NBA Greatest Duels: Larry Bird vs Julius Erving (1984)

[notaroundme]

I agree. Doc didn't take enough shots during his years with the sixers. Was TOO much of a team player at times. He could have been alittle more selfish.

[attypulpol]

who won?



[king1991c]

@attypulpol Sixers won 119-114 in 2OT

[mrho4speed]

Thanks for posting - this is classic 80's B-Ball and fun to watch 2 great players showing why they are hall of famers. Keep the videos coming!!!

[bootiack]

if doc j took more shots liek kobefag, doc j have some amazing stats

[bootiack]

jordan dr j on steroids since teens

[attypulpol]

@bootiack gayweather, is that you?

[bootiack]

jordan just got more calls than dr j, neighter as good as bird since didnt make other bettter, but jordan a paper champion hacking 15 times a game shoulda fouled out each gaem half 1

[bootiack]

chief sick or boston blowout eh

[bootiack]

doc liek kobe jordan shaq on roids

[bootiack]

doc j a mouhterfuka

[FlipTrojan]

I remember this game. Recorded this ESPN broadcast before taping over it. Great game ... Parish sat this one out; McHale started and had a subpar game; Bird was at his best keeping the undermanned Celts in it ... taunted and distracted Toney on a technical, Toney turned behind him, looked at Bird, proceeded to shoot the tech and missed, but refs rewarded Toney another attempt cuz of Bird's taunting ... classic game cuz I can remember it 27 years later w/o having seen it since.

[mahmoud42dirk]

i never new dickie V. commentated in the NBA !

[tongtau]

simply love pure basketball like this

[sanjurokurosawa]

"Bird has questionable shot selection" - sage advice from Dickie V.

His FG percentage was .492 that year. That's amazing for a jump shooter.

[sanjurokurosawa]

"Bird has questionable shot selection" - sage advice from Dickie V.

His FG percentage was .492 that year.

[Flipper79able]

Few people relies that even though this was Bird's first regular season MVP year. He was the runner up MVP in 81, 82, and 83. He was second to Dr. J in 81 and second to Moses Malone in 82 and 83 in MVP voting. Even though Bird was probably won of the best 5 players when he came into the league......by 84 he clearly was the best player in the league.

[terrorofsesameST]

Larry Bird said " Boston n Philly was the true rivalry in the 80s, Lakers n Celtics was good just for TV but the real rivalry was between these 2 teams"

[MerkinMuffly]

Bird just destroyed Dr J on the boards in this game.

[AdreasTheGreat]

@MerkinMuffly i agree 100% about great athletes in 80s...tehere were so many....wilkins,woolridge,hins­on,hakeem,sampson,marques johnson,ewing,nance,harper....­and so many others,without today's training technic or steroids!but i disagree about bird outrebound drj for 2 reasons 1)bird mostly was guarded by b.jones or iavaroni not drj 2)bird was in his prime but drj(still great but was 34) and also was 6.7,while bird was 6.9!both of them are 2 of my favorite ever and their battles were just great!

[MerkinMuffly]

@AdreasTheGreat I'm not sure what games you watched but Dr J did guard Bird every game as in the video above. B Jones would come in place of J and guard Bird but that's it. That's why Bird and Dr J got into a fight, Bird was destroying him something like 43 - 2 in scoring and rubbing J's nose in it.

[AdreasTheGreat]

@MerkinMuffly 1)actually drj guard bird a lot in this game but most of matches he guarded maxwell and it was b.jones who guard bird almost evey time!

2)bird took 2 off rebounds in this video and i don't think this was only drj's fault and that does n't mean that bird destroyed drj in the boards since do n't have all stats of this game(eventhough bird was great rebounder and better than drj who was shorter

3)as concern 42-6 game,they fought cause of bird's trastalking

[MerkinMuffly]

@AdreasTheGreat Sorry, but every game from 80-86 Dr J started out guarding Bird, Bobby Jones did not even start for the 76ers, he came off the bench in place of Dr J. I should know, I saw the games as they were happening. Look at all the games on youtube, Dr J guards Bird most of the time and Bird guards Dr J. Please point me to a game where Dr J doesn't start the game on Bird and I'll eat my words. Barkley may have guarded him some from 86 to 87.

[AdreasTheGreat]

@MerkinMuffly i did n't say drj did n't guard bird at all and it does n't matter if b.jones start or not the game(he was the best 76ers defender and played 30min) and it was him who mostly guard bird...i saw those games and i remember drj was playing mostly vs maxwell and some times vs mchale.i also remember iavaroni and c.jones guard bird!i also say that bird was better rebounder than drj,especially when drj was 35 and bird in his prime.in the end both are 2 of my favorite and had great battles

[cnl1213]

It's amazing how much more athletic the game has gotten over the years since then. Great to watch these legends go at it.

[MerkinMuffly]

Are you really trying to say today's players are more athletic than the 80s? You realize Jordan, Dr J, Pippen, Rodman, Darryl Griffith, Hakeem, David Robinson, Clyde Drexler, etc. are just as good as today's athletes, if not better. 11 time championship coach Phil Jackson was asked who was the best athlete he ever coached and he said Dennis Rodman. Notice he didn't mention Kobe, or Artest with his 2 inch vertical, or Gasol, LMAO. Wilt bench pressed over 500lbs D. Howard can only bench 345lb

[BigTimePride]

@cnl1213 I'll put my starting 5 from the 80s against any players you have today and I'm coming away with the win...

PG...Magic

SG...MJ

C.....Jabbar or Hakeem

PF...Moses Malone

SF...Bird

[cnl1213]

@BigTimePride When I say the game has become more athletic. I mean that the overall average athleticism of an nba player in today's game. From one thru 15 on a team, you are gonna find better athletes (not necessarily better players) And like @AdreasTheGreat mentioned probably due to better training techniques and regiments. A great athlete doesn't equal great player. (Think Josh Smith, JR Smith, JR Rider, Sean Williams, etc.) You look at the game today, its a much more dynamic game.