Only twice have the 76ers and Nets franchises met in the playoffs, but the teams have had the good fortune of sharing several fan favorites over the years.
(Big love for Mike Gminski and Darryl Dawkins!)
But none top the gravity-defying Julius Erving, who always looked great attacking the rack in red, white, and blue – whether in a Sixers or Nets jersey.
Of course, there’s no mistaking the impact Erving had on our Sixers franchise. During his 11 seasons with the club, Doc enjoyed nine 50-win seasons (including seven in a row), four appearances in the NBA Finals, and a title in 1983. He’s the Sixers’ all-time leader in blocked shots, and places in the top 10 in points, steals, assists, and rebounds.
But before landing in Philadelphia, Erving spent three seasons as a member of the New York Nets of the American Basketball Association.
Despite playing just three seasons (1974-76) with the club, Erving’s resume with the Nets is startling. He was named MVP of the ABA all three years, paced the league in scoring twice, and also happened to lead the Nets to two ABA titles.
Erving remains in the top 10 on the Nets’ career leader board for total points, steals, blocks, and rebounds. Again, he managed that in just three seasons.
The bond our franchises hold thanks to Erving was on full display April 3, 1987.
As Doctor J played his final game versus the Nets that night, the franchise retired his number 32.
Soak that in.
The man’s jersey number was retired from basketball before the man did himself.
And Erving’s Sixers were in town hoping to beat the Nets as they were fighting for a better playoff spot.
STILL, the Nets were like, “Doesn’t matter. It’s Doc’s night. Lift his name and jersey up to the rafters.”
For such a memorable occasion, two longtime foes might have been able to temporarily stave off competitive juices in celebration of a legend. But as the first week of this year’s playoffs have shown, the rivalry between the Sixers and Nets is alive and well.