Julius Erving was a fierce competitor, but he was always known to be one of the classiest players in the NBA. Although his play was flamboyant, often bringing fans out of their seats with his aerial artistry, he was widely considered the epitome of class, dignity and professionalism both on and off the court.
However, make no mistake: Dr. J was no pushover and was willing to do whatever it took to win. This was evident in the intense rivalry between his Philadelphia 76ers and Larry Bird 's Boston Celtics . One particular moment that stands out in this historic rivalry is when Erving traded blows with Bird during a regular-season game in November 1984.
During his appearance on "All The Smoke," he said he doesn't want to dignify that unfortunate event by going into detail. Still, he let on that the brawl stemmed from sheer competition.
Erving said that every game between Boston and Philly was full of tension long before Bird joined the Celtics in 1979. With the two teams battling for supremacy in the Eastern Conference, every game was a chance to prove which team was better.
"The competition against Larry started way before Larry. It started with (John) Havlicek, (Dave) Cowens, Jo Jo White — probably even with Wilt (Chamberlain) and Bill Russell. Philly versus Boston. The history. Boston and Philly, the rivalry," Dr. J stated .
Erving added that he actually didn't despise the Celtics, especially since he went to college at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. However, once he joined the Sxiers in 1976, it was on.
"I went to school in Massachusetts, so I didn't hate the Boston Celtics when I was there. But once I went to Philadelphia — via Virginia, New York, and then Philly — it was like, okay, we can't like these guys," Dr. J said. "And this was way before Bird got there. Way before Bird. It was Havlicek and those teams. We didn't like them. It was just a rivalry, man. A love-hate rivalry between Boston and Philadelphia."
Erving disclosed that their fight was ironic, given that they had worked on several projects together.
"The irony of that is, Larry and I did stuff together. We're looking at a video game cover right here. And we did Converse together. Me, him, and Magic. All three of us. We were the first three Converse guys. I was there first, and then we signed them," he divulged.
However, once they went in between the lines of the basketball court, all bets were off. It showed in that infamous game as Dr. J got a few shots in while Larry Legend was being held by a few Sixers players. Erving, though, refuses to dwell on that incident, implying it's something that happened but didn't define their relationship.
"The fight incident — I generally don't have too much to say about it because you don't want to dignify a bad event. It was competitiveness that happened in the blink of an eye," he stated. "But it got carried all over the universe. People would come up to me like, 'Can you sign this picture?' I'm looking at the fight picture — I'm holding his neck, he holding my neck — I ain't signing that s—t."
Dr. J and Bird helped define an era with their spectacular play. Unfortunately, they also stood in each other's paths to greatness, leading to an infamous brawl that remains a talking point whenever the rivalry between Philly and Boston is brought up.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Feb 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
