Before Michael Jordan was flying through the air, before highlight reels became a daily part of basketball, and before above-the-rim basketball became what we know today, there was Julius Erving — Dr. J.
Erving wasn’t just one of the greatest small forwards ever; he was one of basketball’s first true superstars. His combination of athleticism, creativity, length, and grace helped change how the sport was played and, just as importantly, how it was viewed. Dr. J made basketball look different. His soaring dunks and ability to seemingly hang in the air helped inspire the generation that followed him.
And behind all the style was an incredible basketball player. When you combine his ABA and NBA careers, Erving scored more than 30,000 points, putting him among the most prolific scorers in professional basketball history. He won three ABA MVP awards, captured two ABA championships, and then continued his dominance after joining the NBA.
With the Philadelphia 76ers, Dr. J remained one of the league’s biggest stars. He won the 1981 NBA MVP, was selected to 11 consecutive NBA All-Star Games, and helped lead Philadelphia to the 1983 NBA championship. That title completed a résumé that included championships and MVP-level dominance across both major leagues of his era.
His accolades only tell part of the story. Erving was named to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary Team and later the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, cementing his place among the greatest players the sport has ever produced. He was also inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
But Dr. J’s legacy goes beyond numbers and trophies. There are players who dominate their era, and then there are players who help shape the eras that come after them. Erving did both. The explosive, above-the-rim style we later associated with players like Michael Jordan can trace part of its lineage back to what Dr. J was doing years earlier.
Julius Erving was a champion, an MVP, an icon, and one of basketball’s great innovators. His influence can still be seen in the game decades after his final season.
That’s why Julius Erving is my fourth-greatest small forward in basketball history.
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