Dr. J Unabridged

The Autobiography

By: Julius Erving, Karl Taro Greenfeld

Narrated by: Julius Erving

Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's Summary

With startling honesty and an unmistakable voice, Dr. J is a historic self-portrait of an American legend, Julius "The Doctor" Erving.

With his flights of improvisation around the basket and his towering afro, Julius Erving became one of the most charismatic (and revolutionary) players basketball has ever known. But while the public has long revered this cultural icon, few have ever known of the double life of Julius Erving. Dr. J traces the inner lives of the nearly perfect player and the imperfect man - and how he has come to terms with both.

©2013 Julius Erving (P)2013 HarperCollinsPublishers

I may overrate it, but I’m a hoops junkie!

What made the experience of listening to Dr. J Unabridged the most enjoyable?

When talking hoops with people these days, it’s sad because the legends of the past are often forgotten. And that’s the case when talking professional ball or street-ball. You watch TV and you would think that the game was played by only Magic & Bird in the 80’s, followed by Jordan in the 90’s. Growing up in Philadelphia I know better. One of the most popular figures of my childhood was Julius “Dr. J” Erving. He was larger than life in the city. He was also a legend in street-ball. Most of the older men in my neighborhood wanted to be him and all of the older ladies would have given him their love canal if they had the chance. Not only was he considered a great ball player but he has always been considered someone who carried himself with class.

The great thing about biographies is the chance to hear stories and learn details about someone’s life you had no knowledge of. The Doc was an amazing ball player and he did carry himself with class but he was far from perfect. This book is not only filled with amazing stories of legendary games and players but it also talks about his shortcomings and his personal struggles. If you are a hoops fan and love the history of the game, this is a must-read.

Good read

I would have liked to hear him tell his own story rather than read from a book I was pleasantly surprised at his candidness

The (not so) good Doctor

Julius Erving was my favorite basketball player when I was a kid and remains my all-time favorite to this day. Like so many of his fans in the 70s and 80s, I was devastated every time his Philadelphia 76ers came up short in the NBA playoffs, a six-year stretch that finally ended when they won the 1982-83 title.
And like so many of his fans, I was disappointed - though not surprised - to long ago learn of his extramarital activities. I recall thinking at the time, Well, if Dr. J is out there cheating, *every* athlete/entertainer is doing the same. Maybe that's why at first, as I listened to Erving narrate his autobiography, I found myself feeling he had made a tactical error with the book by spending so much time rehashing his marital infidelities. Then at some point I became more cynical, concluding that as an emotionless-sounding Erving literally narrated these behaviors, he did so to control the narrative. Thus in later chapters we learn his first wife, Turquoise, was physically violent toward him and possibly cheated on him, as well, while an early chapter about his first experiences with sex, during childhood, seem to later be used as an excuse for his cheating ways.
Not only does this not work, but it sabotages what had been an interesting start to the book, focusing on Erving's lightly reported childhood and route to stardom. (I had never, ever known, for instance, that he was an alternate on the men's basketball roster that went on to play in the 1972 Olympics.)
Worst of all, we learn in the end that Erving, like so many star athletes before him, blew his money - primarily because of his heart of gold. Well, I'll always have those YouTube videos of Dr. J, I guess...

The Doctor is in the house...

He's got a smooth voice in his audible reading, and the book itself is a great read. He's lived quite a life, with ups and downs, and I love his vulnerability. He's a human underneath all that fame, and has made mistakes like all of us do at some points in our life. Highly recommended !

I’m not sure what the hype is about

Okay...I’ll start by saying I’m not a HUGE basketball fan. I enjoy watching games and I’m a product of the Kobe/Shaq Lakers era. I’ll also say I waited a day before writing this review. With that being said I’ve heard about Dr. J but didn’t really know much about him except he was an exceptional basketball player. Figured hey why not learn about someone who was a pioneer of the game. I left dissappointed. The play by play of his games was probably one of the few good points of this book (along with some of the story of his childhood). So much of it felt fake or maybe half truth like that I went and did research for my own sanity and found missing puzzle pieces that made some of what he harped on and emphasize make A TON more sense (and furthered my dislike of the book). If I wanted to be a Dr. J fan this didn’t help. I think it would be great for someone who already was/is a fan but if you’re just looking for a good inspirational read I’d suggest pick up another book or just read the first few chapters of this one (MAYBE) but stop there!

Great Book

Very insightful book for those of us who are true doctor J fans I learned a lot about him personally and his trials and travails in life.

legend in sports history!!!

Erving talks about some odd contract moves in his career. He talked about when he tried to jump from the ABA to the NBA's Atlanta Hawks at one point, even though he hadn't been drafted yet. Those who only remember Erving from his Philadelphia days probably will get the most enjoyment out of his autobiography, "Dr. J."

Phenomenal book! One of the best sports autobiographies ever!

Julius Erving has a uniquely American story - the underdog driven by a great work ethic and an ability to see and do things on the court never before imagined.

This book tells the whole story and is wonderfully written and narrated.

Buy it and listen and you follow the Doc in his flight from Hempstead to Amherst to Norfolk and on to Philadelphia and beyond.

Insightful!

Unflinchingly honest and derailed account of the coolest if all the superstars. The Dr is still the man.

The Most transparent autobiography!

Dr J has been has to be the best autobiography I have read. He tells it all.

He doesn't hide anything about his life. Both the good and the bad are shared with us.

A real eye opener

Loved it.
One of my all time favourite basketball players.
Now I feel I know the man behind the name Dr. J.