"To hell with modesty!" - Julius Erving always believed he should be in the GOAT discussion

Julius Erving is often remembered for being one of the pioneers of the game. With his electrifying dunks and unstoppable scoring prowess, many viewed Dr. J as arguably the most decorated scorer of his generation but seldom as one of the GOAT candidates.

According to the man in question, his values tell him to stay humble about this topic. However, deep down, Erving always thought he deserved to be mentioned in the conversation.

"I'll tell you what my modesty says: To hell with modesty! I think I should be in the discussion," Erving told Hoop Hall's 60 Days of Summer in 2016 when asked if he thinks he should be one of the GOAT candidates.

Dr. J believes fans will come to their senses

According to Erving, it's understandable if fans don't see him as a GOAT contender, considering the difference in each basketball era.

Despite often being left out in the debate for the greatest player ever , Dr. J believes that as people constantly reflect on the evolution of the game, "justice will be done," and they will eventually come to appreciate the significant role he played in shaping the sport into what it is today.

"My nephew, he sometimes gives me a call," the Hall of Famer once said . "And he says they did it again. I said, 'Did what?' 'They left you out,' and I'm like, 'Get used to it. We preceded an era in basketball of the really, really big money, really, really big hype… I think that in time, justice will be done, but I can't lose no sleep over something that I didn't have or that I don't have. I have been blessed in so many ways."

Shaq put Dr. J over LeBron and MJ

Erving's legacy is more than just his accolades, which, among others, include four regular season MVP awards and 16 All-Star selections. It is also about how he inspired future generations of players, including legendary big man Shaquille O'Neal.

Dr. J is admired by a wide array of his fellow NBA icons, but Shaq might be his biggest fan of them all. In fact, O'Neal has always been convinced that even though the GOAT debate often boils down to Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James, Erving is still the greatest in his eyes .

Fans will always have their own opinion about Erving's case for GOAT status. While that remains a subjective matter, we can all agree that Dr. J's contributions should not be overlooked.

Related: "I don't put myself above them" - Michael Jordan on why he doesn't think he's better than Larry Bird and Magic Johnson