The Doc and MJ – The Fans Speak Out – Letter to the Editor
Stephen Watson
I am an avid reader of your publication. I thoroughly enjoy your articles and statistics on former ABA and NBA players. Recently a friend (another avid reader of your magazine) and I had a friendly disagreement over some basketball facts.
He’s a die-hard Michael Jordan fan and I love Julius Erving. We’re in disagreement over Dr. J’s many achievements, including NBA and ABA stats, separate and combined. Could you tell us Dr. J’s statistics from the ABA and NBA by year, with high-scoring games, scoring tifles, MVPs, and championships? My friend is unaware of Dr. J’s extraordinary ABA statistics and how he might rank all-time if ABA stats were recognized by the NBA.
I am a New York Knicks fan, and I by no means discredit MJ as an extraordinary and talented basketball player. But Dr. J is my favorite player. Please continue to put out such an informative magazine on ABA stars and stats as well as the NBA.
Stephen Watson
Kenansville, N.C.
Stephen, we don’t have room to print season-by-season stats here. But the three differences that jump out between the two players all favor Jordan: team titles (Jordan six, Erving three), scoring titles (Jordan 10, Erving three) and All-Defensive teams (Jordan nine, Erving one). The accompanying box will give you an idea of how M] and the Doctor otherwise compare.
MJ vs. the Doc
Julius Pro Michael Pro
Erving Rank Jordan Rank
High-scoring game 63 T26 69 10
MVPs 4 T4 5 T2
First Team All-ABA/NBA 9 T8 10 T2
Points 30,026 5 32,292 3
Rebounds 10,525 28 6,672 —
Assists 5,176 38 5,633 30
Steals 2,091 * 9 2,514 2
Blocked shots 1,814 * 18 893 —
* Steals and blocks weren’t official statistics until the 1973-74
season, Rankings lower than the top 50 are not listed.
COPYRIGHT 2003 Century Publishing
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group
