Julius Erving Biography and Interesting Facts

Julius Erving (Dr. J) Biography and Interesting Facts

Julius Erving was many things over the course of his Hall of Fame career -- Scoring leader, MVP, world champion, and the games all time creative basketball genius. More than anything, Julius Erving was the class act in basketball. He might be the only player who had no enemies and about whome no serious criticism was ever leveled. What made Dr. J so special was not what he could do, but what he did do! Erving would guard the other team's best player and mix it up with the seven footers to give his team an edge under the boards. For 16 years Julius erving extended the limits of the sport and opened a door to the future by proving once and for all that basketball was at its most breathtaking when played above the rim.

When Julius Erving left the University of Massachusetts after his junior year to join the ABA's Virginia Squires in 1971, he was virtually unknown. However, Erving's play was so spectacular that within weeks Dr. J was being hailed as the best forward of all time.

In Julius Erving's first preseason game, he did things no one had seen before, like leaping above the rim for one handed rebounds, turning and firing outlet passes before his feet touched the ground, or switching the ball from one had to the other before slamming it home.

In the 1972 NBA / ABA All Star game, a national tv audience finally got to see "The Doctor" operate, and he didn't disappoint. While bringing the ball up the court with his trademark long strides and dispassionate expression, Julius Erving showed fans how he could shirt into that extra gear that only he had. Waiting near the foul line to teach this rookie a lesson was the great Oscar Robinson. Erving picked up his dribble a few feeet before reaching the top of the key, put several moves on Robertson, then sailed right past him for a slam dunk that left "The Big O" in awe. Replays confirmed what all had seen but no one could believe. Dr. J had taken off in front of the foul line and jammed the basketball with plenty of room to spare.

When the next season started, Julius Erving continued doing his thing, showing the world at least one new move every night and leading the ABA in scoring. He went on to capture a pair of championships when he was traded to the New York Nets of the and he won the MVP in 1974, 1975, and 1976.

When the NBA and ABA finally merched in 1976, Julius Erving was the acknowledged jewel in the crown. CBS scheduled 12 nationally televised games featuring the NBA's newest superstar and nearly every team in the NBA sold out their games on Julius Erving's first trip to town.

That same year, Dr. J became a Philadelphia 76er. For the next 11 years, he continued to fill arenas, playing a brand of basketball that still inspires awe today.

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