This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. It may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Tagged since August 2009. It reads more like a story than an encyclopedia entry. Please help to introduce a more formal style and remove any personally invested tone. Tagged since August 2009. It contains weasel words: vague phrasing that often accompanies biased or unverifiable information. Tagged since August 2009.

Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa
Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
Incumbent
Assumed office 16 May 2011
Preceded by	Dr. Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi
Constituency	Srirangam
In office 2 March 2002 – 12 May 2006
Preceded by	O. Panneerselvam (Acting CM)
Succeeded by	Dr. Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi
Constituency	Andipatti
In office 14 May 2001 – 21 September 2001
Preceded by	Dr. Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi
Succeeded by	O. Panneerselvam (Acting CM)
Constituency	Did not contest
In office 24 June 1991 – 12 May 1996
Preceded by	President's rule
Succeeded by	Dr. Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi
Constituency	Bargur
Personal details
Born	(1948-02-24) 24 February 1948 (age 64) Mysore, Madras State, India
Political party	AIADMK
Residence	Poes Garden, Chennai, India
Religion	Hinduism

Jayalalithaa Jayaram (born 24 February 1948, and commonly referred to as J. Jayalalitha), is the Chief Minister of the state of Tamil Nadu, India. She was a popular film star in Indian cinema before her entry into politics, having appeared in many Tamil and Telugu films, as well as several produced in Hindi and Kannada. She is the incumbent general secretary of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). She is called Amma ('Mother') and Puratchi Thalaivi ('Revolutionary Leader') by her followers.^[1]

Although there have been claims that Jayalalithaa was introduced to politics by M. G. Ramachandran, she has denied this. She was a member of the Rajya Sabha elected from Tamil Nadu during the period of 1984–89. Soon after the death of Ramachandran, Jayalalithaa proclaimed herself as his political heir. She is the first elected female Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

Early life and education[link]

Jayalalithaa was born into a Tamil Iyengar family on 24 February 1948 at Melukote, in Pandavapura taluk of Mandya district, Madras State (presently at Karnataka). In accordance with Iyengar custom^{[citation needed]} she was given two names, thus her other name is Komalavalli. Her grandfather was in the service of the then Mysore kingdom as a surgeon, and the prefix Jaya (the victorious) was added to the names of various of her family members to reflect their association with Maharaja Jayachamarajendra Wodeyar of Mysore.^[1]

Jayalalithaa’s father died at her age of two.^[1] Her mother then moved to Bangalore, where her parents lived, with Jayalalithaa. Her mother eventually began to work as an actress in Tamil cinema, based in Chennai, having taken the screen name of Sandhya.^[1] While in Bangalore, Jayalalithaa attended Bishop Cotton Girls' High School.^[2] She completed her childhood education at Sacred Heart Matriculation School (popularly known as Church Park Presentation Convent or Presentation Church Park Convent) in Chennai.^[3] She excelled at school and was offered a government scholarship to pursue further education.^[2] She appears not to have accepted the admission offered to her at Stella Maris College, Chennai.^[1]

Film career[link]

Early career[link]

Her mother persuaded her to work in films when Jayalalithaa was still in school, taking assurances from producers that shooting would take place only during summer vacations and that she would not miss her classes. Jayalalithaa acted in an English language film, Epistle, released in 1961. She made her debut as the lead actress in Kannada films while still in school, aged 15, in Chinnada Gombe (1964).^[1]

Jayalalithaa's debut in Tamil cinema was a role in Vennira Aadai (1965), directed by C. V. Sridhar. The following year, she made her debut in Telugu cinema with the film Manushulu Mamathalu. She was the first heroine to appear in skirts in Tamil films.^[4]

Between 1965 and 1972 she acted frequently with M. G. Ramachandran and she also worked with B. Saroja Devi in Arasa Kattalai. Her other early roles were in suspense films such as Naan and comedies such as Galatta Kalyanam.^{[citation needed]}

Later career[link]

In 1972, Jayalalithaa acted in Pattikada Pattanama opposite Sivaji Ganesan, which went onto win the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil in 1973. The film also fetched her a Filmfare Award for Best Actress. Her performance in Suryakanthi and Chandradhoyam were critically acclaimed and the former won her another Filmfare Award for Best Actress in 1973. The same year she acted in the Telugu film Sri Krishna Satya and won her third Filmfare Award for Best Actress.^{[citation needed]}

Her other films with Sivaji Ganesan include Galatta Kalyanam and Deiva Magan. Deiva Magan also holds the distinction of being the first Tamil film to be submitted by India for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.^[5] She continued pairing up with younger actors such as Ravichandran and Jaishankar in a number of films such as Vairam, Baghdad Perazhagi.^{[citation needed]}

Later Tamil films in which she acted included Kandan Karunai and she also starred in a Bollywood film. Izzat, which saw her paired with Dharmendra.^[6] Her last film was Nadhiyai Thedi Vandha Kadal which was released in 1980.^{[citation needed]}

Political career[link]

Early political career[link]

Although there have been claims that Ramachandran, who had been Chief Minister for the state since 1977, was instrumental in introducing Jayalalithaa to politics, she has denied this.^[7][1] In 1982, she joined the AIADMK, which had been founded by Ramachandran.^[8] Her maiden public speech Pennin Perumai (the Pride of Women) was delivered at the political conference of the AIADMK that year.^[9][10] In 1983, she became Propaganda Secretary for the party and was also selected as AIADMK candidate in the by-election for the Tiruchendur Assembly constituency.^[8]

Ramachandran wanted her to be a member of the Rajya Sabha because of her fluency in English.^[11] She was nominated and elected to that body as a Member of Parliament in 1984^{[clarification needed]} and retained her seat until 1989.^[12]

Rift with Ramachandran[link]

She was successful in her role as Propaganda Secretary and this caused resentment among high-ranking members of the party. Those members engineered a rift between her and Ramachandran, among the alleged consequences of which was that Ramachandran stopped Jayalalithaa writing about her personal life in a Tamil magazine. Despite these machinations, she remained admired by the rank and file of the party.^[1]

In 1984, when Ramachandran was incapacitated due to a stroke, Jayalalithaa attempted to take over the position of chief minister on the pretext that his health would prevent him from the proper execution of his duties.^[13] Ramachandran responded by removing her from the role of deputy leader of the party. In an interview to Saavy magazine, jayalalithaa spoke against the decision:

MGR has been a great influence in my life, I don’t deny that. But now I am my own person. I have evolved. Hereafter, I am responsible only for myself. Never again will anybody influence me to such an extent that all my thoughts and actions and statements are influenced and made in a particular way just because someone else wants it that way.^[13]

Ramachandran died and in 1988 the AIADMK split into two factions, with one section supporting his widow, Janaki Ramachandran, and the other favouring Jayalalithaa.^[1] Jayalalithaa claimed to be his political heir.^[14][15]

Leader of the Opposition, 1989[link]

She was elected to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly in 1989 as a representative of the Bodinayakkanur (State Assembly Constituency). This election saw the Jayalalithaa-led faction of the AIADMK win 27 seats and Jayalalithaa became the first woman to be elected Leader of the Opposition.^{[citation needed]} In 1989 her saree was pulled in the assembly by DMK minister Duraimurugan.^[16]

First term as Chief Minister, 1991[link]

In 1991, following the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi just days before the elections, her alliance with the Indian National Congress enabled her to ride the wave of sympathy that gave the coalition victory.^{[citation needed]} Re-elected to the assembly, she became the first elected female chief minister and the youngest ever chief minister of Tamil Nadu, serving the full tenure from 24 June 1991 to 12 May 1996.^{[citation needed]} Janaki Ramachandran had technically been the first female chief minister following her husband's death, but she was unelected.^{[citation needed]} The AIADMK was reunited.^{[citation needed]}

In 1992 her government introduced the "Cradle Baby Scheme". At that time the ratio of male to female in some parts of Tamil Nadu was skewed by the practice of female infanticide and the abortion of female foetuses. The government established centres in some areas, these being equipped to receive and place into adoption unwanted female babies. The scheme was extended in 2011.^[17]

The same year saw the government introduce of police stations operated solely by women.^[18] Such stations were subsequently opened in all of the districts of the state.^{[citation needed]}

Loss of power, 1996[link]

The Jayalalithaa-led AIADMK lost power in the 1996 elections, when it won 4 of the 168 seats that they contested.^{[citation needed]} Jayalalithaa was herself defeated by the DMK candidate in Bargur Consituency.^{[citation needed]} The outcome has been attributed^{[citation needed]} to an anti-incumbency sentiment and several allegations of corruption and malfeasance against her and her ministers, as well as criticism of a lavish wedding for her foster son, V. Sudhakaran.

The wedding event, in which Sudhakaran married a granddaughter of the Tamil film actor Shivaji Ganesan, was held on 7 September 1995 at Chennai and was viewed on large screens by over 150,000 people. The event holds two Guinness World Records: one is for the most guests at a wedding and the other is for being the largest wedding banquet.^[1][19][20] Subsequently, in November 2011, Jayalalithaa told a special court than the entire Rs. 6 crore expenses associated with the wedding were paid by the family of the bride.^[21]

Second term as Chief Minister, 2001[link]

Jayalalithaa was barred from standing as a candidate in the 2001 elections because she had been found guilty of criminal offences, including allegedly obtaining property belonging to a state-operated agency called TANSI. Although she appealed to the Supreme Court, having been sentenced to five years' imprisonment, the matter had not been resolved at the time of the elections.^[22] Despite this, the AIADMK won a majority and she was installed as Chief Minister as a non-elected member of the state assembly on 14 May 2001.^{[citation needed]}

Her appointment was legally voided in September 2001 when the Supreme Court ruled that she could not hold it whilst convicted of criminal acts.^{[citation needed]} O. Panneerselvam, a minister in her party, was subsequently installed as the Chief Minister. However, his government was purported to have been puppeted and micro-managed by Jayalalithaa.^{[citation needed]}

Subsequently, in March 2002, Jayalalithaa assumed the position of Chief Minister once more, having been acquitted of some charges by the Madras High Court.^[23] This cleared the way for her to contest a mid-term poll to the Andipatti constituency, after the elected representative for the seat, gave up his membership. Winning the election by a handsome margin, In 2002 March Jayalalithaa took over the Chief Ministership again.

India's first company of female police commandos was set up in Tamil Nadu in 2003. They underwent the same training as their male counterparts, covering the handling of weapons, detection and disposal of bombs, driving, horseriding, and adventure sports.^[24]

Third term as Chief Minister, 2011[link]

In April 2011^{[clarification needed]} the AIADMK was part of a 13-party alliance that won the 14th state assembly elections. Jayalalithaa was sworn in as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu for the third time on 16 May 2011, having been elected unanimously as the leader of the AIADMK party subsequent to those elections.^[25]

On 19 December 2011, Jayalalithaa expelled her long time close aide Sasikala Natarajan and 13 others from the AIADMK. Most of the party members welcomed her decision,^[26] and on 2 February 2012, Tehelka magazine claimed that Natarajan and some of her relatives were conspiring to kill her by poisoning her food over a period of time.^[27] The matter was resolved by 31 March, when Natarajan was reinstated as a party member after issuing an written apology.^[28]

Legislative career[link]

Elections Contested[link]

Honours[link]

Jayalalithaa has received several honorary doctorates and other honours since that awarded to her in 1991 by the University of Madras.^[29][30][31] In 1972 she was awarded the Kalaimamani by the Government of Tamil Nadu^[29]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: J. Jayalalithaa

• Biography at Assembly.tn.gov.in
• Profile at BBC News
• J. Jayalalithaa collected news and commentary at The Times of India
• Jayalalithaa: From Alluring Actress to Powerful Politician-by D.B.S. Jeyaraj
• Profile at Nilacharal
• BBC News article – Jayalalitha returns to power (dated 2 March 2002)
• BBC – Controversial life of Jayalalitha
• BBC Hardtalk RealPlayer video of Jayalalitha (RealPlayer required)
• J.Jayalalitha at the Internet Movie Database

v t e Current Chief Ministers of Indian states (list)     Andhra Pradesh: Nallari Kiran Kumar Reddy Arunachal Pradesh: Nabam Tuki Assam: Tarun Gogoi Bihar: Nitish Kumar Chhattisgarh: Raman Singh Goa: Manohar Parrikar Gujarat: Narendra Modi Haryana: Bhupinder Singh Hooda Himachal Pradesh: Prem Kumar Dhumal Jammu and Kashmir: Omar Abdullah Jharkhand: Arjun Munda Karnataka: D. V. Sadananda Gowda Kerala: Oommen Chandy Madhya Pradesh: Shivraj Singh Chauhan Maharashtra: Prithviraj Chavan Manipur: Okram Ibobi Singh Meghalaya: Mukul Sangma Mizoram: Pu Lalthanhawla Nagaland: Neiphiu Rio Orissa: Naveen Patnaik Punjab: Parkash Singh Badal Rajasthan: Ashok Gehlot Sikkim: Pawan Kumar Chamling Tamil Nadu: Jayalalithaa Tripura: Manik Sarkar Uttar Pradesh: Akhilesh Yadav Uttarakhand: Vijay Bahuguna West Bengal: Mamata Banerjee Delhi: Sheila Dikshit Pondicherry: N. Rangaswamy

For the Indian Army commander, see Joginder Jaswant Singh.

For the Indian author, see Lt Col Jaswant Singh Marwah.

Jaswant Singh
MP
In office 2009 – Incumbent
Prime Minister	Manmohan Singh
Preceded by	Dawa Narbula
Constituency	Darjeeling
Minister of Finance of India
In office 2002–2004
Prime Minister	Atal Behari Vajpayee
Preceded by	Yashwant Sinha
Succeeded by	P Chidambaram
Minister of Defence of India
In office 2000–2001
Prime Minister	Atal Behari Vajpayee
Preceded by	George Fernandes
Succeeded by	George Fernandes
Minister of External Affairs
In office 1998–2002
Prime Minister	Atal Behari Vajpayee
Preceded by	Atal Behari Vajpayee
Succeeded by	Yashwant Sinha
Finance Minister of India
In office 1996–1996
Prime Minister	Atal Behari Vajpayee
Preceded by	Manmohan Singh
Succeeded by	P Chidambaram
Personal details
Born	(1938-01-03) January 3, 1938 (age 74) Rajputana, British India
Political party	Bharatiya Janata Party
Alma mater	Mayo College Indian Military Academy
Religion	Hinduism
Website	http://www.jaswantsingh.com

Jaswant Singh (born January 3, 1938) is an Indian politician and Member of Parliament from Darjeeling parliamentary constituency. He is a Rajput from Jodhpur in the Indian State of Rajasthan and was an officer in the Indian Army in the 1960s and is an alumnus of Mayo College and the National Defence Academy (India), Khadakwasla. He served as Finance minister in the short-lived government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee, which lasted just from May 16, 1996, to June 1, 1996. After Vajpayee became Prime Minister again two years later, he became Minister for External Affairs of India, serving from December 5, 1998 until July 1, 2002. Responsible for foreign policy, he dealt with high tensions between India and Pakistan. In July 2002 he became Finance Minister again, switching posts with Yashwant Sinha. He served as Finance Minister until the defeat of the Vajpayee government in May 2004 and was instrumental in defining and pushing through the market-friendly reforms of the government. Known for his moderate political views, he is a self-described liberal democrat even though the Bharatiya Janata Party is often described as a right-wing nationalist organization. He was conferred the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award for the year 2001. On 19 August 2009, he was expelled from BJP after criticism over his remarks in his book which allegedly praised the founder of Pakistan in his book Jinnah - India, Partition, Independence. His last major position was as Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha from 2009 to 2010.

Career[link]

With Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin

In the government of Vajpayee, Singh was External Affairs Minister. Later he became Minister of Finance with Yashwant Sinha. He was also the Defence Minister when George Fernandes was forced to resign after the Tehelka exposure.

Singh is widely regarded for his handling of relations with the United States which were strained after the 1998 Indian nuclear tests but which ameliorated soon after culminating in the visit of U.S. President Bill Clinton to India. His skill as a negotiator and diplomat during talks with the United States has been well acknowledged by his U.S. counterpart Strobe Talbott.

Singh has been frequently criticized by political parties for escorting terrorists to Kandhar, Afghanistan. They were released by the Government of India in exchange for passengers from a hijacked Indian Airlines plane.^[1]

A controversy erupted immediately after the release of his book, in which Singh insinuated that a mole had existed in the Prime Ministerial Office during the tenure of P. V. Narasimha Rao, who had leaked information to U.S. sources. Soon after, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh challenged him to name the mole. In response, Singh sent a letter to him. The letter, Manmohan Singh said later, had no signature, and no name of any mole. Jaswant Singh then backed off, saying his views on the subject were based on a "hunch".^[2]

Controversy hovered around him again when on 17 August 2009 another book authored by him, entitled Jinnah: India-Partition-Independence, was released. In this he claimed that the centralised polity of Jawaharlal Nehru was responsible for Partition.^[3] He was later expelled from the primary membership of BJP as a result of the ensuing controversy.^[4] In interviews with media he quoted BJP as narrow-minded and to have limited thought.^[5] His book was later banned in Gujarat.^[6] Singh said of the ban "The day we start banning books, we are banning thinking".^[7] In 2010, he was readmitted to BJP.^[8]

Jaswant Singh is a Member of the Global Leadership Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation that offers, discreetly and confidentially, a range of experienced advisors to political leaders facing difficult situations.^{[citation needed]}

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jaswant Singh

• Official website
• Jaswant Singh -Political Profile
• Nehru not Jinnah’s polity led to partition
• Modi govt bans book, says it’s a bid to tarnish Sardar image
• Book ban: timing calculated, says Congress
• "In Service of Emergent India"
• "Jinnah book sales soar after author Jaswant's expulsion"
• "Against Nuclear Apartheid"
• "Jaswant Singh Darjeeling LS Candidate"
• Financialexpress.com
• Video: Jaswant Singh discusses his book 'Jinnah: India-Partition-Independence' at the Asia Society, New York, Mar. 25, 2010
• Jaswant Singh's monthly syndicated commentary series, "The New Power Game", from Project Syndicate

Julius Erving

Julius Erving with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1987
No. 32, 6
Small forward / Shooting guard
Personal information
Born	(1950-02-22) February 22, 1950 (age 62) Nassau County, New York[1][2][3][4][5]
Nationality	American
High school	Roosevelt (Roosevelt, New York)
Listed height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight	210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
College	UMass (1968–1971)
NBA Draft	1972 / Round: 1 / Pick: 12th overall
Selected by the Milwaukee Bucks
Pro career	1971–1987
League	ABA and NBA
Career history
1971–1973	Virginia Squires (ABA)
1973–1976	New York Nets (ABA)
1976–1987	Philadelphia 76ers
Career highlights and awards
NBA Champion (1983) 2× ABA Champion (1974, 1976) 3× ABA leader in points per game (1973, 1974, 1976) 2× ABA Playoffs MVP (1974, 1976) NBA Most Valuable Player (1981) 3× ABA Most Valuable Player (1974–1976) 11× NBA All-Star (1977–1987) 5× ABA All-Star (1972–1976) 2× NBA All-Star Game MVP (1977, 1983) 5× All-NBA First Team (1978, 1980–1983) 2× All-NBA Second Team (1977, 1984) 4× All-ABA First Team (1973–1976) All-ABA Second Team (1972) ABA All-Defensive First Team (1976) ABA All-Rookie First Team (1972) J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award (1983) NBA 35th Anniversary Team ABA All-Time Team NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team #6 Retired by the Philadelphia 76ers #32 Retired by the New Jersey Nets
Career ABA and NBA statistics
Points	30,026 (24.2 ppg)
Rebounds	10,525 (8.5 rpg)
Steals	2,272 (2.0 spg)
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com
Basketball Hall of Fame as player

Julius Winfield Erving II (born February 22, 1950), commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is a retired American basketball player who helped launch a modern style of play that emphasizes leaping and play above the rim. Erving helped legitimize the American Basketball Association (ABA). He was the best known player in the ABA when the ABA-NBA merger joined it with the National Basketball Association (NBA) after the 1976 season.

Erving won three championships, four Most Valuable Player Awards, and three scoring titles while playing with the ABA's Virginia Squires and New York Nets, and the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers. He is the fifth-highest scorer in professional basketball history, with 30,026 points (NBA and ABA combined). He was well known for slam dunking from the free throw line in Slam Dunk Contests and was the only player to have been voted Most Valuable Player in both the ABA and the NBA.

Erving was named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time team and in 1993 was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. In 2004, he was inducted into the Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame. Many consider him among the most spectacular basketballers ever, and one of the best dunkers of all time. While players such as Connie Hawkins, "Jumping" Johnny Green, Elgin Baylor, and Gus Johnson were performing spectacular dunks before Erving's time, "Dr. J" is usually the one most people credit with bringing the practice into the mainstream. His signature dunk was the "slam" dunk, since incorporated into the vernacular and basic skill set of the game, in the same manner as the "cross-over" dribble and the "no look" pass.

Career[link]

High school and college[link]

Erving was born in Nassau County, New York,^{[1][2][3][4][5]} and raised from the age of 13 in Roosevelt, New York.^[6] He played for Roosevelt High School and received the nickname "Doctor" or "Dr. J" from a high school friend.^[7] He explains,

I have a buddy--his name is Leon Saunders--and he lives in Atlanta, and I started calling him "the professor," and he started calling me "the doctor." So it was just between us...we were buddies, we had our nicknames and we would roll with the nicknames. Low and behold we graduate from high school together, we both go to U-Mass, and we separated for many years 'cause he went over to Africa and did some stuff, and I went my way. But now he's my golf buddy in Atlanta...and I love him. He's just like a little brother to me even though, you know, there's only months between us. But he's the professor and he was the first one to call me "the doctor." And that's where it came from.

Erving enrolled at the University of Massachusetts in 1968. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1986 through the University Without Walls at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst^[8][9][10] In two varsity college basketball seasons, he averaged 32.5 points and 20.2 rebounds per game, becoming one of only five players to average more than 20 points and 20 rebounds per game in NCAA Men's Basketball.^[11]

At that time, professional basketball was in flux, split between two leagues whose players rapidly switched clubs and leagues. Erving joined the ABA in 1971 as an undrafted free agent with the Squires.^{[citation needed]}

Virginia Squires[link]

Erving quickly established himself as a force and gained a reputation for hard and ruthless dunking. He scored 27.3 points per game as a rookie, was selected to the All-ABA Second Team, made the ABA All-Rookie Team, and finished second to Artis Gilmore for the ABA Rookie of the Year Award. He led the Squires into the Eastern Division Finals, where they lost to the Rick Barry-led New York Nets.^{[citation needed]}

When he became eligible for the NBA draft in 1972, the Milwaukee Bucks picked him in the first round (12th overall). This move would have brought him together with Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Instead, the 6 feet 7 inches (2.01 m), 210-pound (95 kg) Erving signed a contract with the Atlanta Hawks before the 1972–73 season.^[12]

As attorneys tried to reach an agreement among three teams in two leagues, Erving joined Pete Maravich and the Hawks's training camp, as they prepared for the upcoming season. Erving enjoyed his brief time with Atlanta, and he would later duplicate with George Gervin his after-practice playing with Maravich. He played three exhibition games with the Hawks until, because of a legal injunction, he was obliged by a three-judge panel to return to the ABA Squires. The NBA fined Atlanta $25,000 per game for Erving's Hawks appearances because Milwaukee owned his NBA rights.^{[citation needed]}

Back in the ABA, his game flourished, and he achieved a career-best 31.9 points per game in the 1972–1973 season. The following year, the cash-strapped Squires sold him to the New York Nets.^{[citation needed]}

New York Nets[link]

The Squires, like most ABA teams, were on rather shaky financial ground. They were forced to trade Erving to the Nets in 1973—a move which eventually sent the Squires into oblivion. Erving led the Nets to their first ABA title in 1973–74, defeating the Utah Stars. Erving established himself as the most important player in the ABA. His spectacular play established the Nets as, finally, one of the better teams in the ABA, and brought fans and credibility to the league.^{[citation needed]}

The end of the 1975-76 ABA season finally brought the ABA-NBA merger. The Nets and Nuggets had applied for admission to the NBA before the season, in anticipation of the eventual merger that had first been proposed by the two leagues in 1970 but whish was delayed for various reasons, including the Oscar Robertson suit. The Erving-led Nets defeated the Denver Nuggets in the swan-song finals of the ABA. In the postseason, Erving averaged 34.7 points and was named Most Valuable Player of the playoffs.^{[citation needed]}

In all, Erving played five seasons in the ABA. In that time, he won two championships, three MVP trophies, and three scoring titles.^{[citation needed]}

Philadelphia 76ers[link]

Erving performing a slam dunk in 1981

The Nets, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, and San Antonio Spurs joined the NBA for the 1976–77 season. With Erving and Nate Archibald (acquired in a trade with Kansas City), the Nets were poised to pick up right where they left off.^{[citation needed]} However, the New York Knicks upset the Nets' plans when they demanded that the Nets pay them $4.8 million for "invading" the Knicks' NBA territory. Coming on the heels of the fees the Nets had to pay for joining the NBA, owner Roy Boe reneged on a promise to raise Erving's salary. Erving refused to play under these conditions and held out in training camp.^{[citation needed]}

The Nets offered Erving's contract to the Knicks in return for waiving the indemnity, but the Knicks turned it down.^[13] When the Philadelphia 76ers offered to buy Erving's contract for $3 million—roughly the same amount as the Nets' expansion fee—Boe had little choice but to accept. For all intents and purposes, the Nets traded their franchise player for a berth in the NBA. The Erving deal left the Nets in ruin; they promptly crashed to a 24-58 record, the worst in the league.^{[citation needed]} Years later, Boe regretted having to trade Erving, saying, "The merger agreement killed the Nets as an NBA franchise . . . . The merger agreement got us into the NBA, but it forced me to destroy the team by selling Erving to pay the bill."^[14]

Erving quickly became the leader of his new club and led them to an exciting 50-win season. The Sixers, featuring other stars like George McGinnis and Doug Collins, won the Atlantic Division and were the top drawing team in the NBA. The Sixers defeated the defending champions, the Boston Celtics, to win the Eastern Conference. Erving took them into the NBA Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers of Bill Walton. After the Sixers took a 2–0 lead, however, the Blazers defeated them with four straight victories.^{[citation needed]}

However, Dr.J enjoyed success off the court, becoming one of the first basketball players to endorse many products and to have a shoe marketed under his name. It was at this time that he appeared in television commercials urging young fans asking for his autograph in an airport to refer to him henceforth as "Dr. Chapstick." He also starred in the 1979 basketball comedy film, The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh.^{[citation needed]}

A famous TV commercial for Sixers season tickets during the 1977–78 off-season summed up Erving's desire to win an NBA Title. In the commercial, Erving was in the Sixers locker room and he said to fans, "We owe you one" while he held up his index finger. It took a few years for the Sixers franchise to build around Erving. Eventually coach Billy Cunningham and top-level players like Maurice Cheeks, Andrew Toney, and Bobby Jones were added to the mix and the franchise was very successful.^{[citation needed]}

In the following years, Erving coped with a team that was not yet playing at his level. The Sixers were eliminated twice in the Eastern Conference Finals. In 1979, Larry Bird entered the league, reviving the Boston Celtics and the storied Celtics-76ers rivalry; these two teams faced each other in the Eastern Conference Finals in 1980, '81, '82, and '85. The Bird vs. Dr. J matchup became arguably the top personal rivalry in the sport (along with Bird vs. Magic Johnson), inspiring the early Electronic Arts video game One on One: Dr. J vs. Larry Bird.^{[citation needed]}

In 1980, the 76ers prevailed over the Celtics to advance to the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. There, Erving executed the legendary "Baseline Move, a behind-the-board reverse layup. However, the Lakers won 4–2 with superb play from, among others, Magic Johnson.^{[citation needed]}

Erving again was among the league's best players in the 1980-1981 and 1981-1982 seasons, although more disappointment came as the Sixers stumbled twice in the playoffs: in 1981, the Celtics eliminated them in 7 games in the 1981 Eastern Finals after Philadelphia had a 3-1 series lead, but lost both Game 5 and Game 6 by 2 points and the deciding Game 7 by 1) and in 1982, the Sixers managed to beat the defending champion Celtics in 7 games in the 1982 Eastern Finals but lost the NBA Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers in 6 games. Despite these defeats, Erving was named the NBA MVP in 1981 and was again voted to the 1982 All-NBA first Team.^{[citation needed]}

Finally, for the 1982–83 season, the Sixers obtained the missing element to combat their weakness at their center position, Moses Malone. Armed with one of the most formidable and unstoppable center-forward combinations of all time, the Sixers dominated the whole season, causing Malone to make the famous prediction of "fo-fo-fo (four-four-four)". Erving understood the comment to mean that all the Sixers needed to do was win four games in each series, but Malone claims he actually meant the Sixers would sweep the entire playoffs.^[15] In fact, the Sixers went four-five-four, losing one game to the Milwaukee Bucks in the conference finals, then sweeping the Lakers to win the NBA title.^{[citation needed]}

Erving maintained his all-star caliber of play into his twilight years, averaging 22.4, 20.0, 18.1, and 16.8 points per game in his final seasons.^{[citation needed]} In 1986, he announced that he would retire after the season, causing every game he played to be sold out with adoring fans.^{[citation needed]} That final season saw opposing teams pay tribute to Erving in the last game Erving would play in their arenas, including in cities such as Boston and Los Angeles, his perennial rivals in the playoffs.^{[citation needed]}

Career summary[link]

Erving retired in 1987 at the age of 37. "A young Julius Erving was like Thomas Edison, he was always inventing something new every night," Johnny Kerr told ABA historian Terry Pluto. He is also one of the few players in modern basketball to have his number retired by two franchises: the New Jersey Nets (formerly the New York Nets) have retired his No. 32 jersey, and the Philadelphia 76ers his No. 6 jersey.

In his ABA and NBA careers combined, he scored more than 30,000 points. In 1993, Erving was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. When he retired, Erving ranked in the top 5 in scoring (third), field goals made (third), field goals attempted (fifth) and steals (first). On the combined NBA/ABA scoring list, Erving ranked third with 30,026 points. As of 2011^[update], Erving ranks fifth on the list, behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain.

Post-basketball career[link]

Erving (top left) with other former NBA players visit the New York NBA Store in January 2005

After his basketball career, Erving completed college and became a businessman, obtaining ownership of a Coca-Cola bottling plant in Philadelphia and doing work as a television analyst. In 1997, he joined the front office of the Orlando Magic.^{[citation needed]}

Erving and former NFL running back Joe Washington fielded a NASCAR Busch Grand National Series team in the late 1990s, becoming the first ever NASCAR racing team at any level owned completely by minorities. The team had secure sponsorship from Dr Pepper for most of its existence. Erving, a racing fan himself, stated that his foray into NASCAR was an attempt to raise interest in NASCAR among African-Americans.^{[citation needed]}

He has also served on the Board of Directors of Converse (prior to their 2001 bankruptcy), Darden Restaurants, Inc., Saks Incorporated and The Sports Authority. As of 2009, Erving is the owner of The Celebrity Golf Club International outside of Atlanta.^{[citation needed]} He was ranked #15 on SLAM Magazine's Top 50 NBA Players of All Time in 2009.^{[citation needed]}

Erving is the father of professional tennis player Alexandra Stevenson.^[16]

NBA statistics[link]

Games – 836; Field Goal % – .507; Rebounds – 5,601; Assists – 3,224; Total Points – 18,364; Points per game [PPG] – 22.0

Memorable feats[link]

Although dunking from the foul line had been done by other players (Jim Pollard and Wilt Chamberlain in the 1950s, for example), Erving introduced the dunk jumping off the foul line to a wide audience, when he demonstrated the feat in the 1976 ABA All-Star Game Dunking Contest. He is revered for his legacy of amazing acrobatic and powerful offensive moves.

The Baseline Move[link]

One of his most memorable plays occurred during the 1980 NBA Finals, when he executed a seemingly impossible finger-roll behind the backboard.^[17] He drove past Lakers forward Mark Landsberger on the right baseline and went in for a layup. Then 7'2" center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar crossed his way, blocking the route to the basket and forcing him outwards. In mid-air, it was apparent that Erving would land behind the backboard. But somehow he managed to reach over and score on a right-handed layup despite the fact that his whole body, including his left shoulder, was already behind the hoop. This move, along with his free-throw line dunk, has become one of the signature events of his career.

Rock The Baby over Michael Cooper[link]

Another of Erving's most memorable plays came in the final moments of a regular-season game against the Los Angeles Lakers in 1983. After Sixers point guard Maurice Cheeks deflected a pass by Lakers forward James Worthy, Erving picked up the ball and charged down the court's left side, with one defender to beat—the Lakers' top defensive player Michael Cooper. As he came inside of the 3-point line, he cupped the ball into his wrist and forearm, rocking the ball back and forth before taking off for what Lakers radio broadcaster Chick Hearn best described as a "Rock The Baby" slam dunk: he slung the ball around behind his head and dunked over a ducking Cooper. This dunk is generally regarded as one of the greatest dunks of all time.

Quotations[link]

Erving in May 2008

• "As a basketball player, Julius was the first to actually take the torch and become the spokesman for the NBA. He understood what his role was and how important it was for him to conduct himself as a representative of the league. Julius was the first player I ever remember who transcended sports and was known by one name, Doctor". – his coach, Billy Cunningham.
• "I saw that basketball could be my way out and I worked hard to make sure it was."
• "Respect is a lot more important, and a lot greater, than popularity."
• "Here I was, trying to win a championship, and my mouth just dropped open. He actually did that! I thought, 'What should we do? Should we take the ball out, or should we give him the ball back and ask him to do it again?' It's still the greatest move I've ever seen in a basketball game, the all-time greatest." – Magic Johnson on the Baseline Move.
• "We heard about Julius Erving and asked for a tape of him. We got this grainy black-and white film of the UMass-North Carolina game in the NIT. The quality was so bad that you could hardly tell what was going on, but we saw enough of Julius to sign him after his Junior year. Since we'd never seen him live before he wore a (Virginia) squires uniform, we thought he'd be able to help us on the boards and we hoped he'd be able to score some. We had no idea what he's become." – Johnny "Red" Kerr
• "....If you look at greatness there is one quality all these players have. They're always striving for perfection even though they know they'll never achieve that. Julius Erving was no different." – Billy Cunningham

Influences[link]

• Glenn "Doc" Rivers got his nickname while at Marquette University for the "Dr. J" t-shirt he often wore to basketball practice.
• Chicago Bears defensive end Julius Peppers was named after Erving.
• Erving was U.S. President Barack Obama's childhood sports hero; as a child, he had his posters in his room.^[18]
• Erving's nickname "Dr. J" influenced the rapper Dr. Dre's name

In popular culture[link]

This unreferenced section requires citations to ensure verifiability.

Erving was the subject of a video game, One on One: Dr. J vs. Larry Bird, which was released originally for the Apple II and subsequently for several other systems. He is also popular among musicians; Erving was idolized by American rapper Dr. Dre, who even rapped using the alias "Dr. J" for a short time. American rappers Gucci Mane & Yo Gotti created the song "Julius" from the mixtape "Deeper Than Trap" in his honor, and You Be Illin' by Run-D.M.C. mentions a clutch shot by Erving. In addition to rap, legendary smooth jazz musician Grover Washington, Jr., a fan of the 76ers, created the song "Let It Flow (For Dr. J)", from the album Winelight, in honor of Erving. Gene Wilder makes reference to Julius Erving during a phone call in the movie The Woman in Red. Rapper Andre Nickatina made reference to Dr. J on the song "Cougar" from the 2002 album Hells Kitchen.

Family[link]

Erving was married to Turquoise Erving from 1972 until 2003. Together, they had four children. Their son, Cory, drowned after driving his vehicle into a pond in 2000.^[19]

In 1979, Erving began an adulterous affair with sportswriter Samantha Stevenson, resulting in the 1980 birth of American tennis player Alexandra Stevenson. Although Erving's fatherhood of Alexandra Stevenson was known privately to the families involved, it did not become public knowledge until Stevenson reached the semifinals at Wimbledon in 1999, the first year she qualified to play in the tournament. Erving had provided financial support for Stevenson over the years, but beyond that, had not been a part of her life. The public disclosure of their relationship did not initially lead to contact between father and daughter. However, in 2008, Stevenson contacted him, and they at last did initiate a further relationship with one another.^[20]

In 2003, Erving fathered a second child outside of his marriage, this time with a woman named Dorýs Madden. Julius and Turquoise Erving were subsequently divorced. Julius Erving continued his relationship with Madden, with the couple having two more children together.^[20] In 2008, Erving and Madden were married.^[21]

See also[link]

• List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career blocks leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career playoff scoring leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career playoff steals leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career playoff blocks leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career playoff turnovers leaders
• List of National Basketball Association career playoff free throw scoring leaders

References[link]

External links[link]

• Basketball Hall of Fame profile
• nba.com: NBA History profile
• nba.com: Historical playerfile
• The Baseline Move (includes animated GIF)
• Ultimatenba: Julius Erving playerfile
• basketball-reference.com: Career statistics
• YouTube: Dr J's "Rock The Baby" dunk video
• Philly.com: "Dr. J: ABA through today" photo gallery
• Julius Erving at the Internet Movie Database