NBA superstars Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are two of the best players the league has seen in the last few decades. The two normally make up the top-5 of most basketball fans. Or at least top-10. Most former players and analysts would agree with the notion as well. However, that wasn’t the case when a Hall of Famer was recently asked about his top 10. Understandably, this stirred a bit of controversy. Now, a heartwarming gesture from the NBA legend during his playing years was recently revealed.

While Bryant is often compared to Michael Jordan because of their playing style, James is usually compared to Magic Johnson for his play-making abilities and to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for his longevity. Yet, this was not recognized by a 3-time ABA MVP.

11-time All-Star slandered for snubbing Kobe Bryant

Philadelphia 76ers legend Julius Erving was one of the first superstars the league has ever seen. He was a pioneer of the game with his unreal athleticism and skill which helped propel the league and increase viewership. Dr. J arguably paved the way for superstars like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Stephen Curry to rule the league.

Recently, the 1983 NBA champion revealed his top 10 All-Time list which shocked a lot of basketball fans.

Interestingly, the list was filled with legends from his era or close to it. Notably, the most recently retired player from the list was Michael Jordan.?Erving received some criticism for his take.

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Dr. J snubbed Kobe Bryant and LeBron James from his list. While that was the talk of the town recently, a different story about the New York native has emerged.

Erving’s act of kindness earned him over $1 million

David Meltzer was a ball boy for the then-San Diego Clippers when he was 12 years old. He recounted that he was nervous around superstars. However, the 1981 NBA MVP understood this and made the young boy’s day with a signed ball.

Meltzer stated, “He said, ‘Son, why did you give me so many socks?’ And I said, ‘I don’t know. They told me to put six pairs on everybody’s locker.’ And he goes, ‘I don’t need six pairs of socks.'”?While the 12-year-old was nervous about making a mistake, Erving surprised him with a kind gesture.

“And he goes, ‘How many siblings do you have?’ I said, ‘Five’. He said, ‘Perfect!’ He goes, ‘Grab them’. I went over and he said, ‘What’s their names?’ And he signed each of the pairs and then he grabbed a basketball and he signed it for me,”?recounted the co-founder of Sports 1 Marketing.

The author also added that later on in life he repaid Dr. J by hiring him whenever he had the opportunity. Meltzer claimed that Erving possibly earned over $1 million because of him.

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