What 1979 basketball film did Julius Erving star in?

Julius Erving starred in the 1979 basketball film The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh. He plays Moses Guthrie, a star player on the struggling Pittsburgh Pythons, in a sports comedy built around astrology, teamwork and an unlikely turnaround.

The film follows a losing professional basketball team whose ballboy seeks help from an astrologer. The team is rebuilt around players born under the Pisces zodiac sign, giving the story its unusual central gimmick. Erving’s real basketball fame supplies the film with an authentic star at its center, while the cast also includes several other prominent basketball figures.

The movie was directed by Gilbert Moses and released by United Artists. Its setting, disco-influenced soundtrack and parade of NBA personalities have helped it develop a cult reputation, even though it was not a conventional sports drama. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Meadowlark Lemon are among the basketball names who appear alongside Erving.

The title can be mistaken for a documentary or a serious account of Erving’s career, but it is a fictional sports/fantasy comedy. Erving was playing a character rather than portraying himself, although the role naturally draws on his stature as one of basketball’s biggest stars.