New Book Chronicles Sixers Duo & NBA Title
A new book, Moses and the Doctor: Two Men, One Championship, and the Birth of Modern Basketball, has been released that traces the partnership of Julius Erving and Moses Malone,…
A new book, Moses and the Doctor: Two Men, One Championship, and the Birth of Modern Basketball, has been released that traces the partnership of Julius Erving and Moses Malone, the duo that propelled the Philadelphia 76ers to the 1983 NBA Championship.
Written by Luke Epplin, the book highlights Erving and Malone as a historic pairing whose contrasting personalities — Erving's flair for showmanship and Malone's reserved, fundamental approach to the game — defined their on- and off-court impact.
According to the book, both stars began their NBA journeys in 1976. Erving reached multiple NBA Finals, while Malone joined the Sixers in 1982 after a stint with the Houston Rockets.
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The Sixers' 1983 championship came on the heels of a 65-17 regular season after Malone's arrival, followed by a nearly flawless playoff run.
Before the Sixers' title run, the NBA's prominence waned in the 1970s, while the ABA (American Basketball Association) thrived and produced many era-leading players. Writing for The Wall Street Journal, Alex Belth notes that while people typically associate Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Larry Bird with the NBA's rise to popularity, Erving and Malone emerge as the unsung heroes in the narrative.
“The popular narrative about Johnson and Bird resuscitating a faltering league is incomplete” without mention of the ABA “and two of its signature players,” Epplin notes in his book.
Watch highlights of the 1983 NBA Championship game featuring Erving and Malone.
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