Podcast Summary

Podcast: The Herd with Colin Cowherd
Episode: Joe and Jada - Julius "Dr. J" Erving on ABA & NBA Glory Days, Evolution of the Dunk & Athletes' Role in Civil Rights Era
Date: February 19, 2026

Main Theme / Purpose

This episode, recorded live during the 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles, features basketball legend Julius "Dr. J" Erving with hosts Joe and Jada. The conversation explores Dr. J's transformative impact on basketball, especially the evolution of the dunk, his experiences in the ABA during a turbulent civil rights era, the responsibilities and power of celebrity athletes, and intergenerational reflections on legacy, adversity, and positive influence in both sports and society.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Evolution and Impact of the Dunk

• Was Dr. J the First Dunker?
  • Dr. J acknowledges he didn’t invent the dunk but helped perfect it, bringing flair and creativity:
    • "Plenty of balls were dunked before I came along... They do credit me with perfecting some of the dunk shots because...I might do little twist, turn side or whatever, because I had a real big hand. I could hold the ball with one hand...I’ve been credited with perfecting the dunk, but not inventing it." — Dr. J [05:08]
• Influences Growing Up:
  • Cited watching Wilt Chamberlain and “Jumping Johnny Green” as early inspirations for his own play style. [03:00–04:10]

2. Experiences in the ABA and the Era’s Social Climate

• Basketball as Refuge:
  • Dr. J shares how basketball was an escape from "bad things that were happening in the world," especially during the assassinations of MLK, Malcolm X, and JFK. [06:01]
  • "Coming out of high school in '68...there was a lot of bad stuff...the Cold War...so basketball was a diversion from a lot of the things that were bad about the society that we lived in.” — Dr. J [06:01–08:03]
• Importance of the ABA:
  • Playing in the ABA provided both personal joy and professional development during challenging times.

3. Civil Rights Era & Influential Figures

• Influence of Martin Luther King Jr.:
  • Dr. J speaks about his family’s religious and moral foundation and preference for Dr. King’s ideology:
  • "We were Christians...so they were down in the Bible Belt...so, you know, born there, bred there and we dealt with all that...I happened to follow Dr. King." — Dr. J [08:23, 50:19]
• Witnessing Tragedy and Riots:
  • Personal memories of learning about historical assassinations and their aftermath.
  • "With Martin, I mean, it was riots...suburbs, cities...because people wasn’t having it, but they couldn’t change it, and the riots didn’t change anything." — Dr. J [09:22]

4. Responsibility, Platform, and Legacy in Sports & Beyond

• The Power of Platform:
  • "If you get a platform, you need to promote those things [peace, harmony, love]...I’ve tried to be about that. My success and my notoriety...it’s about respect, and you need to use that platform in a positive way." — Dr. J [10:59–11:28]
• Accountability and Passing the Torch:
  • Advocates for sharing wisdom and extending the hand of friendship, inspired by how Bill Russell mentored him:
    • “I was kind of say what’s in my heart, share what’s in my heart...like Bill Russell did to me, when I was nineteen...extended the hand of friendship...I like to mimic and duplicate what somebody have done for me.” — Dr. J [14:06–14:44]
  • The hosts discuss the push away from negativity/clickbait in contemporary media and the importance of positive influence. [12:48]

5. Telling Your Own Story and Intergenerational Wisdom

• Writing Autobiographies & Documenting the Truth:

  • Dr. J on his autobiography:
    "Putting it back in the universe is important...get the story straight, first person...for my family and the generations that down the line...give them the first person." — Dr. J [14:55]

• Dealing with Trauma in Memoirs:

  • Acknowledges that revisiting trauma during autobiography writing is difficult, but integral to self-understanding. [16:12–16:42]

• The Importance of Authentic Storytelling in Hip Hop & Sports:

  • Hosts relate to Dr. J’s motivations, emphasizing the importance of documented truth for future generations:
    • "Now they start doing these hip hop documentaries...they start telling their own narrative...yo, we can’t do this because if we die...kids...not gonna get the real answer." — Joe [17:27]
  • Noted that when someone else tells your story, "never going to be right." [18:31]

• Seven Generations Principle:

  • Dr. J shares the Native American concept:
    • "They talk about doing stuff that will affect seven generations...that’s a beautiful thing." — Dr. J [19:40–21:00]
  • The hosts reflect on how negative systems (e.g., racism) were built to last generations and the need to consciously build positive legacies. [21:54]

6. Cultural Connections, Family, and Community

• Multicultural Heritage:
  • Anecdotes about Puerto Rican and Native American roots; reflections on family bonds and their fragility after elders pass. [22:04–24:27]
• Legacy of Community Leadership:
  • Dr. J discusses maternal and paternal family roots in the South and the changing nature of family as relatives pass away. [23:55]

7. The "Flyness" of the Era: Style, Iconography, and Social Life

• New York Legends and Swag:
  • Conversation turns lighthearted about fashion, status, and being "fly" during Dr. J’s era, compared to contemporaries like Walt "Clyde" Frazier.
    • "Dr. J was the biggest guy on the earth at that time...you was outside...you fly it in all of them forever..." — Joe [27:37–28:14]
    • Dr. J responds with humility, explains he spent a lot of time at home, focused on not making things harder for his hardworking mother. [29:32]
• Social Circles:
  • Reminisces about hanging out with Arthur Ashe, Reggie Jackson, Miles Davis, and Bill Cosby:
    • “1974, we would meet frequently at Cosby’s house...Arthur was the best tennis player in the world. You know, I had my basketball thing going...Miles was making music..." — Dr. J [31:03–31:47]
    • "That’s the Mount Rushmore of crews." — Joe [32:48]

8. State of the Game and Representation

• Media, Race, and Athlete Self-Representation:
  • Dr. J reflects on the pressures faced by Black athletes in interviews, expectations to "represent the race," and the evolution towards more positive, representative media roles:
    • "Black athletes got interviewed. Sometimes they get played...see, that’s why we shouldn’t interview the black guys....So I was always kind of guarded with my dialogue." [36:48]
  • The ABA’s legacy as a breakthrough for Black athletes, setting the stage for representation in the NBA and other sports. [38:00]
  • Notes the challenges international and Latino athletes face with language barriers and media perceptions impacting earning potential. [39:26]

9. Cultural Shifts and the Rise of Hip Hop

• Witnessing the Birth of Hip Hop:

  • Dr. J candidly admits he didn’t know how far hip hop would go but saw how it carved its own lane and surpassed expectations:
    • "When I heard hip hop, I had a cautious ear...they got their own genre...How far will it go? It went to the moon, man. And there was no turning back." — Dr. J [41:36]
  • Acknowledges crossover success, using Snoop Dogg as an example. [43:05]

• Hip Hop in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame:

  • Hosts debate Gene Simmons' comments and reflect on Black artists' foundational role in rock and roll:
    • "Didn’t we create rock and roll? ... Black people created rock and roll." — Joe [44:36]

10. The New ABA Documentary

• Amazon Prime Release:
  • Dr. J discusses the newly released ABA documentary and its significance for telling the full story:
    • "ABA is more than just me in it. It’s a lot of people...Spencer Haywood and Rick Barry...the nine year history of the ABA." [47:14]
• Sports Breaking Racial Barriers:
  • Recollection of childhood integrated teams and refusal to play when teammates were discriminated against; the role of sports in social integration. [48:03–49:09]

11. Athletes & Social Advocacy

• Reflections on Courage of Past Athletes:
  • Mentions contemporaries and forebears—Ali, Jim Brown, Bill Russell—who risked careers for justice:
    • "When you were seeing guys like Muhammad Ali talking about 'I ain’t going to the war'...what you thought at that time?" [49:23]
  • Dr. J explains he was “watching from the sideline but not being ignorant” due to the life or death stakes. He chose the spiritual path of Dr. King. [50:19]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Legacy and Impact:
  "They talk about doing stuff that will affect seven generations...that's a beautiful thing." — Dr. J [19:40]

• On Using Your Platform:
  "If you get a platform, you need to promote those things. So I’ve tried to be about that..." — Dr. J [10:59]

• On Civil Rights and Taking a Stand:
  "You have to be born into it...not something you learn in school." — Dr. J [53:05]

• On Telling Your Own Story:
  "When you let somebody else tell your story, never going to be right." — Joe [18:31]

• On Hip Hop’s Arrival:
  "No, I had no idea...it went to the moon, man. And there was no turning back." — Dr. J [41:36]

• On Integration & Sports:
  "Sometimes we would go to games...the other coach didn’t want his players to play against us...so we just left the building." — Dr. J [48:03]

Important Segment Timestamps

• [03:00] — Discussing the origin and evolution of the dunk
• [06:01] — The ABA experience and 1960s social context
• [08:23] — Choosing to follow Martin Luther King's ideology
• [14:06] — Bill Russell’s mentorship and giving back
• [14:55] — On autobiography and legacy
• [19:40] — Seven generations principle
• [21:54] — Systemic racism as generational
• [27:37] — Dr. J’s era and "flyness"
• [31:03] — Stories of social circles with Arthur Ashe, Reggie Jackson, etc.
• [36:48] — On Black athlete representation in media
• [41:36] — First impressions of hip hop
• [44:36] — Black origins of rock & roll
• [47:14] — New ABA documentary on Amazon Prime
• [48:03] — Personal recollections about integrated basketball teams
• [49:23] — Reflecting on athlete activism and civil rights
• [53:05] — Legacy, advocates, and activists

Final Notes

This episode is rich in first-person history and reflection, mixing humor, cultural pride, intergenerational wisdom, and honest discussion about adversity, legacy, and progress. Erving’s humility, the hosts’ deep respect, and their candid conversations offer valuable insights for basketball fans, social historians, and anyone interested in the intersection of sports, culture, and social change.