A hoops pioneer, Julius Erving is credited with helping attract more fans to the sport through his high-flying act and ball wizardry. He also inspired plenty of players of the following generations, including Michael Jordan, who once braved the challenge of succeeding Erving as the face of the NBA.

Dr. J likely saw a lot of Jordan in himself, considering that both of them were two of the most explosive hoopsters ever. But when asked which of MJ or Scottie Pippen he saw more of his game in, the Philadelphia 76ers legend couldn’t help but answer both.

“I think in the beginning, it was Michael’s, but I think as time went on, more like Scottie’s,” Erving told SLAM in 1997. “Scottie’s style in terms of taking the ball to the hole, and I think Michael’s as far as scoring from different positions and different angles.”

Battles between Jordan and Erving

Interestingly, Erving never got to experience playing against Pippen. The former Chicago Bulls star entered the Association as the No. 5 pick of the 1987 draft, a few months after “Doc” retired from the sport.

As for him and Jordan, they figured in several matchups when he was at the latter stage of his prime and “His Airness” was still an up-and-coming superstar.

MJ admitted once that he couldn’t dominate Erving as much as he wanted to. Who could blame Jordan, though? It’s definitely challenging for anyone to go up against the player he grew up idolizing.

In his first two contests versus Erving, he managed to put up just 15.0 points per game. On the other hand, the ABA/NBA trailblazer scored at least 21 in both games.

However, Jordan eventually got the hang of it. He recorded 31 and 40 in their next two faceoffs during the 1984-85 campaign, showcasing the ability to score from different positions and angles, which Dr. J alluded to. They saw one another on the court four more times, and Erving ended up with a 6-2 edge in the personal battles.

No matchups against Pippen

Perhaps the one-time NBA MVP was fortunate to have met the Bulls without Pippen. The 10-time All-Defense selection would have made it more difficult for him to attack the basket, especially since he was already nearing 40 years old in the late 1980s. As great as he was, even a peak Erving might have encountered some trouble against Pip’s elite defense.

Furthermore, Dr. J would have needed a lot of energy to cover Pippen on the other end of the floor. He even said himself that the Arkansas native’s ability to drive to the rim mirrored his own.

Still, given his competitive fire, Erving would never have backed down against a duo of Jordan and Pippen.