NBA Hall of Famer Julius ‘Dr. J’ Erving plays PGA Tour Champions TimberTech Pro-Am

BOCA RATON, Fla. — As amazing as he was on the basketball court during his Hall of Fame career with the New York Nets and Philadelphia 76ers, Julius Erving is equally impressive as a partner on the golf course.

Erving played in Wednesday’s Pro-Am of the PGA Tour Champions TimberTech Championship with one of his hosts from the Hard Rock Hotel and pro Kenny Perry, a star in his own right with 10 victories on the over-50 circuit and 14 PGA Tour wins.

One of 54 players who qualified for the second event of the Charles Schwab Cup playoffs, Friday through Sunday at the Old Course at Broken Sound, Perry shot a bogey-free 66 with six birdies. But for him, the highlight of the day was playing with the man known as Dr. J, although you can just call him Julius.

“It was awesome,” said Perry, who grew up and still lives in Kentucky. “I told him before we teed off that I’ve got four autographed jerseys (framed and) hung up on the wall. They’re beautiful, and one of them is his. He signed it for me. I’ve got him and Bo Jackson and Michael Jordan and Brett Favre.

“We laughed a lot and enjoyed our group. He’s just so down to earth. He doesn’t have any attitude, nothing, just a good old boy that you love talking to.”

Erving, 71, played from 1971-1987: five years in the American Basketball Association with the Nets and 11 years with the Sixers after the ABA merged with the NBA, in part because of his phenomenal talent and class. He won two championships with the Nets and one in Philly.

Erving started playing golf in his 30s

He didn’t start playing golf until he was in his 30s, but he’s made up for that by playing “once or twice a week.” He’s a member at Rivermont Golf Club in Alpharetta, Georgia near his home in Atlanta, where he never has trouble finding a game.

“My old coach with the Nets, Kevin Loughery, is a member there, my best friend is a member there and my insurance broker is a member there, so there’s a foursome,” said Erving, who grew up on Long Island, New York, not far from Bethpage Golf Course.

He wasn’t a golfer when he played for the Nets, so he missed out on playing Bethpage and other famous courses in the area, but “I’ve been able to visit all those places and I realized what I missed.

“I think the most beautiful thing about golf is you can play with anybody because of the handicap system. You can play with your children, you can play with your parents, you can play with your friends, you can play with your enemies. There’s nobody you can’t play golf with. Male, female, different tee boxes, seniors, juniors. Anybody can play this game if they decide that they want to play it. It’s an acquired skill, so anybody can learn to play.”

Now a 15 handicap, Erving said his best round came during what he called a “boys trip around the globe,” when he and his buddies played golf on six continents.

Steve Waters/Special to The Post

“I played so much golf and one day I had a really good day,” he said. “I shot 74 with a double-bogey on the last hole. So almost got par golf in there. My handicap at that time was probably about 9 or 10.”

Erving, Smoltz won Michael Jordan’s tournament

He also gets invited to play in celebrity events, such as Michael Jordan’s tournament in the Bahamas. Erving and former Braves pitcher John Smoltz, representing Atlanta, teamed to win the tournament in back-to-back years on the strength of Smoltz’s driving and Erving’s putting.

“We played his drive almost every time,” Erving explained. “He would putt first and then I would putt and generally knock it in after he missed because I have a good putting game. Michael wasn’t too happy.”

Erving hosted the Julius Erving Classic, which was held in 2018 and 2019 at Atlantic City Country Club in New Jersey and sponsored by the Borgata Hotel. But Erving said the pandemic forced its cancellation last year and this year. He hopes to hold the event, which benefits the Salvation Army, in 2022.

“It’s my pet charity,” Erving said. “They’ve been a part of my lifelong journey in and out of sports. I was a Salvation Army kid.”

Erving is big on loyalty. His two favorite NBA teams are the Nets and the 76ers, but he also likes the San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, and Indiana Pacers. “I want to see the old ABA teams do well and keep the ABA alive,” said Erving of the franchises that were accepted into the NBA when the leagues merged.

He also has a loyal equipment sponsor – Ping. Erving said that when he retired from the 76ers in 1987, the Phoenix-based company “gifted him golf clubs for life.”

At 6-foot-6, Erving uses custom clubs that are 1½ inches longer than standard, so when they arrive, they are just what the Doctor ordered. And no matter how he plays with them, he always makes a good impression.