Julius Erving Explains Why He Leaves LeBron James Off His All-Time Greats List

Julius Erving has consistently raised eyebrows by leaving LeBron James off several of his all-time NBA lists. But Dr. J says there’s a rather simple explanation why LeBron hasn’t received a spot yet: his career isn’t over.

In an interview with Scoop B Robinson, Erving was asked about his previous all-time rankings and specifically why LeBron has been excluded despite putting together one of the greatest careers ever in NBA history.

“I usually talk about retired players being part of all-time teams, not current players. So that basically answers that because LeBron’s not retired yet, and so it’s hard to put him in his position until his career is over.”

The Philadelphia 76ers legend has previously excluded James from various rankings, including his all-time teams and lists of the greatest players. He has occasionally made similarly unconventional choices involving other legends, with Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant also being absent from certain lists Erving has assembled.

Erving’s explanation is that LeBron’s omission should not be treated as disrespect.

But instead, Dr. J is not ready to assign a final position to someone who is still actively playing in the NBA, and now LeBron has another chance to change how his resume ultimately looks.

The 41-year-old joined Erving’s former franchise, the 76ers. And when asked about LeBron’s arrival, he expressed a lot of excitement around the superstar and his new superteam, as he made his position clear

“What’s going to happen in Philly? I think it’s going to be very exciting for the fans of Philadelphia. It’s going to be very exciting for LeBron. I think those guys, that particular team, can set some records and also win some championships. But they got to do it on the court, not with lip service.”

The final sentence captures Erving’s approach towards greatness: reputation and expectation only mean so much. Ultimately, accomplishments have to be produced on the court before they can be part of a historical case.

LeBron already has, as you know, a resume that guarantees him a discussion among basketball’s greatest players. But Erving isn’t ready to determine where exactly LeBron belongs before his final chapter is over.

His move to the 76ers can make this final chapter very interesting. Erving clearly thinks the Sixers have a lot of potential to break records and win titles. But he isn’t ready to crown them before they actually do it.

And that same principle seems to apply to LeBron’s all-time rankings.

Erving isn’t saying LeBron does not belong among the greatest players. He just simply wants to wait until LeBron finally decides to hang it up.