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Moses and the Doctor: Two Men, One Championship, and the Birth of Modern Basketball
The rousing story of two trailblazing superstars—Julius “Dr. J” Erving and Moses Malone—whose improbable alliance and unsung legacies shaped the wildest and most innovative era of basketball history.
In the early 1970s, playground courts across the United States were jammed with hoops buffs experimenting with showy moves and aerial shots that were changing the look and feel of a sport once stubbornly earthbound. Out of this scene emerged a pair of incomparable yet dissimilar streetball sensations, both of whom would make their name in the American Basketball Association, an upstart professional league characterized as much by flamboyance as invention. Julius Erving, better known as Dr. J, became a mythic figure whose airborne acrobatics inspired an army of high-flying acolytes. Moses Malone, a down-and-dirty banger, scrambled basketball apprenticeships forever by skipping directly from high school to the pros.
Into the 1980s, Erving and Malone switched leagues, won MVPs, shattered records, and led their respective clubs into the playoff’s championship round. But one prize eluded an NBA title. After suffering perennial defeat at the hands of Magic Johnson’s Los Angeles Lakers and Larry Bird’s Boston Celtics, the two eventually joined forces on the Philadelphia 76ers, blending their contrasting talents into a seamless whole. Together, Erving and Malone set out to accomplish what no other NBA team fronted by ex-ABA superstars had managed.
An enthralling social history as well as an uplifting underdog story, Moses and the Doctor intimately chronicles the hopes and heartbreaks of two basketball legends who revolutionized what was possible on the ground and in the air, and fueled one of the most thrilling and momentous championship seasons ever.
In the early 1970s, playground courts across the United States were jammed with hoops buffs experimenting with showy moves and aerial shots that were changing the look and feel of a sport once stubbornly earthbound. Out of this scene emerged a pair of incomparable yet dissimilar streetball sensations, both of whom would make their name in the American Basketball Association, an upstart professional league characterized as much by flamboyance as invention. Julius Erving, better known as Dr. J, became a mythic figure whose airborne acrobatics inspired an army of high-flying acolytes. Moses Malone, a down-and-dirty banger, scrambled basketball apprenticeships forever by skipping directly from high school to the pros.
Into the 1980s, Erving and Malone switched leagues, won MVPs, shattered records, and led their respective clubs into the playoff’s championship round. But one prize eluded an NBA title. After suffering perennial defeat at the hands of Magic Johnson’s Los Angeles Lakers and Larry Bird’s Boston Celtics, the two eventually joined forces on the Philadelphia 76ers, blending their contrasting talents into a seamless whole. Together, Erving and Malone set out to accomplish what no other NBA team fronted by ex-ABA superstars had managed.
An enthralling social history as well as an uplifting underdog story, Moses and the Doctor intimately chronicles the hopes and heartbreaks of two basketball legends who revolutionized what was possible on the ground and in the air, and fueled one of the most thrilling and momentous championship seasons ever.
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Published February 17, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
January 29, 2026
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for this review.
Growing up in Northern California in the late 70's and early 80's, I didn't have cable television, not that cable was the massive beast it is today. But that meant I hardly every saw NBA basketball on TV, except for Sunday games on CBS. These games usually featured at least one of three teams: the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and/or the Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers were my favorite team because of one man: Julius "Dr. J" Erving. To my younger self he was just the coolest player on the court and he could do things I couldn't imagine doing. Personally, I think he was "The Human Highlight Reel" before that moniker was given to Dominique Wilkins.
Unfortunately, the 76ers always seemed to come up short against the Lakers and/or Celtics when it mattered most: the playoffs. Thus, when they finally beat the Lakers in the 1983 Finals it was a bit of vindication for me and my fanship all those years. But they couldn't have done it without the addition of a vital piece to the team: Moses Malone.
Author Epplin has written a great and entertaining book about the lives of both Malone and Erving as they came up through the ABA and then joined the NBA. Both were excellent players and received lots of accolades...but they both came up short in the NBA Finals until they were finally teamed up. Just goes to show you that one great player often can't do it alone.
Definitely pick this book up if you're an NBA fan.
Growing up in Northern California in the late 70's and early 80's, I didn't have cable television, not that cable was the massive beast it is today. But that meant I hardly every saw NBA basketball on TV, except for Sunday games on CBS. These games usually featured at least one of three teams: the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers and/or the Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers were my favorite team because of one man: Julius "Dr. J" Erving. To my younger self he was just the coolest player on the court and he could do things I couldn't imagine doing. Personally, I think he was "The Human Highlight Reel" before that moniker was given to Dominique Wilkins.
Unfortunately, the 76ers always seemed to come up short against the Lakers and/or Celtics when it mattered most: the playoffs. Thus, when they finally beat the Lakers in the 1983 Finals it was a bit of vindication for me and my fanship all those years. But they couldn't have done it without the addition of a vital piece to the team: Moses Malone.
Author Epplin has written a great and entertaining book about the lives of both Malone and Erving as they came up through the ABA and then joined the NBA. Both were excellent players and received lots of accolades...but they both came up short in the NBA Finals until they were finally teamed up. Just goes to show you that one great player often can't do it alone.
Definitely pick this book up if you're an NBA fan.
March 13, 2026
Excellent book. Awesome writing and reporting. Very informative and interesting. Knew nothing about Moses or DJ. Any sports fan can appreciate this one.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
A fascinating ode to the lasting legacy of the ABA and a reclamation of the 80s as more than just Magic vs Bird for a decade. Really hoping that Epplin continues with more long form sportswriting, as he is incredibly talented and I had a great time reading this one.
February 19, 2026
Luke Epplin has written a marvelous book on two of the greatest NBA players of all time -- Julius Erving and Moses Malone. For fans of the Philadelphia 76ers, this book is heaven. The last championship season, and the long struggle to get to the mountaintop. Julius Erving is still considered a hero to those fans from the 1970s and 1980s, and deservedly so. But it was Moses Malone, the lunchpail center, who did the dirty work on the boards, and pushed the team to the championship. I could not put the book down. It is a marvel.
March 15, 2026
I haven't read a better book on basketball. Two iconic players, each rooted in hardwood mythology from their days in the ABA. Joining forces for an unforgettable championship season that interrupted the Magic/Bird decade. And Epplin tells the tale marvelously. Deeply researched with attention to the best (most memorable) details, it's a time machine for a season unlike any other basketball fans have seen. I'll never forget the 1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers, and this book will occupy a prominent place in my library.
February 28, 2026
I’m a biased Sixers fan to whom Moses & Dr. J are sports gods, but this was an outstanding read. Like the best sports book in the tradition of David Halberstam, it is about so much more than basketball. The way Epplin weaves together race, culture, politics, class, and civic history into dual biographies that come together in the last Sixers championship is masterful.
February 24, 2026
RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: TWO OF THE GREATEST BASKETBALL PLAYERS OF ALL-TIME… EACH ON TOTALLY DIVERGENT ROADS OF LIFE…
UNTIL AT THE END…WHEN THEIR PATHS BECAME ONE… AND THEN THEY BOTH FINALLY WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP”!
THE STORY OF MOSES “FO-FO-FO” MALONE… AND JULIUS “DOCTOR J” ERVING.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The author… Luke Epplin… attempts a writing goal… that I’ve unfortunately seen fail… way more times… than I’ve seen it succeed… and that is trying to tell multiple… individual… biographical… stories… simultaneously…while weaving back and forth from subject to subject… and then somehow… come up successfully at the end with a near seamless… “crescendo”… at the conclusion… with the multiple protagonists… melded… almost magically… and synergistically… into one glorious rewarding outcome!
The famous Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups commercial… that was built around the accidental blending of peanut butter and chocolate into a world famous taste treat… is not an unlikely comparison… to putting Moses and The Doctor in the same uniform… on the same team… at the same time… which resulted in the Philadelphia 76ers winning the NBA Championship in 1983… and here we are… FORTY-THREE-YEARS-LATER… AND THEY’VE NEVER WON ANOTHER ONE!
The author… not unlike… an artist… painting… a multiple panel mural… goes back to Moses storied high school basketball career in Petersburg Virginia… where he led his team to fifty straight wins… and two state titles. Malone even at that young age… had only one commandment that he lived by on the court…REBOUND…REBOUND…REBOUND! Hard as hell… not be “tough as nails”… but being as tough as hitting someone in the head with a molten steel girder… of desire… and physicality! He never played any other way… in high school games… in professional games… in park games… in practices! Even after years of being voted the MOST VALUABLE PLAYER IN THE NBA THREE TIMES… AND BEING THE ONLY PLAYER IN NBA HISTORY TO WIN BACK TO BACK MVP AWARDS WITH TWO DIFFERENT TEAMS! (Rockets and 76ers).
“IF I LOOK AT A TAPE AND SEE MYSELF RELAXING, OR LAUGHING AND SMILING DURING A GAME, I SAY, “HECK, I AIN’T DOING MY WORK.” WORK WAS SO CENTRAL TO MALONE’S CONCEPTION OF HIMSELF THAT HE DISDAINED THE VERB COMMONLY USED TO DESCRIBE WHAT A BASKETBALL PLAYER DID. “YOU CAN’T JUST PLAY THIS GAME,” MALONE SNEERED.”
Moses basketball idol was Spencer Haywood... who was the first player to fight the existing rules and jump to the pros after only one year of college. Well… Moses did him one better… and while every college in the country was recruiting him… including offers of under the table… money… cars… houses… he was the first ever player to go straight from high school to the pro’s. And his professional odyssey started in the ABA. (American Basketball Association.)
“THE DOCTOR”… came from Long Island New York… his idol was the legendary Laker Elgin Baylor (unfortunately… for younger fans there wasn’t any 24/7 channels then)… Elgin was Jordan before there was a Jordon… and was The Doctor… before there was a Doctor. When he launched into the air for a shot… he went up to the fourth floor and dropped off all defenders at the second and third floor. Julius became a playground legend at the infamous Rucker Park when he was a mere teenager. He went to the University of Massachusetts… and jumped to the ABA after his junior year.
The ABA could not overcome financial hardships… in their battle against the established NBA… but Julius was now a legend above and beyond Rucker’s Park. He changed the essence of basketball… with high flying… soaring…with arms and legs flailing like a giant spider in flight… sporting a giant afro… and the basketball looking like a diminutive tennis ball in his otherworldly gigantic hands (at 6’7”… his hands were larger than Lew Alcindor/Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s who stood 7’2” tall!) Along with the ABA introducing the 3 point shot… red-white-blue basketballs… and the dunk contest… which The Doctor made famous to this day… his coming to the NBA led to an unbuttoned NBA… instead of the conservative nature of the then NBA.
Now that Moses and The Doctor… were both in the NBA… they may have once again been in the same league… but their personalities and demeanor's couldn’t be any more polar opposite! Malone hated the press… and never wanted to talk to them. If he talked… many reporters would disagree about calling it “talking”. He mumbled and grumbled…so most people couldn’t even understand the few alleged words that escaped his tightly gripped lips. His apparel would make a farmer look over dressed… but Erving….
He practiced his speeches…he stayed long after practice and games… to try and answer all questions… he always dressed in the most modern “hip” styles… tried to please every fan wanting an autograph…
But neither Malone’s Houston Rockets… nor Erving’s 76ers could ever win a championship… no matter how hard they tried… or how close they came. Then Malone signed as a free agent… and the 76ers finally made it to the promised land!!! Chocolate and Peanut Butter was (and still is) a great treat!
***DOCTOR J… FLYING THROUGH THE AIR… MINUSCULE BALL CUPPED IN HIS MASSIVE HAND… LIKE A LONE EAGLE’S EGG IN A NEST… EITHER READY TO BE JAMMED IN FROM ABOVE… OR AT THE LAST SECOND… MAKING LIKE MICHELANGELO… HE SWOOPS LOWER… BENDS HIS HEAD… SHAKES AND BAKES HIS ARM… AND SIMPLY… FLIPS IT BACK OVER HIS SHOULDER AND BANKS IT IN TO THE BASKET… (Rick Goldstein verbiage!)
“FEW MISTOOK MALONE FOR AN ARTIST. HE BORE MORE OF A RESEMBLANCE TO THE VARIOUS LABORERS… GARBAGEMEN, CONSTRUCTION WORKERS, PLUMBERS… WHOSE UNSUNG DRUDGERY KEPT THEIR COMMUNITIES FROM COLLAPSING. SPORTSWRITERS COMPETED AMONG THEMSELVES FOR WHO COULD STRETCH THE COMPARISON THE FURTHEST. “HIS FACTORY IS THE BASKETBALL COURT, THE FOUL LINE HIS MILL,” ONE WROTE. “THAT’S WHERE YOU’LL FIND HIM, GRUNTING AND SWEATING, HUSTLING ABOUT HIS JOB. NO CLOCK WATCHING, NO THUMB TWIDDLING WHILE THE BOSS IS AWAY, NO SLOUGHING OFF THE DIRTY WORK ON SOMEONE ELSE. NO-SIR, YOU SIGN MOSES MALONE ON A JOB AND YOU GET A DAY’S WORK AT A DAYS PAY.” (The author)
And you get the last World Championship in forty-three years by the Philadelphia 76ers. Both players became Hall of Famers… and both had serious negative personal issues aired out in public… among other things Malone in a court of law for domestic abuse… Erving cheating with other women and a child out of wedlock… failed businesses… and more… and the author reports it all.
And the story ends on one road… and what a literary trip it’s been!
UNTIL AT THE END…WHEN THEIR PATHS BECAME ONE… AND THEN THEY BOTH FINALLY WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP”!
THE STORY OF MOSES “FO-FO-FO” MALONE… AND JULIUS “DOCTOR J” ERVING.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The author… Luke Epplin… attempts a writing goal… that I’ve unfortunately seen fail… way more times… than I’ve seen it succeed… and that is trying to tell multiple… individual… biographical… stories… simultaneously…while weaving back and forth from subject to subject… and then somehow… come up successfully at the end with a near seamless… “crescendo”… at the conclusion… with the multiple protagonists… melded… almost magically… and synergistically… into one glorious rewarding outcome!
The famous Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups commercial… that was built around the accidental blending of peanut butter and chocolate into a world famous taste treat… is not an unlikely comparison… to putting Moses and The Doctor in the same uniform… on the same team… at the same time… which resulted in the Philadelphia 76ers winning the NBA Championship in 1983… and here we are… FORTY-THREE-YEARS-LATER… AND THEY’VE NEVER WON ANOTHER ONE!
The author… not unlike… an artist… painting… a multiple panel mural… goes back to Moses storied high school basketball career in Petersburg Virginia… where he led his team to fifty straight wins… and two state titles. Malone even at that young age… had only one commandment that he lived by on the court…REBOUND…REBOUND…REBOUND! Hard as hell… not be “tough as nails”… but being as tough as hitting someone in the head with a molten steel girder… of desire… and physicality! He never played any other way… in high school games… in professional games… in park games… in practices! Even after years of being voted the MOST VALUABLE PLAYER IN THE NBA THREE TIMES… AND BEING THE ONLY PLAYER IN NBA HISTORY TO WIN BACK TO BACK MVP AWARDS WITH TWO DIFFERENT TEAMS! (Rockets and 76ers).
“IF I LOOK AT A TAPE AND SEE MYSELF RELAXING, OR LAUGHING AND SMILING DURING A GAME, I SAY, “HECK, I AIN’T DOING MY WORK.” WORK WAS SO CENTRAL TO MALONE’S CONCEPTION OF HIMSELF THAT HE DISDAINED THE VERB COMMONLY USED TO DESCRIBE WHAT A BASKETBALL PLAYER DID. “YOU CAN’T JUST PLAY THIS GAME,” MALONE SNEERED.”
Moses basketball idol was Spencer Haywood... who was the first player to fight the existing rules and jump to the pros after only one year of college. Well… Moses did him one better… and while every college in the country was recruiting him… including offers of under the table… money… cars… houses… he was the first ever player to go straight from high school to the pro’s. And his professional odyssey started in the ABA. (American Basketball Association.)
“THE DOCTOR”… came from Long Island New York… his idol was the legendary Laker Elgin Baylor (unfortunately… for younger fans there wasn’t any 24/7 channels then)… Elgin was Jordan before there was a Jordon… and was The Doctor… before there was a Doctor. When he launched into the air for a shot… he went up to the fourth floor and dropped off all defenders at the second and third floor. Julius became a playground legend at the infamous Rucker Park when he was a mere teenager. He went to the University of Massachusetts… and jumped to the ABA after his junior year.
The ABA could not overcome financial hardships… in their battle against the established NBA… but Julius was now a legend above and beyond Rucker’s Park. He changed the essence of basketball… with high flying… soaring…with arms and legs flailing like a giant spider in flight… sporting a giant afro… and the basketball looking like a diminutive tennis ball in his otherworldly gigantic hands (at 6’7”… his hands were larger than Lew Alcindor/Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s who stood 7’2” tall!) Along with the ABA introducing the 3 point shot… red-white-blue basketballs… and the dunk contest… which The Doctor made famous to this day… his coming to the NBA led to an unbuttoned NBA… instead of the conservative nature of the then NBA.
Now that Moses and The Doctor… were both in the NBA… they may have once again been in the same league… but their personalities and demeanor's couldn’t be any more polar opposite! Malone hated the press… and never wanted to talk to them. If he talked… many reporters would disagree about calling it “talking”. He mumbled and grumbled…so most people couldn’t even understand the few alleged words that escaped his tightly gripped lips. His apparel would make a farmer look over dressed… but Erving….
He practiced his speeches…he stayed long after practice and games… to try and answer all questions… he always dressed in the most modern “hip” styles… tried to please every fan wanting an autograph…
But neither Malone’s Houston Rockets… nor Erving’s 76ers could ever win a championship… no matter how hard they tried… or how close they came. Then Malone signed as a free agent… and the 76ers finally made it to the promised land!!! Chocolate and Peanut Butter was (and still is) a great treat!
***DOCTOR J… FLYING THROUGH THE AIR… MINUSCULE BALL CUPPED IN HIS MASSIVE HAND… LIKE A LONE EAGLE’S EGG IN A NEST… EITHER READY TO BE JAMMED IN FROM ABOVE… OR AT THE LAST SECOND… MAKING LIKE MICHELANGELO… HE SWOOPS LOWER… BENDS HIS HEAD… SHAKES AND BAKES HIS ARM… AND SIMPLY… FLIPS IT BACK OVER HIS SHOULDER AND BANKS IT IN TO THE BASKET… (Rick Goldstein verbiage!)
“FEW MISTOOK MALONE FOR AN ARTIST. HE BORE MORE OF A RESEMBLANCE TO THE VARIOUS LABORERS… GARBAGEMEN, CONSTRUCTION WORKERS, PLUMBERS… WHOSE UNSUNG DRUDGERY KEPT THEIR COMMUNITIES FROM COLLAPSING. SPORTSWRITERS COMPETED AMONG THEMSELVES FOR WHO COULD STRETCH THE COMPARISON THE FURTHEST. “HIS FACTORY IS THE BASKETBALL COURT, THE FOUL LINE HIS MILL,” ONE WROTE. “THAT’S WHERE YOU’LL FIND HIM, GRUNTING AND SWEATING, HUSTLING ABOUT HIS JOB. NO CLOCK WATCHING, NO THUMB TWIDDLING WHILE THE BOSS IS AWAY, NO SLOUGHING OFF THE DIRTY WORK ON SOMEONE ELSE. NO-SIR, YOU SIGN MOSES MALONE ON A JOB AND YOU GET A DAY’S WORK AT A DAYS PAY.” (The author)
And you get the last World Championship in forty-three years by the Philadelphia 76ers. Both players became Hall of Famers… and both had serious negative personal issues aired out in public… among other things Malone in a court of law for domestic abuse… Erving cheating with other women and a child out of wedlock… failed businesses… and more… and the author reports it all.
And the story ends on one road… and what a literary trip it’s been!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this advance ARC in return for an honest review.
Moses and the Doctor is like manna from heaven for the long suffering Philadelphia 76ers Fan. Luke Epplin tells the story of the 2 aptly named basketball saviors who finally brought the NBA Championship to Philly after many years in the dessert after stupidly trading away Wilt Chamberlin. Although I met Wilt as a youngster and saw him in the '76 All Star Game, my introduction to the Sixers came around the time of the 9-73 team, cause no one, and I mean no one wanted tickets and I was getting them given to me as a young teen to fill out the deserted stands of the Spectrum.
After waxing poetic about Dr J and Moses dominating in the ill fated, yet highly entertaining ABA Epplin describes the problems they both had adapting to the more regimented NBA style. Even though the high flying antics of Dr J were not on display nightly, as they had been in the ABA, his Sixers squads were near the top of the standings year in, year out, but always falling short in the playoffs at the hands of the hated Celtics, in the Eastern Conference and dreaded LA Lakers in the NBA Finals. We Sixers fans are even reminded of the horrible "We Owe You One" billboard campaign after the Portland Trail Blazers defeated Dr J, George McGinnis and co. in the Finals of Doc's first season in Philly.
It wasn't until the workmanlike Moses Malone came to town, in one of the more lopsided trades (for once in favor of the Sixers) that the Doctor was finally able to get his due.
Epplin provides lots of details, and local color to tell the tale of the magical 1982-1983 Season culminating in Moses' "Fo', Fo', Fo'" proclamation that almost came to fruition. With a resurgent Doctor J and eventual regular season and Playoff MVP Moses Malone leading the way, the Sixers finally made good on their "promise" and nearly swept through the playoffs to snare that elusive NBA crown. You also get to meet the colorful supporting characters like the "Boston Strangler" Andrew Toney, the quiet yet efficient point guard Mo Cheeks, the sixth man of the year, Bobby Jones, and the rest of the championship squad. None of this probably happens without the steady hand of the "Kangaroo Kid" Billy Cunningham pulling these pieces together to form one of the greatest teams of all time.
Unfortunately it all came crashing down the next year, and the Sixers eventually trade Moses away in one of the worst trades in history ( as usual the Sixers were on the wrong end of this one ) and per Epplin the "curse of Moses" is still alive and kicking as the Sixers have never hoisted the trophy again, and we are stuck celebrating the 25th anniversary of the 2000-2001 team that just made it to the Finals this year.
Highly entertaining, and a must for any Sixer's fan or fan of the old NBA/ABA rivalry.
#NetGalley #MosesandtheDoctor #Sixers
Moses and the Doctor is like manna from heaven for the long suffering Philadelphia 76ers Fan. Luke Epplin tells the story of the 2 aptly named basketball saviors who finally brought the NBA Championship to Philly after many years in the dessert after stupidly trading away Wilt Chamberlin. Although I met Wilt as a youngster and saw him in the '76 All Star Game, my introduction to the Sixers came around the time of the 9-73 team, cause no one, and I mean no one wanted tickets and I was getting them given to me as a young teen to fill out the deserted stands of the Spectrum.
After waxing poetic about Dr J and Moses dominating in the ill fated, yet highly entertaining ABA Epplin describes the problems they both had adapting to the more regimented NBA style. Even though the high flying antics of Dr J were not on display nightly, as they had been in the ABA, his Sixers squads were near the top of the standings year in, year out, but always falling short in the playoffs at the hands of the hated Celtics, in the Eastern Conference and dreaded LA Lakers in the NBA Finals. We Sixers fans are even reminded of the horrible "We Owe You One" billboard campaign after the Portland Trail Blazers defeated Dr J, George McGinnis and co. in the Finals of Doc's first season in Philly.
It wasn't until the workmanlike Moses Malone came to town, in one of the more lopsided trades (for once in favor of the Sixers) that the Doctor was finally able to get his due.
Epplin provides lots of details, and local color to tell the tale of the magical 1982-1983 Season culminating in Moses' "Fo', Fo', Fo'" proclamation that almost came to fruition. With a resurgent Doctor J and eventual regular season and Playoff MVP Moses Malone leading the way, the Sixers finally made good on their "promise" and nearly swept through the playoffs to snare that elusive NBA crown. You also get to meet the colorful supporting characters like the "Boston Strangler" Andrew Toney, the quiet yet efficient point guard Mo Cheeks, the sixth man of the year, Bobby Jones, and the rest of the championship squad. None of this probably happens without the steady hand of the "Kangaroo Kid" Billy Cunningham pulling these pieces together to form one of the greatest teams of all time.
Unfortunately it all came crashing down the next year, and the Sixers eventually trade Moses away in one of the worst trades in history ( as usual the Sixers were on the wrong end of this one ) and per Epplin the "curse of Moses" is still alive and kicking as the Sixers have never hoisted the trophy again, and we are stuck celebrating the 25th anniversary of the 2000-2001 team that just made it to the Finals this year.
Highly entertaining, and a must for any Sixer's fan or fan of the old NBA/ABA rivalry.
#NetGalley #MosesandtheDoctor #Sixers
February 26, 2026
I grew up at a time when professional basketball aspired to be an afterthought among professional sports in the US. The NBA was an eight-team league the year I was born, with the Minneapolis Lakers as the western outpost.
You could see an NBA game on television on occasion, but they were not events. College basketball was at the time more dominant than the pros. Most of what you could learn about the NBA came from the sports section of the papers or, at least for me, The Sporting News.
The American Basketball Association was little more than rumor. You could read about it, but there were no games on TV and team were in places such as Greensboro, Louisville and Richmond, towns which no one was likely to call Major League.
The league was a show with the red, white and blue basketball, the three point line and the slam dunk competition. And they had stars, Artis Gilmore, Connie Hawkins and Mel Daniels.
But the two who shone brightest in the firmament of the ABA were Julius Erving and Moses Malone, two basketball hall of famers and two of the greatest players in both ABA and NBA history.
Moses and the Doctor covers the parallel careers of Moses Malone and Julius “Dr. J” Erving as they played in both the ABA and NBA, eventually coming together as teammates on the 1983 championship winning Philadelphia 76ers.
Epplin chronicles the tumultuous roads both Erving and Malone took to arrive at the pinnacle.
Epplin delves in to the (often) sordid history of the ABA (especially the finances), the struggles of the NBA to overcome its image as a league beset by players with tendencies for violence (on and off the court) and a league with well known drug problems and, in the case of the Philadelphia 76ers, two very different owners, neither of who was good for the franchise in the long run.
Epplin peppers the story with lots of local color to tell the tale of the magical 1982-1983 Season culminating in Moses' "Fo', Fo', Fo'" proclamation that almost came to be.
With a resurgent Doctor J and eventual regular season and Playoff MVP Moses Malone leading the way, the Sixers finally made good on their promise after losing in the NBA Championships three of the previous six seasons to snare the first Philadelphia NBA crown since 1967.
Epplin introduces you to the colorful supporting characters like the "Boston Strangler" Andrew Toney, the quiet yet efficient point guard Mo Cheeks, the first player to win the Sixth Man of the Year Award, Bobby Jones, and the rest of the championship squad. None of this happens without the steady hand of Billy Cunningham pulling these pieces together to form one of the greatest teams of all time.
Julius Erving is still considered a hero to Sixers fans from the 1970s and 1980s, and deservedly so. But it was Moses Malone, the lunchpail center, who did the dirty work on the boards, and pushed the team to the championship.
Luke Epplin has written a marvelous book.
You could see an NBA game on television on occasion, but they were not events. College basketball was at the time more dominant than the pros. Most of what you could learn about the NBA came from the sports section of the papers or, at least for me, The Sporting News.
The American Basketball Association was little more than rumor. You could read about it, but there were no games on TV and team were in places such as Greensboro, Louisville and Richmond, towns which no one was likely to call Major League.
The league was a show with the red, white and blue basketball, the three point line and the slam dunk competition. And they had stars, Artis Gilmore, Connie Hawkins and Mel Daniels.
But the two who shone brightest in the firmament of the ABA were Julius Erving and Moses Malone, two basketball hall of famers and two of the greatest players in both ABA and NBA history.
Moses and the Doctor covers the parallel careers of Moses Malone and Julius “Dr. J” Erving as they played in both the ABA and NBA, eventually coming together as teammates on the 1983 championship winning Philadelphia 76ers.
Epplin chronicles the tumultuous roads both Erving and Malone took to arrive at the pinnacle.
Epplin delves in to the (often) sordid history of the ABA (especially the finances), the struggles of the NBA to overcome its image as a league beset by players with tendencies for violence (on and off the court) and a league with well known drug problems and, in the case of the Philadelphia 76ers, two very different owners, neither of who was good for the franchise in the long run.
Epplin peppers the story with lots of local color to tell the tale of the magical 1982-1983 Season culminating in Moses' "Fo', Fo', Fo'" proclamation that almost came to be.
With a resurgent Doctor J and eventual regular season and Playoff MVP Moses Malone leading the way, the Sixers finally made good on their promise after losing in the NBA Championships three of the previous six seasons to snare the first Philadelphia NBA crown since 1967.
Epplin introduces you to the colorful supporting characters like the "Boston Strangler" Andrew Toney, the quiet yet efficient point guard Mo Cheeks, the first player to win the Sixth Man of the Year Award, Bobby Jones, and the rest of the championship squad. None of this happens without the steady hand of Billy Cunningham pulling these pieces together to form one of the greatest teams of all time.
Julius Erving is still considered a hero to Sixers fans from the 1970s and 1980s, and deservedly so. But it was Moses Malone, the lunchpail center, who did the dirty work on the boards, and pushed the team to the championship.
Luke Epplin has written a marvelous book.
February 15, 2026
A generous and emotionally resonant story about persistence and aging, with a team that finally did get over the crest of the hill before imploding more or less immediately. But it got there. Epplin posits Julius Erving as the incarnation of the ABA's spirit (though Malone, who retired in 1995 [!], was the last remaining ABA player), with its racial and stylistic signals, and thus a crucial part of the NBA story of transition to the Bird/Magic years. He makes a solid case for that argument of an important intermediate stage (where, canonically, the finals were on tape-delay) before the explosion, though as a matter of sports/social history, I think it would have helped to work through what gets passed down in the 80s itself: is Bird's game somehow in the ABA lineage? Epplin pauses to highlight an appropriately cinematic moment when Erving clinches the title for the 76ers by going one-on-one, which is enormously satisfying narratively and personally.
The counterposed figures at the center do feel effectively archetypal: Erving the crossover star ever conscious of how he was presented, consistently ready with a poised quotation (he memorably welcomed Malone to the ABA) or savvy soundbite, reaching for the kind of extra-athletic success that Jordan would monetize a million times over. (Short but sad subplot: his high-end shoe store, which fails in 18 months in stubbornly prole-identifying Philly, and of course he never made any money from all the pairs Converse sold.) The emotion as his NBA teams fall short again and again is honestly pretty wrenching. And Malone the tireless worker, monomaniacally focused on his craft to the seeming exclusion of much else and monosyllabically resistant to interviews almost, though not all, of the time (Bartleby the...rebounder, let's call him; please pay me copyright royalties on this brilliant coinage), though honestly it's hard to clarify--he remains stubbornly out of reach, with glimmers of personality that never quite cohere; hard to discern how much of the way he was presented captured him and how much was white-writer invention (an interesting subtheme would have compared how Black and white reporters perceived and presented him). The canonical "fo', fo', fo'" prediction seems to have been to some degree a rewrite of what he actually said.
Best lines about Malone's drawl and parsimony with words: "Moses," one member of an opposing ABA team reportedly says after he pays an incomprehensible visit to their locker room, "next time you come in here, you better bring an interpreter." But also, "Moses was known as a man of few words, but I'm gonna tell you, when he was around the ladies at the disco that night, he was Shakespeare," his best friend in basketball remembers of a night out in Louisville.
I enjoy Epplin's focus on these second cities' moments of glory, with crisp attention to their attendant political and social dynamics.
The counterposed figures at the center do feel effectively archetypal: Erving the crossover star ever conscious of how he was presented, consistently ready with a poised quotation (he memorably welcomed Malone to the ABA) or savvy soundbite, reaching for the kind of extra-athletic success that Jordan would monetize a million times over. (Short but sad subplot: his high-end shoe store, which fails in 18 months in stubbornly prole-identifying Philly, and of course he never made any money from all the pairs Converse sold.) The emotion as his NBA teams fall short again and again is honestly pretty wrenching. And Malone the tireless worker, monomaniacally focused on his craft to the seeming exclusion of much else and monosyllabically resistant to interviews almost, though not all, of the time (Bartleby the...rebounder, let's call him; please pay me copyright royalties on this brilliant coinage), though honestly it's hard to clarify--he remains stubbornly out of reach, with glimmers of personality that never quite cohere; hard to discern how much of the way he was presented captured him and how much was white-writer invention (an interesting subtheme would have compared how Black and white reporters perceived and presented him). The canonical "fo', fo', fo'" prediction seems to have been to some degree a rewrite of what he actually said.
Best lines about Malone's drawl and parsimony with words: "Moses," one member of an opposing ABA team reportedly says after he pays an incomprehensible visit to their locker room, "next time you come in here, you better bring an interpreter." But also, "Moses was known as a man of few words, but I'm gonna tell you, when he was around the ladies at the disco that night, he was Shakespeare," his best friend in basketball remembers of a night out in Louisville.
I enjoy Epplin's focus on these second cities' moments of glory, with crisp attention to their attendant political and social dynamics.
September 30, 2025
I got this from Netgalley, so I can read and review it before it’s published. Having just read a biography on Moses Malone and read Julius Erving’s memoir a few years ago, and also reading a memoir about Eddie Gottlieb, the man responsible for professional basketball in Philadelphia, I was intrigued.
This book is pretty detailed on specific games from both Moses and Dr. J professional playing days from both the ABA and the NBA, and how they got to be on the Philadelphia 76ers – Dr. J joined the team in 1976, and Moses in 1983. It also highlights how that 1983 team came to be from players to the head coach, Billy Cunningham. That team won the NBA Championship that season, after being defeated in prior seasons. It was kind of a last hurrah for them, as Dr. J retired in 1987 and Moses drifted to a few other teams, before retiring in 1995. Moses was the MVP for the Houston Rockets in 1982 and the MVP in 1983 for the Philadelphia 76ers – in addition, he was the Finals MVP.
Moses and Dr. J defined that era of the game. Prior to them, the duo was Wilt and Bill Russell. After, it was Magic and Larry. Then, it was Michael, Magic, Isiah, and Larry. Now, it’s Steph and LeBron.
This book is pretty detailed on specific games from both Moses and Dr. J professional playing days from both the ABA and the NBA, and how they got to be on the Philadelphia 76ers – Dr. J joined the team in 1976, and Moses in 1983. It also highlights how that 1983 team came to be from players to the head coach, Billy Cunningham. That team won the NBA Championship that season, after being defeated in prior seasons. It was kind of a last hurrah for them, as Dr. J retired in 1987 and Moses drifted to a few other teams, before retiring in 1995. Moses was the MVP for the Houston Rockets in 1982 and the MVP in 1983 for the Philadelphia 76ers – in addition, he was the Finals MVP.
Moses and Dr. J defined that era of the game. Prior to them, the duo was Wilt and Bill Russell. After, it was Magic and Larry. Then, it was Michael, Magic, Isiah, and Larry. Now, it’s Steph and LeBron.
March 26, 2026
Chronicle of the lives and careers of Julius "Doctor J." Erving and Moses Malone. The two began their professional careers in the ABA before transitioning to the NBA, where they would help to propel the Philadelphia 76ers to the championship in 1983.
Solid book that shines a light on two NBA legends. I appreciated the author's insight into the American Basketball Association. That upstart league would provide some legendary players to the NBA, most notably the two men at this book's heart. The style of play that was cultivated in the ABA also continues to be in evidence throughout the modern NBA. I couldn't help comparing this to "Heartland" the recent book by Keith O'Brien about Larry Bird's early days in Indiana. As a Boston resident and sports fan, I was far more invested in that story. "Moses and the Doctor" is capably written but felt like it hit most of the cliches and narrative points of most sports team books. The tarnished personal reputations of both Erving and Malone also lingered in my mind as I was reading this.
Solid book that shines a light on two NBA legends. I appreciated the author's insight into the American Basketball Association. That upstart league would provide some legendary players to the NBA, most notably the two men at this book's heart. The style of play that was cultivated in the ABA also continues to be in evidence throughout the modern NBA. I couldn't help comparing this to "Heartland" the recent book by Keith O'Brien about Larry Bird's early days in Indiana. As a Boston resident and sports fan, I was far more invested in that story. "Moses and the Doctor" is capably written but felt like it hit most of the cliches and narrative points of most sports team books. The tarnished personal reputations of both Erving and Malone also lingered in my mind as I was reading this.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Moses and the Doctor covers the parallels of the careers of Moses Malone and Julius “Dr. J” Erving as they played in both the ABA and NBA, eventually coming together to both play on the 1983 championship winning Philadelphia 76ers, and the tumultuous roads that both took to arrive at the pinnacle.
This was an interesting read that covered the early careers of both, highlighting information that I previously did not know. It includes tons of interesting stories and interviews. The writing style was easy to read and flowed really well. I highly recommend this book to any sports fans interested in learning about the ABA or either of these larger than life superstars.
Special thanks to Grandma Central Publishing and NetGalley for the advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.
February 10, 2026
I’ve read a lot about this era of basketball, including the ABA, and I still found myself learning something new. The research is strong, but the story is what really works. It moves fast and never feels heavy. What stood out most is how much care this book gives to Dr. J and Moses Malone, two players who often get overlooked in all time NBA conversations. Dr. J’s best years were in the ABA, and Moses was never flashy enough to get the credit he deserved. Together, they changed everything, and this book makes that clear.
The build up to the 1983 season is especially powerful. You see how close the Sixers came year after year and why Moses was the missing piece. That championship feels earned, not lucky. The book captures why that team still matters and why that era deserves more respect. If you care about the old NBA or the ABA, this one is worth your time.
The build up to the 1983 season is especially powerful. You see how close the Sixers came year after year and why Moses was the missing piece. That championship feels earned, not lucky. The book captures why that team still matters and why that era deserves more respect. If you care about the old NBA or the ABA, this one is worth your time.
March 27, 2026
This is the kind of sports book that reminds you why the genre works so well when it’s done right. The author isn’t just chronicling a championship season; he’s telling a story about contrast, timing, and how two very different personalities reshaped the game together. What really elevates the book is its strong sense of place in basketball history. Luke Epplin vividly captures the chaos and creativity of the ABA years, the NBA’s uneasy transition into a more modern, commercial league, and the shadow cast by dynasties like the Lakers and Celtics. That context makes the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers championship feel genuinely earned; not as nostalgia, but as the culmination of a long, unlikely road for Julius Erving and Moses Malone. It’s thoughtful sports history that shows how timing, persistence, and contrast shaped both a team and the modern game.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Growing up in Indiana, basketball was always around, so reading about Moses Malone and Dr. J hit a nostalgic spot for me. I was just a young kid when Dr. J retired, so I did see him play, just not with the understanding I have now. Moses, though, I remember watching all the way through high school. This book touched on a lot of things I didn’t know at the time and made me appreciate both of them in a new way.
It’s a great look at the era, the personalities, and how much the game was changing. Overall, it's good storytelling about two players who helped shape the basketball I grew up loving.
I’m really glad I was selected on NetGalley for an early ARC. It reminded me why Indiana kids grow up loving this game, the history behind it, and how all these players stories matter.
It’s a great look at the era, the personalities, and how much the game was changing. Overall, it's good storytelling about two players who helped shape the basketball I grew up loving.
I’m really glad I was selected on NetGalley for an early ARC. It reminded me why Indiana kids grow up loving this game, the history behind it, and how all these players stories matter.
February 17, 2026
A sturdy book that continues the process of providing a complete history of professional basketball in the 1970s and 1980s. For those who watched the sport during that era, one of the dominant themes was whether Julius Erving would ever win a championship ring. Seeing him achieve that goal remains a satisfying experience, even for people who weren't Sixers fans. There are no earth-shattering insights here if you're any veteran of that time, but it was good to revisit for a while. And, as always, if you want to read the definitive history of the ABA, read Loose Balls by Terry Pluto.
November 18, 2025
I've read a lot about this era of the NBA -- including the ABA and memoirs/biographies of Moses and Doc, respectively -- and I still found tons of new insights. As a result, the research blew me away. Then the narrative, it's so good. On par with Breaks of the Game. I also feel like the subjects don't get enough love in the NBA legends discussions. Doc's peak was hidden in the ABA; and Moses wasn't flashy enough of an MVP. Now they get their due, and it's so masterfully done.
March 19, 2026
Good to see Moses Malone heralded. He earned 3 MVP awards in the NBA, but he’s historically underrated because he was quiet, private, and uninterested in self-promotion.
Charles Barkley said Moses is “the nicest teammate I ever had” and “the most important person in my basketball career”.
Moses and Doc made for an odd pairing off the court, but they were fantastic, complementary teammates on the court (nod to Andrew Toney and Bobby Jones, too) 🙌🏆!
Charles Barkley said Moses is “the nicest teammate I ever had” and “the most important person in my basketball career”.
Moses and Doc made for an odd pairing off the court, but they were fantastic, complementary teammates on the court (nod to Andrew Toney and Bobby Jones, too) 🙌🏆!
February 22, 2026
A great read for any and every basketball and sports fan. You would be convinced that Epplin himself was following around Erving and Malone for their careers, as Feinstein did to Bobby Knight for the classic "Season on the Brink."
April 4, 2026
Loved it
April 8, 2026
Solid. Maybe Bird and Magic didn’t save the NBA alone
May 13, 2026
4 star story. 2 star narration of the audiobook.
May 15, 2026
This is one of the best books on basketball I've read. The writing style works very well, switching between Erving and Malone's stories until they are finally teamed up together.
March 8, 2026
Sixers ain't won a ship since these two crazy we should have won more with both of them.
Random I met Dr. J in the most random way possible, at a Free Meek rally where Rick Ross came in the chinchilla. He was gracious and as fly as one would expect in an Inspector Gadget trench that looked like it was 10x my salary at the time. The Doc is forever a Philly Legend
Life can be so funny
Random I met Dr. J in the most random way possible, at a Free Meek rally where Rick Ross came in the chinchilla. He was gracious and as fly as one would expect in an Inspector Gadget trench that looked like it was 10x my salary at the time. The Doc is forever a Philly Legend
Life can be so funny
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