When Greatness meets Class

a reflection article on a documentary i saw last night, explaining the life of the great Julius Ervin (Dr J).

Last night before i went to sleep i watched a great documentary on You tube titled when Greatness meets Class,which chronicled the life of one of the greatest basketball players ever Julius Erving, or more commonly known as Dr J. The funny thing is when i started watching the video i did not expect to watch the whole thing, i mean it was an hour long. Don’t get me wrong i love basketball and i have always had great respect for Dr J but its hard for me to stay in one place for so long. I sat there and i watched 10 minutes, which quickly turned into 20 minutes then 35 then 45 and before i knew it one hour had passed and i finished the incredible video. Now for those of you who don’t know Dr J was an amazing basketball player, and i mean amazing. The man could do it all, jump shots, great handles, fancy dribbles with unmatched speed and athleticism. Lets also not forget those fancy maneuvers he would do in the air. It was like the main could defy gravity, and I’m not just talking about the powerful dunks he would throw down which of course were awesome, but some of the nifty lay ups he did were just as special. What i am saying is that Dr J was an incredible player and one i feel often gets looked over when we mention the greats in basketball history. The truth is what touched and grabbed me, what really held my attention for those 60 minutes was the grace and eloquence he showed. This was a man who was so sure of himself completely confident in his own skin. When you would see Dr J walking down the street this man just exuded cool and confidence everyone wanted to be like him. From the big Afro that waved in the air when ever he would take flight, to the fancy suits that made him look like a hundred bucks the man was just pure class. He was also very humble and well educated, something that is also very important to me. Being a African American myself i pay close attention to how our stars are portrayed and advertising themselves on T.v. Now i know what your thinking this guy is one of those old fashioned Black guys that’s always telling kids to pick up their pants and stop playing that loud evil music. No to both of those things I am 27 so not old at all and i love rap, not that begin one of those old guys is a problem. What i loved seeing from Dr J was that he spoke so fluently and was clearly educated, as a black person it made you so proud and want to aspire to be like him. It was like hey not only can this man kill you on the basketball court and dress like some pimp but he could strike conversation as if he was a political figure, something that really impressed me. Having role models is very important but i honestly barely have any in my life, except of course for the usual suspects like your family. Dr J is one of my role models. I find everything about his life fascinating. When greatness meets class, such a accurate title for such a great human being. One of the best on and off the court. If i were still a little kid i would say i want to grow up and be just like Dr J. Hell i’m not a little kid but i will say it now, I want to be like Dr J when i grow up, Thank you Julius Erving. 

Author's Note

My reflection after watching the great documentary on Julius Ervings life When greatness meets class. Honest thoughts and feelings that ran through my mind, please enjoy.