Philadelphia 76ers legend Julius Erving put his stamp on the city of Philadelphia in a big way in his 11 seasons in the City of Brotherly Love. After playing in the ABA with the Virginia Squires and the New York Nets, Erving joined the Sixers and immediately made an impact in his transition to the NBA
Erving averaged 21.6 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in the 1976-77 season and led Philadelphia to the finals before falling to the Portland Trail Blazers. Erving then finally got to the mountaintop in 1983, with the help of Moses Malone, and led the Sixers to a title after beating the Los Angeles Lakers. Overall, he averaged 22.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in 11 seasons in Philadelphia and built a strong legacy with the Sixers
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HoopsHype ranked the top 80 players in NBA history and Erving ranked No. 21:
He was 26 by the time he made his NBA debut after years in the ABA, so Julius Erving would rank far higher in the statistical categories had he spent his whole career in the Association. Erving was the most spectacular player at the time thanks to his unreal athleticism and ability to fly down the floor in transition to hammer in dunks… and he was a winner, too. Often considered Jordan before Jordan (just without a jumper), Erving was an All-Star every season he played (ABA or NBA)
Erving did a lot of amazing things in Philadelphia and is considered by many to be the best player in the history of a franchise that has had many great games. His No. 6 uniform hangs from the rafters at the Xfinity Mobile Arena, never to be worn again by anybody in the franchise’s history, as it should be
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire:Sixers legend Julius Erving ranked No. 21 best player in NBA history
