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Last weekend's Slam Dunk Competition was crazy for two reasons. For one: Wow, that Zach LaVine guy really is something, huh? Secondly: Oh shit LaVine almost killed Julius Erving! Look at his reaction to one of Zach's dunks:
Shocking, but imagine how shocking it must've been for those watching Erving play in the late '70s/80s. Some love sports for the thrill, while others partake because it's the physical expression of human drama. Erving didn't just put up the numbers; he was special in how he transformed the game into an art form. That goes for many aspects of the game—from dunking to sportsmanship.
Erving's accolades are plenty: two ABA championships, an NBA championship, a spot on the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, 11 NBA All-Star appearances, and plenty more. However, it's important to note that much of his greatness lied in simply watching him play. Many people regularly looked at Julius Erving with the same dumbfounded face that he had after the Zach LaVine dunk.
Anyway, the basketball legend turns 65 today and we're celebrating him by uncovering the crevices of his life, both the tragedies and forgotten achievements. These are 25 Things You Didn't Know About Julius Erving.
He planned on becoming a doctor.
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He fathered a top 20 tennis player...because the mother was wearing braces and couldn't give oral sex.
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He starred in sports comedy film The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh.
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When he was 19, the doctor lost his younger brother Marvin to lupus erythematosus. When he was 34, he lost his older sister Alexis to colon cancer.
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His youngest son Corey accidentally drowned in 2000.
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He holds the Nets' franchise-record for most points in a game with 63.
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Julius Erving nearly destroyed his knee when he was a kid.
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He was the ABA's final playoff MVP.
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He's the only player to win an ABA and NBA MVP.
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He appeared in Philadelphia.
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At 63, Julius Erving could still dunk.
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Erving won the first Slam Dunk Competition.
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He once got cockblocked badly by his high school coach.
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When he owned a stake of Philadelphia Coca-Cola, it brought in $540 million in annual revenue and was one of the largest coke bottlers in the nations.
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He's one of only a few players (Charles Barkley, Kareem Abdul-Jabaar) to get his number retired by two franchises.
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Guess how much Converses were when Erving asked his mother to buy them?
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Erving, Moses Malone, and Maurice Cheeks all started in the All-Star Game in 1983, marking the first time in history three players from the same team did so.
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He's one of Barack Obama's idols.
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Served as an in-studio analyst for NBC in the early '90s.
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He once said Michael Jordan wasn't one of the top five players of all time.
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Defensive end Julius Peppers was named after Julius Erving.
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He blames mascots for ruining the slam dunk contest.
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After their fight in 1984, Julius Erving and Larry Bird became cool enough to appear in a Converse commercial together.
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He made a weird cameo in The Shining.
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He claims Converse still owes him money from his first sneaker deal.
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