Being a 70's kid from those days, Dr. J was that one player that stood apart from everyone else and became that one that every kid wanted to be like. He had a grace on the court that only few players in the future only had. He was very special and I feel privileged to be able to witness some of his greatness. ✌️
But it was the ABA that allowed him to develop his game to the extent that it became. I argue, had he stayed with the Nets, it would've remained HIS team, and he's have >1 NBA ring. The 76ers were never HIS team like the Bulls were for Jordan, the Lakers for Magic and the Celtics for Bird.
He’s in my top 10 because I refuse to leave out his ABA accomplishments.A combined 3 titles…7 Finals appearances..2 finals MVPs..2All Star MVPs(one of them was won with him being on the losing team)4 league MVPs..3 scoring titles…He put together,arguably,the 2 greatest back to back finals series performances ever with the last ABA championship finals against the Nuggets & his first NBA finals series against Portland! Retired as the 3rd leading scorer in NBA history…The most steals,& blocks of any other small forward..Never missed the playoffs
AND he is the only player that caliber who was selected as an All Star EVERY YEAR HE PLAYED. Oh...also like Larry Bird, Dr. J. won league MVP 3xs in a row.
That series against Denver was against 3 future NBA hall of fame players and a future NBA hall of fame coach. How many players in NBA history can say they beat that many hall of famers and coach basically by himself in a finals series? Name them.
yup...people look at me oddly when i mention i have him at number 6..before Duncan, Kobe etc. But yeah, i dont know WHY people discount his ABA career...but have the audacity to then short Wilt and Bill for "much of the great talent was in the ABA"🤦🏽♂️🤷🏽♂️. I have: 1. Wilt 2. Mj 3. Kareem 4-6 (interchangeable) Bird, Magic, Dr. J 7. Duncan 8. Kobe 9..Hakeem 10. Shaq
Honestly, DR. J. Should be a top 5. He was before Micheal, Magic, Bird, and he single handly made the ABA so big that the NBA was forced to do the merger just to get hime to NBA. Jabbar may be know as the best of the NBA 70's. But DR. J. Was the best of the World at that time. He was so big, people did not watch Knick games because he with the NETS in New York at that time. Seriously DR. J. Did so much for basketball and then it carried over the Magic/Bird and of course, Jordan. Give him his respect. Top 5 all time. Hands down.
I can remember when my oldest brother would come over to watch Dr. J on our color television. That is when I got into basketball (I was nine). Thanks for the video, it is PRICELESS and also makes me think of my brother who passed away in June 2021.🥰♥
Thanks a lot for this one Sean. Dr. J broke into the game when I was a grad student at Indiana. Not many college students had a TV in their dorm room in those days, but my roommate did. At the time the Pacers were in the ABA and their games were televised in Indiana. Whenever they played the NY Nets all the guys on our floor would crowd into our room, because we knew at least a couple times Dr. J would do something absolutely unbelievable. No one could dunk on McGinnis like him or shoot from behind the backboard. Nobody did that stuff until Dr. J went to the 76ers. Back in the ABA days, we couldn't get enough of Dr. J.
Grew watching him in Philadelphia he was a force yet truly a people person. Would do so much for the fans. The 🐠 that saved Pittsburgh was the original that opened the door for the Player's in white men can't jump, space jam 1,2 as well as any other basketball film staring a NBA player
I grew up in Troy, Ohio, home of Hobart and the Hobart Arena. When the Sixers changed out the floor in the Spectrum, Hobart bought it and used it in the arena. I got to play on that floor as a kid. Same paint, didn’t change a thing.
It's the one's who are ahead of their time that advancing the game forward. Dr J was one of them. The league wasn't as skilled as today, but that doesn't discount his achievements. Sports science has progressed to the point that just about any legend in the 70s to late 80s, if they were playing today, would 100% rival the best we currently have. Dr J is the first among the line of GOATs. He was the first to wear the crown.
When I was growing up & Dr J was in the ABA, when we saw virtually no games & no highlights, he was a mythical legend. We couldn't see him but we all heard about these extraordinary things he could do. Things like taking a quarter off of the top of the backboard & leaving two dimes & a nickel, dunking from the free throw line. We didn't know if any of them were true, but we believed all of them. Then we got to witness him doing the most amazing things, all the time, & continued to be amazed. He also did everything with grace & dignity. He was....& is, a true legend!
No that's not why Magic has more rings. Philly was the only other team of the early 80s coming out of the East. Out West, the Lakers had to deal with first the defending Champs Sonics, Ice, Artis Gilmore, Mike Mitchell & the Spurs, Portland with Jim Paxson & Mychal Thompson & later Kiki VanDeWeghe & Clyde Drexel, Denver with Alex English, Dan Issel, & Kiki/Calvin Natt, Utah with Adrian Dantley, Darrell Griffith , Thurl Bailey, Rickey Green, & Mark Eaton & later Stockton/Malone , etc.. In 81 Philly gave Boston a gift in the Eastern Finals - much like the bigger gift the Lakers gave them in 84. Detroit should have knocked off Boston in 87 to go to the Finals if AD & Vinnie Johnson didn't knock heads diving for a loose ball. In the East before the Bad Boys, I'll give special mention to those great Bucks team but if that young Milwaukee squad had a Prime Bob Lanier with good knees- I don't see Boston getting past them every year. The West was way tougher every year throughout the 80s. If those 2 Rockets teams of 81 & 86 didn't interrupt things, that's 7 Laker championships for the decade imo.
People just don't know or get it...Dr J kept Bird from possibly winning a ring in 80, 82, and 83... Boston got lucky and pulled off an "impossible" come back to beat Philly in 81 otherwise they wouldn't even have won that year either...Boston was a way better matchup against LA than Philly but Philly was a way better matchup against Boston, that was the NBA's Bermuda Triangle from 79 to 84
@021881mt But in that year 1981 Bird was best player in that epic series even outplayed Dr. J which the Sixers were cheated and really won that series. Mose Malone said it at the time he wanted Rockets to play Philadelphia because he thought they really won the series but were ruined by bad referees. Everyone knew the Boston Philly series was for the championship.
Many people based on echo chamber ring arguments dont understand that Dr J till he turned 34 was the unquestionable marquee name of both leagues for a decade..that man is the ONLY player EVER post 1970 to have 30000p / 10000r / 5000a / 2000st / 2000bl and 3700 OFF reb ,while he played 4 minutes less and took on average 5 shots less per game ,while in the NBA ,than Kobe,Gervin and MJ on the seasons they averaged close or over 30 points. Debunking another myth is the fact that Dr J 2 point fg% remained exactly the same in both leagues and it is slightly better than Bird,MJ and much better than Kobe..actually as soon as McGinnis and Free left his fg went to .54 from .5 ,which is a great increase FROM PREVIOUS NBA AND EVEN ABA years and debunks the NBA / ABA argument completely and in 80/81/82 he scored and won the Celtics more than Bird with 4 less minutes and fewer fgattempts , its all there in the stats. Dr J retired 3rd in points , first in steals,4th in blocks and 4th in offensive reb first non center to win the mvp.. According to modern day narratives he went on the ECF 6 out of 7 times and to the finals 4 out of 7 times and never got swept..The 1983 Celtics in full roaster got swept by the Bucks..people today will say that Sidney Moncreef Swept Bird and Bird was 26 not a 20 year old rookie.. Dr J was a cultural phenomenon of planetary impact like Ali , Nureyev , Hendrix etc..Dubbed The Babe Ruth of basketball..cut it anyway you want it , only MJ repeated and passes that status ever since..no one brought that frenzie to Rucker's, had Books calling him a legend before the NBA at age 25 and had songs in his name from the best of the best Jazz man or Hip Hop artists,endorshments,Signature Shoes and so many legends that followed idolizing him..the clip is lazy because there are instances of Shaq , Stockton , Mj in his book , Magic , Weber , Dominique etc that also say that their player of choice was Dr J..we are talking Super superstars. Dr J lost two rings against a super stacked LA super team with 3 times scoring champion Bob Mcadoo as their 5th scoring option delivering stellar performances all over the court with tons of spectacular plays and a his usual offreb, steals ,assists and blocks adding to the scoring and lost 2 rings due to in explicable Sixers incapacity to understand the moment and give him first option their offense in 1977 finals and regulate the team egos or React to Celtics Ruckus in Game 6 in 1981 semis and respond to their dirty shenanigans that stole the game..even down to the game 7 rookie Toney ball hogged the last minutes taking bad shots and letting the Celtics win by one point , go to the finals against the Rockets and win an easy ring! This man on Nba arrival was more than a KD teamate to Harden and Westbrook antagonising the offense while Collins ,Bibi and Dawkins requested to be equal participants Dr J according to all footage available was not a ball dominant player , the team never gave him space like they did later to Kobe and Jordan and was not even had any consistent screens and pic and rolls..Nothing at all and played under heavy dribbling regulation in dense paints and full body contact.. Ranking him anywhere less than top 10 is a hybris in my opinion and especially if one has Iverson or Duncan or even Kobe on top. Nba went on full defensive deragulation in 2004 right after the Pistons destroyed the Lakers and Kobe was the first major beneficiary offensively from these rules change ,optimised to increase offense and spectacle and save NBA from the tanking ratings PERIOD! There is even so much Real analysis available to get educated ,about how right post 2004 offense in NBA in general got a major boost and player started accumulating much better stats. Let me remind you here that Kareem from 1972 to 1979 had no playoff success at all..he lost to first round , got swept and even lost with 3 ALL STAR team mates Dantley, Wylkes and Nixon in 79..One can definetly conclude that inf Magic was not drafted to the Lakers that Kareem might have been a one ring player.Similalry KD would had no rings without the Warriors in his career so far.
The only reason people fail to include him in the debate is because the NBA purposely excludes his ABA accomplishments when speaking about him. His entire professional career makes him the third greatest of all times behind Michael Jordan and Lebron James. Kobe was the primary option on only two of his championship teams and his scoring percentage was much lower than Jordan, James and Irving. Plus, Kobe was only an MVP once. Doc, Jordan and Lebron were MVPs multiple times.
Dr. J's problem is so many self-styled fans don't know about him ; they act as if Michael Jordan is the "be all end all". Like Magic said, the good Doctor did things THEN that NOBODY can do NOW. Mr. Erving, Ralph Sampson, Charles Barkley and Allen Iverson will always be my favorites.
I enjoyed the games during the ABA days and when he left and went into the NBA he was Legendary. He set the standards for generations to come. His farewell tour was and end and beginning for future generations. Basketball was never the same for me.
If Julius Erving had joined the Atlanta Hawks, they would have created a powerful duo of Irving and Pete Maravich. Maybe the Hawks could have won a championship in the 1970s.
Watching the Dr. DO the LAKERS in front of MAGIC and Kareem: Up and Under Reverse lay up makes me think of the the Bionic Man when he Does that..That Bionic Sound when Steve Austin did his thing...
He was the greatest dunker of all time and Wilt Chamberlain is the greatest basketball player of all time with 72 NBA records give me a break nobody in any other sport has 72 records
EXACTLY! Nearly 40 years after he retired, his likeness, not even near his likeness, has graced the court. It would be a genetic lottery to be blessed with huge hands, abnormally long limbs, exceptional leaping ability, coordination, and most importantly, the imagination and creativity to come up with the moves
Everybody who knows Jordan knows he is Roger Moore and Dr J was Sean Connery. A baby imitates a parent to greatness. Doc was the inventor and the original inventor doesn't always make the most money. Fame and fortune wise, if Dr J's career peak was during the internet era, he'd have more fame and fortune than anybody globally. As simple as that.
@@AnHebrewChild I could see that. He’s definitely not getting the love he deserves because most of his success was in the ABA: Erving won three championships, four Most Valuable Player Awards, and three scoring titles with the ABA's Virginia Squires, New York Nets (now the NBA's Brooklyn Nets), and the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers.
Top 25? No better basketball player has ever lived. There are currently only 12 players in basketball history that can be argued they're the best ever. And he's one of those. 3 championships and 4 MVP's in 2 leagues, with 2 different teams and was the sole reason the NBA had to give in and merge with the ABA. The most exciting basketball player to ever play. He dunked on anybody and everybody from any spot on the court. And he could block the shot from anybody. One year he averaged 36 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 6 steals and 6 blocks for an entire playoff. And he's still the number one block shot leader for small forwards in the history of pro basketball even though they were not kept his first year in the pros.
Whoever it will be for them.. MJ is still the #GOAT for me.. because even despite a lot sees him as the GOAT, he always includes the people BEFORE him. He always admit he is inspired by the Greatest Basketball players before him that pusher him to be like them. Dr. J gave all of us the idea how to make an IMPOSSIBLE strategic way of shots. MJ and the other next generation got to use and update the shots what DR. J FIRST MADE-INVENTED. THAT'S THE FACT.
Dr. J made scoring look easy he made everything look easy. Yeah he is up there I think if he had had multiple rings we would be saying top 5. But most guys today don't know the 70's and early 80's so they don't see it. Against the best he made it look easy.
Michael is the 2 Guard Goat. Larry is the "small" forward GOAT. Baylor is the power forward Goat. (Not really, but I can't think of a power forward better than Bird or Elgin.) Magic is the point guard goat. And Wilt is the Center Goat. So what about Doc? Doc is the most important basketball player to have ever lived.
Sean.....please look up the song about Dr J.....it may have been in a commercial.....it went.. Hey...Dr J Where did you get those moves? Also....Bob Mac Adoo had a song on the radio.. It went....who's gonna steal that ball from you? Mac Adoo Mac Adoo Mac Adoo! Also I would really dig videos on the greats from the 70s...Walton....Wilt....Barry...Gervin....pistol Pete....etc
I have long said that the G.O.A.T's game was clearly a slightly tweaked and amped up version of Dr.J's game. MJ and Dr.J got so many similarities, it's mad obvious just watching highlights. It really makes me sick that clowns like Gilbert Arenas, LeBron, all those goofballs make a point to constantly degrade players like Dr.J's skill and ability to build themselves up 🤦🏽♂️
THEM GUYS ARE NOTHING BUT BUMS. 1 BUM NEVER HAD A CAREER & THE OTHER BUM DON'T KNOW WHEN TO CALL IT A CAREER. STILL HANGING ON TRYING TO BE REVALENT. HE'S AN OLD MAN WHOSE NOTHING BUT A LIABILITY NOW TRYING TO PLAY A YOUNG MAN'S SPORT & DON'T KNOW WHEN TO HANG IT UP. WHICH IS GOOD BECAUSE THE MORE HE PLAYS THE MORE HE'S BEING EXPOSED.
I wish in Dr. J's final season he would have grown out that beautiful, flowing afro of his from his younger days. What a great, fun way that would have been for him to make his exit. 😃
I COULDN'T GROW AN AFRO WHEN I WAS YOUNGER. AS I GOT OLDER, THEN MY AFRO STARTED TO GROW. BUT I ALWAYS LIKED THE GOOD DOCTOR'S 'FRO. IT LOOKED SO PERFECT, THE WAY HE WORE HIS.
@@jerrylattimore9232 "It looked so perfect." YES, exactly! It moved and swayed along with him as he went soaring through the air on his way for a monster dunk.
ABA DR J is arguably the greatest ever. Wilt has the numbers however and the title for me. Can you imagine if that Doc and MJ played today? They’d average Wilts 50 per game and more and wouldn’t need the 3 pointer to do it.
It’s a travesty that people don’t talk about this man more! He should be in a top 10 all time conversation! Before Bird, Magic, Jordan LeBron, there was the DOCTOR. By the way he actually has a Ph.D
His hype was large NBA fans always were wondering about this Doctor.J guy! And please stop bashing LeBron because he said that Julius inspired and Micheal said the same! So two of greatest admired the Doctor!
1st pick in a Basketball game vs the Giants of Russia ??? Of course Dr.J ,Sir Charles, Michael Jordan, Kareem and Magic Johnson !Starting 5 Speed,Power,3 point experts ,super passes,etc ! If you know NBA you know my starting 5 at their peaks on top are the goats !
Dr J may not have had the best Handles but that dude could beat you in many ways. The DR could literally beat you. Ask George Gervin. The only guy I've seen him not get under the skin of was Bird
Brother you must be on too much AG-1. You said top 25, are you crazy, The Doc was the inventor of flying. The first to do it is the best. Mike had four guys that was great. Doc, didn’t have a supportive team. The Doctor operated every game.
A true legendary player smooth n classy, the greatest player ever.
Every Time I Look At Dr J Highlights I think of My Dad He was DR J Number One Fan he passed away in 2021
Sorry for your loss, fam. RIP to your pops.
I’m sorry for your loss man
Same here! My Dad had a big afro back then & his name started w "J" so I thought my Dad was Dr.J😅😅😅
RIP Pops ya heard🙏🏾 he’ll be back soon don’t worry it’s only temporary
Sorry for your loss man I hope you're doing a lil better
Julius "Dr J" Erving is my GOAT for all time.
Yup, I agree Dr. J is the GOAT. Nobody plays like he does.
Being a 70's kid from those days, Dr. J was that one player that stood apart from everyone else and became that one that every kid wanted to be like. He had a grace on the court that only few players in the future only had. He was very special and I feel privileged to be able to witness some of his greatness. ✌️
If Dr J would have been in the NBA instead of the ABA his legacy would have been blown up more than what he was. There was no one like DR J
But it was the ABA that allowed him to develop his game to the extent that it became.
I argue, had he stayed with the Nets, it would've remained HIS team, and he's have >1 NBA ring.
The 76ers were never HIS team like the Bulls were for Jordan, the Lakers for Magic and the Celtics for Bird.
He emerged the two...he solidified
That dunk on Michael Cooper and the Lakers was illmatc 💪
He’s in my top 10 because I refuse to leave out his ABA accomplishments.A combined 3 titles…7 Finals appearances..2 finals MVPs..2All Star MVPs(one of them was won with him being on the losing team)4 league MVPs..3 scoring titles…He put together,arguably,the 2 greatest back to back finals series performances ever with the last ABA championship finals against the Nuggets & his first NBA finals series against Portland! Retired as the 3rd leading scorer in NBA history…The most steals,& blocks of any other small forward..Never missed the playoffs
Arguably saved the NBA.
and he´s probably the best dunker of all time, he was the GOAT at some point, now he is top 8 at least
AND he is the only player that caliber who was selected as an All Star EVERY YEAR HE PLAYED. Oh...also like Larry Bird, Dr. J. won league MVP 3xs in a row.
That series against Denver was against 3 future NBA hall of fame players and a future NBA hall of fame coach. How many players in NBA history can say they beat that many hall of famers and coach basically by himself in a finals series?
Name them.
yup...people look at me oddly when i mention i have him at number 6..before Duncan, Kobe etc. But yeah, i dont know WHY people discount his ABA career...but have the audacity to then short Wilt and Bill for "much of the great talent was in the ABA"🤦🏽♂️🤷🏽♂️.
I have:
1. Wilt
2. Mj
3. Kareem
4-6 (interchangeable)
Bird, Magic, Dr. J
7. Duncan
8. Kobe
9..Hakeem
10. Shaq
Honestly, DR. J. Should be a top 5. He was before Micheal, Magic, Bird, and he single handly made the ABA so big that the NBA was forced to do the merger just to get hime to NBA.
Jabbar may be know as the best of the NBA 70's.
But DR. J. Was the best of the World at that time. He was so big, people did not watch Knick games because he with the NETS in New York at that time.
Seriously DR. J. Did so much for basketball and then it carried over the Magic/Bird and of course, Jordan.
Give him his respect.
Top 5 all time. Hands down.
yup...i personally have him 4-6 Dr.J, Bird, Magic
I can remember when my oldest brother would come over to watch Dr. J on our color television. That is when I got into basketball (I was nine). Thanks for the video, it is PRICELESS and also makes me think of my brother who passed away in June 2021.🥰♥
Thanks a lot for this one Sean. Dr. J broke into the game when I was a grad student at Indiana. Not many college students had a TV in their dorm room in those days, but my roommate did. At the time the Pacers were in the ABA and their games were televised in Indiana. Whenever they played the NY Nets all the guys on our floor would crowd into our room, because we knew at least a couple times Dr. J would do something absolutely unbelievable. No one could dunk on McGinnis like him or shoot from behind the backboard. Nobody did that stuff until Dr. J went to the 76ers. Back in the ABA days, we couldn't get enough of Dr. J.
My all-time favorite
Mine too!!!!
My all-time favorite Basketball player!
ABA Dr. J was just ridiculous.
He would be in these Top 10 discussions more possibly if they included what he did in the ABA.
My all time favorite player!!!…..If you haven’t seen him play live, you missed a treat. The electricity in the Spectrum was crazy💯
I've always thought that the Doctor had class. From early on all the way till now, pure class.
Agree. To me, Dr J was always the epitome of a class act. I admire him for that.
Players from every era (80's - now) would do well to take notes.
Even now he Carrie’s himself with dignity and grace. You know he is someone special.
Truly an underrated goat!
Always calm cool and collected
God bless the brother.
When I started watching nba basketball around 1970 there was no goat, we just loved watching the few games we got to watch.
I am glad this popped up on my feed. BBL with comments. Thanks for the video.😃
He’s my hearts GOAT. Just loved him and the Sixers.
Grew watching him in Philadelphia he was a force yet truly a people person. Would do so much for the fans. The 🐠 that saved Pittsburgh was the original that opened the door for the Player's in white men can't jump, space jam 1,2 as well as any other basketball film staring a NBA player
He carried two leagues.
Best Ever period!
And he didn't travel😊
I agree!
Can you imagine Dr. J now with the 3 and 4 steps you're allowed to take? Here's my Euro-step -- BOOM!
Dr J was special and when the sixers were playing on TV time stopped for everything else,
The top 25 he's in the top of number one in NBA history ...
Really after Dr.J nobody should be talking about anyone else, because after the Doctor everybody else is just an imitator.
I grew up in Troy, Ohio, home of Hobart and the Hobart Arena. When the Sixers changed out the floor in the Spectrum, Hobart bought it and used it in the arena. I got to play on that floor as a kid. Same paint, didn’t change a thing.
Dr. J was EVERYONE's "G.O.A.T." before Kareem, Magic, Bird, MJ took over the league = all of them looked-up to him when they got in the league
Yeah, him and Wilt...
To be fair Kareem came before doc and imo Kareem took over the league in the 80’s
@@vonholland64 lucky for me your "opinions" are just that = the ENTIRE 80's was DOCUMENTED + the 80's-eras considered the "Dr. J-era", so there's that
@@DaFactsNoNonsense1713 that was his era , sorry you’re triggered. Doc retired in 87. Kareem won 5 titles in the 80’s. Doc started in 71
@@vonholland64 I feel sorry for you
It's the one's who are ahead of their time that advancing the game forward. Dr J was one of them. The league wasn't as skilled as today, but that doesn't discount his achievements. Sports science has progressed to the point that just about any legend in the 70s to late 80s, if they were playing today, would 100% rival the best we currently have.
Dr J is the first among the line of GOATs. He was the first to wear the crown.
When I was growing up & Dr J was in the ABA, when we saw virtually no games & no highlights, he was a mythical legend. We couldn't see him but we all heard about these extraordinary things he could do. Things like taking a quarter off of the top of the backboard & leaving two dimes & a nickel, dunking from the free throw line. We didn't know if any of them were true, but we believed all of them. Then we got to witness him doing the most amazing things, all the time, & continued to be amazed. He also did everything with grace & dignity. He was....& is, a true legend!
Larry Bird had to go through this guy just to get to the Finals. Later he had to go through the Bad Boys. This is why Magic has more rings.
tough era
No that's not why Magic has more rings. Philly was the only other team of the early 80s coming out of the East. Out West, the Lakers had to deal with first the defending Champs Sonics, Ice, Artis Gilmore, Mike Mitchell
& the Spurs, Portland with Jim Paxson & Mychal Thompson & later Kiki VanDeWeghe & Clyde Drexel, Denver with Alex English, Dan Issel, & Kiki/Calvin Natt, Utah with Adrian Dantley, Darrell Griffith , Thurl Bailey, Rickey Green,
& Mark Eaton & later Stockton/Malone , etc.. In 81 Philly gave Boston a gift in the Eastern Finals - much like the bigger gift the Lakers gave them in 84. Detroit should have knocked off Boston in 87 to go to the Finals
if AD & Vinnie Johnson didn't knock heads diving for a loose ball. In the East before the Bad Boys, I'll give special mention to those great Bucks team but if that young Milwaukee squad had a Prime Bob Lanier with good knees- I don't see Boston getting past them every year. The West was way tougher every year throughout the 80s. If those 2 Rockets teams of 81 & 86 didn't interrupt things, that's 7 Laker championships for the decade imo.
People just don't know or get it...Dr J kept Bird from possibly winning a ring in 80, 82, and 83... Boston got lucky and pulled off an "impossible" come back to beat Philly in 81 otherwise they wouldn't even have won that year either...Boston was a way better matchup against LA than Philly but Philly was a way better matchup against Boston, that was the NBA's Bermuda Triangle from 79 to 84
Underrated comment!!
@021881mt But in that year 1981 Bird was best player in that epic series even outplayed Dr. J which the Sixers were cheated and really won that series. Mose Malone said it at the time he wanted Rockets to play Philadelphia because he thought they really won the series but were ruined by bad referees. Everyone knew the Boston Philly series was for the championship.
Dr.J and the Iceman are my favorites of all time.
Top ten player if you look at combined ABA and NBA career. Need to consider ABA as well.
Many people based on echo chamber ring arguments dont understand that Dr J till he turned 34 was the unquestionable marquee name of both leagues for a decade..that man is the ONLY player EVER post 1970 to have 30000p / 10000r / 5000a / 2000st / 2000bl and 3700 OFF reb ,while he played 4 minutes less and took on average 5 shots less per game ,while in the NBA ,than Kobe,Gervin and MJ on the seasons they averaged close or over 30 points.
Debunking another myth is the fact that Dr J 2 point fg% remained exactly the same in both leagues and it is slightly better than Bird,MJ and much better than Kobe..actually as soon as McGinnis and Free left his fg went to .54 from .5 ,which is a great increase FROM PREVIOUS NBA AND EVEN ABA years and debunks the NBA / ABA argument completely and in 80/81/82 he scored and won the Celtics more than Bird with 4 less minutes and fewer fgattempts , its all there in the stats.
Dr J retired 3rd in points , first in steals,4th in blocks and 4th in offensive reb first non center to win the mvp..
According to modern day narratives he went on the ECF 6 out of 7 times and to the finals 4 out of 7 times and never got swept..The 1983 Celtics in full roaster got swept by the Bucks..people today will say that Sidney Moncreef Swept Bird and Bird was 26 not a 20 year old rookie..
Dr J was a cultural phenomenon of planetary impact like Ali , Nureyev , Hendrix etc..Dubbed The Babe Ruth of basketball..cut it anyway you want it , only MJ repeated and passes that status ever since..no one brought that frenzie to Rucker's, had Books calling him a legend before the NBA at age 25 and had songs in his name from the best of the best Jazz man or Hip Hop artists,endorshments,Signature Shoes and so many legends that followed idolizing him..the clip is lazy because there are instances of Shaq , Stockton , Mj in his book , Magic , Weber , Dominique etc that also say that their player of choice was Dr J..we are talking Super superstars.
Dr J lost two rings against a super stacked LA super team with 3 times scoring champion Bob Mcadoo as their 5th scoring option delivering stellar performances all over the court with tons of spectacular plays and a his usual offreb, steals ,assists and blocks adding to the scoring and lost 2 rings due to in explicable Sixers incapacity to understand the moment and give him first option their offense in 1977 finals and regulate the team egos or React to Celtics Ruckus in Game 6 in 1981 semis and respond to their dirty shenanigans that stole the game..even down to the game 7 rookie Toney ball hogged the last minutes taking bad shots and letting the Celtics win by one point , go to the finals against the Rockets and win an easy ring!
This man on Nba arrival was more than a KD teamate to Harden and Westbrook antagonising the offense while Collins ,Bibi and Dawkins requested to be equal participants
Dr J according to all footage available was not a ball dominant player , the team never gave him space like they did later to Kobe and Jordan and was not even had any consistent screens and pic and rolls..Nothing at all and played under heavy dribbling regulation in dense paints and full body contact..
Ranking him anywhere less than top 10 is a hybris in my opinion and especially if one has Iverson or Duncan or even Kobe on top.
Nba went on full defensive deragulation in 2004 right after the Pistons destroyed the Lakers and Kobe was the first major beneficiary offensively from these rules change ,optimised to increase offense and spectacle and save NBA from the tanking ratings PERIOD! There is even so much Real analysis available to get educated ,about how right post 2004 offense in NBA in general got a major boost and player started accumulating much better stats.
Let me remind you here that Kareem from 1972 to 1979 had no playoff success at all..he lost to first round , got swept and even lost with 3 ALL STAR team mates Dantley, Wylkes and Nixon in 79..One can definetly conclude that inf Magic was not drafted to the Lakers that Kareem might have been a one ring player.Similalry KD would had no rings without the Warriors in his career so far.
The only reason people fail to include him in the debate is because the NBA purposely excludes his ABA accomplishments when speaking about him. His entire professional career makes him the third greatest of all times behind Michael Jordan and Lebron James.
Kobe was the primary option on only two of his championship teams and his scoring percentage was much lower than Jordan, James and Irving. Plus, Kobe was only an MVP once. Doc, Jordan and Lebron were MVPs multiple times.
Dr. J's problem is so many self-styled fans don't know about him ; they act as if Michael Jordan is the "be all end all". Like Magic said, the good Doctor did things THEN that NOBODY can do NOW. Mr. Erving, Ralph Sampson, Charles Barkley and Allen Iverson will always be my favorites.
I enjoyed the games during the ABA days and when he left and went into the NBA he was Legendary. He set the standards for generations to come. His farewell tour was and end and beginning for future generations. Basketball was never the same for me.
Dt. J... my favorite of all time.
Mine too!!!
If Julius Erving had joined the Atlanta Hawks, they would have created a powerful duo of Irving and Pete Maravich.
Maybe the Hawks could have won a championship in the 1970s.
I just looked that up. Damn, damn, damn. What coulda been!!
Another great who somehow gets lost because today’s generation lack of history. Top 10 in my book. He saved the nba before Magic/Bird.
Top 2
My idol growing up, I would always play Dr. J, versus David Thompson, iceman George Garvin,😂🏀🙏🏽
The Doctor was the first to take flight. And then his AirNess follow. The two to ever fly around the NBA. Both are the only LEGENDS to really fly.
Both have the top 5 biggest hands in NBA history.
My Favorite player as a kid.
Dr J is Number One For Class Style and Grace and Don’t Forget The Coolest Cat Ever in Any Sport 100%
Doc was tha man great video
The greatest ever. NBA killed his creativity and stats.
It has been A long time. And also kawaii Leonard for bringing Toronto raptor as champion the most unexpected series in the NBA
Dr. J's honestly top 15 if not top 10.
@user-cn8nu6lq4w ...That's your opinion.
Top 2
Watching the Dr. DO the LAKERS in front of MAGIC and Kareem: Up and Under Reverse lay up makes me think of the the Bionic Man when he Does that..That Bionic Sound when Steve Austin did his thing...
He was the greatest dunker of all time and Wilt Chamberlain is the greatest basketball player of all time with 72 NBA records give me a break nobody in any other sport has 72 records
I was just at an nba last week and I told my son, there no doctor J’s on this court
EXACTLY! Nearly 40 years after he retired, his likeness, not even near his likeness, has graced the court. It would be a genetic lottery to be blessed with huge hands, abnormally long limbs, exceptional leaping ability, coordination, and most importantly, the imagination and creativity to come up with the moves
DR. J!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Erving was my Dog. I was a 76ers fan 78- his retirement.Then came that tongue hanging out ,highly flying, AIR floating JORDAN
Gervinho and dr J ….two smoooooth fluid athletic electric players….along with Connie hawkins
Dr.J retired in 1987. To this day he is still the all time leader in Blocked Shots for the Philadelphia 76ers. At 6'6" btw.
Everybody who knows Jordan knows he is Roger Moore and Dr J was Sean Connery. A baby imitates a parent to greatness. Doc was the inventor and the original inventor doesn't always make the most money. Fame and fortune wise, if Dr J's career peak was during the internet era, he'd have more fame and fortune than anybody globally. As simple as that.
I love your videos BTM!!!
I love these videos about ~ANBEEYAY LEDGE-INS~
IMO DR. J is top 15 when you factor in what he meant for street ball, ABA and NBA.
🔥🔥🔥
Agree. I have Dr J in the top 10.
@@AnHebrewChild
I could see that. He’s definitely not getting the love he deserves because most of his success was in the ABA:
Erving won three championships, four Most Valuable Player Awards, and three scoring titles with the ABA's Virginia Squires, New York Nets (now the NBA's Brooklyn Nets), and the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers.
Top 2!!!
Top 25? Be no MJ without Dr. J.
Top 2!!!!!!!!
Top 25? No better basketball player has ever lived. There are currently only 12 players in basketball history that can be argued they're the best ever. And he's one of those. 3 championships and 4 MVP's in 2 leagues, with 2 different teams and was the sole reason the NBA had to give in and merge with the ABA.
The most exciting basketball player to ever play. He dunked on anybody and everybody from any spot on the court. And he could block the shot from anybody. One year he averaged 36 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 6 steals and 6 blocks for an entire playoff. And he's still the number one block shot leader for small forwards in the history of pro basketball even though they were not kept his first year in the pros.
Dr. J was decades ahead of his time!
Whoever it will be for them.. MJ is still the #GOAT for me.. because even despite a lot sees him as the GOAT, he always includes the people BEFORE him. He always admit he is inspired by the Greatest Basketball players before him that pusher him to be like them.
Dr. J gave all of us the idea how to make an IMPOSSIBLE strategic way of shots. MJ and the other next generation got to use and update the shots what DR. J FIRST MADE-INVENTED. THAT'S THE FACT.
Dr J pioneered many if not all NBA techniques still being copied even today 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
I have the Doctor @#9…
Top 25
1. Bird
2. Wilt
3. Kareem
4. Jordan
5. Magic
6. Olajuwon
7. Russell
8. E.Baylor
9. Dr.J
10. Curry
11. Moses
12. Duncan
13. Kobe
14. J.West
15. O.Robertson
16. Havlicek
17. Shaq
18. James
19. Maravich
20. Gervin
21. Barkley
22. K.Malone
23. I.Thomas
24. Stockton
25. R.Barry
*D.Robinson
*D.Wilkins
*Pettit
Dr. J made scoring look easy he made everything look easy. Yeah he is up there I think if he had had multiple rings we would be saying top 5. But most guys today don't know the 70's and early 80's so they don't see it. Against the best he made it look easy.
Just in your top 25!?!
Top 25? I may be having them top three in my opinion fortunate enough to see him in the ABA with the nets and I’ve still never seen a better player.
Michael is the 2 Guard Goat. Larry is the "small" forward GOAT. Baylor is the power forward Goat. (Not really, but I can't think of a power forward better than Bird or Elgin.) Magic is the point guard goat. And Wilt is the Center Goat.
So what about Doc? Doc is the most important basketball player to have ever lived.
@richdouglas2311 ...Elgin Gay Baylor was a Small Forward.
@@brucescott4261 Duh. I said that.
Dr J is a top 5 skilled basketball player of all time
Sean.....please look up the song about Dr J.....it may have been in a commercial.....it went..
Hey...Dr J
Where did you get those moves?
Also....Bob Mac Adoo had a song on the radio..
It went....who's gonna steal that ball from you?
Mac Adoo
Mac Adoo
Mac Adoo!
Also I would really dig videos on the greats from the 70s...Walton....Wilt....Barry...Gervin....pistol Pete....etc
The Doctor.
I have long said that the G.O.A.T's game was clearly a slightly tweaked and amped up version of Dr.J's game. MJ and Dr.J got so many similarities, it's mad obvious just watching highlights.
It really makes me sick that clowns like Gilbert Arenas, LeBron, all those goofballs make a point to constantly degrade players like Dr.J's skill and ability to build themselves up 🤦🏽♂️
THEM GUYS ARE NOTHING BUT BUMS. 1 BUM NEVER HAD A CAREER & THE OTHER BUM DON'T KNOW WHEN TO CALL IT A CAREER. STILL HANGING ON TRYING TO BE REVALENT. HE'S AN OLD MAN WHOSE NOTHING BUT A LIABILITY NOW TRYING TO PLAY A YOUNG MAN'S SPORT & DON'T KNOW WHEN TO HANG IT UP. WHICH IS GOOD BECAUSE THE MORE HE PLAYS THE MORE HE'S BEING EXPOSED.
Dont Forget who had the first signature shoe!!!
Dr J all day long......
I wish in Dr. J's final season he would have grown out that beautiful, flowing afro of his from his younger days. What a great, fun way that would have been for him to make his exit. 😃
I COULDN'T GROW AN AFRO WHEN I WAS YOUNGER. AS I GOT OLDER, THEN MY AFRO STARTED TO GROW. BUT I ALWAYS LIKED THE GOOD DOCTOR'S 'FRO. IT LOOKED SO PERFECT, THE WAY HE WORE HIS.
@@jerrylattimore9232 "It looked so perfect." YES, exactly! It moved and swayed along with him as he went soaring through the air on his way for a monster dunk.
When you look at his highlights it's he was on a way higher level than everyone else. The way he just jumped over the other players.
Only the ones that did not see a live game on TV to see the Airbrakes of Dr.J back then could just say Jordan !!!!!????
Mine too, he taught MJ how to fly.
still has the greatest dunk of all time
Dr.J was the MJ of his era.
The slow won't comprehend.
I don't know about that
@riofacts8283 ...False!
@@brucescott4261
How the fuck can it be false?
Oh u didn't understand the statement.
Dr.J was the MJ of Dr.J's era,now u comprehend.
Wrong….. MJ thought he was Dr. J. And there will never be another Dr. J!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@@yuliya2
I think you're slow 🤣
Dr.J was the MJ of his era comprehenda 🤣
Do u understand the words that are coming out of my mouth 🤣
Thanks for the video brother stay blessed
Dr j 8th all time!!!
@RicoMusap-te3om ...According to you!
they gotta formalize his Doctorate to a real title with real certificate
ABA DR J is arguably the greatest ever. Wilt has the numbers however and the title for me. Can you imagine if that Doc and MJ played today? They’d average
Wilts 50 per game and more and wouldn’t need the 3 pointer to do it.
It’s a travesty that people don’t talk about this man more! He should be in a top 10 all time conversation! Before Bird, Magic, Jordan LeBron, there was the DOCTOR. By the way he actually has a Ph.D
His hype was large NBA fans always were wondering about this Doctor.J guy! And please stop bashing LeBron because he said that Julius inspired and Micheal said the same! So two of greatest admired the Doctor!
Doc is only Top 25!? Give me a break!
In the basketball Olympus Jordan is the GOAT, and Dr J is the spirit behind him. Both surrounded by Russell, Chamberlain, Jabbar.
DOCTOR J all day over lebron! !!!!
1st pick in a Basketball game vs the Giants of Russia ??? Of course Dr.J ,Sir Charles, Michael Jordan, Kareem and Magic Johnson !Starting 5 Speed,Power,3 point experts ,super passes,etc ! If you know NBA you know my starting 5 at their peaks on top are the goats !
Top 25? You must be kidding, right?
DR J is top 3, but he was never the GOAT. Wilt is and will always be.
Nintendo God vs. Larry
He's a Marvel DC hero the only baller
Dr J may not have had the best Handles but that dude could beat you in many ways. The DR could literally beat you. Ask George Gervin. The only guy I've seen him not get under the skin of was Bird
@jackson5781 ...Bird also delivered the first blow.
I really don't like to way Zeke talking, it is so....insincere.
Dr J said Kareem Abdul Jabbar was his GOAT
🐐 kids😂❤🎉😁💯 payment prom deal mom never dated white man forget it Spanish logoon branches off ❤😂
labra would make a zit on Dr. J’s butt
Brother you must be on too much AG-1. You said top 25, are you crazy, The Doc was the inventor of flying. The first to do it is the best. Mike had four guys that was great. Doc, didn’t have a supportive team. The Doctor operated every game.