Portland observer., January 14, 1982, Page 12, Image 12

Page 10 Portland Observer, January 14,1962
Doctor J: The model athlete
by Ullysses Tucker. Jr.
W ith o u t a d ou b t, Julius W in fie ld
E rv in g w ill go d ow n as one o f the
greatest b a s k e tb a ll players in Na>
tio n a l B asketball A s s o c ia tio n his­
to ry and there are not m any people
who w ill argue that fact.
Blessed with divine guidance, E r­
ving has achieved a level o f basket­
ball wizardry unimagined by m ortal
b a s k e tb a ll p la y e rs an d he has re ­
ceived every honor w ith the excep­
tion o f an N B A title even though he
knocked on the door three times.
“ D o c to r J .,** as he is a ffe c tio n ­
ately known around the w orld since
he kn o w s h ow to o p e ra te o n the
c o u r t, has also fo u n d th e tim e to
give h im s e lf to o rg a n iz a tio n s lik e
the Lupus Foundation, Easter Seals,
th e U n ite d N e g ro C o lle g e F u n d ,
M a r c h o f D im e s , an d a host o f
others.
" H e epitomizes the model profes­
sional a th le te ," says B illy C u n n in g ­
h a m , the head b a s k e tb a ll coach o f
the Philadelphia Seventy-Sixers and
fo rm e r N B A g reat h im s e lf. “ I ’ ve
know n a great deal o f players in this
m erry-go-round league but there has
never been anyone like Julius. H e is
v e ry in te llig e n t, a r t ic u la te , c iv ic
m in d e d , a g reat le a d e r, a fin e
h u m a n , an d he has h e lp e d o u r
yo un g er players ad ju st to th e life ­
style o f pro basketball. H e is great
fo r th e o rg a n iz a tio n an d f o r th e
gam e o f b asketb all. I could go on
and on about him . H e is a statesman
fo r the N B A .”
DOCTOR J. ERVING
H o w does a person who has been
labeled as one o f the a ll-tim e greats
stay m otivated fo r basketball?
“ First o f a ll, it is a trib u te to be
considered one o f the greatest play­
ers ever to play the game o f basket­
ball and I must th a n k those people
responsible lik e the owners, sports­
writers, and promoters o f the sport.
1 rem ain m o tivated because 1 th in k
this is by far the best jo b in Am erica
and th e re is n o th in g else th a t I 'd
rather be doing at this point in my
life . I enjoy m eeting the v ariety o f
people that 1 do and many w ill help
me a fte r b a s k e tb a ll. B a s ic a lly , I
guess you can say that I'm still pre­
paring myself fo r life after I re tire,”
said Erving.
“ I also e n jo y p la y in g w ith the
guys on this te a m ," he co n tin u ed .
" W e have been playing together for
a few years now and we are very in
tune to each other. Everyone on the
team u n d e rs ta n d s th e ir ro le and
each o f us play it w ell. I th in k this
c lu b can be o ne o f the best in the
history o f the organization if we keep
playing at our present pace. Lastly,
I stay m otivated because I still have
th e d re a m o f w in n in g th e N B A
cham pionship.”
A soon-to-be five-tim e N B A A ll-
Star team member, Erving. a native
o f N e w Y o r k C it y , ju s t signed a
m u lti-m illio n d o lla r contract (three
years) and he plans to play it o u t.
H e says that he is in better physical
and spiritual shape than ever before
in his career.
W h en questioned about his once
questionable knees, Erving said that
they are no lo n g er a p ro b lem as in
the past and they are much stronger.
“ Before each game I put heat on
them and then I ice them dow n a f ­
te rw a rd s . I t helps to have such a
deep bench because I d o n 't have to
p la y a w h o le lo t o f m in u te s . T h e
new rule that prohibits players from
d o u b lin g up (o n m e) on the inside
like the used to also saves wear and
tear. It can get real physical in there
sometimes.” he smiled.
Since declaring hardship from the
U niversity o f Massachusetts and be­
ing d ra fte d by the V irg in ia Squires
o f the old A B A , E rv in g has tallied
2 1 ,6 3 5 p o in ts , g ra b b e d 8 ,0 9 1 re ­
b o u n d s , d ish ed o u t 3 ,7 1 8 assists,
and the totals increase each night he
appears on th e c o u rt. H e also has
the second highest scoring average
(2 0 .8 ) in A ll-S ta r game history and
he played on tw o A B A C h a m p io n ­
ship teams with the New Y ork Nets.
President o f his own corporation
c a lle d th e “ E rv in g G ro u p , In c .,**
the D o c to r handles the m a jo rity o f
his business tra n s a c tio n s an d he
stresses to the younger N B A athletes
h ow th ey sh o u ld le a rn how th e ir
m o n ey is w o rk in g fo r th e m and
where it is being used because many
p la y e rs go o u t o f th e league
" b ro k e .”
W h a t d o yo u th in k o f th e new
contract that the C o lu m b ia B ro ad ­
casting C o m p a n y re c e n tly signed
w ith the cable " 'm p a n ie s which a l­
lows kickback to the owners and not
to the players?
“ O u r p la y e r re p re s e n ta tiv e s
(Steve M ix and L io n e l H o llin s ) are
now being briefed on the situation
an d I'm sure we w ill k n o w m o re
a b o u t it a fte r th e P la y e rs A s s o ­
ciatio n meeting d urin g the A ll-S ta r
break in F ebruary. W h a t p ro b ab ly
w ill happen is that we w ill try to es­
ta b lis h some typ e o f fu n d fo r the
players asking the ow ners to put a
portion o f the money into it. I really
d o n 't k n o w th a t m u ch n o w ," he
said.
H o w do you feel a b o u t th e fu ­
ture o f the NBA?
“ L ik e a ll large c o rp o ra tio n s , it
w ill c o n tin u e to h ave its ups and
downs. But I think the future o f the
N B A is a very b rig h t one even
tho ug h some critics m ay not th in k
so. T h e league is d o in g some very
positive things in the co m m u n ities
around the country and the players
are being treated much better. T ru e,
th e re are a c o u p le o f fra n c h is e s
hurting econom ically and the atten­
d a n c e is d o w n in some c ities but
with the emergence o f these talented
young superstars in to the league, it
w ill get b etter.”
W hen asked about young athletes
desiring to be like h im , E rving only
smiled and considered it a blessing
and an honor.
“ It's a nice feeling to know that
people look up to me and respect me
the w ay they do. I d o n ’ t m ake any
e ffo r ts to m a k e th e m lik e me o r
want to be like me. T hat's why I be­
lie v e it has so m e th in g to do w ith
spiritual significance. I really d o .”
Billy Ray: Trouble in Rip City for the milk baby
Grassroot News, N . W .— In P o rt­
la n d , the most h ig h ly p u b lic ize d ,
most m isunderstood basketball
player is B illy Ray Bates. F ro m the
back hills and d irt roads o f Missis­
sippi B ate’ s ab ilites carved out a
place fo r him in the N a tio n a l Bas­
ketball Association.
H e recalls when he first picked up
a b asketb all. “ I was about fiv e or
six years o ld . M y m o th er w ent out
and bought us a b a s k e tb a ll, a little
ru b ber b all. 1 b u ilt a court and a
g oal. I gave th e b a ll to m y oldest
b ro th e r because I w anted h im to
take the first shot. W hen I built the
goal I le ft a n a il out and when my
brother took the first shot he busted
the b a ll. L a te r, we played on d irt
courts.”
Does Bates believe th at th e re ’ s a
difference in people from the N o rth
as com pared w ith the South? " I
th in k there is m ore prejudice dow n
S ou th . T he m ain jo b is sh arecro p ­
p in g , w here yo u liv e and w o rk on
o th e r p e o p le ’ s la n d . Y o u get h a lf
and th ey get h a lf. F o r m e to go
d ow n th e re an d see th a t it is s till
happening today hurts me. I kin d a
want to get them out o f th a t s itu a ­
tion but they d on ’t want to come up
here because they a re n ’t used to the
West C oast.”
Bates concedes th a t p re ju d ic e
exists here in the Northw est as w ell,
but i t ’ s hidden and m o re in te rn a l.
“ A lot o f things that you think peo­
ple care a b o u t, they re a lly d o n ’ t.
O ne is Black people. It has alw ays
been th at we were the underdog. It
w o n ’ t change u n til we as a u n it get
together and do som ething posi­
tiv e .”
H e now has a perspective about
his instant success in P o rtla n d .
“ W hen I first came here I was going
to prove som ething to m yself. 1
th o u g h t it was going to be m y last
chance to play o r try o u t in the
N B A . I had been cut fro m three
team s, H o u s to n , San D ie g o and
Philadelphia. W hen I went to M aine
to play in the C o n tin e n ta l League 1
used to wonder if 1 was going to stay
where I was or get into the N B A .
“ I cam e to the P o rtla n d T r a il­
blazers to give it m y best shot. They
b u ilt th e ir o ffen se aro u n d m e be­
cause they needed a person to score
and create something. They needed
a fla s h , someone u niq ue. I fitte d
rig h t in to th a t c ateg o ry. I cam e in
and did a good jo b , and everything
went m y way.
" T h e next year I d id n ’t start. M y
agent questioned that and asked me
i f I would like to stay in P o rtla n d . I
d id . T h e re ’ s a lo t o f p o litics in the
N B A . Y o u ju s t never k n o w w h a t’ s
going to happen. Y o u live d ay by
day. I could get cut to m o rro w and
tra d e d . M a y b e cut fro m th a t team
and th a t w o u ld be the last story o f
Bill Ray Bates.”
W ith in the last few months critics
have popped up everyw here ques­
tion ing the talents o f Bates, c la im ­
ing his p laying ab ilitie s were in a
slum p. “ I was re a lly depressed.
Things weren’ t going my way in ’81.
M y playing tim e began to go dow n
tro m 15 to ten , fiv e and tw o m in ­
utes. M y close frien d s to ld me to
talk to Jack Ramsey. T h a t m aybe it
wasn’ t a personal thing. It w asn’t. 1
w asn’ t doing the righ t things in the
o ffe n s e to b e n e fit the team as a
w h o le . I was w o rk in g w ith o u t the
system. N o w I ’ ve started w o rk in g
w ith in the system and the coach has
started to give me m ore tim e. Some
said that I was in a slump but I just
fe lt m y p laying tim e was lim ite d .”
Bates feels that since the m ake-up o f
the team has changed the offense
now is built for everybody.
T h e mass m edia in P o rtla n d has
never bitten its tongue when itc a m e
to B illy Ray Bates. " T h e media here
is to u g h . W h en you play good you
seem to get good w rite -u p s . But
when you got them w orking against
you they th in k th a t they can m ake
you o r b reak yo u . T h e y m ade me
and they trie d to break m e. But I
a in ’ t going to snap! I f they m ake a
decision on m y life I ’ m sure th a t I
w o n ’ t cry or my bones w o n ’t break.
I ’ ll ju s t go som ewhere else and be
happy.
" S o m e people in this to w n in te r­
fe re in m y personal life to o m uch.
I ’ m n o t as easy as th ey th in k . I f I
feel that I want to be with someone,
o r try to help th e m , I w ill. People
feel at ease w ith m e. W h e n we ex­
change phone num bers and I hap­
pen to explain m y situation to them
the next thing I k n o w is th a t i t ’ s all
o ver to w n . I had no idea th a t P o rt­
la n d was so sm all a to w n . I t seems
like people can’t hold it in, that they
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have to tell som ebody.”
As a P o rtla n d T ra ilb la z e r, does
Billy Ray Bates feel some people are
m o re le n ie n t, to le ra n t and m ore
w illin g to shine on to him? “ Yes,
som etim es. It also depends on the
people and the s itu a tio n . M y life
here in Oregon is the best it has ever
been. I ’ ve been able to help my fam ­
ily and m yself. I ’ m not alw ays a
basketball player. W hen I ’ m out in
p ub lic most people come up to me
and ta lk b asketb all. I w ould rather
talk about something else like busi­
ness or life. Just something else.”
Does Bates feel that Black a th ­
letes owe anything to the com m uni­
ties fro m which they came? " Y e s .
Black kids always approach me. M y
advice to them is d o n ’t revolve your­
self aro u nd basketball. There are a
lot o f o th e r professions. D o c to rs ,
dentists and businessmen to name
just a few . Playing basketball in the
N B A is a very fru s tra tin g business.
A n d a lo t o f B lack people d o n 't
come by it all the tim e. 1 w ould say
to the c o m m u n ity as a w hole that
w hatever you becom e, be success­
fu l.”
It was bro ug h t to o u r a tte n tio n
th a t B illy R ay Bates overslept d u r­
ing last F rid a y ’ s gam e. Because o f
this various m em bers o f the press
have u n fa irly criticized Bates for it.
W e feel that the fine th a t’s been as­
sessed is adequate compensation. As
Bates concluded our in te rv ie w ,
“ N o w is the tim e to th in k bas­
k e tb a ll. B asketb all is now on my
m in d .”
BILLY RAY BATES
(Photo by Richard J. Brown)
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