Erving catches up with ex-teammates | News, sports, jobs

04/13/24 During the meet and greet, UMASS teammates Joe Landolphi and Julius Irving talk about UMASS. Photo by JD Cavrich

Julius Erving's appearance at the Blair County Sports Hall of Fame dinner on Saturday at the Blair County Convention Center not only gave him the opportunity to give the keynote address, but also to host a collegiate reunion of sorts.

Erving, who enrolled at the University of Massachusetts in 1968, played on the freshman team that year with current Bishop Guilfoyle Catholic athletic director Joe Landolfi.

“I remember watching him learn,” Landolfi said. “He wasn’t Dr. back then. J. He was just Julius, another boy from Long Island.”

Erving, one of the greatest NBA players of all time known for his legendary dunking skills, was unable to showcase his signature skills during his time at UMass. The NCAA adopted a rule in 1968 that banned dunking during games, so Erving's dunking exploits were only seen during practice.

“For us he was otherworldly,” said Landolfi. “It had incredible hops. We didn’t want him to know we were watching him.”

Landolfi was able to connect with his college teammate before Saturday's banquet and the two briefly reminisced. It was the first time Landolfi had seen Erving in 55 years.

But Erving always remembered Landolfi. Landolfi, who was friends with the late Vince Frank, said Frank called him occasionally and said Erving asked about him when Frank would see him at NBA events. Frank's son Tim is an NBA executive.

“I know some people from Altoona,” Erving said. “I met Joe. Then the bell rang. There were a few other people who claimed to have gone to UMass and were there at the same time, whether I knew them or not.”

Those who saw Erving at UMass saw the start of a career that included three championships, four MVPs and an induction into the Professional Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993.

Erving was also dominant as an amateur, averaging 26.3 points and 20.2 rebounds per game. UMass played in the Yankee Conference, which was not recognized by the NCAA.

“We had great success,” Erving said. “We had inspiring coaches. There was a lot of approval from everyone except the NCAA. They just ignored us like we didn’t exist.”

Erving left UMass after his junior season and signed a four-year, $500,000 contract with the Virginia Squires. The Squires paid out the contract over seven years, but for Erving, whose parents earned a combined $15,000 a year, applying for a hardship waiver to become a professional player was a given, even if he convinced his parents to do so had to.

For Erving, who comes from a town of 15,000, the speech celebrating the success of athletes in a small community like Blair County was an opportunity to honor the roots of many.

“All the athletes come from small towns,” Erving said. “The majority come from simple backgrounds and small towns. … 15,000 people live in my hometown. Altoona has more people than my hometown. I think most athletes come from small towns.”