Larry Bird Reflects on ‘One on One’ Game with Dr. J: ‘I’m Sure the Game Looks Ancient Now

In 1983, a video game titled ‘One on One: Dr. J vs. Larry Bird’ was released, allowing players to engage in head-to-head battles featuring NBA legends Julius Erving and Larry Bird. This gaming experience marked a significant milestone in the history of video games, and its impact has been noted by Bird himself, who acknowledged the game’s antiquated appearance compared to the advanced graphics of modern games.

“I’m sure the game looks ancient now – today’s games are almost like real life – but I’m proud I got to be part of an early success. Knowing that Julius and I were the first guys ever involved in something like it is pretty cool,” said Bird in a 2017 interview with VICE Sports.

The game was developed by Eric Hammond and published by Electronic Arts, serving as a groundbreaking release that catapulted the company to the forefront of sports gaming. The success of ‘One on One’ paved the way for the development and release of sports games in various genres, not only in basketball with titles like NBA Live but also in soccer (FIFA), American football (Madden NFL), and ice hockey (NHL). The legacy of ‘One on One’ extends beyond the basketball court, influencing Electronic Arts’ ventures into diverse sports gaming experiences.

‘One on One’ initially ran on the Apple II with 48k of memory and later expanded to other systems such as the Amiga, Atari 7800, Atari 8-bit, ColecoVision, and Commodore 64 until 1987.

Neither these old consoles nor the modern ones probably hold much significance for Bird, as he reminisced, “I used to play pinball as a kid and wasn’t really into video games.” However, after his agent explained the game’s concept, Bird admitted, “It was a great idea.”

A true game-changer

With input from Bird and Erving, ‘One on One’ introduced several innovative features, such as allowing players to choose to play to a specific score or for a designated amount of time. Offensive maneuvers included rotation, long-distance shots, and slam dunks, while defensive tactics involved stealing the ball, with aggressive button-mashing risking fouls for a realistic touch. Other defensive maneuvers also included jumping to block shots.

Notably, ‘One on One’ was one of the first sports games to include a shot clock and feature instant replays for standout plays and the ability to shatter the backboard with a powerful slam dunk, accompanied by the janitor cursing as he cleaned up the mess.

“I specifically remember the cover, it turned out great, really looked like Dr. J. and I just finished working out on a New York City playground… I can’t remember if we shot it in New York. We must have. Sure looks like it,” said Larry Legend.

Both later Hall of Famers inked deals with EA for $25,000 and a 2.5 percent royalty rate. Rumor has it that Dr. J. even snagged a bit of company stock, a savvy move considering the game’s impressive sales numbers and EA’s overall future success. So, at least in this regard, Erving had an advantage in the one-on-one with his NBA counterpart.