Every promising young basketball player has an NBA star they look up to. Many of the game’s greatest have based their play style on legends who paved the way. For Lakers legend Magic Johnson, it was high-flying Sixers star Julius Erving. At one point, Magic even claimed Erving was dunking like Michael Jordan before MJ ever entered the scene.
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Although Erving was Johnson’s idol, the two developed a close friendship. Magic once sought Erving’s advice about a difficult college decision and ended up spending an entire weekend with his favorite player. Just seven months later, Magic would be preparing to go head-to-head with the legendary forward in the 1980 NBA Finals.
During that intense Finals matchup, Magic witnessed an Erving performance that he remembers to this day. During a fast break, Erving threw down an iconic cradle dunk over Lakers legend Micheal Cooper. In Magic’s guest appearance on the ALL THE SMOKE Podcast back in 2023, he shined a spotlight on Erving for doing things Jordan’s remembered for. He said,
“I said, ‘This dude is too much man!’ See he was doing that Jordan stuff before Michael and people forget that. He was the first dude walking in air. It was so much fun playing against Doc.”
At the time, Erving was at the peak of his powers. He was 29 years old and finished second in MVP voting behind Magic’s teammate, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar that year. Though Erving had a reputation for his dunks, his poster on Cooper remains one of the most iconic slams ever.
Magic relived Dr. J’s iconic plays in front of the legend
Magic praise Erving whenever he gets the chance. In late July of 2023, Johnson and Erving reunited at the Brentwood Oasis, a large multi-million dollar mansion by Ramtin Ray Nosrati that features a custom-built basketball court. After posing for pictures, Magic began to recreate Erving’s iconic moves.
Johnson hilariously ran Dr. J’s incredible baseline scoop layup. He claimed that Erving defied the odds by walking in the air and flying to the other side of the basket. Once the jokes were finished, Magic’s tone grew more serious, and he began to speak about the impact Erving had on his career. Johnson said,
“There’s no Magic without [Julius Erving].”
Erving’s legacy lives on in all the players he has impacted. Magic’s not alone; Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley have all credited Dr. J at some point in their careers. His legacy continues to live on nearly 40 years after his last NBA game.
