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Nets’ Spencer Dinwiddie wears shoes honoring Dr. J vs. Sixers

Spencer Dinwiddie will wear custom Dr. J sneakers when the Nets play the Sixers Wednesday.

Spencer shoe for Philly game
Spencer shoe for Philly gameRead moreSarah Todd

Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie came to Philadelphia with a tribute to Julius ‘Dr. J’ Erving.

On Wednesday night in Philly, Dinwiddie, who has collaborated with sneaker customizer Kickasso to create a different shoe for each of the 82 regular-season games, decided to honor an icon that has meaning for both the 76ers and the Nets.

“Dr. J tonight,” Dinwiddie said before facing the Sixers. “He’s more than just Philly, he also played for the Nets when they were in the ABA, so he intertwines our franchises.”

Erving spent three seasons with the ABA’s New York Nets from 1973-76, winning two titles. After the NBA-ABA merger, Erving spent the next 11 seasons (1976-87) with the Sixers, a span that included an MVP season (1981), the 1983 NBA title, and 11 All-Star appearances, among many other notable accomplishments.

“He’s probably the greatest player in our franchise history,” said Dinwiddie, who scored a game-high 39 points off the bench in the Nets' 127-124 win at the Wells Fargo Center. “They have some legends in [the Sixers] franchise, but he’s arguably the best there, too. So when we played here, I had to do that.”

Dinwiddie, 25, said that he lets Kickasso have complete freedom when it comes to the designs, giving him only concepts and themes for each custom pair of shoes. On the road, the designs are tied to the city he’s visiting, and, at home in Brooklyn, he is able to work in themes and designs that are more about him.

The designs for the season are pretty much set, though he said audibles can be called, as was the case when comic book icon Stan Lee died on Nov. 12 and Dinwiddie wanted to honor one of his idols.

Dinwiddie’s favorite to date was a pair of Bruce Lee inspired sneakers, and he said he has a lot more in store, though he wouldn’t give any hints, preferring to keep it a surprise.