Julius Erving pays tribute to ‘greatest rival’ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s legacy
In a recent interview, Julius Erving admitted that he was often overshadowed by his biggest rival, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
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Julius Erving talks about his biggest rival, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
In a recent episode of “Come And Talk 2 Me,” hosted by former coach Mark Jackson, Julius Erving, also known as Dr. J, made a rare appearance. During the show, Erving discussed his favorite players in the NBA right now and expressed his disappointment with the current load management issues in the league.
As the interview progressed, Dr. J opened up about his days in the NBA and what it was like during those early years. Julius Erving began his career with the ABA (American Basketball Association), where he dominated before it merged with the National Basketball Association that exists today. Erving recalled how Kareem Abdul-Jabbar eclipsed him and became his greatest rival in the NBA.
Kareem was always the guy standing in my way. I was always in his shadow because of the years in which we played and we overlapped… My ABA years, he was in the NBA. But then my NBA years, he was there every one of my NBA years. So any individual recognitions that I got, I always felt, that’s when I got him. I got some recognition that he didn’t get because I was MVP, and he wasn’t.
Julius Erving remarked
Talking about “The Tower from Power” in high regard, Dr. J revealed what it was like to go up against the 7’2″ center. Reminiscing about the old days, Julius Erving claimed that, to him, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the greatest of all time.
Abdul-Jabbar was a certified winner since his collegiate days, winning a perfect three NCAA championships. Being in the league for 20 years, he only added more accolades to his basketball resume. The six-time MVP also had six championship rings to his name, with banners raised for two franchises—one with the Milwaukee Bucks and the rest with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Julius Erving reveals his favorite player in the NBA right now
The “Come And Talk 2 Me” interview began with a bang, as the legend made the hosts laugh out loud. Erving disclosed how Kawhi Leonard was his favorite player before he got injured and started missing out on games under the pretense of load management. Now, his new favorite player to watch is New York Knicks’ Mikal Bridges.
Load management has messed me up, because Kawhi was my guy. You know, San Antonio, Toronto… I’m in Kawhi’s corner. Then this load management stuff happens and he playing like every 4th game. What happened to my guy, what happened to 82 games man…… So, Mikal Bridges is my guy now. I’mma go with Bridges to have a comeback year.
Julius Erving said explaining his pick
Julius Erving can’t be blamed for switching his favorite player, since Kawhi Leonard hasn’t played a single game so far this season due to a right knee injury. Making light of the situation, Dr. J said one shouldn’t opt out of a game just because their toe hurts a bit. On the other hand, as few might be aware, but Mikal Bridges was actually the recipient of the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award in 2017-18 before he got drafted into the NBA.
This year, he is averaging 17.3 points in addition to 3.3 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game. However, Bridges recently had a breakout performance this Christmas versus the Spurs, where he registered 41 points, making six of his nine three-point attempts. On the defensive end, he tallied two steals and two blocks to help seal the deal for the Knicks in a 117-114 victory.
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Anubhav Bajpeyee
(255 Articles Published)