Tag: Julius Erving

Kyrie Irving ‘excited to pay homage’ to Nets legends with throwback uniforms

Kyrie Irving grew up a New Jersey Nets fan, so he’s excited to represent his home with the team’s new throwback uniforms.

There was probably no current member of the Nets more excited about the franchise’s announcement on Wednesday than Kyrie Irving.

A Nets fans from his days as a kid, Irving will now get the chance to rock a New Jersey throwback uniform next season on special occasions.

The Brooklyn point guard reflected on his Nets fandom as part of the team’s announcement about their 2020-21 Classic Edition throwback uniforms on Wednesday:

“Growing up a New Jersey Nets fan, especially in the Tri-state area, it was a different pride you had to have. I had that chip on my shoulder everywhere I went. Because, I was that New Jersey kid sometimes in New York City or Philly or in D.C. or in North Carolina. And up the whole entire East Coast where it was big to rep where you were from. That was the attitude, that was the mentality that I embodied. And that went right along with the Nets, as well. I wanted to be like J-Kidd growing up. I wanted to be like some of these great stars that I got the chance to see play in the 90s and the 2000s.”

“A lot of my friends and family members were connected to the fandom, as well. Being a New Jersey Nets fan, going to Continental Airlines Arena, cheering up from the nosebleeds. … The motivation for me was I’m gonna make sure that when the Nets get back to the Finals, I’m going to be a part of this team and we’re going to be winning this.”

Irving continued:

“I’m excited to pay homage to some of the Nets legends that came before me, me being right in the middle of this now and [those] that come after me — to be etched with those names in Nets history now, not even so much the play. Just being a part of the organization, knowing that I was once a fan and now I became part of it. Looking back on it, you got Drazen [Petrovic],  you got Kenny Anderson. You got a few legends — Vince Carter. You got Julius Erving. And then now, you got the classic jersey that we’re paying homage to, just that snapshot in Nets history. I’m grateful to be able to do it, and I’m honored to be able to do it because I know being able to put that on is paying homage to the legends that came before me.”

Taking a look back at 1981 Sixers team that almost won a championship

We take a look back at the 1981 Philadelphia 76ers team that came up just short of winning a title.

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Now that it is the offseason for the Philadelphia 76ers, it is time to take a look at other things Sixers as we all patiently wait for the 2020-21 season to begin.

So, on Friday we decided to take a look back at one of the better teams in franchise history that came up just short of an NBA title.

The 1980-81 version of the Sixers was a strong bunch. Led by the great Julius “Dr. J” Erving, the Sixers had their sights set on a title while running into the rival Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. Both teams fought tooth and nail for the series, but it was Boston who came out on top with a close 91-90 in Game 7 despite 23 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and four blocks from Erving.

The Celtics went on to win the title as they knocked off the Houston Rockets in six games. That was a Sixers team that probably could have knocked off Houston as Bleacher Report wrote:

Though the 1980-81 squad only made it to Game 7 of the conference finals, and though the teams from the preceding and subsequent years advanced a round deeper, we’re going with that ’81 team.

Those Sixers won 62 games, the most in any non-title-winning Philly season, got an MVP year from Julius Erving and beat opponents by an average of 7.85 points per game. That’s the highest average margin of victory produced in any 76ers season in our sample.

Philadelphia fans can take solace in the fact that the team went on to win the championship in 1983 led by Erving and the late great Moses Malone. The Sixers swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals to earn the third title in franchise history. The Sixers have only made one Finals appearance since 1983. [lawrence-related id=37579,37576,37573]

Day to day on the asphalt, there were …

Day to day on the asphalt, there were no refs, criminals lurked in the shadows (often providing grease for shorts and sneakers) and creative showboating was de rigueur. The setting served as a breeding ground for world-class NBA stars. They included Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor), Julius “Dr. J” Erving and Metta World Peace (then known as Ron Artest). Former Knicks great Walt “Clyde” Frazier, who grew up in Atlanta, took his talent to at least one of New York’s wildly competitive outdoor courts while a pro. He likened the experience to “being a gunslinger in the Old West.”

Darren Rovell: This card in a PSA 9 …

Darren Rovell: This card in a PSA 9 sold for $26,877 on eBay tonight. eBay sales of this card in this condition put this insane market in perspective. Is it real? If so, how long will it last? 4/2/20: $6,100. 5/9/20: $9,000. 6/8/20: $10,400. 7/20/20: $12,750. 7/29/20: $15,700. 8/31/20: $26,877.

Let’s be clear — that is all on the …

Let’s be clear — that is all on the Raptors, from Larry Tanenbaum to Peddie to former general manager Glen Grunwald. Still, Carter did have legitimate power. Even if he could not swing ownership and management in the directions he wanted, such as the hiring of his childhood idol, Julius Erving as GM instead of Rob Babcock, he still had a voice. And, most of all, his game. “(Babcock) thinks (Carter’s) not part of going forward with Bosh. (Carter) is injured. He’s not engaged,” said Peddie, who has repeatedly taken the blame for the hiring of the late Babcock. “The general manager thinks he can do better, puts together that trade. I honestly believe, and I don’t know this with certainty, that Vince wanted out as well.”

Research: When LeBron lost, he did it against stronger opposition than any other NBA legend

Last week, we looked up 25 NBA superstars to determine the combined winning percentages of the opponents they defeated in the playoffs. This week, we’re taking a peek at those same superstars, but this time, looking at the winning percentages of the …

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Last week, we looked up 25 NBA superstars to determine the combined winning percentages of the opponents they defeated in the playoffs.

This week, we’re taking a peek at those same superstars, but this time, looking at the winning percentages of the opponents that they lost to in the postseason.

The first thing that jumps out is that although LeBron James beat weaker competition than most legends on average, he also lost to stronger squads than anybody else, mostly due to all of those Finals series against juggernaut Golden State Warriors teams.

The teams who defeated LeBron James in the playoffs combined for a whopping 608-212 regular-season record, good for a winning percentage of 74.1 percent.

One player who isn’t far off from LeBron on our list is Kevin Durant. If you ever wondered why the Oklahoma City Thunder came up painfully short so many times leading to Durant’s controversial departure, just look at the brutal competition they had to face, including the Warriors and San Antonio Spurs in the West, and the Miami Heat in the East during the 2012 Finals.

Overall, it’s clear that it took a lot to beat these guys. Out of the 25 superstars we examined, 21 only lost to opponents who had greater than a 66 percent win percentage, meaning they could only be taken down by the best of the very best.

For more info on the caliber of opponents the 23 other superstars lost to who we didn’t go in-depth on, just check out the gallery above.

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Sixers history: Sixers knock off Lakers to win 1983 NBA champiosnhip

On this day in Philadelphia 76ers history, Moses Malone and the Sixers brought home the title.

With the NBA in an indefinite hiatus due to COVID-19, we continue our day-by-day look back at the history of the Philadelphia 76ers. We continue down our path into Sixers history every day as we look to fill the void left by the absence of basketball.

This one takes everybody back to the day the Sixers last brought home the Larry O’Brien trophy to South Philadelphia. The Sixers were in complete control with the Los Angles Lakers up 3-0 and now, they just needed to finish the job. While the Lakers have a lot of talent led by Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as well as Jamal Wilkes, Philadelphia just had a little bit more.

May 31, 1983

The tension at The Forum was thick. There was anticipation as anxious Lakers fans were hoping to see their team dig deep and continue to keep their season alive. They were the defending champions, after all, and their championship pedigree was expected to shine through. However, the Sixers were a team destined for a title in this one after coming up just short in previous seasons. This was their time.

Moses Malone had 24 points and 23 rebounds, Andrew Toney had 23 points and nine assists, Julius Erving added 21 points, six assists, and five rebounds, and Maurice Cheeks had 20 and seven assists in a 115-108 win to clinch the title. Bobby Jones added 13 points and four steals off the bench as well. Malone brought home Finals MVP honors while Erving captured that elusive title that escaped his grasp so many times in the past.

It was a terrific playoff run for Philadelphia and while it was not completely “Fo’ Fo’ Fo'” like Malone predicted, it was pretty darn close. They only lost one game in the playoffs on their way to the title. [lawrence-related id=32409,32393,32357]

Drexler also offered up suggestions on …

Drexler also offered up suggestions on a handful of other NBA greats. “And then you’ve got guys like Dr. J [Julius Erving], Larry Bird, George Gervin, Elgin Baylor, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West. All those guys are in the conversation, and so for people to bring this up today, to me it’s just unbelievable. And I love Michael and LeBron. But still, let’s not take something away from those other guys who played.”