NBA legend Julius “Dr. J” Erving is opposed to having Kobe Bryant’s jersey retired league-wide despite the fact the Black Mamba is one of the greatest NBA players of all time.
Dr. J — one of the most spectacular players to ever lace up a pair of speakers — reveres the man whose number is the only one to be retired across the NBA, namely Bill Russell’s No. 6. Erving, who also wore No. 6 for the Philadelphia 76ers, believes because Russell deserves that sole honor as a champion on the court and in the area of civil rights in society.
Dr. J explains why the NBA should not retire Kobe Bryant’s number
Erving believes the league and society should hold off for now.
“I don’t think he should be compared with the Russell situation,” Erving stated, according to TMZ. “We’re fresh into that but let’s see how that works out. Maybe at some point in time. Bill was 86 years old, so address it like that to an 86-year-old — multiple champions, multiple coaching champions, multiple on-and-off-the-court champion, or whatever — there’s no comparison. I wouldn’t even try to compare Kobe Bryant to Russell.”
Russell is the only person in NBA history to win 11 championships and the first and only player to win titles as a player and player-coach for the Boston Celtics. He also won two NCAA championships and a gold medal in the Olympics. His devotion to excellence in the game and equality is society are why former President Barack Obama awarded Russell the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Dr. J said the Lakers should honor Kobe Bryant
“It’s more of a franchise situation with the Lakers,” Erving added. “If they wanted to do it, which I think they already have, that makes sense. But for the whole league to do it, probably not.”
The Lakers, to be sure, honored Bryant by retiring both of his jersey numbers, 8 and 24, and erected two statues of the late icon outside Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles.
Erving added he has always felt a sort of kinship with the late Black Mamba as Dr. J was a teammate with his father, Joe “Jellybean” Bryant in the 1970s.
“My friendship was with Kobe’s dad, Joe. We were teammates in Philadelphia when Kobe was born. I’ve always looked at Kobe the same way I looked at my children,” Erving told NBA.com.
