The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Joe and Jada - Julius "Dr. J" Erving on ABA & NBA glory days, evolution of the dunk & athletes' role in civil rights era

Episode Date: February 19, 2026

Fat Joe and Jadakiss are joined by one of the legends of all basketball legends, Julius "Dr. J" Erving. The Hall of Famer tells Joe and Jada about his glory days in the ABA with the New York Nets and in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers, winning 4 MVPs across the different leagues. He also tells unbelievable stories about his star-studded friend group in his earlier years that consisted of jazz legend Miles Davis, tennis great Arthur Ashe, Yankees Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson, and comedian Bill Cosby; his memories of playing during and in the aftermath of the civil rights movement spearheaded by Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X; and what it was like to catch wind of a new genre called "hip hop" when it was first catching on in America. Joe and Jada is now STREAMING ON NETFLIX! All lines provided by Hard Rock BetSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey guys, it's us The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey Jonas.

We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it. But, you know, tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from. some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel,

help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, fam? Isaiah Thomas.

And I'm C.J. Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast, Point Game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was part of you. You just understood. That's how personal it got. Wow.

Then after that game seven, Marquis come until he's like, you know I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball. So listen to Point Game on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Therapy is fantastic. But once again, it does not have a monopoly on healing. That's why I create the resources and that's why I create the community because I really just want you to have more access.

On the podcast, Cultivating Her Space, Dr. Dom and Terry Lomax create a space where black women can show up fully and be heard. It's tough because we're suppressing our emotions and so many of us are like high achieving individuals. Listen to cultivating her space on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. You know, Arthur was That's a tennis player in the world. Yes. You know, I had my basketball thing going 74. Miles was making music.

Miles would bring some music. We listened to it. We couldn't understand nothing. Two weeks later, it was running up the charts. The biggest song in the world, huh? Running up the charge. Yeah, yeah, what up, y'all? This is Joe Crack to Dawn.

Know who it is your boy, Jada. This is the Joe and Jada show. Every show legendary, every show iconic. You know what I mean? Live from L.A. All-Star 2026. Today's guest, when you think of the ABA, aha, do your homework before the NBA. When you think of basketball, when you think of adversity,

when you think of influence for such a long time. You think of style. Blueprint. Class. You also would never want to get slapped by this guy. His hands are like you to slap the hell out of you, so don't make a matter. Ladies and gentlemen, make some noise for Julius Dr. J. Irvin.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Thank you. Nice intro. I appreciate that. You know, I got to make it right for you, my brother. You know, happy to be here with you guys. I see we brought the fake palm tree from a New York. You see we got the fake palm tree with us?

We got the fake tree. Yeah, we brought the fake tree. Yeah, let me tell you something, Dr. Jay. I'm thinking if Dr. Dre got inspired by Dr. Jay. We out here in LA, I'm like, damn, you think Dr. Drake got inspired his name by Dr. Jay? Dr. Jay, one of a kind and so much. First of all, how's your wife? She's fine.

You got a power couple. Every time I see y'all, every all-star, we can I go back and I be like, damn, they're the flyest couple and the gang. Thank you for the compliment. She was back at the hotel with her girlfriend and she got some people out here since she spent a little time with them being there for me.

Super legendary. See, I don't go by the rules. Like, I don't look at the, the notes and all that. So me, I'm just shooting this shit off the top. He goes off script. So I'm off script. Right?

But when I think of me being a kid and looking at Dr. Jay, you know, the legendary dunks, was anybody dunking before you or were you the first one to do it with like an exclamation point? That's interesting. Plenty of balls would dunk before I came along. And even, even as a. a kid. I just watched Will Chamberlain

on TV and dunking the ball and being in New York you know, Knicks had a guy named Jumping Johnny Green. Jumping Johnny Green would catch it coming off the rim after a miss shot, throw it back down, run down to court like nothing happened.

Whatever. Smooth with it. Yeah, he was smooth with it. And in my community where I live, I live in Roosevelt, New York. It was like 15,000 people. Roosevelt Island. No, Roosevelt, New York,

the town of Roosevelt. Between Hempstead and Uniondale, all that. Nassau County? Nassau County, you long out. My point is I used to walk past Johnny Green's house to get to school. And I'd always walk slow when I got to his house.

I'm like, I just got to see this guy, man. Well, I ain't want to go up and knock on the door or anything. And I never saw him coming and going out of that house. But I did go to the garden and I saw him play. You know, we got something in common. I live in Wesley Snipes. You know, Wesley Snipes lives on my block. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Through day, present time. Yeah. I never seen them in my life. I'd walk. I do whatever. I see Worldwide West. I see, yo, where's Wesley Snipes? Yo, you know, he's my neighbor.

I never seen his wife. I never seen his kids. I never, like, you know how many times I went by that? like, yo, where's this guy? But Don Poole live right across the street from me. They'd see him. I never seen them. Your timing is off.

Damn. Yeah. They're both working, though. That would be something. He might be saying, you need to see you, too. I'm down the block, man. You know, Wesley, you know I live down the block. Knock on the door, baby.

Yeah. Knock on the door. So Johnny Green was smooth. Now, so you didn't invent a- Johnny Green. My old life, I thought you invented the dunk. They do credit me with perfecting some of the dunk shots. Because it just used to be, you know, a bit of a bit of a bit of over it in and roll on out.

And sometimes, you know, I might do no twist turn, change. That's before. Side. Because I had a real big hand, I could hold a ball with one hand. The swag guys just got us came to challenge you. you know, I would just move it back with the pro. So we'd throw them off, turning to people who would potentially be blocking the shot

or interrupting the shot and still complete the plane and just rolling out of there. So I've been credited with perfecting the dump but not in bed in the dump. There was plenty of dunking before I came in there. The ABA, what was that like? You know, it's one of the joys of my basketball life.

having started in the ABA and planned there for five years and during that five years, you know, having something to, you know, take my mind away and my heart away from some of the bad things that were happening in the world. Because, you know, I came out of high school with 68.

That's when Martin King was assassinated, 69, Malcolm X, assassinated. And 64, JFK was assassinated. I mean, came up in, you know,

dealing with tragic stuff during the teenage years. So, so we're going to college in 68 and staying there for three years and having the path

carved for a pro career. And the pro career, you know, gave you something to focus on, concentrate on, go through the challenge, of being your livelihood, knowing that the other opportunities, the other situations were, I think got drafted into the arm.

Like, a lot of my friends from high school were, they got drafted in the army. Someone went to Vietnam and never came back. So there was a lot of bad stuff, the Cold War between us and Russia, you know, during that time that we had times where there was fire drills in school where you had to, figure out how to go in the basement or hide, just in case there was a plane coming by attacking the United States

and dropping bombs, whatever. So when people talk about basketball, basketball was a game. As an amateur, it wasn't a livelihood, but it was a game, and it was a diversion from a lot of the things that were bad about the society that we live in. We have an ugly history in that regard, especially regarding race. You know, I was going to ask you right now, when you brought them both up.

I didn't realize JFK, then Monoofa King, and I didn't realize it was all in that little five-year run right there. Who's ideology you sided with more?

Malcolm or Mon Luther King? You know, we were Christians and we went to Baptist Church and my mother-father both from South Carolina. So, you know, they were down in the Bible Belt

in that regard. moved north, moved to Chicago first, and then into New York. And me and my sister and brother were all born in New York. So, you know, born there, bred there, and we dealt with all that. You said you was just finishing high school. And you watched the news,

and it's like Martin Luther King got assassinated. Then that had to be like real. How did you find out? That's traumatic. You know what I was on TV? I mean, we had TV. So it was from TV, how you found out. Yeah, yeah.

Actually, before that was on my dad's birthday. Yeah, my dad actually lived around the corner. My dad's from Memphis. He got assassinated on one of my dad's birthdays. Oh, yeah. So, though, his whole birthday shop is. That's the hotel, right? Yeah, at the hotel.

The hell is that. So, I mean, and her world heard about it at the same time, and there were various reactions. You know, I was in elementary school with JFK, and we went in school. And then when the shooting happened in Dallas or whatever, they told all the kids to go home. You know, so we just went out.

Some of us went, stayed in the park, stayed on the school grounds. People went home. And when Martin, I mean, it was riots. It was riots. And we got ugly out here. Suburbs, suburbs, cities. There were riots. with that because people

wasn't having it, but they couldn't change it. And the riots didn't change anything. A lot of things don't change, you know, because I think of John Lennon, he got assassinated. His man was singing about roses and fields and peace. It's a lot of ugly stuff, man. Yeah, because, you know, we've just had Super Bowls. And your man, Bad Bunny is the nicest guy in the world.

And the way they protested this guy and all that. Like, I was actually scared for him. Like, I was like, because there's so much division and hatred and all that going around. And this guy, just for singing, I was really worried about him. I was really like, yo, they might do something to this guy right here. And to sing, right? And so you see, like John Lennon, he got killed. He was the most peaceful guy in the world.

So case in point, we got an advocate for peace. harmony, love. So if you get a platform, you know, you need to promote those things. So I've tried to be about that with my success and my notoriety. I don't call it fame, per se, because, you know, fame.

Now people can be famous. Somebody can do to jump off a bridge. Now it is. Jump off a bridge and do something crazy. Oh, my God. And get fame and notoriety. So I think the topic should be respect. and, you know, you get respect in your genre, the industry, whatever.

I mean, you're on your way, so we need to use that platform in a positive way. I mean, that's what we try to do, especially nowadays. So I look at me and Jadikis, like Shaquille O'Neal with Charles Barkley. So, you know, we played the game. We won chips. We did everything. that we talk about hip hop and lifestyle. And the people respect it in that way.

I feel like the hip hop genre grew up now to the point of where we hit that commentary phase where they're like, you know, Jada Kis, some people think he's top five rap in the world. And in fact, Joe, we know he talked a lot of, you know, he took a lot of shit. So they came up in here and they took, you know, it's like Shaq and Charles.

But, you know, we try. to bring positive to everything. We don't even engage. When they got World War III in hip hop, they call us first and be like, yo, we want to come up and curse the other rap out and this and that. We'd be like, yeah, we don't really want that. Like, you know, I'm sorry, guys.

Wrong guys. Yeah, we're not taking sides. We just not. And then people have the misconception, especially now. They have a misconception where they feel like everything has to be negative. everything has to be clickbait.

Everything has to be, you know, and they think that's, they literally think that's the only way to become successful in 2026. Yeah. Well, you got, you know, people, that's their opinion. It's not everybody. But sometimes it seems like it's everybody

because that person has a stage or those people have a stage and they're saying. And, but it's not everybody. I mean, I don't think, think there's anything on the planet, but everybody does to freeze, air, drink water, you know, whatever. So, but when you get your chance in your opening, you know, it's important that you step in and be accountable.

Accountability is something. I've been hearing more these days, and I think everybody needs to be accountable. And it's not age-related. No, it doesn't matter. I mean, it doesn't matter. I mean, I'll be 76 next week. you know great dr child yeah yeah so so that i get in front of a room of 16 year olds it's not like i got to talk to him like a 76 year old or 50 year old or 25 year old or whatever i kind of say

what's in my heart share what's in my heart and you know open and extend the hand of friendship to him you know like bill russell did to me you know when i was 19 and he had already finished his Korean, he extended the hand of friendship. We became friends right up until the time he passed away at 8 and 6. I like to do that. I like to mimic and duplicate what somebody has done for me.

How important is that? Giving back that knowledge and giving back that from jewels to the youth. Yeah. Things of that nature. So I have a documentary out. I have an autobiography

out. And It took a long time to tend that all the biography because I think I started at 43, 45. I didn't finish 10, 61, 62. Wow.

You know, in 2012. So I think putting it back in the universe is important. And my initial motivation was to get the story straight first person for my family

and the general generations that are down the line. So the uncle's aunt's nephew of meases, kids, grandkids, great children. I wanted them to have something first person

settled by me so they can know because I knew that the popularity of being a basketball player was going to have a lot of things said about me. Some are going to be true. Some are not to be true. So give them the first

person and, you know, affording, allowing yourself to go ahead and go through that process. It was a trying process for it. You guys written biographies and when you get to the traumatic section and you got to keep going over

it and you got to think of my traumatic stuff to happen. That's hard. And I did it. Yeah. It's a book. Yeah. So I had to go over. Like, and then my best friend got murdered in front of me. And then this, this, this, and you just relive in that.

Yeah. It's almost like peeling the orange. Like, you just like, you keep reliving the trauma back. Yeah. Some people want to bury it. Just bury it like it never happened. But it really did happen. You know, and it's part of what makes you who you are.

Well, my fear is the reason why I originally got into hip-hop journalism, and whatever you can call it, right? Start their IG, whatever, is I start watching hip-hop documentaries. Not for none, Dr. Jay, use some years in front of me. When it comes to this hip-hop thing, I was born in the birthplace.

You really can't tell me nothing about this thing. Yeah. Like nothing. When you're talking about a hip-hop historian, that's like if they bought a basketball and they stitched it up, I know who stitched it. Yeah, yeah.

And if you wasn't there, I know you wasn't there. And so now they start doing these hip-hop documentaries and they start having so-called historians, they weren't there. So they start telling their own narrative or whatever. And I said, yo, we can't do this. Because if we die in 20 years from now,

kids go back to the videotape, they're not going to get the real answers. They're not getting authentic. Yeah, that's why I started interviewing people and doing all this. because they were really fabricating different stories. And I'm looking at it. And these were credible people making these documentaries.

So I was like, yo, this is crazy. That's why I originally got into it. And then with me writing a book, I just knew for a fact, if I died, they called me a liar, terrible, while I'm alive. Yeah, they could. So I had to tell my book before somebody would have came and said, yo, this guy's this, this guy's that, this guy's.

And when you let somebody else tell your story, never going to be right. It could be the closest ones to you, not even in a bad way. They seemed it a different way than you saw it. Yeah. So it's very important that people, you know, document. And also who we were talking about yesterday,

about inspiration. Somebody was talking about, we was talking about that bitch. It's about inspiring, you know, the kids behind you and letting them know that it's possible. hope, you know, hope and it's possible. And, you know, a lot of, you know, like you said,

I had to see it to believe it. You know, one thing I'd never been was jealous. And so I always looked at everybody else. That won, he said, yo, we could do that. Like, always been inspired by greatness and people who won or people made money or people, I always was like, yes.

Well, if he did that, he can't be a bigger bullshit. shitter than me. I'm going to get to that fucking bag. You know what I'm saying? I'm like, yo, I'm going to get to it. It's doable. It's attainable. I'm going to go for it. Yeah. You know.

You know, just listening to you, it makes me think about one of the things that I learned in my lifetime because through my grandparents, my great grandparents, and I noticed that there was a Native American heritage, in my great-grandmother's

look and hair and so on and so what I was my curiosity and, you know, I befriended some Native Americans over the years and one of the takeaways, one of the biggest takeaways

was they talk about doing stuff that will affect seven generations. You know, and they seem to be the only people I run into in my span of time that I've been here who talk about that. Because once you say that, well, it makes somebody stop and think. You think about seven generations with family.

Isn't you think right now? Yeah, yeah. It made you think right now. And you guys are probably doing that if you haven't already done that. That's going to have an effect on seven generations. You know, it's so weak. That's a beautiful thing. You know what so went to.

I never passed three generations. Thinking about, like, as he said that, I never thought, huh? Seven. You know, you thought about seven. Hell no, I can't think of no seven generations. Yeah. But I could tell you who did. The wicked people who created the laws and did the systemic racism.

100 years ago, we didn't even have telephones. We didn't even have a call. We didn't even have a plane, but they made laws back at that time that's affecting us at this time to where everybody can't get to the bag. Systemic racism. They did that 100. They didn't even have a phone, a fax machine, them, but they thought of, okay, we're going to F these people up for 100-something years.

Whatever. Whatever. For eternity. They thought of seven generations. Thomas Jefferson and all of them. with the white hair. They thought of it in a negative way. Yes.

And they acted on it. Yeah. You know what's crazy is my grandfather, his sisters used to come visit once every 10 years, and they dressed up as Indians. And they wrote it in my book. It used to have moccasins.

They were Indians. They were. Like, now I'm in the projects in the Bronx looking at them like, yo, we got real Indians in our family from Puerto Rico. Yeah. You know, but, you know, I was too little.

Hold on, hold on. Was they Puerto Rican or was the Indy? They Taino Indians in Puerto Rico. The Puerto Ricans is Spanish, African, and Taiio Indian. That makes up a Puerto Rican. But what I'm telling you is that I don't know why I had some aunts and uncles that used to come in moccasins dressed like straight Indians in the South Bronx. With moccasins.

we over there with AJ's and overlaps, tank toss, looking at them like, I'm like, yo, they're Indians for real coming up in that joint. Look and learn, look and learn, man. Look and learn because from a cultural standpoint, you know, lots of times they do things differently and sometimes they do things better. I never seen them again after my grandfather died. His side of the family, unfortunately, never came back. Like once my grandfather died, like that was it.

Like they, you know, they're scary because I got, you know, I'm half Cuban. I got a bunch of stepbrothers and sisters. And since my father passed away last year, you know, we lose contact. Like, you know, some of my brothers don't call no more. My sister called yesterday because it was a year anniversary of my father's death. She was like, yo, how are you feeling, bro? Whatever, brother. You know, sometimes when people die, that whole part of that family,

Well, no question. My mother was one of 14 children in Baysburg, South Carolina. My father was one of 11. So I had aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, the whole deal. But once my father passed, we started relating to

mom's side of the family. So that's who you knew. That's he you spent the time with. That's he you remained it to. That's he you became close to. And, you know, death does that. Today's show brought to you by our presenting sponsor Hard Rock Bet, Florida's Best Sportsbook. I know it's tough with no football, but like the song says, I will survive.

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We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to a... We're the first people to do podcasts. Pretty, yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts throughout there. but this one's extra special. So how do we actually come up with a name

Hey Jonas, guys? I honestly don't remember. I think it was on a call about what we should call it. Well, we were thinking I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers. This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes.

I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing, a bit for the podcast, people could call in and say, hey Jonas, and then I wrote down on my little notepad Hey Jonas and offered it up as a potential title for the podcast. But thanks for remembering that, guys. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smigel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes.

Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Last night, a blown call changed a game. This morning, the internet lost its mind. Highlights are trending, opinions are flying, and nobody's telling you exactly what happened. That's where Sports Slice comes in.

I'm Timbo. Every episode, we're cutting through the noise. breaking down the plays, the controversies, and the stories behind the headlines. We go straight to the source, the athlete themselves, their locker room stories, their reactions, the stuff nobody gets to hear. The laughs, the drama, the triumphs, the moments that never make the highlight real. From viral moments to historic games, from buzzer beaters to controversial calls, we break it down, give you context, and ask the questions everybody wants answered.

Sports Slice brings you closer to the action with stories told by the people who live them. Listen to Sports Slice on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slicelife 12 in the TikTok podcast network on TikTok. The French Open is one of the toughest tests in tennis. And I know firsthand because I competed there myself. I'm Renee Stubbs. And on the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast, I'm breaking down everything happening at Roland Garris. Every match, every upset, and what it really takes to win on clay.

Jen Chinchin win. I mean, she went down to three to Rabakina, but I'm delighted. She's an outsider to win the French for me. And she likes Clay. Listen, Lerner Rabakina is arguably the best player in the world right now. And I actually can win on any surface. Because if she's serving, well, good luck. Consider this your court side seat to the French Open.

Listen to the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of IHeart Women's Sports. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year.

Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. always been jealous of your era. I know. It's not necessarily I want to be over.

You know, you're jealous. No, but you're right. Right. What I mean, like, he's, when I watch the movies from your era, they're doing the chin chintillis on,

the, uh, Frank Lucas movies and Nicky Barnes on the color, cover of, uh, time, you know,

rats, but, but I'm just saying they were the biggest that, what was it like at the time? At the time when you're the biggest guy, Dr. Jay was the biggest guy on the earth. At that time, when they talk about all this,

because, you know, we, we from New York, I don't know about him, but I'm assuming him, we from New York, we think Harlem's the flyers, right? And we think of all that. But that's about your time. This show wasn't going to have no flags.

What did I say? No, but. What I'm trying to say is, What's the flag? That's the cut off. No, no, that means foul on the play. I said something. I didn't agree with it.

He didn't agree with it, so he threw the flag. We usually got 100 of them flying. We've been real gentle with you, Mr. Dr. J. Mr. Irving. I show a respect. My thing is, what was it like in that era? Flyness.

Could we see you fly? You fly it in all of it. You got Will Chamberlain bragging, but he wasn't more swagged out than you. Yeah. And you was outside. How about your boy, Clyde? Clyde. You know, he's still wearing a cowboy suit.

Right? He got the cow. He's made out of cow. Clyde still rock his same suits. Yeah. The same suits? He might have them tailored up, but I think it's the same thing.

Right? You can't even find some of that. He got some of the finest cow skin to the materials that you ever see. You know, you know, I be trying to draw. dress, right? Well, he was cool.

He played the cool card. His management company used to represent me. So, yeah, it was... Your era, Dr. Jay. I'm trying to get you in this era, right? It's Harlem. New York City. You're from New York.

You're the biggest in the world. You're Dr. Jay. You slam dunking over everything. You're coming to the rock. I'm shutting it down. You got all these guys that we watched these movies of in the middle of your era. What was that?

Like, Dr. J, could you just describe to us what was Dr. G's life at that time? Was there a club in Harlem that was out of this world that you walked in at 12 midnight and was like, Dr. J, like, what was that life? I'm going to tell you the truth. So at a certain hour, you know, I would be in the after hours club. and I look around, I'm thinking, these people don't want to go home or they ain't got nowhere to go. Let me get the hell out of here.

Because I got a home and I was, you know, live in my parents' house because of early 20s. I stayed in New York until I was 26. So birth to 26. And I wasn't trying to be hard. You know, my mom, she raised three kids, and pretty much by herself.

She did marry. I had a stepfather. But she, she bared the load. And I said, I ain't trying to do nothing to make it harder than it already is.

I'm not saying being harder. So that was you there. Dr. Jay, everybody was coming up to your doctor, Jay. This is such and such. Yeah. Your Dr. Jay,

this is such and such. They had to be doing that, right? Yeah. Yeah. So, uh, me, Reggie Jackson,

Arthur Ash. Oh. Miles Davis. Miles Davis. The Bill Cosby. Whoa. So 1974. We would meet

frequently at Cosmosters. Right? And a lot of of the discussion was about time and place and what we doing. You know, Arthur was a tennis player in the world. Yes. You know, I had my basketball thing going 74. Both the time, MVP and the ABA.

Miles was making music, you know, and Miles would bring some music and he played. There was a thing called Divided Soul. We listened to it, so we couldn't understand nothing. And two weeks later, it was running up the charts. The biggest song in the world, huh? Running up the charts. We saw some of those.

Yeah, yeah, because you don't know. I mean, it's raw. I had that with Grover Washington Jr. You know, in Philly. He writes something. I'd hear it. Oh, that's all right. Next thing I know, you know.

That's the hat. Huff? What was that gambling huff? Gambling huff. Philly. Yeah, they were in Philly. They made great music. Cosby,

Cosby got all jammed up. And it was very, very unfortunate because, you know, he was, he was a good mentor in my life. Because he was older in us, and he hosted us in his house. And this is at 74.

So we in our 20s, veggie was a little older, me and Arthur about the same age. And Miles is a little older, too. So we had our crew You know That's a good crew to have Wow

Yeah you ain't got to You ain't got to Mount Rushmore Of Cruz You ain't got to go to no club You can't beat no off the ass No Reggie Jackson Mr. October Bill Cosby Jello pudding pops

This man was Fat Albert He had fat Albert Yeah So that To that help me because I had friends like that. And now, you know, Reggie and I are still friends.

He got an event going on in Vegas beginning the next month. So he just sent me a note, all right, you're going to be here? Hell, yeah, I would be here, you know. You know, you're going to tie me. You're a link to my past, and it was a great time. So you were a link to my past when I was on the top of the world. You know, and being talked about in that conversation, who's the best basketball player in the world? That's when that conversation was going on?

I was honest with you, Dr. Jay, you're still on top of the world. You're still on top of the world. When they see you, nobody, I know you might think it was a long. He lights up every roomy steps. Yeah, you walk in there, you swagged out to this day. That's why I asked you about your wife. You always look beautiful. you coming through, you floating,

they know what time it is on another level. And basketball players, more than anything, they got to study the tape. They have to study the tape. Basketball players, you know, I always tell a story.

I say, Floyd Meweather, who's undefeated and everybody called the greatest box, one of them of all time. I've seen a fight where he was getting beat up for six rounds.

And then he switched up the whole staff. and he beat the guy and at the end he was like Jack Dempsey I watched the videotape when he did this and that and the point is

it's the same story but it's relative to what we're talking about they gotta watch the video tape yeah you know and that's a wonderful gift you know having having a video to watch

you know now I think some of the stuff that people watch. Maybe they'll necessarily help them. You know, maybe motivates them to just get out there. But, you know, some of the, every, every piss video that's out there ain't good. No. Say it again.

Most are bad. Yeah. Most of bad. The majority probably is. It was more damaged than good. I'm addicted to social media. Like, you know, if I have a second, I watch my Instagram and this, this and that. But, you know, I'm kind of getting pissed off at all this, like, negativity and everybody fighting each other and everybody.

It's just like every day you wake up to see who's fighting, who, who's this, who's that. And it's kind of like played out. What you think, Kiss? What the world means love is love, sweet love. It's the only thing that there's just too little of. Good answer. Good answer. Today's state of the game.

How do you feel about it without, you know, a lot of people can't take conversation, then they misconstru it or they get emotionally drained or things of that nature when you just ask something like that. That's why we like to stay away from the questions that turn into religious arguments. or political debates. But just the state of the game, where is that today? From, you know, how you played it and saved it,

you know, how you feel about it. So I'm going to jump over into the racial aspect of it. You know, see, when I was coming up, black athletes got interviewed. You know, sometimes they get played. Somebody would ask stupid stuff. they give a stupid answer and then suddenly, see, that's why we

shouldn't interview the black guys because they're representing or whatever. So I was always kind of guarded with my dialogue and delivery and, you know, try to say things the right way or whatever because I grew up, you know,

seeing some bad interviews. I mean, for some terrible interviews, you know, especially with boxers and shitball players, you know, guys, you know, I was like, no, no, come on, man. We could do better than that because we are better than that. And that became a reflection on the race.

And unfortunately, unfortunately, you know, ABA was a breakthrough in terms of majority of players in the league were black. Wasn't that way in the NFL, wasn't that way of Major League Baseball. Baseball was probably second, you know, with maybe 40%. And, but the NBA, NBA was like in the 20s, you know, 20s. And so that's where the most work needed to be done. And then there were breakthroughs, you know, certain people coming up and handling it, you know, black commentators.

So they weren't going to play the game, you know. They tried to help the athlete who they were talking to. And so, so there's a track record. that you can follow and you could see, you know, basketball opened the stores, 1947. So 47, 57, 57, 77, 87, 87, 87, 97, 97, no, blacks became the dominant race in the league. So you got a lot of good interviews. And now comes the international player.

You know, the international player has to work his way. because they served people, you know, they didn't want to get on the microphone because they didn't really own the language. The female golfers that came from China and Japan or whatever. No, you got to learn English if you're going to play over here. You're going to make this money and take this money back. You got to learn the language.

They do that to the Latino boxes too. Latino boxes. They actually analyze that you make less money if you don't talk English. Yeah. Got to learn English. That's what he said. Yeah. So there were real times in which this got recognized,

and then suddenly, you know, people made the adjustments that were necessary to max it out, you know, to make maximum money. Well, I need to. I need to get my stuff together. And part of it is what kind of upbringing you have and what the influences are on you, school-wise, you know, I just hated to hear somebody being called a dumb jock. Because that was my space, you know, they called us jocks. And a dumb jock, that was, that was almost being worse than being called the N-word. It was derogatory.

Very. We had a bad, right? And so, you know, I'm going, you to watch, Puerto Rican. in 1970, man, I don't even know this is like, you know, when they say your ancestors dream, like I can't talking like that, like the way they was talking

in 1970s, the English, the broken English. They were, English. They didn't know, maybe if they were smart, they sounded dumb as hell. Yeah. Black people too in the South Bronx. I watched them in the 70s and I'd be like,

and now, you've got so many of your article, smart, intelligent, and billionaires, all kind of business owners and all that. Well, I'm just like, damn, we came a long, long way because when you watch that footage

of the Bronx and the 70s, you're just like, damn, how did we get here? Yeah. You know, so you were here. It was a miracle. Dr. Jay, you've been around a long time. You hear hip-hop.

Mm-hmm. Where do you hear for the first time? And did you know, when you heard it around that time, did you know, oh, this thing is going to go? No, I had no idea. That it was going to go to where,

you know, I mean, I was a rhythm of blues guy and a jazz guy. And when I heard hip-hop, I mean, I, you know, I had a cautious ear because it was all around, came from uptown, and, you know,

the characters associated with hip-hop. You know, I got a kick out of. You know, I'm just like, okay, I ain't trying to be them. And then they're not trying to be me. So they got their own genre and how far will it go? And it went to the moon. It went to the moon, man.

And there was no turning back because I think the overall acceptance of hip hop in the beginning was to be determined by the people who were the best at doing it and they not only grabbed the stage, they didn't let it go. You know, and

you know, I mean, someone, you look at, looking like Snoot, you know, for one thing. I mean, he's crossed over into... Forget about it. dozen different things. He's the host of the Olympics now. And not here.

But he's been doing it. He's been doing golf tournaments. He does so much variation of the theme, but he's still genuine. Because when he's talking, you know what he comes from. Where he comes from. And he'll be quick to tell you.

So, yeah. What did I feel about it? I mean, you know, you know, my generation was, you know, the rhythm and blues piece. And even in my house, you know, music my mom would play or whatever. It was just, you know, straight up love songs. It'd be a little mix of rock and roll in there. You know, like to rock and roll.

And you want to know what's crazy. You know, it's ill that he said the music that he grew up and listened to, his son was my man. Yeah, Jay Irving. I know the brother. The Jay, huh? Yeah. You know what's crazy is, I don't know if you've seen recently.

Homeboy Gene Simmons said that hip hop shouldn't be in the rock and roll Hall of Fame. This is the new talk. You can't deny that. I mean, you can't deny hip-hop from coming in, you know, being in the Rocker Hall of Fame is going to recognize. the sales, you know, and the... Impact. Yeah, overall impact.

Yeah, my thing is, didn't we create rock and roll? Like, originally, Chuck Barry. Yeah. Black people created rock and roll. I don't know. I got the facts. No, I got the facts. It might have been like that slam dunk question.

Because they didn't invent it, but they perfected it. affected. You know. Little Richard said, took it to a little bit of them. I saw an interview one time. Little Richard named every superstar of a rock person. It was like, y'all, he played in my band. I taught him how to do this.

I taught her how to do this. I taught, he dead ass was pointing out all the rock and roll legends talking about it. He taught him everything. Rape balls are fine. Okay. buddy with my flag. You got one. Where can we see the new

ABA? I know it's on Prime. I already see it. Yeah, Amazon Prime. I watched it last night. Okay. You know, I had the guy come in. Jerry Rigged, my TV.

Got it, and then I got an Amazon Prime account because I had an Amazon account or business name and they were like oh no this one's under

another one so I was under Amazon.com and then the Amazon Prime whatever it's their first month free

then it's $14 a month so I got roped into it because I said I want to watch this last night before I come out the day and this weekend and

they got us hooked up to me and my wife DeRise and We watched it from eight to midnight because it was four episodes in each episode, like an hour. And I will see it again. I probably will, you know, see it again with friends or family or whatever. We're going to do a big birthday celebration next week.

So I'm going to get that on in the background. It's a backdrop. You know, that should be good. So you guys need to check it out. And last night I thought I saw it, but I'm realizing I watched the old documentary. Oh. So I watched the documentary on you. Yeah, yeah.

That is called the doctor. I thought I was watching. I said what he came. I told Lori was there. She was like, yeah, you know what comes out tonight? I said, yeah, I watched it last night. She was like, no. That wasn't it.

You must have watched a old joint. No, the ABA is more than just me in it. There's a lot of people, Spencer Haywood and Rick Barry. And, you know, the people who were a part of the nine-year history. of the ABA. So, started in 1967, then we go back to that time. That craziness was going on in the country.

You know, it's nuts. I see it. I think it's in that documentary where it was segregated. Then they let black and white people play together. And they were showing the fans' reaction. They had white people. And they was like, yeah, I love this guy.

And I love that. And it showed how sports gelled everybody together at such a horrible time. Yeah. Well, see, you know, I'm from Long Island, right? So we had a team at the Salvation Army. And me and the guy named Archie Rogers, the two of us, and we had 10 guys who were not black who were white. Those were our teammates.

So we were a close-knit group in the summer. suburb, right, over in Hempstead. And sometimes we would go to games that were arranged for our team and the other coach didn't want his players to play against us. So this is 61, 62. And it would like, well, we play y'all, but they can't play. So our guy, Don Ryan, who's still there in Hempstead, the community and he's a

he's an angel sent from heaven. He said, let's go guys. He took the whole team. He left the building. He took the white boys too. Left the building. We had our team. We just leave the building.

And that would happen two or three times a year during our seasons when I was a member there and I remember it and I embrace it, you know, because that was so important for what he did. You think Muhammad Ali Jim Brown

you know all these athletes the forefront of the civil rights to me when I look at those times I just think of the courage like the courage you had to have but people are scared to talk right now

kids people are literally afraid this is the only time the president of the United States will clap back on Instagram at you the president of the United States be like yo, fat, yo, let me holl at you and tell you this. This is it.

Like, people are terrified to speak up now. And at that time, you know, it pretty much was hard to be, you know, because you risk in your career, you're risking all that. So when you were seeing guys like Muhammad Ali talking about I ain't going to the war and all like that, and, you know, what you thought at that time? Okay. So I was a little young for the heart of the movement. But I was well aware of the different players,

the Martin Luther Kings, Hamid Ali, Jim Brown, Long Island guy, Bill Russell. So he was already in basketball. And, you know, he was the ultimate champion in basketball. So kind of watching from the sideline, but, you know, not being ignorant. about what was going on because, you know, it was life or death. And, you know, like I said, I had friends who went to war. I had friends who followed Malcolm X. I happened to follow Dr. King.

So I was trying to, you know, be spiritual, you know, let religion be different than what was being said by the Muslim movement. And so being in there. And, you know, what, you had to, you had to believe in something. You had to take a stand in some capacity. So I followed Dr. King. It's beautiful. I follow Dr. King, too.

You know, it's crazy because I think of a scene out of the movie Malcolm X, right? And they're walking through Harlem and you see Reverend Al on a box preaching. that you see the Muslim saying you'll see the 5% of saying you'll see the Jehovah Witness like they was everybody was preaching in one corner take a side

yeah he said you've got to be about something he chose you don't stand for something for anything fall for anything I always say Dr. Martin Luther King is the greatest America never lived and gave his life

for it his courage was incredible he chose love over hate, chose peace, you know, and bringing the people together. Yeah. And he was authentic, too.

I mean, you know, he just dedicated his whole life to that, and people don't do that anymore. They're dedicated for a while and then somebody blowing their ear. Next thing you know, they're over there doing something

they're supposed to be doing. You got fake activists that get paid off to stop activating no more. And they're gone, huh? Yeah. because of the check under the table. It's always.

Once they catch that little check and check it out, I'd be like, huh? And they'd be like, yeah, and then all of a sudden, you know, they took the check, you know. Yeah, we're constantly looking for a new here, you know, a new difference maker. You know, somebody will constantly.

And some people will get pushed to that position. But, yeah, I think you have to be born into it. You know, it's not something you learn. It's not something you learn in school. Something God puts in you. Yeah. It says, hey, man, you got me. Don't have no fear.

Go represent your people. And so that's important. This ain't that? That ain't this. It's cracking kids. Make sure y'all check the documentary out on Amazon Prime. Make sure Dr. J. The Living Legend of Eye.

Well, thank you. Come knowledge yourself. Make some noise for the doctor. All right. All right. Hey, guys, it's us. The Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called, Hey, Jonas. We invented a podcast? Well, we didn't invent it. We just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts.

We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it. But, you know, tired and sick. tired and sick. Listen to Hey Jonas on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite.

Unhumor me with Robert Smigel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes.

Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the I-Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas. And I'm C.J. Toledano. It's our favorite time of the year on our podcast point game, the playoffs. We're digging into the biggest surprises of the season. And I'm looking back on some of my greatest playoff moments. If we didn't talk ever again, I was funny. You just understood. That's how personal it got.

Wow. Then after that game seven, Marquis come in to you, he's like, you know I love you, dog. You know, it's all love. This was just playoffs. This was just basketball. So listen to Point Game on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Therapy is fantastic.

But once again, it does not have a monopoly on healing. That's why I create the resources and that's why I create the community because I really just want you to have more access. On the podcast, cultivating her space, Dr. Dom and Terry Lomax create a space where black women can show up fully and be heard. It's tough because we're suppressing our emotions and so many of us are like, high achieving individuals. Listen to cultivating her space on the IHeart radio app,

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