In the 1980s, when Dr. J’s Philadelphia 76ers hosted Larry Bird’s Boston Celtics, Bird and Erving were well-known for their furious altercations. Early in the decade, the 76ers and Celtics were fierce rivals, and in 1984, the two superstars got into an iconic brawl.
x Bird entered the NBA as a highly anticipated rookie after leading Indiana State to the 1979 NCAA championship game. In his debut season, he helped transform a team that had only won 29 games the year before into a winning squad that had won 61. Fame followed triumph for Bird, who had never felt at ease in the spotlight. After chatting with Erving early in his NBA career, he learnt how to handle it.
