Few nicknames rival Dr J’s. Even fewer match his impact on the basketball court. Julius Erving was the dominant player of his era and he fundamentally changed the way the game is played.
He was an artist on the court, his dancing feet like paintbrushes and his individual expression adding a splash of colour to the game, setting a style which would prevail in decades to come.
Dr J turns 67 today and he can look back on a career which saw him regarded as one of the greatest players of his time.
He began his professional career in the ABA with the Virginia Squires and the New York Nets and he is often considered to have been the main catalyst for the ABA-NBA merger in 1976.
He won three ABA championships and the NBA title with Philadelphia. He’s also the only man to be MVP in both the ABA and NBA.
Other sport stars born on this day
1949: Niki Lauda, three-time F1 world champion and the only driver to win titles for both Ferrari and McLaren (68).
1963: Vijay Singh, is a three-time major championship winner and the former world No1 in golf (54).
1969: Brian Laudrup, was a stellar Danish forward who formed a vital part of Denmark’s Euro 92 triumph (48).
1984: Tommy Bowe, is a winger for Ireland who was impressive for on British and Irish Lions tour in 2009 (34).
1983: Shaun Tait, Australian pacer, plays only in the T20 format.