Dr. J and the ABA (1999) | Edited

Rare footage and remembrances by basketball hall of fameer Julius Erving and his contemporaries.
From theOut Of The Woods Collection.
Shared for historical purposes. I do not own the rights.
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Julius Winfield Erving II (born February 22, 1950), commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is an American retired basketball player. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential basketball players of all time, Erving helped legitimize the American Basketball Association (ABA)[1] and was the best-known player in that league when it merged into the National Basketball Association (NBA) after the 1975-76 season.
Erving won three championships, four Most Valuable Player Awards, and three scoring titles with the ABA's Virginia Squires and New York Nets (now the NBA's Brooklyn Nets) and the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers. During his 16 seasons as a player none of his teams ever missed the postseason. He is the eighth-highest scorer in ABA/NBA history with 30,026 points (NBA and ABA combined). He was well known for slam dunking from the free throw line in slam dunk contests and was the only player voted Most Valuable Player in both the ABA and the NBA. The basketball slang of being posterized was first coined to describe his moves.
Erving was inducted in 1993 into the Basketball Hall of Fame and was also named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time team. In 1994, Erving was named by Sports Illustrated as one of the 40 most important athletes of all time. In 2004, he was inducted into the Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame. - Wikipedia
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[@GBeret83]

I'm old enough that I had the absolute privelage of getting to see Doc play in the ABA of the early 1970's. First with the Virginia Squires and then the New York Nets. To this day I will attest that Dr. J was already taking off and jumping from behind the free throw line to dunk a basketball when Michael Jordan was jumping off the elementary school bus in Wilmington, North Carolina and Kobe & Lebron weren't even wet spots on the sheet yet. My point being anything you saw Jordan, or Bryant, or James, or whoever do in the NBA, Julius Dr. J. Erving had already done it with as much or maybe even more athleticism and flare as any of the NBA greats ever did it. Jordan, Bird, Kareem, Magic, Kobe, Lebron, those are all guys that carry a team for you. Julius Erving carried an entire league on his soldiers and did it pretty damn effortlessly all things considered.

[@mitchellbaker9434]

I saw about a hundred Nets games with Dr J at the Nassau Coliseum including 2 championship winning games. If you didn't see Doc in the ABA you missed him at his best. He went out of his way to blend with the Sixers. With the Nets he was the acknowledged leader among very good team.

[@swissdude7653]

Above all and beyond his fantastic skills and career, Mr. Julius Erving is a class act!

[@alexrichrevue5731]

For the RECORD: Julius “Dr. J” Erving is 6’7 - with a 7’3 wingspan. Combine that with his long leg strides, speed, cat quickness and an endless bag of moves , plus his leaping and hang time abilities- you get the Doctor. He was fearless, tough and extremely durable!!

[@chipmillard5043]

Don't forget his huge hands.

[@kingstonban]

Absolutely🙌🙌🙌💪

[@evonza4858]

Alright now 🥰❤️🖤💚that was a beautiful description of one of my favorite male players Kobe is the other and they both lived in Long Island 🥰💜💛 and ❤️🖤💚 love you forever ( in heaven) Kobe and GiGi 💜💛 and Doc on earth🥰❤️🖤💚

[@evonza4858]

@@chipmillard5043 it's God's plan for him to be "the man"🥰❤️🖤💚

[@MilkmanC]

"Air brakes"

[@petergreen5337]

A complete player.

[@turhansilver4158]

I love U Doc I learned so much from U up close and from a distance U help me with life. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

[@lloydkline1518]

❤dr.j airwavlker & moonwalker, my hero

[@ole2x211]

He does look like denzel a lil bit. Dr. J is my favorite player of all time. The goat! Or at the very least tied with Lebron. Thank you for this upload!

[@speerrituall1]

No, Denzel looks like him.

[@EricMilton4165]

Great upload!!! Anything from the original Classic Sports Network is solid gold. To this day, it's one of my favorite channels of all time. ESPN taking it over was its death knell. They succeeded in doing the impossible - taking a channel that was virtually impossible to mess up, and somehow making it absolutely unwatchable. I've despised ESPN ever since.

[@lsgwatchman3400]

I'm Roy Harris not big on Celebrity's or entertainers But when met Julius Dr. J Erving I realize he was an emotional sense of comfort and relief during my youth such a class act to admire looking back i learned character as a kid and 76er fan forever 83 Championship Happy Birthday To 6'6 Forward from Massachusetts Julius The Doctor Errrvving

[@michaelboykin4553]

The greatest small forward ever !!!

[@Writer341]

The Doctor is the grandfather of all players. No Doctor then there is no Michael or Kobe or Lebron. PERIOD.

[@willhaynes2190]

This is who Jordan got flying from

[@Gratefulness7725]

FACTS and DR J got it from Connie Hawkins

[@artanderson4240]

Yes. And Doc got his flying fm Connie Hawkins.

[@artanderson4240]

@@Gratefulness7725 Lol...after viewing so many videos on Doc and reading various comments YOU ARE THE 1ST I've read that knew this, let alone admitted it. Spot on...congrats 'cause IT'S TRUE!!!!

[@Paul-cj1wb]

The most exciting basketball player to ever live. And one of 12 players that can be argued are the greatest of all times.

[@scottdavidson9963]

Love how Hubie talks about Doc especially a young Doctor J

[@SlickGriminals]

Denzel should play him in a movie lmao

[@muhammadbaksh3572]

Yes he have the glasses 😂

[@enosmoaning9481]

Snoop dogg 😆

[@So_Cato]

I came for this comment. I knew it would be here lol

[@brucescott4261]

@@jaleesamarie9470 ...No, they don't!

[@dollyfrazier5885]

PLEASE, HE'S WAY TOO OLD!!!

[@briandavidson1946]

Happy Birthday Doc.

[@Nomorehats]

The aba was a quintessential American enterprise, scrappy upstarts,, challenging the status quo of the brown ball mother league - the American revolution of hoops, symbolized by that red white & blue ball. They were inspired by and preferred a playground style and guerrilla tactics over the regimented style of set plays, and was integral in the US civil rights and labor movements.

[@artanderson4240]

And then there WAS "Marvelous" Pete Maravich (GOD rest his soul).

[@everettwilson1416]

Pistol Pete Maravich

[@Ipadstands]

How can you not Love thus guy ?

[@GMAV3RICK]

Mann that thumbnail resembled Denzel Washington lol

[@Blue_Rose22]

I remember Dr J back in 72 with the ABA league with his friend and team mate Ollie Taylor back at Nassau Coliseum

[@garyjones1287]

No one done it better when I got to my first base Dover AFB, Delaware I use to hear the Dr. playing on the radio with the Virginia Squires I was 19 coming from Arkansas that was a thrill 😁

[@johnq4254]

Great player.Cool dude

[@ramsfire]

Happy Birthday Doc!

[@eToroBoT]

a legend great find, great upload

[@MrMbisker]

Doctor J always performed with great precision, some call it surgical

[@jerrystewart7594]

The American Basketball League was a maverick organization, but it produced some of the most exciting forms of entertaining basketball that has ever been seen

[@chillsillego9599]

Happy Birthday MY FAVORITE PLAYER DR.J!!!!

[@davidhilliard1838]

Doc did dunk contest dunks in actual games such beautiful creativity he had.

[@kevinmitchell4018]

I wz a kid wen the doc played & I actually thought he could fly for distances like sum birds do.tru story.i absolutely adored the doc.still do.had converse all star high tops

[@MannyMensah94]

HBD Dr.J 🎂✊🏿🙏🏿🏀

[@Mmacrossfirekenai]

Thank you for sharing this. The NBA never saw the real Doctor J and Hubie Brown's testimony of Julius touching the square during dunks would blow the minds of fans today if they saw it. Doctor J, David Thompson, the ABA are still a vital component and importance to the NBA, but the surviving players can't even get a pension. If LeBron and other superstar players of today knew about the way the NBA continually mistreats the ABA and its players, they would stand up. This is the other side of not being woke.

[@briandavidson1946]

Hes tapping the ball at 11 feet then his vertical is 44 plus. Not many do that.

[@Ryan2022]

The NBA saw the real doctor J stop with that nonsense already

[@Nomorehats]

@@Ryan2022 no they absolutely didn't. It's like Mike from 85-88 averaging 30-8-8, if you weren't there you weren't there. The league was deprived of peak Dr J. The only things that come close were young MJ, Harden 18-20, Curry's unanimous MVP and Kobe in 06. Special seasons.

[@Ryan2022]

@@Nomorehats Dr. J was the league MVP in 1980. He was 26 when the merger took place, not 36. He was an unselfish player in the NBA. Is thus what you are referring to?

[@2020TYBO]

I SEE THE ALBERTS HAD IT LOCKED IN BROADCASTING LIKE THE SHEENS DID IN ACTING..

[@Mmacrossfirekenai]

They.mercifully let Bob Costas in.

[@everettwilson1416]

When I first starting to watch B-ball the ABA was the one I watched the most. How many points did he scored in the ABA.

[@troypowers9578]

Drjays arm was well above the rim when he jumped

[@rdg091]

Happy Birthday Dr J mine is tomorrow.

[@evonza4858]

The Doctor will always be my favorite male player along with Kobe(rip brotha💜💛) the doctor is first because I first saw him first and I loved him since day one and I feel that way about Kobe as well,Kobe was the Dr J in his generation, they both were theirselves and I love them both equally, I like a lot of other players but those two I love🥰💜💛 and ❤️🖤💚 love you Doc(on earth) and Kobe and GiGi (in heaven) forever 💜💛ps and they both reped Strong Island aka Long Island and that's where I spent my summers with my dad's side of the family 🥰❤️🖤💚 pss I heard the doctor lives in a fancy part of my hometown, I met a well dressed businessman at a restaurant and we started casually talking and ended up talking about sports and I mentioned the doctor and that's when the businessman told me that he worked on his house in the fancy side of town 🥰❤️🖤💚 I love you Dr wherever you are and you too Kobe and GiGi forever 💜💛

[@kanishafladger316]

❤🥂💋

[@johnfreeland9065]

Doc was the pioneer from the free throw line dunk. It's been duplicated, of course, including one by Rick Barry's son Brent.

[@oluhamilton2121]

First time l saw him on tv l ran out the house (nba vs. aba). Never seen anybody play like he did up to that point. Turns out me and my boy played against him in Roosevelt years earlier and he was jumping OVER us. At the time he was about 6'3" and quiet.

[@williampscott3539]

I'm from Roosevelt and saw him play with my brother in high scholl

[@oluhamilton2121]

@@williampscott3539 That must have been SOMETHING!! He wasn't a flamboyant person but his game was. Perfect example of a real BALLA.

[@briandavidson1946]

@@oluhamilton2121 baller.

[@reciprocate8848]

Happy B-Day Dr.J! (Aka Denzel lol) #goat . wow I was seeing this # everywhere 2/22 (vibes) #happybirthdaydrj

[@danielmartinez9141]

Old Goat

[@MsTexas73]

🤗💜💫✨

[@gotelin6908]

Te best

[@photographim]

👀 The Video Thumbnail picture looks like Denzel Washington 🤔 ❗❗

[@kwasimensah6013]

People often forget, by the time he got to the NBA, was a bit of a veteran and had bad knees.

[@queensmith8265]

Happy 🎂 Birthday Dr.J

[@StanGuthrie]

They don't show the Denver game!

[@ARIZJOE]

Al Trautwig does a fine job here. However, he is holding a Spalding NBA ball, and the ABA ball was a Rawlings. I had one, but the dumb kid in me ruined the leather by playing on a cement court. But hey, I wanted to be like Dr. J.

[@deeboy8450]

Is that Art Fennel commentating?

[@suebina8030]

They talk about all of this rare ABA footage and then they don't show hardly any...??

[@garrison6863]

Thompson was only 6' 4".

[@frankruledge1733]

I thought this was Denzel at first

[@HoodPsychoP3dia]

1972 never forget dr j and pete maravich linked up on hawks but had legal problems bc of it

[@lennwoodsaunders8637]

I bought the red white and blue basket ball

[@johnharris3455]

The Denver Nuggets screwed up their franchise back then big time when they traded Bobby Jones to Philly for George McGinnis.

[@cubswin3838]

Um, I kinda thought some of Dr.'s other dunks were better than the semi-FT line dunk.

[@louishamilton9648]

He should have saved the foul line dunk for last….no matter

[@jeffjordan4986]

Dr. Jay and Denzel could be related?

[@danielmartinez9141]

Old goat dr j. Only dunk he knew was that statue of liberty.

[@everettwilson1416]

I say the goat is not the term I think is correct for me it should be gott. The greatest of this time. This meaning for me is the only thing that is constant is change. Everything will change.

[@zeke9472]

2/22=6

[@mattsharkey8437]

DR. J > Bird and Magic God bless!

[@lloydkline1518]

Dr .j my hero too, original airwalker

[@scottdavidson9963]

15:30 mark. LISTEN

[@Nomorehats]

If you're gonna invalidate this guys championships because of the competition level and there were only less than a dozen teams, we're gonna have to have some real serious conversations about Mikan's Lakers and Russell's Celtics

[@Nomorehats]

Did i hear Dr J say the words "point forward" in 1999? @24:10 I could've sworn they told me LeBron invented it 🙄🤔

[@manny4552]

Can't you see the obvious difference

[@wavyblkqueen]

Why'd they call him Dr? And what is ABA

[@2020TYBO]

*0:33* NICKNAME FROM A FRIEND THAT HE CALLED 'THE PROFESSOR'..

[@DeepCover757]

ABA: American Basketball Association

[@caininmilton8462]

cause of how he Operated on the Court

[@2020TYBO]

SEE, THE NETS WERE ALWAYS NEW YORK'S TEAM..

[@artanderson4240]

Yes they were.

[@wisdomislove7098]

How this system failed to give the Doctor that👉🐏👈goat status long long long ago 😒 was i insane neglect that has hurt the League even unto today, in my humble opinion. Hm😏🙄🤨🧐🥶🙂🤔??? Amen 🙏!!!

[@jyy9624]

An entire generation thinks Marvel, DC, and Dr. J are no. 1

[@charleycharley9641]

Kinda favors Denzel Washington!

[@briandavidson1946]

He destroyed Bobby Jones.

[@manny4552]

And John havlicek outplayed the doctor more than once

[@anthonytripp2251]

Can you do an edition WITHOUT Hubie Brown? Asking for a friend.

[@carolinanorth7420]

The fine tanker energetically plan because digital minimally increase till a aspiring spade. narrow, sneaky handle

[@somoesomao4929]

The free territory really preach because step-sister intradurally stain without a wicked stepson. grubby gruesome, lacking journey

[@robertcarter3041]

The limping flood exceptionally dare because whistle ontogenetically suspend toward a nappy speedboat. busy, tremendous road

[@millnermarrys1120]

The delirious bill suggestively appear because tooth cytogenetically avoid off a madly lute. vagabond, special vegetarian

[@michaelglazewski4884]

Dr. J has a huge ego. He became very jealous when Magic and Bird took him off the pedestal when he was still close to prime

[@kingstonban]

You're absolutely wrong💯

[@digitalgr8ness]

That's total bull shit!

[@louishamilton9648]

How do you know this?