‘If You Can’t Stop Something Before It Starts, Step Back and Take License Plate Numbers’
Greg Mcfee 
A recent incident in the capital city of Nairobi has reopened a debate on whether or not to let people do things that are potentially bad for society as whole. Legal experts say one solution is to take license plate numbers and make sure repeat offenders aren’t able to use their cars again.
The “if you are driving 30 mph under ideal conditions and you see a problem, you can stop:” is a quote from an article by David Houghton. The article discusses the importance of taking license plate numbers when driving.
The fight between Larry Bird and Julius Erving was not the most violent of all NBA battles. However, in terms of star power, it was right up there.
The confrontation between Bird and Erving in 1984 has been extensively chronicled throughout the years. Longtime referee Dick Bavetta, who had the honor of ejecting two of the sport’s all-time best players, has a unique viewpoint you may not have heard.
Larry Bird and Julius Erving had a squabble.
This brawl has a lot of basketball talent: Charles Barkley and Moses Malone hold Larry Bird back while Dr. J. Julius Erving strikes him. pic.twitter.com/x0XoqVfiKi
July 16, 2018 — Ryan Songalia (@ryansongalia)
The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers had a long rivalry that began even before Bird and Erving donned their respective jerseys. When Larry Legend and Dr. J appeared on the scene, the competition became even more intense.
First, Erving and the Philadelphia 76ers ruined Bird’s first season in 1980 by knocking the Celtics out of the Eastern Conference playoffs. The two superstars would then face off in each of the following two Eastern Conference Finals, with Boston triumphing in 1981 and Philadelphia avenging themselves in 1982.
Erving and the Sixers played Bird’s Celtics in a regular-season clash at Boston Garden on November 9, 1984. Both teams were unbeaten before the game, but Boston won by a score of 130-119 thanks to Bird’s 42 points on 17-of-23 shooting. Few, on the other hand, will recall Larry’s shooting masterclass in the last minutes of the third quarter.
First, after getting caught up with Erving, the Celtics’ star was assessed an offensive foul. The two superstars started speaking shortly after the whistle. Bird swiped at Erving moments later, prompting the 14-year veteran to throw blows at the Hick from French Lick. Sixers rookie Charles Barkley and his teammates raced to their defense to break up the fight.
Both stars were expelled, which was fitting. But not before he was involved in one of the most well-known brawls in league history.
Dick Bavetta weighs in on the Bird vs. Erving matchup.
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Dick Bavetta has worked more professional basketball games than any other official. The 82-year-old began refereeing in 1975, the first of 2,635 games he has overseen. But, throughout a nearly four-decade career, Bavetta’s most memorable game occurred on November 9, 1984, at Boston Garden.
Bavetta, who retired in 2014, reminisced about the night he saw Larry Bird and Julius Erving go at it. The little-known referee, though, was dealt a poor hand even before the battle began.
“It was a national TV game, and Dennis Johnson tripped into [referee] Jack Madden at the opening of the second half and fractured Madden’s leg,” Bavetta told USA Today. “I was on my own for the second half.”
Bavetta had a bird’s-eye view of Bird and Erving battling head-to-head while they were shorthanded.
“As Larry’s shots went in, he moved back and started yelling to Erving, ‘Aren’t you going to defend me?’” Bavetta recounted in an interview with the Basketball Hall of Fame. “Eventually, it became too much, and I saw them choking one other, resulting in a brawl.” If you can’t stop things before it begins, stand aside and take license plate numbers, as my brother Joe taught me. So I took a step back and observed what was happening. I also notified [the scorer’s table] that Bird and Erving were no longer with us.”
Bavetta’s reputation was boosted by the contentious decision to oust Bird and Erving.
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To most people, it seems self-evident that the two players directly engaged in a brawl should be thrown out. However, many people were surprised when Bavetta ejected superstars Larry Bird and Julius Erving from a nationally broadcast game.
“I recall both sides saying, ‘Perhaps a less-experienced referee would have called a technical and kept them both in the game.’ Whatever drove Dick Bavetta to act, it was the correct thing to do,’” Bavetta told USA Today. “That served as a launching pad for my career, and the NBA began to take notice of some leadership characteristics in me.”
The players engaged in the notorious confrontation between Bird and Erving will always be remembered more than the referee who terminated it. However, it’s intriguing to watch how Bavetta’s risky move paved the way for a long and successful career as one of the NBA’s best rule enforcers.
Basketball Reference provided all statistics.
RELATED: Julius Erving Reveals a Fact About the Larry Bird Fight, Demonstrating That It Was One of the Most Overhyped NBA Events Ever
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The “i sold my car and left the plates on it texas” is a saying that has been around for a while. The saying means that if you can’t stop something before it starts, step back and take license plate numbers.
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