BEFORE MICHAEL or Le-Bron, there was Julius, the high-flying, gravity-defying NBA superstar better known as Doctor J.
Those too young to have seen Julius Erving in his prime can see footage of him operating when NBA TV airs "The Doctor," a 90-minute documentary set for June 10 at 9 p.m.
"If you ever hear Michael Jordan talk, he always says he looked up to and aspired to be like Doctor J," Miami Heat star Le-Bron James said in a statement. "So if there was no Doctor J, then Mike would have never had someone to look up to, and if there was no Mike, then there's no guys like myself who looked up to Mike."
The film gives an inside look into the Doctor's playing career, which included a championship with the 1983 Sixers. Among the highlights is rare footage from his five seasons in the ABA. The film also delves into the personal tragedies that shaped his life.
Erving, 63, was 9 when his father Julius died after being hit by a car. He was 19 when his younger brother Marvin died of lupus erythematosus, a systemic autoimmune disease. He was 34 when his older sister Alexis died of colon cancer. And he was 50 when his son Cory drowned in 2000.
Erving also discusses his teen years at Roosevelt High School in Long Island, N.Y. . . . the games he played at Harlem's hallowed Rucker Park . . . and the years he spent flying around the Spectrum.
"Back in high school and junior high, Doctor J was the man," said Magic Johnson. "He was the guy we all tried to emulate. We all first started with the big 'fro and then we wanted to try to soar through the air like the Doctor."
No Faith in NFL
Faith Hill, it seems, is no longer ready for some football. The country singer's voice will no longer be crooning the intro to "Sunday Night Football," a gig she's had for the past six seasons.
"Amazing 2 have been part of SNF - an honor," Hill tweeted Monday. "I've just let everyone there know it's time 2 let someone else rock the open."
No word on her replacement. Hate to say this, but we had no idea there was a "SNF" theme song.