Dr J is one of those legendary players that people will always remember but is still under appreciated because of his time in the ABA

what's cool with this series is that it stays consistent with the theme of the two previous ones, but instead of arguing for one team/player being the best, you can talk about a player's career and their impact on basketball culture and history. Keep it up dude

He will always be the Most Iconic and Greatest Legend in Basketball History.

Before MJ there was Dr. J ! Growing up in the late 70’s and the early 80’s he was our MJ!

I'm not just saying this because they (kind of) look alike, but he really was the Jimi Hendrix of basketball. He opened up so many new horizons with his play, he changed the whole thing at a fundamental level. He gave the game aesthetic. He made it beautiful. For that he deservedly should be mentioned as one of the true icons of the sport, just as Jimi is considered as one of the true icons of modern music.

Clayton: *near half hour discussion on Erving's impact* Me: right, big ass hands

I'll never forget seeing him at the Capital Centre near DC in 1974 or 75. It was an exhibition game between the two leagues - Nets vs. Bullets before the merger. I don't remember much about the game, which I think the Nets won. What I remember was Dr. J. in the warmups. I was pretty close to courtside when J jumped from close to the free throw line and dunked the ball. What I'll never forget is that halfway to the basket, he changed the angle of approach in mid-air and and elevated. What I saw was impossible, but that's what I saw. I can still see it.

Dr. J is a true legend, everyone wanted to be like Dr. J, his game was awesome..

I've never seen this, or any of your videos, before. You did a really great job, with one of my true childhood heroes. I'm a Native Brooklynite, and I used to go to a few Nets games each year to see the Doc in person--in fact, I was at Game 4 of the '76 Finals. And I would drive down to Philly ~once a year to watch him on the 6ers, too. He was easily the most exciting player anyone had ever seen--maybe even to this day. As a "fellow Clayton," I just want to say that you've made Clayton's everywhere proud with this tribute to the One of a Kind, "Good Doctor!"

Fuck yeah Clayton this might be the pinnacle of the series. They’ve all been great but this one just hits on every note. Doc conquered 2 professional leagues and did so with an even temper and a focus on humility. Hard to imagine most guys could’ve handled such stardom and not let it get to their head. Fucking incredible as always bud. Keep it up.

I’m glad your doing Dr.J truly one of the most underrated Goats.

Dr J was really the first basketball superstar. Sure u had the few stars but Dr J was known by everyone. He was just a cool fly dude. Brought the dunk contest and invented the free throw line dunk. Im pretty sure one of the first athletes to have a signature shoe.

I was born in 97 and dr. J is my favorite all time player! He was mj before mj

My Dad is still a die hard Celtics fan. But when I was a kid and watching the 76rs vs Boston on the tube. My Dad pointed to Dr J and said words that I'll never forget. "Bobby, do you see how that gentlemen carries himself? With self control and dignity? When you are an adult, I don't care if you ever play in the NBA. I want for you to conduct yourself EXACTLY like that man, #6, Julius Erving." Dad followed that up with a poster of Dr J the following Friday. To this day, Dad wishes that the Dr played with the Celtics. Lol He really was something special, and Dr J still is. Great video. Thx for the upload.

My grandfather opened a tailor/dry cleaning shop in NYC when he moved to the country in the 70s, Dr. J was one of his customers and was always a kind, humble soul to our family.

I know a family that is close to his. All I’ll say is if he’s not the humblest most down to earth star in the league I would be shocked.

Severely under appreciated by the modern generation imo. Top 20 all time for me and those sixers of Bobby jones, cheeks and Moses are one of the greatest team ever. Fun fact: Timmy Duncan was his fav player 10+ years ago and a few years ago was/is kawhi wich are kind of similar to him (kawhi=hands timmy= demeanor )

Perhaps the most underrated player in the history of the league

there are Dr j moves that 90 percent of the players in today's nba can't do. the man was so far ahead of his time.

Dr. J was one of the best players in the NBA in the 70s and even early 80s. He was an allstar every year, All Defensive selection, and he put up 22/6.8/3.9 with 2 steals and 2 blks a game. He simply took less shots because of his unselfishness and he played less minutes than when he was in the ABA. His personality didn't force him to fight harder to be "the guy" because he just wanted to win and have fun.

I watch a lot of basketball channels and I can most assuredly say that there are VERY few with Clayton’s level of skill, respect, editing, storytelling, analysis, and love of the game. Happy to be a subscriber.

Julius Erving was one of the best players I saw in my youth. He was a trailblazer and just great.

Dr.J was so mythical he was the star of a video game made decades after his retirement. I remember him being one of the best things about NBA Street volume 2 and I was in awe of him even in a stylized manner like that.

Dr. J ... no one EVER can reach his class, his finesse ... He was a treat for the eyes!!!

This Man did so much for Basketball. When I starter playing in the late 70s and into the early 80s we all said "The Doctor!" when we'd pull off a sweet move. Later it became Micheal, Kobe and LeBron. But in the 70s and 80s it was this Bad Motherballer!!!!

It’s crazy to think he was named to the NBA’s 35th Anniversary Team and won the MVP the same season

Superstar is a term that gets thrown around a lot more nowadays, but The Doctor was one of the true transcendent figures of his time in that respect, and helped create one of the greatest single season teams ever in the 1983 76ers.

I’m only 26, but this man is my idol, a Philly icon. Everything down to his style was so smooth. Thanks for the sweet mini documentary and giving the Doctor some justice!

I had to stop clapping to write this messafw, what a masterpiece of documentary, just the right tribute to the most influencial player to ever step on a basketball court.

This is next level. I’m tearing up right now. Massive eternal love to The Doctor!

He truly made the dunk a weapon. He posterized every big time shot blocker the league had when he played. He was such an awe inspiring player when he finally came to the NBA, and proved he could do all the acrobatic plays he did in the ABA. He almost seemed super human. In spite of all that, he remained a down to earth gentleman off the court, oh yea with a side of cool.

Love this series. As a 30 something basketball fan I mourn that I was not able to watch Elgin Baylor, Wilt, Walt, Earl Monroe, Oscar, Etc. Basketball will always change but watching from the 50’s to the 2010’s you see basketball transcend. I’ve seen tons of highlights and read stories about how great some of the legends of the past were but nothing gives you the in depth look that Clayton takes us too. Clayton thank you very much for sharing their story with us. You are a legend my friend.

This is the player this series was made for. He was in the GOAT conversation in the 70s and before Magic and Bird were in the league. He created all of his dunks and guys like MJ, Dominique, and Vince copied a lot of his dunks. FT dunk? Dr. J. Cradle dunk? Dr. J. Double pump? Yeah the Dr. MJ's favorite player and Bron's 2nd favorite player. He was the greatest ABA player of all time and an all time legend.

Great video. I’m proud to have seen him play from 1974 to the end of his career. He was the player that I and all my friends tried to emulate and copy on the court. None of us could, but go figure…….he’s the Doctor.

Truly one of a kind. My dad used to tell me about his feats in the ABA when he travelled to NY and went to see games. He was the Jimi Hendrix of basketball. The game never looked the same after he came to the league. An Icon on and off the court. Thank you for this wonderful video!

Random thing I find incredibly cool… my uncle played high school basketball with him. Sadly he passed away 6 months before I was born, so I could never ask him about it

14:30 “Julius Erving submitted his magnum opus” I got chills

It’s hard not to be a fan of your work. The amount of time you spend perfecting your videos is admirable. Keep it up.

Dr J is my favorite athlete of all time of all sports. His talent, his game, his measurables but most importantly his intelligence, articulation and his class separate him from all the others. Right behind him is Muhammad Ali who I had the good fortune to personally meet and talk to before his match with George Foreman, the Rumble in the Jungle.

This channel is so underrated. Can't believe your channel hasn't popped off since the GOAT Making the Case series.

The secretary of defense is one of the greatest nicknames i have ever heard

A shitty day, a blown tire, and yet I smile. Because our BOY Mr. Crowley posted today. Love the series, and love Dr.J

You should do more dissections of an old players career. I wasn’t around for these eras and I want to learn about why people acknowledge them as greats

He was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA with Kareem, Oscar, and Dandridge on the team the year after his first year in the ABA. Can you imagine if he went to the NBA right after being drafted, Kareem probably would've stayed in Milwaukee much longer and Oscar would've added a few more years to his career.

I think this one needs a Part 2 one day. DOCTOR J!

Not only the ABA, but the NBA may have folded before Magic and Bird without the Dr.

I was a celtic fan in the 70's and 80's so i feared the 76ers because they were so good and gave the celtics fits. But i loved watching the incredible Dr J, to me, he was the quintessential modern basketball player.

Dr. J was wearing MAGIC SHOES! "hey Dr. J, where do you get your moves? ... Are you wearing MAGIC SHOES?" - (Shoes Commercial on TV) 😊

I was a little kid when my family got stationed over seas so I didn't get to see much of him play BUT, I remember marveling over the comic book drawn ads on the back cover of comic books depicting him nearly as a super hero on the court! Definitely legendary!

I remember as a kid seeing Dr.J play at the Rucker the place was beyond packed and my dad used to take me to the Nassau Coliseum to watch the New York Nets they won 2 ABA titles I had a afro like Doc and tried to play just like him on the biddie teams and juniors 😊

I cried the day he retired! He was just simply different!

AWESOME!!! He made me shed a tear or two at the end.

Thank you so much for this video on my childhood idol. I loved this man. He was my hero growing up along with my parents. Such class, such grace he exemplified on and off the court. A true ambassador of the sport. I found out accomplishments that I had never knew he did. Wow!

7 teams in Doc's final season. Meaning he played the best players in the league almost every night. The ABA was not an inferior league in 1976 as far as concentrated talent goes. Guys like Super John Williamson, Rodger Brown and Marvin Barnes to name a few were great players who most fans today have never even heard of.

Fantastic video Clayton, thank you a 1000 times for your excellent work covering my personal goat.

Dr. J became my basketball hero after I, as a little dude, witnessed the Doctor and his crew which included Larry Kenon, John Williamson, Wendell Ladner and Bill Melchioni destroy George "Ice Man" Gervin and the Virginia Squires in ABA divisional playoffs at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY in 1974. That team could have given any NBA team a run for their money. When I took to the hardwood or concrete courts after that, I was the legend Dr. J in my mind!!!

This video is much needed nowadays, we all definitely need to give a little bit more love to the incredible stories and players of the ABA (Of course Dr. J was both lol).

This takes me back to rural PA -- our cable system had WPIX/NYC, that carried all the Nets games. Couldn't get enough of watching the Dr. in action!

Dr... changed basketball and was a inspiration for Jordan.. Ballets on the court with a finish.. making basketball awesome and beautiful

My favorite player of all time, I'm from Suffolk, VA my high school was the band that played for the Virginia Squards at the time I saw The Doc. Dunk on Artist Gilmore it still stands as the best dunk I've ever seen.

It’s crazy how KZfaq stopped notifying your videos I went to you channel myself and luckily you posted thank you for all of this amazing content

This is the Making the Case for '83 76ers we never got

This was the best surprise I could ever see in my subscriptions tab. Welcome back Clayton ❤

Another banger, Clayton. Thanks!

Superb tribute. You said it so well. I hope that those who didn't get a chance to witness him at least get an idea of how special he was. Unique in the annals of basketball history.

Thanks so much for your wonderful tribute to this highest of sports icons!

Amazing as always, Mr. Crowley. The videos you make, these documentaries, are the best!! Infinitely replayable 🙂

I’m really happy he was honoured when retiring, and I’m really happy he managed to snag a championship before bird and magic become powerhouses.. from the start with nba/aba players coming to his court and him beating them.. he’s definitely the main character

Well researched and produced. Thanks for sharing!

Just beautiful! Well done. Amazing video!❤❤

Amazing video. I love them all. Thanks for doing one on Dr. J. I think you encapsulated his story brilliantly.

Thank you for another incredible video Clayton

This video is so well done congratulations for a wonderful production of the great Julius Erving

Amazing presentation on a very unique individual that left his own mark on a sport that has seen it's better days.When winning wasn't easy and losing with class is to show that it's just a part of life. Thanks for the memories Doc,especially when you beat The Evil Empire, (Lakers) I will forever be grateful.

Thank you C.C❗️ Excellent vid on the *Good Dr*❗️ He thrilled us for many years back in the 70's and 80's! I have a lot of VHS Tape game footage and a 6 DVD set on the 6ers and their run through the early 80's, also with footage on A.I. and Barkley as well.... I had the privilege of seeing him live at the Spectrum in Philly in one of their many playoff series games against Marcus Johnson and the Milwaukee Bucks.... He was truly one of the Great Pioneers of the sport 💯▪️

JULIUS ERVING, WILL ALWAYS BE THE CATALYST EVERY BASKETBALL PLAYER ASPIRES TO BE!!!!! 2 WORDS COME TO MIND WHEN MENTIONING WHAT HE'S ACHIEVED IN THE GAME, THAT NO OTHER PLAYER EVEN COMES CLOSE... CLASS; HE EXEMPLIFIED CLASS BOTH ON & OFF THE COURT... FINESSE; NO OTHER PLAYER BEFORE OR SINCE, PLAYED THE FINESSE OF THE GAME LIKE THE "DOCTOR"!!!!! HE TRULY IS THE "GOAT", EVEN BEFORE THERE WAS A GOAT..... JUS' SAYING ALOHA........ JV

This was so enjoyable to watch. DR. J, much respect to you. Clayton, you make such informative and professional videos. Thank you so much.

12:27 Clayton thinks we didn't see that slick shit lol funny as hell

Beautiful clip of my idol growing up in NY. Thank you.

The ♓ pisces trailblazer Dr. Funk dunk Julius Erving is still alive & the flesh..Funking & dunking, freaking never sneaking, jamming & ramming with the B- Ball.. Julius Erving was once considered NBA king because of his unconventional style of brilliant basketball play..

My ALL-TIME favorite Basketball Player I was able to see on MSG Cable TV in Delaware in the early 1970's for the NETS & when he played for the Squires vs the NETS! My Sanford School Coach had 6 SEASON Sixers Tickets courtside 4 seats down from Center Court so I got to see MANY 76ers games from March 1975 thru May of 1976 but before Dr J! Got to see Big Mac, Cunningham, Mix, Doug Collins, Bibby, Bantom, Joe Jellybean Bryant, Alan Bristow, & DD Daryl Dawkins as a rookie to mention a few! I played with a Teammate of DD at FL Southern and he had many DD Stories as did many Staff & LEO's I worked with at Orlando Police from 2/1989-7/12/1991.

I only new Dr.J in name but this really puts him into perspective he’s definitely underrated and under appreciated and not talked about enough thanks man.

Thanx for this piece on my bball idol and also for pointing out that Philly and Doc from 80-84 was who LA and Boston had to go thru for a chip. Also the 81' season we shoulda beaten Boston and then Houston for our first chip but we choked, but we got em in 82 then in '83 Boston got swept first round by Milwaukee and with big Mo we finally beat LA for the chip 4-0. The next year as champs Boston grabbed DJ we were ready but as Boston got upset in '83 we got upset by NJ in the first round, no BOS/ Philly ECF in '84 . The next year '85 with the rookie Chuck Barkley we were old and hurt and that ship had sailed and we lost the ECF 4-1 and Boston took over the East until '88 but those Philly/Boston/ LA wars 80-85 are still my best years watching the sport I love ❤ thanx again my friend for this gift to a man who deserves it… Julius Winfield Erving🏆🏀:) 💯

BEEN WAITING FOR SO LONG ITS FINALLY HEREEEE

Thank you for a great tribute. Allow me to add one more, which to me illuminates another aspect of his greatness. It was 1977, during the playoffs between Philadelphia & the Portland Trailblazers. The Blazers were my home team, & like about everyone out there I had the Blazermania fever, never missing a minute. At some point in the 7 game series tempers flared & one of those scenes erupted where an on court fight ensued & practically all the benches emptied out to help in the melee. I think Maurice Lucas might have been involved, pushing & shoving agaist I don't remember who from the 6ers. But on the far end of the court, seperated by the half court line & a bit more sat Dr J, with his back turned to the violence. It was a statement: it seemed to say "fight & shove & throw punches to your hearts' delight...go ahead--have a mini Vietnam War, if that's your cup of tea. It's not mine..I'm a million miles away, above & beyond the fray." What eloquence, what a statement--all without uttering a word. A true champion & gentleman was, & always will be, the Doctor.

Fantastic video as always Clayton.

always look forward to your videos

Thank you for all of the time you spend on making these masterpieces

Dr J is a living legend they will never be another goat like him

Gentleman, scholar and superbly graceful athlete. Doctor indeed.

nice video, man! the doc was truly special.

another clayton masterclass thanks so much for the content man

another Clayton classic 👌🏿

This is an incredible video you put together a history that has been overlook for some time, i enjoyed every second of it , it was awesome God bless you and thank you so much

Great video about a truly great player. Thanks Doc for the inspiration.

Very well done 👏 ❤

Clayton please never stop making these videos

Wow I've never been this early to a video drop before...Clayton's videos always bring a smile to my face! Excited for this one

Great work as always

Wow! What a great career retrospective. Awesome job.