I grew up as a huge fan of Julius Erving. For many people my age, Dr. J was to the 1970's and early 1980's what Michael Jordan was in the late 1980's and the 1990's.

I respectully and strongly disagree with Erving's take regarding his criticism of Kevin Durant, contemporary player movement, parity, and super teams in his recent interview with Joy De’Angela.  That said, as an NBA immortal, Erving is certainly entitled to his opinion.

However, if not for Moses Malone, Erving would likely not have his 1983 NBA Championship. Erving's 76ers, with home court advantage, had just lost to the Lakers in the 1982 NBA Finals before Malone arrived. Malone was the 1982 NBA MVP. Erving was the 1981 MVP. The 1983 Lakers had four Hall-of-Famers on it with Erving, Malone, Maurice Cheeks, and Bobby Jones. If not for injuries, Andrew Toney would have joined them Springfield. Dr. J was on a "Super Team" with the 1983 76ers that seemed to rest on their laurels after that 1983 season.

Erving talks about there being a lack of parity in today's NBA and he's either being tongue and cheek about it or he is misremembering how the NBA competition was when he won his NBA Championship in 1983. In the 1980's only four (4) teams won an NBA Championship: Lakers (5), Celtics (3), 76ers (1), and Pistons (1). In that decade only one other team even made the NBA Finals: (Rockets, 81, 86). This is the exact opposite of parity. 

In the 2010's seven (7) teams won NBA Championships: Warriors (3), Heat (2), Lakers (1), Mavericks (1), Spurs (1), Cavaliers (1), and Raptors (1). In that decade nine (9) teams made it to the NBA Finals: Lakers, Celtics, Mavericks, Heat, Thunder, Spurs, Cavaliers, Warriors, and Raptors.

The 2010's clearly had more "parity" than the 1980's. In the 2020's, thus far, there has been a different NBA Champion each season and the Miami Heat are the only team, thus far, in the decade to have appeared in more than one NBA Finals.

Erving said that, and I quote, "The prisoners are running the show and not the Warden", referring to the flexibility that today's NBA players have over their careers. However his comments, especially the comments regarding parity, are a bit disingenuous. There's more parity in the NBA today than when the "Warden" was running the show instead of the inmates.

Julius Erving, in my opinion, is waxing false nostalgia, considering how he got his lone NBA Championship. The 2016 Golden State Warriors, with home court advantage, had just lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals and went out and got Kevin Durant to help them win the 2017 NBA Championship. Durant was the 2014 NBA MVP and helped the Warriors beat the Cavaliers in the 2017 NBA Finals. The Warriors' Steph Curry was the 2015 and 2016 NBA MVP while Durant was the 2014 MVP. The Warriors beat the Cavaliers 4-1 in the 2017 NBA Finals. The Warriors went 16-1 in the Playoffs. Durant was the NBA Finals MVP. The 1982 Philadelphia 76ers, also with home court advantage, had just lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1982 NBA Finals and then went out and got Moses Malone to help them win the 1983 NBA Championship. Malone was the 1979, 1982, and 1983 NBA MVP. The 76ers went 12-1 in the Playoffs. The 76ers beat the Lakers 4-0 in the NBA Finals. Malone was the NBA Finals MVP.

How was what Durant did so much more egregious than what Dr. J (and Moses) did?

Erving also criticizes Durant for changing teams multiple times. Apparently, Erving has forgotten that he played for just as many teams as Durant has so far. Erving came into the ABA with the Virginia Squires in 1971. He left college after his junior season and joined the ABA because the NBA would not accept early entry at that time. Erving had a contract dispute with the Squires and then jumped ship to the NBA with the Atlanta Hawks whom he had signed with in 1972, unbeknownst to the Milwaukee Bucks who took Erving in the 1972 NBA Draft. The Bucks, Hawks, and Squires all claimed rights to their "prisoner" and Erving only played three (3) pre-season games with the Hawks before a Judge ultimately ruled that the Squires still had his player rights, so Erving returned to the Squires and the ABA. Eventually the Squires, struggling with finances, sent Erving to the New Jersey Nets in 1973. When the ABA merged with the NBA, the Nets were struggling with fees related to the merger and Erving was involved in another salary dispute due to promised income from the Nets that was supposedly being compromised by the situation. Erving was dealt to the Philadelphia 76ers in 1976.

From a practical standpoint, that's only three teams. Technically, however, it is four teams (Squires, Hawks, Nets, and 76ers).

I'm not sure, exactly, what the disconnect is that many of the players of yesteryear have with today's NBA players regarding the flexibility that today's NBA players have. I do know, however, that Julius "Dr. J" Erving has this disconnect in layers. Erving, a few years ago, before NIL deals were allowed, stated that he didn't believe that college players should get paid. This is the same man who left the University of Massachusetts early because due to financial hardship.

Just imagine how the NBA media would treat it today if the player who won the NBA MVP last season (Malone) joined a team that had the player who won the NBA MVP the season before last (Erving) and that second player (Erving) had also just lost in the NBA Finals to the same team it couldn't get by two seasons prior. ...and then this "Super Team", comprised of the two most recent NBA MVPs, nearly sweeps its way through the playoffs en route to the NBA Championship.

Erving is certainly entitled to his opinion. ...but just imagine if that happened in today's NBA.

Just imagine.