Julius Erving and Stephen Colbert discuss canceled game with Barack Obama and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Retired NBA legends get used to hobnobbing with famous friends and acquaintances, but that doesn't mean we commoners can't get excited when the prospect of an amazing team-up crosses our lives. Hitting the media circuit to promote his new book "Dr J.: An Autobiography," Julius Erving visited "The Colbert Report" on Tuesday night to talk to host Stephen Colbert about his life and influence on basketball. It's an enjoyable interview, albeit mostly devoid of the satirical gotcha journalism that typifies Colbert's political material.
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In a web exclusive clip, though, Colbert and Dr. J discuss an amazing exhibition game that never came to pass. In 2008, Colbert put on a week of shows in Philadelphia in advance of the presidential primary. As the clip below explains, he apparently had plans to play two-on-two with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar against Erving and then-candidate Barack Obama, all with Pittsburgh Steelers legend Terry Bradshaw serving as referee. The senator had to back out, but it could have been some amazing TV.
The Colbert Report
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Luckily, we did get to see Colbert and Dr. J engage in some kind of hoops competition during this appearance. After the jump, watch the two face off in a paper basketball battle (starting at the 3:30 mark). The results may surprise you.
The Colbert Report
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You have to respect Colbert's commitment to staying character. Liberal environmentalists hate it when you don't smooth out paper before putting it in the recycling bin.
(Videos via The 700 Level)
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is a writer for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at efreeman_ysports@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
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