Dr J joins Philadelphia
Julius Erving is one of the biggest names to ever play for the 76ers, but he wasn’t always a Sixer. In fact, he was involved with a few teams before he ever came to Philly.
When the New York Nets joined the NBA, Erving was on their roster, and he was a huge part of their mission. Erving had previously led the Nets to great success, including an ABA title just two years prior to them joining the NBA. Although they had high hopes to join the NBA and dominate right away, the New York Knicks complained about the merger and demanded that the Nets pay up for invading the Knicks NBA territory.
After holding out with the Nets, Erving, after a lot of drama, was finally moved. The Sixers offered to buy out Erving’s contract for $3 million dollars, which covered the Nets fees for joining the NBA. The Nets were ultimately forced to accept so that they could pay the fees, and Dr. J was brought to Philly.
This was a transaction that was well worth the money, as Erving went on to put up a huge 22 points per game in his time as a Sixer.
Ultimately, the Sixers lucked out getting Erving from the Nets. The Nets won in a way, getting to join the NBA, but losing their best player was a huge blow, and they were unable to dominate like they did in the ABA.
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