With the NBA going on hiatus — which NBA commissioner Adam Silver set as at least 30 days on Thursday — and New York’s governor, Andrew Cuomo, placing a ban on gatherings of more than 500 people for the foreseeable future due to the coronavirus outbreak in the United States, no Brooklyn Nets games will be played for the time being.
For the Nets, as much as any team, this comes at an odd time — Brooklyn was battling the Orlando Magic for the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference standings. At the stoppage of play, the Nets had a half-game advantage over the Magic.
Since there aren’t any games, each day Nets Wire will highlight major individual performances and key developments throughout Nets history:
Kyrie Irving made a comment earlier in 2019-20 about Hall of Famer Julius Erving:
It’s not a coincidence that the last time the Nets won a title, they were led by Julius Erving. And now, we have another Irving. I’m just saying.
Of course, the two spell their last names differently — but it’s clear what Irving was going for.
Looking back at the Hall of Famer’s time with the ABA’s New York Nets, Dr. J went toe-to-toe with another highflyer, David Thompson, in a game against the Denver Nuggets on March 18, 1976 — which the Nets won 110-98 (full box score).
Dr. J, who averaged 29.3 points per game throughout the 1975-76 season, had a strong showing. The living legend scored 32 points and led the Nets to win No. 47 as part of their ABA championship-winning season.
For the Nuggets, Thompson scored 23 points. The Nuggets roster also featured Bobby Jones (16 points) and Dan Issell (nine), who are both members of the Basketball Hall of Fame, like Thompson and Erving.