Dr. J: The Autobiography
If not the greatest basketball player of all time, Julius Erving was the first and best at bringing the playground to the pro game. In the early 1970s, when Erving burst onto the national scene with the American Basketball Association Virginia Squires, he was a revelation. Every game was its own Dr. J highlight reel of swooping dunks and twisting layups. After the ABA merged with the NBA, Erving secured a larger audience with the Philadelphia 76ers and eventually a spot in the Hall of Fame. In between the dunks, life happened, and that’s what Erving has put down on paper in this revealing, insightful autobiography. He states early and often that he is a flawed man. The sexual temptations of fame were irresistible to him, damaging the serious relationships in his life and even producing a child, tennis player Alexandra Stevenson. Personal tragedy exacted a toll, too, with early death taking several family members. There’s enough basketball here to keeps fans interested, but the book isn’t really about what happens on the court. It’s about a thoughtful man who, for a time in his youth, was a famous athlete. A rewarding reading experience. --Wes Lukowsky