"Came over half court and let it fly like Steph Curry" - Julius Erving reveals the moment he realized just how good Jerry West was

julius-erving-and-jerry-west

Many great players have come and gone throughout the NBA’s history, but Jerry West was one of the first great players in the game’s history. The Logo dominated with the Los Angeles Lakers, and he was consistently one of the best scorers and passers in the game.

Once Jerry retired, guys like Julius Erving came along and took over the league. While Dr. J and West didn’t play in the NBA at the same time, Julius watched the legendary Laker when he was growing up, and he recalled a specific moment that showed him just how good “Mr. Clutch” was.

Erving realized how good Jerry was in the 1970

Despite his accomplishments, West’s career is largely defined by his lopsided NBA Finals record. The Logo made it to the Finals nine times in his career but only managed to win one championship when all was said and done.

That abysmal Finals record wasn’t solely West’s fault, though, as he did everything he could to win with the Lakers. Erving recalled watching him in the 1970 NBA Finals, making shots from Stephen Curry-like distances to keep his team competitive against the New York Knicks.

“I remember when they played the Knicks and Willis Reed, Clyde Frazier, Knicks had a great team, and they played Los Angeles, Wilt was playing with Los Angeles,” Erving said on The Big Podcast with Shaq. “There was one game, there was no three-point line, Jerry West came over half court and let it fly like Steph Curry. Let it fly, it went in, he ran back…This man, he got heart, he ain’t got no fear, and in matchup situations, you gonna have your hands full if you have to play against him.”

West helped pave the path for players like Dr. J

The Logo has become many different things in the NBA world throughout his life, but the first thing he became was one of the best all-around players in the game. Julius saw as much in this Finals series when he did whatever he could to keep the Lakers competitive.

West’s competitive spirit has helped make the NBA what it is today. The sport was less popular than it is nowadays, which meant that winning championships wasn’t exactly considered the legacy-defining achievement that it is today.

But the Logo knew how important winning the NBA Finals was, and he devoted his career to doing so, even if he came up painstakingly short so many times. In a way, Erving was the same way, as he fought long and hard to win his one championship in 1983.

Even if the three-point line didn’t exist yet, West showed off his fearless demeanor by shooting the ball from distances that Curry regularly does nowadays. Jerry was ahead of his time in many ways, and this quick note from Erving is a testament to just that.