Dr. J: The Autobiography Author: Visit Amazon's Julius Erving Page | Language: English | ISBN:
0062187929 | Format: EPUB
Dr. J: The Autobiography Description
From Booklist
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
Review
“A deeply personal and almost shockingly honest book.” (New York Daily News)
“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.” (Booklist)
“The book is quite an accomplishment: a terrific memoir by a man worthy of one.” (Sports Illustrated)
“The NBA’s most transformative player submits an unusually revealing autobiography.” (Kirkus Reviews)
See all Editorial Reviews
- Hardcover: 448 pages
- Publisher: Harper (November 5, 2013)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0062187929
- ISBN-13: 978-0062187925
- Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.4 x 1.4 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
“I believe that while what I achieved is only possible in the United States, my faults are my own, singular and personal…”
“I am a husband, trying and not always succeeding to live up to vows of fidelity amid the seductions of celebrity and fame…”
“I am an American man whose journey has been blessed by the great gifts that America offers… wealth, fame, championships, awards… and also scoured by the tragedies that are a part of the human experience. I have lost too many loved ones.”
“I ask for no pity; I only want to relate what I have felt and seen.”
“I have hurt too many people.”
“For that I ask forgiveness.”
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The above words are a partial excerpt from Julius Erving’s preface. These heartfelt and ego-free sentiments… will provide the reader with a notice that you’re about to read a sports autobiography that comes from a much different shelf… than the overflowing one filled with mindless… me… me… mantra… of countless athletes.
As the story begins in childhood… the reader at first will think that the writing has an “infantile” feel to it… then as it continues… you’ll slowly start to realize… that the telling of the story is as if you’re actually inside young “June” (Julius’s nickname with family members… short for Junior)… and you’re actually looking through his eyes… you even feel as if you’re his size… as he continues to jump… and jump.. and jump… trying to be able to look out the window in his home. The love between all members of the Erving family is both touching and nostalgic. The lessons that come along with the love from “The Doctor’s” Mother… reminds you of the way America used to be… and at least the way you wish it to be now.
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