The NBA history course changed forever when ABA superstar Julius Irving was traded from the Virginia Squire into the New York net on August 1, 1973.
“Dr J” has become one of the most moving talents in NBA history. The NBA Hall of Farmers won the 1983 NBA Championship with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1983, and the NBA MVP in 1981, retiring his jersey number both in the net and sixth.
Without this transaction, it might not have happened. Here we break the impact on trade and its league history.
Erving, who has only two seasons in his ABA career, had already established himself in basketball stardom.
He averaged 27 points and 15 rebounds as a rookie, leading the Squire into the Eastern final and created the All-Ava second team alongside Great George Gerbin. In Irving’s second season, he led the league with points and created the All-ABA first team.
However, Virginia was on the verge of a financial crisis. They could no longer afford Elving’s rising pay and were forced to effectively sell Superstars. The net plummeted, paying Dr. J about $750,000.
Meanwhile, the net folded in 1976. He won two ABA titles at Erving in 1974 and 1976.
The 1976 ABA and NBA merger meant Erving’s New York Net would play in the NBA. Participated in the NBA: four teams: Nets, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers and San Antonio Spurs. It was a groundbreaking event in the history of sports.
Irving was expected to fit the net for the 1976 season. However, the New York Knicks demanded that the net pay $4.8 million to “invade” the Knicks’ NBA territory. This forced the net to return to its promise to raise Dr. J’s salary, and Irving demanded trade.
The Knicks were offered in exchange for waived the $4.8 million fee, but they declined. Six then intervened and offered $3 million for Erving, and Net agreed. They effectively traded the Superstars for NBA locations.
Irving has become an NBA legend. He was an All-Star in 1977 and has since had 10 more consecutive times. He wore sixth place in honor of his hero Bill Russell, and won 50 wins in his first season.
Dr. J was the NBA MVP in 1981 and won the title with the Sixers in 1983, beating the Los Angeles Lakers of NBA Legend Magic Johnson in the final. He was the only blip in the Lakers and Boston Celtics domination over that period.
He retired as an icon in 1987 at the age of 37 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996. Combining ABA and NBA statistics, he ranks 9th on the list of all-time best scorers behind Kevin Durant.
Dr. J’s legendary status as the Philadelphia 76er may not have been realized in 1973 because of its trade.
Erving’s 1973 trade was a door moment in basketball history.
First, his move into the net helped the ABA to lift itself up to compete with the NBA. Their biggest stars were playing for one of their biggest teams. He was able to compete for the championship and MVP in Brooklyn.
If Irving had been with Squire, his path could have led him in many different directions. Virginia was not included in the merger. That is, players were not absorbed directly by the NBA.
Instead, they joined other teams through the ABA distributed draft. Or they became free agents. Erving’s ultimate team is likely added to the NBA due to his stardom, but if it wasn’t online, it’s unlikely that he was Sixer.
He probably played for the NBA ABA team. Did he duel it with Johnson in the final? Has he won an MVP or has he become a legend in one of America’s greatest cities?
And have the Six, who have been suited to legends like Allen Iverson in the past, maintained their place as one of the NBA’s most iconic franchises? Thanks to Virginia Squire, we never know.