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Basketball's Dr. J makes house call on President Peres
By The Associated Press

Dr. J made an unlikely house call yesterday - on President Shimon Peres.

Basketball great Julius Erving, who is on a goodwill tour of Israel, told Peres that he considered himself an ambassador for Israel.
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Erving is in Israel along with fellow National Basketball Association Hall of Famer Rick Barry, to raise awareness for the Migdal Ohr youth village for underprivileged children in Migdal Ha'emek.

Erving called Israel an inspiration for Jews in America, as well as other minorities.

"I am truly inspired to be an ambassador for the country and for the village," he said while visiting the presidential mansion in Jerusalem.

Peres praised Erving for both his excellence as an athlete, and for his efforts off the court in breaking down barriers for blacks and minorities. He said sports could serve as a bridge between people.

"I think if we built first sports organizations instead of politics, the whole world would be better," Peres said.

Erving revolutionized the game of basketball in the 1970s with his electrifying, high-flying dunks, and is widely credited for being a model for Michael Jordan.

Erving is arguably the greatest basketball player of all time. He won an NBA title and a Most Valuable Player award with the Philadelphia 76ers, and earlier won two American Basketball Association championships with the New York Nets.

Barry was one of the greatest shooters in NBA history, and is the only player ever to lead the NCAA, NBA and ABA in scoring. He and Erving were named two of the 50 greatest NBA players in history.

Three of Barry's sons, Jon, Brent and Drew, have also played in the NBA. Brent Barry scored 23 points off the bench for the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night, in a losing effort to the Los Angeles Lakers. The defending champion Spurs are now in a 3-1 deficit and face elimination when they play Game 5 in Los Angeles tonight. Barry missed a last-second three-point-shot that would have given San Antonio the win if it had gone in.
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