Julius Erving

He actually did that! I thought, 'What should we do? Should we take the ball out, or should we 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. Candidates with an asterisk (*) subsequently won the presidential election. "Here I was, trying to win a championship, and my mouth just dropped open. Bolded candidates eventually won their party's nomination. Julius was the first player I ever remember who transcended sports and was known by one name -- Doctor." -- his coach Billy Cunningham. Bush was not seriously contested on the Republican side. He understood what his role was and how important it was for him to conduct himself as a representative of the league. George W.

"As a basketball player, Julius was the first to truly take the torch and become the spokesman for the NBA. Richard Gephardt finished fourth at 11% but won no delegates. This move, along with his free-throw line dunk, has become one of Julius Erving's signature events of his career. He ran ahead of John Edwards who won 32% and 18 delegates and Howard Dean who won 18% and 7 delegates. 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. The 2004 Iowa caucuses concluded with John Kerry winning the Democratic contest with approximately 38% of the state delegates, winning 20 delegates to the national convention. In mid-air, it was apparent that Erving would land behind the backboard. The group of 45 delegates are pledged to a candidate; the group of 11 are unassigned.

Then 7'2" center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar crossed his way, blocking the route to the basket and forcing him outwards. There are also 11 other delegates, eight of whom are appointed from local Democratic National Committee members, two are PLEO delegates and one is elected at the state Democratic convention. He drove past a defender on the right baseline and went up for a layup. Ten delegates are at-large delegates, and six are "party leader and elected official" (PLEO) delegates; these are assigned at the state convention. One of his most memorable plays occured during the 1980 NBA Finals, when he executed a seemingly impossible finger-roll behind the backboard [1]. Of the 45 delegates chosen through the caucus system, 29 are chosen at the district level. He is revered for his legacy of amazing acrobatic and powerful offensive moves. Iowa sends 56 delegates to the DNC out of a total 4,366.

Erving introduced the dunk jumping off the foul line, which he demonstrated in the 1976 All-Star Dunking Contest. The number of delegates each candidate receives eventually determines how many state delegates from Iowa that candidate will have at the Democratic National Convention. Erving was ranked #10 on SLAM Magazine's Top 75 NBA Players of All time in 2003. Delegates may change their votes based on further developments in the race; for instance, in 2004 the delegates pledged to Dick Gephardt who left the race after the precinct caucuses chose a different candidate, perhaps based on instructions from Gephardt. In 1997, he joined the front office of the Orlando Magic. The county convention occurred on March 13, the district convention on April 24, and the state convention on June 26. he became a businessman, obtaining ownership of a Coca-Cola bottling plant in Philadelphia and doing work for TV as an analyst. In 2004, the meetings ran from 6:30 PM until approximately 8:00 PM on January 19, 2004.

After his basketball career, Erving was equally successful. Delegates to each level of convention are not bound to vote for their chosen candidate and can switch allegiance. As of 2005, Erving ranks fifth on the list; only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Karl Malone, and Michael Jordan have scored more points in the history of professional basketball. At the state convention, the other 16 delegates are chosen. On the combined NBA/ABA scoring list, Erving ranked third with 30,026 points. At the district convention, the delegates assign 29 of the actual delegates to the National Convention from Iowa. When he retired, Erving ranked in the top 10 in scoring (third), most field goals made (third), most field goals attempted (fifth) and most steals (first). The delegates chosen by the precinct then go to a later caucus, the county convention, to chose delegates to the district convention and state convention.

In 1993, Erving was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. When the voting is closed, a final head count is conducted, and each precinct proportionally apportions county delegates for each candidate who later attend a county convention. In his ABA and NBA careers combined, he scored more than 30000 points. From here, the caucus-goers have roughly another 30 minutes to support one of the remaining candidates or choose to abstain. 6 jersey. This causes the caucuses, unlike primaries, to favor front-running candidates. 32 jersey, and the Philadelphia 76ers his No. Consequently, for a candidate to receive any delegates from a particular precinct, he or she must have the support of at least 15% of that precinct.

He is one of the few players in modern basketball to have his number retired by two franchises: the New Jersey Nets (formerly New York Nets) have retired his No. This viability level is currently set at 15% of the number of attendees at the caucus site. Erving retired at age 37. The supporters of any candidate who doesn't have enough supporters to be "viable" will then have to find a viable candidate to support or simply choose to abstain. In 1986, he announced that he would retire after the season, causing every basketball game he played to be sold out and packed with adoring fans. After 30 minutes, the electioneering is temporarily halted and the number of votes for each candidate is counted. Erving continued his all-star caliber play into his twilight years, averaging 22.4, 20.0, 18.1, and 16.8 points per game in his final seasons. Participants indicate their support for a particular candidate by standing in a designated area of the caucus site.

Armed with one of the most lethal center-forward combinations of all time, the Sixers easily won the NBA crown in 1983. For roughly 30 minutes, attendees try to convince their neighbors to support their candidates. But then, the Sixers obtained the missing link to combat their weakness at their center position, Moses Malone. Caucus-goers form into "preference groups," where their candidate preferences become public. Nevertheless, Erving was named the NBA MVP in 1981. The process used by the Democrats is somewhat more complicated. 1981 and 1982 were also sour grapes for Erving, as the Sixers stranded twice, once against the Celtics and once again against the Lakers. The non-binding results are tabulated and reported to the media and the state party where delegates are later chosen.

However, the Lakers won 4-2 with a superb Magic Johnson. The Republican caucuses are a straw poll where each voter places his or her vote in a hat (by secret ballot). There, Erving executed the legendary Baseline Move, an incredible behind-the-board reverse layup and one of the most spectacular basketball moves ever. Observers are allowed to attend, as long as they do not become actively involved in the debate and voting process. In 1980 the 76ers prevailed over the Celtics, and went to the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. Additionally, 17-year-olds can participate, as long as they will be 18 years of age by the date of the general election. Dr J matchup became the top personal rivalry in the sport, even inspiring the early video game Julius Erving-Larry Bird One-on-One. Participants can change their registration at the caucus location.

In 1979-1980 Larry Bird had entered the league, reviving the Boston Celtics and the storied Celtics-76ers rivalry; these two teams would face each other in the Eastern Conference Finals for the next four years, and the Bird vs. Participants in each party's caucuses must be registered with that party. In the following years, Erving had to cope with the fact that he himself was a stellar player, but his team simply needed time to grow; they were eliminated twice in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Republicans and Democrats each hold their own set of caucuses subject to their own particular rules that change from time to time. However, Erving enjoyed success off the court, becoming one of the first ballers to endorse products and became one of the games' first players to have a shoe marketed under his name. The term "caucus" used in this sense is believed to be a Native American word meaning "a meeting of tribal leaders.". After taking a 2-0 lead, the Blazers defeated the Sixers with four straight victories. The Iowa caucus is less-binding than the first-in-the-nation New Hampshire primary because Iowan caucus-goers elect delegates to county conventions, who, in turn, elect delegates to district and state conventions where, ultimately, the national convention delegates are selected.

Erving quickly became the leading man of his new club and led them into the NBA Finals against the Portland Trailblazers of Bill Walton. In addition to the voting, caucus attendees propose planks for their party's platform, select members of the county comittees, and discuss issues such as voter turnout. After the merger of the Nets and three other surviving teams into the NBA, Erving had a salary dispute with the Nets and eventually was sold to the Philadelphia 76ers (a move that cost the Nets franchise, soon to relocate to New Jersey, dearly in terms of lost credibility). The caucuses are held every two years, but the ones that receive national attention are the presidential preference primaries held every four years. In his five ABA seasons Erving had won two championships, three MVP trophies, and three scoring titles. Typically, these meetings occur in schools, churches, or libraries. In the postseason, Erving averaged 34.7 points and was named Most Valuable Player of the playoffs. Rather than going to polls and casting ballots, Iowans gather at a set location in each of Iowa's approximately 2,000 precincts.

The Erving-led Nets defeated the Denver Nuggets in the swansong finals of the ABA. The caucus is generally defined as a "gathering of neighbors". By 1976, the ABA was failing under financial pressure. presidential primary). His unusual and highly spectacular play single-handedly gave the league fans and credibility. The Iowa caucus operates very differently from the more common primary election used by most other states (see U.S. More important than that, Erving established himself not only as the most important Nets player, but as the most important ABA player. (For further information on the 2004 Iowa caucus, see 2004 Iowa Democratic caucuses.).

Erving had won his first ABA title. Other candidates, notably Joseph Lieberman and Wesley Clark, who did not campaign in Iowa, failed to secure more than 5% of the vote. Erving led the Nets to the ABA Finals against the Utah Stars and vanquished them. In the days leading up to the caucus, predictions showed candidates John Kerry and Howard Dean neck-and-neck for first place, with Dick Gephardt and John Edwards right behind them. Erving was traded to the New York Nets in 1973. Often, the caucus is an important factor in determining who remains in the race and who drops out. The graceful forward with the trademark Afro was dazzling people with his flashy, exciting style of play, which fit well in the ABA's up-tempo image. The 2004 caucuses, similarly, proved to be important for Democratic presidential nomination hopefuls.

There, his game flourished, and he achieved a career-best 31.9 points per game. The two would go on to win their parties' nominations later in the year. However, he was unhappy there and tried to move to the Atlanta Hawks, until due to legal injunction, he was obliged to return to the Squires in the ABA. Bush far ahead of their rivals. This move would have brought him together with two other NBA legends, Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. In 2000, for example, the Iowa caucus results placed Democrat Al Gore and Republican George W. When he became eligible for the NBA draft in 1972, the Milwaukee Bucks picked him in the first round (12th pick overall). Since then, presidential candidates have focused increasingly on achieving a win in Iowa.

He led the Squires into the Eastern Division Finals, where they lost to the Rick Barry-led New York Nets. In a major upset, he went on to win his party's nomination and eventually the presidency. 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. While the Iowa caucus has been the first such caucus each year in the United States for a century, it only came to national attention in 1976, when obscure Georgia governor Jimmy Carter won the most votes at the Democratic caucus. Erving quickly established himself as a force, and gaining a reputation for hard and ruthless dunking. . Erving decided to join the ABA in 1971 and signed as an undergraduate free agent with the ABA's Virginia Squires. Since 1976, the Iowa caucus has been the first indication of which candidate for President of the United States would win the nomination of his or her political party at that party's national convention.

Pro basketball was split into two leagues, the ABA and the NBA, with players rapidly switching clubs and leagues. 1976- Gerald Ford defeated Ronald Reagan. At that time, professional basketball was in flux. Anderson (4%) and Bob Dole (2%). Nevertheless, he failed to attract much public attention. Bush (32%) defeated Ronald Reagan* (30%), Howard Baker (15%), John Connally (9%), Phil Crane (7%), John B. In the two varsity seasons of his college basketball career, he averaged 26.3 points and 20.2 rebounds per game, becoming one of only six players in NCAA Men's Basketball history to average more than 20 points and 20 rebounds per game. W.

Then he enrolled at the University of Massachusetts in 1968. 1980- George H. It was in that time that he got his nickname "Doctor" for his precision and the way he "operated" on the court. 1984- Ronald Reagan* (unopposed). Erving first played basketball at Roosevelt High School. Bush* (19%), Jack Kemp (11%) and Pete DuPont (7%). . W.

With Michael Jordan, he is considered as one of the most spectacular basketballers ever. 1988- Bob Dole (37%) defeated Pat Robertson (25%), George H. Erving was named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time team and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Bush (unopposed). He is the fifth-highing scorer in professional basketball history, with 30,026 points. W. In his professional career with the Virginia Squires and the New York Nets in the ABA, and the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA, Erving won three championships, four Most Valuable Player Awards, and three scoring titles. 1992- George H.

He was the main asset of the ABA when it merged with the National Basketball Association after the 1976 season. 1996- Bob Dole (26%) defeated Pat Buchanan (23%), Lamar Alexander (18%), Steve Forbes (10%), Phil Gramm (9%), Alan Keyes (7%), Richard Lugar (4%) and Maurice Taylor (1%). was considered "the league". Bush* (41%) defeated Steve Forbes (30%), Alan Keyes (14%), Gary Bauer (9%), John McCain (5%) and Orrin Hatch (1%). J. 2000- George W. While some players are considered to be "the team", Dr. Bush* (unopposed).

Erving was instrumental in bringing legitimacy to the now-defunct American Basketball Association. 2004- George W. J, is an American basketball player who helped launch the modern style of play that emphasizes leaping ability and play above the rim. 1972 - Edmund Muskie (36%) defeated George McGovern (23%), Hubert Humphrey (2%), Eugene McCarthy (1%), Shirley Chisolm (1%) and Henry Jackson (1%). Julius Winfield Erving III (born February 22, 1950 in Roosevelt, New York), commonly known by the nickname Dr. 1976 - Jimmy Carter* (28%) defeated Birch Bayh (13%), Fred Harris (10%), Morris Udall (6%), Sargent Shriver (3%) and Henry Jackson (1%); "Uncommitted" won 37% of the vote. FT%: .777. 1980 - Jimmy Carter (59%) defeated Ted Kennedy (31%).