CNN 20: Julius Erving Retires, May 3, 1987
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Our "CNN 20" today, Dr. J calling it quits.</s>FRED HICKMAN, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Dr. J didn't leave too early, and he didn't leave too late either. Clearly. I think his skills were beginning to diminish as a player, as far as the explosiveness and the jumping ability he had become famous for. Those things were starting to leave him a little bit. He can still play, and he can still compete, and he was still better than most everybody out there when he left. He was an incredible showman, but not in an intentionally showy kind of way. He just was very creative with the basketball, and that was a little bit different. That was a little bit different. Nobody -- a lot of people wanted to do the stuff that he did, but nobody could quite do it with, you know, with the consistency that he did. He was incredible. He had a great career. We all knew he had a great business mind, and he was going to do very well in business as well, and which he always had done, and then moved into the front office down in Orlando with the Magic there. So, you know, successful television guy, smooth, suave. You certainly miss watching Doc explode out there. Number 6 was special.