Posted on 07/31/2023 2:54:04 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Hakeem the Dream. Clyde Drexler.
What they play now (at least at the Pro level) bears more resemblance to rugby played with a spherical ball than the b-ball of Dr. J.
This is a list of what Irving might want to use and not by position. He put Russell at a forward position when he was a center. He had two shooting guards in Robertson and West. Except for Russell after his first couple of years when he concentrated on rebounding and clearing for the fast break, all were scorers. His second team better be scorers as no one there played defense.
And there were a few names left out even from the retired team. Instead of arguing about who plays forward, Malone or Duncan, I might have selected Bob Pettit. Pettit played in 11 straight All Star Games, was named All Star Game MVP more times than any player in history, and guided the Hawks to the 1958 NBA championship. He averaged over 38 minutes a game, over 16 rebounds third in history, over 26 points, over 3 assists, and according to ESPN, in 11 years did not have a single turnover or was tagged with a technical foul.
And at point guard Tiny is okay but what do you do with John Stockton the NBA career all time assist leader? And Julius was too young to have seen Cousey. There’s a lot more, but that sticks out to me.
wy69
There are no rules in todays game, it has been that way a very long time. The game I grew up playing, is gone. Palming and travelling, would make it a bad decision to allow James to handle the ball so much. What they called wizardry, is just a contravention of the rules. Throw in a jump-stop move, which is 3 steps and a pivot, or the dunk from the arc and I can hear the 3 steps in my mind. It made me turn it off permanently.
Dr J was one great player.
Me too...He was one player who was not a Celtics player who I loved.
I wanted to be Kevin McHale. I knew I couldn’t fly like Dr. J
Do they play Defense in the NBA today? The NBA of today is crap..most players shoot 3 pointers and others miss dunks...
One of my work friends played against Bird in college. He said Bird made an unbelievable shot and then there was a foul and he and Bird were next to each other during the free throw. My friend said something along the lines about what a great shot he made & Bird didn’t say a word. His theory is Bird came out of his shell once he went pro & was one of the best trash talkers as was Michael Jordan.
He also said if you put him, Magic, Jordan and Bird in a room and only one could come out....it would be Bird.
Listen to nba players who played against Bird....they said he brought trash talk to the league...or took it to another level.
Every one of his top ten played every year between 1960 and 1969.
1955-1969, 1959-1973, 1960-1974, 1960-1974 and 1958-1971.
Baseball was still getting many of the best black athletes at that time.
Not Kareem, Magic, Jordan, Malone.
Hakeem Olajuwon was the best defender big man (7ft) that I saw, 200 steals and 200 blocks in a season. He moved like a cat, successfully defending against smaller players while other big men would be left in the dust. He also had phenomenal touch offensively for a big man, using lots of strategy.
FReegards
Bird.
Whoops. I meant top five.
70’s ball was rugby. Nowadays pro bbLl is drive, kick out, 3 point attempt. Take 3 steps to the basket, crisp passing, very little defense. Dr j and magics show times, birds passing and 3 pointers, Jordans athleticism, defense like Chuck Nevitt.
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