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Julius Erving biography

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Quick Facts

  • AKA: Dr. J
  • ZODIAC SIGN: Pisces
more about Julius

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Professional basketball player Julius Erving, or “Dr. J”, was known for his style and grace on and off the court during his sixteen-year professional career.

Synopsis

Julius Irving was born on February 22, 1950 in Roosevelt, New York. He helped the Nets win the ABA championships in 1974 and 1976 and received the MVP award multiple times. In 1976, he switched to the National Basketball Association (NBA) to play for the Philadelphia 76ers. At his retirement in 1987, he had played in more than 800 games, scoring an average of 22 points per game in the NBA.

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Professional basketball player. Born on February 22, 1950, in Roosevelt, New York. Erving—called as “Dr. J” by his fans—became known for his style and grace on and off the court during his sixteen-year professional basketball career. A solid player in high school, Erving went on to play for the University of Massachusetts in 1968. At the university, he played on the school’s varsity team for two seasons, averaging more than 26 points and 20 rebounds per game.

Erving left college in 1971 to play for the Virginia Squires, a team in the American Basketball Association (ABA) league. With the Squires, he scored more than 27 points per game in his first season. But it was the move to the New York Nets in 1973 that allowed Erving to really shine. He helped the team win the ABA championships in 1974 and 1976 and received the league’s Most Valuable Player award for each of those seasons. He earned a lot of fans and attracted a lot of attention for his athletic performance—graceful spins, dramatic jump shots, and powerful slam dunks. He was considered by many to be one of the league’s leading players.

In 1976, Erving switched leagues, moving the National Basketball Association (NBA) to play for the Philadelphia 76ers. In his eleven seasons with the team, he helped them win the 1983 NBA championship. Erving was also selected as the league’s Most Valuable Player in 1981 and played in 11 NBA All-Star games. At the time of his retirement in 1987, he had played in more than 800 games, scoring an average of 22 points per game in the NBA. His career scoring total was more than 30,000 points during ABA and NBA careers.

Erving may have retired, but he hasn’t really left the game. He has worked as a sports analyst for the NBC television network and as an executive for the Orlando Magic, a Florida-based NBA team. He has also pursued many other business opportunities.

© 2012 A+E Networks. All rights reserved.

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