Julius "Dr. J" Erving

Before Dr. J, nobody displayed that type of athletic ability and made everything look good, he transcended the game.

he is the best ever

Just the few highlights that are run everyonce in a while show me that he was a five. He cahnged the game forever.

Where can I get a copy of that black and white picture in a poster size for my son?

Incredible player.  There was nothing he couldn't and didn't do on the court.  Known primarily for his offense and within that his unbelievable dunks, he also was among the leaders in both the ABA and NBA in rebounding, steals, blocked shots and assists.  But his dunks, his free flowing drives and swooping layups were things of beauty.  Watching him was like watching Nureyev dance ballet.  In my mind the best three dunks I recall seeing were three drives down the lane from beyond the top of the key capped off by his rising over Dave Twardzik, Maurice Lucas, and Bill Walton to dunk.  And the dunks came from somewhere over the white square above the rim and rained down over Walton's head.  Couldn't be stopped.  Julius always looked to get the ball when the game was on the line, whether he was going to shot or pass.  His attitude was he and his team could always win the game and if the they lost, it was only because they ran out of time.  Classiest man to play the game.

The "Man" who started it all! The high flyin' dunks, the amazing behind the glass shots! One of the all time greats! The man electrified the game and went on to inspire other greats like Jordan to take it even further!

A monster, at his peak in the late 70's, it's quite certain that he was almost universally acknowledged as the best player in the sport then. One of the half dozen greatest ever IMO, his dunks, athleticism, moves, and gracefulness show that he, more than any other player, foreshadowed Jordan. The centerpiece of some magnificient Sixers clubs.

I would give him a 6, but it only goes to 5. The Doc is a god andis the greatest basketball player of all time. He ate Magic and Bird for breakfast. He also kicked the living crap out of Bird(he deserved it). By far the most inventive player of the game. If he had Jabbar-Worthy or Parish-Mchale-Johnson he would have about 7 rings. You saw what happened in 83 when they had a big man(Malone). They waxed the floor with Magic and the Lakers in a 4 game sweep. Magic's jockstrap is still on the floor. I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. Bow to the master0 the DOC.

Big fro!!

Tremendous basketball player. It was a pleasure watching him play.

The guy defined the art of dunking. He dazzling display brought fans together. Swooping into the air with those marvelous dunks was why he was the greatest ABA player of all-time. He played well in the NBA too. But if I had to choose between Larry Bird vs. Dr. J, I'm putting my money on The Doctor.

he is good but not that good the top 3 dumkers of all time but not in top players

He's in my Top 5 as one of my All-Time All-Star team (he's one of my forwards). As great as he was on the Sixers, he was actually a bit past his prime. Had you seen him in the ABA with the old Virginia Squires and Nets, he was un-freakin'-believable. Counting his ABA stats, I think is the #3 all-time scorer. The first time I saw him was in the early '70s in what was called the ABA-vs-NBA Supergame (which they played twice and lived up to the billing both time). We were all mesmerized by Julius taking the ball from the top of the key and leaping in for a slam dunk over two defenders. I never saw anything like it. In my watching sports for 35+ years of my life, nothing got me more excited and electrified than seeing Dr. J steal the ball and go in for an uncontested slam dunk. He also could do those geometry-defying finger rolls from behind the basket that would kiss the glass and go right in the hoop. To contend the point of a previous poster, the Doctor was probably the most com... Read more

Dr. J is a marvel in the air. He cando it all, except defense.

He captured the imagination of a generation.

The most amazing shot ever by a basketball player was performed by Doc.. you know the one where he floats under the basket.. moving the ball out of the way of the defender.. then bringing it back to kiss it off the backboard...

People still rip off his stuff. The original highlight reel.

hes my second favorite next to iverson

Dr. J is awesome! His layups appear to be laser guided, and his dunks are awesome.

i for one never like dr. j he took too many shots could never win a game by himself and did not make his teamates better and he was a phony kiss butt who wanted to be liked by white people.

I like pie.....

One of the All-Time greats for sure and made the slam dunk and high flying acts in the NBA popular. Jordan took it to another level, but the Doc started it all back in his ABA days. I'd rate him in the top 10 all time.

The Dr. is in!!!! great great player was a true champion

Probably the best player I've ever seen play in person, the Good Doctor could spin, jump, and dunk with the best. And he had a great Afro to boot.

Grace, strength, creativity, and a dignified charisma are what I remember of the Doc. How to explain his legend, despite having won only one NBA championship? Easy: basketball is more than just about winning. It's about letting us lesser mortals (and future NBA superstars like Air Jordan) believe that humans can defeat the chains of gravity ...and the Doc made us believe.

Is there any doubt that Dr. J was the most naturally gifted NBA player of all time? Having watched him play makes me ask the question: Michael who?

He made basketball exciting.

Dr. J was definatly one of the greatist of all time, you just look at some of his carrer highlights and you'll know. Did you see the way he jumped behind the backboard, then went around the entire thing and layed it up on the other side! Or how 'bout that sick rock the baby he pulled, there are moves he did that will never be acomplished again!

The guy had great swoops to the hoop. Wonderful player.

I went to college with Julius .....every bit the player Michael was folks....

I like Doc and feel that he was a tremendous player. However, among the all-time greats, he was a notch below the likes of Michael, Larry, Magic, Kareem, and Wilt.

What an elegant player - and creator of the most electrifying reverse lay-up in the history of basketball. To those who say that he was not the same level of Larry and Magic, remember that his NBA years were at the tail end of his prime. Also remember that he was the heart and soul of the greatest NBA team ever assembled (82-83 Sixers).

Julius Erving should have informed fans of his daughter whom he neglected up until this year. Had he released this news earlier in his career, his name would not have been tainted today.