Julius Erving Helps Bring ABA Legacy to Prime Video in ‘Soul Power’ Docuseries

Julius Erving’s NBA resume already includes championships in two leagues, multiple MVP awards and a permanent place among the sport’s all-time greats. Now the Hall of Famer known worldwide as Dr. J, a new title: executive producer. Erving is one of the driving forces behind “Soul Power: The Legend of the American Basketball Association,” a four-part documentary series premiere February 12 on Prime Video.

The project, narrated by rapper Common and co-produced by former NBA coach George Karl, reimagines the rise and influence of the ABA, the upstart league that merged with the NBA 50 years ago.

The trailer, released this week, features appearances from Erving, George Gervin, Charles Barkley, Larry Brown, Rick Barry, Spencer Haywood, Walt Frazier, Chris Mullin and host Bob Costas. The series examines the ABA’s star players, its rivalry with the NBA and the social and business forces that shaped its legacy.

“Dr. J gave the league credibility,” Costas says in the preview. Gervin adds, “We’re getting ready to show you all, man, what you all missed.”

While Erving’s high-flying style remains central to the story, director Kenan Kamwana Holley remains said The film aims to expand the story beyond the highlights. Holley, who traveled around the country filming at iconic courts such as Rucker Park in Harlem and the Los Angeles location featured in “White Men Can’t Jump,” said younger players consistently boiled down the ABA’s significance to a single number.

“We had young NBA players like Tyrese Haliburton and RJ Barrett send us videos talking about what the ABA means to them, and they all started with Dr. J,” Holley said. “When we asked players about the ABA, they all said, ‘Dr. J, Dr. J, Dr. J.'”

Founded in 1967, the ABA introduced innovations that now define modern basketball, including the three-point line and the slam-dunk contest. Erving’s free-throw line dunk in the league’s final All-Star Game remains one of the sport’s most enduring images. The league also featured red, white and blue ball and a faster, more open style of play that foreshadowed the current space-and-pace era.

Holley said previous portrayals often reduced the ABA to quirky anecdotes about financial instability and colorful personalities. But as he researched, he discovered a competitive league whose teams regularly defeated NBA teams in exhibition play.

“That was pretty incredible,” Holley said. “I’d never heard that before.”

The documentary also explores the racial dynamics within professional basketball. At a time when the NBA operated under an informal quota system that limited black players, the ABA offered broader opportunities and embraced a freer form of expression.

Erving, who started his professional career with the Virginia Squires, said the league’s players believed they could match up with anyone.

“We knew in our hearts that we were as good as the NBA teams,” he said. “The ABA also lives in the NBA these days, there’s no doubt about that. There’s the three-point shot… But there’s also the spirit of the ABA game, spreading the court, controlling the ball, the faster pace of play.”

Looking back on his early career, Erving recalled signing with the ABA after being paid $500,000 over four years – a life-changing figure for a young player whose parents combined made much less. “It was a no-brainer,” he said. “What’s a brother to do?”

Although he later won an NBA championship in Philadelphia, Erving remains closely associated with the league that launched his career. “I’m all ABA,” he said. “Anything that has to do with the competition, I’m for it.”

As the 50th anniversary of the ABA-NBA merger approaches in 2026, “Soul Power” aims to ensure that the league’s influence on the game – and on basketball culture – is no longer overlooked.

RELATED CONTENT: NBA legend Dr. J Erving describes his new partnership