Julius Erving

Cross-checked NBA and 76ers historical profiles, official box scores, Finals-moment collections, championship retrospectives, and recurring fan memory. Sportsboxd currently indexes Erving's NBA career only, so this is explicitly his NBA top five; his ABA title games remain outside the publishable archive. Iconic plays, elimination and championship stakes, and career-stage representation outweigh raw box-score order.

1. #1. Erving scored 23 points and authored his gravity-defying Baseline Move around Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, helping Philadelphia win 1980 Finals Game 4 and tie the series. NBA: Julius Erving's amazing 1980 Finals layup · NBA: Top Finals moments—Erving's baseline reverse
2. #2. Erving supplied 21 points, six assists, two blocks, and a decisive late three-point play as the 1983 Sixers swept Los Angeles to secure his first NBA championship. NBA: 1983 Finals Game 4 · 76ers: Philadelphia wins the 1983 title
3. #3. Erving recorded 29 points, five assists, three steals, and three blocks as Philadelphia won Game 7 in Boston Garden, prompting Celtics fans to chant 'Beat L.A.' NBA: 1982 East finals Game 7 · NBA: Legends profile—Julius Erving
4. #4. Erving scored 27 in a two-point win over the defending champion Lakers and completed his signature 'Rock the Baby' cradle dunk over elite defender Michael Cooper. 76ers: The definitive Rock the Baby dunk · NBA: Erving's Rock the Baby dunk in 1983
5. #5. In the final game of his first NBA season, Erving amassed 40 points and eight assists and nearly forced a Game 7 before Philadelphia fell to Portland by two. NBA: 1976–77 season review · NBA: 76ers–Trail Blazers 1977 Finals Game 6 box score

Reviewed through 2026-07-17