One Final Game: Julius Erving
Date: April 17, 1987
One of the greatest dunkers in NBA history and an all-time athlete, Julius “Dr. J” Erving began his career in the American Basketball Association (ABA) before making his way to the NBA in 1976. From there he played the rest of his career with the Philadelphia 76ers, winning an MVP and a title.
His final season came in 1986-87, Erving’s age-36 season. At this point Erving was something of a wingman to a young Charles Barkley, and the pair kept the 76ers relevant even if they were no longer dominant. The Sixers made it to the playoffs before losing a tough five-game series (back then the first round was best-of-5) to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Erving had a solid postseason, but his last truly awesome game came just before the end of the regular season. With Barkley out with a minor injury Dr. J took off for 38 points, seven rebounds and a pair of steals, showing off that he still had it even in the final days of his career.
The last time Erving scored as many as 38 points was back in the 1983-84 season, interestingly enough also against the Pacers. Scoring that many points used to be a regular occurrence for the three-time scoring champion. Erving ranks eighth in career points when considering both the ABA and NBA numbers. For one final game, he showed the league, and perhaps himself, that he still had it.