Julius Erving: Career retrospective

Julius Erving called Long Island home. He played basketball every day as a kid with his childhood friends at the local basketball court. He thrived in streetball, where he learned several flashy moves that would become part of his game in the pros. Erving had an outstanding career at Roosevelt High School. Even with an impressive resume as a prospect, Erving didn’t gain a lot of interest from colleges because he was only 6-foot-3, which is short for a small forward. He flew under the radar of the top programs in the country and eventually committed to the University of Massachusetts.

UMass was where Erving started to take off as an athlete. The freshman phenom became a campus celebrity, mesmerizing students with his natural athleticism. Erving averaged 26 points, 20 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 52 collegiate games. He also grew to 6-foot-6 in college.

Erving couldn’t dunk during his college career. The NCAA rules didn’t allow it at the time.

After college, Erving tested his luck playing on Earth's most famous basketball court: Rucker Park in Harlem. 

Erving, a relative unknown at the time, aspired to prove himself on the court. The only knowledge of Erving as a basketball player was from whispers that echoed from UMass. 

Rucker Park was where he proved himself. His high-flying antics wowed fans. Eventually, word got out, and Erving drew huge crowds. The park was packed. Erving pulled off incredible moves unlike anything ever seen before at Rucker Park. His status would only grow from there.

The American Basketball Association (ABA) was established in 1967. Its main goal was to compete with the NBA and surpass it. The entire league played the flashy brand of basketball Erving had mastered. They often had to get creative to bring fans to their league. They created the three-point shot, started the tradition of ball girls, and hosted the first Slam Dunk Contest in 1976 (more on this later). Perhaps their most creative move was getting Erving to play for them. 

Signing college underclassmen was a no-go in the NBA. The ABA was willing to take risks and break this rule in their league. The Virginia Squires came calling with an offer for Erving. He took the money and left college during his junior year. 

Erving played two years for the Squires. His status in the sport grew from there. The humble talent came out of nowhere with ferocious dunks and flashy playmaking.

The Virginia Squires were in dire financial straits heading into the 1973-74 season. To save their team from bankruptcy, they traded Erving to the New York Nets, his hometown team. Erving was happy to be back home, and the ABA was happy to have their superstar playing in the league’s biggest market. He made his debut in October 1973. A true showman, Erving dazzled fans with his stylish dunks and flashy scoring. 

Erving won the scoring title, Most Valuable Player Award, and the 1974 ABA Championship in his first season with the Nets. The sky was the limit for this high-flying star.

The ABA invented the Slam Dunk Contest in 1976 to attract more fans. Erving was the main attraction for the event, putting on a show-stopping performance. During the contest, Erving dunked from the free throw line. The crowd was shocked. Erving came out victorious as the ABA Slam Dunk Champion.

The 1975-76 ABA season was another great outing for Erving. He won his third scoring title and MVP Award. In the playoffs, Erving won his second ABA championship against the Denver Nuggets. He single-handedly willed his team to victory.

When Leon Saunders, Erving’s high school teammate, nicknamed him The Doctor, the kid from Long Island had no idea it would stick. As the fame and trophies piled on, The Doctor simply became part of his brand.

The Doctor’s time in the ABA can be summed up as legendary. A Nets legend, his breathtaking plays brought fans to his sport and kept the financially struggling league relevant… almost by himself. The Doctor was the face of the ABA.

The ABA was an exciting league that brought a new, modern brand of basketball to America. Beneath the surface, however, the league struggled with TV contracts and recognition. The majority of Erving’s games weren’t even televised. This allowed his legend to grow even more thanks to first-hand accounts of his greatness passed around in sports bars and newsrooms.

The ABA kept downsizing until it merged with the NBA in 1976. The Nets were one of four teams chosen for the merger. The ABA-NBA merger changed the course of NBA history. It also changed Erving’s career forever.

The New York Nets were forced to pay millions owed in entrance fees. Keeping Erving while meeting their financial obligations to join the NBA soon became costly. They were forced to trade Erving to the Philadelphia 76ers. The trade kept the Nets afloat, and the 76ers landed one of the biggest stars in the game. The Nets went 22-60 in their first year without Erving.

Erving made his NBA debut in October 1976. Fans couldn’t wait to watch him play. It was a long time coming, but it was well worth the wait. The Doctor immediately energized the NBA, leading the 76ers to a 50-32 record and a trip to the NBA Finals, where they’d face the Portland Trail Blazers.

Led by center Bill Walton, the Trail Blazers played good team basketball while the 76ers were a team of All-Stars who made big plays. The series was a battle of two opposing basketball philosophies. The 76ers got out to a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. The Trail Blazers fought hard to tie it up 2-2 and eventually took a commanding 3-2 lead. In a do-or-die Game 6, the Trail Blazers defeated Philly for the title. Doctor J. had 40 points in the defeat.

The Doctor was a class act. He was a professional on and off the court. He was a great example and role model. He was a very humble man who didn’t beg to be in the spotlight and never had a single scandal during his career.

His presentation and image aligned with what the NBA was trying to represent at the time, and waves of endorsements came tumbling Erving’s way. 

He accomplished all this while being the star of the NBA. People came out in droves to watch him play.

The Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics have never gotten along. It comes with the territory of two of the country's most passionate sports towns. They especially didn’t get along when The Doctor and Larry Bird were in town. These were must-win games. These were scrappy games — elbows thrown in the paint, hard fouls, and the occasional fight. And these were legendary games. It was as if a hardwood classic was born every time they went against each other.

Both became legends and are among the best small forwards ever. Erving has a 33-35 overall record against Bird, according to StatMuse.

Their rivalry was so iconic that it even got its own video game, One on One: Dr. J vs. Larry Bird.

Under head coach Billy Cunningham, the 76ers went 59-23 in the 1979-80 season. Erving soared his way to 27 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.2 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game. The 76ers made it to the 1980 Finals, where the Los Angeles Lakers were waiting. 

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson led the Lakers. The back-and-forth series climaxed in Game 6 when Magic Johnson filled in for an injured Kareem and started as the team’s center. Johnson, a rookie at the time, played point guard for the Lakers the entire season. As the fill-in center, Johnson had 42 points and 15 rebounds, beating the 76ers 4-2 in the NBA Finals. It was another year the 76ers left the NBA Finals empty-handed.

A year after losing the Finals, Dr. J bounced back for 24.6 points, eight rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.1 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game. In seven games, the 76ers went 62-20 and lost to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. Erving was awarded Most Valuable Player of the NBA for his electrifying play on the court.

The 76ers dunked their way to a 58-24 record the following year. In the playoffs, they swept the Atlanta Hawks and beat the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics to advance to the NBA Finals for a rematch against the Los Angeles Lakers. The 76ers lost in six games to the Showtime Lakers in a hard-fought series.

At this point in his career, Dr. J’s impact on the game of basketball was not questioned. All he needed to do was win a championship in Philadelphia to complete his legacy. Winning two ABA Championships was impressive, but until he won an NBA Championship, his resume always had a missing piece. Erving’s championship window was closing. It was do-or-die mode in Philly.

Moses Malone, the 1982 MVP, signed with the 76ers in the summer. Dr. J. finally had his sidekick. The dynamic duo was too much for the league. The 76ers went 65-17, the best record in the East. Erving didn’t have to put the team on his back anymore. The 76ers shared the rock and won game after game.

The playoffs were a cakewalk for the Erving-Malone Sixers. They swept the Knicks in the First Round and beat the Bucks. The wins looked effortless for the championship-hungry 76ers.

The 76ers faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals. Philly was the favorite going in. The country was rooting for Dr. J to win his first NBA championship. 

Malone dominated the boards, while Erving was a walking bucket the entire series. The Sixers swept the Lakers in four games. Dr. J finally did it. The 76ers were world champions! Dr. J deserved it. Winning the NBA Finals was a long time coming. It was a summer of celebration in Philly.

Winning the 1983 NBA Finals was a legacy-defining moment for The Doctor. There was nothing left for him to prove. The Doctor still played four more years in the NBA. Dr. J reached the 1985 Eastern Conference Finals, losing to Boston. It was the closest he’d get to winning a second ring.

The 76ers were a powerhouse in the Eastern Conference under Erving's leadership.

Before the 1986-87 season, The Doctor announced he’d retire from basketball at the end of the season. The Doctor had a farewell tour for the ages. Stadiums across the country were sold out as fans wanted to see The Doctor in action one more time. Every game featured retirement ceremonies, gifts, and other honors.

At 36, Dr. J averaged 16.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in his farewell tour.

The Doctor was a walking bucket on the court. He was always a threat to score 30 on any given night. He was a savvy scorer who could finish at the rim against just about anyone. Also, the guy had an insane vertical. He could basically fly.

If you combine his ABA and NBA totals, Erving scored 30,026 points. This places him eighth all-time in points scored. The only players in NBA history to score more points than Dr. J are Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Dirk Nowitzki. 

The Doctor was a man of many moves. These memorable plays are signature moments from his career and became part of the history of the NBA. 

The baseline layup in the 1980 NBA Finals will leave you wondering, “Oh, my god. How did he do that?”

The dunk over 6-foot-11 Bill Walton in the 1977 NBA Finals is reckless abandon on full display.

The Doctor’s Rock the Baby dunk against the Lakers is considered one of the best in-game dunks.

And finally, The Doctor’s dunk from the free throw line in the ABA’s 1976 Slam Dunk contest is a thing of beauty.

Dr. J was enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. A basketball phenomenon, The Doctor was as cool as they came and made the game fun. He put dunking on the map and never missed the playoffs in his 16-year pro career with the ABA and NBA. He was the Michael Jordan before Michael Jordan. The Doctor is remembered as one of the greatest dunkers and small forwards of all time.