Vintage Converse Commercial Featuring Julius Erving Resurfaces

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.
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
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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

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Shandel Richardson
SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com