The Inventor Of the Dunk

Julius Erving is supernatural. You may not believe me at first, but if you watch some of his highlights, you will agree. He was born in Nassau County, New York and was raised from the age of 15 in Roosevelt, New York. He got his nickname when playing in a basketball league in Harlem. He told them to call him Doctor, and that evolved into Dr.J. Erving went to the University of Massachusetts in 1968.  In two varsity college basketball seasons, he averaged 26.3 points and 20.2 rebounds per game, becoming one of only six players to average more than 20 points and 20 rebounds per game in NCAA Men's Basketball. He had a choice to either go to the NBA or the ABA and he chose to play for the ABA’s Virginia Squires. He had a successful career with the Squires. He actually got drafted by the Bucks, and had a chance to play with Kareem- Abdul Jabbar and Oscar Robertson. In his last season with the Squires, he average 31.9 points per game. Before his next season, he got traded to the New York Nets, and he led them to their first championship in 1974, and also led them to another Finals win in the ABA’s last season before the NBA-ABA merger. However, the New York Knicks were upset the Nets were invading their home territory, and the Nets needed money. They offered Erving to the Knicks, but the Knicks turned them down. That is considered the worst move in the Knicks franchise history, and sent the team into oblivion for the next 10 years. Instead, the Philadelphia 76ers bought Erving for 3 million dollars. Erving was an instant success and leader for the team. He led them to the NBA Finals, where they lost in 6 games. He was also a success off the court, where he got a shoe deal and many other endorsements. He led them to the playoffs, many time, each time falling to the Lakers and the Celtics. Finally, for the 1982–83 season, the Sixers obtained the missing element to combat their weakness at their center position, Moses Malone. Armed with one of the most formidable and unstoppable center-forward combinations of all time, the Sixers dominated the whole season. They swept the Lakers in four games, winning a championship. He played at an All- Star level through his twilight years. He retired in 1987. What Erving is really known for is his freakish athletic dunking ability. Before his time, dunking was usually done by big tall centers, and it was considered disrespectful. He made it an art, gracefully taking it into the air and viciously slamming it down.  As you can see, Julius Erving is one of the greatest to play the game of basketball.

-Aditya