Julius erving – Wikipedia, free encyclopedia

Julius Winfield Erving II (born on February 22, 1950 in Roosevelt, New York), popularly known as Dr. J He is a former American basketball player who played five seasons in the ABA and subsequently eleven more in the NBA. With 2.01 meters tall, I played in the forward position.

Erving won three championships, four MVP awards and three maximum scorer titles both in the ABA, with Virginia Squires and New York Nets, and in the NBA, with Philadelphia 76ers. It is the fifth top scorer in the history of professional basketball with 30,026 points (NBA and ABA combined).

Erving was named one of the 50 best players in the NBA history and in 1993 it was included in the Basketball Hall of Fame. In addition, he was one of the pioneers of Mate, popularizing the spectacular “Tomahawk”. ^{[ first ]} Since 2015, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame awarded the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award to the best forward of division I of the NCAA. ^{[ 2 ]} ​

Sports trajectory [ To edit ]

University [ To edit ]

Dr. J, nicknamed at the Roosevelt Institute, began his studies at the University of Massachusetts in 1968. In two years of career, he averaged spectacular 26.3 points and 20.2 rebounds per party, despite his scarce 1.98 meters tall. It is one of the only 5 players who have achieved the feat of averaging more than 20 points and 20 rebounds in the NCAA. Despite this, the public’s attention did not attract too much in those years. ^{[ 3 ]} ​

Virginia Squires [ To edit ]

At a time when two major leagues lived, and the flow of players from one to another was frequent, Erving decided to sign as a free agent for Virginia Squires, of the ABA, in 1971. Although the squires already had the scorer Charlie Scott , soon he won a reputation as a player, and above all, for the spectacular of his game, especially his mates. In that first season as a professional, he averaged 27.3 points per game, being second in the race towards the Rookie prize of the year behind another legend, Artis Gilmore. He was selected in the second best league quintet and in the first of Rookies. After finishing the season with a record of 45 wins and 39 losses, seconds in the east behind the 68-16 of Kentucky Colonels, the Squires reached the East Division finals, where they were defeated by the New York Nets of Rick Barry Barry . In playoffs, Erving averaged 33.3 points per game, both in the series against The Floridians and in the Nets. ^{[ 4 ]} ​

In 1972 he was declared eligible For the NBA and it was Milwaukee Bucks who bid for him, in the twipe Jabbar, but he was not satisfied with the choice, and tried to play with Atlanta Hawks, even playing three preseason games with them, but a judicial provision forced him to return to ABA, with his former team. Back to ABA, in his second season as a professional, he averaged 31.9 points per game, the maximum of his career, and received the first of his four consecutive elections in the best quintet in ABA, along with Artis Gilmore, Billy Cunningham, James Jones and Warren Jabali. His spectacular style, attached to his image with hair afro They immediately made him the image of the league.

New York Nets [ To edit ]

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Erving with the Nets in 1974.

The Squires, like many other teams in the Tricolor Ball League, did not go through their best economic moment, and were forced to transfer Dr.J to New York Nets together with Willie Sojourner in exchange for George Carter, Draft’s rights Kermit Washington and Money.

In his first season in the team, Erving led the Nets to a 55-29 record in the regular season and to win his first ABA title against Utah Stars. In addition, he repeated the top scorer of the league with 27.4 points per game, also being sixth in the league in assists and third in ball robberies and caps. That season won the first of its three consecutive MVP ABA awards. It was erected at that time in the best player in the league, and in a symbol for it, which caused credibility, and added many fans in those years.

In 1976 the League agonized, with several missing teams and others near ruin. However, he revived thanks to the creation of the first Matse contest in history, in which Erving won Gilmore, Kenon, George Gervin and David Thompson. The Nets got place in the extended NBA, but not before defeating Denver Nuggets, at the time another of the teams that made the jump, in the last final of the championship, which ended with Erving averaging 34.7 points in the playoffs, what which made him the MVP of them. In addition, for the third time he managed to be the top scorer of the regular season, this time with 29.3 per game.

In 5 seasons at ABA, Erving accumulated 2 championships, 3 MVP titles and headed the list of maximum scorers.

Philadelphia 76ers [ To edit ]

Julius Erving with the Sixers in 1981.

Julius Erving with the Sixers in 1987.

After the ABA disintegrated, the Nets, San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers joined the NBA in the 1976-77 season. After breach of the promise of the owner of the Nets Roy Boe to increase Erving’s salary, the player refused to play in those conditions and BOE was forced to sell to Philadelphia 76ers.

Very soon it would become the leader of the franchise, taking them to the NBA finals, where they faced the Bill Walton Portland Blazers. After putting ahead by 2 victories to 0, those of Oregon chained 4 consecutive victories to get the champion ring.

However, Erving also enjoyed success outside the court, becoming one of the first players to represent products and having shoes marketed under his name. At that time, he appeared in a television ad promoting young admirers to ask for an autograph at an airport, referring to him from that moment as “Dr. Chascstick.” He also appeared in the basketball comedy movie The fish that saved Pittsburgh ( Basket Music was the title in Spain ), in 1979.

In later years, Erving pulled the car of a team that was not at his level, but that came easily to the conference finals. With the emergence of Larry Bird in Boston Celtics, old rivalries were revived between the two cities of the East, even starring in the stars of each team one of the first sports video games in history, called Julius Erving-Larry Bird One-on-One ( Julius Erving-Larry Bird one against one ) de Electronic Arts.

In 1980, the Sixers came back to the finals, where they would meet Los Angeles Lakers, led by Magic Johnson. The Californians ended up winning 4-2, but Dr.j left for history an unforgettable play called Baseline Move , a spectacular entrance to the basket behind the board carrying the ball with one hand with the arm fully stretched and turning on itself to get the basket. ^{[ 5 ]} ​

In 1981 and in 1982, the Sixers fell back into playoffs against the Celtics and Lakers respectively, although in 1981, Erving was named MVP of the season. In the 1982-83 season, the Sixers finally achieve an end to the deficiencies of a tall and powerful man in the area with the acquisition of Moses Malone. They completely dominated the season, and swept the play-offs, losing a single match in them (against Milwaukee Bucks in the conference finals), and sweeping the Lakers in the finals, thus getting Erving his first championship in the NBA.

Erving maintained his level of play in the following years, averaging 22.4, 20.0, 18.1, and 16.8 points per game in his last four seasons as a professional. He retired at the age of 37 at the end of the 1986-87 season, being honored in each and every one of the fields he stepped on in that last year. In 1993 he was chosen at the Basketball Hall of Fame. It is one of the few players in modern basketball in having two retired t -shirts with its dorsal, #32 of the Nets, and #6 of the 76ers.

Statistics of his career in ABA and the NBA [ To edit ]

Regular [ To edit ]

Playoffs [ To edit ]

Personal life [ To edit ]

Julius Erving in the Grand Gala.

Erving has confessed Christian, speaking of his faith, saying:

“After searching for the meaning of life for over ten years, I found the meaning in Jesus Christ.” ^{[ 6 ]} ​

The nickname of “Doctor J” was put on his partner in the Nets and Squires, Willie Sojourner. ^{[ 7 ]} ​

Erving graduated in 1986 through University Without Walls from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. ^{[ 8 ]} ​ ^{[ 9 ]} ​ ^{[ ten ]} ​

In 1988, Erving was awarded the Golden Plate Award de la America academy of the area. ^{[ 11 ]} ​

Erving was married to Turquoise Erving from 1972 to 2003. Together they had 4 children. In 2000, his 19 -year -old son, Cory, was missing for 4 weeks, until he was found sunk with his car in a pond. Erving mentioned him as the worst day of his life. ^{[ twelfth ]} ​

In addition, he is the father of tennis player Alexandra Stevenson, born of her relationship with Samantha Stevenson in 1980, when Samantha worked in Philadelphia as a sports journalist and Julius played in the 76ers. Alexandra was located among the 20 best players in the world of the WTA circuit and was semifinalist in Wimbledon in 1999. Erving has financially supported Stevenson over the years, but had not been part of his life. The public revelation of his relationship did not initially lead to a contact between father and daughter. However, Stevenson contacted Erving in 2008 and finally began the approach. ^{[ 13 ]} In 2009, Erving attended the Family Circle Cup Tennis Tournament to see Stevenson play, being the first time he attended one of his games. ^{[ 14 ]} ​

Apart from Alexandra, in 2003, he was the father of a second son out of marriage, Justin Kangas, with a woman named Dorýs Madden. Then Julius and Turquoise Erving divorced and Erving continued their relationship with Madden, with whom he had three more children, four in total. ^{[ 13 ]} They finally married in 2008. ^{[ 15 ]} ​

Erving was chosen in the tenth position in the list of the 75 best players in the NBA history elaborated by Slam magazine in 2003.

It was classified by ESPN as one of the best athletes of the century XX .

In 2013, the producer NBA Productions He launched the documentary The Doctor . He was the first documentary issued on NBA TV, was directed by Zak Levitt, and where Julius’ sports career was narrated as well as its impact on the current NBA. ^{[ 16 ]} ​

Other projects [ To edit ]

Since his retirement, Julius has started several business projects: how to own a Coca-Cola bottling plant in Philadelphia, and working as a sports analyst on television for the NBC. After that, Erving joined the office of Orlando Magic office, as vice president of RDV Sports and Executive Vice President of the Magic on June 4, 1997. ^{[ 17 ]} ​

Together with the former NFL player Joe Washington, they presented a team from Nascar Busch Grand National Series in the late 90s, ^{[ 18 ]} Becoming Nascar’s first team to be fully possessed by minorities. The team was assured of the sponsorship of Dr Pepper for most of its active seasons. Erving, a fan of the races, declared that his foray into Nascar was an attempt to raise interest in races among African Americans.

Erving was also part of the Converse Board of Directors (prior to the bankruptcy of 2001), Darden Restaurants, Inc., Saks Incorporated and The Sports Authority.

In 2009, Erving was the owner of The Celebrity Golf Club International On the outskirts of Atlanta, but the club was forced to declare bankrupt shortly after. ^{[ 19 ]} ​

In 2013 Erving made a cameo in a chapter of the ninth season of the American series The Office . ^{[ 20 ]} ​

Memorable moments [ To edit ]

Dr. J’s game was mainly characterized by his colorful, offering infinity of unforgettable moments throughout his career. But perhaps the best known are two, the so -called Baseline move About Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the Rock The Cradle About Michael Cooper, curiously, both Lakers players.

The Baseline Move [ To edit ]

It happened during the 1980 finals, when he penetrated the bottom line of the right side of the field, with his arm fully widespread one meter behind the board, and being on the way to a whole Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Erving turned on himself, and last basket left a tray that after giving on the board entered the hoop. ^{[ 21 ]} ​ ^{[ 5 ]} ​

Rock The Cradle [ To edit ]

It happened in 1983, in a match of the regular season again against the Lakers. A loss of ball originated a quick counterattack from the left side, receiving Erving the ball still in his field, crossed the entire court being pursued by Michael Cooper, and made a movement that was called Rock The Cradle (Mecade the crib), grabbing the ball between the hand and the wrist and turning the 360 ​​degree arm to end up getting the mate in front of a desperate Cooper. ^{[ 22 ]} ​

Achievements and recognitions [ To edit ]

Matches won on the horn [ To edit ]

Influences [ To edit ]

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• Erving was idolized by rapper Dr. Dre, who even raised for a while with the alias of “Dr. J”.
• The legendary Smooth Jazz Grover Washington, Jr., 76ers fan, created the song “Let It Flow (for Dr. J)”, from the album Winelight , in honor of the player.
• The professional skater Bam Margera has his nickname tattooed, “Dr. J”, at the base of his lower lip.
• Glenn “Doc” Rivers got his nickname since he often wore Erving’s shirt to training at Marquette University.
• Julius Peppers, Carolina Panthers’s defensive wing, was named for Erving.
• Scottie Pippen, one of the best eaves in NBA’s history named Dr. J as her maximum influence.

References [ To edit ]

external links [ To edit ]