Julius Winfield Erving II, commonly known by the nickname "Dr. J", is an American retired basketball player who helped popularize a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and playing above the rim in his career at the ABA and the NBA. Regarded as one the greatest and most influential basketball players of all time, Erving helped legitimize the American Basketball Association and was the best-known player in that league when it merged into the National Basketball Association after the 1975–76 season. Erving won three championships, four Most Valuable Player Awards, and three scoring titles with the ABA's Virginia Squires and New York Nets and the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers. He is the eighth-highest scorer in ABA/NBA history with 30,026 points. He was well known for slam dunking from the free throw line in slam dunk contests and was the only player voted Most Valuable Player in both the ABA and the NBA. The basketball slang of being posterized was first coined to describe his moves.
| Born: | February 22, 1950, East Meadow, New York |
| Nationality: | American |
| Listed height: | 6 ft 7 in |
| Listed weight: | 210 lb |
| High school: | Roosevelt (Roosevelt, New York) |
| College: | UMass (1969–1971) |
| NBA draft: | 1972 / Round: 1 / Pick: 12, Milwaukee Bucks |
| IMDb: | Julius Erving's IMDb |
About Julius Erving
Nicknamed "Dr. J," he is an NBA Hall of Fame guard/forward known for his high-flying, above-the-rim plays. He scored over 30,000 points during his career in the ABA and the NBA. In 1983, he won an NBA Championship with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Before Fame
He grew up in a housing project, but his mother's persistence led him to basketball and out of the ghetto.
Achievement
He was named NBA MVP in 1981 and was a 3-time ABA MVP as a member of the New York Nets from 1973 to 1976.
Family Life
He is the father of American tennis player Alexandra Stevenson, a fact that was not made public until she reached the Wimbledon semifinals in 1999. He also has a son named Corey. He was married to Turquoise Brown from 1972 to 2003 and, in 2008, he married Dorys Madden.
Associations
For most of his time with the Philadelphia 76ers, Maurice Cheeks was his point guard.
Information related to Julius Erving
- Orlando Magic executives
- UMass Minutemen basketball players
- Virginia Squires players
- Sportspeople from Nassau County, New York
- New York Nets players
- Milwaukee Bucks draft picks
- National Basketball Association players with retired numbers
- Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductees
- National Basketball Association All-Stars
- Philadelphia 76ers players
- National Basketball Association broadcasters
- African-American Christians
