This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 6/25/2015.
Julius “Dr. J” Erving began his professional career in the American Basketball Association with the Virginia Squires and the New York Nets. During the 1975-76 season with the Nets, Erving averaged 29.3 points (league leader), 11 rebounds and 5 assists per game earning him the regular season MVP. He lead the Nets to the ABA Finals, defeating the Denver Nuggets in six games and he was named the Playoffs MVP. Widely regarded as the greatest player of his time, he is often considered to have been the main catalyst for the ABA-NBA merger in 1976. A 6’7”, 210-pound small forward, he also played for 11 years with the Philadelphia 76ers, leading them to the NBA crown in 1983. In his five ABA seasons, Erving won three scoring titles, three Most Valuable Player Awards and two league championships. During his 11-year NBA career, Erving was an All-Star each season, the league's Most Valuable Player in 1981 and a five-time member of the All-NBA First Team. He scored 30,026 points in his combined ABA and NBA career; only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Karl Malone and Michael Jordan have scored more points in the history of professional basketball. In 1993, Erving was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and was named to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Star team. The following year, Sports Illustrated named him one of the 40 most important athletes of all time. On the front tail bottom is the "RAWLINGS" manufacturer's size 42 tag. Adjacent to this tag is another tag that reads "2" LONGER." On the front of the jersey is "NETS" in red tackle twill. Below this and on back is the player number "32" in red tackle twill. Across the back is "ERVING" in red tackle twill. There are three stars on the front left in white tackle twill. The sides of this jersey were taken in by the team, a player specific trait which is verified by period imagery. The exceedingly rare jersey is properly tagged, was presented to us as game-used and in our opinion shows outstanding use. A truly fantastic relic from the final season of the beloved American Basketball Association.