During a period when the NBA was enjoying heightened prestige after the reign of Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain, the ABA surged into prominence after the arrival of Julius Erving in 1971.

Julius "Dr. J" Erving ... In 1977, AMC became a sponsor of the ABA, and as part of the deal, several star players, including Erving, received Pacers as promotional vehicles.

Julius Erving is one of the best players in NBA (and ABA) history. Many of the greatest basketball players looked up to Erving before their own rise to superstardom. Recently, George Karl made a ...

By contrast, the 60-year-old Husain holds vivid memories of the ABA, which dazzled fans with superstar talents like Julius “Dr. J” Erving, Mel Daniels and Artis ... Husain followed the ABA powerhouse ...

While he will be forever Dr. J -- a high-school teammate gave him the nickname Doctor and an ABA teammate added the initial, making it Dr. J -- he was born Julius Winfield Erving Jr. on Feb. 22 ...

Roger Brown, a 1950s New York City schoolboy legend, robbed of his prime playing years at age 19 by a baseless NBA blacklist, led the Indiana Pacers ... that included Julius Erving, George Gervin ...

Unquestionably the greatest known athlete in UMass history, Julius ... Erving set UMass records in scoring (1,370 points) and rebounding (1,049), in just two seasons. Following his collegiate playing ...

Coming out of UMass, Julius Erving was a megastar in the ABA, leading the New York Nets to two titles, in 1974 and 76. And his legend only grew when he joined the NBA in 1976, where his style ...

After a short run in the ABA, Julius Erving played all 11 of his NBA seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Basketball Hall of Famer led the franchise to the 1983 NBA Championship over Magic ...

To this day, Erving remains the only player to have been voted MVP in both leagues - picking up the ABA MVP award three years running (1974-1976) and the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 1981.

The final ever game of the ABA saw Julius Erving (31 points 19 rebounds) and the Nets overcome a 22-point deficit to beat Denver in Game 6 and claim the last championship of the renegade league.

While he will be forever Dr. J -- a high-school teammate gave him the nickname Doctor and an ABA teammate added the initial, making it Dr. J -- he was born Julius Winfield Erving Jr. on Feb. 22 ...