Julius Erving Inducted in 1996
Julius Erving
Julius Winfield Erving II was born in East Meadow, on Long Island, and raised from the age of 13 in Roosevelt, New York. He attended Roosevelt High School. He received the nickname "Doctor" or "Dr. J" from a high school friend named Leon Saunders. He explains: "I started calling (Saunders) 'the professor', and he started calling me 'the doctor'. So it was just between us...We were buddies, we had our nicknames and we would roll with the nicknames. ... And that's where it came from." Erving recalled that "later on, in the Rucker Park league in Harlem, when people started calling me "Black Moses" and "Houdini", I told them if they wanted to call me anything, call me "Doctor".Over time, the nickname evolved into "Dr. Julius" and finally "Dr. J."
Erving played for the Virginia Squires (1971-73), the New York Nets (1973-76), and the Philadelphia 76ers (1976-87). Career highlights NBA champion (1983), 2× ABA champion (1974, 1976), 2× ABA Playoffs MVP (1974, 1976), NBA Most Valuable Player (1981), 3× ABA Most Valuable Player (1974–1976), 11× NBA All-Star (1977–1987), 5× ABA All-Star (1972–1976), 2× NBA All-Star Game MVP (1977, 1983), 5× All-NBA First Team (1978, 1980–1983), 2× All-NBA Second Team (1977, 1984), 4× All-ABA First Team (1973–1976), All-ABA Second Team (1972). ABA All-Defensive First Team (1976), ABA All-Rookie First Team (1972), 3× ABA scoring champion (1973, 1974, 1976), ABA Slam Dunk Champion (1976), J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award (1983), No. 32 retired by Brooklyn Nets, No. 6 retired by Philadelphia 76ers, ABA All-Time Team, ABA All-time MVP, NBA anniversary team (35th, 50th, 75th), Third-team All-American – NABC, UPI (1971), and No. 32 retired by UMass Minutemen.
Erving played for the Virginia Squires (1971-73), the New York Nets (1973-76), and the Philadelphia 76ers (1976-87). Career highlights NBA champion (1983), 2× ABA champion (1974, 1976), 2× ABA Playoffs MVP (1974, 1976), NBA Most Valuable Player (1981), 3× ABA Most Valuable Player (1974–1976), 11× NBA All-Star (1977–1987), 5× ABA All-Star (1972–1976), 2× NBA All-Star Game MVP (1977, 1983), 5× All-NBA First Team (1978, 1980–1983), 2× All-NBA Second Team (1977, 1984), 4× All-ABA First Team (1973–1976), All-ABA Second Team (1972). ABA All-Defensive First Team (1976), ABA All-Rookie First Team (1972), 3× ABA scoring champion (1973, 1974, 1976), ABA Slam Dunk Champion (1976), J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award (1983), No. 32 retired by Brooklyn Nets, No. 6 retired by Philadelphia 76ers, ABA All-Time Team, ABA All-time MVP, NBA anniversary team (35th, 50th, 75th), Third-team All-American – NABC, UPI (1971), and No. 32 retired by UMass Minutemen.