Julius Erving says his flashy style of play was simple: “Oddly enough, my particular style of play is really rooted in solid fundamentals”

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Julius “Dr. J” Erving is a standout player because he innovated basketball. Most players had a fundamental style with post-ups and direct passes, but that all changed when Erving came into the professional ranks, as he was the athletic superstar who scored slam dunks all the time.

It was an influential play style, as the youth gravitated towards it, including Michael Jordan and even Shaquille O’Neal, who wanted to play like Dr. J when he was younger. However, Erving got that playstyle by working on the fundamentals and foundation of the sport.

“Oddly enough my particular style of play is really rooted in solid fundamentals and approach to the game. With one exception when handling the ball, I always looked for daylight,” Erving said in a 1988 interview. “The flamboyance wasn’t intentional, the approach was results-oriented more so than reaction-oriented.”

Erving’s playstyle worked out well for him

Some might think Erving’s game relied on athleticism, but he was more than that. He was a talented player who always had a move to beat his defender. Sometimes, a simple put-your-head-down drive is enough to get past an opponent, but Dr. J could also spin and trick his opponents.

It’s a fundamental approach to the game, as Erving always processed what was happening in front of him well. He scored plenty of points in his career, as he always thought of every move ahead of time rather than relying too much on his athleticism, his biggest asset.

This led to an illustrious career that includes multiple ABA and NBA accolades regular season MVPs in both competitions alongside some championships. It also laid down the model for uber-athletic players to follow, like MJ becoming more well-rounded when he didn’t rely on his speed and leaping ability.

The result was always the priority for Dr. J

Playing at the highest level involves always looking for the right result, which became the primary reason behind Dr. J’s measured approach to basketball. He knew he could lead his team to victory if the play style was simple and meant to help win games.

“Trying to get the results, stop a team on defense any way you can, offensively try to score or set up to score. Keep it simple. The result was the priority, the effect was an added bonus,” Erving continued. “Once it became very sensible business-wise if you do things with a certain type of result and cause an effect, then it’s increase in market value in entertainment value.”

Having athletic finishes was only a bonus for Dr. J but he does admit that he did it more when he knew it could uplift the team and the crowd supporting them. It also helped with Dr. J’s market value, as he became more of a commodity when he received plaudits for his highlight-worthy plays. However, the priority remained to be an effective player who can help the team succeed rather than focusing on flashy plays.