Let me take you back to a time of afros and the Buffalo Braves. Naturally, ABA players are eligible for this list.
Point Guard: Walt Frazier
Walt "Clyde" Frazier is possibly the greatest Knick of all-time. He led the Knicks to both of their championships in 1970 and 1973. He was selected as an all-star in every season from the '69-'70 season to the '75-'76 season. He averaged 18 points per game in the 70's, and at 6'4, he would be considered a physical presence at the point guard position in today's NBA.
Shooting Guard: Pete Maravich
Pistol Pete was one of the best scorers of the 70's. He led the NBA in scoring in the 1976-'77 season. He was voted as an all-star five times in the 1970s. In the first season with a three-point line, Maravich's last season, Pete went 10 for 15 from three-point range. Most importantly, he led a very weak team in the New Orleans Jazz. Without a star like Maravich, who knows. Maybe the Jazz would've folded rather than relocate to Utah.
Small Forward: Julius Erving
This was by far the hardest position to choose. There was no extreme standout, but there were a few legendary players who were all on approximately the same level. I narrowed it down to Dr. J, John Havlicek, and Rick Barry. In the end, Dr. J's success in the ABA pushed him to the top. Arguably the best player to ever play in the ABA, Erving led the ABA in scoring in three of his five ABA seasons. He led the Nets to two ABA championships and won three ABA MVPs. Once he'd transitioned over to the NBA, Dr. J was still selected as an all-star in every NBA season he played. Although he didn't win an NBA championship until 1983, he was one of the most exciting and electrifying players of the 70's.
Power Forward: Bob McAdoo
Bob McAdoo is one of the most underrated players of all-time. This is somewhat understandable as he didn't win a championship until he was a role player on the Showtime Lakers, but McAdoo was one of the greatest players of the 70's. In his second, third, and fourth season, McAdoo led the NBA in scoring. He had arguably the greatest three-season stretch of any player until Michael Jordan. In the 1973-1974 season, McAdoo averaged 31 points and 15 rebounds a game. The next season, he averaged 35 points and 14 rebounds a game. In the next season, he averaged 31 points and 12 rebounds a game. For the next two seasons, his numbers took a slight dip, Mac averaged 25 points and 13 rebounds a game. All you young ballers, this is the best basketball player you've never heard of.
Center: Elvin Hayes
Elvin Hayes seems to be another player that's often lost in the haze, no pun intended, of the 1970s. Hayes is still the Bullets/Wizards' all-time leading scorer. He led the Bullets to their only championship in franchise history in the 1977-1978 season. Hayes led the NBA in rebounds twice in the 70's and averaged over 14 rebounds per game in the first five seasons of the 70's. Hayes never missed an all-star game in the 1970s. He did win his only scoring title in 1969 as a rookie, but his 70's are still worth the recognition.
