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Dr. J Audiobook Summary

“A terrific memoir by a man worthy of one.” — Sports Illustrated

An honest, unflinching self-portrait of the basketball legend whose classy public image as a superstar and a gentleman masked his personal failings and painful losses, which he describes here–from his own point of view–for the very first time.

For most of his life, Julius Erving has been two men in one. There is Julius, the bright, inquisitive son of a Long Island domestic worker who has always wanted to be respected for more than just his athletic ability, and there is Dr. J, the cool, acrobatic showman whose flamboyant dunks sent him to the Hall of Fame and turned the act of jamming a basketball through a hoop into an art form. In many ways, Erving’s life has been about the push and pull of Julius and The Doctor.

It is Dr. J who has stories to tell of the wild days and nights of the ABA in the 1970s, and of being the seminal figure who transformed basketball from an earthbound and rigid game into the creative, free-flowing aerial display it is today. He has a long list of signature plays – he’s famous for winning the first dunk contest in 1976 with a jam on which he lifted off from the foul line, and he made a miraculous layup against the Lakers on which he soared behind the backboard before reaching back in to flip the ball in on the other side, with one hand. He inspired a generation of dunkers, including Michael Jordan, to express their improvisational talents.

But Julius wasn’t always as graceful and in control as Dr. J. Erving had a pristine image throughout his career and early retirement, but he was far from a perfect man. Here he gives detailed accounts of some of the personal problems he faced — or created — behind the scenes, including the adulterous affair with sports writer Samantha Stephenson, which led to the birth of his daughter, professional tennis player Alexandra Stephenson.

Though his marriage survived that infidelity, the death of Erving’s 20-year-old son Cory in 2000 in a tragic accident proved too much for the union to bear. Erving paints a raw, heartbreaking picture of the dissolution of his marriage, as his wife Turquoise began to blame him for his refusal to be paralyzed by grief for as long as she was. Their intense arguments came to a head when Erving stepped out of the shower one day to find his wife holding a lamp in one hand and a vase in the other, ready for a physical confrontation. “I knew somebody was going to get hurt, and it wasn’t going to be me,” he says. He packed a suitcase and he and Turquoise never lived under the same roof again.

Erving’s story is a tale of the nearly perfect player and the imperfect man, and how he has come to terms with both of them. It will appeal to readers on a sports level and on a human one.

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Dr. J Audiobook Narrator

Julius Erving is the narrator of Dr. J audiobook that was written by Julius Erving

Julius Erving is one of the greatest professional basketball players of all time and an American icon. He lives in Atlanta with his family. This is his first book.

About the Author(s) of Dr. J

Julius Erving is the author of Dr. J

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Dr. J Full Details

Narrator Julius Erving
Length 12 hours 14 minutes
Author Julius Erving
Category
Publisher HarperAudio
Release date November 05, 2013
ISBN 9780062263162

Subjects

The publisher of the Dr. J is HarperAudio. includes the following subjects: The BISAC Subject Code is Biography & Autobiography, Sports

Additional info

The publisher of the Dr. J is HarperAudio. The imprint is HarperAudio. It is supplied by HarperAudio. The ISBN-13 is 9780062263162.

Global Availability

This book is only available in the United States.

Goodreads Reviews

Jon

February 05, 2014

As a huge fan of the game of basketball, and the NBA in particular, I was incredibly excited to read Dr. J’s autobiography. At the end of this lengthly book (423 pages) the best word to describe how I feel about it is conflicted.Dr. J is a very detailed account of Erving’s life and very accomplished career. For fans of ABA and NBA history, this book is especially fascinating. The book goes back and forth between Erving’s personal life and his relationship with basketball. Reading about Erving’s take on what was going on culturally, politically, and racially in America as he was growing up was very interesting. His stories about teammates and opposing players in both the ABA and NBA were also illuminating. It’s always interesting to me to get another perspective on basketball from behind the curtain and to hear the more human stories about some of the games greatest players. Without question my knowledge of the history of professional basketball was expanded through reading this book.My feeling conflicted is not so much with the book as much as is it with Erving himself and his admission of rampant promiscuity and infidelity for virtually his whole life. Yes he admits his mistakes and weaknesses literally from the very start of the book, but for any of us, that’s the least we can do when our actions hurt and damage others. What makes me feel so conflicted is that none of us are perfect, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone…”, while at the same time you just feel so bad for those who were hurt by those decisions. So in no way, am I or can I judge him, but as you read the book you definitely feel the hurt and tension.At the end of the day Dr. J will be an interesting read primarily for fans of Julius Erving and professional basketball. Hands down Dr. J is one of the greatest and most dominant players to ever step onto the court and a history of professional basketball without mentioning Dr. J would be incomplete. So for the story on the life of one of basketballs greats and a detailed account of a very important era of basketball history, this is a great book.Blog: www.jonathanstephens.wordpress.comTwitter: @jonstephensNY

Brian

April 12, 2014

Call it 4.5/5 stars.Two things really struck me in this book. 1) Dr. J doesn't use the word "compulsion," or the abbreviation OCD, but it sure sounds to me like he has it. That was pretty interesting. 2) The game in Dr. J's day really was different from today's game. Reading this book was an enjoyable extended stroll down Memory Lane; I realized how much I miss the old game and dislike the new one (which is more like rugby or padless football).

Brian

November 26, 2013

Pretty standard sports autobiography. Strange kind of stream-of-consciousness writing leads me to believe Mr. Irving wrote the thing mostly himself. Typical set up, childhood, practice, practice, practice, HOLY SHIT I'M GOOD AT THIS, best hair ever, striving to be the best, light behind the scenes dirt, words of wisdom, my life has been blessed, the end. Nothing earth shattering but a breezy read by one of the greatest ever. Not essential but worthwhile.

Shawn

November 13, 2014

About as good as a biography can get. Closer to 4 1/2 stars.Very captivating. Very candid. Holds your interest throughout. No down moments or lulls. Nothing long-winded.

Sealove

June 14, 2014

A great story told through the experience of one of the true heroes of our age! It took a lot of courage and faith to live this life and to share it with the rest of us!Thank You Julius!

Kurt

November 20, 2017

So, I am sitting here having a break and a tea and thinking about this wonderful book that I finished last night. Dr. J was my intro into the world of basketball. It was a sport that my father, who I followed in all things, did not like (this was my first diversion from everything Dad said was always right). I learned about the Dr. first in Sports Illustrated and then when I started watching games on my little black and white TV in my room. It got my Dad to put up a hoop in my back yard for me and started me on the road to a love of basketball that I still have today, 40 years later. I loved to read about his epic battles with the Celtics and Larry Bird or the Lakers and Magic. I eagerly awaited and played the heck out of his video game, One of One Bird vs Dr. J I think it was called --- and I played the heck out of it with one of the guys I played HS ball with. He always seemed like a super cool dude that you would want to meet. So when I picked up this book and started to read I was loving it. It's written as though Dr. J is talking to you as the reader and telling you about his life. From his childhood on Long Island all the way through to his retirement. He doesn't flinch from the hard stuff, whether it's the early death of his little brother, the death of his sister as he retires or losing his son in a horrible accident. He also doesn't try to hide the failures he has had as a man, a partner and a father. He recognizes them and he is willing to say he made mistakes and also willing to say he would make them again. It's part of who he is, he definitely knows his limitations off the court and acknowledged very few on the court (part of what made him great). This is a wonderful book and if you are a fan of the history of the game its worth a read for the stuff about college ball and the ABA alone. If you are a Dr. J fan, this is a can't miss hit.

La'Tonya

July 14, 2020

This book gave me much more than I was expecting, so thank you, Doc! I find Erving thoughtful and reflective, a bit of a skirt chaser but also charming. In other words, complex and very very human. And low-key, this is a first-gen story, as well. This theme is evident in part one which focuses on his youth and aspiration to go to college so that he can rise (this theme appears frequently) out of his circumstances. In fact, it doesn't even occur to him that basketball can be a profession and Julius has much anxiety about this decision as he had promised his mother that he would earn a college degree. His first-genness resurfaces in part 3 when he is a family man and he reflects upon the decisions that he makes as a parent of children who have many more opportunities than he did. Was he too lenient? Did he give them too much? The highlight for me is his descriptions of the ABA. You can tell that he was thriving during this period as the tone is light and playful. His teammates included a crazy cast of characters, particularly Wendell Radner (whom I had never heard of before). And there's one scene involving Super John Williamson that nearly had me in tears. I could easily see this book being produced into a movie.And a word about the format: there are times when the language is quite poetic. I also like that the chapters vary in length--one of them is only a sentence long. Very well done overall.

Lauren

December 29, 2013

This was an excellent book. I grew up watching Dr. J when he played with the Sixers along with Mo Cheeks, Moses Malone, Bobby Jones, Andrew Toney, etc., so it was interesting to read his story from childhood to adulthood, through his basketball career and after his retirement. The book was so interesting and entertaining because I felt as though Dr. J. was being very honest and thorough with his life. He did not try to hide his mistakes or transgressions and he admitted when he did things wrong. It was also interesting because it gives the reader a true insight into how a pro athlete has to live their lives with all the fame and fortune that comes along with being a famous and rich athlete. The book also gives you an inside view of the difference between the pros of Dr. J.'s era who worked hard, didn't complain and busted their butts in the games as opposed to the young players of today. This book reminded me of why I loved the NBA back in the 60's, 70's, and 80's and less so today. I would highly recommend this book to any basketball fan and especially anyone who grew up in the Dr. J. era.

TIAHEKIE SIMMONS

November 28, 2013

A very good bookI'm a big fan of Dr J that's why I brought the book. it turn out to be a very good book.

Budd

July 14, 2015

Julius Erving might be the last of the great unseen legends in sports history.Yes, Erving's career with the Philadelphia 76ers is quite well known. There are videos of his performances with the Sixers, and he compiled enough credentials to be a Hall of Famer just on those years - NBA champion, league most valuable player, etc.But that's not when Erving was really at his best. When he was playing in the American Basketball Association, it was easy to believe that a man - Dr. J, as he became known as - really could fly.Those who only remember Erving from his Philadelphia days probably will get the most enjoyment out of his autobiography, "Dr. J." For if you examine his life story, it seems that his timing was just a bit off.For example, Erving was a fine high school basketball player in the New York City area. Admittedly, he hadn't finished growing yet, but he was good enough to attract attention. Had Erving reached 6-foot-6 as a senior and still been capable of flight in a manner of speaking today, he'd have documentaries done about him before he reached college. As it turned out, Erving went to college at Massachusetts - a respectable program but not the place to become a household name at the time.Then Erving opted to turn pro before his senior year. While it's difficult to argue with that move as a financial decision, he just missed on playing for the 1972 United States Olympic basketball team. It's fair to say he would have helped that team, which lost to the Soviet Union in the final in one of the most famous finishes in sports history. Erving landed with the Virginia Squires of the American Basketball League, teaming up with such players as Charlie Scott and George Gervin. Again, Norfolk will never be confused with one of the media capitals of the nation, and he played in obscurity. Yet anyone who saw those games knew just how good Erving was.It was more of the same in his next stop, the New York Nets. Erving led the team to a couple of ABA championships, and hardly anyone saw it. ABA games weren't televised very often, so basketball fans merely had to hear second-hand stories about this dynamic forward who was reinventing the game before people's eyes. When has someone who played in New York been overlooked? But when Erving finally made it to the NBA after 1976 merger, he and the 76ers packed arenas from coast to coast.The story finally gets told in the autobiography. Considering there was a time span of more than 25 years between retirement and publication, it's easy to wonder what took so long. But Erving certainly has plenty to say in an autobiography that stretches out for more than 420 pages.The basketball stories are generally well told and fairly straight forward. Erving doesn't go out of his way to rip people, although there are hints that Gene Shue, coach of the 1976-77 Sixers, didn't know how to coach the boatload of talent he had on the roster. Erving's time in the ABA was spent with some characters, including one guy who used to keep his drug stash in his socks during practice.There are some surprises here. Erving had some odd contract moves in his career. He tried to jump from the ABA to the NBA's Atlanta Hawks at one point, even though he hadn't been drafted yet. When Milwaukee picked him, it set off a good-sized legal fight. Then when the merger arrived, it's hard to say if a way could have been found to keep Erving in New York. The Nets could have used him in that era.Erving does write a bit about some cases of infidelity, as he gave in to some of the temptations of superstardom. He received some publicity when the fact that he was the father of a pro tennis player was revealed. Welcome to the fish bowl. And Erving has had all sorts of personal tragedies in his life - more than his share, to be sure. Fame does not offer immunity to that sort of pain and loss.All of this is told in the present tense, by the way. That's an unusual technique, and a little jarring at first. But after a while, it's easy to adjust to it."Dr. J" has received great notices from reviewers. I'm not sure it quite lives us to those reviews. Still, Erving comes off as humble and modest throughout his book. If you want to find out what all the fuss was about, or what the gaps in a lively life story, this should work nicely.

Steve

July 03, 2019

a Philly legend plain and simple

patrick

January 15, 2014

This book about Dr.J, Julius Erving, was an honest and insightful look back not only on his basketball career, but also as a parent, husband and brother. The story starts with him his mother, sister and younger brother. Living in an apartment in New Jersey and how the basketball court became the place where everyone played at. That over the course of time to continue to play you had to improve your game. He talks about countless hours of shooting, running, jumping and other things to improve himself. He speaks of have to get good grades and how important that was to his mother and to his coaches once he Jr. High School started and beyond. How he just knew drugs, drinking and other street life actives was not what he wanted. He wanted to get out of the neighborhood and basketball would be the only way. He got an offer to play ball at the University of Massachusetts, and he did for three years and each of those years they were conference champs. He little brother passed away during his time in college from a disease that was not diagnosis until his mother had an autopsy done to find out the cause of death. After his junior year in college a team from the ABA, which back then was trying to gain notoriety against the NBA offered him a contract. After speaking with his mother who made him promise to finish his college education he agreed to enter into the ABA draft and was selected by the Virginia Squires. This is where I first remembering reading stories about him and sometimes catching an old black & white game somewhere. The ABA game was fast pace and fun when you could get one of their games and they had high scoring games 116 to 120. If a team could play defense they could win. Their uniforms were bright and the basketball was red, white & blue. He goes into all of the players he played against and with some big names in the game. He also speaks of the how the dunk from the free throw line came about. These are all great stories. The two championships he won in the ABA, and then the merger into the NBA. The frustration of losing twice in the finals two the Lakers and losing his mother and his sister passing away of cancer. He finally got an NBA championship against the Lakers and he retired the following year. After retirement his personal life was tough he goes into it and even looks to maybe him being away and his boys not having to grow up in the environment as he did that they had no desire to secede in anything. After one son passed away his marriage broke up after 22 years and his other son is in and out of jail. His daughter though is finishing college as he did as well, to make the promise he made to his mother complete. This is a very open and honest story about a truly gifted athlete who I enjoyed watching playing basketball. People talk about all of the stars after him but all I see is the same type of dunks that he did just not as many TV outlets like espn etc.. a good read if you are looking for a sports story.

Isaiah

February 27, 2015

Dr.J the autobiography is about Dr.J and his life and how his road to the NBA success life began. This autobiography was written by Karl Taro Greenfeld. Julius Erving was born in New York City born in 1950. He was raised by his mother and father until his father had a massive heart attack and passed away. Now Julius also known as june was the man of the house. After High School he attended UNiversity of Massachusetts. After College he entered the NBA and was one of the first NBA elite players with his leaping ability and natural athletic ability. Many say he set the path to Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, and Magic Johnson. In his last NBA game he surpassed the 30,000 point mark. Now Dr.J is a hall of famer and his known all around the world for his style of play. I liked many things about the book. First i liked that the book told every single detail about Julius life. It seemed like you was actually there in the part of his life. I Liked the roller coaster ride that they had the reader go on with his life. This book shows how the main character really grew up and how he matured in his years. How he never gave up on his dream and kept working. How he saw his own talent before anybody else discovered it. He was very humble also and they showed that in the book as if it was a movie. What I disliked is how The chapters was so short, so it was so many chapters. I couldn’t finish reading the book but i got the main moral of the autobiography. Last I liked how they added the many problems he had in his life. For example, his father died, his brother was very sick, his sister was pregnant early. Adding these types problems in the story and showing how he handled all the problems really showed what type of person Dr.J was. That is what i liked and disliked about this book autobiography. I would recommend this book to anyone really. Specifically mainly to people who have a lot of family problems or problems period. It is going to inspire them that at the end of the day it is going to be okay. This autobiography can teach you many different life lessons. This is why i really enjoyed reading this book.

Bo

June 09, 2019

Nice, easy read. An honest look at his life—like many people who looks back over his life, he regrets his selfish decisions.

B.T.

May 12, 2017

This might be the most engrossing autobiography I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I fell in love with the NBA in the early 90's, by which time Dr. J was retired. Anything I saw/heard/read about the man was in context, I didn't live through his career. I never got to see his greatness as it happened. Basically, outside of the afro and smooth offensive prowess, I knew virtually nothing about Julius Winfield Erving II. Erving's candor is astounding. He was no angel, and he clearly had no issue sharing the less proud moments that made up his life. He almost made infidelity sound noble. Almost. I love the way in which he recalls his take on events both on and off the court with a refreshing honesty and a humble nature. He clearly understands his impact on the game, but is quick to acknowledge the greatness of his peers, an exceedingly rare quality in the modern athlete. And Erving has experienced more than his share of personal tragedy, the likes of which I am sure would drive the average person completely crazy. Erving persevered and rose, time and time again. An utterly fantastic book, and very inspirational.

Andrew

September 10, 2017

The king of air details his rise ! This is a raw look into the life of Julius Erving. I highly recommend the audiobook version. This is a fascinating and compelling memoir compared to most Sports books. At some points the play by play of the game drags out too much, but for the most part this book is well done. This book goes into detail on his childhood, college and career as an NBA star. Here are a few random thoughts about this book in the spoiler(view spoiler)[ Erving addresses is experiences with many players but keeps most of the locker room talk out of this book. He briefly describes his friend Teddy Pendergrass, but avoids the details after the car crash. His son's death was tragic and you can genuinely feel his remorse for not doing more with his son. The ABA was all offense all the time. I wish the ABA & NBA remained separate, it sounds like this was good for the players and interesting for the public. (hide spoiler)]

Carl

March 04, 2017

Audiobook. Wow! What a fantastic book! Dr. J left no skeleton unexposed in his book. What I most enjoyed about this book was how the author (the great Dr. J) came down to mortal level and shared the fact that, despite his fame, good fortune, and wealth (and access), dealt with the same problems that we all struggle with: love of family, death, failings, disappointment... I was especially touched by his struggling relationship with his sons - finding the balance between empowering and giving too much. A good book for me is one that I leave with lessons to possibly help navigate my own life roads. I will ponder the tales of Dr. J's story and lessons learned for some time to come.

David

November 05, 2018

Growing up as a Sixers fan, and the son of a man who calls Dr. J his favorite player of all time, I was very excited to read this, and the Dr. did not disappoint. He lived an interesting life. At times, some of the wording feels a bit forced, but where the book really shines is in it's incredible honesty. When reading an autobiography I tend to wonder what failures and embarrassments may have been left out. Here, the author seems to have no qualms spilling secrets and failures of his life. The result is an interesting book that leaves you feeling like you personally know Julius Erving, as opposed to just being a fan of Dr. J.

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