OT: Fun watch-Last ABA game ever. 1976 Finals, Dr. J vs David Thompson

[cliftonparksufan]

 

[br801]

Thanks, great find. Was a big Nets fan back then. Would have loved to see that team enter the NBA intact. Broke my heart that they had to sell the Doctor to pay their way in.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

Thanks, great find. Was a big Nets fan back then. Would have loved to see that team enter the NBA intact. Broke my heart that they had to sell the Doctor to pay their way in.

Lot of great characters in that game. I think the Nets lucked out when Bobby Jones fouled out. They might not have won the championship if it had to go back to Denver for game 7. It was a much different game then it is now. More open. These guys were taking much more chances at steals and fast breaks. Amazing for a league that "invented" the 3 point shot, how very few were even taken. The Doctor was so good. His hands had to be so huge the way he waved the ball around.

 

[br801]

Lot of great characters in that game. I think the Nets lucked out when Bobby Jones fouled out. They might not have won the championship if it had to go back to Denver for game 7. It was a much different game then it is now. More open. These guys were taking much more chances at steals and fast breaks. Amazing for a league that "invented" the 3 point shot, how very few were even taken. The Doctor was so good. His hands had to be so huge the way he waved the ball around.

You're right, lot of characters and great players on both sides. That was a fun time.

Teams really didn't take a lot of 3-pointers and the line was out a bit farther than it is today, but there were a few specialists like Dampier with Kentucky.

Erving really was a complete player with no weaknesses, and never forced his offense when teams tried to take him away, as Denver was doing in the second half of that game. Good guard play on that Nets team with Taylor, Williamson and Al Skinner (of all people). Kevin Loughery was a good coach and quite a character himself.

 

[alphaorange]

You're right, lot of characters and great players on both sides. That was a fun time.

Teams really didn't take a lot of 3-pointers and the line was out a bit farther than it is today, but there were a few specialists like Dampier with Kentucky.

Erving really was a complete player with no weaknesses, and never forced his offense when teams tried to take him away, as Denver was doing in the second half of that game. Good guard play on that Nets team with Taylor, Williamson and Al Skinner (of all people). Kevin Loughery was a good coach and quite a character himself.

The distance is the same; 22'9" from the center of the rim. They called it a 25 footer but it was not.

 

[Newhouser]

Thompson was insane and may be the best "how great would he have been" player ever. His overall game was superior to Doc's.

 

[Dcuse]

The goaltending call against Marvin Webster at 1:25:50. Under a minute left in the game.

WHAT?????

 

[cliftonparksufan]

The goaltending call against Marvin Webster at 1:25:50. Under a minute left in the game.

WHAT?????

I know. I didn't even think it was close.

 

[JOC44]

If you like the ABA, I highly recommend Terry Pluto's book "Loose Balls," which is an oral history of the ABA. Interesting and hilarious.

 

[Dollar Dog]

The goaltending call against Marvin Webster at 1:25:50. Under a minute left in the game. WHAT?????

The refs erased "The Eraser's" erasure!

Marvin was one of my randomly favorite NBA players and one of the best D-2 college players of all time. Tragedy followed in later years. Hepatitis curtailed his career. Not sure about the family situation, but I think he was separated from his wife and lived apart from his son, Marvin Jr. His son was a highly-rated recruit for Temple but died at 18 from a congenital heart defect. I don't think he ever played a game for the Owls. Then Marvin Sr. died in his 50s of heart disease. Sorry to be a bummer for this thread. The ABA was great though and full of characters, like "The Human Eraser". Gonna have to check out Pluto's book.

 

[Newhouser]

If you like the ABA, I highly recommend Terry Pluto's book "Loose Balls," which is an oral history of the ABA. Interesting and hilarious.

Great great book. The Marvin Barnes stuff alone is worth the purchase.

 

[cliftonparksufan]

The refs erased "The Eraser's" erasure!

Marvin was one of my randomly favorite NBA players and one of the best D-2 college players of all time. Tragedy followed in later years. Hepatitis curtailed his career. Not sure about the family situation, but I think he was separated from his wife and lived apart from his son, Marvin Jr. His son was a highly-rated recruit for Temple but died at 18 from a congenital heart defect. I don't think he ever played a game for the Owls. Then Marvin Sr. died in his 50s of heart disease. Sorry to be a bummer for this thread. The ABA was great though and full of characters, like "The Human Eraser". Gonna have to check out Pluto's book.

Marvin was on a lot of those Knick teams that had a lot of big names but not a ton of chemistry. I believe he bridged the McAdoo/Haywood era to the Bernard King era. Of course he was paired with Bill Cartwright. Those Knick teams made a ton of deals but could never get over the hump.