Where Does Julius "Dr. J" Erving Rank All Time? | Bill Simmons's Book of Basketball 2.0

Bill Simmons does a deep dive on Dr. J’s career and explains why he’s ranked so highly on Bill's Hall of Fame pyramid.
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[@doktarr]

These little 5-8 minute BoB2 player capsules are so so great.

[@ApocalypseKurtz]

They're the closest things to Simmons writing columns again.

[@jackwhelan3478]

Needs to do one for every top 100 player

[@MichaelGBlight]

It only took multiple years of The Ringer to try video content...

[@marcmason165]

Listen, I know magic and bird saved the league but doctor j kept it from flatlining

[@earlcabbel5523]

Absolutely!

[@ngkky]

What an absolute insult to Julius Erving! Bill Simmons is treating him like he was just a better version of Dominique Wilkins. Dr. J was a 4x NBA/ABA Reg Season MVP, 3x NBA/ABA Champion, and 2x ABA Finals MVP. Dr. J was a winning player and every team he was on was a title contender because of him. He made game winning plays and hit game winning shots on the biggest stages. Yes, he was a revolutionary "above-the-rim" showman, but he was also a "PLAYER OF SUBSTANCE". At the time of his retirement in 1987, he was considered the greatest non-center in basketball history, and one of only three players (Wilt, Kareem) to scored over 30k career points.

[@hiitsme3039]

Hahahahahaha did hear the credit he gave him lmao 😂 the impact he has had on the game

[@chillsillego9599]

Funny, I just looked at ESPN SPORTS CENTURY on Doc’s Birthday and they had the totally different opinion of Dr.J and unlike simmons actual NBA players in the Hall Of Fame along with Coaches inducted, such as the Late Great Coach Ramsay. Thank Goodness I stopped ✋ this “Madness” 40 seconds in. Bill is probably such a big WUSS he probably never played FLAG FOOTBALL 🏈!!!!!!!!!

[@michaeld6438]

Truth! But not surprising. Bill Simmons is a Celtics Standboy. Meaning he has little respect for the ABA despite it being a harbinger of modern basketball with the 3 point shot and small ball style of play. On a side note, thats why many smaller ABA players struggled post merger for the first 3 years, esp the shooters. The NBA didn't adopt the 3 pointer until Bird came in and so the style was different. Many of the ABA players didn't make it to that 3rd year. But the ABA gets very little respect esp from Celtics fans. Red hated the league. Additionally Bill also grew up rooting against the late 70 - 80 sixers. So I take anything he says about Dr J with a grain of salt. As for the stats, I don't know what stats Bill is talking about. Dr J. is 8th on the All Time Combined lists for scoring and steals. Above of most of the players Bill listed. Yes those are combined numbers. Ok, he played his first 5 years in the ABA. But take away the first five years of any of those players Bill mentioned and their stats would be different too. Hell Larry Bird would be totally different and 2 less rings. And Dr J played in the late ABA era which had at least 40% of the best players in the country. Some ABA Stans argue the ABA was better based on exhibition game results vs the NBA. So why should the NBA stats count alone if they only had 60% of the best players? Merge the stats. Again, some argue this is backwards and the ABA was actually better by the mid 70's. The style of play was certainly more advanced. Most of the NBA teams struggled heavily against the ABA teams during the half of exhibition games which enforced ABA rules. Lastly, about Dr J's shot. Go watch some actual tape. Its literally on youtube. Specifically game 1 of the 1976 ABA finals when he hit the game winner. Go watch the 1977 NBA finals. The man could shoot the ball just fine.

[@elohim77]

All i know dominique wilkins gave hell to dr j back in the 80's. I like Dr j of course but he couldnt shoot the ball, his mid range was awful. Probably Not even in my top 20

[@xxxxbigrich5752]

@Joe Frazier's Left Hook thank you brother I appreciate you for that. He's treating Doc like he was carrying someone's bags. His Baahston attitude came out. Doc was powerful in those 4 trips to the eastern conference finals vs Boston. He forgot the Philly won 2 and Boston won 2. I can't stand him.

[@MrRufusRToyota]

Erving is like Joe Namath - his agenda was more ambitious than just winning rings. He legitimized the sport, the league, and the black-style game in the 70’s. When the league was in real financial trouble, had no TV contract, and the only important thing was selling tickets, nobody put more butts in the seats than Dr. J and Pistol Pete Maravich, who should also be listed as a Top Ten influential. Players are still working his signature moves.

[@Asushlo]

He also won a fair amount of rings and MVPs and his rebounding numbers for a 6'7" guy were absurd.

[@mike04574]

nope, joe namath doesnt compare. He barely made the nfl hall of fame

[@David-iv6je]

Simmons: "Like Lorne Michaels to sketch comedy." Monty Python: "Am I spam to you?"

[@oshbKrown400]

He's a 3 time champ 2 aba 1nba

[@henrys5291]

​@@mike04574 Namath was the first qb to pass for 4000 yrds in a season and it would be more than a decade before anyone else broke that barrier (Dan Fouts). Namath had a lot of turnovers but it was a turnover heavy league at the time and he was one of the all time playmakers. When ppl say his personal fame is why hes in the hof as opposed to his play they just reveal their ignorance

[@frankenviews4069]

Dr J is the GOAT of NBA player's reputation. Never divisive, respected by all (media, fans and players) and forever cool AF.

[@The-Dom]

So funny to see Dr J taking ONE step after the dribble when todays NBA you see three or four.

[@michaeljosephmerritt7611]

The ABA won 65% of the head to head matches with the NBA just prior to the merger. To say the ABA played no defense never played the game. Artis Gilmore, Bobby Jones, Larry Kenon, James Silas, Don Buse, Marvin Webster, Moses Malone, Mel Daniels, Dan Issel, Louie Dampier, Fatty Taylor,

[@michaeljosephmerritt7611]

Dr j is #1 small forward in steals and top 5 in defensive rebounding amongst small forwards.

[@mylesputnam639]

Ever since he retired there has not been a player like him at all. That makes him unique and one of a kind. Top 5 for me and who cares who's number 1. He electrified the game!

[@bishopdent]

Amen!

[@shawnschwaner8583]

Incorrect. Doc was an excellent defender who averaged many steals and was a tremendous shot blocker. If you look at the efficiency points taking into account all numbers (Rebs/game, pts/game, steals/game, assists/game, blocks/game, career FG %, he is in the top 5. Wilt, Kareem, Michael, Magic (very close) and Le Bron were higher, the rest pale in comparison. If you want I will provide you a spreadsheet. Yes, he was cool and an icon, but his overall game would smash 98% of all who played. He is the most underrated superstar in basketball history. In fact, when I worked for the 76ers in 87, his retirement season, it was clear why he (Bird, Mike, etc were legends) was one of the greatest. He was the first to practice and the last to leave ... The man was a phenom and his 3 point perctentage was respectable. Doc saved the league, not Magic and Bird; they raised it, Doc saved it.

[@gauravnambiar2509]

Jordan, Bird, Magic, Wilt, Kareem maybe the ones you'd start a team with, but Dr. J is one with who you start your league with.

[@monicamack2286]

Mr. Erving is my favorite basketball player.

[@justaloe]

If you listen to Bill he actually doesn't really like Dr.J He's very dismissive of his accomplishments. Saying things like Moses saved him in Philly. Name a great player who's ever won a championship on their own. It just doesn't happen. Doc's teams were just as good as the Celtics and Lakers and he was every bit as good as both Bird and Magic even though he was older than both in their primes.

[@ngkky]

I am old enough to remembered the New York Nets' 1976 ABA Playoffs run. Dr. J won the 1976 ABA Championship pretty much by himself.

[@Grant25]

Erving has career average in the NBA of 22/7/4 with combined steals and blocks of 3.3. He’s a top 10 small forward of all time.

[@darshin95]

Arguably Top 5 Small Forward

[@Doknot-tb9ey]

@@darshin95 He is in the top 5.

[@Asushlo]

I don't see how he isn't top 5 minimum. There's no argument for Baylor over him.

Top 10 ? Don't be silly. He's top 12-15 all time.

[@ngc-fo5te]

@ Not even close to that high.

[@dionysise5008]

To me he's somewhere near 15. The man was easily the second best player of the 70s and also Underrated cause of ABA years. He can't be lower than no.18-20.

[@earlcabbel5523]

Does it really matter because he was on of the most exciting basketball players to ever play the game. And I have been watching the game since the 50’s.

@@earlcabbel5523 Yes, it does matter.

[@earlcabbel5523]

@ Please let me know why? Thank you. PS: I love me some Dr. J.

[@ngkky]

The young ABA Dr J was as great a player who ever existed. His five ABA seasons from age 21 to 26: 3 MVPs, 3 Scoring Titles, 2 ABA Championships, 2 Finals MVPs. He was the consensus best basketball player in the world from 1974 to 1977.

[@Henry-ii1cw]

Nah the consensus best players in the world in that period were Kareem and Bill Walton

[@ngkky]

@@Henry-ii1cw Sport Illustrated's Oct 25, 1976 issue on the NBA-ABA Merger with Julius Erving and Dave Cowens on its cover. "What is important now is that the New York Nets, or somebody, guarantee us a look into the future by coming to terms with the best player on earth, Julius Erving." - Sports Journalist Curry Kirkpatrick

[@Henry-ii1cw]

@@ngkky yeah, then they played an NBA season and Doc made the All Nba second team

[@casualfandestroyer2503]

@@ngkky Kareem was by far the best player and than walton took the crown during his peak until magic and bird showed up. Doc was definitely top 3 inn the 70s and top 5 in the 80s

[@bigdaddym215]

@@Henry-ii1cw Jabbar yes. Not Bill Walton. Walton was more in the mix with Bob McAdoo, Dave Cowens... a little above George McGinnis, Artis Gilmore & Pete Maravich. Jabbar & Julius were the 2 best.

[@tomscott4644]

I don't care about the numbers. He's Dr. J.! Doc was a legend. Michael Jordan was the greatest ever, but he wasn't a legend. We saw Michael play in the McD All-American game. In MJ's first college game the announcers were saying he might be among the greatest ever. We witnessed every step. In the pre-cable 70s we heard about this guy from UMass single-handedly almost taking down #1 Marquette. In the ABA we heard about him but never saw him. I still have the image in my head of a few second highlight on the nightly news of Dr. J getting that red white and blue ball at half court and soaring in with a full windmill dunk. I bought a book about him without ever watching one of his games. He was like one of those dubious Rucker park legends but he was actually in the league. When Dr. J got to the NBA, he was great, but everyone said "you should have seen him before his knees went bad". And the guys he played with - Daryl Dawkins, George McGinnis, Moses Malone - perfectly fit the groovy ABA vibe. Who was more cool than Dr. J.? You can tell me he's overrated, not one of the greatest, and maybe back it with numbers. But I have one unassailable comeback: HE'S DOCTOR J!

[@davidd7042]

Absolutely. Legendary. Mythic.

[@Riles3152]

I watched game highlights of Doc in the 77 finals against Bill Walton and the Blazers. I actually think his game would have translated to today's era.

[@datruthbetold2172]

For those who didn't see Doc play, Don't know how Great he was. I was fortunate to have seen Doc play in the ABA and NBA. The NY Nets games were televised on WOR Channel 9 in NY. Although a lot of the games were tape delayed we was able to see Greatness. During the time of his reign he was considered the Best Player in the world at one time in his career. The NBA has done a Good Job suppressing All of The Great ABA Players, who have changed the NBA game over night for whatever reason down playing the ABA. When you look at todays NBA game you are watching the evolution of the ABA. Doc should be ranked in the Top 10 of all time but the NBA has it's own agenda promoting dudes like Steph Curry, Dirk etc in front of Doc, which is ridiculous. Who's doing these Rankings? SMH

[@indmslikedeez8005]

Julius made the finals 3 times before Moses, Moses made it only once. Who really needed who more

[@mawclw2003]

Bill's a Celtic homer.

[@casualfandestroyer2503]

In dms like deez Moses made the finals with a weak ass supporting cast in 1981 what you talking about

[@BubbaYoga]

Dr. J was the fucking man. 19th is fair. As far as impact on the game? Maybe higher. In the 70's EVERYONE wanted to be Doc on the middle school court. *Not to mention how many pair of white converse high-tops he sold.

[@bcask61]

The most exciting, most electrifying, most creative, most transformative, most “gotta watch” player in the history of team sports. I don’t care where some Celtic fanboy ranks him.

[@russelturner5771]

The Doctah's impact on the ABA/NBA in his era can't really be quantified, he was part of pop culture outside of the NBA. Also that ranking is way too low for someone who revolutionized the game the way Julius did.

[@Redmenace96]

I'm with you. It is debatable..... obviously. He defined what the game of basketball was all about. He is 10-12 in my book.

[@frozen1762]

He transcended rankings, he is even for people who never watched him the face of the sport of its era. 50s its Mikan, 60s Wilt and Russel, 70s Dr. J, 80s Bird and Magic, 90s Jordan then Iverson, 00s Kobe then LeBron.

[@lordgodspeed1539]

Dr J and his time period was as great as any of the greats of any other time period point blank in the story.

[@DrVonChilla]

Julius Erving was the Funky Fly Freshest man to ever handle a basketball, before or since. That's Just The Way It Is.

[@bigdaddym215]

Julius played great defense. He retired as pro-basketball"s all-time leader in steals and had the most blocked shots for non-centers. Has a career fg% over 50%... and a career average of 25ppg without being selfish. He didn't score quite as much in Philly because of management requesting he score & rebound a little less. Julius is the greatest small forward of all-time. Bird's a close second and is actually the best if you discount what Doc did in the ABA. .but to ignore Doc"s ABA career like the NBA does is disrespectful & outright wrong. Nobody in the NBA was better than Dr.J in the 1970s except Jabbar.

[@jorgevelasco9787]

With due all respect. When ABA played the NBA, they beat the NBA in their alltime series. When Dr. J went to the NBA he became the best player. Kareem score more due to his position. As for Magic and Larry they both had imposing centers in their teams, something Philadelphia was missing. Got Moses when Julius was already a veteran and they won. Just like Magic and Bird who had Kareem and Parish all their careers. You cannot ignore combined stats. Dr. J doesn't have to look up to anyone. He changed the game.

[@justinnardine8564]

You gotta give him credit for paving the way

[@thereturnoftheprodigalyams6763]

He better get this right because as a Sixers fan im done with his casual disrespect.

[@ogphil5600]

To me doc was a better player than bird and he said doc wasn’t a good defender doc retired number two all time in steals 3rd all time in blocks bird nor magic were great defenders but we always criticize doc he retired scoring more points in his career than bird he repeatedly went head to head with bird and won and the Celtics were loaded with hall of famers docs sixers was not and keep in mind in the 80s was facing magic and bird he was way older than them he was 9 years pro when they were rookies

[@ShangoDC]

Still the most electrifying and amazing player I've ever seen since the ABA merger. He changed the way the game looked creatively, and until the Magic/ Bird rivary Doc put people in the seats and saved the NBA. He's the reason I played high school, college and oversea. By far my greatest influence as a player and stateman. Being objective which is difficult when it comes to Doc, but in terms of being iconic, impactful and influential he's my top 3 of all times, in terms of resume, skill set and accomplishment including the modern players he's top 15 all time. Probably Doc's greatest impact was not so much was he better than so and so, but that he truly revolutionized the game and the spectacular. As great a small forward as Bird or even Rick Barry were, people wanted to be a prime Dr. J. You put all the modern trappings around Doc today i.e. diet, weight training, training advancement and social media he would be what he was to the ABA, the man. He went to four or five NBA titles coming out of the East back then.

[@michaeljosephmerritt7611]

Wow, this was a hit job by a Boston guy. The comments about Dr.s defense was ignorant and weak. Dr. J is still #1 small forward in shot blocks

[@eagledescending5766]

I wholeheartedly agree with you. The negative views or opinions of Dr. J was completely biased and without merit. I hope my recent comment gives a more positive and accurate assessment. Thanks.

[@jojokabo78]

"Hit Job"? That's a bit much. 95 percent of the vid was praise

[@jasonlevesque6340]

Watch longer than the opening 30 seconds.

[@endrealphus]

You can block shots and be a bad defender. Couldn't get it done until Moses Malone bailed him out, the truth hurts sometimes

[@yahcrack]

HE BEEN A CLOSET SIXERS FAN FOR A LONG TIME

[@lordgodspeed1539]

Dr J and his time period was as great as any of the greats of any other time period point blank in the story. I get frustrated and angry to the point of wanting to fight metaphorically speaking when I hear people belittle the contributions Dr Jay has made to the game I don't care what they say in that book about him they could go fly a kite.

[@County_da_kang]

All of these back handed compliments! If he played for the Celtics it would be unmitigated praise.

[@GabeO12376]

Was thinking the same thing. He hates him some sixers.

[@Asushlo]

I don't really see an argument for Malone over him when J showed up on the biggest stages and Karl wilted.

[@broaddusmarines]

Moses is definitely over Dr. J. He won three NBA MVPs and was the best player of the early 1980s....by far. Even Bird said that. Dr. J is between 15 - 20. To me Moses is between 11 - 15. Also Moses Malone probably the most underrated player in NBA history.

[@indmslikedeez8005]

@@broaddusmarines nah dr j is above Moses. Moses really didn’t deserve any of his mvps tbh, he had the numbers but not the team success as other guys had. They both have 1 chip that they won together, dr j made the finals 3 times as the head guy before Moses joined him, while Moses only made the finals once before dr j, and then taking in what dr j did for basketball I think he’s over Moses just by a hair they’re close tho. They’re both top 25-30 players

[@Uplike747]

My high school coach said it best “in my days we had jays they were dr js”

[@Spider-Complexion]

Julius Erving is 8th all time in points if they actually counted his ABA points. That’s pretty impressive and some history that’s forgotten.

[@michaelrhudak]

Very much a legendary figure here in the Philly area. I knew his name by the time I was 3-4 years old in the early 90s, years before I knew what he looked like.

[@victorsarkis2177]

19???? He is in my top 10 for sure

[@MarioAnnaSophia6163]

This coming from a Celtics Fan Soooooooo STOp

[@seand2328]

All-Time Favorite Dunker

[@justaloe]

You can't just take someone who started their pro career in the early 70's and just plop them into today's game without context. With today's healthcare and nutrition, workouts Doc might weight 235 pounds for all we know. He might put an extra 2 inches on his vertical leap. Bill said Doc wasn't as creative as Luka. Think about that bullshit for a second, he actually said that out of his mouth. That's why it's impossible to compare people from different era's accurately.

[@mr.goodenough3796]

Agreed!

[@margarinetaintedgreen8140]

I feel like #19 is a decent ranking with so many players eligible for 11-20, but this is not accurate in describing his game. At 6’7”, Doc is in the top 25 in blocks. He’s in the top 10 in steals. He was a double-digit rebounder. He was a really good passer. He was an unselfish teammate. He routinely shot 50% from the floor and around 78% from the foul line. He had the all-around game. He won a shitload. Whether it was the Squires, the Nets, or the Sixers, he was always a winner.

[@elev8tedfrequency724]

In regards to Rick Berry's ft style, my uncle George Johnson was a convert to his ft shooting philosophy. At 6'11 he shot ft's underhanded until the end of his NBA career.

[@brandonterzic]

Julius's value as a player transcends winning and losing, though he did win in both leagues. In my opinion, with respect to Baylor, Hawkings, Skywalker, MJ, Vince and all the other high fliers, Julius was the most aestetically beautiful player I have ever seen. And there are certain moves he did, that transcend the game in their artfulness and mood.

[@lil4855]

The disrespect is unbelievable, if you actually know your history, you would know that half the teams in the NBA wouldn’t exist if Dr.J hadn’t joined.

[@davidd7042]

The numbers may not put him that high. But his impact was huge. And he could dominate in his prime. In the open court, you knew he could do whatever he wanted against anyone's defense.

[@Asushlo]

His numbers are really good.

[@davidd7042]

I guess what I'm saying is that his impact was greater than his numbers. Impact on the game puts him in the top 5.

[@Asushlo]

@@davidd7042 #8 in points, #7 in steals, crazy high rebounds for a 6'7" wing. Three rings, 4 MVPs, 16 all-stars, 12 all-league selections...those are better numbers than Bird.

[@brewer921]

He has to shoehorn Russell into everything. Russell did not help make the game vertical like Elgin Baylor and Dr. J.

[@Buzz_Kill71]

19 is about right! Love it!

[@mikeclark1756]

Bro , Dr J is a 6 '7 small forward with a 7'5 wingspan , and has one of the biggest hands in NBA history. You are deeply ignorant on how good he was . he was a great defender . blocked a lot of shots . could not be stopped .

[@anthonybryant3038]

I love Julius. My favorite player of all time. Now, as I've gotten older and have begun to coach, it's very much aware that Julius' game never developed beyond what he was initially great at. His left hand was weak. His jumper was mediocre. They stayed that way. Doesn't mean he wasn't amazing, one of the best players of his generation. He was. It seems to be painfully obvious, though, that he didn't work on his game a ton in the offseason, like a Jordan would have.

[@x-man9473]

Correct. I wrote an article that slightly addresses that. xmjones100.wordpress.com/2020/12/31/the-fluidity-of-julius-erving-athletic-domination/

[@BrentBridgeman]

"Not a good defender" Yeah, he's not top 50 all time in blocks for nothing

[@missayawk]

Those that didnt see the ABA/ NY NETS Dr.J.....missed the greatest show on earth.Every game was AT LEAST 2 highlights.Thank God I grew up in NY and was able to catch countless Net games on Channel 9 WOR.Good days.Also Marvin Barnes was a PROBLEM.

[@lawrencebrodsky8894]

We saw it . He averaged 4 and a half spectacular plays a game. Conservatively.

[@MrRufusRToyota]

Influential? Dr. J, not Jackie Moon, invented the alley-oop!

[@Redmenace96]

BS, of all people, should realize his impact beyond wins and shooting pct. Dr. J was an artist. Inspirational and beautiful to watch play the game. Would rather watch Doc have a 16 pt, 7 reb game duringthe reg season against Boston, than a Steph Curry playoff game! Never mind that he is intelligent, funny, sensitive and a fine human being.

[@peteybrian]

Dr. J was my favorite basketball player as a youth - along with Kareem. Stats? Dr. J could lead in most statistical categories - if he wanted.

[@arshaddahlan]

If you don't mind me asking, how old are you now?

[@peteybrian]

@@arshaddahlan Early fifties. I remember buying Dr. J’s shoes... Lol

[@arshaddahlan]

@@peteybrian Ooooh damn that's awesome man, I just turned 20 this year but love reading up and watching the legends of the game, I love how basketball brings so many people from different backgrounds together!

[@jameslevister1522]

He said doc didn't play defense but he's the only small forward in the top 25 in blocks. I believe that's a defensive stat.

[@andrewthomas5676]

Dr j = Old school Vince Carter

[@kawaiiafangirl]

I think the only reason why Dr. J gets overlooked in the All-Time rankings is bc some people don't take into consideration his ABA stats and accomplishments. The NBA was the more competitive league and Doc did struggle to win a ring until Moses came along but if we also consider his ABA career, then Doc is no doubt a Top 25 Player.

[@missayawk]

If there was no ABA there would be no 3pt shot.....and probably NO STEPH.Let that sink in.The ABA is still in the fabric of the NBA.

[@jeremyrhansen6637]

Most influential players somehow does NOT have AI?!?!?

[@andrewtpayne8502]

Don’t agree you that he couldn’t play defense or that he couldn’t shoot. You guys just don’t give that man credit. You under rare him… you also forget that he was much older than Bird and Magic. 19 th is an insult !!!

[@buckstraw925]

19th is solid. I'd push him up into the top 12 but I think 19 is certainly within reason.

[@earlcabbel5523]

He may not have been the greatest but was one of the most exciting basketball players ever. Ask MJ, Magic, Larry and King James.

[@timothywooten1884]

What a shitty review. DOC was unbelievable in every way. 50%shooter. Shotblocker. First non center to win MVP in 30 yrs. Top 10 for impact to basketball. He was the ABA and NBA in the 70s.

[@jamesrobinson1557]

Honestly I scrolled down and read the comments because I knew I would just get pissed off. It's great you guys have made a living watching and talking about what other people do....Great gig if you can get it...I know you can't help it but your views on all sports are tainted...I mean Boston! Didn't Dr J and the Larry Bird have a pretty strong rivalry??? So don't act like you can be objective about Doc....I'm really trying to hang with you guys but you're making it very hard....but I'm just one fish in a large pond....

[@RetroKid]

Omg, when does this book come out?! I loved the first edition.

[@alerog745]

It's just the name of the podcast I don't think he's making another book

[@RetroKid]

@@alerog745 awww man. I couldn't get enough of that book. Who's Better Who's Best by Elliot Kalb was another one I just loved to read. I wonder how drastic his new and revised list would be though.

[@Blunder03]

@@RetroKid If you go to Spotify they have a bunch of hour long + episodes like these, they kinda listen like an audiobook.

[@RetroKid]

@@Blunder03 thank you. I will def check that out. Thanks for the heads up!

[@atc3576]

@@RetroKid it’s also on the Ringer website.

[@agny369]

how long ago was this recorded, i remember pre lockdown listening to BoB 2.0 on spotify but i havent seen him at the studio since.

[@TheRk1111]

Doc was the most creative player in the NBA when they played defense. Bill Simmons is fraud!

[@Ffeoli1039]

83 sixers is up there for best team ever.

[@pauljansen1137]

well..if it is about entertainment he is top 10!!!!

[@liamnuge428]

I'm pretty sure that at some point during this pod Koppelman says dr j was the most famous athlete in the world? Or one of? This... isn't true? I fully had to pause the pod and stopped my walk in the middle because I was baffled

[@mr.ablang7097]

Don't you think AI should be part of the list along with Dr. J?

[@dariusbrooks21]

more all time rank videos pls!

[@thunderhammer593]

Quantifying dr j....is the most disrespectful thing....the man is the soul of basketball....the very reason for basketballs tremendous cultural capital.....wilt...kareem....Jerry west....and every so called superstar before him had far less of an impact on the overall psyche of people.....

[@adrenalineunlimited]

You lose all credibility by not mentioning Oscar Robertson changing professional basketball. But you mentioned Elgin? K

[@Henry-ii1cw]

Elgin’s game is way more relevant to Doc’s than Oscar’s

[@lordgodspeed1539]

If only they would look at his numbers from the ABA and put it together with his stats from the NBA by today's standards of grading point average rebound average block shot steels assist you would clearly see Dr J had a full career, that you can rank with any ball player of any time period. and if it did add the stats of the ABA and the NBA together there would actually see that he would be higher up the scoring list 🏀

[@x-man9473]

Here's an article that goes into detail about Dr. J's greatness. xmjones100.wordpress.com/2020/12/31/the-fluidity-of-julius-erving-athletic-domination/

[@88smjls]

Gives Russell and Doc credit for making it vertical when Wilt was the greatest athlete in the history of the NBA. Simmons is such a hater.

[@casualfandestroyer2503]

88smjils bill Russell started his career 3 seasons before before wilt smh

[@pabl0sauced0]

Why cant bill do more content like this!!! 😭

[@jeffriessman9693]

If you look all his total career i put him in the top 10. Most people never saw the prime DOC. Lebron puts him as 2nd greatest player. I put a 1975 prime Doctor moves against Jordon or Kobe. I saw him many times. On the 76 er's he did too much passing. I dont know how many 3 point players there were.

[@eagledescending5766]

I don’t totally agree with the video presenter’s arguments against Doc. With the exception of Kareem, I wouldn’t say that Magic, Bird or Jordan was better than Doc. In comparison with the three previous-stated NBA stars that I just mentioned, Doc was certainly more athletic and agile than Magic, Bird and Jordan, well, at least while they were in their rookie years. Even Magic and Jordan stated that they wish they could do the things that Dr. J could do, however, they did state such when they first started their professional NBA careers. I’ll admit that Magic, Bird, and Jordan became progressively better than Doc over the course of their professional careers, only because Dr. J was in his twilight years already when the respective three rookie stars entered the NBA league. If Dr. J was as young as when the aforementioned NBA stars first entered the league, then it would be a tough call to say what the Doctor could have further accomplished; technically, we’ll never know. If one was to combine Doc’s stats from the ABA with the NBA, then his profile would certainly be on par level with Magic, Bird & Jordan, but it’s a shame that Doc’s stats with the ABA has to be discounted.

[@jacksteinberg9148]

19 is blasphemous. Top 15 for sure

[@lilpenny1982]

Top 15 all time

[@Tyyffgb.cvcxxxcc1245]

He’s a basketball king pimp

[@kevinbing2699]

Hes 12th for me. 1.Jordan 2.Lebron 3.Kareem 4.Wilt 5.Magic 6.Bill Russel 7.Larry Bird 8.Tim Duncan 9.Kobe 10.Shaq 11.Hakeem 12.Dr.J 13.Big O 14. Jerry West 15.Kevin Durant (I know controversial)

[@Veggamattic]

Decent list but Kobe doesn't go ahead of Shaq though.

[@doubaya2959]

Dr j is a great great great basketball player. His best years are in the aba. If you consider the sum of both ABA and NBA he is definitely one of the gretest. however i always felt he is overrated in his NBA career. He has a ring only because of moses malone. I guess his reputation of being a legendary player even before his NBA career started contributed to his "greatness" in the NBA.

[@doubaya2959]

I am 59 y.o. BTW, and a bulltes fan so i have a pretty good recollection of his nba years in philly. I'd say he shoul be around top 30 to 35. Certainly not top 20 and i find low 20s ranking to be generous.

[@hotknifer839]

Do John Stockton next please.

[@The-Dom]

wow 19 is high considering his success and overall skillset. but his influence was massive so i get it. He was like the godfather of modern NBA.

[@RJ-fi9zo]

I didn’t get any of his references besides the apple one lol either I’m too young or not familiar enough with American pop culture

[@EliDSage]

Bill Simmons kills when he shoots 5 to 8 minutes videos!

[@missayawk]

Bill just say " I CAN'T STAND Dr.J"

[@ersteimmobilie7419]

Influencial players: Dirk is missing.

[@nf2203]

Simmons should be in the HOF for Book of Basketball podcast alone. This will become essential listening 50 years from now for people trying to rank the best players of all time.

[@RK-um9tu]

You are joking, right? Simmons is a self-promoting (read my book, it's in my book) clown...

[@cameronboyd8211]

Somewhere between 13-18th all-time

[@sebastianpedone7209]

No comparto, para mi esta ahi cerca del top-10, quizas 11? 12? No nos olvidemos que ademas de su impacto cultural el tipo sumando ABA/NBA anoto 30.000(!) Puntos!

12th.

[@keithortega3599]

the more i listen to bill simmons, the more i realize that he's clueless about basketball. he tried to write a book about it and not a good one.

[@xxxxbigrich5752]

Hogwash your ridiculous I seen him play he was much better than that. Those 4 consecutive trips to the eastern finals he wasn't carrying nobody's bags. He was right there with Bird & Magic. LeBron & MJ are in a different level. Oh and by the way Dirk wasn't super on defensive. You always make underhanded comments. Stay in Baahston

[@davidharrison5626]

Dr.j was drafted buy the Atlanta Hawks