Before Michael Jordan, before LeBron James, before Kobe Bryant...there was Dr. J.
On the surface of Julius "Dr. J" Erving, you may only see his 30,026 career points, his 10,525 rebounds and the countless poster highlights including his famous cradle left reverse layups. But there is a side that many NBA fans knew little about. Each time Erving took the court, he did so with the disease on his mind.
At age 19, while a freshman at the University of Massachusetts, Erving lost his 16-year-old brother, Marvin, to lupus erythematosus, a systemic autoimmune disease. When he was 34, his older sister, Alexis, passed away from colon cancer at age 37.
Erving won three titles (two ABA, one NBA), four MVP Awards (three ABA, one NBA), and the first recorded slam dunk contest in basketball history. Those moments do not resonate in his mind as much as the sudden deaths of his brother and sister.
You May Also Like
"I lost them in the ultimate fashion," Erving said in a phone interview. "When you lose someone who's the closest person in your world, and you do it twice to these untreatable disorders, it's something that becomes a part of you."
Erving played 16 professional seasons in his Hall of Fame career, but the glory was not just for him. While Erving's converse soared through the air and excited crowds all across the nation, he was playing not just for himself, but for his loved ones as well. When Dr. J lost his brother and sister, the two biggest fans before the end of his career, he always played with them in mind.
READ: 25 Years Later Magic Johnson Comes Clean With His HIV Status
"Of course I thought of them," he said of his playing days. "My family, they're always with me. I always think of dedicating the next step I take to them."
You May Also Like
That's why Erving has worked with the Philadelphia Tri-State Chapter of the Lupus Foundation of America to create the Julius Erving Fund, which supports research and treatment to those affected by Lupus. Erving has raised...
... money for cancer research, cancer treatment and worked with the Special Olympics. He has also been involved with the Hempstead New York Salvation Army since his childhood in Nassau County, N.Y.
In terms of donating to Lupus and cancer awareness or volunteering for charity, Erving has a message for those on the fence: "We're all affected by this. Do what you can. And don't think twice about it. Just do it."
Erving is also currently a spokesperson for CORD:USE, a life sciences and services company focused upon providing proven high quality stem cell therapeutics to patients in need.
"I'm presently very, very humbled I’m involved with the company," he says. "We work very diligently to improve the quality of life and in come cases change the lives of those affected."
As the legend goes, Dr. J received his nickname at Roosevelt High School in Roosevelt, N.Y., during the 1960s. He called teammate Leon Saunders the professor, and Saunders, in turn, called Erving the doctor. The nicknames stuck with Erving and Saunders when they played together at UMass, and eventually for Erving, in ABA and NBA.
Watch out, there's a doctor in the house.
