PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Virginia Squires made history on and off the basketball court. And on Friday, the City of Portsmouth is honoring a team that helped pave the way for others in the sport.
Hampton Roads once played home to the Virginia Squires of the long-gone American Basketball Association (ABA) in the 1970s. Often credited with revolutionizing the way the game is played, the ABA merged with the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1976.
Some of the greatest in the game suited up for the Squires, including Hall of Famers Julius “Doctor J” Erving, George “The Iceman" Gervin, and Charlie Scott, just to name a few.
Many of those games occurred at Norfolk Scope or the Hampton Coliseum. Former members of those teams reunited on Friday from the Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel, including Erving, Gervin and Scott.
"It brings back good memories," said Scott who would later move on to the NBA with the Phoenix Suns and later won a title with the Boston Celtics. "It was the beginning of playing professional basketball. It was the beginning of being out on my own."
Gervin added, "I'm humbled. I'm so thankful that the Squires gave me the opportunity to become a young professional ABA ball player."
As for Erving, who would go on to win two ABA championships with the Nets and one NBA title with the 76ers, coming back meant plenty. "It's warm and fuzzy", says the 11-time All-Star. "The special thing about the ABA, we were one for all and all for one. So if somebody had some credit, some credentials, or notoriety, everybody fed off of that and we did that with one another."