Legends always get wiped out in the last games, Jordan vs Sixers, Erving vs Bucks, Bird vs Cavs, Magic vs Rockets. I think its just a thing for legends of the game.
I was 10. It was on a Sunday and I remember slowly walking to the front yard and crying. Not sobbing. Just sad. I don't think I even told my dad. My favorite player until Dirk.
How ANYONE can talk trash about this man is beyond me?? And if you have posted crap about Dr J you need to have your head examined and you are a MORON....He's an ambassador of the game...Probably the ONLY player in history that got cheered by the other team's fans during intros...Even in BOSTON...You would ALWAYS hear a spattering of cheers thru the boos.....
I say that for all his class and grace, Dr. J is the most overrated basketball player in history. I know that sounds harsh...he's definitely a top 30-35 all time player. But his game was limited. On another note, I LOVED the old dark arenas like The Mecca. They make Staples seem like its so unique...but so many stadiums had that theater lighting...gave the game a different feel.
@cbaldwinjr You're right about the theater lighting of the arenas like The Mecca, The Spectrum, and The Great Western Forum. I miss them and I miss the Doctor too. And of course you're wrong about him being overrated as a player. Nothing harsh about your statement other then the fact you're wrong.
@kimbaptise You're not the only one that disagrees with me. But being overrated doesn't mean he wasn't great. He's definitely an all-time player. But Doc had many holes in his game...lack of a consistent jumper, not particularly good defender, and honestly, he wasn't the most clutch guy ever. He's not the DOMINANT force on the court I think old-timers make him out to be...that's my point.
@cbaldwinjr not only was Dr. J's prime in his late ABA and early NBA career, he also hit a game winning jumper to win the ABA championship. Thats not clutch? Thats not dominant?
This is one of those few tear jerking moments in professional sports. I really feel like I'm watching something from an alternate reality seeing the poise and the respect this man exemplified.
erving was so athletic...and not only for his time (cuz guys back in the day were noticeably less athletic than now) i think erving would would have been a phenomenal atheltic player now.
@cidedwards31a Why? You don't let one of the top 4 greats play it out. You take him out of the game so that the fans acknowledge his greatness and so he can take bow.
@MrDrjfan You're right. He was real decent about having an illegitimate child then denying the paternity until he saw her play in Wimbledon THEN not actually meeting her until 2008. I ain't saying it was all his fault but I wouldn't call that "decent". Or how about that sex tape he made of himself & Jayne Kennedy without her consent? That's not decent.
Don't get me wrong. Dr. J is cool as hell. But he's no different than anyone else.
@MrDrjfan Not a fan? Okay. You're allowed. But you gotta admit that 2-pieceing a guy while your teammates are holding him is a bitch move. As lethal as he was, I'm no fan of Larry Bird. Bill Laimbeer can suck it too. Dennis helped Mike & Scottie win 72games and 3 championships so he gets a pass from me.
Nevertheless, Dr. J ain't exempt from criticism about his sportsmanship because he's not innocent. I'm okay with calling him a cool, handsome, articulate, ballplayin' mu'fucka. But "decent"? Nah
@upabittoolate Let me try to humbly change your mind about Dr J being decent. Everyone looses it at one time with the exception of Jesus and he went off in a church throwing tables over. Dr J was wrong for throwing on Bird while Bird was being held; Unfortunately his emotions got the best of him, loosing will do that to along with the new Buck doing the winning. But U can't diminish what Dr did for the NBA and for classing it up
@tellthetruthg I don't totally disagree with you. I'm just saying that we have to take things with a grain of salt. Also, we can't let our perception give us amnesia. Dr. J. is an extremely cool guy. He was a stunning ballplayer too. He made himself available to the press. He made it okay to be a fan & not perceive the league as a bunch of coked up, womanizing goons. As a Blackman, he reminded the world that we can be intelligent professionals.
@MIKESOWELL Who said I condemned anyone? I just think it's important, at least for the purpose of full disclosure, that people have balanced narratives. Dr. J was, is & will always be 1 of my favorite players. But I can't put him any kind of pedestal beyond his on-court greatness.
@MrDrjfan...WTF are you talking about? sense of decency...? tell that to his daughter who he had out of wedlock, and after DNA tests he still refused to acknowledge that she's his daughter...that's pretty fucked up...i wouldn't call that decent...would you?
@conni70 Anything I was refering to was on court only,not personal, I don't stick my nose into someone's personal lives,maybe you and the news media shouldn't either. Nobody's perfect.
Ironically it ended with his last game in Milwaukee and fitting with the Bucks foot up his a-- in a loss. Someone get a foot doctor to pry that shoe out of his rear end as the Bucks kicked him and his team rather rudely out of the game.
@scorpionjbi felt a little sad myself because he was a great ambassador for the nba and his game was on point. inhis last year when he wasnt able to suit up and injured he would dress up in suit and tie at the away games and give his farewell speeches.taht was special.the 83 championship had the 76ers written all over it. im frome sc an dim still a sixers fan through charle sbarkley allen iverson and even now i checketheir scores here and there all because of the doctors contributions there.
out of the retirements that ive seen of nba players dr j got the best send-off that i ever seen. i like the jordans the magics,the kareems etc but its was something about the doc that was special
@fraz72 man, I was 15 years old when this game took place, I cried my eyeballs out.....I had a full door size poster of Dr. J. I looked at every day to give me inspiration...that was a stage of my life where I thought great athletes would never retire...loll....Dr. J. was the virtuoso, nobody rocked the cradle like Dr. J.
that was really classy by the Milwaukee fans, some of the players and the whole organization to send Doc Julius off in that fashion!!! real class from the fans who realized that true basketball royalty was playing his last game!
@JEBvideos I wouldn't say better...Dr J played a time when the NBA was more about fundamentals than athleticism. Jordan came along when athleticism was the norm...BIG difference. Jordan wasn't the first person to be creative with a basketball and he's not going to be the last.
With all the improvements in sports medicine since the early 1970's, if Dr J played today, his athleticism would be even better.
@stewiedog01 michael jordan wasnt just athletic? michael jordan revolutionarized everything we saw in the NBA whether it was fundamentals, athleticism, iq, etc. michael was the best!
@JEBvideos Like no other player before 1985 posted up his opponents, was creative with the basketball, dunked over people, changed defenses?
Before the 1976 ABA/NBA merger, the NBA was a fundamental game. Players from the ABA brought a new elemental style including Dr J & David Thompson, etc.. It's these players that revolutionized the game--way before Jordan.
Other than Jordan's crying to the refs over hard fouls...what NBA rules changed? Magic Johnson had more impact to the game than MJ.
@stewiedog01 if your talking about fundamentals then larry bird should be the best of all time. but no if you asked everybody in the whole country who was the best i guarente more people would say michael jordan, larry bird, and kobe before any of those guys, and some people know alot more about basketball than you and me.
Agreed. MJ took the air game to another level (though Dominique was flying too). He didn't revolutionize anything. A 6'9" point guard who brought a game so unique it had its own name...yes, that was a game changer. The game sped up in the 80s as teams tried to keep up with the Lakers. THEN, the Pistons and Celtics tried to grind it down because they couldn't out run them. Before MJ, there was Elgin, David, and Julius. Before Magic, there was???
Kinda. Except Oscar got his numbers largely because they played a breakneck pace. Magic wasn't an evolved version...he was an original. Check the scoring averages during Oscar's prime...teams scored 115+ppg across the board and shot well over 100 times a game...making it easy to accumulate numbers like The Big O did. Not taking away from his greatness, but he wasn't Magic before Magic.
@cbaldwinjr There's a contradiction in your statements though. You just claimed that the game sped up in the 80's but then you also claimed that Oscar benefited from his era's breakneck pace. In any case; whatever benefited players like Oscar also benefited players like Elgin.
The NBA continues to get away feasting on fan ignorance by refusing to recognize ABA statistics, which would change the All-time scoring landscape as many casual fans are used to seeing. They would see that Dr. J indeed scored 30,026 points, over 10,000 rebounds and 5,000 assists, not 18,364 NBA points. The NBA pilfers all the benefits of the ABA even today (up and down pace, three-point shots, counting steals, blocks, offensive rebounds, slam dunk contest). Too many fans don't know - or care.
@TheFrostyblackman If they ever took a poll I put my money on Dr J. I love Magic he was great to watch especially when he was leading the Lakers over Bird lead Celtics. My Favorite player of all time is Kareem, then Nate the Great Thurmond followed by Chris Mullins , then Barry then Benard King. Dr J and Magic are on my list too. Yup I'm a GSW fan
in honor of Dr. J, the NBA should switch to the Red White and Blue ball for all games....in my opinion the league has become a three point, slam dunk game anyway, hasn't it?
@d820m I wouldn't hold my breath to see that happen unfortunately. The 1976 "merger" which raped the 4 ABA franchises into paying crippling entry fees while stripping draft picks, was a bitter arrangement in which future NBA Commissioner David Stern helped arrange. ABA players were considered inferior and the NBA was angry at the ABA for escalating player salaries. Dr. J was not respected by the old NBA establishment back and then only begrudgingly as time went by.
1987Hawkeyes, thank you so much for this great footage. Indeed Dr J was a joy to watch. Not only a great player, but conducted himself like a pro on & off the court.
AWESOME class by Milwaukee. THE Doctor was/Is a class act unlike many of today's spoiled morons! I will always love and remember the best league ever...the ABA! Without them, the brown ball league would never have survived!
ch class. He was Mike before Mike, Kobe before Kobe and Vince before Vince. Jordan even said he was the most nervous playing against Doctor J, and he was old then, last 3 years of his career. He's still my favorite player
Oh yea for that guy that says Doc wasn't an all around player eat this, he's one of 4 players in history to lead his team in all 5 major statistical categories. Points, rebounds, assist, steals and blocks. All that in a championship year with the New York Nets. He toned his game waaaaaaay down so he could fit in. He did what he wanted to do in his mid to late 30s but he let Barkley be the man. He didn't even celebrate after big plays, he just run down court and congratulate his teammates. So mu
my favorite player growing up & my fav team...Dr J,chocolate thunder(darryl dawkins),world b free,mo cheeks,caldwell jones & his white brother bobby jones coming off the bench.those were the days.....
NO BODY DID IT BETTER THEN THE DOCTOR M.J IS A BITCH EVERYTIME SOMEONE TOUCHED HIM HE WOULD GET THE REFFS ATTENTETION HE HIT ME LIKE THE OTHER M.J OPPS
Julius Winfield Erving, The Original G O A T Wow, how we miss the "Doctor" we all imagined that we could swoop and fly like him.....the greatest NBA class act ever. The Ambassador of the NBA. What a tremendous moment in time.....
Despite being a Bullets (now Wizards) fan, Dr. J was my all time favorite player in the NBA/ABA. Props to my fellow Maryland alumnus, John Lucas, for running across the court to congratulate the Dr. as he left a game for the last time. That was a class act...ditto for Strom for presenting the game ball to him after the contest was over.
I thought it was pretty disrespectful by Bucks fans to start singing, I understand ur abt to win a series but one of the greatest players of all time is abt to retire
I was 15 years old then. i gave my favorite player, dr. j., a standing ovation for 15 minutes with tears in my eyes. i still tear up seeing this great ambassador of the game in his final moments............
dr j charles barkley.... :( where did these people go... man the nba sucks now i wish there was an nba classic channel for every year starting in 1980 and ending in 1999 so we could rewatch these seasons.
My son's name is also Julius Irving V yes sir doc in my book Jordan don't even come close even with his record breaking games give Jordan that but nobody did it like The Doctor J nobody
Dr. J was a poetic and classy dunker, he wasn't like screaming or shouting or anything, he wasn't smashing the ball into the hoop, he would guide the ball into the hoop,
Doc did not quite go out like Ali. Doc actually left while he was still productive. The Sixers won 45 games in Doc's last campaign cementing the fact the Doc never missed the playoffs in his career. Doctor J also scored at least 1,000 points in all 16 of his seasons which at the time was a significant accomplishment. Yes, he was older was the third option offensively, but 16.8-4-3 on 47.1% shooting from the floor and 81.3% from the line is not bad. 1.6 blocks and 1.3 steals too.
@KenaiAndrews ... brother kenai u hit it right on the head, doc was as great an all-around player as there was n the nba, he was a highly underrated shot-blocker & team defender, he grabbed a ton of rebounds 4 a 6'6" small 4ward & he was a very underrated play-maker AND ... he made the transition 2 off guard at 37 years old 2 make room his teammate roy hinson ... doc sacrificed scoring titles 2 fit n with the 76ers, trust me
One of the classiest and greatest players in the history of basketball. I remember sitting in front of my tv and rewind the betamax over and over just so I could learn how to do his finger roll...
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Basketball was so pathetic in those days... the players and the game itself were slow, clumsy, disorganized, weak, passive etc. A few days ago I watched the Olympic finals of 1992, between Croatia and the greatest and the only U.S dream team... the basketball they played was pathetic; an average Croatian league team today would surely beat that dream team. The game has greatly developed since then, we can't begin to imagine what it will look like in a few years time...
I'm surprised they didn't stop the game for at least a couple of minutes when he was taken out for the final time. For the good Dr. coming off the court for the last time is an extremely big event & I think they could've made it more monumental. When you see him hugging his teammates, you can see the action on the court still going on. I was like, "WTF?".I'm a die hard Lakers fan but I've always liked the 76ers & been a fan of Dr. Julius Erving. Thanks for posting this footage.
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Grew up in Coatesville Pa. loving Sixers...Doc was cool but overrated as a premier forward. Great off the break, no jump shot, couldn't dribble unless it bounced off his foot out of bounds, a turnover waiting to happen. Bobby Danderidge owned him.. BUT we loved him !
u know nothing about basketball dude!!! Doctor J not a premier forward? How many titles does bobby danderidge have? How many times did he win mvp or get to the conference finals? Doctor J is one of the top 5 small forward to ever pla ythe game. You cant score over 30,000 points in your career if you cant shoot a jumpshot. GET A LIFE
Danderidge has TWO rings my friend. And I know plenty about basketball my friend....I know I'd school you one on one. I'm guessing you only know of Doc from highlite video. Well.....I saw about every game my man and I never said the Doc wasn't great...he was. he just wasn't as sound in a all-round game as you seem to think. Dunks don't make you great and when he failed to step in (Dawkins) during the finals against Portland he showed how it was all about him...not the team. FACIAL !!!!!
Doc wasn't a sound all-around player? The only thing he lacked was perimeter shooting, he was a deft ball-handler, a very good play-maker & team defender (very underrated weak-side shot-blocker) . U blame him 4 us (I'm a diehard Sixer fan from Philly) losing 2 the Blazers n '77? How about George McGinnis being treated like a child by Maurice Lucas, or Doug Collins not being able 2 see out of 1 eye (after Game 2) after being clocked by his own teammate (Darryl Dawkins) , how about that team ...
@alcorderyjr Amen to that.....I'm a Knick fan, but back then the Sixers were a VERY close second...And Dr J was/is my favortie player of ALL time...As far as 77 goes.....He was the ONLY one that scored on a consistent basis....McGinnis out right SUCKED until game 6, but then it was too late....And Collins disappeared after game 2.
... as a whole was a dysfunctional unit, I know I've been a fan of the 76ers since 1976. Anyone who states that Doc was selfish (u posted "... he showed it was all about him ... not the team.") really doesn't know the game as well as he thinks he does ("... I know plenty about basketball my friend ...") , Doc SACRIFICED HIS OWN STATISTICS so that he would fit in with the Sixers! We already had 2 all-stars n Doug & George, so he didn't want 2 step on anyone's toes coming n2 the league. He ...
... could have easily scored 30 points a game, THERE WASN'T A PLAYER N THE GAME THAT COULD STAY N FRONT OF HIM DEFENSIVELY WHEN HE DECIDED 2 DRIVE TO THE WHOLE, & we all know he had no problem finishing at the rim ON ANY1! Doc played with 1 of the premier lead guards n the game 4 9 seasons & he still averaged 4 assists per game while NOT being the primary ball-handler on the team, he was way more than a dunker, they don't give the MVP award 2 dunkers back n his day, that year he averaged ...
... 24.6 PTS, 8.0 REB (a 6'6" small forward?, that's a ton of rebounds!) , 4.4 AST, 2.11 STL & 1.79 BLK while shooting .521% from the field, the year b4 he posted EVEN BETTER NUMBERS & u don't think he was an all-around great player? Not 2 mention we were n the Finals n '77, '80, '82 & '83 which proves he was a winner too. I think ur the 1 looking at the dunks & not the other things that made Doc great ... & a premier forward. I rank only Larry Bird above him as a better small forward.
@80sNBA Ironically it ended with his last game in Milwaukee and fitting with the Bucks foot up his a-- in a loss. Someone get a foot doctor to pry that shoe out of his rear end as the Bucks kicked him and his team rather rudely out of the game.
I've been waiting for someone to post this. I remember originally recording it and watching this thing a few times until it was accidentally taped over. Did you hear the Rocky theme music in the background as The Doc was walking off the court, with tears but proud and with his head held high? Are you kidding me? I got goosebumps all over again ... over 20 years after I last saw it.
Julius Erving.... a class act until the very end.
Guternburg 1 month ago 3
Fucking Legend
white8ass8kika 1 month ago
Great interview with Dr J on Opie and Anthony at the end of November 2011. Talks about this YouTube clip a bit.
reingardl 1 month ago
is that the music from the rocky movies at the end of the video ? sweeet!!!!!!!! DR J one of the GREATEST
pollomaniac 1 month ago
See that footwork? Travelling wasn't even an option.
osc833 2 months ago
when he holds up the ball when he leaves and the rocky music playing gives me chills everytime
realtalk300 2 months ago 5
Everybody loved Dr J .
TheNbaLover22 2 months ago
Pressey , great defensive player .
TheNbaLover22 2 months ago
Legends always get wiped out in the last games, Jordan vs Sixers, Erving vs Bucks, Bird vs Cavs, Magic vs Rockets. I think its just a thing for legends of the game.
Teh2Gamers 2 months ago 5
@Teh2Gamers Bill Russell?
DrRobonation 1 week ago
i managed,with great difficulty, not to cry at the final seconds :P
dalailammeister 3 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
PG: Magic
SG: Jordan
SF: Dr. J
PF: Bird
C: Jabbar
nikar679 3 months ago
I love erving more then mj <3
giotevdorashvili31 4 months ago
How old was he .
AndreMarceloBurgos25 4 months ago
@AndreMarceloBurgos25 37
jeremynoeljohnson 4 months ago
the one person who disliked this video or DR. J is a complete idiot
pounder191 4 months ago
The hug at 5:26 says it all! Talk about a feel-good moment!
Juan321C 5 months ago
I was 10. It was on a Sunday and I remember slowly walking to the front yard and crying. Not sobbing. Just sad. I don't think I even told my dad. My favorite player until Dirk.
rkid727 6 months ago
I remember watching this game with tears in my eyes. Truly the end of a great era in the NBA. There will never be another like The Doctor!!!!
darrjon67 6 months ago
How ANYONE can talk trash about this man is beyond me?? And if you have posted crap about Dr J you need to have your head examined and you are a MORON....He's an ambassador of the game...Probably the ONLY player in history that got cheered by the other team's fans during intros...Even in BOSTON...You would ALWAYS hear a spattering of cheers thru the boos.....
dreman1970 6 months ago
I say that for all his class and grace, Dr. J is the most overrated basketball player in history. I know that sounds harsh...he's definitely a top 30-35 all time player. But his game was limited. On another note, I LOVED the old dark arenas like The Mecca. They make Staples seem like its so unique...but so many stadiums had that theater lighting...gave the game a different feel.
cbaldwinjr 6 months ago
@cbaldwinjr You're right about the theater lighting of the arenas like The Mecca, The Spectrum, and The Great Western Forum. I miss them and I miss the Doctor too. And of course you're wrong about him being overrated as a player. Nothing harsh about your statement other then the fact you're wrong.
kimbaptise 3 months ago
@kimbaptise You're not the only one that disagrees with me. But being overrated doesn't mean he wasn't great. He's definitely an all-time player. But Doc had many holes in his game...lack of a consistent jumper, not particularly good defender, and honestly, he wasn't the most clutch guy ever. He's not the DOMINANT force on the court I think old-timers make him out to be...that's my point.
cbaldwinjr 3 months ago
@cbaldwinjr not only was Dr. J's prime in his late ABA and early NBA career, he also hit a game winning jumper to win the ABA championship. Thats not clutch? Thats not dominant?
dquinnpga 2 months ago
Dr. J, Wilkins, and Mullin are the classiest players I've ever met.
usnate1 6 months ago
Holy Crap this is so saddening and even worse 1 dislike :(
CaptPrice274 6 months ago
0:13 - I think it was the only time he did dunk with both feet
zaleenbaba 6 months ago
Was this finals?
MrDollhouseplay 7 months ago
@MrDollhouseplay 1st round of the eastern conference playoffs game 5: May 3, 1987.
stewiedog01 7 months ago
Lebron James will be like Dr J when he leaves. People will cheer! (put sarcastic icon here)
pakantotmiss 7 months ago
The pass 2:56 was nasty!
eudon2000 7 months ago
This is one of those few tear jerking moments in professional sports. I really feel like I'm watching something from an alternate reality seeing the poise and the respect this man exemplified.
jonbap426 7 months ago
How much class does John Lucas have to come catch Doc before he leaves the floor to give him a hug?
Pizuzuzimmer 7 months ago
erving was so athletic...and not only for his time (cuz guys back in the day were noticeably less athletic than now) i think erving would would have been a phenomenal atheltic player now.
KnicksFan0115 7 months ago
I cannot even tell you how special Julius "Doctor J" was....the man was incredible for the game and an even more special human being.
DSVetDad 7 months ago
7:02 gave me chills then and now.
Jeff98177 7 months ago
watching this gives me goose bumps.... ya know theres so much genuine emotions out there on the court and in the stands
sky78234 7 months ago
have not enjoyed basketball since doctor j retired
fiiress454 8 months ago
2:14 i thought its mr bean
RedGanjaX 8 months ago
@RedGanjaX HAHA ME TOO! XD
BB0ysGam3s 8 months ago
GREAT FANS!
jynupe 8 months ago
I wish the NBA would recognize the ABA totals of those players. Julius Erving, in my mind is the fifth leading scorer in NBA history (30,026).
MIKESOWELL 8 months ago
That's sad after he made those points and his defense, it was sad to see him leave in his last game. :(
xxpandamidknightxx 8 months ago
Even Doc's last basket was epic. There will never be another one like him!
WatchVenusSpa 8 months ago
let the doc play it out
cidedwards31a 9 months ago
@cidedwards31a Why? You don't let one of the top 4 greats play it out. You take him out of the game so that the fans acknowledge his greatness and so he can take bow.
MississippiRed1 6 months ago
I wanna see some more NBA players last games. If you have them put em up, please.
najeenixonnixon 9 months ago 6
Greatest Man to ever play,not just because of his play,but because of his sence of decency.
MrDrjfan 9 months ago 3
@MrDrjfan You're right. He was real decent about having an illegitimate child then denying the paternity until he saw her play in Wimbledon THEN not actually meeting her until 2008. I ain't saying it was all his fault but I wouldn't call that "decent". Or how about that sex tape he made of himself & Jayne Kennedy without her consent? That's not decent.
Don't get me wrong. Dr. J is cool as hell. But he's no different than anyone else.
upabittoolate 9 months ago
@upabittoolate I was refering to his conduct on the court.His personal life is his business,not mine or yours.
MrDrjfan 9 months ago
@MrDrjfan It was decent to cold-cock Larry Bird while Moses held him? C'mon. He's no different than anyone else.
Like I said, he's cool as hell. He's a brilliant ballplayer. But that's all.
upabittoolate 9 months ago
@upabittoolate Anyone who cold-cocks Larry Bird is a sports hero in my book, same goes for the likes of Dennis Rodman or Bill Laimbeer.
MrDrjfan 9 months ago
@MrDrjfan Not a fan? Okay. You're allowed. But you gotta admit that 2-pieceing a guy while your teammates are holding him is a bitch move. As lethal as he was, I'm no fan of Larry Bird. Bill Laimbeer can suck it too. Dennis helped Mike & Scottie win 72games and 3 championships so he gets a pass from me.
Nevertheless, Dr. J ain't exempt from criticism about his sportsmanship because he's not innocent. I'm okay with calling him a cool, handsome, articulate, ballplayin' mu'fucka. But "decent"? Nah
upabittoolate 9 months ago
@upabittoolate Let me try to humbly change your mind about Dr J being decent. Everyone looses it at one time with the exception of Jesus and he went off in a church throwing tables over. Dr J was wrong for throwing on Bird while Bird was being held; Unfortunately his emotions got the best of him, loosing will do that to along with the new Buck doing the winning. But U can't diminish what Dr did for the NBA and for classing it up
tellthetruthg 9 months ago
@tellthetruthg I don't totally disagree with you. I'm just saying that we have to take things with a grain of salt. Also, we can't let our perception give us amnesia. Dr. J. is an extremely cool guy. He was a stunning ballplayer too. He made himself available to the press. He made it okay to be a fan & not perceive the league as a bunch of coked up, womanizing goons. As a Blackman, he reminded the world that we can be intelligent professionals.
BUT, Dr. J. can't be put on a pedestal.
upabittoolate 9 months ago
@upabittoolate Larry Bird got into a brawl in a bar because he was hitting on a married woman IN FRONT of her husband. He's a jerk.
MIKESOWELL 8 months ago
@MIKESOWELL So that qualifies jumping him?
upabittoolate 8 months ago
@upabittoolate No, but if you are going to condemn him, do that for everyone.
MIKESOWELL 8 months ago
@MIKESOWELL Who said I condemned anyone? I just think it's important, at least for the purpose of full disclosure, that people have balanced narratives. Dr. J was, is & will always be 1 of my favorite players. But I can't put him any kind of pedestal beyond his on-court greatness.
upabittoolate 8 months ago
@upabittoolate I think I get your point.
MIKESOWELL 8 months ago
@MrDrjfan...WTF are you talking about? sense of decency...? tell that to his daughter who he had out of wedlock, and after DNA tests he still refused to acknowledge that she's his daughter...that's pretty fucked up...i wouldn't call that decent...would you?
conni70 3 months ago
@conni70 Anything I was refering to was on court only,not personal, I don't stick my nose into someone's personal lives,maybe you and the news media shouldn't either. Nobody's perfect.
MrDrjfan 3 months ago
Comment removed
MrDrjfan 3 months ago
Ironically it ended with his last game in Milwaukee and fitting with the Bucks foot up his a-- in a loss. Someone get a foot doctor to pry that shoe out of his rear end as the Bucks kicked him and his team rather rudely out of the game.
WinconsinSportsNutRW 10 months ago
@WinconsinSportsNutRW The doctor was/is a class act. Can't say the same about you.
noclouds111 9 months ago
This is an awesome video, thank you for posting it.
nalydbob63 10 months ago
miss the nba on cbs
brucedavis76 10 months ago
@scorpionjbi felt a little sad myself because he was a great ambassador for the nba and his game was on point. inhis last year when he wasnt able to suit up and injured he would dress up in suit and tie at the away games and give his farewell speeches.taht was special.the 83 championship had the 76ers written all over it. im frome sc an dim still a sixers fan through charle sbarkley allen iverson and even now i checketheir scores here and there all because of the doctors contributions there.
fraz72 11 months ago
out of the retirements that ive seen of nba players dr j got the best send-off that i ever seen. i like the jordans the magics,the kareems etc but its was something about the doc that was special
fraz72 11 months ago
@fraz72 man, I was 15 years old when this game took place, I cried my eyeballs out.....I had a full door size poster of Dr. J. I looked at every day to give me inspiration...that was a stage of my life where I thought great athletes would never retire...loll....Dr. J. was the virtuoso, nobody rocked the cradle like Dr. J.
scorpionJB 11 months ago
this is when the players actually tried in the nba.....now its all about the cash
tykazz23 11 months ago 3
that was really classy by the Milwaukee fans, some of the players and the whole organization to send Doc Julius off in that fashion!!! real class from the fans who realized that true basketball royalty was playing his last game!
jelani96 1 year ago
That was a trav at 4:03
MrArea51darkknight 1 year ago
@MrArea51darkknight ...look at it real close he took 2 dribbles and 2 steps before going up
jelani96 1 year ago
I was and am a Celtics fan and I cried after this.
TheVideocaf 1 year ago 2
God only made one Julius Erving, and there ain't been anyone like him since.
hookalakah 1 year ago 25
@hookalakah stfu about god bitch Dr J worked hard for his skills by himself, dont insult him by saying he was given it, he earned it
haggiss 7 months ago
@hookalakah michael jordan was better than him.
JEBvideos 7 months ago
@JEBvideos I wouldn't say better...Dr J played a time when the NBA was more about fundamentals than athleticism. Jordan came along when athleticism was the norm...BIG difference. Jordan wasn't the first person to be creative with a basketball and he's not going to be the last.
With all the improvements in sports medicine since the early 1970's, if Dr J played today, his athleticism would be even better.
stewiedog01 7 months ago
@stewiedog01 michael jordan wasnt just athletic? michael jordan revolutionarized everything we saw in the NBA whether it was fundamentals, athleticism, iq, etc. michael was the best!
JEBvideos 7 months ago
@JEBvideos No, the NBA revoltionized Jordan by letting him travel, carry, and palm the ball. And you couldn't even look at him, lest it be a fould.
nickma71 7 months ago
@JEBvideos Like no other player before 1985 posted up his opponents, was creative with the basketball, dunked over people, changed defenses?
Before the 1976 ABA/NBA merger, the NBA was a fundamental game. Players from the ABA brought a new elemental style including Dr J & David Thompson, etc.. It's these players that revolutionized the game--way before Jordan.
Other than Jordan's crying to the refs over hard fouls...what NBA rules changed? Magic Johnson had more impact to the game than MJ.
stewiedog01 7 months ago
@stewiedog01 if your talking about fundamentals then larry bird should be the best of all time. but no if you asked everybody in the whole country who was the best i guarente more people would say michael jordan, larry bird, and kobe before any of those guys, and some people know alot more about basketball than you and me.
JEBvideos 7 months ago
@stewiedog01
Agreed. MJ took the air game to another level (though Dominique was flying too). He didn't revolutionize anything. A 6'9" point guard who brought a game so unique it had its own name...yes, that was a game changer. The game sped up in the 80s as teams tried to keep up with the Lakers. THEN, the Pistons and Celtics tried to grind it down because they couldn't out run them. Before MJ, there was Elgin, David, and Julius. Before Magic, there was???
cbaldwinjr 6 months ago
@cbaldwinjr Oscar Robertson
jp3813 4 months ago
@jp3813
Kinda. Except Oscar got his numbers largely because they played a breakneck pace. Magic wasn't an evolved version...he was an original. Check the scoring averages during Oscar's prime...teams scored 115+ppg across the board and shot well over 100 times a game...making it easy to accumulate numbers like The Big O did. Not taking away from his greatness, but he wasn't Magic before Magic.
cbaldwinjr 4 months ago
@cbaldwinjr There's a contradiction in your statements though. You just claimed that the game sped up in the 80's but then you also claimed that Oscar benefited from his era's breakneck pace. In any case; whatever benefited players like Oscar also benefited players like Elgin.
jp3813 4 months ago
wow chills love himand ai
oOWrvOo12 1 year ago
That's how you know that he's one of the greatest players ever, he's not even at his home court and they give him a standing ovation
luxuriouscandy 1 year ago 3
Damn I miss the MECCA. The best Basketball floor in basketball history!!!!!!
MississippiRed1 1 year ago
Whoa. The Rocky theme playing when Dr. J held the ball up as he exited almost got me right in the throat.
jonbap426 1 year ago
DR.J was my favorite basketball player of all-time. A class act!!!!
redhead5150 1 year ago
I cried...again
CNVRSKDAJW 1 year ago
Comment removed
80sNBA 1 year ago
HAHAH JOHN LUCAS OVER THERE, DAMMN HE LOOKS EXACCTLLYY THE SAME AS HE DOES NOW .. EXCEPT FOR MAYBE A LIL BIT MORE GRAY . DAMMN
Alex052480 1 year ago
The NBA continues to get away feasting on fan ignorance by refusing to recognize ABA statistics, which would change the All-time scoring landscape as many casual fans are used to seeing. They would see that Dr. J indeed scored 30,026 points, over 10,000 rebounds and 5,000 assists, not 18,364 NBA points. The NBA pilfers all the benefits of the ABA even today (up and down pace, three-point shots, counting steals, blocks, offensive rebounds, slam dunk contest). Too many fans don't know - or care.
KenaiAndrews 1 year ago
wow very emotional ending
15551cue 1 year ago
i was really sad when Dr J retired. but i'm glad he did win a title. I think he would've won more titles had he been in the NBA longer.
reyguel 1 year ago
I don't know of another player who was loved by all NBA fans as much as Dr J
tellthetruthg 1 year ago 19
@tellthetruthg magic johnson???
TheFrostyblackman 9 months ago
@TheFrostyblackman If they ever took a poll I put my money on Dr J. I love Magic he was great to watch especially when he was leading the Lakers over Bird lead Celtics. My Favorite player of all time is Kareem, then Nate the Great Thurmond followed by Chris Mullins , then Barry then Benard King. Dr J and Magic are on my list too. Yup I'm a GSW fan
tellthetruthg 9 months ago
@tellthetruthg congrats on chris mullins going to the hall of fame
TheFrostyblackman 9 months ago
in honor of Dr. J, the NBA should switch to the Red White and Blue ball for all games....in my opinion the league has become a three point, slam dunk game anyway, hasn't it?
d820m 1 year ago
@d820m I wouldn't hold my breath to see that happen unfortunately. The 1976 "merger" which raped the 4 ABA franchises into paying crippling entry fees while stripping draft picks, was a bitter arrangement in which future NBA Commissioner David Stern helped arrange. ABA players were considered inferior and the NBA was angry at the ABA for escalating player salaries. Dr. J was not respected by the old NBA establishment back and then only begrudgingly as time went by.
KenaiAndrews 1 year ago
1987Hawkeyes, thank you so much for this great footage. Indeed Dr J was a joy to watch. Not only a great player, but conducted himself like a pro on & off the court.
kpagan1970 1 year ago
AWESOME class by Milwaukee. THE Doctor was/Is a class act unlike many of today's spoiled morons! I will always love and remember the best league ever...the ABA! Without them, the brown ball league would never have survived!
beckyhammonbest 1 year ago
ch class. He was Mike before Mike, Kobe before Kobe and Vince before Vince. Jordan even said he was the most nervous playing against Doctor J, and he was old then, last 3 years of his career. He's still my favorite player
jsmidash 1 year ago
Oh yea for that guy that says Doc wasn't an all around player eat this, he's one of 4 players in history to lead his team in all 5 major statistical categories. Points, rebounds, assist, steals and blocks. All that in a championship year with the New York Nets. He toned his game waaaaaaay down so he could fit in. He did what he wanted to do in his mid to late 30s but he let Barkley be the man. He didn't even celebrate after big plays, he just run down court and congratulate his teammates. So mu
jsmidash 1 year ago
I didn't even watch it, brings back horrible memories of an 11 year old boy watching his hero's last shot go clank. I'll never forget that
jsmidash 1 year ago
really? did Charles barkley shoot a 3? LOL man i dont know what he was thinking on that shot...
TehBannHammer 1 year ago
@TehBannHammer He mightve been thinking they were down 20 with 3 minutes left? Just a thought
neely7878 1 year ago
Doc still had it all the way to the last minute. A true icon of our sport.
WatchVenusSpa 1 year ago
i cried, damn...the doc's my all time favorite
iamilocano 1 year ago
Now THIS WAS REAL NBA!!!!!!
selfexplanitory 1 year ago
I cried my head off when I watched this live. He was and always will be my hero. Simply the best. God Bless Julius Erving!
scarplace 1 year ago
ok,now let's vote....... ''does lebron deserve dr.j's number 6 ?''
julius0928 1 year ago
@julius0928 fuck no brons a piece of shyt
oOWrvOo12 1 year ago
i remer this game i watched this the nba was awesome back then
retroguy1976 1 year ago
Bucks fans have class.....this is coming from a 76ers fan
superkrex 1 year ago 3
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Survivor87 1 year ago
my favorite player growing up & my fav team...Dr J,chocolate thunder(darryl dawkins),world b free,mo cheeks,caldwell jones & his white brother bobby jones coming off the bench.those were the days.....
1godzilla000 1 year ago
NO BODY DID IT BETTER THEN THE DOCTOR M.J IS A BITCH EVERYTIME SOMEONE TOUCHED HIM HE WOULD GET THE REFFS ATTENTETION HE HIT ME LIKE THE OTHER M.J OPPS
emanbx3 1 year ago
@emanbx3 Julius Erving revolutionized the game more than Jordan did
blackezi3 1 year ago
my favorite player of all time. the g.o.a.t
21bbc 1 year ago
my idol growing up never forget his last game wow do i miss the nba in the 80's and 90's julius,charles,mj,larry,magic,and the list goes on and on
katekaulitzx0 1 year ago
Julius Winfield Erving, The Original G O A T Wow, how we miss the "Doctor" we all imagined that we could swoop and fly like him.....the greatest NBA class act ever. The Ambassador of the NBA. What a tremendous moment in time.....
kingd41 1 year ago
Despite being a Bullets (now Wizards) fan, Dr. J was my all time favorite player in the NBA/ABA. Props to my fellow Maryland alumnus, John Lucas, for running across the court to congratulate the Dr. as he left a game for the last time. That was a class act...ditto for Strom for presenting the game ball to him after the contest was over.
willismtn 1 year ago
The last time The Dr. made a house call!!! Just love the guy. A true revolutionary.
robbo1324 1 year ago
that was one of the classiest things i've seen in all of sports
roperisdumb85 1 year ago
I have never any games since his retirement. The game is not the same without him.
az246777 1 year ago
I thought it was pretty disrespectful by Bucks fans to start singing, I understand ur abt to win a series but one of the greatest players of all time is abt to retire
superkrex 1 year ago
you just know that even if he wasn't blessed with the gift to play ball he still would've made a great life for himself.
tellthetruthg 1 year ago
I was 15 years old then. i gave my favorite player, dr. j., a standing ovation for 15 minutes with tears in my eyes. i still tear up seeing this great ambassador of the game in his final moments............
pnstate07 1 year ago
actually not just from 1980 on probably more like all the classic seasons why not dream big lol
jonnieos 1 year ago
dr j charles barkley.... :( where did these people go... man the nba sucks now i wish there was an nba classic channel for every year starting in 1980 and ending in 1999 so we could rewatch these seasons.
jonnieos 1 year ago
WHAT AN AMAZING CLIP RIGHT THERE...
RICK24BARRY 2 years ago
Brought tears to my eyes to see the GOAT leave.
xxConverse101xx 2 years ago
Dude's don't even know ? And they know basketball clowns
emanbx3 2 years ago
My son's name is also Julius Irving V yes sir doc in my book Jordan don't even come close even with his record breaking games give Jordan that but nobody did it like The Doctor J nobody
emanbx3 2 years ago 3
@emanbx3 MJ is way better than Dr. J...nobody did it like MJ...
Domini478 1 year ago
I didn't get to see him play, but I could tell from clips that he was a class act
Eighty6Dreams 2 years ago
how old was he in his last game? :/
ompongawooh29 2 years ago
@ompongawooh29 37
altohart 2 years ago
ok thanks,
ompongawooh29 2 years ago
He should be 37yearold
rjam1974 2 years ago
Dr. J was a poetic and classy dunker, he wasn't like screaming or shouting or anything, he wasn't smashing the ball into the hoop, he would guide the ball into the hoop,
philwert 2 years ago 2
Dr. J. did it with class and style. No one had to tell him when to exit the NBA. He knew it was time. Once of the greatest of all time.
dpatrick11 2 years ago 4
Doc did not quite go out like Ali. Doc actually left while he was still productive. The Sixers won 45 games in Doc's last campaign cementing the fact the Doc never missed the playoffs in his career. Doctor J also scored at least 1,000 points in all 16 of his seasons which at the time was a significant accomplishment. Yes, he was older was the third option offensively, but 16.8-4-3 on 47.1% shooting from the floor and 81.3% from the line is not bad. 1.6 blocks and 1.3 steals too.
KenaiAndrews 2 years ago
@KenaiAndrews ... brother kenai u hit it right on the head, doc was as great an all-around player as there was n the nba, he was a highly underrated shot-blocker & team defender, he grabbed a ton of rebounds 4 a 6'6" small 4ward & he was a very underrated play-maker AND ... he made the transition 2 off guard at 37 years old 2 make room his teammate roy hinson ... doc sacrificed scoring titles 2 fit n with the 76ers, trust me
costcordero2 1 year ago
Watching Doc go out this way is like watching Ali VS Holmes.
FrsBigeasy 2 years ago
7:03 gave me chills back then and it still does today.
Jeff98177 2 years ago 2
This was sad to watch. So much power leaving that night.
kiminokami 2 years ago
Julius Erving in his prime was the greatest SF to play the sport in my opinion.
PriceGetsItDone 2 years ago 4
damn he was flying around the court in his last year? from this video, i think he could've played at least a couple more years
mfastx 2 years ago
One of the classiest and greatest players in the history of basketball. I remember sitting in front of my tv and rewind the betamax over and over just so I could learn how to do his finger roll...
algismorales 2 years ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Basketball was so pathetic in those days... the players and the game itself were slow, clumsy, disorganized, weak, passive etc. A few days ago I watched the Olympic finals of 1992, between Croatia and the greatest and the only U.S dream team... the basketball they played was pathetic; an average Croatian league team today would surely beat that dream team. The game has greatly developed since then, we can't begin to imagine what it will look like in a few years time...
BcroG11 2 years ago
Did you see how easily Doc still dunked the ball at age 37?
alstan631 2 years ago 4
I'm surprised they didn't stop the game for at least a couple of minutes when he was taken out for the final time. For the good Dr. coming off the court for the last time is an extremely big event & I think they could've made it more monumental. When you see him hugging his teammates, you can see the action on the court still going on. I was like, "WTF?".I'm a die hard Lakers fan but I've always liked the 76ers & been a fan of Dr. Julius Erving. Thanks for posting this footage.
p4horror 2 years ago
Too sad, but very nice! I still wasn't born, I'd really like to be there and see it, and cry for his retirement.
I'm sorry for my English, I'm Italian, please forgive me if there are some mistakes
thebozz05 3 years ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Grew up in Coatesville Pa. loving Sixers...Doc was cool but overrated as a premier forward. Great off the break, no jump shot, couldn't dribble unless it bounced off his foot out of bounds, a turnover waiting to happen. Bobby Danderidge owned him.. BUT we loved him !
rjchstoner 3 years ago
u know nothing about basketball dude!!! Doctor J not a premier forward? How many titles does bobby danderidge have? How many times did he win mvp or get to the conference finals? Doctor J is one of the top 5 small forward to ever pla ythe game. You cant score over 30,000 points in your career if you cant shoot a jumpshot. GET A LIFE
sleepy2k3 2 years ago
Danderidge has TWO rings my friend. And I know plenty about basketball my friend....I know I'd school you one on one. I'm guessing you only know of Doc from highlite video. Well.....I saw about every game my man and I never said the Doc wasn't great...he was. he just wasn't as sound in a all-round game as you seem to think. Dunks don't make you great and when he failed to step in (Dawkins) during the finals against Portland he showed how it was all about him...not the team. FACIAL !!!!!
rjchstoner 2 years ago
Doc wasn't a sound all-around player? The only thing he lacked was perimeter shooting, he was a deft ball-handler, a very good play-maker & team defender (very underrated weak-side shot-blocker) . U blame him 4 us (I'm a diehard Sixer fan from Philly) losing 2 the Blazers n '77? How about George McGinnis being treated like a child by Maurice Lucas, or Doug Collins not being able 2 see out of 1 eye (after Game 2) after being clocked by his own teammate (Darryl Dawkins) , how about that team ...
alcorderyjr 2 years ago
@alcorderyjr Amen to that.....I'm a Knick fan, but back then the Sixers were a VERY close second...And Dr J was/is my favortie player of ALL time...As far as 77 goes.....He was the ONLY one that scored on a consistent basis....McGinnis out right SUCKED until game 6, but then it was too late....And Collins disappeared after game 2.
dreman1970 6 months ago
the knicks should have got dr. j when they had the chance i thinks thats one of their biggest regrets of all time
lookatmetal 3 months ago
... as a whole was a dysfunctional unit, I know I've been a fan of the 76ers since 1976. Anyone who states that Doc was selfish (u posted "... he showed it was all about him ... not the team.") really doesn't know the game as well as he thinks he does ("... I know plenty about basketball my friend ...") , Doc SACRIFICED HIS OWN STATISTICS so that he would fit in with the Sixers! We already had 2 all-stars n Doug & George, so he didn't want 2 step on anyone's toes coming n2 the league. He ...
alcorderyjr 2 years ago
... could have easily scored 30 points a game, THERE WASN'T A PLAYER N THE GAME THAT COULD STAY N FRONT OF HIM DEFENSIVELY WHEN HE DECIDED 2 DRIVE TO THE WHOLE, & we all know he had no problem finishing at the rim ON ANY1! Doc played with 1 of the premier lead guards n the game 4 9 seasons & he still averaged 4 assists per game while NOT being the primary ball-handler on the team, he was way more than a dunker, they don't give the MVP award 2 dunkers back n his day, that year he averaged ...
alcorderyjr 2 years ago
... 24.6 PTS, 8.0 REB (a 6'6" small forward?, that's a ton of rebounds!) , 4.4 AST, 2.11 STL & 1.79 BLK while shooting .521% from the field, the year b4 he posted EVEN BETTER NUMBERS & u don't think he was an all-around great player? Not 2 mention we were n the Finals n '77, '80, '82 & '83 which proves he was a winner too. I think ur the 1 looking at the dunks & not the other things that made Doc great ... & a premier forward. I rank only Larry Bird above him as a better small forward.
alcorderyjr 2 years ago
GREAT CLASS AND DIGNITY
rush1471 3 years ago
Being a 76ers fan, I cried really hard at the end. Very sad. Very classy of Milwaukee fans to cheer for him.
Once got to go into his house in Villanova for Halloween. His wife, Turquoise, gave us apples and raisins.
millschapman 3 years ago 33
@millschapman j. erving received cheers from every city. i was in tears too. remember erving playingfor he ABA NETS ? just wished he had stayed.****
d4seasons 1 year ago
@millschapman Damn thats sad
2pac510707 1 year ago
@millschapman Anyone not cheering for Dr J in his last game should be permanently prohibited from entering a basketball arena ever again.
omnivorous65 1 year ago 2
remember this like it was yesterday I cried
tomj2234 1 year ago
Another Class Act - Referee Earl Strom giving Dr. J the game ball (6:47). Strom died from cancer just a couple years later.
Thanks for posting this video.
80sNBA 3 years ago 23
@80sNBA Ironically it ended with his last game in Milwaukee and fitting with the Bucks foot up his a-- in a loss. Someone get a foot doctor to pry that shoe out of his rear end as the Bucks kicked him and his team rather rudely out of the game.
WinconsinSportsNutRW 10 months ago
I've been waiting for someone to post this. I remember originally recording it and watching this thing a few times until it was accidentally taped over. Did you hear the Rocky theme music in the background as The Doc was walking off the court, with tears but proud and with his head held high? Are you kidding me? I got goosebumps all over again ... over 20 years after I last saw it.
FlipTrojan 3 years ago 7