Source: Tim Heitman / Getty
Before Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, LeBron James mesmerized basketball fans with their ‘how did they physically don that?’ moves, Julius Erving AKA Doctor J was the first, helping legitimize the American Basketball Association, and he was the best-known player in that league when it merged into the National Basketball Association after the 1975–76 season. For those that didn’t know, yes there were 2 professional basketball leagues back then. If you were to ask Magic, MJ and/or LBJ who is the GOAT? Their response would probably be Doctor J.
Doctor J is an iconic, legendary, highly respected basketball player that garners the respect of ‘when the Doctor speaks, folks listen’. So when Julius Erving spoke of the greatness of the late Kobe Bryant people perked up however when he said that he didn’t thin that the NBA should entirely retire Kobe’s number, people said ‘ummm, what, why??’
TMZ caught up with Doctor J who played with Kobe Bryants father back in the day in an airport, when he shared his thoughts that the NBA shouldn’t retire the Lakers legend’s numbers league-wide like it did with Bill Russell.
“I don’t think he should be compared with the Russell situation,” “We’re fresh into that but let’s see how that works out. Maybe at some point in time. Bill was 86 years old, so address it like that to an 86-year-old — multiple champions, multiple coaching champions, multiple on-and-off the court champion, or whatever — there’s no comparison….I wouldn’t even try to compare Kobe Bryant to Russell.”
Do you agree with the Doctor? Take a look at the video below then let us know your thoughts.
Source: Radio One Digital
