Editing Julius Erving (section)

== Cultural Impact ==

Erving's influence extended beyond statistics to encompass how basketball was played and understood. His above-the-rim style, which seemed impossible before he demonstrated it routinely, became the template for subsequent generations. Michael Jordan, who acknowledged Erving's influence, built on foundations that Dr. J had established, the evolution of basketball's aerial game tracing directly to what Erving had pioneered.<ref name="pluto"/>

His personal style—the Afro, the dignified bearing, the articulate interviews—established a model for how athletes could present themselves publicly. In an era when athlete behavior often attracted negative attention, Erving demonstrated that excellence and dignity could coexist, that stars could be admired for character as well as performance. This example influenced how subsequent generations of athletes approached their public responsibilities.<ref name="erving"/>

The commercialization of basketball, which would accelerate through the 1980s and beyond, built on the foundation of player personalities that Erving had helped establish. His appeal demonstrated that individual players could transcend team identities to become marketable figures in their own right, an insight that the NBA would exploit to become one of sports' most successful enterprises.<ref name="pluto"/>