George Gervin says that no player could really ‘bust his a**’ once he came to the NBA after playing with Julius Erving in the ABA.
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One of the long-lost names in NBA lore is that of the Iceman, George Gervin. Gervin played professional basketball for 15 years after dropping out in his second year of college.
He initially made his way to the ABA on the Virginia Squires and was dominant in America’s other basketball league. Once the ABA and the NBA merged, the Iceman solidified his reputation as an amazing player during his years with the Spurs.
While the San Antonio Spurs always made the playoffs with him, they never really had the depth or the talent to mount a championship run against the superteams of the time.
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Gervin retired with 4 scoring titles in the NBA and popularized the finger-roll. The Iceman’s finger roll was one of the most iconic NBA moves for years and is still utilized by superstars. Even kids emulate this move outdoors, but they have no idea who really made it that effective.
Gervin also retired with one of the highest playoff points per game figures of his time. There’s no doubt that countless scorers after him have stolen his best moves in order to take their game to the next level.
“In the NBA, I ain’t had that problem!”: George Gervin
One of the permanent fixtures for any guest on the Knuckleheads Podcast is the first question. Darius Miles always makes sure to get this question in, and the ‘Iceman’ obliged with an awesome answer:
“Dr J in the ABA. I was in the team as a Squire. So I was with him in ’73, and he bust me. And in the NBA, I ain’t had that problem!”
Gervin also went on to tell us many amazing tales and experiences from his playing days. He confirmed that it was indeed his ABA teammate Fatty Taylor on the Virginia Squires who gave him the ‘Iceman’ nickname.
And you’ve got to admit, ‘Iceman’ really is one of the coolest NBA nicknames ever.