The awe that fans feel when meeting their idols is familiar to the basketball community, and it’s fascinating to see that even the greatest players have experienced it. Recently, Charles Barkley reminisced about the time he first met Julius Erving in person, revealing just how star-struck he was by the encounter.
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On Podcast P with Paul George, Barkley confessed to suffering from insomnia before his first training camp with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1984. His anxiety was fueled by the uncertainty of properly addressing his idol, Dr. J. However, Barkley’s worries were quickly eased when Erving took the initiative to introduce himself, as Barkley fondly recalled.
“I couldn’t sleep the night before the training camp. The only thing I thought about was what do I call Dr. J… I’m literally laying in my bed 2, 3 in the morning and I’m like, ‘I don’t know what to call this dude’, ’cause he was like ‘the guy’ growing up. This dude walked up to me, and he is still the coolest to this day, ‘Hey, I’m Doc. Welcome to the team’… He is such a good dude. He has been so great to me my entire life”.
Given Dr. J’s legendary status, Barkley‘s apprehensions were entirely understandable. Since entering the league in 1971, the New York-born star demonstrated the value of striving for excellence to achieve success. As a result, he set the standard in the NBA during the late 1970s and early 1980s, becoming a benchmark for greatness.
Given the circumstances, it was only natural for rookie Chuck to feel nervous interacting with his idol. However, Dr. J demonstrated his remarkable character by easing the tension. Over time, this formed a strong bond between them, as Erving continued to inspire the 1993 MVP at every step of his career.
Earlier this year, Barkley spoke about Dr. J’s impact on his life beyond basketball. During his appearance on All The Smoke, the 11x All-Star reflected on how the 1981 MVP taught him to become a more mature human being. Pointing to those lessons, Chuck recalled,
“He taught me how to dress. He taught me how to save my money… He said, ‘I know you think you’re gonna play basketball for a long time. Basketball is gonna be this short a window of your life. This money gotta last you for the rest of your life'”.
Clearly, Erving’s 16-year career left an indelible mark, not just on the NBA but the many players like Barkley that he took under his wing.
