Also appearing in the film were Jonathan Winters, Stockard Channing, Flip Wilson, Debbie Allen, Meadowlark Lemon and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The plot centered around a struggling pro team that finds success by rebuilding the entire roster with players born under the astrological sign of Pisces. ♦ In 1979, Erving starred in “The Fish that Saved Pittsburgh,” a basketball comedy that is today considered a cult classic. Free), and Joe Bryant, the father of Kobe Bryant. Erving’s teammates that year included All-Star forward George McGinnis, guard Doug Collins, a young Darryl Dawkins and Lloyd Free (later known as World B. ♦ In Erving’s first season in Philadelphia, he led the team to the NBA Finals, where the ’Sixers fell to Bill Walton and the Portland Trailblazers in six games. NBA teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks tried to land the marketable star, but in the end the Nets sent Erving to the Philadelphia 76ers. Suddenly strapped for cash, the team reneged on its promise to raise Erving’s salary, prompting Erving to hold out. In addition to paying a league entry fee, the Nets had to pay the New York Knicks $4.8 million for infringing on their territory. ♦ Under the merger agreement, NBA absorbed four ABA teams: the Nets, San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers. In his five seasons in the league, he averaged 28.7 points, 12.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists per contest. Erving’s ABA portfolio included two league titles, three MVP awards and four All-ABA First-Team honors. J” promptly led the Nets to their first ABA championship, and then led them to another title in 1976 – the league’s final season before being merged into the NBA. ♦ In 1973, the financially struggling Squires traded Erving to the New York Nets. Julius Erving was named MVP in both the NBA and ABA. And during his brief stint in Atlanta, Erving got to play with “Pistol” Pete Maravich.) (Interesting note: If Erving had joined Milwaukee, his teammates would have included Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson. A district judge soon ruled that Erving was obligated to fulfill his contract with the Squires. Instead of joining the Bucks, however, Erving signed with the Atlanta Hawks and began playing in preseason games with the team. At the time, Erving was embroiled in a contract dispute with the Squires and was attempting to jump to the older, more established league. ♦ In 1972, the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks drafted Erving. For one season (1973), one of Erving’s teammates was a young rookie named George Gervin. He signed a four-year contract with the Squires that would pay him a total of $500,000. ♦ Erving left UMass after his junior season in 1971 to join the Virginia Squires of the American Basketball Association. (The others are Bill Russell, Paul Silas, Artis Gilmore and Kermit Washington.) He is one of only five players in NCAA history to average more than 20 points and 20 rebounds in his career. ♦ Erving played two years of college ball at the University of Massachusetts, where he averaged 26.3 points and 20.2 rebounds per game. J,” Saunders recalled Erving telling him, “You act like you know it all, like you’re some kind of professor,” to which Sanders replied, “Well, what does that make you? A doctor?” Erving referred to Saunders as “The Professor,” and Saunders started calling Erving “The Doctor.” In Erving’s April 2018 podcast, “House Call with Dr. J” was given to him by a high school friend named Leon Saunders. Actor-comedian Eddie Murphy and radio personality Howard Stern are also Roosevelt alums. (He celebrated his 70th birthday this year.) He attended Roosevelt High School in Hempstead, Nassau County New York. Without further ado, here are 15 interesting facts about the legendary Julius Erving: What NBA fan could forget Erving’s free-throw line dunk in the first-ever slam dunk contest his behind-the-backboard scoop layup in the 1980 NBA Finals or his “rock-the-baby” cuff dunk over the Los Angeles Lakers’ Michael Cooper? And he did it all with a style and grace that made him the game’s most popular player of his generation. Even today, more than 30 years after his final NBA game, the Good Doctor remains the author of some of basketball’s most iconic moments. aerial artist who seemed to defy gravity with his soaring dunks or swooping layups. J.” Julius Erving was one of basketball’s first great showmen – a 6-7, 210-lb. Before MJ, Kobe and LeBron, there was “Dr.
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