Julius Erving complilation

[Gunny]

Too many broken backboards. . Thought his wife's death ruined him???

I forgot about the backboards. I thought it was funny at the time. One he did on purpose because a ref made a bad call and pissed him off.

I don't know about his wife. Once Dr J retired and I moved from Miami and was stationed on the West Coast I lost track of the Sixers. I think he played in Europe after he left the NBA.

[Russ]

Nope. Daryl Dawkins was drafted right out of a Miami HS. by Philadelphia. He never panned out and conjecture is because he lacked the maturity gained on the court in college.

I remember Daryl coming right out of high school. He might have been the first, but my guess would have been Moses Malone. I'll have to look that one up.

I wouldn't say that Daryl Dawkins never panned out - he was a pretty good player for a number of years. I would agree, though, that he was never the great player he could have been if he had applied himself more and had more maturity.

Shawn Kemp was the inverse of Dawkins. Shawn was great for about 2 or 3 years, but then ate himself into... not a shell of himself, more like a Michelin-Man version of himself.

Kemp and Dawkins both could have been All-Time Greats if they had applied themselves more.

By the way, Gunny, if we ever meet I challenge you to a game of one-on-one.

[Russ]

Just checked it - Moses beat Daryl by one year, although some guy named Reggie Harding was drafted out of high school before both of them, although Reggie couldn't go directly into the NBA at the time because of rules against it.

[Gunny]

I remember Daryl coming right out of high school. He might have been the first, but my guess would have been Moses Malone. I'll have to look that one up.

I wouldn't say that Daryl Dawkins never panned out - he was a pretty good player for a number of years. I would agree, though, that he was never the great player he could have been if he had applied himself more and had more maturity.

Shawn Kemp was the inverse of Dawkins. Shawn was great for about 2 or 3 years, but then ate himself into... not a shell of himself, more like a Michelin-Man version of himself.

Kemp and Dawkins both could have been All-Time Greats if they had applied themselves more.

By the way, Gunny, if we ever meet I challenge you to a game of one-on-one.

You may be right about Malone. I remember Dawkins because I was in HS in Miami when he got drafted. He lived up in Miami proper though. I lived in South Miami Heights about 40 miles south.

And yeah, that's what I meant about Dawkins ... he was never what was expected of him.

Here's the problem with playing one-on-one. I'd take the challenge because I'm brilliant like that. I think my vertical leap now is about 3". Maybe.

[Russ]

Here's the problem with playing one-on-one. I'd take the challenge because I'm brilliant like that. I think my vertical leap now is about 3". Maybe.

Sweet! I love playing against guys with 3" vertical leaps! Bring it on, Gunny!

[Gunny]

Sweet! I love playing against guys with 3" vertical leaps! Bring it on, Gunny!

LOL. I bet.

[Gunny]

The sad truth is I would probably go out there with every intention of whoopin your ass and end up hurting myself and going to the emergency room

[Abbey Marie]

The sad truth is I would probably go out there with every intention of whoopin your ass and end up hurting myself and going to the emergency room

Yeah, ask Russ about the outcome of his game of hoops earlier this month.

[Gunny]

Yeah, ask Russ about the outcome of his game of hoops earlier this month.

@Abbey there are two, middle-aged guys out there right now playing basketball. I think I could take them 1-on-2

[Russ]

@Abbey there are two, middle-aged guys out there right now playing basketball. I think I could take them 1-on-2

Do it!

By the way - one more fun fact about Julius Erving - he's the only player to have his number retired while he was still playing. The Nets retired the number he had on their team during the last year he was playing with the Sixers. Michael Jordan kind of qualifies too - they retired his number after his first retirement, but then he unretired and used it again.

[Gunny]

Do it!

By the way - one more fun fact about Julius Erving - he's the only player to have his number retired while he was still playing. The Nets retired the number he had on their team during the last year he was playing with the Sixers. Michael Jordan kind of qualifies too - they retired his number after his first retirement, but then he unretired and used it again.

I didn't remember him playing for the Nets. SA was an ABA city. The Dallas Chapparals moved here and became the Spurs when the leagues merged. I remember him from playing the Chapparals when he was on the Squires. Next time I saw him he was in Philly.

Mi first basketball was an ABA ball. I thought orange b-balls were ugly.