BEAUMONT, Texas – One of the greatest players in the history of the NBA, Julius "Dr. J" Erving will serve as the keynote speaker at the Lamar University basketball Tip Off Banquet. The banquet will take place Saturday, Oct. 26, at the Montagne Center. It is slated to begin at 6 p.m., with a V.I.P. reception taking place 4:30 p.m. The announcement was originally made to LU fans via video phone message Thursday evening during the Cardinals season-opener at Provost Umphrey Stadium.
 
Tickets are $125 each and can be purchased through the LU Ticket Office by calling (409) 880-1715. Tables are also available at four different levels – Platinum, Gold, Silver and Regular. The Platinum table is $15,000, while the Golds are $10,000 and Silver tables are $5,000. The Platinum, Gold and Silver tables include passes to the V.I.P. reception. The Platinum and Gold seat tables seat 10 and Silver tables seat eight. LU will also offer tables for $1,000.
 
Known as Dr. J, Erving is a legend of the sport who changed the way the game is played. Considered a wizard of the game, Erving wowed fans with his high-flying artistry that usually ended with a powerful dunk.
 
Erving's professional career began in the American Basketball Association (ABA) with the Virginia Squires and the New York Nets. Erving spent five seasons in the ABA and following its merger with the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1976 he spent 11 years with the Philadelphia 76ers leading them to the 1983 NBA title.
 
In five ABA seasons, Erving won three scoring titles, three MVP awards and guided his teams to two championships. During his 11 seasons in the NBA, Erving was named to the all-star team each season, named league MVP in 1981 and was a five-time member of the All-NBA First Team. For his career, he scored more than 30,000 points averaging 22 points per game with the 76ers. In 1993, Erving was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.