Posted on 06/02/2020 8:02:07 AM PDT by C19fan
The Washington Wizards said former player, coach, and general manager Wes Unseld died Tuesday. He was 74. Unseld is a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The five-time All-Star played for Washington from 1968-1981 and started his career with the team when they were known as the Baltimore Bullets.
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He probably died after watching his hometown Louisville, KY get taken over by looters. If Wes was the mayor of Louisville, he would have kicked ass. RIP. Great player. Great man.
He was a Washington Bullets legend - not a Wizard. That was an awesome series in 1978. I was a Celtics fan but loved watching Dennis Johnson play for Seattle. It was great when he joined Boston and added two more titles to the 1979 title he earned with Seattle.
Most importantly. Wes Unseld was a great human being.
Unseld battling Dave Cowens, battling Willis Reed, battling Bob Lanier....
Man, those were good sports days.
RIP. His battles with Willis Reed were classic.
Unseld was a bruiser, brutally tough rebounder.
They were the Baltimore Bullets then.
Yep, the Bullets changing their name was one of the first cases of giving into the PC culture.
IIRC, West Unseld was only about 6’4” give or take. He was always battling taller centers for rebounds. Big ‘fro made him appear taller.
We may have been at the same game. It was my first NBA game. Bob McAdoo was playing for the Braves. The media were having a sit down interview with him on the court after the game. I couldn’t believe I could just walk up and stand right next to the cameraman the whole time. Different times then.
A few years later I was fortunate enough to go to two home games for the NBA championship when they beat the Sonics. Both great teams.
3-point shot killed basketball.
That, and drafting HS’ers and “one-and-done” college players.
No teamwork, a lack of respect for practice (AI) and coaches (Sprewell)...
thanks Wes for all the great memories. as a kid, you and Earl “the Perl” Monroe made me love basketball.
the Pearl Monroe
I met Mr. Unseld when he was coaching the Bullets at Bowie State for training camp. He was a gentlemen, a champion and one of the great big men in the paint from the NBA’s classic era.
Unseld was 6’ 7 1/2”
I remember the times where if anyone took a shot from more than 18 feet from the basket, they had better have a damn good reason to do so, or they found themselves riding the bench.
Today, it's totally different -- now you're almost compelled to take that shot, if not you're riding the bench.
When I was stationed at MCRD San Diego in 1970-71 I went to many NBA games on cheap Special Services tickets. That truly was the golden age of the NBA. Those players were authentic legends of the sport.
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