Julius Winfield Erving II, also known as Dr. J, is a retired pro-basketball player who helped change the way the game was played. 
Erving was born on Feb. 22, 1950. With impressive displays of his skills, Erving would leap and spin mid-air before slam dunking the ball into the net, setting the stage for how ballers today would play.

Erving began his career in the American Basketball Association with the Virginia Esquires and the New York Nets. Once the ABA merged with the National Basketball League, the small forward was one of its best known players. He also played with the Philadelphia 76ers for 11 years.

During his five years with the ABA, Dr. J won three Most Valuable Player Awards and two league championships. After the merger, he played for 11 more years in the NBA, was an All-Star each season and won an MVP Award in 1981. He scored a career total of 30,026 points.

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(Photo: Rick Stewart/Getty Images)