World was an out-sized personality when the NBA really needed it in the late 70s. He was one of the first players that the media referred to as a “scorer” rather than a “shooter” (at least that I remember). Iceman was a much better all around player, though, and then came Magic and Bird to take the NBA in a different direction...
hh
There were 2 distinct games in the NBA back then: the eastern style had a lot more banging, illegal ‘zone’ defenses, etc. The western game was far more fast-break & free-wheeling. I think Bird & Magic really re-inforced those stereotypes, plus it made the western-variant competitive as far as winning championships went.