In this special episode of Born to the Game - Summer League Rewind, we revisit our conversation with Jazmin Erving — daughter of NBA legend Julius "Dr. J" Erving — joins hosts Mariah Woodson and Tamara Peyton to talk about growing up in the shadow of one of sport's most beloved figures, navigating the assumptions and pressures that came with the name, and how she became the first Black woman co-owner of a domestic crystal mine in the United States.

Julius "Dr. J" Erving's legacy in basketball is untouchable — a pioneer of above-the-rim play, an ABA and NBA champion, a Hall of Famer, and one of the most recognized athletes in American sports history. But to Jazmin, he was first and foremost Dad — the man who protected family time from autograph seekers, took the family to Vegas every summer, played 5-on-5 pickup in the South of France, and quietly taught his children to "see people" for who they really are. Jazmin opens up about what it was like growing up with a father whose fame followed them everywhere — and how at just 12 years old, when asked what it was like being Dr. J's daughter, she simply said: "To me, he's just Dad."

She reflects on the double-edged nature of the name — the doors it opened, the assumptions it brought, and the quiet work of learning to be guarded without becoming closed off. She shares the moment in college when eight guys falsely claimed to have been with her — and the calm, direct way she handled it. She tells the story of walking out of her Ralph Lauren job "full Jerry Maguire style" after a visiting manager made assumptions about her because of her father, only to be rehired by her regular manager. And she recounts the moment a player rudely dismissed her and her younger brother asking for an autograph — until he realized who their father was — a lesson she never forgot about how people treat you when they think you're nobody.

Then comes the origin story of Because I Rock — her crystal mining company. During the pandemic, Jazmin and her business partner stopped to help a stranded driver on the side of the road. He turned out to own crystal mines. That chance encounter became a partnership, and Jazmin became one of the first Black women to co-own a domestic crystal mine in the United States.

This is a joyful, grounded, funny, and deeply moving conversation about legacy, identity, entrepreneurship, and what it looks like when a woman born to greatness decides to go out and create some of her own.

🔑 In This Episode:

• Growing up as the daughter of NBA legend Julius "Dr. J" Erving

• "To me, he's just Dad" — her answer at age 12

• How Dr. J protected family time from autograph seekers

• Vegas summers, Circus Circus, and a 5-on-5 game in the South of France

• The double-edged nature of a famous name — doors opened and assumptions made •

 💬 Key Takeaway: Jazmin Erving didn't inherit a jump shot — she inherited a standard. Growing up as Dr. J's daughter meant learning early that people will always see the name before they see you. Her story is about doing the quiet, grounded work of becoming someone in your own right — and then building a business that puts crystals in the hands of children who never knew they were miners. "This rock chose you" is not just a tagline. It is how Jasmine Erving has lived her whole life. Subscribe, share, and join the journey.

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