New York, New York: Julius Erving, the Nets-Knicks Feud, and America’s
Bicentennial
纽约往事：记美国革命200周年时代的纽约J博士、篮网-尼克恩仇录
Posted on September 17, 2013 by Curtis Harris
1976 was an awkward time for the United States of America.
1976年对美国而言，诚可谓是多事之秋。
The previous few years had seen the military massacre college students at
home and abandon an unpopular, costly war abroad. A president had resigned,
narrowly escaping impeachment. And as James Brown eloquently stated in his
song, “Funky President (People It’s Bad),” times were bad, people:
过去的几年中，既发生了国内军队屠杀大学生的惨案，又不得不放弃耗费巨资，那不受欢
迎的海外战争。总统辞职，勉强躲过弹劾。正如James Brown在歌曲“Funky President（
People It's Bad）”中雄辩有力的陈述一样，世风日下，人心不古：
Stock market going up, Jobs going down
And ain’t no funky jobs to be found
Taxes keep going up, I changed from a glass
Now I drink from a paper cup, It’s getting bad
Amidst all the social tumult, the United States also prepared for the
bicentennial of its revolutionary birth. It was a much needed shot of
enthusiasm to reinvigorate the triumphant American spirit which was on a
prolonged vacation after such harrowing gut checks.
在社会动荡不安的情况下，美国仍在为革命二百周年的庆典做准备。美国精神在很长一段
时间内已被人遗忘，重振美国精神，则是一项需要极大热情的浩大工程。
Once the capital of the United States, New York City reflected this strange
dichotomy of enthusiasm and desperation. Crime and poverty were rising for
the five boroughs, but so were the magnificent Twin Towers of the World Trade
Center. The social grime that created miserable hardship also was giving
birth to the vibrant expressions of disco and hip-hop.
昔日的合众国之都，纽约很好的体现了当时那种既热情又绝望的两面性氛围。纽约下辖的
五个自治区，犯罪率和贫困率如世贸中心宏伟的双子楼般不断上升。社会的污垢给生活带
来了悲催苦难，同时也给充满活力的disco、嘻哈音乐的诞生提供了温床。
The dichotomy even extended to basketball. The New York Knickerbockers were
falling off the turnip truck, while the New York Nets were riding high.
这种两面性甚至延伸到篮球领域。纽约尼克队正慢慢的走下神坛，同城篮网则快速崛起。
Net Success, Knick Failure 篮网崛起-尼克陨落
The Knicks by 1976 were an exemplary case of crumbling American
infrastructure. The venerable franchise had been around since 1946 but its
fall from grace in the mid-1970s was precipitous. After winning two titles in
1970 and 1973 – while also appearing in another Finals in ’72 and the
Eastern Conference Finals in ’69, ’71, and ’74 – the 1975 Knicks won just
40 games, barely sneaking into the playoffs.
1976的尼克队是当时支离破碎美国社会一个典型的缩影。这支1946年建队的元老级球队，
在1970年代中期急速的走下神坛。在赢得1970年和1973年的两个总冠军后