where MJ gained most of his points. Turn it around, and MJ’s perimeter D wouldn’t have made much of a difference. Guys like Dennis Johnson, Sidney Moncrief and Michael Cooper were three of the greatest perimeter defenders ever - MJ has said that they all gave him pure h3ll - and they couldn’t slow down the Dr. When the Dr. went to the hole, he was bringing the thunder.
Dr.j is one of the most influential players in the history of the game. in many respects he was mj, before mj. elgin baylor was the template for every high flying perimeter before Dr. J. Dr.j took athleticism to a whole new level.
Dr. J will always be my favorite player. I’m a die hard Laker fan and Magic is my favorite Laker, but Doc is the only basketball player living or dead that can stir my emotions to tears. When I played in high school my older brother bought me a pair of those Converse All Stars by Dr. J because I worked so hard to make the team. Tears of joy just overcame me. That was 40 years ago and every time I see or hear anything about the “J”, all those fond memories come rushing back. All the stats, dunks(like the one on my Pasadena, CA homeboy Michael Cooper and Laker) and downright unbelievable plays(the unforgettable behind the backboard reverse layup against my Lakers) are constant reminders of his greatness after the ABA days. There may be more exciting players that came along after Doc, but he is the ONE who set in motion the style, finesse, and athleticism we see on the NBA floor today. In my book, there will never be anyone like Julius “Dr. J” Erving.
Reading your post reminds me of my dad...you must be about the same age. I'm a 4th generation Lakers fan, since my great grandfather grew up in Minnesota (Minneapolis Lakers), he loved Elgin Baylor and Jerry West. My dad brought me up on Showtime and Magic was our favourite, but when he was really honest he was talkin' the Doc, did a school report on him in high school, I think he also mentioned having those shoes when he played. When I was small my dad even still had one of the old ABA balls, the one I learned with. The Doctor sure had class. Cheers!
FALSE. David Thompson was MJ's idol. The only similarity that they had was their huge hands and cradling the ball. MJ's game is more similar to Thompson.
@iluvankles-The reason why MJ pick up the basketball was David Thompson not Dr. J. So its false. The ABA didn't have national televised games so MJ watched college games available in North Carolina TV networks. At that time David Thompson was the biggest college star in North Carolina. That's why in his hall of fame induction David Thompson was on his side and not Dr. J.
@@crisaracon7379 Not false. Thompson was good. Jordan admired him because he was 6'4" and could jump out of the gym, had a nice mid-range game, etc. And he did introduce him at the hall of fame induction. Julius Erving was a trend setter for the high flying above the rim game. You better take another look at the impact the Dr had on the entire league, ABA and NBA. Dont forget about the free throw dunk that Jordan copied to win two dunk contests, and the under the basket reverse lay ups, constantly dunking over guys bigger and taller.
@@jamesgraham3116 What I'm talking about is the fact that MJ would be still in NBA even if Dr. J. did not exist due to the fact MJ did not know Dr. J. until MJ was already in college. Dr. J's popularity was more like word of mouth and it hadn't reached at national level. Since the NBA merged with ABA, Dr. J. wasn't able to raise NBA's popularity by failing to win an NBA title in the late 70s and the arrival of Bird and Magic further reduced Dr. J's popularity.
Never truly understand why Dr J was so underrated defender, he average 1.7 blocks and 2.0 steals his whole career. How many small forwards even have 1 block per game average?
The greatest comment of all. Doc blocked even more because those stats were not kept officially in his early days. At six six he blocked over 2 a game for most of his NBAcareer! Veraging 2 steals for career is incredible. In my mind he is the best small ever. Jordan magic doc bird and jabbar my alltime team.
Yep, in 1978 I was 11 living in Bethlehem, PA and Dr. J. was the reason I became enthralled with basketball. My own basketball was the red, white and blue ABA version.
@Randall Denison He didn't get the ring. But outside of Portland, those moves are immortal and no one remembers the portland team. Sixers used J as a decoy on the final shot, what a waste. Portland was great team, no doubt. Dr. J was the only legend to come from that.
I am biased on the the subject, but I grew up in the era of the "Doctor " and I agree with you that he has to be one of the top three forwards in the game
Doc's defense is so underated. He was a great team defensive player. Always ranked in steals and blocked shots for his position. Also, people who know Doc like we do in Philly understand that his dunks were second to his endless array of moves around the basket.
My ex girlfriend in high school father played for the Cavs as a 6ft 7in forward and he told me how he knew before the games even started Doc was gonna embarrass him just from watching Doc in the layup line before the games. Lol
At MSG when the Sixers came to town, we would all go to the Sixer side of the court for the layup line which was really a dunk contest in itself. Nobody wanted to follow Doc because their dunks looked wimpy compared to his.
Amazing player and an iconic legend. He was the definition of cool. He has to be the top 3 SF, top 15 all time, And top 5 in Charisma. KD? Lol he was The Doctor. So nice to see these true Legends, bring Up more!
People don't realize jusy how physical the game was back then. When you were fouled, you really was fouled. Not that easy brush, barely tapped stuff they have now. Somebody was going to challege you coming inside even if you had an exposive lift off. That was when big centers would actually jump up and challenge your drive to the basket like a linebacker in football. These young people don't know how both Jordan and Pippin were crying together and how much they were actually getting schooled before a lot of those NBA all stars that played that old school basketball begin to retire.
Dr, J was a legend on the New York City playground courts. He is an icon, a one of a kind superstar. He's a trailblazer, set the tone for modern nba playes.. Truly the best player to play the game on any level.
Rick Barry Bill Melchioni won championships in both leagues, but Barry did not play in ABA finals his team won cause he was injured and Melchioni was heralded rookie on Sixers all time great team that ended Celtics string of 8 in row, was on both Net ABA title teams.
Without Dr. J in the ABA there probably be no Pacer, Nuggerts, Spurs. Dr. J revolutionized the game and forced the old school NBA to get into dunks, fast breaks and showtime. If Dr. J played in the NBA fro the beginning who knows. The fact that he was in the ABA made that league official.
Doc is top 10 NBA all time for sure, I'm old, I saw his entire career. Don't even argue with me if you are not old enough to have seen his career since the ABA. Dude was dominant.
He's #3 on the SF list after Bird and LeBron. I got Kawhi about 2-3 spots below him on the all time greatest player list and KD about 10-12 spots below Dr. J
Great vid footage, I am 55 years old , ex college baller. Doctor J was the reason we put up a rim and played rain or shine. Not the best ever, but super inspirational.
Got to see the Doc play up close and personal on the floor of the Spectrum. The most exciting NBA player of all time. Responsible for basically saving the NBA at that time.The man was also cool and class personified.
David Thompson and Dr. J are two players MJ modeled his game after. Dr. J was special man, I was born in the early 90s but even through 70s film you can tell just how incredible the doctor was. He was just as athletic as guys like MJ, LeBron, Westbrook, etc and helped define the way wing players played the game.
Dr. J is a great symbolism for all of the Swag and innovation the ABA brought into the ABA. The ABAs impact on modern basketball often gets overlooked, but it must have been an amazing league to watch, with a lot of superstars who later shined in the NBA!
I am glad they put this video out.... I am one of the old schoolers who remembers growing up in the late 60s and early 70s. Dr J or Julius Erving was one of my fav basketball stars. How people forget that he was the first to fly through the air and net the ball. Before Michael Jordan and this shoe endorsement there was Dr. J... the original skywalker. Michael Jordan is just a young padawan in my opinion.
Julius was a superstar and absolutely DOMINANT in the ABA and 1 of the best NBA players of all time, similar to a pre Jordan on a NBA superteam when the Sixers played the Blazers in finals. Egos helped to sabotage that team after taking a 2-0 lead...
Nah he waz never a team player hw was just superstar of the gane .. .if we could have pinned him to a team ...would a been the greatest story ever told ... ..i know erving.
I was a New York Nets fan in the 1970s. It was major news in New York when the Nets acquired "The Doctor" from the Squires. I was lucky enough to watch him regularly both on TV and in person the entire time he was with the Nets. I don't know about number rankings. All I can say is that Erving was as dominant and unstoppable a player as any of the usual suspects, Jordan, Bird, Magic, Lebron, Koby. He's right there with all of them. When he went to the Sixers, he dialed his game back a bit to fit into a team concept and accommodate other very talented star players. If the NBA hadn't been the stodgier league when he came over from the ABA, he could have easily put up the same numbers and played the same way. As it was, whenever his team needed him to take over a game, he could do it.
Dr J would come to Springfield in the summer looking for pick up games....My Uncles played with and against him many times; and DrJ played in our Harambee festival B ball tournaments as well.......The NBA was the 4th wheel in American sports at that time....Its not a stretch to say Erving's STYLE OF PLAY revived the NBA....As a kid I had the ABA ball with a poster of the BEST PLAYER ON THE PLANET THAT MOST PEOPLE DIDN'T SEE....Erving changed the landscape of Basketball as far as how we view it today......
I grew up watching Dr. J destroy players at Nassau Coliseum on Long Island with the Nets. I even went to his basketball clinics at Nassau Community College. He was super athletic and extraordinarily graceful. TV could NEVER capture the beauty of his movement entirely. You had to see him live.
thats deep Gene..I know exactly what you mean. Aesthetically he is still the greatest I have ever seen. As great as Jordan was, he was a jerky-jerky contortionist compared to Julius...
In fact, I will go out on the limb and say that Julius transcended basketball itself (even winning and losing) for two reasons: 1st the artistic genius of his game. He basically is what I would call the peak blossoming moment in basketball. Sure you had Elgin Baylor and Connie Hawkins before him and then MJ, Nique' Vince and all the others afterwards--- But the gap is bigger between Julius and his predecessors than the one between him and those that came after him. Also--there are moves Julius did in game that cannot be replicated by ANYONE EVER. 2ndly-- He was the most beloved player of all-time, and that is undisputed. He is the only player in the history of the game who was so beloved, there were fans from the opposing team (namely the Lakers in 83') who actually wanted HIM to win the title. The whole league wanted him to win. Julius is basically the Bruce Lee and Hendrix of basketball...and I feel sorry that the younger generations will never really know. As you said Gene, the television couldn't capture the reality, I should say the spirit energy that he emanated in his movements. And I would add, that even if you got to see him on TV in real time, that cannot be encapsulated by watching a youtube video 30 years in the future. If you catch my drift (some kind of metaphysical conjunction there I think)
@@brandonterzic AGREED. Even going to the games was not the same as being on the court with him at his basketball camps. He was fluid like water to a degree I HAVE NEVER seen in another human being. EVER. His cousins lived around the corner from me. They were gorgeous, 6ft tall girls and 6'3 to 6'5 guys. Only one played ball though. He would hibernate smoking weed all winter, show up at the park in the spring and dunk on people and pin their shots on the backboard until the fall. Then disappear again while we all played in gyms through the winter. It was comical because it was ALWAYS like he NEVER left. He was ferocious though, all force and power. NOT smooth like Julius. His gorgeous sisters all ended up with thug ass losers. Sad.
Gene Davis ...The New York Nets was televised locally on WOR-TV, Channel 9, in New York City. Many bandwagoners are always using Air Jordan to attack Doc. The latter was still in his prime when he went to Philly. Jordan referred to Julius Erving as "the guy who started it all!" I went to Uniondale to watch the New York Nets, myself. Thanks-a-million, Gene!
Julius Erving was THE best --------EVER ! ---------------Better than MJ, Kobe, or anyone else. -----------The ABA was fantastic-----it was pure athleticism, & pure B-Ball ! --------The ABA had some fantastic players ---------many far better than the NBA had. --------Being from Denver, & there, in the days of the ABA, I will tell you, there was some truly great, great players in that league, & it was Hoops, at it's purest, fastest, & most fun. ------The old, stodgy NBA was desperate for ABA players. ---------WolfSky9, 72 y/o
Wolfsky9, I'm gonna burst your bubble with one of the most underrated players of all time. Are you ready for this: Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain. Eat 🍽 your heart 💞 out. Numero Uno.
I grew up with Dr. J my hero he changed the game playing above the rim he did things jordan or james have not done. He had the first signature shoe converse Dr. Js all leather high top im glad you made tbis video in my opinion Doc was the greatest he slammed on everyone jabbar included walton great plyats ABA should count there was a time NBA had 8 teams and tbe game went ABA style not NBA. Doc was the best player i ever seen not jordan or james jordsn traveled alot james he swurches teams to win
#1 on my list, not because he is the Greatest, but because he is "The Doctor". Thanks Doc for all the Great Memories.. My Brother and I, who we played side by side on the Court, we were at your Last Game...and I/we watched you hold the ball up..., as you slipped away, down the tunnel...Brilliant, Fun, Exciting, inspiring Career. Thanks So Much. Ah ha, Love It.. John.
Great post. My all time favourite player. he changed the game. took it new heights. he was the reason they merged the two leagues. no one was queuing up to see Wilt leap two inches off the floor to dunk it or to see lanky Lew do a skyhook, no they was falling over themselves to get a glimpse of the flashiest, most dynamic & exciting player on the planet, Dr J.
How do you rank the top 5 greatest Small Forwards of all time?
Top 5 small forwards of all time in my opinion.
1. Larry bird
2. LeBron James
3. Dr.J Irving
4. Kevin Durant
5. Kawhi Leonard
Honorable mention: Scottie pippen
Also great work on this video bruh, keep up the grind.👍
J Irving
L Bird
D Wilkins
S Pippen
J Worthy
J Havlicek
E Baylor
C Mullin
P Pierce
R Barry
LeBron
Bird
Erving
Durant
Kawhi
Bron
Bird
Dr J
Kawhi
Pippen
L3-6 and KD snake not even top 10 not playing in the weakest/softest era of the NBA. Only young dudes would think so
When the Sixers won the NBA Championship they did it with an All ABA frontline!!! Bobby Jones, Moses Malone and Dr. J were all former ABA players!!! The ABA deserves more respect than it gets!!!
BingCherry11, Yes. The NBA absolutely raped the ABA in the process of the merger. Yet, the 4 former-ABA teams held their own in the NBA (meaning their average quality was equal to the average quality of the merged NBA); and the All-NBA teams had their fair share of former-ABA players. Further, the two Leagues had had many pre-season exhibition games - which, contrary to the usual exhibition games, were highly competitive because both Leagues were trying to prove their superiority. After the first couple of seasons, the ABA teams actually won more than half those exhibition games.
I have Dr J AHEAD of Larry Bird; and have him in my GOAT Top 10.
@@teddy1234599 I only got to see one of those games and Dr. J played very limited minutes. If Dr. J had played the entire game the ABA would have won that game!!!!! Before the game took place many of the kids in my neighborhood were thinking the NBA would beat the ABA by a lot of points!!!! But one kid in our group said "Not if Dr. J has something to say about it!!! We all asked him "Who is this Dr. J????" How will he score vs Frazier and Monroe??? The kid answered he will dunk on them!!!!! As a matter of fact he will dunk on Kareem!!!! At that point we all said "We have to see this Dr. J"!!!!!
@@BingCherry11 Thanx for this (I wonder if I could ever get tired of Dr J stories?). Born and raised in New Jersey, with my dad being a huge George Mikan fan; for us the #1 source of entertainment was going to see the Harlem Globetrotters. That year they had this amazing "point guard" ... what was his name? Oh, yeah - Wilt. I "followed" Wilt into the NBA; and instantly fell in love with Dr J's forerunner: Elgin Baylor. Been a "rabid" NBL-ABA-NBA fan ever since.
All my GOAT dunks are by Dr J; with the exception of one by Elgin - he's floating across the key getting ready to unload one when Wilt comes over ready to swat the ball and him into oblivion. Elgin flips the ball to his opposite hand and hammers it home!
Probably my favorite PLAY by Dr J is he's on a one-man fast break against the entire other team; he tries to squeeze thru an impossibly tight spot - between two opposing players; at full speed, he dribbles the ball between his legs, zooms right between them and ... another all-time highlight.
@Spurgeon Godwin You mean this one: ua-cam.com/video/FN7xKAVDlg8/v-deo.html ? Thanx for mentioning it! Killa!
The NBA is The ABA. All they need now is the three-color Basketball. The only thing the ABA didn't have was the Euro-Step!!!
The entire offensive philosophy of the NBA especially in the Western Conference is ABA.
Dr. J is the one who revolutionized the basketball the way he moves is like poetry in motion.
Dr. J was the Jimi Hendrix of basketball. Swag for days
Love this comparison.
DR . J AND MICHAEL VICK CHANGED THE WAY BASKETBALL AND FOOTBALL IS PLAYED [ . ]
That Jimi Hendrix comparison was spot on point !!!
You nailed it! Most will compare numbers (stats). I was lucky enough to see Dr. J play and watch Secretariat win the Triple Crown. Somehow numbers don't fully represent what we are witnessing-simply the best that can be.
YES!!! Also Bruce Lee
Doctor J, laid the foundation for the way players play today. He made players step up their game.
As a Celtics fan in the early 80's, he drove me nuts. Every damn fast break he was on the wing, I knew the ball was going to him and then right through the hoop.
I was a huge Dr. J and Sixers fan as a high schooler during the same time as you (early 80s), except I felt the way you did about Larry Legend. I really didn't like Bird back in the day - ALWAYS respected his talent and game though).) By the end of the 80s/into the early 90s I came to really appreciate his game and what he accomplished. Doc, Larry and Dominique are my three favorite players from that era and probably all-time. As much as I love(d) Julius, I have to admit that Bird is the best forward to ever play the game. Period.
And he did it being one of the classiest guys ever to play the game.
He also did a lot of it in Canvas or inferior sneakers. People don’t factor in the difference in footwear. It’s totally different now and these guys get a new pair every game. Huge difference in wear and tear every night
@@harrypool71 the whole sports science in general was alot different. so much has changed today in terms of coaching, fitness, nutrition, etc... i mean they used tp think smoking cigarrettes was good for you lol
the most underlooked fact of all of them.
One of the best things I ever heard was, "if I were to start a team I'd start with michael jordan. If I were to start a league I'd start with dr.j." pure class
@All Team San Diego yeah but after you'll go 6-0 in the finals with 6 finals MVP'S😂😂😂😂😂😂
@@traslenpatterson3478 Well good thing it's not boxing, all those blows to the head from Tyson you would not have an opportunity to recover from failure.
@@CreativeBigL bro everybody have failure, it's what you do after failing.🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 CELEBRATING!!!
Julian Rojas that’s a great line! Who said it?
He was the Face of The ABA & The NBA.
I met Doc when I was a kid and what I remember most was just how smooth and classy he was.. he was a cool ass brotha!! its like you would hear jazz music in your head when he got near you
That's how cool this guy was
Truth Indeed
@Galvanization 9D no
Nice....
Im 18 and i can definitely visualize jazz music playing when he walks in the room in a clean suit with a chinchilla 😂😂
I met him in Indpls Pacers old ABA
He was a total gentleman, great personality, genuine , class act !
He is more than good, he is great, he’s a legend
I know. I saw him play in person. Not many adjectives that can describe Doc's greatness.
Said LeBron
Do you think he is as great or as skilled as magic johnson
@@ajgreen6851 Hard to say. They were two different type of players.
He was the prototype, originator. I think Drexler was the closest thing to Doc. Drexler was kinda like Doc 2.0 in that era. Similar movements
People don't realize how great he was. Most exciting player of all time.
As an older Sixers fan, I was lucky enough to watch Doc play most of his games in Philly, and it was an honor.
You lucky dog. I’m only 27 so I missed it, I only get to experience his basketball godlyness thru clips like this.
Itz Akuma check this out if you haven’t already.
ua-cam.com/video/AKwXf0EQLhU/v-deo.html
The Spectrum was absolutely electrified!!! Doc gave so many thrills & chills every single season!!!
I was at that play off game right under the basket when he flew from one side to the other, got the pic from the news paper The Day Doc Flew...
Gary Smith Grover Washington Jr wrote a song about that move. I don’t want to sound like Uncle Drew, but that was real basketball.
Til this day, this very day. Dr J. Is the Godfather of the NBA... Every player after him, that we love and respect!!! Followed his footsteps!!! A true legend beyond words...
Respect for that being said
Rahmel Pervez There won’t be a Michael Jordon without a DR J and there won’t be the great power centers without Chamberlain. BOTH changed and made the NBA plus the rules were much tougher in those days. They didn’t have 3 point scoring or Rick Barry and Jerry West would hold all the scoring in that department. DR J’s scoring would have increased by a lot as his outside shots were from the perimeter.
No Doubt!!
@Greg A He is a really great player during the 70's but in the 80's it was Magic & bird.
Exactly! Well said!
Julius Erving was to basketball what Muhammad Ali was to boxing and what Bruce Lee was to the Martial Arts.
He is poetry in motion. Beautiful to watch.
WHAT away to put it "INDEED " 👍
Dr J revolutionised the basketball not MJ
Michael C. Gonsalves AGREE 👍👍👍
Touche'.
When I was a kid, everyone wanted to be Dr. J He was phenomenal. His athletic ability was far above anyone else. Him and the Ice man George Gervin set the league on fire. It was something to see!
Damn right
All his teammates loved him because he was very considerate of his teammates feelings, treating them with the utmost respect no matter their how low their status was among the team.
That's why the 76ers didn't win more because The Doctor had to sacrifice so much of his game, with the 76ers.
@@sulaimanbeyah3308 ...Stop!
He was a gentleman
I love this one. Dr. J is my ALL TIME favorite player. Spot on assessment.
The Doctor is the only reason I watched the NBA as a teenager back in the late 70s and early 80s. He's the greatest forward and he could teach the guys playing today about class and respect.
Me too jeff, my idol as a child,
Me too!! I luv Dr j. My all time favorite
Jeff Worrill Happens. Hi. Thanks. Goodness
Mine Too. Dr. J was the Best
Underrated as a passer and team player. Also a great rebounder in important situations.
Underrated defender too.
Not only a great player , even a better human being!!
He didn't take care of his daughter
Indeed so, unlike Michael Jordan; whom he undoubtedly passed the torch to. Live long Dr. J...
@@richardmanuel9812 he made up for it, what are you griping about smh
@@mrdubya5786 how the hell you go make up for paying your daughter to stay away for 25yrs
never cheated the fans by chasing numbers and padding stats to solidify 'legacy'
Dr. J is a legend, hall of Famer, and increased the level of style and competition if the NBA. I love that you gave some love to Julius Irving.
The Doctor was the classiest player, the most exciting, the most difficult to defend, the best responder to pressure situations and historically he was the pace setter for iconic players. He was the greatest!!!
You Got that Right, nobody could fly like The Doctor.......
The doctor was my favorite growing up he had such a badass style in the air
Original airwalker
Dr. J is the reason I first fell in love with the game of basketball.
Me too
Same here. He's the first basketball player I ever paid attention to and I tried emulating his game when I was a kid.
Julius "The Doctor" Erving was a Superstar and Ambassador of the NBA. If he had played during Facebook/Twitter and social media...OMG!🏀🤴🏾
The Doctor was and always will be one of my all-time favorite basketball players. He had the skills of any modern player and more class than any of them.
One of the Greatest ever. I was so glade I was able to see guys like him, Bird, Magic, and Jordan.
Amen to that!
And I am jealous
I'm slightly envious of that. My basketball knowledge kicks off just after the end of the Bad Boy Pistons, the tail end of Magic and Bird I never got to experience Dr. J in my memory. Hell, the year his Sixers won the title was the year I was born.
The true Legends! Great point
Dr J was a god at that time. Only those without basketball knowledge can dislike this video.
Larry Long Good
Anyone who was alive to see Dr. J lead the Nets to two ABA Championships would hold him in very high esteem!!! I remember the opposing team was putting so much pressure on the Net guards that Dr. J had to bring the ball up court!!!! And he did a great job!!!!
In my day {early 70's} he was considered a "god of basketball." Literally he was a dominant figure in the ABA / NBA.
I was in that time as you I born 59 so I know Dr J like you he was awesome had moves like no other he was a class act truly a treat to have been able to see him play
ABSOLUTELY
There is not much footage on Connie Hawkins, but his autobiography is a good read. His exlpoits are mentioned in Wilt's, Bill Russell's AND Dr. J's autobiographies as well. Like Ali, he was denied "practicing his Craft" during his prime.
From the time I was 6 years old, (1971)until I he retired, he was definitely a god of basketball. Earl the Pearl, Connie Hawkins, Elgin Baylor, Jazzy Cazzie Russell, Larry Special K Kenon, who incidentally was “Dr. K” at first, none of those dudes compared to the Doctor! And every one of them cats was bad in their own rite.
not to mention the rucker...
Thank you for your tribute to Doc! He deserves it!
Right On Brother
Game 6 of the 77 nba finals is my favorite DrJ game. Backs against the wall he threw in a cool 40 while dunking over Gross and Walton. His take it the entire court and dunk over Walton is my all time favorite. The doctor was truelly cool!
Dr J SAVED THE LEAGUE. The ABA folded and the NBA only agreed to merge because they were going bankrupt. In short, there wouldn't have been a league for Magic, Bird and Jordan to inherit.
You got that right! The ABA merger and its influence is the NBA today. The All-Stars weekend, the 3-pt shot and the flashiness from the old ABA were responsible for making the NBA being the greatest league in the world. The only thing that the NBA left out was the red, white and blue basketball, except for the 3-pt contest.
Alton Lee you forgot Isaiah Thomas Detroit Pistons
@@keithlabarrie3098 The 1980's were the best time for the NBA ever - 4 great teams dominated the decade, the Celtics, the Lakers, The 76ers and, of course, the Bad Boys with Daddy Rich as coach (the Detroit Pistons for those not in the know).
@@davidcharles7106 the 80s was not just a great decade for the NBA, but for basketball period, including high school and college.
Despite playing in the ABA he was considered the best player in all of basketball by the public.
The best player ever til this day. Everybody’ wanted to play like Doc myself included. It was a joy to watching play. Nuff respect
Yeah!!!!!!!!! As we were making that move towards the basket as kids, we were saying, "J" And we didn't mean "Jordan."
Lol you right Doc or the Iceman and in Denver it was DT once he came into the league!!
Saw Doc in his prime. Had he played entire career in NBA, top 3-5 greatest ever.
Without a doubt. In today's open game TOTAL ATTACK ON THE RIM. TODAYS MEDICAL ADVANCEMENTS IN TREATMENT...GOOD GRIEF 35-40 EASY EVERY NIGHT.
I went to a Sixers game in 78 in Kansas City when the Kings were still there. I was all excited to see Dr. J in person. He got injured in the 1st quarter and went to the locker room then came out in street clothes shortly after. Talk about a buzzkill. Lol
Dr. J! One of the all time greats! My favorite player of all time! He got me in to playing basketball and later being a coach. Phenomenal both on and off the court.
I saw him play in the ABA. He's the best that I ever saw.
Here-Here! I remember him all the way back to his early days in the ABA with the Virginia Squires before the New York Nets got him from them. amd he's as good as I ever saw too. I mentioned it before in one of my comments that anything people ever saw Michael Jordan or Koby Bryant(RIP) or whoever do in the NBA, Julius Erving had already done it 10, 15, or in some cases 20 years prior to that. He was as unstoppable and untouchable in the ABA as Michael Jordan was in the NBA, IMO.
So accurate. I'm glad someone made this vid & it sucks that ABA stats weren't cumulative with NBA stats. It really undercuts his legendary importance to basketball.
He was at his best in the ABA. If he got off the ground between the foul line and basket it would usually be some kind of dunk. That is why he didn't have a better jump shot. He took it to the hole and couldn't be stopped. His ABA stats should be included.
That you out nu out 9 it out it it out oit you out
Julius Erving was absolutely unbelievable. I think historically he's way underrated. He ranks right up there with the very best whoever played the game.
Part of the problem is back then there was no ESPN or FOX Sports to broadcast every game. Truth is, few people saw Doc in the ABA. Well maybe in NY but you were truly lucky to have seen him in Virginia. If he played today though, he would run circles around some of these guys.
@@maclairetx Absolutely!!!
Yesssssss
The Doctor. Watch him operate! Still considered to me the games most exciting player. The "original" Jam Master.
I would also add Bernard King in the list of best small forwards.
Loved watching Dr. J. His sneakers were my all time favorites back in the day
Mine too. Loved my Converse All Stars.
Dr. J is my ALL time favorite player. Not only as a player, as a gentleman and an ambassador for the game. I discovered him when I was in the 8th grade thru a kid in my PE class. I'll never forget how good this kid was and how much he loved, The Doc. I started watching the NBA as much as I could. In those days, there was no cable and I had to try to catch Sixers games on CBS. In 1982, I was 17 years old. I told my mom that I wanted to go see the Doc play in person. Me and 3 buddies of mine, ordered tickets from the Atlanta Hawks(We all lived in the Columbia, SC area) with my mom's credit card, then we made hotel reservations(the Days Inn on Cleveland Ave in the outskirts of Atlanta) and then proceeded to make our way to ATL in November of 82. Because I had ordered tickets so early, we were able to purchase seats right behind the SIXER bench, for $12 each!! Yes, $12!!! This was Dominque Wilkins rookie season, so during warm ups, Tree Rollins, Dan Roundfield, Niq and a few other Hawks proceeded to almost destroy the Omni's rims!! The Hawks ended up winning the game and we all waited outside of the locker room when the Sixers came out. I saw Bobby Jones, Mo Cheeks and finally Doc. No autograph(that would come a few years later) but I did get to shake his hand! We had such an amazing trip, we decided to come back in April of 1983 for the next Hawk/Sixers meeting in ATL. Unfortunately, we didn't have the same seats, but we were in the same section, about 17 rows up. AGAIN the Sixers lost as it would be the 2nd loss of that magical 82/83 team that went 65-17 to the Hawks.
In 1985, the Sixers scheduled an exhibition game against the Denver Nuggets in my hometown of Columbia, SC as that's where Alex English of the Nuggets and the USC Gamecocks was from. I was delighted my Sixers were coming to town. We got our tickets and this was Barkley's rookie season and of course, Charles was being Charles!! There was a players reception after the game that you could purchase tickets for in the Elephant Room of the Frank McGuire Arena. We paid the extra $20 for that and on that night, I was able to get autographs from the following, Leon Wood, Bobby Jones, Doug Moe, here's a funny one, Billy Cunningham's PARENTS!! yes, I got his parents autograph, Alex English and finally.......Yes, the Doctor! I had put together a scrapbook of pictures, articles and newspaper clippings of the Doc's career. I had the pic from Sports Illustrated that showed him with his ring and the caption, "Doc gets his ring".......He signed right over the top of it!!
In 1987, as I watched Matty Guokas pull Doc from that game in Milwaukee, I knew I had just watched the last game Doc would ever play and tears filled my eyes. Here I was, a 22 year old kid from South Carolina, who grew up in a single parent home, no fatherly figure to speak of, one who certainly didn't know or even care to know who this black man was, how this kid was able to see this man play a game and to live his life and raise a family and to be a gentleman, not some brash, trash talking, "in yo face" type guy who never held out on a contract, who never let his ego override the team and who was the most gracious and eloquent speaker, who touched millions by all of this, I was bawling my eyes out, knowing he was gone from the NBA. 5 years later, my wife and I welcomed our 2nd son into the world. To honor the man I admired and considered my childhood hero, I named my son Julius Dalton. We call him Dalton, but when he was in high school, ALL the girl called him Julius! Here's the sad part of this story. That son, whom I love so very much and is WELL aware of who he is named after, is a CELTICS fan!!!!!! WHATTTTTTTT?!?!?!?!?! These kids, this generation, what do they know??
My LIFELONG dream, to play one round of golf with the Doctor. So Doc if you ever see this, you do have relatives in and around the Columbia, SC area, please let me know!!
Dr. J. The Most Exciting Player in NBA HISTORY!!!
The ONLY reason Doc isn't remembered is because Doc wasn't PROPERLY MARKETED!!!
The ONLY reason why players in the NBA AFTER Julius "Dr. J" Erving are remembered is because they were OVERMARKETED, & they had ESPN constantly building HYPE about them!!!
Every last one of Post Dr. J. players should get down on their HANDS & KNEES and THANK Dr. J., for opening up the NBA. For making the NBA honor another way of playing the game.
Dr. J. CREATED the "Above The Rim" game that is taken for granted TODAY!!!
WITHOUT DR. J. THERE IS NO MICHAEL JORDAN, THERE IS NOBODY, & the NBA is STILL playing Basketball BELOW THE RIM!!!
@prowlifik I don't know what you're talking about explain yourself.
@prowlifik It wasn't Doc's timing, it was Converse's inability to SEIZE Doc's STAR POWER, i.e. make Doc a HOUSEHOLD NAME!!!
Converse had the monopoly on the NBA being the ONLY Company supplying shoes to the Pro's. Of course Converse thought it would last FOREVER!!!
When Doc came into the NBA it was perfect timing because the NBA was flat on its BACK!!!
They were losing Stars and fans to the ABA by the boatloads. Rick Barry, Billy Cunningham, Zelmo Beatty; Spencer Haywood, had defected, and many others were making the jump. These players were paid more to play in the ABA.
The ABA was beating the NBA in the College Draft. College Players were opting for the ABA.
Doc was already the FACE of the ABA, the ABA marketed Doc very well, and that was what was crushing the NBA, EVERYBODY wanted to play with or against the Doctor.
In the off-season Rucker Park was the center of attention ALL THE PLAYERS WERE THERE. In Philly, we had the Baker League.
Converse didn't see NIKE coming. NIKE started at the College level giving schools shoes. When those players became Pro's NIKE WAS AT THEIR DOOR WITH SHOE CONTRACTS.
CONVERSE HAD Magic Johnson & Larry Bird, but they couldn't overcome NIKE.
The ABA wasn't losing money, they couldn't get franchises in NBA Cities, because of something called territories.
So the ABA was operating in markets not friendly to Pro Basketball, that's what killed the ABA!!!
The NBA bought out the ABA and their best markets, and suddenly the NBA was back in business because they had Dr. J. who was the TARGET ALL ALONG. The NBA swallowed the ABA just to get DR. J. then squandered the opportunity to market THE KING OF BASKETBALL!!!
They didn't miss with Jordan tho', they sold Jordan to the WORLD, whether they liked Basketball or not!!! They even put Jordan in the OLYMPIC GAMES, with the U.S.A. FIRST EVER PRO BASKETBALL TEAM IN THE OLYMPIC GAMES!!!
THAT'S CALLED MARKETING!!!
Don't forget Elgin Baylor and Connie Hawkins were high flyers who preceded Doc and David Thompson was around in his era...
@prowlifik Dude, I never asked you to reply!!! STAY IN YOUR LANE!!!
@@omoowobhd Without a doubt. Doc has said on many occasions that Hawk & Eldge were players he admired.
Hawk was cut down before he really got started, but managed to get back to the NBA as the NBA'S OLDEST ROOKIE, and still was playing at a high level. Hawk ran with the Globetrotters and won a Championship with the Pied Pipers in the ABA.
Poor Eldge, the Lakers tricked him out of his Championship, after all he did for the Lakers.
They let Eldge retire without letting him know they were going after Chamberlain. Eldge retires, and the Lakers pick up Chamberlain, and Eldge misses the Championship run!!!
There are a lot of disappointed players in the NBA many of whom are in the Hall of Fame.
He is the REASON why I watch basketball.
I think you are spot on- as someone who lived in the dr. J era i remember him being the player that every kid wanted to be- in fact he is the pioneer of the "above the rim" basketball
Such a star who is rarely recognized
"Dr J. was dunking from the free-throw line before Jordan and Kobe were even born"... Puts things into perspective!
Here some perspective for you Doctor J is only 13 years older than Michael Jordan
he said LeBron not Jordan
@@fredsteeples8491 You mean he meant to say lebron!read before u comment
@@georgekarson6599 no he said lebron and kobe he didnt mention jordan
@@fredsteeples8491 Fred u need to learn to read first before you comment hes clearly says Jordan and Kobe duhh 🤣u guys need fact check before u comment
I loved the video, but in my opinion, Dr. J is number one.
Ole' Bill Russell ain't too bad. I must give the Doctor his due. If ever an argument to raise the basket to 12 feet, Erving and David Thompson could make a case?
Duane David E3 Drae Edwards One on one with Lebron and Lebron would need oxygen to try to keep up with The Dr.
Although I believe MJ to have been the more complete player, Dr. J would have had an easier time covering MJ than MJ would have covering Dr. J.
Size and physicality matter, and Dr. J was a power forward with a point-guard’s body control, a shooting guard’s mentality, a small forward’s agility, a power-forward’s power, and a center’s shot-blocking ability.
Dr. J wasn’t as skilled as a perimeter defender, but inside the key and in the low post he was better than MJ. That’s where MJ gained most of his points.
Turn it around, and MJ’s perimeter D wouldn’t have made much of a difference. Guys like Dennis Johnson, Sidney Moncrief and Michael Cooper were three of the greatest perimeter defenders ever - MJ has said that they all gave him pure h3ll - and they couldn’t slow down the Dr.
When the Dr. went to the hole, he was bringing the thunder.
it's larty for me but I respect your choice
Dr.j is one of the most influential players in the history of the game. in many respects he was mj, before mj. elgin baylor was the template for every high flying perimeter before Dr. J. Dr.j took athleticism to a whole new level.
timsmith1033 There is no MJ before MJ but there is one Julius Erving
@@daffyduckfan4478 your right and very well said
Don't leave out Connie Hawkins
Dr. J will always be my favorite player. I’m a die hard Laker fan and Magic is my favorite Laker, but Doc is the only basketball player living or dead that can stir my emotions to tears. When I played in high school my older brother bought me a pair of those Converse All Stars by Dr. J because I worked so hard to make the team. Tears of joy just overcame me. That was 40 years ago and every time I see or hear anything about the “J”, all those fond memories come rushing back. All the stats, dunks(like the one on my Pasadena, CA homeboy Michael Cooper and Laker) and downright unbelievable plays(the unforgettable behind the backboard reverse layup against my Lakers) are constant reminders of his greatness after the ABA days. There may be more exciting players that came along after Doc, but he is the ONE who set in motion the style, finesse, and athleticism we see on the NBA floor today. In my book, there will never be anyone like Julius “Dr. J” Erving.
My hero too, dr.j used to palm the basketball while dribbling, his bank jump shot original airwalker etc etc
Ebony and Mani
Spot on Bro!
Reading your post reminds me of my dad...you must be about the same age. I'm a 4th generation Lakers fan, since my great grandfather grew up in Minnesota (Minneapolis Lakers), he loved Elgin Baylor and Jerry West. My dad brought me up on Showtime and Magic was our favourite, but when he was really honest he was talkin' the Doc, did a school report on him in high school, I think he also mentioned having those shoes when he played. When I was small my dad even still had one of the old ABA balls, the one I learned with. The Doctor sure had class. Cheers!
@@calebsteingruber6906 Very cool Caleb!! Thanks for sharing your story.
No Dr, no Jordan. Erving was ahead of his time.
FALSE. David Thompson was MJ's idol. The only similarity that they had was their huge hands and cradling the ball. MJ's game is more similar to Thompson.
@iluvankles-The reason why MJ pick up the basketball was David Thompson not Dr. J. So its false. The ABA didn't have national televised games so MJ watched college games available in North Carolina TV networks. At that time David Thompson was the biggest college star in North Carolina. That's why in his hall of fame induction David Thompson was on his side and not Dr. J.
Abs-On-The-Lootly,...Ahead of his time!
@@crisaracon7379 Not false. Thompson was good. Jordan admired him because he was 6'4" and could jump out of the gym, had a nice mid-range game, etc. And he did introduce him at the hall of fame induction. Julius Erving was a trend setter for the high flying above the rim game. You better take another look at the impact the Dr had on the entire league, ABA and NBA. Dont forget about the free throw dunk that Jordan copied to win two dunk contests, and the under the basket reverse lay ups, constantly dunking over guys bigger and taller.
@@jamesgraham3116 What I'm talking about is the fact that MJ would be still in NBA even if Dr. J. did not exist due to the fact MJ did not know Dr. J. until MJ was already in college. Dr. J's popularity was more like word of mouth and it hadn't reached at national level. Since the NBA merged with ABA, Dr. J. wasn't able to raise NBA's popularity by failing to win an NBA title in the late 70s and the arrival of Bird and Magic further reduced Dr. J's popularity.
I grew up in the era of the Doctor and yeah HE WAS THAT GREAT!!
Never truly understand why Dr J was so underrated defender, he average 1.7 blocks and 2.0 steals his whole career.
How many small forwards even have 1 block per game average?
He was that great!!!
Right on man you a hundred percent correct
The greatest comment of all. Doc blocked even more because those stats were not kept officially in his early days. At six six he blocked over 2 a game for most of his NBAcareer! Veraging 2 steals for career is incredible. In my mind he is the best small ever. Jordan magic doc bird and jabbar my alltime team.
@@howardharris4522 I saw him block Jabbar's sky hook, lol
@@tommywordsmith7491 ...Dam that man could get off the ground!!!
Great video. Funny how he's overshadowed by his own dunking flair legacy. His pure stats and wins as a player are overlooked by some.
Grew up in an ABA city ⛹️♂️⛹️♂️⛹️♂️ Dr. J was phenomenal and he deserves more attention and a higher ranking amongst the greats! ⛹️♂️⛹️♂️💯
L McG Jr. Thanks. Hi. Yes. Goodness. Bye
L McG Jr. Dr.J. Yes. Happens. Goodness. Hi
Julius was the reason I discovered basketball in 1976..... still have all my Dr J Converse posters from the 70s and Early 80s.....
How great was Dr. J? I was Dr. J in 1978 as a 7yr old with an ABA basketball. Everyone wanted to be the Doctor.
I was Dr J
I had an ABA basketball in 1972.🤓
The first game I ever saw in person was the 76-77 Sixers when I was 9. I wanted to be Dr. J so much my nickname was Dr. B.
Yep, in 1978 I was 11 living in Bethlehem, PA and Dr. J. was the reason I became enthralled with basketball. My own basketball was the red, white and blue ABA version.
Its so nice hearing yall stories and memories of the iconic DR J, too bad I wasn't alive back then
Some of those dunks against Portland are among the greatest ever. He was power and poetry. A truly amazing talent.
He was like the ABA: jazz and improvisation.
@Randall Denison He didn't get the ring. But outside of Portland, those moves are immortal and no one remembers the portland team. Sixers used J as a decoy on the final shot, what a waste. Portland was great team, no doubt. Dr. J was the only legend to come from that.
@Randall Denison True. Walton was great. He and Julius really put on a show.
Exactly
His 2 in your face dunks on bill walton and bobby gross were VICIOUS!!
I still remember them like it was yesterday, they were so memorable
Ummm what does that have to do with the two dunks i mentioned?
SMDH
I am biased on the the subject, but I grew up in the era of the "Doctor " and I agree with you that he has to be one of the top three forwards in the game
Doc's defense is so underated. He was a great team defensive player. Always ranked in steals and blocked shots for his position. Also, people who know Doc like we do in Philly understand that his dunks were second to his endless array of moves around the basket.
I remember him playing in the ABA. One word... Masterful. He was the best at what he did!
My ex girlfriend in high school father played for the Cavs as a 6ft 7in forward and he told me how he knew before the games even started Doc was gonna embarrass him just from watching Doc in the layup line before the games. Lol
At MSG when the Sixers came to town, we would all go to the Sixer side of the court for the layup line which was really a dunk contest in itself. Nobody wanted to follow Doc because their dunks looked wimpy compared to his.
Yo why did you and ur ex broke up?
7:00 that layup still blows my mind nearly 40 years later.
I love doctor j he will always be my all time great loved watching him play the game
The Doc's play was a combination of grace and pure madness!
Amazing player and an iconic legend. He was the definition of cool. He has to be the top 3 SF, top 15 all time, And top 5 in Charisma. KD? Lol he was The Doctor. So nice to see these true Legends, bring Up more!
He was great point blank end of discussion my all time favorite (when NBA wasn't watered down like it is now )
People don't realize jusy how physical the game was back then.
When you were fouled, you really was fouled.
Not that easy brush, barely tapped stuff they have now.
Somebody was going to challege you coming inside even if you had an exposive lift off.
That was when big centers would actually jump up and challenge your drive to the basket like a linebacker in football.
These young people don't know how both Jordan and Pippin were crying together and how much they were actually getting schooled before a lot of those NBA all stars that played that old school basketball begin to retire.
Strong analysis. I think you nailed it.
I AGREE, and I would add Dr. JAY'S ORIGINALITY was not only Superb but Unmatched by any who play ball.
Doc is always #1 overall in my book 4ever ,pure excitement was what he was and is nuff said !!!!!
Dr, J was a legend on the New York City playground courts. He is an icon, a one of a kind superstar. He's a trailblazer, set the tone for modern nba playes.. Truly the best player to play the game on any level.
Definitely in my top 10 greatest of all time!!! No matter the competition, greatness shows through.
Someone please tell me honestly how many people won championships in both the aba and nba? Please and thank you.
Adrian Parker dr. J is the only one that won championships in the ABA and NBA
He was the only person I knew for sure had won in both.
Rick Barry Bill Melchioni won championships in both leagues, but Barry did not play in ABA finals his team won cause he was injured and Melchioni was heralded rookie on Sixers all time great team that ended Celtics string of 8 in row, was on both Net ABA title teams.
Dr. J is The Greatest Of All Times he revolutionized the basketball. Period
No
@@richardmanuel9812 yes
@@coryburns1905 no he is not
Dr.j used to drove people to nba area, fancy airwalking towards the basketball, love his bank shot palming the basketball while dribbling
Without Dr. J in the ABA there probably be no Pacer, Nuggerts, Spurs. Dr. J revolutionized the game and forced the old school NBA to get into dunks, fast breaks and showtime. If Dr. J played in the NBA fro the beginning who knows. The fact that he was in the ABA made that league official.
Doc is top 10 NBA all time for sure, I'm old, I saw his entire career. Don't even argue with me if you are not old enough to have seen his career since the ABA. Dude was dominant.
I love the empirical insight you add to your videos when reviewing what the numbers really mean.
One of the Best to ever play the game!
I was down only put him near the top as a small forward I'll put him near the top is one of the greatest basketball players of all time
He's #3 on the SF list after Bird and LeBron. I got Kawhi about 2-3 spots below him on the all time greatest player list and KD about 10-12 spots below Dr. J
Great vid footage, I am 55 years old , ex college baller. Doctor J was the reason we put up a rim and played rain or shine. Not the best ever, but super inspirational.
My favorite as a kid....the best. Huge hands, best athlete...floated. Class personified.
Got to see the Doc play up close and personal on the floor of the Spectrum. The most exciting NBA player of all time. Responsible for basically saving the NBA at that time.The man was also cool and class personified.
The Doctor was so good, I thought there would never be another player like him ever, that is until MJ came along.
Michael Jordan had a great supporting cast other than that Jordan 1 2 1 6 rings what he did so
@@roycurtis5669 mid career on he did. Took Bulls some time to build it.
Although Michael Jordan is a superstar there is only one king of the Air and that is Dr. J Julius Erving
David Thompson and Dr. J are two players MJ modeled his game after. Dr. J was special man, I was born in the early 90s but even through 70s film you can tell just how incredible the doctor was. He was just as athletic as guys like MJ, LeBron, Westbrook, etc and helped define the way wing players played the game.
Mj only happened cuz of Dr. J, there's no discussion!!!
2:17 His right foot actually walked on the air. Insane....
Dr. J is a great symbolism for all of the Swag and innovation the ABA brought into the ABA. The ABAs impact on modern basketball often gets overlooked, but it must have been an amazing league to watch, with a lot of superstars who later shined in the NBA!
I am glad they put this video out.... I am one of the old schoolers who remembers growing up in the late 60s and early 70s. Dr J or Julius Erving was one of my fav basketball stars. How people forget that he was the first to fly through the air and net the ball. Before Michael Jordan and this shoe endorsement there was Dr. J... the original skywalker. Michael Jordan is just a young padawan in my opinion.
Julius was a superstar and absolutely DOMINANT in the ABA and 1 of the best NBA players of all time, similar to a pre Jordan on a NBA superteam when the Sixers played the Blazers in finals. Egos helped to sabotage that team after taking a 2-0 lead...
Top 3 most aesthetically pleasing to watch play the game
Top 1 my man. :)
YARK 💯
The original hang time before MJ. That reversed layup was insane !
Same with those reverse dunks.
Nah he waz never a team player hw was just superstar of the gane .. .if we could have pinned him to a team ...would a been the greatest story ever told ... ..i know erving.
MJ did copy Dr.j move just look at the UA-cam videosvit tell it all
I was a New York Nets fan in the 1970s. It was major news in New York when the Nets acquired "The Doctor" from the Squires. I was lucky enough to watch him regularly both on TV and in person the entire time he was with the Nets.
I don't know about number rankings. All I can say is that Erving was as dominant and unstoppable a player as any of the usual suspects, Jordan, Bird, Magic, Lebron, Koby. He's right there with all of them. When he went to the Sixers, he dialed his game back a bit to fit into a team concept and accommodate other very talented star players. If the NBA hadn't been the stodgier league when he came over from the ABA, he could have easily put up the same numbers and played the same way. As it was, whenever his team needed him to take over a game, he could do it.
Dr J would come to Springfield in the summer looking for pick up games....My Uncles played with and against him many times; and DrJ played in our Harambee festival B ball tournaments as well.......The NBA was the 4th wheel in American sports at that time....Its not a stretch to say Erving's STYLE OF PLAY revived the NBA....As a kid I had the ABA ball with a poster of the BEST PLAYER ON THE PLANET THAT MOST PEOPLE DIDN'T SEE....Erving changed the landscape of Basketball as far as how we view it today......
I grew up watching Dr. J destroy players at Nassau Coliseum on Long Island with the Nets. I even went to his basketball clinics at Nassau Community College. He was super athletic and extraordinarily graceful. TV could NEVER capture the beauty of his movement entirely. You had to see him live.
thats deep Gene..I know exactly what you mean. Aesthetically he is still the greatest I have ever seen. As great as Jordan was, he was a jerky-jerky contortionist compared to Julius...
In fact, I will go out on the limb and say that Julius transcended basketball itself (even winning and losing) for two reasons: 1st the artistic genius of his game. He basically is what I would call the peak blossoming moment in basketball. Sure you had Elgin Baylor and Connie Hawkins before him and then MJ, Nique' Vince and all the others afterwards--- But the gap is bigger between Julius and his predecessors than the one between him and those that came after him. Also--there are moves Julius did in game that cannot be replicated by ANYONE EVER.
2ndly-- He was the most beloved player of all-time, and that is undisputed. He is the only player in the history of the game who was so beloved, there were fans from the opposing team (namely the Lakers in 83') who actually wanted HIM to win the title. The whole league wanted him to win.
Julius is basically the Bruce Lee and Hendrix of basketball...and I feel sorry that the younger generations will never really know. As you said Gene, the television couldn't capture the reality, I should say the spirit energy that he emanated in his movements. And I would add, that even if you got to see him on TV in real time, that cannot be encapsulated by watching a youtube video 30 years in the future. If you catch my drift (some kind of metaphysical conjunction there I think)
@@brandonterzic AGREED. Even going to the games was not the same as being on the court with him at his basketball camps. He was fluid like water to a degree I HAVE NEVER seen in another human being. EVER.
His cousins lived around the corner from me. They were gorgeous, 6ft tall girls and 6'3 to 6'5 guys. Only one played ball though. He would hibernate smoking weed all winter, show up at the park in the spring and dunk on people and pin their shots on the backboard until the fall. Then disappear again while we all played in gyms through the winter. It was comical because it was ALWAYS like he NEVER left. He was ferocious though, all force and power. NOT smooth like Julius. His gorgeous sisters all ended up with thug ass losers. Sad.
Gene Davis ...The New York Nets was televised locally on WOR-TV, Channel 9, in New York City. Many bandwagoners are always using Air Jordan to attack Doc. The latter was still in his prime when he went to Philly. Jordan referred to Julius Erving as "the guy who started it all!" I went to Uniondale to watch the New York Nets, myself. Thanks-a-million, Gene!
Julius Erving was THE best --------EVER ! ---------------Better than MJ, Kobe, or anyone else. -----------The ABA was fantastic-----it was pure athleticism, & pure B-Ball ! --------The ABA had some fantastic players ---------many far better than the NBA had. --------Being from Denver, & there, in the days of the ABA, I will tell you, there was some truly great, great players in that league, & it was Hoops, at it's purest, fastest, & most fun. ------The old, stodgy NBA was desperate for ABA players. ---------WolfSky9, 72 y/o
Yeah right, you don't have no empirical data to back up that claim, yeah he guarded Larry Bird and got torched😂😂😂
Doc dunked over 7 foot all-stars! LeBron ain't doing that, no defense either.
He's not better than MJ but he was the GOAT in his era.
You crazy
Wolfsky9, I'm gonna burst your bubble with one of the most underrated players of all time. Are you ready for this: Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain. Eat 🍽 your heart 💞 out. Numero Uno.
Thank you for posting I AGREE DOC IS MY FAVORITE ALL-TIME FOR ME.
I'd like to see the NBA recognize the ABA stats of the players that made the move.
Great video. Dr. J. is among my favourites.
I grew up with Dr. J my hero he changed the game playing above the rim he did things jordan or james have not done. He had the first signature shoe converse Dr. Js all leather high top im glad you made tbis video in my opinion Doc was the greatest he slammed on everyone jabbar included walton great plyats ABA should count there was a time NBA had 8 teams and tbe game went ABA style not NBA. Doc was the best player i ever seen not jordan or james jordsn traveled alot james he swurches teams to win
Lived in Richmond when Doc played for the Squires. He almost personally sold out the house.
I was there too. You are right
This may sound impossible but Dr. J is probably the most underrated basketball player ever
I agree he is my all-time favorite!!!
He wasn't an elite shooter and played out of control a lot of the time. But still an all-time great.
#1 on my list, not because he is the Greatest, but because he is "The Doctor".
Thanks Doc for all the Great Memories.. My Brother and I, who we played side by side on the Court, we were at your Last Game...and I/we watched you hold the ball up..., as you slipped away, down the tunnel...Brilliant, Fun, Exciting, inspiring Career.
Thanks So Much. Ah ha, Love It..
John.
Great post. My all time favourite player. he changed the game. took it new heights. he was the reason they merged the two leagues. no one was queuing up to see Wilt leap two inches off the floor to dunk it or to see lanky Lew do a skyhook, no they was falling over themselves to get a glimpse of the flashiest, most dynamic & exciting player on the planet, Dr J.
My favorite growing up… I had that door poster on my bedroom door
Aba days, he was aba secret weapon
He had the best dunk ever! So classy player!