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Message: [QUOTE="SWC75, post: 3925023, member: 289"] 1977 OG: 79 NB: 34 Historical: OG: 1,002 points, 13 victories and 5 rings NB: 569 points, 5 victories and 4 rings. The ABA was no more. From Wikipedia: “The Nets, Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, and San Antonio Spurs joined the NBA for the 1976–77 season. With Erving and Nate Archibald (acquired in a trade with Kansas City), the Nets were poised to pick up right where they left off. However, the New York Knicks upset the Nets' plans when they demanded that the Nets pay them $4.8 million for "invading" the Knicks' NBA territory. Coming on the heels of the fees the Nets had to pay for joining the NBA, owner Roy Boe reneged on a promise to raise Erving's salary. Erving refused to play under these conditions and held out in training camp. After several teams such as the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers lobbied to obtain him, the Nets offered Erving's contract to the New York Knicks in return for waiving the indemnity, but the Knicks turned it down. This was considered one of the worst decisions in franchise history. The Sixers then decided to offer to buy Erving's contract for $3 million—in addition to paying roughly the Nets same amount as their expansion fee—and Boe had little choice but to accept the $6 million deal. For all intents and purposes, the Nets traded their franchise player for a berth in the NBA. The Erving deal left the Nets in ruin; they promptly crashed to a 22–60 record, the worst in the league.” Dad’s Knicks limped along at 40-42 but that was better than 7 teams in the now 22 team league. They didn’t make the playoffs, so those 7 points were all they got. But that was still better than the poor Nets, who went from generating 32 points for Junior to none. But Junior still won the spring on 29 points from the Islanders, 47-21-12 (106), who were better than 25 NHL and WHA teams and once again lost the division to the Flyers and the semi-finals to the eventual champion Canadiens. The Rangers were again in last place, with a better record than 11 teams but not in the playoffs. So junior was ahead 29-18 going into the summer. But the fortunes of the Yankees and the Mets were going sharply in opposite directions as the Mets traded “The Franchise”, Tom Seaver and plummeted into last place at 64-98, better than only 3 MLB teams while the Yankees won their first World Series in 15 years. They had a 100-62 regular season, better than all but the Royals and Phillies in a 26 team sport, (the Blue Jays and Mariners were now in business), beat the Royals in the ALCS and their old sparring mates, the Dodgers in the series for a whopping 55 points. That clinched it. In the fall the Giants and Jets again looked up at the world from last place, although the Gints were a bit better at 5-9 to another 3-11 year for the Jets for a ridiculous third year in a row. Dad broke out his victory cigar, (Junior doesn’t smoke- at least not that), for the first time in three years, 79-34. He also broke the 1,000 point barrier, historically. That was worth another cigar. [/QUOTE]

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