CBS Sports: NBA 1986-Philadelphia 76ers @ Boston Celtics: Highlights

Source:The New Democrat

A classic 76ers-Celtics matchup in 1986 that produced perhaps the best Boston Celtics team of all-time and you could make a good case the best NBA team of all-time in the 86 Celtics. Against a 76ers team that was sort of in transition, with Julius Erving wrapping up his brilliant career. The 76ers not sure about the future of their great center Moses Malone and the Sixers getting Charles Barkley, the power forward of the 1990s more involved in their game and he emerging as their best all around player. The Celtics were still dominant and at their best in 86. The 76ers were transitioning from a top Eastern Conference team, but trying to regroup and rebuild to get back to the top of the EC and the NBA as a whole. The Yankees-Red Sox of the NBA, so no matter how both clubs are doing, there’s always the potential for a great game.

ABA History: The History of the ABA

Source:Real Life Journal

The old American Basketball Association is not that different then the old American Football League. The National Basketball Association had around 16-18 clubs, in a country at the time of around 200M people. The National Football League in 1959 had twelve clubs in a country of around 150M people. One of the reasons why the AFL was able to establish itself because there were more cities that wanted pro football clubs than the NFL was willing to respond to. Similar situation as the ABA they knew there were cities ready for major league basketball clubs, that weren't in the NBA. Like Richmond, Lexington, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Houston, San Antonio, Denver, San Diego and others.

And the ABA had the management and financing and believed with the NBA which wasn't a very popular league yet still trailing the NFL and MLB in the late 1960s and early 1970s.  That they believed they could attract the management, coaches and players to play in their league by paying their players more and giving them more playing time up front. Because in the NBA some draft picks they were told that they would have a chance to make the team. But the ABA were telling potential draft picks that they would make the team and play. And thats how they lured so many players to the ABA. Players like Julius Erving arguably the best all around player in pro basketball in the 1970s, George Gervin who's in the Hall of Fame, Artis Gilmore, Rick Barry who are also in the Hall of Fame. And many others including head coaches like Larry Brown who's also in the Hall of Fame.

The ABA was also very exciting kinda the way the NBA used to be twenty years ago or so. With a lot of run and gun basketball, fast break teams trapping defenses, the three point shot, the red, white and blue basketball. But one thing that the ABA wasn't able to do was TV. If you weren't going to the games, you probably didn't get to see an ABA game unless you lived in a market with an ABA club and they had local television. Unlike the AFL in the 1960s that had a national broadcast contract with ABC. The ABA wasn't able to get that pro football was more popular than pro basketball at the time.

Football is still more popular that basketball today and had the ABA landed a national broadcast contract like the AFL and even the USFL twenty plus years later, a lot more people would've gotten to see how good of a league the ABA was. Because especially in the early and mid 70s, the ABA playoff teams and champions were just as good as the NBA playoff teams and champions. Teams like the New York Nets, Richmond Squires and Indianapolis Pacer because they had players like Julius Erving, Artis Gilmore, George Gervin and many others. 

What the ABA proved was that they were major league basketball and that they were an NBA caliber league if not better. And that they deserved to merge with with the NBA in the late 70s. Teams like the Nets, Pacers, Rockets, Nuggets, Jazz, are all in the NBA right now and for the most part all making money and prospering

WGN Sports: NBA 1985 (1/02) Chicago Bulls @ Philadelphia 76ers: Full Game

Source:WGN Sports- Philadelphia 76ers center Moses Malone, camping out at the foul line.

Source:Real Life Journal

“Philadelphia 76ers vs Chicago Bulls (01/02/1985)”

From Hoops Encyclopedia

The 76ers still had a lot of talent in 1985. Just look at their starting lineup featuring four Hall of Famers in it with Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Charles Barkley and Maurice Cheeks. 

The Bulls were a young and up-incoming team, but most of the guys who won championships with the Bulls in the early 1990s were not there yet. With the 76ers having won the NBA Finals in 1983 and not even making it back to the Eastern Conference Finals in 1984. 

The Bulls of this period, other than maybe Orlando Woolridge, who was pretty solid and an up and down Steve Johnson at power forward, this was still the Air Jordan Show in Chicago. With the help that the Bulls needed to be a real Eastern Conference contender, about three years away with Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant and Bill Cartwright.

CBS Sports: NBA 1987-ECQF-Game 5-Philadelphia 76ers @ Milwaukee Bucks: Last Minutes of Julius Erving’s NBA Career

Source:Jean-Sebastian Blondell- Dr. J Julius Erving, closing out his brilliant NBA career, in game 5 of the 1987 NBA-ECQF, in Milwaukee.

Source:Real Life Journal 

“Those are the last few minutes of Dr J’s successful professionnal basketball career. This is game 5 of the 1987 Eastern Conference First round between the Milwaukee Bucks and Erving’s Philadelphia 76ers. Dr J would end up scoring 24 points, but Charles Barkley’s no-show (5/16 shooting) against a great Jack Sikma (18 points, 21 rebounds) ended up being too much to overcome for the Sixers.” 

From Jean-Sebastian Blondell 

A bad way for The Doctor Julius Erving to end his great sixteen-year professional basketball career as a player, in a blowout loss on the road to the Milwaukee Bucks of all teams. Because the Bucks and 76ers played a lot of great series’ and games against each other in the 1980s. And Bucks beat the 76ers in the playoffs. So this was probably one of the last ways that The Doctor wanted to end his brilliant career as perhaps the greatest all around small forward of all-time.

But his career ending this way wasn’t because of him. It wasn’t his best game obviously, but 1987 was a rough year for the 76ers that had all sorts of injuries and had to play hard just to make the Eastern Conference Playoffs. And because of all the series injuries, we’re never a real threat to dethrone the defend NBA champion Boston Celtics.

So it’s not surprising that Julius’s career ended this way, but it is a damn shame. It would’ve been great to see at least one more classic playoff series between the Bird Celtics and the Erving 76ers. But the Bucks weren’t going to allow that to happen.

Michal US: NBA 1990-ECSF Game 3-Chicago Bulls @ Philadelphia 76ers: First Quarter

Source:Michal US- Da Bull and the 76ers from 1990.

Source:Real Life Journal

“76ers vs.Bulls 1990 game 3 (1/…)”

From Michal US

The Bulls and 76ers had an interesting good little rivalry in the late 1980s and early 1990s. I believed they played each other three 2 years in the playoffs from 90-91. With the Bulls winning each series, but they played a lot of good games against each other as well as in the regular season as well when the Bulls were contending for championships and the 76ers were back in the playoffs on a regular basis, but never advancing pass the semifinal round. 

The 76ers were good enough to beat the Bulls at home, but not good enough to beat them in a seven-game series. Because other than Charles Barkley, they didn’t have another player that could consistently hurt the Bulls. Which meant Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen could both have big games for the Bulls. Without the 76ers having anyone who could counter them.