5 Greatest ABA players who came into the NBA

#3 George Gervin

George Gervin was as feared a scorer pro basketball has ever seen

Go back in time and look for the precursor to Kevin Durant and you will find George Gervin. The Iceman could shoot it from anywhere, even before a three-point line existed in the NBA. The 22 per game scorer in the ABA upped that scoring average to 26 a game in the NBA. He is the fifth player to win three consecutive scoring titles, and won four out of five. The battle for the 1978 scoring title is a classic.

On April 9, 1978, George Gervin needed 59 points to win the NBA scoring title over David Thompson.When the Spurs played the Jazz that evening, he went out and scored 63 to claim it. ❄️The Iceman himself tells the story of his career night and the 1978 scoring title chase. 🎥 pic.twitter.com/hyQ8WBRqU0

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) March 24, 2020

#2 Moses Malone

Not many were as relentless on the offensive glass as Moses Malone

Two-time NBA MVP Moses Malone is one of the few players in NBA history to be traded the year after winning the award. He is one of the top rebounders in league history and won six rebounding titles. A true scorer in every sense of the word, the year before winning MVP, Moses averaged a career-high 31 points. It was his trade to join the next player on this list that finally gave Moses Malone an elusive NBA title.

#1 Julius Erving

Before hitting the NBA in 1977, Julius Erving was a three-time MVP and three-time scoring champion in the ABA. He won two championships in his five ABA seasons. He averaged 29 a game in those ABA years and 22 in the 11 seasons he played in the NBA. His dunk contest win in 1976 - the year before transitioning into the NBA - is widely acknowledged as a precursor to what is now seen on NBA All-Star Saturday night. Julius Erving is credited with saving two leagues - the ABA and the NBA from financial ruin with all of his whirling dervish style and flair. He was Michael Jordan before Michael Jordan, and still one of the most respected athletes to ever play pro sports.