Before the special premiere of his documentary “The Doctor” last night, the Hall-of-Famer and former 76ers legend, Julius Erving, discussed numerous topics with reporters which included him saying that the 76ers traded for “damaged goods” in Andrew Bynum.
As LeBron James chases his second consecutive championship in the 2013 NBA Finals, Erving predicted that the San Antonio Spurs would dethrone the Miami Heat.
However, Dr. J wasn’t done ruining James’ day though. When asked to pick between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, he chose Bryant courtesy of Dan Gelston via Twitter:
Dr J says if he had to pick between LeBron and Kobe he picks … Bryant. Says Kobe 1 of top 5 players of all time.
— Dan Gelston (@APgelston) June 6, 2013
Not only did Erving choose Kobe over LeBron, but he mentioned that Bryant is also one of the top five players in NBA History.
It’s not the first time an NBA legend has chosen Kobe over LeBron. Considered the greatest player of all time, Michael Jordan picked Bryant over James in an interview this past February. According to the six-time champion Jordan:
Five beats one every time I look at it. And not that (James) won’t get five. He may get more than that, but five is bigger than one.
In a time where the media and fans are raving about LeBron James (and rightfully so) and forgetting about the greatness of Kobe Bryant, it’s nice to hear NBA legends showing the respect Kobe has earned over his 17-year career with five championship rings. Until James reaches the same number of championship rings, it will be difficult for NBA legends to choose him over Bryant.
