Listen Live
WRNB HD2 Featured Video
CLOSE

 

Julius Erving is one of the best basketball players in history. When it came to earnings, however, Dr. J’s career ended just before salaries began to soar higher than his breathtaking one-handed dunks.

Erving’s biggest payday by far came in the wee hours Sunday morning when an online auction closed and 144 of his possessions had sold for $3,552,627.

His 1974 ABA New York Nets championship ring fetched $460,741, the highest total ever for a sports ring. Five more of Erving’s rings each exceeded $195,000. Three MVP trophies each exceeded $165,000.

What SCP Auctions had described as “the largest and most significant player basketball collection ever sold” indeed set a record for the most money brought in for one man’s basketball memorabilia.

“It was mindboggling,” SCP president David Kohler said. “Normally rings go for $25,000 or so. Before the sale I didn’t think they’d bring $50,000. We were blown away. I spoke to Julius and he’s ecstatic.”