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Brent Johnston ©Stars and StripesTokyo, November, 1990: If the players in this pickup basketball game at a clinic for Japanese players and coaches felt a bit overmatched, it was a feeling shared by lots of professional players over the years. Dunking the ball is retired NBA legend Julius Erving, whose message to participants focused on conditioning. "The single most important thing in basketball is superior conditioning," said Dr. J. "You've got to be in better shape than the guy guarding you."

RELATED MATERIAL: Stars and Stripes' 1990 story about the clinic.