AN All-Star on the court and a legend off of it, the life of one NBA Hall of Famer has had its fair share of twists and turns.

In almost two decades as a pro, George Gervin, now 73, cemented himself as one of the greats of the game, playing alongside some of the best players of all time.

3

Gervin was a three-time ABA All-Star and two-time All-ABA Second-TeamerCredit: Getty

3

He finished his career in the U.S. with a single season in ChicagoCredit: Getty
Born and raised by a single mother for much of his childhood in Detroit, Michigan, Gervin credited his mom’s strength and resolve when reflecting on his childhood with NBA.com in 2021.

“I’ll never know how she did it, but she had to be an awfully strong lady,” he said.

“Looking back, I don’t know how we made it. Somehow, she always made sure that we were never hungry.”

Come high school, Gervin joined their basketball team as a sophomore, but he was raw.

Looking to keep himself occupied and improving on the court, he agreed with the school janitor to sweep the floors before he left in order to stay late at the school gym to practice.

“It gave me solitude,” Gervin explained, adding that he “was alone in there for hours. There was nothing but me and my imagination.

“I had nothing else to do. In a way, I was really a fortunate kid. I never cared about crime, mischief, dope, or any of that other ghetto stuff. The only thing I cared about was basketball.”

He went on to study at Eastern Michigan for two years before his college career came tumbling down in a moment of madness.

During a Division II tournament, Gervin punched Roanoke College’s Jay Piccola, leading to his suspension and, he believes, his eventual dismissal from the team.

A brief stint with the Eastern Basketball Association followed before he headed for the American Basketball Association’s Virginia Squires.

Here Gervin played alongside fellow future Hall of Famer Julius Erving before the San Antonio Spurs bought the Detroit native’s rights.

A twelve-year tenure with the Texas team followed, starting in the ABA before they moved to the NBA in 1976.

Speaking to The Post Game in 2017, Gervin explained how he felt the merger “was the best thing that could happen to us (San Antonio) when we made that merger.

“The NBA needed a shock. I think the ABA merger really helped the foundation.

“They always say Magic and Bird saved them. I think the ABA did. It gave them the youth, talent. We merged in ’76. We had a chance to win it in ’78 against the Bullets. We belonged.

“For us, being ABA players, we knew we had something to prove. Playing against NBA guys, we played hard every night.

“If you look at the next year’s All-Star Game for the NBA, and see how many ABA guys were in there, it would probably shock you. We belonged there, man.”

During his time in San Antonio, Gervin would be named an NBA All-Star nine times, lead the league in scoring four times, and be named to the All-NBA First-Team five times.

In 1985, he moved back north to Illinois where he joined the Chicago Bulls, teaming up with a certain Michael Jordan during his second season.

But despite their brief time together, Gerving doesn’t believe Jordan is the greatest of all time.

He explained: “[Michael is] definitely one of the best to ever do it. Everybody says he’s the greatest of all time, but I’m not convinced.”

But when it comes to his own GOAT, Gervin remained coy, explaining that should someone ask him for his take, he’d respond: “I’d say, hey now, what criteria are using? That’s the only thing I can say.

“[Michael is] one of the greatest entertainers, one of the greatest winners, he could flat out play, his stats proved themselves, but he couldn’t score like Ice.

“He had his own way of scoring. He didn’t score like me. I didn’t score as many points as he did, but I didn’t shoot as much as he did.

“Mike and Kobe shot more times than anyone in the history of basketball. So that means they missed a lot.

“He shot 50 percent though (49.7 percent, technically). That kind of makes up for it. At guard. That makes a guy special.”

Gervin’s career then took him to Italy where he spent one year in Rome, a time of his life he clearly enjoyed.

“I loved it,” he admitted. “Got a nice check, lived in Italy. Went over there 190, came back 240. Food was good, kid was in school, wife was happy.”

He went on to suit up for the Quad City Thunder of the Continental Basketball Association in 1989, while also spending the 1989-1990 season with Spanish team TDK Manresa.

Following his retirement, he went on to establish the George Gervin Academy in 1995 in San Antonio.

Here they provide a free education for kindergarteners through twelfth graders.

Discussing his academy as well as his youth centers in the city, Gervin told NBA.com: “For me, San Antonio is my resting place.

“Just being a part of this community, I wanted to give back. I’m a part of a franchise that’s really involved in this community.

“It’s been a long time, man, and the Spurs have been giving back. Me being here and being a part of that system, I kind of wanted to do my own thing.”

If this wasn’t enough, Gervin has also built retirement homes for people on low incomes.

3

Gervin was nicknamed The IcemanCredit: Getty