J are the ones the players note and appreciate."ĭr. Bird recalls Robertson's impeccability Erving reprises Elgin Baylor's flamboyance. J concurs with Bird that the pass means more than the shot and only gives the impression that the 'move' means most of all. And it should be said also of Erving, at 32 the other sublime forward in the game. Tom Callahan writes, "It used to be said of Bill Russell, 'He improves every player on the floor.' Now it is said of Bird. The Best the Game Offers ( Time, May 24, 1982) When it's my turn to solo, I'm not about to play the same old riff." I'll give it off or, if I want, I'll go all the way myself. "I'll Never Play the Same Old Riff" ( Sports Illustrated, May 17, 1976)Įrving tells John Papanek, "I can get a rebound and go. Most of them came with the Identified Flying Object's feet well off the ground, his body twisting and turning. In the first four games he scored 158 points, pulled down 51 rebounds, had 22 assists, blocked seven shots and had eight steals. J's heroics merited more than just local exposure. The games were not nationally televised, but they should have been. By Saturday night Erving and his underdog New York Nets had Denver down three games to one, which is what can happen when humans go five-on-one with a helicopter. That was Julius Erving last week, launching himself from various points on courts in Denver and New York, soaring and scoring, passing, rebounding, blocking and stealing-all in the undeserved obscurity of the ABA championship finals. Or, rather, one just a few feet off the Earth. "Too bad, America, but you missed one of the greatest basketball shows on Earth. Pat Putnam offers this tribute to Erving's stellar play in the first four games of the 1976 ABA Finals (Erving's Nets went on to win in six games, claiming the final ABA title): The Doctor Opens His Medicine Bag ( Sports Illustrated, May 17, 1976) He has done nicely off it as well, charming the clergy, his employers, the recently re-elected Nassau County Executive (whom he endorsed after extracting pledges for recreational programs for his hometown of Roosevelt), and even the Madison Avenue types who are after some endorsements of their own. He has done nicely on the floor, where he has led the youngest starting lineup in the pros-average age 22.6 years-back from a skitterish start and into title contention. Nicely-Nicely routine back home to Long Island. Peter Carry writes, "Julius Erving has brought his Dr. Not even two months into Erving's second season, Peter Carry writes, "One school holds that he is already the best forward ever to play the game, another claims he needs a year or two more to polish up his defense and outside shot before he inevitably becomes the best."īig Julie is Doing Nicely-Nicely ( Sports Illustrated, January 14, 1974) J ( Sports Illustrated, December 11, 1972) The Net-Ripping, Backboard-Shaking, Mind-Blowing Dr. Here are some great links about my all-time favorite player, the one and only Julius "Dr.
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