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More controversy Report: Document lists Stevenson's father as Julius Erving
Posted: Wednesday June 30, 1999 02:35 PM
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) -- Alexandra Stevenson, an 18-year-old from San Diego, has made a startling debut at Wimbledon, advancing to the quarterfinals amid controversy involving sex, race and money. Now the issue of her parentage has been raised. A copy of Stevenson's birth certificate, printed by The Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel on Wednesday, lists the father as Julius Winfield Erving II -- the same formal name of basketball great Julius "Dr. J" Erving. The certificate gives the child's name as Alexandra Winfield Stevenson, born Dec. 15, 1980, and was filed Jan. 7, 1981, in San Diego. Asked if Stevenson was his daughter, Erving told the paper, "No." "I have four children," he said, listing the names of three sons and a daughter. He and wife Turquoise have been married since 1972. Erving is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame and a vice president of the NBA Orlando Magic. He could not be immediately reached for comment by The Associated Press. Stevenson and her mother, Samantha Stevenson, a free-lance journalist, would not comment about Erving at a news conference after Wednesday's match at Wimbledon, a victory over Lisa Raymond. She read a brief statement defending her mother and the "family's view of life." She then requested only tennis questions, but was immediately asked to clarify her mother's allegations about racism. "There's racism everywhere in the world and it's no different in the tour because the tour is part of the world," she said. The player's mother is white and has charged that in addition to racism her daughter has faced sexual advances from women on the tour. The Stevensons also had threatened legal action if Alexandra was denied Wimbledon prize money. A dispute over her status was resolved and she will receive the cash. Samantha Stevenson covered the Philadelphia 76ers when Erving starred for the team. Asked once if her husband was tall because her daughter is 6-foot-1, she replied, "No, he isn't. I don't have a husband."
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