There are few names bigger in the basketball world than Julius Erving and the legendary swingman is an icon for multiple franchises across the league. With that said, the Philadelphia 76ers have a special bond with "Dr. J" given that he helped bring the 1983 title to the city and, on Friday evening, Erving was in attendance (and being honored) as the Sixers pounded the Detroit Pistons by a (very) lopsided margin.
Unfortunately, though, the visit to the City of Brotherly Love took a negative turn, as Erving released the following statement after being forced to leave the game with illness.
"Philadelphia 76ers legend Julius Erving fell ill at tonight's game and was taken to a local hospital, where he is currently being evaluated. He is expected to be released after the evaluation."
It should be noted that no further updates have been made available as of Saturday morning. With that said, Erving's initial statement provided something of an optimistic tone and that is certainly encouraging. Regardless, the thoughts and prayers of the basketball world are with Erving (who is now 67 years old) and his family at this time and, at the very least, everyone is hoping for a swift recovery for the legend.
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