Dr. J vs. UCONN | The Boneyard

Dr. J vs. UCONN

Status
Not open for further replies.
Most likely the second best or third best.

If you consider Dr. J being considered about the 15-20 range of most all-time NBA players, he probably in the top 3 UConn ever faced.

Almost every list of all-time greats would put Shaq ahead of Dr. J and UConn definitely played against Shaq when he was at LSU.

Bill Bradley and Bob Cousey are the only other players I can think of that UConn played against that's even close. And I would certainly put Dr. J above them.

Real quickly (and in no particular order) none of these players ever played against UConn- Chamberlain, Russell, Jabbar, Bird, Duncan (missed playing with Rodney Rogers by a year), Garnett, Jordan, Barkley, Malone (Moses or Karl), McHale, Magic, Kobe, 'Bron, Olajuwon, West.
 
Chin Diesel said:
Most likely the second best or third best.

If you consider Dr. J being considered about the 15-20 range of most all-time NBA players, he probably in the top 3 UConn ever faced.

Almost every list of all-time greats would put Shaq ahead of Dr. J and UConn definitely played against Shaq when he was at LSU.

Bill Bradley and Bob Cousey are the only other players I can think of that UConn played against that's even close. And I would certainly put Dr. J above them.

Real quickly (and in no particular order) none of these players ever played against UConn- Chamberlain, Russell, Jabbar, Bird, Duncan (missed playing with Rodney Rogers by a year), Garnett, Jordan, Barkley, Malone (Moses or Karl), McHale, Magic, Kobe, 'Bron, Olajuwon, West.
Expand ...

Ewing would probably fall behind Dr. J, but he's the other one that springs to mind.

We did more than play against Shaq. We destroyed him. Lyman DePriest locked him down (OK, not exactly, he got his 30 and 15 - but Lyman was effective for a short spell. Just helps the legend of Lyman to say he locked down 5-9 Dana Barros and 7-1 Shaq).
 
Gurleyman said:
Ewing would probably fall behind Dr. J, but he's the other one that springs to mind.

We did more than play against Shaq. We destroyed him. Lyman DePriest locked him down (OK, not exactly, he got his 30 and 15 - but Lyman was effective for a short spell. Just helps the legend of Lyman to say he locked down 5-9 Dana Barros and 7-1 Shaq).
Expand ...

I don't think anyone from the Big East conference challenges Dr. J. Again, just off the top of my head, it was all pre-BE or NCAA tourney teams that came to mind.
 
Chin Diesel said:
I don't think anyone from the Big East conference challenges Dr. J. Again, just off the top of my head, it was all pre-BE or NCAA tourney teams that came to mind.
Expand ...

But Dr. J wasn't even on the Dream Team. Ewing and Mullin were. That says it all right there.



(It'd probably be more fun to not put a "haha" disclaimer in parentheses and see if anyone actually took the bait thinking that was serious)
 
.-.
I remember when Dr. J hit 16 of 27 shots on his way to 43 points and a game winning steal and three against us. Man he was good that night.

Wait, that was only Darius Rice?
 
Gurleyman said:
But Dr. J wasn't even on the Dream Team. Ewing and Mullin were. That says it all right there.



(It'd probably be more fun to not put a "haha" disclaimer in parentheses and see if anyone actually took the bait thinking that was serious)
Expand ...
I believe that Dr J was retired or at the end of his career. He was definitely better than Mullen. I'd put him up there maybe slightly behind magic and Bird.
 
http://umasshoops.com/history/alumni/julius_erving/

If you check out this website you can read about one of the most incredible players in basketball history. The one who revolutionized the game with his high flying dunks, jumping ability and lightning quickness that lead him to be one of the very few who averaged 20 points and 20 rebounds as a collegiate. Erving was one of a group of "hardship players" drafted by the ABA, as the NBA wouldn't touch players before their fourth year of eligibility. Some of these were the biggest stars of that era and went to the ABA for the money, and to come out as soon as they were ready play and so they ABA could snatch them from the NBA. Much of his legend was left behind when the ABA and NBA merged. This was by design. So, if you remember Dr J from the 76ers you really never saw his best. If you were lucky enough to see him play for the Virginia Squires, and especially the NY Nets, you would realize that he may have been the best all around player ever. He may not have been the best to play against UCONN, but I assure you that nobody was better!
 
Chin Diesel said:
Most likely the second best or third best.

If you consider Dr. J being considered about the 15-20 range of most all-time NBA players, he probably in the top 3 UConn ever faced.

Almost every list of all-time greats would put Shaq ahead of Dr. J and UConn definitely played against Shaq when he was at LSU.

Bill Bradley and Bob Cousey are the only other players I can think of that UConn played against that's even close. And I would certainly put Dr. J above them.

Real quickly (and in no particular order) none of these players ever played against UConn- Chamberlain, Russell, Jabbar, Bird, Duncan (missed playing with Rodney Rogers by a year), Garnett, Jordan, Barkley, Malone (Moses or Karl), McHale, Magic, Kobe, 'Bron, Olajuwon, West.
Expand ...

Not sure the high school kids make sense to include.
 
Sorry, Comparisons are so hard to do from era to era. Certainly Erving was revolutionary
 
caw said:
Not sure the high school kids make sense to include.
Expand ...

I was going in reverse of figuring out the best NBA player list and then figuring out who was the best to play against UConn.
 
.-.
Chin Diesel said:
Most likely the second best or third best.

If you consider Dr. J being considered about the 15-20 range of most all-time NBA players, he probably in the top 3 UConn ever faced.

Almost every list of all-time greats would put Shaq ahead of Dr. J and UConn definitely played against Shaq when he was at LSU.

Bill Bradley and Bob Cousey are the only other players I can think of that UConn played against that's even close. And I would certainly put Dr. J above them.

Real quickly (and in no particular order) none of these players ever played against UConn- Chamberlain, Russell, Jabbar, Bird, Duncan (missed playing with Rodney Rogers by a year), Garnett, Jordan, Barkley, Malone (Moses or Karl), McHale, Magic, Kobe, 'Bron, Olajuwon, West.
Expand ...
I do believe the Huskies played against Minnesota with McHale at the Civic Center in the 1981 NIT.
 
Last edited:
Also played against a couple of future hall of famers in Iverson, Carmelo and Pierce.
 
Didn't UConn play against Elgin Baylor a long time ago? Also, (I believe) played against Jim Brown and while not a pro BB player, turned out pretty good in another sport.

On edit: for those who want to read about the greatest athlete (imo) that UConn ever played against go to
http://www.orangehoops.org/JBrown.htm.

Jim Brown was more than incredible as a college athlete.
 
Last edited:
WillB4 said:
I do believe the Huskies played against Minnesota with McHale at the Civic Center in the 1981 NIT.
Expand ...

I don't think so. The Celts won the title that year. That was Trent Tucker.
 
WillB4 said:
I do believe the Huskies played against Minnesota with McHale at the Civic Center in the 1981 NIT.
Expand ...

I think McHale left in 80 though? Thought Mark Hall of Springfield, Randy Breuer and Trent Tucker from the Knicks (forgot dammit?)
 
.-.
YearoftheHusky said:
I remember when Dr. J hit 16 of 27 shots on his way to 43 points and a game winning steal and three against us. Man he was good that night.

Wait, that was only Darius Rice?
Expand ...

Speaking of an opponent scoring 43 points on us, remember Elijah Allen of FDU in the first round of the 1998 NCAA tourney? He was on fire that night.
 
Looking at some NBA career leaders, Dr. J, Kareem and the Mailman form a nice group.

Only three players in the 30,000 point, 10,000 rebound and 5,000 assist club.
 
We used a 1-3-1 zone in Shaq's game. It would have been HERCULEAN for the 6-5 DePriest to guard him.
 
For some reason, I recall that it was Toraino Walker guarding Shaq, not DePriest. Am I going senile already?? Anybody have film of that game?
 
Good topic...best opponents ever....

I would say Dr. J is the best and Shaq next.

Others on list include:

Bob Cousy
Bill Bradley
Chris Mullin
Patrick Ewing
Carmelo Anthony
Sean Elliott
Grant Hill
Paul Pierce
Allen Iverson
John Wall
Rajon Rondo
Vince Carter
Derrick Rose
Otis Thorpe
Alonzo Mourning
Derrick Coleman
 
Last edited:
For those that witnessed the first ABA NBA all-star game.
The NBA stars were in Awe of him and the game was changed for ever.
He had pretty much been the catalyst for the merger.
The Net team with Super John, Brian Taylor , Larry Kenon.
Was actually fun to watch especially with the three point shot. The NBA didn't like change.
I remember a game they were they were down 10 with about minute left.
The Dr. hit 4 threes and they pulled it out.

It's unfortunate you younger guys never got to see him play.
One of the truly great players of all-time. Probably the prototype for the superstars of the last 20 years.
 
.-.
G0UCONN said:
Good topic...best opponents ever....

I would say Dr. J is the best and Shaq next.

Others on list include:

Bob Cousy
Bill Bradley
Chris Mullin
Patrick Ewing
Carmelo Anthony
Sean Elliott
Grant Hill
Paul Pierce
Allen Iverson
John Wall
Rajon Rondo
Vince Carter
Derrick Rose
Alonzo Mourning
Derrick Coleman
Expand ...

gotta add Dolph Schayes to UConn's all-opponent team
  • Career NBA statistics
    Points19,247 (18.2 ppg) (NBL/BAA/NBA)
    18,438 (18.5 ppg) (BAA/NBA)
    Rebounds11,256 (12.1 rpg)
    Assists3,072 (3.1 apg)
 
nimzovich said:
gotta add Dolph Schayes to UConn's all-opponent team
  • [ ]Career NBA statistics
    Points19,247 (18.2 ppg) (NBL/BAA/NBA)
    18,438 (18.5 ppg) (BAA/NBA)
    Rebounds11,256 (12.1 rpg)
    Assists3,072 (3.1 apg)
Expand ...
and Dave Bing - both Bing and Schayes were voted to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team or NBA's Top 50) - chosen in 1996 to honor the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Forum statistics

Threads
168,289
Messages
4,561,592
Members
10,455
Latest member
UConnGabby


Top Bottom