Customer Reviews

Doc: The Rise and Rise of Julius Erving

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This is a biography of one of the greatest players and crowd pleasers in professional basketball history... Julius *DR. J* Erving. It needs to be noted early on in this review that "IT IS A SHAME THAT ERVING DID NOT WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROJECT (A NUMBER OF CALLS WENT OUT TO ERVING'S REPRESENTATIVES AND TO HIS EX-WIFE, TURQUOISE, AND THEIR CHILDREN, BUT MOST WERE NOT RETURNED), BECAUSE THIS ENTIRE BOOK IS BASICALLY A GIANT VALENTINE FROM ONE OF HIS BIGGEST FANS." (The author.)

The fact that the author is an admitted lifetime adoring Dr. J fan is what gives it its caring detail... and also what creates its minimal drawbacks. Julius Erving is now a generation removed from today's current fans... and any of these younger fans that have not been schooled on the otherworldly acrobatic gravity defying presence that Dr. J was... have been given a disservice by their parents or older friends. People who are in awe of Michael Jordan's high flying gymnastic repertoire... need to know that Dr. J. paved the way. The author goes to great pains (and I agree) to point out that though Jordan was a better outside shooter and all around player... nobody went as high... hung as long... or had his final windmill dunking crescendo... so emphatically demoralize entire teams as Dr. J. The author also points out... (but I feel this point could have been hammered home harder) that Dr. J was taking the baton from Elgin Baylor and Connie Hawkins... the original "air-hanging-sky-walkers".

The author lovingly and with exquisite detail takes you through Julius's early life with a loving Mother... no Father figure... and loving siblings. The hard work and dedication that young Julius always invested in his growing love of basketball is important for would be youngsters who dream of basketball fame. It is clear as day that Julius became the eventual crowned *DOCTOR* by hard work as well as G-d given gifts. As an old school basketball fan and former player... and being the same age as Dr. J... as well as coming from the same part of New York as Erving... I knew of his storied short college career at UMass and of his signing with the ABA after his junior year. The fact that he basically saved the ABA and gave it the intrinsic value that helped lead to the merger between the ABA and NBA... and his success with the Philadelphia 76ers... has been pretty well documented in the past. But the two most deliciously enticing and captivating parts of the author's tale are... 1) the detailed stories of the famed New York playground games in Long Island and New York in addition to the famed Rucker Tournament. All the famous names of New York playground lore from days gone by including: Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul Jabbar), Connie Hawkins, Charlie Scott, Nate Archibald, Dean Meminger... Cal Ramsey... and of course the playground legends that were eaten by the city and never made national fame... "THE DESTROYER"... "THE ELEVATOR MAN"... "PEE WEE"... and many more. It feels like you're right on the sidelines watching the "throw-downs". Throughout the entire story... player after player... marvel at the size of Dr. J's hands. Even the seven-foot-plus hall of famer Lew Alcindor (Pre-Kareem) said when he shook hands with Julius (Who was a mere six-feet-two inches tall in high school but would later grow to six-feet-seven inches tall.) had a bigger hands than he did. Some players called Erving "The Claw". Throughout his career he was described as handling the ball with one hand like he was holding a "GRAPEFRUIT"... other times an "ORANGE"... or a "BASEBALL".

And 2) What an absolute wonderful human being Julius Erving was... on the court and off. He didn't trash talk and he didn't showboat. He never walked away from an autograph seeker... and always donated his time to worthy causes. His teammates loved him and the fans loved him. And even more amazingly his opponents loved him. Here is a quote from one of the most aggressive defensive wizards of his era in the NBA Michael Cooper: "TODAY THERE ARE GUYS OUT THERE POPPING STEROIDS AND ENLISTING THE HELP OF TRAINERS TO TRY AND BE SUPERMAN OUT ON THE COURT. WELL, DOC WAS SUPERMAN WITHOUT ALL THOSE THINGS. HE WAS JUST BORN WITH BASKETBALL GREATNESS. YEAH, HE WORKED AT IT, BUT HIS GIFTS CAME FROM G-D, NOT FROM SOME TRAINER OR OUT OF SOME BOTTLE, AND DOC DIDN'T NEED AN ENTOURAGE AROUND HIM TO PROVE TO EVERYONE HOW POPULAR HE IS AND THAT HE'S A BASKETBALL CELEBRITY. DOC WENT TO THE GYM BY HIMSELF, AND HE WENT HOME HIMSELF, AND IN BOTH PLACES, HE WAS ONE OF THE ALL-TIME GREATS. FROM A FAN'S PERSPECTIVE, WHAT WAS GREAT ABOUT ROOTING FOR DOC WAS THAT HE WAS SOMEONE YOU COULD WALK UP TO AND TALK TO, SOMEONE, WHO WOULD SHAKE YOUR HAND AND GIVE YOU THE TIME OF DAY. A GUY LIKE KOBE BRYANT, HE'S A GREAT PLAYER, BUT UNLESS YOU'RE PLAYING AGAINST HIM OUT THERE ON THE FLOOR, YOU REALLY CAN'T TOUCH HIM. HE'S REALLY OUT OF REACH." Unfortunately as the story ends in the present we find that Julius has had many affairs... illegitimate children... is divorced... and suffers parental problems with children abusing drugs.

The author/fan Vincent Mallozzi does a tremendous job other than the fact that I believe he gets tangled up in his love affair and repeats a number of things a number of times. Such as the telling on three separate occasions how Julius got the nickname "Doctor"... and tells the exact same story twice regarding Jim McDermott, the head coach of Iona College telling how "I saw the best basketball player I've ever seen-Julius Erving"... and at least three times described Erving's leaping capabilities... "like one of those jets leaving Kennedy Airport." But putting that all aside... this is a can't miss read for any old-school basketball fan... or any young basketball fan that really wants to know what he's talking about when he makes loud proclamations about today's game.

Ok, ok, ok. I am in my mid-30s, and I do remember the Dr. I remember how he shaped the game before the his "airness" took over. The high-flying moments and great class he showed was well known. What I did not know is how he got there. This book does all that, and details the memorable events, but does not bore you to death in the process. It is a quick read, but not overly simplistic. Very well written and informative and deals with best ball player ever. Just get it and enjoy.

This is a "biography" of Julius Erving, better known to sports fans as Dr. J, that relies almost exclusively on news and video accounts and an over decade old interview of the man himself. It also includes interview material with his former teammates and coaches, and they do add flavor to the biography, but not a lot of real substance.

It is shocking that for such a glowing biography of Julius Erving that he and his family apparently refused to be interviewed or contribute to it. This is not a true biography but an encomium to the athletic prowess, excitement, and unbelievable dunks and moves that Dr. J displayed in his youth, playground, college, ABA and NBA days. It essentially chronicles his athletic exploits and what the Doc did to create a vibrant and exciting style of basketball that kept the ABA alive for a while, and the he eventually brought over the NBA. His unbelievable dunks, hang time, and drives to the hoop are what this biography is all about.

There is really very little about Julius Erving's private life and boyhood in this biography. It does paint him as a paragon of virtue as far as being fan friendly, great with teammates and coaches, and dedicated to his craft. The last section of the book does go into some detail, although again relying on mostly news accounts, of his lack of virtue in his family life leading to his eventual divorce from his first wife, Turquoise.

But, as the author himself says, the book is a "valentine" to his sports hero. And if that is how this biography is judged, it is definitely a very readable and informative account of the Doc's career and place in basketball history.

"First guy to fly!" - that was how a fellow teammate of Julius Erving described him, and it fits still today.

I remember being young and loving the Celtics and their brand of uptempo, full-court press defense, and selfless offense when I started noticing this guy playing for the 76ers, Julius Erving, aka Dr. J. It appeared to me that an alien life form which had been designed to play basketball at a level above that of mere mortals had been dropped into the Eastern Division of the NBA, and I wasn't happy because he was dropped in Philadelphia, not Boston.

He did things with a basketball that literally stunned you even coming through the filter of a 27" TV set. He could levitate both vertically and horizontally like no one I'd ever seen. I found it hard to root against the guy. His pre and post game interviews were things of intelligence, decency, civility and humor. He seemed to be a true sportsman whether in victory or defeat. Just an all round likable guy really.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Dr. J was pulling a 'Tiger' on his gorgeous wife and children.

Way back when I remember reading something about the divorce and the reasons behind it. This book goes into quite a bit more detail in that area, and I found it troubling, to some degree, to read. Why? Well, the good doctor is somewhat unapologetic about it, and that goes against the grain with me. When you take lightly the breaking of the oath you swear when you get married, your character has somewhat of a flaw in it. There's that dang "So help me God" part that sort of stands out, don't you think? I mean, if you want to start screwing around, get unmarried first, then play hound dog all you want, but don't dishonor your wife and children by being less of a man than you swore you would be... and then act like it's no big deal.

That said, this is a great read for any BB follower who's a fan of the high flyers we have today in the NBA and college. In Dr. J's college career, dunking a basketball was not exactly encouraged. He was blessed to start his professional career in the then American Basketball Association with it's red-white-and-blue ball and wide open offenses. In the ABA, dunking was a large part of the appeal and it was not only permitted, it was encouraged. In this forum, Doc could use all of his considerable weapons and it would be more than welcome.

Similar to Michael Jordan, Julius Erving was a complete player who also played tough defense and dished out assists as well as rebounded. He really could do it all... it was just that the 'flying' part was so transcendent compared to all the players who came before him. Yes, even considering Elgin Baylor of the Lakers who could go up and almost not come down until he wanted to.

I gave this one a 4-star Rating because Dr. J refused to be interviewed for the book. The work demonstrates considerable research and interviews with anybody who knew him who was willing to talk and those passages are golden. However, given those parts of his life that carry that seedy quality to them, it's understandable why Doc didn't want to chat about it with the author. That feels almost like a missing element to the story and there wasn't anything the author could do about it. Dr. J's public statements are quoted but he says nothing new to add to the story.

So I really don't have a criticism of what's here... it's just not quite as complete as it should be.

Lastly, reading this one and being reminded of Dr. J at the height of his powers - his elegance and grace, and his conduct as a gentleman and sportsman - was truly an enjoyable experience. At least as an athlete, he was definitely a positive role model for all those who knew of him, and for that... I'll always be grateful.

I was lucky enough to catch Julius Erving on TV when he was at UMass, and also some of his games in his first years in the ABA. Since I was/am on the West Coast, UMass & the ABA didn't get alot of exposure. This book also delves into late 60's playground ball & the Rucker Tournament in New York, which brought back lots of names I'd read about in my hoops-crazed years.
One thing about the Doctor was that you didn't hear negative things about him, and reading this book reinforced my feelings that Dr J was(and is) the type of person that players should have looked at as a role model.
There are a number of mistakes in this book, such as the author saying that in the late 60's only college players were allowed to play on the US Olympic team(actually collegiate, AAU, and military team players were allowed to play), and some errors scrambling the identities of the New York & New Jersey Nets. Still, I could live with that. This book isn't perfect, but I'd rather read a flawed book about Dr J than a perfect book about Michael Ray Richardson, Billy Ray Bates, or some other coked out flake, or something sucking up to David Stern, such as When the Game Was Ours.

If only this bio was as awesome as that cover picture of Doc soaring through the Denver night at old McNichols Arena! Sadly, it is not. But there is some to like here, just as there was at that first ABA Slam Dunk contest.

My expectations were high considering the last books I read on Doc were from the mid-70s. My expectations were to learn more about those unbelievable days spent in the ABA where Julius's legend was fortified, and more about his struggles to experience similar success once he moved on to the NBA's 76ers. With virtually no video from the ABA era, we rely on biographers to paint that vivid picture for us. I would recommend Bill Simmons' "The Book of Basketball," or Terry Pluto's "Loose Balls" to get that old-school, detailed glimpse into Dr. J's most exciting early days. Mr. Mallozzi races through this important time fairly quickly, although that may be a byproduct of publishers these days cutting page counts down to almost nothing to keep printing costs low. I don't know, of course.

Here are some of my problems with the writing: When you purchase something like this, based on one of the key performers who pioneered what we see from the over-saturated and over-hyped NBA of today, we expect expert views, analysis, and writing. Why then, does Mr. Mallozzi refer to "one-on-one" - a very common hoops term - as "one-TO-one," and he does it more than once?

The same goes for referring to the Baltimore/Capitol/Washington Bullets of the 1970s as the "Washington Wizards." Doc never played against the team since they changed their name to the Wizards. And Ron Buse? How about DON Buse. Buse is even mentioned in the back of the book chronologically as RON Buse (as are the Wizards). Anybody who knows basketball well would not have made those mistakes. At that point, I fully expected to read about "Ralph" (George) McGinnis and "Charlton" (Moses) Malone.

Another glaring factual error is stating on Page 167 that when Philly won their championship with Moses and Doc in 1983, that it was the city's first ever title - of any kind. Didn't the Phillies win the World Series in 1980, and the Flyers the Stanley Cup - twice - in 73-74' and 74'-75'? Some things I can overlook, but the combination of these errors detracted from the book for me. I didn't feel like I was reading an expert account, but rather a "love letter" as one earlier reviewer stated.

But ... I enjoyed the coverage of the Rucker days very much - it was easily the one section "that took me back" to an exciting time in New York City" hoops - and I may even pick up Mr. Mallozzi's other book on that subject (though I am a bit wary now). Yes, I realize he KNOWS that landscape well. But to WRITE it well is what brought it to life for me.

Yes, I'm biased. I co-authored ABA and NBA legend David Thompson's book, "David Thompson: Skywalker," and was a key contributor to Marshall Terrill's "Maravich," who was my idol growing up. I'm an old-school hoops expert and fan, having lived through those days as a wide-eyed youngster. Therefore, when I pick up a book on Dr. J - not Fly Williams or Marvin Barnes, mind you - *** Dr. freakin' J *** - I expect it to blow me away ... and leave me breathless. Why? Because that's the type of player the Doctor was.

This book did not do the trick. Yes, Vincent fills us in comprehensively on Erving's transgressions, and gets us up to date on the good Doctor today. That had to be covered, and I'm glad it was - though it did tarnish Doc's image for me.

I prefer to think of the one and only Doctor J flying, like on that fabulous cover, slamming and jamming over anybody and everybody, bringing people out of their seats saying, "Did you SEE that???"

p.s. While Bill Simmons also covers this tidbit as does Mallozzi, can you imagine if Doc gets to stay with the Hawks in 72'-73', with Pistol feeding him on all of those fast breaks during the "slowdown" 70s? In "Maravich," Terrill also details the two exhibition games that Julius got to play with Pete, Sweet Lou, and Bells. That, my friends, could have been a mini-dynasty. At a minimum it would have given us a lifetime of highlights that would have dominated You Tube.

First of all, you can tell the author is one of Dr J's most avid fans. And in this book, he wants to share everything he knows about the Doctor -- everything from Julius Erving's childhood onward -- I think this is a great tribute to a phenomenal star. Most of today's generation knows little or nothing about Doctor J -- but those really were special, formative and legendary days in the history of basketball - I could say they were "Magical" but then you'd think of someone else.

We follow Julius Erving thru grade school, high school special basketball teams, the playground basketball courts of NY City, to the hard-hitting action on the professional baketball courts -- with photos that chronicle this progression. And all through this narrative, Mallozzi keeps the reader transfixed, peppers the page with facts about Dr. J that bring the legend to the fore, and.... also touches upon Erving's personal life, with its many ups and downs and disappointments.

But it is the PLAYER, Doctor J, Julius Erving, who gets top billing in this book, which is the way it should be. It is obvous that even the opposing teams knew this guy was a genius, a gravity-defier and a sports-legend in his own time, or as Charles Barkley, another NBA Hall of Famer, said: "everyone held him in such high regard".

And with this book, Vincent Mallozzi keeps The Legend alive, as he writes, not only for those fans of Dr J's, who remember those special days, but also for the newer generation, so that they too may get to know and never forget this very special star, this VERY airborne and VERY special player who is truly a basketball hero for all time.

Arguably a single quote from 'Doc' sums it up best: "This entire book is basically a giant Valentine from one of his biggest fans."

Author Vincent Mallozzi's tribute to his boyhood idol is a well-written, albeit substance short tribute to one of the greatest players of the modern basketball era. Mallozzi's journalist (NY Times) pedigree serves him well, with 'Doc' evidence of painstaking research to reach out to nearly all significant parties throughout Julius Erving's 30+ year evolution as a roundball legend. Almost no on-court stone is left unturned, ranging from high school teammates to significant 76er running mates in his final seasons. Like Mallozzi, nearly all who played with Erving were both eager to speak of his exploits and hold a very favorable opinion of him.

Unfortunately, however, off-court linkages are weak...if not non-existent. Erving himself failed to contribute to this biography, likewise any members of his family (including any of his children and/or ex-wife of twenty years). Also, Mallozzi semi-ignores Erving's numerous personal trials and tribulations (ie several marital transgressions resulting in multiple children, poor fatherly/husband roles), limiting them to shorter chapter inclusions at the end of book.

Mallozzi's curious isolation of these items emerged as a hesitancy by a man struggling to admit the flaws of his legendary idol. Related and while their comments laudatory, Erving's personal friends are men who - like Erving - succumbed to bad decision-making off the court. This inner struggle between Erving the person, player, and role model emerged as a common theme toward the end of 'Doc.'

Still,'Doc' remains a pleasant read, one that fans of Dr. J would surely savor. Mallozzi does a fantastic job of describing Erving's on court feats, textual representations of Erving mastery that will invoke images of ABA highlights long forgotten. Those looking for a more objective perspective on Erving the man, however, will find little in 'Doc.'

This book is a MUST read for all sports fans. As an avid sports and Dr. J. fan, I could not put this book down. In his customary fashion, Mallozzi speaks to the reader as if he is sitting next to you telling the story. His attention to detail is paramount, as evidenced in the chapter with the early scouting reports on Dr. J. and the conversations with Lou Carnesecca passing on one of the greatest basketball talents, not once, but twice! Mallozzi takes you into his early days in Long Island and lets you in to Dr. J's Rucker Park days, playing ball with playground legend, Joe "The Destroyer" Hammond (There is more detail about this historic matchup in Mallozzi's "Asphalt Gods", another great read that should be made into a movie). It is interesting that the Dr. would never admit he was outplayed (according to various sources) by Hammond. This reflects the enormous pride in which Julius played the game.

As Mallozzi continues the story into his ABA and NBA playing days, he shares the memories of some of the greatest personalities in basketball history. This is really a Who's Who list: Charles Barkley, George Gervin, Dominique Wilkins, Lou Carnesecca, Darryl Dawkins, Marv Albert, Peter Vecsey and Bob Costas, just to name a few. This reinforces the time and effort Mallozzi contributes to this tremendous manuscript. His love of Dr. J gives this added credibility as his unbiased reporting of Dr. J's post career indiscretions.

I have been a basketball and a Dr. J. fan since his ABA days and was surprised to learn about his relationship with close friend from childhood, Archie Rogers, the sudden death of his brother, Marvin and the children he sired out of wedlock. This paints a broader picture of this sports legend and you sit back and realize that as much as an icon as he had become, he is still human. Mallozzi ventures into this part of his life unabated, even though the Dr. was his sports hero. This type of honesty is refreshing and separates Mallozzi as true journalist and not some biased writer penciling a fluff piece about his favorite athlete who fears a reprisal from the athlete himself.

Finally, it is a testament to the many accomplishments of Dr. J. in his high school, college and professional playing days. He was a trailblazer before Jordan, Bird, Magic and Lebron. Mallozzi revisits the great moments of Dr. J's playing days and makes you feel like you are sitting in the arena as if it is happening live. Once you finish the book, you cannot help but smile, realizing how lucky we were to witness one of the greatest athletes of all-time and Mallozzi lets us live this one final time.

Stevie Hoops
The Garden State

Colossally disappointing book on one of the greatest basketball players ever. There's way too much text on Dr. J playing in the Rucker Park league in NYC which, although famous, is really a sidebar to his story (the author wrote another book on playground ball so that explains the fascination). I wanted so much more especially on his days in the ABA that this superficial retelling (of mostly people commenting on how great Dr. J was) of what Dr. J was like just fell so far short of greatness it's sad..

The author is also incredibly lazy. For example, on p. 100 he writes "The Nets, however, were eliminated by the Spirits of St. Louis...one of the greatest upsets in basketball history..." Then we get all of a paragraph and a half of that mostly stating facts like the Nets won Game 1 then lost the next four and that the Spirits had a 32-52 record that season vs. the Nets 58-26 record. Where is the analysis? Where is the insight? How did Dr. J feel about the loss?

We get nothing. This happens throughout the book where something great is mentioned only in passing then we're back on about some player or coach talking about some individual dunk Dr. J did. We get it, he could dunk better than everyone else but how about something beyond people praising his skill?

This book is really just a collection of short anecdotes about Dr. J and gives me some idea of the impact of the player and man but none of the depth needed for a topic like this.

I could go on about the photo choices too which are extremely poor. The whole thing seems like it was placed in the hands of the wrong person to write the definitive story about Dr. J.

Honestly, I learned more about Dr. J and his days in the ABA from what is in Terry Pluto's "Loose Balls" than this entire book dedicated to the Dr.