Vintage Converse Commercial Featuring Julius Erving Resurfaces

Shandel Richardson | Nov 6, 2024

May 1983; Milwaukee, WI, USA; FILE PHOTO; Philadelphia 76ers forward Julius Erving (6) against the Milwaukee Bucks at Mecca Arena. Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Network. / Malcolm Emmons - Imagn Images

Michael Jordan and LeBron James are among the biggest shoe salesmen in NBA history.

But before both of them, there was Julius "Dr. J" Erving. He was one of the first players to have a shoes endorsement. In the 1970s, he repped Converse.

A video recently resurfaced of his one of his first advertisements while playing for the Philadelphia 76ers.

🏀⭐️👟 1977 Dr. J👟⭐️🏀 Converse Commercial - Old Images of Philadelphia. Philly's Number One Facebook Page!

Posted by Old Images of Philadelphia on Sunday, November 3, 2024

The commercial had a catch tune to pitch the vintage shoes. It began with, "Hey, Dr. J, where'd you get those move? ... Are you a member of this human race?"

The commercial ends with the song asking, "Are you wearing magic shoes?"

A narrator then steps in and says, "He's wearing Converse, the shoes of the stars."

Erving was one of the pioneers of endorsements. He was later joined by the likes of Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Isiah Thomas and Patrick Ewing. At the time, it was uncommon for NBA players to sell shoes because the game lacked the exposure. This was a time when games rarely appeared on live television.

Most of them were shown on taped delay until Bird, Johnson and Erving helped the league grabbed the spotlight. It paved the way for the likes of Jordan and James, who now make as much off the court as playing basketball.

They can both thank Erving for helping get it started.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

Follow our coverage on Facebook

X: @BackInTheDayNBA