Nicknames are one of the most commercially appealing factors that make the NBA popular. From “His Airness” to the “Stifle Tower“, we have seen it all.
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However, one of the most iconic monikers of them all has to be former superstar Julius Erving‘s “Dr. J” tag. The former Nets and 76ers star carried his nickname with all the swagger associable with someone with a nickname as cool as his.
Dr. J posterized his way into the hearts of young fans and was one of the most popular, if not the most popular, players of his era. Erving was not just some flashy fan favorite either. During his career spanning the ABA and the NBA, Dr. J never missed the playoffs and won three rings too.
However, Julius Erving wasn’t always “Dr. J”. During his days leading up to being a pro, Erving was simply the “Doctor”. And then, he wasn’t.
What prompted the change from “Doctor” to “Dr. J” for Julius Erving?
What is the point of a nickname? To stand apart from a crowd, wouldn’t that be?
Dr. J came about from exactly such a situation with Erving’s previously anointed “Doctor” tag. After being called the “Doctor” by his high school friend Leon Sanders, the young star starred in the youth levels and got the chance to go pro.
At this point in time, something was rightly pointed out to Erving. The fact that the NBA was filled with players going by the nickname “Doctors” or “Docs”. The suggestion of “Dr. J” came from an unlikely, but welcome source. A trainer of Erving’s suggested the tweak that would make him stand out from the crowd. Thus, Dr. J was born.
““Originally, my nickname was The Doctor, I was called that by my high school teammate, Leon Saunders after I called him The Professor. Saunders and I went to college together at UMass, so our nicknames followed.”
“But when I got to the pros, there were already several people in the organization who were referred to as Doc or the Doctor—there was the physician, the trainer, and so forth. So one day the trainer said to me: ‘Hey listen, you’ve got to be Dr. J” described Erving of the events leading to the “Dr. J” moniker.
While necessity prompted the change, it definitely worked out. “Dr. J” went on to be one of the most marketable identities in the league. The razzle-dazzle wasn’t limited to just the nickname. Erving drew fans from all around with his play and inspired the next generation. Including a young Michael Jordan.
Was Julius Erving the inspiration behind Michael Jordan’s success?
In MJ’s own admission, Julius Erving was the role model he looked up to. “I wanted to be like him” said Jordan, when asked about his admiration for Dr. J, as a youngster.
And why wouldn’t he be? Erving was a champion who regularly conjured with moments of magic and was a special player who made the game look easy. Individual and team honors were aplenty in the Doctor’s resume and his style while racking them up was beyond comprehension.
Even beyond basketball, Dr. J is considered to be the ultimate inspiration for the idea of MJ. Jordan, the brand, realised his potential seeing how Dr. J made himself a household name.
Safe to say that Julius Erving walked so that Michael Jordan could run. Being the inspiration to arguably the GOAT is no small feat. But again, nothing seemed to big to attain for the superstar that is Dr. J.
