Product Description
The definitive biography of basketball genius Julius Erving--the icon who transcended his sport and defined an era

Julius Erving, aka Dr. J, was a wizard with the basketball, performing feats the world had never seen before: midair spins and whirls punctuated by powerful slam dunks, which he was the first to glamorize. In a career that lasted from the 1970s well into the 1980s, he was one of the first players to make extemporaneous individual expression an integral part of the game, setting the style of play that has prevailed ever since. He's also long been respected as a gracious, dignified, and disciplined man. As there are great men of history, there are great men of sports, and Dr. J is just such a man.

This book tells Dr. J's amazing story, following his basketball journey from his Long Island childhood to the street games of New York City to a college career as his skills, reputation, and character grew. It follows his entrance into the ABA, where he revolutionized the game by glamorizing the dunk, and his conquering of the NBA, where he was Michael Jordan before there was a Jordan. It relates the family struggles he's had since leaving the game and charts the transformation of the man into myth.

• The first complete biography of one of the greatest and most popular basketball players of all time
• Draws on interviews with Dr. J's childhood friends and his family to teammates and coaches at all levels
• Written by a New York Times sports journalist and author of Asphalt Gods: An Oral History of the Rucker Tournament
• Includes Erving's years as a player with the Virginia Squires, New York Nets, and Philadelphia 76ers

Read Doc and follow the incredible journey of the basketball genius who elevated the game off the hardwood and helped make it America's passion. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (36)

Too many quotes to be a good read, but the stories about Rucker Park has some redeeming value
The author uses quotes so much in this book that this is like many of the other books about sports personality: it is a book about what other people said about the star. There are some person quotes from Dr J, but the many quotes overwhelmed me and I wanted to put it down soon after reading the parts about Rucker Park.

The stories / legends about Rucker Park is the book's only redeeming portion. Growing up in the Bird-Magic/Jordan era, I have heard about why Rucker Park was a legendary basketball venue, but this book ties one of the greatest basketball player to the Park. Makes me want to visit the park just to take a look.

A fair biography, but comes off like a rough draft
Mallozzi, like myself, is a huge Dr. J fan (Doc is the reason I have endured nearly 30 years of misery from the Sixers). The book was informative and entertaining. It does have three drawbacks, though.

The first drawback is that it is one thing to be a fan. It is another to be over-the-top (think Johnny Most), and he does this in places. It's unnecessary to hyperbole to the skills and accomplishments of an athlete with the gifts of the good Doctor, and in my opinion, it takes away from the description.

The second drawback is that to talk about Doc's contributions to basketball, you cannot deny his commercial appeal. He had crossover appeal. He was Michael Jordan before there was Michael Jordan in the area of endorsements. Mallozzi makes a passing reference to Dr. Chapstick and describes his Dr. Pepper commercial in his older age, but largely ignores his numerous endorsements and how he changed this area for future basketball players (who could forget the Rick Barry and Dr. J Spalding cartoons in 1970s comic books? Who didn't wear converse in the 70s because he wanted to be like Dr. J?)

The third drawback is that Doc provided no interviews for the book.He quotes Doc from other interviews, but there is an obvious lack of that 3rd dimension you get from having the person provide more depth and reflection on the events.

To Mallozzi's credit, he does cover Doc's off-court problems, namely promiscuity, and child-rearing. He covers it fairly, and even-handedly. He withdraws judgment (probably because it would be hard to criticize his idol), and lets the facts speak for themselves. Had he done this in the area of his play on the court, he would have written a much better book.

As it stands, it's not bad.It's just not great.If you don't know much about Dr. J, it's worth picking up and getting some background on one of the legends of the game.

Excellant
Very happy with the book and the excellent service the company I bought it from and it came quick!!! Thank you again and I loved the price and the condition it came in!!!Good Job !!!!!

Doctor J and His Place in Basketball History
This is a "biography" of Julius Erving, better known to sports fans as Dr. J, that relies almost exclusively on news and video accounts and an over decade old interview of the man himself.It also includes interview material with his former teammates and coaches, and they do add flavor to the biography, but not a lot of real substance.

It is shocking that for such a glowing biography of Julius Erving that he and his family apparently refused to be interviewed or contribute to it.This is not a true biography but an encomium to the athletic prowess, excitement, and unbelievable dunks and moves that Dr. J displayed in his youth, playground, college, ABA and NBA days.It essentially chronicles his athletic exploits and what the Doc did to create a vibrant and exciting style of basketball that kept the ABA alive for a while, and the he eventually brought over the NBA.His unbelievable dunks, hang time, and drives to the hoop are what this biography is all about.

There is really very little about Julius Erving's private life and boyhood in this biography.It does paint him as a paragon of virtue as far as being fan friendly, great with teammates and coaches, and dedicated to his craft.The last section of the book does go into some detail, although again relying on mostly news accounts, of his lack of virtue in his family life leading to his eventual divorce from his first wife, Turquoise.

But, as the author himself says, the book is a "valentine" to his sports hero.And if that is how this biography is judged, it is definitely a very readable and informative account of the Doc's career and place in basketball history.

DOC The Rise & Rise of Julius Erving
I found this book to be a great read, honest in the fact that some of the peolpe that were closely associated with the DOC'' in a personnel or Professional way gave a very honest opinion of what they thought of the man in which I argree That he is the one of the greatest Basketballers to ever play the game. If I had to pick between the DOC or Micheal Jordon, Sorry Mike but the DOC wins, because what you see in the modern era with dunks & some of the moves of todays players I truely believe the DOC had a lot to do with it.'
The way he conducted himself, I wish that some of the modern players can take a leaf out of his book, abput humiliaty of the guy & willingness to put on a good show for the fans & that here waas a guy who came up from humble beingings to Greatest, yes there are other great players as good as the DOC ( Larry Bird , Bill Russel, PeteMaravich to name a few ) ... Read more

Product Description
Revealing how he went from the playgrounds of Long Island to basketball glory, the story of Julius Erving is the story of basketball's first slam-dunking superstar--who singlehandedly changed how the game is played. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

He's jealous, but not in the way you think
If the game's fixed, then how is Charles Barkley any better than Micheal Jordan by getting money, power and fame from it-- or at least, how does he have any room to talk, just because Jordan profits MORE?He should be suing the NBA for running a crooked game, not blaming one of its pawns. I think that he just doesn't want to bite the hand that feeds him, so he instead acts like a jealous dog and bites a pampered pet.

one more word
I have mixed feelings about Michael Jordan.On the one hand, he is a great athlete.I respect his work ethic.He has turned in a number of great performances and is no doubt one of the greatest to have ever played the game of basketball.

There is a flipside.Michael Jordan got allkinds of special treatment while he was in the NBA.He was the firstplayer I noticed who was granted all kinds of trips to the charity stripebecause of unbelievably, ticky tack calls.He scored at least ten points agame at the free throw line from bogus calls.It was great when there wasa picture session for 'greats of the game' with Larry Bird, Magic Johnson,and Michael Jordan.Magic told Larry not to stand too close to Michael orthey might call a foul.In front of reporters and television viewers, thatwas a classic comment by Magic.I believe Mike got 99% of all calls in hisfavor because he was such a cash cow for the NBA.Dominique Wilkins wasrobbed of a slam dunk championship when Mike scored a perfect 50 doing thesame dunk Dr. J did years before.I doubt Dr. J ever received a perfect 50for it.Dominique's dunk was much more impressive, and he received a 49.5. Please.Mike got in a fight with Reggie Miller, and only Miller gotsuspended at first.Only after there was an outcry did Mike get suspended. How are Mike's punches different?Mike elbowed Kevin Johnson to theground for all to see, and Kevin was called for blocking!

I am not tooimpressed that the bulls beat the lakers in the NBA finals.Magic wasdouble teamed every game every minute he was in.On top of that, JamesWorthy and Byron Scott were injured.Magic and Larry never won threechampionships in a row because the competition, teams, and players in the80s were much better than the nineties.Luc Longley, Will Perdue, BillCartwright, or Bill Wennington stopping Kareem?Ha!

Sport Magazinerecently had a piece on the ten greatest moments and ten greatest playersever in the NBA.Mike was ranked number one all time player.Kudos toMike for mentioning in 'For the love of the game' that to pick a"greatest ever" is impossible because of all the different erasand evolutions of basketball.The nineties bulls were given three of theten greatest moments in NBA history.This is just more Mike bias.Give mea break.There are hundreds of classic and amazing moments in NBA history. One of the moments picked was Mike beating the Jazz in the final minutesof his last game.He put his hand on Bryon Russel's backside and shovedhim out of the way.Then Mike made the game winnig shot.All eyes were onMike, but the ref did not make the obvious call.

There is also Mike'sarrogance.According to him, Wilt Chamberlain was a fluke eventhough Wiltwas a great all around player.He made a comment about Magic and Larryreaching a 'certain level of greatness' and that the two were not good ondefense.What?Are we talking about the same Larry Bird?Shaquille Onealis also much better and much improved than Mike gives him credit for.Shaqhas turned into a solid defender, passer, and he works hard at both ends ofthe floor.

Mike's corporate poster boy behavior is laughable.He didads for AT&T and then MCI.The Wayans family is also split between thetwo companies.Mike talked about the enviroment in Rayovac ads and thenpitches hot dogs?Mike is not the only athlete who will pitch anything andeverything to make millions.I wonder if Mike has checked into Nike'slabor practices.

Players like Mike and Charles Barkley soured me ontheNBA.Charles played like a thug and got away with it because he was astar.Plus, Charles insisted on wearing number 34 at Philadelphiaeventhough it was retired for NBA great Billy Cunningham.The startreatment and inflated egos has grown old, and that has turned a lot ofpeople off to sports.I miss the Lakers and Celtics match ups of the1980s.

JEALOUS
AFTER READING THIS BOOK I CONCLUDED THAT SIR CHARLES IS JEALOUS OF MICHAEL JORDAN!

Great book
This book is exacatly what I wanted. It showed evert thing I expected and wanted. I not only shows the life and work of his lustrous but on his life before he was the most fundimenally sound basketball player. It showed thatnot only does he play basketball but it showed that he played 3 othersports. When I read this book I thought it would be like every other bookon him saying how great he is and all his great feats. It did but at thesame time it showed how he achieved it. It shows you how many times it tookand what it takes to be the greatest ball player in the world.

Great for MJ fans, not bad for non-fan either
A book filled with comments from MJ's peers and celebrity admirers. Would've liked more, but a good one to add to your collection. ... Read more

Product Description
A brief biography of the basketball star of the New York Nets. ... Read more

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A brief biography of the black basketball star who was voted the most valuable player by the ABA in 1974. ... Read more

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Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Marcus Camby, Rick Pitino, Julius Erving, Stephane Lasme, Al Skinner, Derek Kellogg, Gary Forbes, Tony Gaffney, Tony Barbee, Chris Lowe, Kitwana Rhymer, Lou Roe, Lari Ketner, Rashaun Freeman, James Life. Excerpt:For the 19th-century baseball player, see Al Skinner (baseball) . Al Skinner Albert L. ( Al ) Skinner (born June 16, 1952 in Mount Vernon, New York ) is an American men's college basketball head coach and a former collegiate and professional basketball player. He was formerly the head coach of the Boston College men's basketball team . Playing career College Skinner played at the University of Massachusetts . While on the freshman team in the 1970-71 season, the varsity team was led by Julius Erving , in what would be Erving's final season in college. (Skinner and Erving would later play together professionally.) Skinner was also a teammate of Rick Pitino . Left to right: Al Skinner, Jack Leaman, and Julius Erving at the ceremony to retire Skinner's UMass jersey. Skinner scored 1,235 points in his three years on the varsity squad. He led the team in rebounding each of those three years, and in scoring in his junior and senior seasons. As a senior, he averaged a double-double with 18.8 points and 11.0 rebounds. That scoring average also led the Yankee Conference . He recorded the first triple-double in UMass history, with 28 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists against St. Peter's on Dec. 28, 1973 in Springfield MA . Skinner was a three-time Yankee Conference First Team selection. He led UMass to two straight YC titles in the 1972-73 and 1973-74 seasons. As a senior in 1973-74, he was the team captain and an All-America honorable mention selection. His jersey number 30 was retired in a ceremony at UMass on Feb. 18, 2004. Professional Skinner was drafted by the Boston Celt... ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 670 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Signed essays ranging from 500 to 2,500 words, written by subject experts and edited to form a consistent, readable, and straightforward reference. Entries include subject-specific bibliographies and textual cross-references to related essays. ... Read more

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This year-end issue of SI features on the Sportsmen of the Year Edwin Moses & Mary Lou Retton on the cover and in a feature inside, plus features on Dan Marino, Julius Erving & Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing & Georgetown, and much more! ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Notable Sports Figures, brought to you by Gale®, a part of Cengage Learning, a world leader in e-research and educational publishing for libraries, schools and businesses.The length of the article is 1910 words.The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase.You can view it with any web browser.Takes a close look at the people in sports who have captured attention because of success on the playing field, or controversy off the playing field. This work features biographies on more than 600 people from around the world and throughout history who have had an impact not only on their sport, but also on the society and culture of their times. It also includes not only the record-breakers that dominated and changed their sport, but also the controversial figures that made headlines even apart from athletic events. ... Read more

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A biography of professional basketball player Julius Erving, known as Dr. J., who plays for the New York Nets. ... Read more

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Focusing on Julius Erving, also known as Dr. J., a biography tells the story of the high-flying, slam-dunking basketball wizard who invented the art of playing the game of basketball above the rim. ... Read more

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A biography of the black basketball star who was voted the most valuable player by the ABA in 1974. ... Read more

Product Description
A biography of the black basketball star who was voted the most valuable player by the ABA in 1974. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Legend of Dr J
I recieved the wrong book. I recieved the book My Stroke of insight. By Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D.

A LOOK AT THE DOCTOR
THIS IS A STORY ABOUT JULIUS ERVING FORMER NBA SUPERSTAR. THE AUTHOR DOES A NICE JOB OF FOLLOWING THE CAREER OF DR J WITHOUT HIS PERMISSION. THIS IS A NICE LITTLE READ THAT GOES PRETTY FAST. IT NEEDS MORE DETAIL ABOUT DR J BUT DOES A GOOD JOB DESCRIBING GAME STATS AND ACTION CONCERNING COLLEGE AND ABA CAREER OF JULIUS. THUS IT ENDS WHEN THE ABA COLLAPSES AND DR J BEGINS HIS YEARS AS NBA SUPERSTAR WITH THE 76ERS. NICE JOB. ... Read more