It's hard to believe that the sneaker world we know now did not always exist; athletes did not always sign multimillion-dollar shoe sponsorships.

The first real sponsorships in the NBA didn't come to life until the '70s, when players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Walt Frazier and Julius Erving signed deals that would forever change how shoe companies work in the league.

While speaking with Erving about his book, Dr. J: The Autobiography, we discussed a number of things, including his first shoe deal.

Watch now to hear Erving speak about the process of signing his first sneaker deal with Converse.

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