The 75 greatest players in NBA history, ranked by Player Efficiency Rating (PER)

40.    Julius Erving-21.97

NBA icons Julius Erving, better known as Dr. J, was arguably the most iconic player of the 1970s and served as the forerunner for Michael Jordan. There weren't a lot of 6'7 players who could jump like Erving, and his skill, athleticism, and Afro made him a household name.

He won three straight MVPs in his final three seasons in the ABA and established himself as a bona fide superstar by the time he entered the NBA. He would spend all 11 seasons in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers and establish himself as a perennial MVP candidate with five top-5 finishes and a fourth MVP award in 1980–81. 

Had his ABA years been counted, he would have a career PER of 23.5 and rank 21st. Unfortunately, they aren't so he'll have to settle for 40th on this list. That is obviously way too low for one of the best players ever but five seasons of his career aren't counted here so it is forgiveable for him to be placed here.