Deion Sanders pays tribute to one of his original idols

Coach Prime honors an NBA legend on his special day

David Adelman/Instagram

Deion Sanders had a very meaningful tribute post to one of his idols this week. He sent birthday wishes to Julius Erving, who turns 74 on Thursday.

The basketball legend was one of the notables to roam the sideline during the Arizona game last fall. Dr. J was accompanied by 76ers co-owner David Adelman, and the two got to sit down with Coach Prime after the nail-biting finish. 

While clearly in awe of the situation, Sanders revealed that he used to dress like 'Black Moses' as a kid because he was such a big fan.

When Coach Prime met Dr. J: Deion Sanders bows down to childhood idol Julius Erving at Colorado game https://t.co/yOgrzoKbDj pic.twitter.com/URxNW6E51h

— Page Six (@PageSix) November 17, 2023

Sanders recently posted on Instagram, “Dr. J!! This was and is still one of my heroes. He was professional, classy, well dressed, spoke well, a straight baller, a game changer that also faced adversity and overcame it. This is why he will always be my hero! They called him the doctor and he didn’t have a PhD!”

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One of Sanders' first loves was basketball. His play on the court earned him the Prime Time moniker. There was also a time in his career that he was invited to try out for the Atlanta Hawks. 

With Coach Prime promising a star-studded weekend for the Spring Game, you can be certain Boulder will be crawling with celebrities and newsmakers the last weekend of April. Maybe Dr. J will make a return trip to Colorado for all the action.