Tag: Julius Erving

Celtics champ, broadcaster Cedric Maxwell counters Dr. J’s all-time great list with his own

With the 2023 NBA offseason here in full swing, a fair amount of attention tends to turn toward the history of the league.

[anyclip pubname=”2123″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8170″]

With the 2023 NBA offseason here in full swing, a fair amount of attention tends to turn toward the history of the league in the absence of new deeds to analyze on the court or in roster construction. And in the wake of Philadelphia 76ers legend Julius “Dr. J” Erving putting out an all-time list of NBA greats, others have started to do the same.

Among them are former Boston Celtics championship forward and current broadcaster Cedric Maxwell broke down his list compared to Dr. J’s on his eponymous CLNS Media podcast with cohost Josue Pavon. The names on Erving’s list are Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor along with more modern era players Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Karl Malone.

To hear who Maxwell put on his all-time great list, check out the clip embedded below.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=590969556]

Julius “Dr. J” Erving has a pair of Boston Celtics in his all-time top-10

“I have five guys who are untouchable,” he explained.

[anyclip pubname=”2123″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8170″]

Hall of Famer Julius Erving recently shared his top 10 greatest basketball players of all time in an interview with Joy De Angela. His list includes a pair of Boston Celtics along with Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, and Elgin Baylor to name a few of the luminaries making up this basketball legend in his own right’s personal favorites.

“I have five guys who are untouchable,” explained via Sports Illustrated’s Eric Jay Santos, putting Celtics icon Bill Russell alongside Chamberlain, Robertson, and West. “That’s my all-time best team. Everybody else has to be on the second team or the third team, and I made this decision when I was 15 years old.”

“I’m sticking with it now all these years later,” added Dr. J. “There is no order. I think West and Robertson would be in the backcourt. Elgin Baylor would be in the frontcourt with Wilt and Bill Russell.”

“The next group of guys would be Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson, probably Karl Malone,” he continued. “I like Tiny Archibald (for his tenth spot).”

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

[lawrence-auto-related count=1 category=590969556]

Shaquille O’Neal responds to Julius Erving’s list of 10 greatest NBA players ever

Julius Erving recently gave his list of his 10 greatest NBA players, and Lakers great Shaquille O’Neal responded with his own ranking.

[anyclip pubname=”2123″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8170″]

Julius Erving may have retired from the NBA in 1987 and kept a low profile in the years since, but he hasn’t been shy about his opinions on the modern game.

He recently offered his list of the 10 greatest NBA players of all time. It was a somewhat controversial list because it didn’t include LeBron James, Kobe Bryant or Stephen Curry.

Los Angeles Lakers great Shaquille O’Neal was another legend who was excluded from Erving’s list. O’Neal told the Los Angeles Times that he didn’t have a problem with Erving’s list.

However, he proceeded to give his own top-10 list, which was considerably different from Erving’s list (h/t Lakers Daily).

Via Los Angeles Times:

“He said his first team, in no particular order, was Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, LeBron James and then ‘(expletive) me,’” wrote Broderick Turner.

“O’Neal said coming off his bench would be (Stephen) Curry, Allen Iverson, Tim Duncan, (Karl) Malone and Isiah Thomas,”

At first, it seemed as if O’Neal had snubbed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who is considered by some to be the greatest center ever. But he then made an amendment to his list.

“O’Neal paused for a moment, adding, ‘also, you got to put Kareem on that second team, too,’ which, of course, is now a top 11,” wrote Turner.

While Erving’s ranking had an abundance of players from many decades ago, the majority of the players on O’Neal’s list played in the NBA within the last quarter-century.

Julius Erving snubs LeBron James in his list of the 10 greatest NBA players

NBA legend Julius Erving doesn’t think LeBron James deserves to be on his list of the 10 greatest basketball players yet.

[anyclip pubname=”2123″ widgetname=”0016M00002U0B1kQAF_M8170″]

Julius Erving, otherwise known as “Dr. J,” was not only one of the greatest players in basketball history but also one of the most exciting ones.

His aerial artistry paved the way for Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, as well as LeBron James, to take over the modern era of the NBA.

Erving retired in 1987, and he has largely kept a low profile over the years. But every now and then, he makes an appearance and gives his opinions on current NBA players.

He recently gave his personal list of the 10 greatest NBA players ever, and James was conspicuously absent from it. For that matter, so were Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, as well as current Golden State Warriors sniper Stephen Curry.

His reasoning for not having James or Curry on his list is that they haven’t finished their careers yet.

However, just about everyone else already considers James one of the 10 greatest players ever, and many have him in their top two or three.

A complete Game 7 history for Sixers before matchup with Celtics

Here is a complete list of the Game 7 history for the Philadelphia 76ers before their matchup with the Boston Celtics.

The Philadelphia 76ers will head back to TD Garden to take on the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The winner will head to the Eastern Conference finals and continue on their journey for an NBA championship.

The Sixers have not gotten past Round 2 since the Allen Iverson days of 2001 while the Celtics have reached the conference finals four times since 2017. Sunday promises to be another whirlwind of twists and turns as the Sixers look to finally advance past the semifinals.

In this franchise’s history, the Sixers have competed in 17 Game 7s. They went 1-2 when they were still the Syracuse Nationals and they are 5-9 as the Sixers. In this edition, Sixers Wire will focus on just the 14 Game 7s as the Sixers.

Complete list of five Sixers who have taken home the MVP award

Here is a complete list of the 5 Philadelphia 76ers players who have won the MVP award.

The Philadelphia 76ers are one of the proud franchises in the NBA. Plenty of great players have represented the franchise and made their fair share of history.

More team history has happened in 2023. Joel Embiid was named the MVP of the league for the first time in his career. The big fella led the league in scoring for the second consecutive season at 33.1 points per game, and he scored 50-plus points in a game three times during the 2022-23 season.

Embiid earned 73 first-place votes. Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic had 15, and Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo had 12.

Embiid is the fifth player in Sixers’ history to win the MVP award and the first since Allen Iverson in 2001. The following is a list of the five players who have taken home the MVP award in the storied history of the Sixers:

Sixers legends Julius Erving, Bobby Jones weigh in on current team’s title chances

Philadelphia 76ers legends Julius Erving and Bobby Jones weigh in on the current team’s chances at a title.

CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers have as good a chance as any team to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy at the end of the 2022-23 season. They are led by stars Joel Embiid and James Harden, and the duo gives the Sixers a very good chance at ending the 40-year title drought.

The last time the Sixers won a title was in 1983 when they were led by Julius Erving and Moses Malone. The Sixers swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the finals that season with Malone taking home final MVP honors after his famous “fo, fo, fo” proclamation. It predicted the Sixers would sweep all of their playoff opponents on their way to a title.

Erving and Bobby Jones, a key bench piece on that team, assess where this current team stands and its chances to end the drought.

Sixers legends Julius Erving, Bobby Jones impressed with Joel Embiid

Philadelphia 76ers legends Julius Erving and Bobby Jones are left feeling impressed with big man Joel Embiid.

CAMDEN, N.J.–The Philadelphia 76ers are having a ton of success in the 2022-23 season thanks to the terrific play of superstar big man Joel Embiid. The big fella is once again having a phenomenal season as he’s leading the league in scoring at 33.5 points and shooting an efficient 54.6% from the floor.

After scoring 31 points in Saturday’s win over the Indiana Pacers, Embiid has now scored at least 30+ points in nine straight games which is a new franchise record. It breaks the tie he was in with Allen Iverson and Wilt Chamberlain for the franchise lead.

Julius Erving and Bobby Jones, two key pieces in Sixers history as members of the franchise’s last championship team in 1983, were at the team’s shootaround on Monday morning and they were asked about what Embiid is doing. Both Sixers legends were impressed with what they are seeing.

Brandon Miller a Top 5 finalist for the Julius Erving Award

Julius Erving Award for best SF in college basketball announces top five finalists

After one of the most historic campaigns in Alabama Crimson Tide basketball history, Brandon Miller has been named a top 5 finalist for the Julius Erving Award which recognizes the best small forward in college basketball. The five-star freshman has been the best player in college basketball all season long and will likely wind up as a top-three pick in the 2023 NBA draft.

Julius Erving is one of the most respected players in the history of basketball and the NBA, so for Miller to be in his company is a massive honor. Miller has the body and frame of a forward, but can handle the ball and shoot like a guard, which makes him so lethal. The supporting cast of the Crimson Tide has complimented Miller all season long, and the team has grown incredibly unified.

Miller and the Crimson Tide will be back in action tomorrow as they start their March Madness run against Texas A&M Corpus-Christi. The game will be at 1:45 PM CST on CBS.

[gambcom-standard rankid=”3003″ ]

[gambcom-standard rankid=”3006″ ]

[mm-video type=video id=01gtma4ffh0r6pcpxbxp playlist_id=01eqbz6mkdd99nyvkm player_id=01f1jz1vgtfhzk6ner image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gtma4ffh0r6pcpxbxp/01gtma4ffh0r6pcpxbxp-a21135627d608f92e426940d2d82a59f.jpg]

[lawrence-auto-related count=1]

[lawrence-auto-related count=1]

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Sixers legend Julius Erving sees some Allen Iverson in Tyrese Maxey

Philadelphia 76ers legend Julius Erving sees a lot of Allen Iverson in Tyrese Maxey’s game.

PHILADELPHIA–Young Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey is on his way to becoming a perennial All-Star in the league. In his third season in the NBA, he’s averaging 21.3 points and 3.9 assists while shooting 40% from deep as he continues to grow as a player.

What makes Maxey’s ascent so impressive is the fact that he stands at just 6-foot-2 and he isn’t the strongest player in the league. He just uses his blazing quickness, his uncanny ability to finish over taller players, and his maniacal work ethic to continue to improve in this league.

Another diminutive Sixers guard, Allen Iverson, made a living out of scoring the ball despite standing at just 6-feet tall and being a skinny guard in the league. Some might see some of Iverson’s heart and his skill in what Maxey does on the floor.

Sixers legend Julius Erving, who led the Sixers to their last title in 1983, spoke at the Sixers Youth Foundation gala on Thursday night and expressed admiration for Maxey.

“Everything about him,” said Erving. “His persona, his attitude, his energy, his ability. He’s as capable a scorer as any player in the league. He’s a different type version of Allen Iverson. Iverson was fearless and I see that in Maxey. Maxey probably just has a little more floater in his game.”

Maxey’s continued Iverson-like ascension in the league combined with the elite play of James Harden and Joel Embiid has Erving excited about this Sixers team and their chances at winning their first title in 40 years.

“I think this team has a very good chance,” Erving added. They’re a pretty confident group, pretty deep, and now it’s a matter of making that chemistry work and sustaining it at playoff time. A lot of people overlook the regular season, but I think you hone your talent during the regular season, build greater confidence, and you learn the nuances of what it takes to be successful on that big stage.”

Maxey and the Sixers will have to go through some really tough teams such as the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks, but Philadelphia certainly has the talent to get it done.

“It’s hard to win against a really good team four times in seven tries,” Erving finished. “I think the Sixers are capable of doing that.”

The Sixers also haven’t made the finals since Iverson led the way in 2001.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01f1jxkahtwnvzepyp image=]

[listicle id=74408]

[lawrence-related id=74424,74420,74414]