The 1972 Topps #195 Julius Erving is the rookie card of "Dr. J," the high-flying showman whose artistry above the rim transformed the game of basketball and helped carry the ABA to its merger with the NBA. Erving's rookie season with the ABA's Virginia Squires was spectacular, as he averaged 27.3 points and 15.7 rebounds per game, earned All-ABA Second Team honors and set ABA playoff records chronicled on the card's reverse.

The front features the set's eye-catching design, with bold red "SQUIRES" lettering against a bright yellow background as a young Erving, sporting his famous Afro, holds the ball overhead in his Virginia uniform. The reverse, which oddly lists Erving's position as "Center," notes his playoff marks of 21 two-point field goals in a single game and a 20.4 rebounding average, along with the whimsical cartoon "Julius wears size 15 sneakers."

Graded NM-MT 8 by PSA (certification no. 129730151), this example displays bold, vibrant colors, sharp corners and clean surfaces. The card has also received the MBA Bronze Diamond designation, confirming an equivalent MBA grade to its PSA assignment, and the matching MBA Bronze Diamond card accompanies the lot. The 1972 Topps basketball set is notorious for centering and print defects, and high-grade examples of the Erving rookie are especially prized.

Erving went on to win four league MVP awards, three in the ABA and one in the NBA, along with championships in both leagues. A key rookie card of one of the game's most influential figures.