The NBA has seldom seen players of such innate class and sheer tenacity like Julius Erving. There may be some players like LeBron James or Michael Jordan that rank above him when it comes to all-time greats. However, there is no denying the fact that Dr. J was way ahead of his time.
In a recent interview, Julius Erving was asked to make a list of the best players he has ever seen. Surprisingly, Erving placed Michael Jordan in his second team and left LeBron James out of both his lists. This came as a shock to TV analyst Skip Bayless and many more.
After seeing this list, Bayless said, “In this case, the doctor is out. As in out of his mind. Any list that has Michael Jordan on the second team is disqualified. Now it is just a grumpy old man list. He is just trying to defend his era.”
.@RealSkipBayless reacts to Dr. J putting MJ on his 2nd Team All-Time NBA:
"The Dr. is OUT! As in out of his mind! Any list that has Michael Jordan on the 2nd team is disqualified!" pic.twitter.com/cE3NDc68HU
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) April 28, 2021
He continued, “He wants to elevate himself a little bit and defend himself. I get that. However, three of his first five were all on one team. If he had put Jordan in place of Jerry West or put Jerry West in the second team, then his list would’ve had some credibility.”
Skip Bayless has a habit of making controversial opinions related to basketball. However, most of social media feels that he is right on this one. Snubbing LeBron James off two all-time great lists is disgraceful and a dishonor to the legacy of James.
ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY – SEPTEMBER 08: Julius Erving speaks to guests during the Julius Erving Red Carpet
Granted that the league was different in the time of Julius Erving and the game was played differently. But that does not mean that the achievements and greatness of players like MJ and Bron do not have any value whatsoever.
Maybe a solution to this perennial debate would be to have a 5-a-side game with all the greats involved, irrespective of their current age.
