Julius Erving, better known as “Dr. J,” is one of the basketball players most responsible for the NBA-ABA merger after the 1976 season. Erving was easily one of the greatest players in ABA history, playing first for the league’s Virginia Squires and then the New York Nets. After the merger, Erving starred for the Philadelphia 76ers until his 1987 retirement. It would be tough to find a player who personifies “cool” better than Dr. J.

In addition to pulling the two leagues together, Erving also helped turn basketball into the high-flying game it is today. Before Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins were dunking from the foul line, Erving was doing just that. Indeed, the number of memorable moves he made on defenders in his career is countless. As for Dr. J. memorabilia, card collectors go for his ABA rookie card, Topps #195 from 1972-73, commemorating his 1971-72 season with the Squires and listing his shoe size (15) on the back.