tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812670776373470303.post795542457893781144..comments2024-03-11T15:46:13.155-04:00Comments on In The Arena: Ruminations About Competition: Anticipation and MemoryDavid Friedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08444347475303187373noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812670776373470303.post-47546652762030567622007-07-17T18:42:00.000-04:002007-07-17T18:42:00.000-04:00I think that all true Dr. J fans feel similarly to...I think that all true Dr. J fans feel similarly to the way that you do. We rue how close he came to leading the Sixers to the title in '81 and wonder how his place in history might have been elevated even higher if he had capped off his '81 regular season MVP with an '81 Finals MVP. If that had happened then he and Bird would each have had two NBA titles, instead of Bird leading Doc 3-1 (Doc also has two ABA titles of course). It usually is said that Doc "needed" Moses to win an NBA title but it could just as correctly be stated that Moses "needed" Doc. Bird and Magic both certainly "needed" their Hall of Fame teammates to win titles, so it should not detract from Doc or Moses' greatness that they "needed" each other. <BR/><BR/>I think that several of the members of the '82 team have said that, in some ways, the game seven win over Boston is even more memorable than the '83 title--just the idea of that whole group banding together against the odds and beating the Celtics in Boston Garden. <BR/><BR/>I don't think it's quite fair to say that Doc "struggled" in the '83 playoffs but it is true that he accepted a lesser offensive role to give Moses and Andrew Toney an opportunity to shine. Doc still came through at the end of game four of the Finals, and his scoring, passing and defense were important to the title run.David Friedmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08444347475303187373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6812670776373470303.post-33121822368780283232007-07-17T17:38:00.000-04:002007-07-17T17:38:00.000-04:00I'm a lifelong Sixers fan. Game 7 vs. Boston in 1...I'm a lifelong Sixers fan. Game 7 vs. Boston in 1982 was easily the most thrilling moment for me. I had my fingers crossed the whole game and didn't believe we were really gonna win until Billy C started taking out the starters. Based on what happened in 1981, that game was a storybook type redemption. There was a real sense that history had been made.<BR/><BR/>The 1983 season just wasn't the same to me. It didn't mean as much with a new guy, Moses Malone, doing most of the work, many of the mainstays like CJ and Double-D gone, and Dr. J playing like a role player and struggling through most of the playoffs.<BR/><BR/>The perfect ending to "We Owe You One" woulda been a title in 1982. It still pains me to think how close we came in 81 and how the Celtics lucked out by facing the Rockets while we always drew the Lakers.rcolehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08886037465254639237noreply@blogger.com