During a recent podcast appearance, basketball legend Julius Erving stirred up the basketball world with his unconventional NBA top 10 list. Their conversation delved into the realm of controversy, showcasing how an innocent question asked for nothing more than to dissect one of the greatest ever can reignite old rivalries. During this time, Dr. J also missed out on many notable names, with arguably the biggest being Larry Bird and LeBron James, as he listed his top 10 players ever, delving the episode into hot water.
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Apart from a game that was admittedly ahead of its time, it was Bird’s smack talk that made him as remembered as he is to this day. His witty remarks and psychological warfare often rattled opponents, leading to some very memorable on-court clashes. Dr. J’s account of his altercation with Bird added another layer of complexity to these stories and their rivalry, showcasing how the art of talking smack could escalate from verbal jabs to physical altercations.
The Brawl
Ainge, in an episode of the Knuckleheads Podcast, recounted the infamous incident where Larry Bird’s legendary trash talk led to an on-court brawl between Bird and Dr. J.
Ainge’s recollection of the brawl painted a vivid picture of the intense emotions that fueled their Eastern Conference Rivalry. Bird was the ultimate competitor and always looked for an edge whether it was physical or mental. Trash-talk was always one of his strong suits, leading to the Celtics legend relying on it to gain the advantages he wanted over his opponents.
Ainge’s quote from the podcast described the intensity that Bird brought to the table to rile up his opponents and get an advantage. Here is what he had to say about the legendary brawl,
“Larry scored thirty-five on him, it was the third quarter and he was jogging down back the court, he looked at him and said ‘Man, you need to retire!’”
Ainge later explained on the podcast saying it was highly uncharacteristic for Larry Bird to talk trash to the likes of Magic Johnson and Julius Erving as he respected them. Unfortunately for him, the incident that took place during the height of the heated Celtics-76ers rivalry cemented Bird’s reputation as one of the most legendary trash talkers in NBA history.
Arenas Takes Aim: Ignoring the Greats?
The controversy didn’t stop with Dr. J’s list. Former player Gilbert Arenas took a dig at the interview, specifically pointing out Erving’s omission of Stephen Curry and LeBron James from his top 10. Arenas questioned the validity of a list that didn’t include two of the most iconic players in basketball history, igniting further discussions about the criteria for such rankings and the subjectivity inherent in them. He raises a point of the constant evolution of the game and how the GOATs have changed according to eras.
Here’s what he had to say during an episode of Gil’s Arena,
“Think about it like this. Before it was TV, it was him. There’s an era that’s like in the 60s and the 70s, they don’t even identify Michael Jordan the best. It’s him [Dr.J]. If anybody is like 65 and up, and says ‘Who’s the best player ever,’ they’re gonna say Dr. J. So there’s a thing, there’s a wall here. Because he wasn’t in the NBA, nobody acknowledges his greatness. So four-five years later Jordan comes, and they just give him [the GOAT status].”
Top 10 lists will never make sense as it is highly subjective unless you go the analytical route, and if you do the eye test will never make sense as numbers would give us a different picture. With that being said, leaving LeBron James out of a top 10 list truly seems laughable.
