Julius Erving: Career retrospective
The high-flying dunker revolutionized the art form into what it is today. The New York legend. The face of the ABA. An NBA champion. Julius “Dr. J.” Erving is a man of many titles. Let’s take a moment to appreciate the greatness that is Dr. J.
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.
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.
according to StatMuse
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Their rivalry was so iconic that it even got its own video game, One on One: Dr. J vs. Larry Bird.
David J. Hunt is a freelance writer based out of Philadelphia. He ran cross country at Penn State, became a volunteer firefighter during COVID-19, and is a self taught journalist. He’s a diehard Philly sports fan. When he isn’t watching sports, he enjoys working out, fishing, and traveling. You can find more of his writing at The Chestnut Hill Local and The Temple News. You can follow him on Twitter at @dave_hunt44.
