Dr. J breaks down fight with Larry Bird

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Dr. J breaks down fight with Larry Bird



Nick Schwartz, USA TODAY Sports Published 11:37 a.m. ET May 3, 2018



In November of 1984, an early-season game between Eastern Conference powerhouses ended in an all-out brawl between two of the best players in the NBA.

The defending champion Boston Celtics hosted Julius Erving's Philadelphia 76ers, and Larry Bird played a magnificent game - scoring 42 points in 30 minutes to Erving's six. A late offensive foul call on Bird, who appeared to throw an elbow at Erving, sparked a vicious melee at the other end of the court.




Erving and Bird escaped suspensions, but each player was fined $7,500 - which, at the time, was the second-highest fine for player conduct in league history, according to the New York Times.

Erving joined ESPN's Get Up! on Thursday and gave his side of the story.

"There's a photograph of Larry and I choking one another, and neither one of us sign it. It always shows up at the card shows and whatever, we're not going to dignify it, dignify the moment, because the game isn't really about fighting unless you're in game and the clock is running. Then it's always a fight, it's always a battle.


…. Early in November, the Celtics were ready to go. They came out ready and red-hot and roaring, and we were kind of 'OK, we just won this thing,' we played the longest season so we're just getting started - and we're breaking in a new player.

So the fight, actually, there was an offensive foul called on Larry. He didn't like the call so he was really mad at the referee. And he came down court and he was kind of like stomping. He was in front of his bench, and it looked like a moment in which he was going to take a swing. It was very uncharacteristic because, you know, we did Converse commercials together, we did Spalding commercials together, so we were kind of cool. But I thought something was going to happen, because he was definitely mad - but he was mad at the referee, he wasn't mad at me.

I just extended my arm to hold him back, and it ended up sliding up to his neck. Then it was on. So it was really inadvertent. I didn't really mean to grab him by the neck. I pushed him in the chest, hand slid up, got to his neck, he reaches for my neck… Next thing I know, it's a melee. That was it."

Charles Barkley reminisced about the fight in an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, and said he's never forgiven the NBA for fining him.

Via NBC Sports:

"To this day I won't ever forgive the NBA for fining me. They fined me because they said I was holding Larry Bird so Dr. J could hit him. I was trying to break the fight up!

…. The NBA fined me, it really made me mad. They owe me money to this day."



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