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Wayback Machine, Part XI: The 1985 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

The front cover photo of the 1985 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball featured Larry Bird driving from the left wing against the L.A. Lakers. Bob McAdoo guarded Bird while Magic Johnson guarded Quinn Buckner at the top of the key. Kevin McHale cut to the hoop on the left baseline with his defender obscured from view. It looked as if the obscured defender (perhaps Michael Cooper) had been screened by McHale, and that McAdoo had switched from McHale to Bird. The back cover photo showed Bird battling Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for a rebound while Michael Cooper and a partially obscured Magic Johnson watched. Bird's Boston Celtics defeated Johnson's Lakers 4-3 in the 1984 NBA Finals.

The 1985 CHPB contained 335 pages, matching the previous edition. It included 23 team profiles, lists of the 1984 NBA statistical leaders, the complete 1984-85 schedule, a list of all 228 selections in the 1984 NBA Draft, and a "TV/Radio roundup." The 1985 CHPB had four feature stories: Dan Shaughnessy wrote "Bird & McHale: Pride and Power of the Celtics," Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Peter Knobler contributed "Giant Steps" (an excerpt from the forthcoming book of the same name), Joe Gergen described how "Bernard King Captures New York," and Fran Blinebury profiled the player now known as Hakeem Olajuwon in "Akeem Olajuwon: The 7-Foot Nigerian Who Jumped to the Pros." 

Fran Blinebury and Filip Bondy co-wrote the "Inside the NBA" article, predicting that the L.A. Lakers would defeat the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Finals. In the 1984-85 season, the Lakers posted the best record in the Western Conference (62-20) and breezed through the first three rounds of the playoffs with an 11-2 record before beating the Boston Celtics 4-1 in the NBA Finals. The Celtics had the best record in the league (63-19) and they stormed through the Eastern Conference playoffs with an 11-4 record, including a 4-1 victory over the 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals as Julius Erving and Larry Bird faced each other in a playoff series for the fourth and final time. Erving's 76ers defeated Bird's Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals in 1980 and 1982, while Bird's Celtics triumphed in 1981 and 1985.

Here are some interesting notes, quotes and quips from the 1985 CHPB:

1) Shaughnessy asserted that Larry Bird and Kevin McHale are "the pride and power of the Boston Celtics." The omission of any mention of Robert Parish, the third member of Boston's Hall of Fame frontcourt trio, is more than a little odd. During the Celtics' 1983-84 championship season, Parish led the Celtics in regular season rebounding (10.7 rpg) while also ranking second in scoring (19.0 ppg) and blocked shots (1.5 bpg, a fraction behind McHale). Parish led the team with 79 starts, and he earned his fourth straight All-Star selection, a streak that he would extend to seven (he made the All-Star team nine times overall). During the playoffs, Bird was the clear number one scoring option (27.5 ppg, up from 24.2 ppg during the regular season), but Parish ranked third in scoring (14.9 ppg), second in rebounding (10.8 rpg), and first in blocked shots (1.8 bpg). In 1983-84, Parish consistently outperformed McHale in the regular season, the playoffs, and the NBA Finals.

In 1984, McHale made the All-Star team for the first time and he was the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year, but it could not plausibly be said that he was Boston's second best player: Bird was the clear number one, Parish was number two, and at that time it could still be argued whether McHale or Dennis Johnson was number three. 

This is not meant to take anything away from McHale; he eventually emerged as perhaps the best low post scorer in the league, the "man with 1000 moves" (as Dominique Wilkins memorably put it) whose footwork was admired and emulated--and he was also an elite defensive player who could guard small forwards, power forwards, and even centers, a versatile skill set that proved quite valuable for the Celtics, who generally hid Bird defensively on the opposing team's worst frontcourt scorer (for example, when the Celtics played the Atlanta Hawks, McHale checked small forward Dominique Wilkins while Bird was assigned Tree Rollins, a great shotblocker who was non-factor offensively).

The point is that Shaughnessy ignored and devalued Parish (whose name is just mentioned once, parenthetically, in Shaughnessy's article) while heaping praise on McHale. It is also strange that Shaughnessy mentioned that Bird and McHale are both white. How is that relevant to assessing the "pride and power of the Boston Celtics"? 

Reading that article reminded me of the extent to which many media members went out of their way to promote white players during that era. There is no question that Bird is a Pantheon level player, nor is there any question that McHale is worthy of being selected to the NBA's 50 Greatest Players List, but Shaughnessy's hagiography of young, first-time All-Star McHale combined with his complete disregard for Parish--already established as a perennial All-Star--leaves a very strange impression.

2) At a time when the 38 year old LeBron James is on the verge of breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's career regular season scoring record, it is interesting to hearken back to when Abdul-Jabbar was 37 and had just broken Wilt Chamberlain's career regular season scoring record. The introduction to the excerpt from Abdul-Jabbar's autobiography declared that the 1984-85 season "could be his last hurrah." That assessment turned out to be premature, as Abdul-Jabbar capped off that campaign by winning his fourth NBA title and his second NBA Finals MVP. In 1985-86, Abdul-Jabbar earned the last of his 10 All-NBA First Team selections, tying a record held by Bob Cousy, Bob Pettit, Elgin Baylor, and Jerry West (James holds the current record: 13).

Abdul-Jabbar felt that Chamberlain resented him when he was a young player and Chamberlain was one of the league's elder statesmen (though still an elite player). Abdul-Jabbar praised Chamberlain's strength, his tenacity as a rebounder, and his ability to be a prolific scorer, but he also compared Chamberlain unfavorably to Bill Russell in terms of understanding how to help his team win. 

Abdul-Jabbar called Oscar Robertson "the best all-around player in the history of basketball." Abdul-Jabbar marveled at how easy Robertson made the game look.

Abdul-Jabbar resented journeymen players--he mentioned Kent Benson and Dennis Awtrey by name--who hit him with cheap shots because they lacked the necessary talent to compete with him. After Benson hit Abdul-Jabbar with a punch to the midsection that knocked the wind out of him, Abdul-Jabbar decked Benson and suffered a broken hand. Abdul-Jabbar felt that the referees protected white players and did not apply the rules fairly to him, which made him believe that he had no choice but to take matters into his own hands.

Abdul-Jabbar reveled in reaching the top of his profession, but acknowledged that eventually his ability to perform at the highest level would wane even if his competitiveness never wavered. He was not sure what he would do after he retired from the NBA, but he mentioned possibly going to law school. He doubted that he could dominate another field the way that he had dominated basketball, but he was determined to try to be that dominant in another endeavor.

3) Joe Gergen described Bernard King's rise from schoolboy sensation in New York City to college star at the University of Tennessee to the toast of New York, carrying the Knicks to the seventh game of the 1984 Eastern Conference semifinals versus the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics. King averaged 29.1 ppg on .545 field goal shooting in that series, including 43 points in a game four win and 46 points in a game six win. 

Gergen noted that prior to the 1984 playoffs, Knicks players had authored just three 40 point playoff performances: one by Cazzie Russell, one by Willis Reed, and one by Bernard King. Gergen left out Bob McAdoo's 41 point playoff game in 1978, but his point was well taken: prior to King, 40 point playoff performances were rare for the Knicks, one of the NBA's original teams dating back to 1946. In the 1984 playoffs, King scored 40 or more points in six of the Knicks' 12 games, spearheading a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Pistons before nearly toppling the Celtics. King shot .600 or better from the field in five of those six 40 point games, and a "mere" .514 in the other one. King led the NBA in playoff scoring (34.8 ppg) in 1984.

Red Holzman, the Hall of Famer who coached the Knicks' championship teams in 1970 and 1973, called King "the greatest scoring machine I've ever seen."

Reading the articles by Shaughnessy and Gergen, it is interesting to note that in 1983-84 media members selected Larry Bird for the first of his three straight official regular season MVP awards, but Bernard King finished first in the player balloting conducted by the Sporting News.

4) Hakeem Olajuwon entered the NBA in 1983 without the "H" in his first name, and without the polished offensive game that would propel him and the Houston Rockets to NBA titles in 1994 and 1995. Blinebury noted that Olajuwon's basketball journey started in Lagos, Nigeria in 1979 when the 16 year old Olajuwon had never played basketball and could not even dunk a basketball. Olajuwon was a soccer goalie until Richard Mills--an American who coached the Nigerian national basketball team--spotted Olajuwon on a soccer field and encouraged him to play basketball. The rest is history: Olajuwon played three seasons at the University of Houston (1982-84), increasing his scoring average from 8.3 ppg as a freshman to 16.8 ppg as a junior who earned First Team All-America honors while leading the Cougars to the NCAA Championship Game, where they fell short against Patrick Ewing's Georgetown Hoyas. Olajuwon got his revenge 10 years later, defeating Ewing's Knicks in the 1994 NBA Finals.

The Rockets paired Olajuwon with 1984 NBA Rookie of the Year Ralph Sampson to form a "Twin Towers" frontcourt that was expected to dominate the NBA for the next decade. Olajuwon and Sampson led the Rockets to the 1986 NBA Finals, losing to the Celtics in six games, but then injuries derailed Sampson's career. Olajuwon teamed with power forward Otis Thorpe and a great supporting cast (including Robert Horry, Kenny Smith, Sam Cassell, and Mario Elie) to lead Houston to the 1994 NBA championship, and then he led the Rockets to a second consecutive title after a midseason trade that shipped out Thorpe but reunited Olajuwon with college teammate Clyde Drexler.

5) Larry Bird's profile gushed: "MVP for season, MVP for playoffs, MVP for universe...His skills and sheer will lifted Celtics to title...Nothing he can't do...Incredible vision of the court...Killed the Lakers with his outside shot in Game 5 of finals, but relied on tireless work off the offensive boards during other games."

6) Danny Ainge's profile is less than complimentary: "Finally meeting lowered expectations...Have to wonder about scouts who once projected him as a top three pick...Was actually drafted 31st in 1981, because he was under contract to the Toronto Blue Jays...It appears he was as good an infielder as he is a guard--and he wasn't much of an infielder."

7) The Chicago Bulls' team profile praised incoming rookie Michael Jordan while also urging patience: "Now that they have the next Julius Erving in Michael Jordan, the Bulls need the next Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. This strikingly young and talented team can score from everywhere except the pivot--which will prove the Bulls' undoing again."

8) Here is Jordan's entire profile in his first CHPB appearance: "Odds-on favorite to be Rookie of the Year...Only sure thing among entire rookie crop...Can do it all, brilliantly and gracefully...A great shooter who hit 55.1 percent of his field goal attempts in senior year at North Carolina...With his quickness and instincts, he should have no problems swinging back and forth between guard and forward...Bulls will find spot for him in starting lineup...Born Feb. 17, 1963...Raised in Wilmington, N.C....Will hit the three-point shot." In hindsight, several things stand out:

1. The 1984 draft featured Olajuwon (first overall pick), Jordan (third overall pick), Charles Barkley (fifth overall pick), and John Stockton (16th overall pick), each of whom was later selected as one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players, so it is interesting that at least one author considered only Jordan to be a "sure thing" prior to the 1984-85 season. In addition to those all-time greats, several players from the 1984 NBA Draft had long, excellent careers, including Sam Perkins, Alvin Robertson, Otis Thorpe, Kevin Willis, Michael Cage, and Jerome Kersey.

2. "Bulls will find spot for him in starting lineup" may be the biggest understatement of all-time!

3. Perhaps the optimism about Jordan's three point shooting stemmed from Jordan shooting .447 from three point range in his sophomore season when the ACC experimented with using the three point shot (the NCAA did not start using the three point shot nationwide until 1986-87). Of course, the ACC's three point shot was closer than the NBA's three point shot (17 feet 9 inches inches compared to 23 feet 9 inches), and the ACC defenders were not as good as NBA defenders. Jordan posted a career three point shooting percentage of .327 in the NBA.

9) Isiah Thomas may be one of the most underrated great players of all-time, but during his career he was appreciated: "None better, maybe ever...Point guard supreme...Played more than 3000 minutes (3007) for second straight year...Pistons looked to him in every clutch situation and he usually delivered."

10) Before Mike Dunleavy became a long-time NBA head coach who led the Lakers to the 1991 NBA Finals and who won the Coach of the Year award in 1999, he was a 6-3 sharpshooter who carved out a solid journeyman career while playing for two teams that reached the NBA Finals (1977 76ers, 1981 Rockets). His career seemed to be over by 1983, but the CHPB summarized his improbable 1983-84 season with Milwaukee: "What a year...An unwanted free agent in October...A Wall Street broker in January...A Milwaukee Buck in March...A starter by April...Had given up hope of resuming basketball career when he got call March 8...Don Nelson started him ahead of Paul Pressey because he was more dependable and offered the perimeter threat...Maybe the best three-point shooter in the league...Hit 19-of-45 bombs (42.2 percent) last season."

Dunleavy led the NBA in three point field goal percentage in 1982-83 (67-194, .345). In 1983-84, only six NBA players made at least 25 three point field goals, the minimum number required to qualify for the three point field goal percentage title. Darrell Griffith took top honors (91-252, .361), but if Dunleavy had canned just six more while maintaining his percentage he would have taken the crown. Dunleavy played 19 games in 1984-85, retired for three seasons, and then made cameo appearances in 1988-89 and 1989-90 before quitting for good. 

11) The 76ers' scouting report declared, "Barring last-minute trades or injuries, the 76ers bring the most potent team in the history of pro basketball into the 1984-85 season. There is nothing this team can't do with the ball and do better than any other contender. The Sixers can run and the addition of Barkley will greatly improve their attack in the halfcourt set."

While the 76ers looked potent on paper and ended up having a strong season (58-24 regular season record before losing 4-1 to Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals), it is difficult to understand how anyone could have considered this squad to potentially be the greatest offensive team ever. Charles Barkley was destined to become an all-time great, but in 1984-85 he was a raw and out of shape rookie who averaged 14.0 ppg. Julius Erving was a Pantheon level player who should be in the greatest player of all-time conversation but in 1984-85 he was a 35 year old who was still very good but no longer consistently great in an era when few players even played past the age of 33. That being said, in 1983-84 Erving ranked 12th in scoring (22.4 ppg), 10th in steals (1.8 spg), and eighth in blocked shots (1.8 bpg)--an impressive trifecta for any player, let alone a 34 year old veteran of 13 pro seasons.

Future Hall of Famer Bobby Jones was also past his prime at 33.

Perhaps Andrew Toney could have picked up some of that slack, but in the spring of 1985 he began suffering the foot injuries that ultimately ended what could have been a Hall of Fame career. Toney made the All-Star team in 1983 and 1984, but he played just 157 regular season games after the 1983-84 season.

The 76ers had some great moments during the 1984-85 season, but the combination of two stars aging, one star being hurt, and a future star being not quite ready for prime time left the 76ers short of being able to match the younger Celtics and Lakers.

12) Erving was an excellent passer, a facet of his game that is not mentioned often enough now but was acknowledged during his career: "In the forecourt, Erving remains an excellent playmaker. He averaged 4.0 assists per game last season and his intuitions are seldom wrong."

13) While the 76ers had a potent offense, their defense was often underrated. The CHPB profile noted that the 76ers led the NBA in blocked shots while ranking fifth in points allowed. Erving, termed a "tremendous" shot blocker, led the team with 1.8 bpg. How great was Erving as a shot blocker? LeBron James, often praised for his defense and his chase down blocks--something that Erving did more often than James--has never averaged more than 1.1 bpg during a season, which would be a career-low for Erving, who played until he was 37.

14) Erving's profile began with a question--"Can he do it one more time?"--and noted "Had another outstanding season, but didn't pick up his game in the playoffs...Nagging injuries may sap his resolve for second NBA ring...Still can soar when healthy, but is mortal when he is hurt or has played too many minutes." It is important to emphasize that during that era few players played past age 33 and no one--other than Abdul-Jabbar and Erving--was playing at an All-Star level past that age in the early to mid 1980s. Players who are accomplishing that now are the beneficiaries of improvements in medical technology and training techniques. 

15) The CHPB included Erving's ABA statistics and thus listed Erving with 26,120 career points (25.3 ppg average), 9477 rebounds, 4504 assists, a .509 career field goal percentage and a .776 career free throw percentage.

16) Here is Barkley's entire profile in his first CHPB appearance: "Rich get richer...Can shoot, rebound, and has great quickness for his size...'Boy Gorge' must keep weight down to reasonable level...Long NBA season has a way of doing that...Sixers hope he'll be the answer at power forward, despite fact he'll give up several inches to opponents...That was never a problem at Auburn, but it might be different in pros...Came out early after junior year...Didn't get big money because he was drafted by Sixers, who couldn't offer much because of salary-cap problems...Born Feb. 20, 1963...Grew up in Leeds, Ala."

17) Alex English thrived in the 1980s, and he would be even greater in today's game with the emphasis on freedom of movement. His profile summarized his scoring prowess: "Poetry in motion...It's a thing of beauty to watch him shoot his unorthodox jumper from the baseline...Hardly looks like he is breaking a sweat...Just seems to pop open at different spots on the floor...Makes his defender pay by scoring right in his face."

18) Johnny Bach was a hoops lifer who may be best known to most fans as an assistant coach for the Chicago Bulls' first three championship teams, but in 1983-84 he was the oldest rookie head coach in NBA history, guiding a patchwork Golden State team to a 37-45 record after the team went 30-52 the previous year. The Warriors were not a stable or well-run organization at that time--they missed the playoffs each year from 1978-86--so their lack of success was something beyond Bach's control to correct.

19) Here is Olajuwon's entire profile in his first CHPB appearance: "'Akeem the Dream'...Has been playing the game for only five years, but was the No. 1 overall pick in draft...Already being compared to Bill Russell as a defensive force...Runs the floor as well as anyone in the game today...Will team with Ralph Sampson...Born Jan. 23, 1963, in Lagos, Nigeria...An All-American as a junior, he went to the NCAA Final Four three times with University of Houston...Awesome shot-blocker and strong inside force...Averaged 16.9 ppg and 13.7 rpg, then decided to leave school early."

Olajuwon scored 620 points in 37 games (16.76 ppg) in his final college season, so he did not average 16.9 ppg but 16.8 ppg after rounding.

20) Abdul-Jabbar's profile declared: "The most potent offensive force in the game today, even at his age." In 1983-84, Abdul-Jabbar averaged 21.5 ppg while shooting .578 from the field. He was the leading scorer for the fourth highest scoring team in the league, a squad that had six double figure scorers plus two other players who each averaged at least 9 ppg. Had it been desirable or necessary, Abdul-Jabbar could have scored more, so even though he did not rank among the top 10 scorers that season it was not farfetched to term him "the most potent offensive force." 

21) Magic Johnson's profile noted his value while also mentioning his disappointing performance (by his high standards) in the 1984 NBA Finals: "Changed the entire concept of the point guard position and is unquestionably the finest passer in the game today...Unfortunately, he made several critical blunders against Boston in the finals that probably cost the Lakers their third NBA championship in five years...Had another fine regular season...Can beat you by passing (13.0 assists per game), scoring (17.6 ppg) or rebounding (7.3 rpg)."

Wayback Machine, Part I looked at the 1975 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part II looked at the 1976 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part III looked at the 1977 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part IV looked at the 1978 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part V looked at the 1979 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part VI looked at the 1980 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part VII looked at the 1981 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part VIII looked at the 1982 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball
 
Wayback Machine, Part IX looked at the 1983 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part X looked at the 1984 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball 

Labels: Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball, Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Zander Hollander

posted by David Friedman @ 10:28 PM

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Wayback Machine, Part X: The 1984 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

The front cover photo of the 1984 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball featured Moses Malone shooting a left handed jump hook at close range over Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, while the back cover photo depicted Julius Erving soaring above Louis Orr. It was fitting that the two Philadelphia stars received that recognition, because they had dominated the league the season before, leading the 76ers to a 65-17 regular season mark and a magnificent, record-setting 12-1 playoff run capped off by a 4-0 sweep of the defending champion L.A. Lakers. Erving had won the 1981 regular season MVP, while Malone captured the 1982 and 1983 regular season MVPs in addition to winning the 1983 Finals MVP.

The 1984 CHPB contained 335 pages, 15 fewer than the previous edition. It included 23 team profiles, lists of the 1983 NBA statistical leaders, the complete 1983-84 schedule, a list of all 226 selections in the 1983 NBA Draft and a "TV/Radio roundup." The 1984 CHPB had four feature stories: Stan Hochman wrote "Wholly Moses! The Indestructible Sixer," Bob Ryan contributed "The All-Bizarre All-Star Teams," Peter Alfano heralded "The Dawning of the Age of Sampson" and Frank Brady profiled Marty Blake in "Superscout: The Marty Blake Report."

Steve Hershey and Fran Blinebury co-wrote the "Inside the NBA" article, predicting that the Philadelphia 76ers would defeat the Lakers in the NBA Finals to become the first repeat NBA champions since Bill Russell's Boston Celtics in 1969. The Lakers posted the best record in the Western Conference (54-28) and cruised to the NBA Finals by going 7-1 in their first two playoff series before losing to the Boston Celtics in seven games. The 76ers mounted a disappointing title defense, finishing the regular season 52-30 (second best record in the Eastern Conference but 10 games behind the Celtics) before being stunned in the first round by the New Jersey Nets.

Here are some interesting notes, quotes and quips from the 1984 CHPB:

1) Hochman's article chronicled the improbable rise of Moses Malone from high school phenom in Petersburg, Virginia to NBA champion, NBA Finals MVP and three-time NBA regular season MVP. Malone was never a flashy player but he was brutally and relentlessly effective. As Erving put it, "We have the world championship because after six years of knocking on the door, even though we felt good in our hearts, in our minds, in our souls, we went out and got, for cold cash, a hard hat." Prior to the 1982-83 season, the 76ers signed Malone to a then record-setting six year, $13.2 million deal, and they shipped former ABA All-Star Caldwell Jones plus a first round draft pick to Malone's former team, the Houston Rockets (per the NBA's limited free agency rules at that time, which stipulated that a player's team owned a "right of first refusal" but could waive that right in return for compensation).

As if often the case when two superstars join forces, some wondered if Malone could co-exist with the iconic Erving--but Malone never had any doubts: "It's Doc's show and I just want to watch the show," Malone said not long after arriving in Philadelphia. In the ABA, Doc was always a great show. Now I've got a chance to play with Doc and I think it's gonna be a better show." In that first season, Malone helped lift the 76ers from 20th in the league in rebounding to first as the 76ers raced to a 50-7 start, the best such run in the history of the league. Such dominance makes one wonder how many titles Erving might have won had he been paired with one of the 50 Greatest Players of All-Time while he was in his prime, the way that Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan were as they won multiple NBA titles.

2) Bob Ryan noted that no one could argue about the five players selected to the 1983 All-NBA First Team--Moses Malone, Larry Bird, Julius Erving, Magic Johnson, Sidney Moncrief--and commented, "But there's more to the NBA than excellence. There is, for example, baffling inconsistency, greed, stupidity, selfishness and any number of anti-social behavioral patterns. There is also valor, determination, aggressiveness, and self-sacrifice." Ryan then selected his version of "The All-Bizarre All-Stars," 13 teams consisting of five players each.

I disagree with several of Ryan' choices; you can judge for yourself after looking at a couple of the teams he put together: "All Slama-Jama" (F Dominique Wilkins, F Edgar Jones, C Tree Rollins, G Darrell Griffith, G Sidney Moncrief); "All-ICBM" (F Larry Bird, F Eugene Short, C Dan Issel, G Fred Brown, G Brian Winters, Swingman Junior Bridgeman). Ryan realized that not putting Erving on the team of best slam dunkers would look odd but Ryan's explanation is hardly persuasive: "All I can say is Dominique had to be on this team, and that if you have never seen Edgar's act, hush your mouth." During the 1982-83 season, Erving authored his famous "rock the cradle" dunk over Michael Cooper, one of the greatest dunks of all-time. At age 33, Erving was still a phenomenal dunker; keep in mind that in the season after Ryan wrote those words Erving finished second in the NBA's inaugural All-Star Weekend Slam Dunk Contest (after winning the ABA Slam Dunk Contest in 1976), while in 1983 Wilkins had just completed his rookie season and Jones was a third year journeyman who had already played for three different NBA teams. No, Erving had to be on the team and he probably should have been joined by Larry Nance, an emerging young talent who beat Erving in the 1984 Slam Dunk Contest.

Regarding Ryan's team of sharpshooters, he wrote, "Distance, and distance alone, counts. When these guys approach the three point arc, an alarm buzzer should sound on the opposing team's bench." This was a much different era than the current one; in the early 1980s, no NBA player shot the three pointer with great regularity and few players connected at what would now be considered a decent percentage. Only four NBA players made at least 25 three pointers during the entire 1982-83 season and Mike Dunleavy led the league in three point field goal percentage at .345 after hitting 67 of his 194 attempts. Still, it is more than a bit of a stretch (no pun intended) to put Issel and Bridgeman on a list where "distance, and distance alone, counts." There is no doubt that Issel and Bridgeman were deadly midrange shooters but Issel shot 4-19 from three point range during the 1982-83 season and Bridgeman shot 1-13 from beyond the arc that season. The only alarm buzzers sounding when those guys took three pointers were on the benches of their own teams. Issel shot 29-142 (.204) from three point range during his ABA/NBA career and, surprisingly, he shot even worse during his free-wheeling ABA days (10-67, .149) than he did during his NBA career. Bridgeman finished his NBA career as a .244 three point shooter (40-164). As for Eugene Short, he played one NBA season prior to the league adopting the three point shot. Maybe Ryan meant Eugene's brother Purvis? Purvis was a big-time scorer for a few years in the 1980s but he shot just 4-15 on three pointers in 1982-83 and he finished his career as a .282 three point shooter (125-443).

I have a lot of respect for Ryan--there is a Ryan section in my extensive basketball library--and he is usually a perceptive commentator (albeit one with a Boston Celtics bias at times), so perhaps someone ghost-wrote this piece for him, because the choices and explanations are, to borrow a word, bizarre.

3) It is easy to forget just how big of a star--literally and figuratively--the 7-4 Ralph Sampson was in the early 1980s. As Alfano put it, "Now, like Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and, to a lesser extent, Bill Walton, Sampson is expected to usher in an era of his very own--'The Age of Sampson.'" Sampson had an exceptional collegiate career at Virginia, though some critics faulted Sampson for not winning a national title. He earned the 1984 NBA Rookie of the Year award after averaging 21.0 ppg, 11.1 rpg (fifth in the NBA) and 2.4 bpg (third in the NBA) while helping the Houston Rockets improve from 14 wins to 29 wins. In 1986--after the addition of Hakeem Olajuwon--the Rockets made it to the NBA Finals before falling to the Celtics in six games. Injuries limited Sampson's production during the rest of his career, but he still was inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.

4) Marty Blake was officially the NBA's Director of Scouting but everyone called him Superscout. As Frank Brady noted, anyone can identify the few elite players but it takes real skill to know "the difference between good players--of whom there are many--and very good players--of whom there are never enough." Blake provided each of the 23 NBA teams with detailed scouting reports regarding college basketball players. "Marty Blake is the guru of pro basketball," declared 76ers' owner Harold Katz.

Blake started his NBA career with the Hawks in 1954 and he spent 17 years with the franchise in three cities (Milwaukee, St. Louis, Atlanta). He began to be recognized as Superscout in the early 1960s, when he found future Hall of Famer Zelmo Beaty at Prairie View. Blake worked briefly for the ABA's Pittsburgh Condors before founding his independent scouting service. For a few years, he worked for individual teams but after the 1976 ABA-NBA merger he was hired by the league office. The 76ers' 1983 championship team featured a couple of second round draft picks recommended by Blake: future Hall of Famer Maurice Cheeks and key reserve Clint Richardson.

Blake has a quick wit and Brady mentioned some of Blake's quips but a couple of my favorites come from Alexander Woolf's March 14, 2005 Sports Illustrated profile of Blake: "Best newspaper lede I ever read was in a music review: 'The St. Louis Symphony played Beethoven last night, and Beethoven lost.'" and "It's hard to tell a coach with a two-year contract that some guy's three years away."

5) Dominique Wilkins' player profile stated, "Can do it all, but often lets his man do it all, too...Prematurely called the next Dr. J, but he does have potential to be one of the league's elite showmen."

6) Larry Bird's profile included high praise: "How do you improve a Picasso?...May be one of the best all-around players ever...Incredibly, he somehow improved again in almost every statistical category."

7) Kevin McHale is described as "Most publicized sub since the nuclear-powered Triton went around the world without surfacing...As free agent, he surfaced last summer with a $4 million, four year contract, reportedly making him the fourth highest paid player in the NBA."

8) M.L. Carr's profile is harsh: "Let's put his Carr up on blocks...The only part that still runs well is between the lips...Used to be an aggressive defender, but probably caught cold in the draft created by guards rushing past him last year."

9) Boston traded Darren Tillis to Cleveland and Tillis' CHPB profile opined, "Could Red Auerbach be wrong?...Sure, but not in this deal...A first-round draft choice of the Celtics, this non-shooting, non-rebounding near 7-footer has all the makings of the next Eric Fernsten...Was told he didn't have to score, so he didn't...Is lifting weights, but not big ones."

10) Sidney Moncrief may not be a name player to members of the younger generation but he was at his peak during the early to mid-1980s. His CHPB profile stated, "Worked his way to the top...No doubters now...Generally acknowledged to be one of the game's best all-around players...He can sky...Could score more if he wasn't so unselfish."

11) The 76ers' scouting report noted the team's offensive prowess--four starters plus Sixth Man of the Year Bobby Jones shot at least .500 from the field as the team scored 112.1 ppg--and added, "Finally, after capturing that elusive championship, the 76ers are getting credit for playing magnificent defense...When you're talking defense, nobody does it better than the 76ers."

12) Julius Erving's profile began, "On top, where he belongs...A champion, at last." Of course, it must be mentioned that Erving won two championships and two Finals MVPs in the ABA prior to winning the 1983 NBA title. The profile continued, "A truly genuine sports hero...The fans' favorite throughout the league...In storybook fashion, he took over in the closing minutes of the final game, scoring seven straight points to assure the 76ers of a 4-0 sweep of Los Angeles." Erving's best game of the season came on December 11 versus Detroit, when he posted 44 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and a career-high eight blocked shots. The CHPB included Erving's ABA statistics and thus listed Erving with 24,393 career points (25.6 ppg average), 8945 rebounds, 4195 assists, a .509 career field goal percentage and a .778 career free throw percentage.

13) Andrew Toney's profile declared, "Has arrived...Status secured...An All-Star now...All it took was full time duty...One of the best at getting a shot on his own late in the game...Wants to take the last shot...Played best against the best...Had career-high 46 points vs. Lakers and set club record with 25 points in one quarter against Boston...Very difficult to defend--Boston has no one who can--because he has no favorite spot and unlimited range."

14) Moses Malone is described as "'Octobull'--a cross between an octopus and a bull...Simply wears out defenders, then dominates them in fourth quarter...The most dominating player since Wilt Chamberlain."

15) Maurice Cheeks, who just became the third Hall of Fame player from that squad, was a young star on the rise: "Stock is soaring...Played in first of what should be many All-Star Games...Named to All-Defensive Team...Starts a lot of breakaways with steals...None better in the East at taking the ball the length of the court...Has averaged more points in playoffs than during regular season every year."

16) Hall of Fame player Billy Cunningham is an underrated coach. As the CHPB noted, at that point he owned the highest regular season winning percentage (.707) of any of the league's 10 winningest coaches. Cunningham also ranked first in career playoff winning percentage (.653) and he reached the 300 win plateau faster than anyone else. Cunnigham is currently second in career regular season winning percentage (.698) behind Phil Jackson (.704); Steve Kerr's career regular season winning percentage is .808 but he has only coached 328 regular season games and one must coach 400 regular season games to qualify for the career winning percentage leaderboard. Cunningham now ranks sixth in career playoff winning percentage (.629; minimum 25 playoff games coached)

17) Kobe Bryant's father, Joe "Jellybean" Bryant, played for the Rockets. The CHPB summarized the elder Bryant's game simply: "If he stays within limits, he can contribute in a reserve role...Rarely stays within limits."

18) Eddie Johnson is now a fixture on Sirius XM NBA Radio but in 1983 he was a third year forward for the Kansas City Kings. His scoring average jumped from 9.3 ppg as a rookie to 19.8 ppg in his second year and the 6-7 small forward led the team in rebounding as well (though that also said something about the quality of the team's big men). The CHPB saw a bright future for Johnson: "Everything you would want in a young player...Enthusiastic...Coachable...Dives for balls the way a street mutt would jump on a piece of filet mignon...Attended Illinois, where he set career records for scoring, rebounding and field goal percentage."

18) Wilt Chamberlain once lamented "Nobody loves Goliath," and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar could certainly relate to that sentiment. The CHPB stated, "Any time the Lakers don't win the whole enchilada, the big fella can expect to hear plenty of criticism...Has been the giant redwood everyone has loved to cut down since his days at Power Memorial High and UCLA." The CHPB asserted, "Definitely near the end of a long and glorious career." Who could have imagined at that time that Abdul-Jabbar would play until 1989, winning three more titles plus the 1985 NBA Finals MVP?

19) Magic Johnson did not win a regular season MVP award until 1987, by which time he had already captured four championships (1980, 82, 85, 87) and three NBA Finals MVPs (1980, 82, 87). The CHPB fully recognized his greatness, though: "Has revolutionized the guard position...Arguably the finest player in the game today...Can pick you apart with his pinpoint passes, sink you by scoring or rip you apart by rebounding...The most complete player since Oscar Robertson...San Antonio coach Morris McHone says: 'He can do whatever he wants on the court, he's so good. He could lead the league in scoring or rebounding or assists.'"

20) The soft-spoken Jamaal Wilkes was overshadowed by Abdul-Jabbar and Johnson but Wilkes was a vital contributor to the Lakers' success: "Baryshnikov of basketball...Everything about him is smooth as silk, hence the nickname...Can cut your heart out with that long slingshot jumper that starts out behind his right ear...Probably the best in the game today at finishing off the fast break...Has shot better than 50 percent from the field for five straight seasons."

Wayback Machine, Part I looked at the 1975 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part II looked at the 1976 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part III looked at the 1977 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part IV looked at the 1978 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part V looked at the 1979 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part VI looked at the 1980 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part VII looked at the 1981 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part VIII looked at the 1982 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball
 
Wayback Machine, Part IX looked at the 1983 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Labels: Bob Ryan, Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball, Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Moses Malone, Sidney Moncrief, Zander Hollander

posted by David Friedman @ 7:39 AM

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Wayback Machine, Part IX: The 1983 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

The front cover photo of the 1983 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball showcased new school versus old school: the Lakers' Magic Johnson dribbled the ball in the open court with the 76ers' Julius Erving in hot pursuit. Fourth year pro Johnson had already won two NBA titles and two NBA Finals MVPs, while 12 year veteran Erving owned four regular season MVPs (three in the ABA, one in the NBA), two ABA championships and two ABA Finals MVPs. The two superstars had just squared off in the 1982 Finals, with Johnson's squad prevailing four games to two.

The 1983 CHPB contained 350 pages, making it the largest edition of the series yet. It included 23 team profiles, lists of the 1982 NBA statistical leaders, the complete 1982-83 schedule, a list of all 225 players selected in the 1982 NBA Draft and a "TV/Radio roundup." The 1983 CHPB had five feature stories: Pete Alfano contributed "What Next for Dr. J?" and "Dave DeBusschere's Rescue Mission," Bill Libby described "The Magical Mystery Tour," Willie Schatz wrote "TV's Dick Stockton: A View From Courtside" and Bob Ryan added "Robert Parish Pivots to Celtic Glory."

Steve Hershey and George White co-wrote the "Inside the NBA" article, predicting that the Milwaukee Bucks would beat the L.A. Lakers in the 1983 NBA Finals. The Bucks posted the third best record in the Eastern Conference and swept the second seeded Boston Celtics before falling 4-1 to the 76ers in the Eastern Conference Finals. No other team won a game against the 76ers in the 1983 playoffs and the 76ers owned the record for best single season playoff winning percentage (12-1, .923) until the 2001 Lakers went 15-1 (.938) in an expanded postseason format. The 1983 Lakers' quest for a repeat ended when the 76ers swept them 4-0.

In addition to their prognostications, Hershey and White also editorialized about the overall state of the NBA: "As long as the owners cling to the antiquated policy of no revenue sharing, the financially-strapped teams have no hope. A year ago, 17 of the 23 teams lost money and, with a disappointing contract and escalating salaries--the average now is $214,500--there is no reason for optimism in the future."

Here are some interesting notes, quotes and quips from the 1983 CHPB:

1) Alfano, a New York Times' writer, had covered Erving since the Doctor arrived in New York for the 1973-74 season, so he had a front row seat as Erving led the New York Nets to a pair of ABA championships. "What Next for Dr. J?" examined the entire arc of Erving's career, focusing on his quest to win an NBA championship. The NBA title eluded Erving during the first six seasons of his Philadelphia 76ers career and after the 76ers lost to the Lakers in the 1982 Finals it seemed fair to wonder if Erving would ever complete the one blank space on his professional resume--and if he would do so as a top level performer, as opposed to being along for the ride. Erving's frustration was palpable right after the 1982 Finals ended: "Never has the walk [back to the locker room] been tougher to take. I've never been more hurt than right now. If you don't win, you're always second-best, bridesmaids, but there is nothing embarrassing about this. I'm just discouraged and hurt."

Still, Erving maintained an upbeat attitude: "There will always be tomorrow. My only regret would have been if I were quitting, and I'm not. I'm just going to keep banging and playing this game I love so much. I'll be back next year and running around like a rookie. Let's face it, I've been through a lot in my career and most of it was good. This should be the worst thing that happens in my life."

Erving concluded, "I feel there is a plan for us. You have a will of your own and you are given choices. Your destiny is affected by your will. People don't understand that destiny is broad. Many times I have to battle my will. Certain times I have great strength, other times great weaknesses."

Prior to the 1982-83 season, the 76ers acquired Moses Malone to match up with the Lakers' Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the Boston Celtics' Robert Parish and the other All-Star/All-NBA/future Hall of Fame centers who had repeatedly thwarted Philadelphia's championship dreams in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Malone and Erving proved to be a well-matched duo, complemented by All-Stars Maurice Cheeks, Andrew Toney and Bobby Jones. In the 1982-83 season, Erving was no longer the best player in the NBA--or even on his own team--but he made the All-NBA First Team and he finished fifth in MVP voting, so he was still an elite performer who played a crucial role for arguably the greatest single season squad in pro basketball history.

2) Alfano's DeBusschere profile described the Hall of Fame forward's smooth transition from being a great player to being a general manager--for Erving's ABA champion Nets in 1973-74--to being the ABA Commissioner. DeBusschere's newest challenge was serving as executive vice president/director of basketball operations for his old team, the New York Knicks, and trying to revive their slumping fortunes. DeBusschere enjoyed a remarkably diverse and successful athletic career. At just 24, he became the youngest coach in NBA history, serving as player/coach for the Detroit Pistons. He also played Major League Baseball, posting a 3.09 ERA in spot duty for the Chicago White Sox during the 1963 season. DeBusschere made the All-Star team three times as a Piston but he became a two-time champion--and a legend--after being traded to the Knicks. He was the final piece in their championship puzzle, providing rugged defense, dependable rebounding and solid scoring. DeBusschere had some classic confrontations with fellow Hall of Famer Gus Johnson.

DeBusschere built some solid Knick teams and he drafted Patrick Ewing but DeBusschere was not able to restore the franchise's former glory. He died of a heart attack in 2003.

3) Bill Libby called Magic Johnson "arguably the best player in pro basketball," noting that Johnson won the 1980 Finals MVP after scoring 42 points on 23 field goal attempts in the clinching contest and then he earned the 1982 Finals MVP after scoring 13 points on just three field goal attempts. Johnson did whatever it took for his team to win, proving to be a triple threat as a scorer, rebounder and passer. The media members who voted for the Rookie of the Year and MVP awards favored Larry Bird over Johnson until the late 1980s but Libby's comment was right on target: while Malone was the league's most dominant force in the early 1980s, Johnson was the league's best all-around player (a similar distinction could have been made several years ago between Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant or in recent years between a healthy Dwight Howard and LeBron James).

Johnson became embroiled in controversy when his publicly critical comments about Coach Paul Westhead seemed to directly result in Westhead's 1981 dismissal but Johnson established himself as the player of the decade by leading the Lakers to five championships, including the league's first back to back titles (1987-88) since the curtain closed on the Bill Russell era in 1969. 

4) Dick Stockton is a class act on and off of the air. For many years he was the leading national NBA play by play announcer, developing great chemistry with several different analysts, including Bill Russell, Tommy Heinsohn and Hubie Brown.

When I approached Stockton face to face--without prior notice--at a Cleveland Cavaliers game and asked him if he could take a few moments to answer some questions for my upcoming Andrew Toney article, he could have politely--or impolitely--declined: he was a big-time national TV star who had no idea who I was. Instead, Stockton warmly agreed to my request and he enthusiastically answered my questions. I bumped into him on a few subsequent occasions at other games and he always gave me a friendly greeting. I can assure you that this is not typical behavior in this business.

Schatz' feature described how Stockton became captivated by sports journalism after attending the 1953 NBA Finals as a kid and watching Leonard Koppett file his game report from press row. Stockton graduated from Syracuse and steadily worked his way up the broadcasting totem pole until he earned the plum assignment as CBS' lead play by play announcer on NBA games. In the article, the then-39 year old Stockton said, "The test is longevity"; he is still working NBA and NFL games three decades later--and he has been honored by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame--so Stockton has passed that test with flying colors.

5) Casual fans may think of Robert Parish as the Boston Big Three's version of Ringo Starr but The Chief finished fourth in MVP voting in 1982 and his performance that season convinced many people that he was the best all-around center--if not the best player, period--in the NBA. Ryan's article quoted Philadelphia Coach Billy Cunningham stating that Parish deserved to win the MVP, while New York forward Maurice Lucas said, "There wasn't a better center in the league this year." Ryan cited Parish's impressive statistics (including a career-high 19.9 ppg, 10.8 rpg and 2.4 bpg) but hastened to add that Parish's impact could not  be quantified purely by using numbers; Ryan noted that Parish's shooting range distorted opposing defenses and Parish's ability to run the floor gave the Celtics more options on the fast break. It is important to remember that for most of NBA history--until the emergence of the back to back champion Pistons in the late 1980s, followed by the dominance of the Jordan-Pippen Bulls in the 1990s--it was very rare for a team to win an NBA title without having an All-Star caliber center; such a center might very well be the most valuable player on his team--or even in the entire league--even if there was a forward or a guard who was a more versatile all-around performer. Oscar Robertson and Jerry West are two of the greatest all-around players in pro basketball history but each player won his lone NBA title only after teaming up with a Hall of Fame center. Larry Bird likely would not have won a single championship without the production Parish provided at both ends of the court.

6) Bird shot just .427 from the field in the 1982 playoffs, including .412 in Boston's seven game loss to Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference Finals. His CHPB profile included some criticism of his postseason play: "Do we see a chink in the armor?...Perhaps the best all-around player in the league, but he had a problem in the playoffs...Made only 41 percent of his shots (54-131) in Eastern Conference Finals...Took only five shots in the second half of Game Seven, when team desperately needed points...Kept saying that his team didn't need him to score, that he could contribute in other ways..."

7) Parish's profile began with this bold declaration: "The Celtics' Most Valuable Player." The author explained, "Took over leadership when Larry Bird and Tiny Archibald were hurt and triggered 18-game winning streak."

8) The CHPB combined perceptive analysis with sharp one-liners; M.L. Carr's profile deftly deconstructed how he had become more of a towel-waver than a contributor: "Words speak louder than action...This part of the Carr never stops running...Self-appointed locker room spokesman...Displays a great defensive stance, then lets most guards in the league drive around him."

9) Former All-Star Larry Kenon had not yet celebrated his 30th birthday but he was already on the downside of his career (he would play his final NBA game in 1983): "Envious of Dr. J, he started calling himself Dr. K, then settled for Mr. K during his 20-ppg days in San Antonio. Now it's plain old K, as in struck out."

10) Mark Aguirre's profile included high praise from Erving: "He makes his teammates better, and that's usually the sign of a great player." Aguirre averaged 18.7 ppg as a rookie but a broken foot limited him to 51 games. He was often mocked for his round physique but he actually had one of the lowest body fat percentages (9.7) on Dallas' team.

11) Kelly Tripucka, son of star Notre Dame quarterback Frank Tripucka, had a great rookie season, averaging 21.6 ppg, earning an All-Star selection and finishing tied for 11th (with Dan Roundfield) in MVP voting: "Julius Erving and Larry Bird were the only forwards in the East to outscore him...Led all rookies in scoring...Was fourth in the league in minutes played...Highest scoring rookie since Bernard King (24.2 ppg) in 1977-78."

12) Tripucka's Detroit teammate Isiah Thomas became just the fourth rookie to start in the All-Star Game: "An instant leader who helped this team increase victory total from 21 to 39...Has that rare quality of making his teammates better players." Although I am not a big fan of the shorthand phrase "making his teammates better," I agree with the CHPB's assessment that both Thomas and Aguirre--who later teamed up to win back to back titles (1989-90) with the Detroit Pistons--made their respective teams significantly better.

13) Before he went to New York and solidified his status as a future Hall of Famer, Bernard King's career and life were on the brink: "Came back from edge of utter abjection of only a couple of years ago to reestablish himself as one of basketball's most unstoppable offensive forces...Legal problem and entanglement with drugs and alcohol had threatened to obliterate his career with Utah but, given a second chance by Al Attles, he has played the best basketball of his life." King averaged 23.2 ppg in 79 games for Golden State in 1981-82.

14) Kobe Bryant's father Joe played for Philadelphia and San Diego before landing in Houston for the 1981-82 season: "Believed San Diego was an extended scene from Animal House...Parttime clown, parttime basketball player. Can't seem to keep the two apart...When he isn't on stage with the funny stuff, he possesses a fair amount of professional talent...Can get inside occasionally for some muscle baskets, handles the ball well enough to play guard in an emergency and has also filled in at center."

15) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar often received unwarranted criticism during his career but the 1983 CHPB praised his contributions to the Lakers' 1982 championship team: "Absolutely no respect for the rocking chair...Put another outstanding season (23.9 ppg, 8.7 rpg) in the record books at age 35. Opposing centers will be unhappy to hear the opinion of noted sports physician Dr. Robert Kerlan: 'With his body, he could easily play until he's 40.'...Still the most imposing defensive player in the league (third in blocked shots with a 2.72 average) and still the game's best passing center."

16) Defense is perhaps the most underrated qualitiy about Julius Erving individually and about his Philadelphia teams collectively. Erving annually ranked among the league leaders in steals and blocked shots, Maurice Cheeks was a top notch defensive point guard, Lionel Hollins was a tenacious defender as a point guard or a shooting guard, Bobby Jones was the best defensive forward in the league for several years and Caldwell Jones was an undersized but very solid defensive center. The Philadelphia team profile in the 1983 CHPB gave Erving and his teammates the credit that they deserved:

You don't get to the Finals three times in six years without playing defense. Stop and think how all those dunks and fast breaks originate. Steals and blocked shots is the answer. The 76ers may not look like they're playing defense in the classic sense, but they do more to disrupt what other teams want to do than almost anybody.

Cheeks may be the most underrated defensive guard in the league. He had more steals (209) than anyone. Caldwell Jones and Erving were ninth and 10th in blocked shots, averaging 1.80 and 1.74 respectively, and there's your transition game. For straight-up defense, Hollins is excellent and everybody knows about Bobby Jones, a six-time selection to the All-Defensive Team. All in all, playing defense is this team's best quality.

17) Erving's profile reflected both his individual greatness and the urgency of his quest to become an NBA champion: "Frustrated once more...Another magnificent effort was wasted...The only thing left to conquer for this incomparable talent is an NBA championship ring and time is running out...Averaged 25 ppg in Finals against the Lakers, almost single-handedly taking over segments of games, but it still wasn't enough...Scored 20 points in the second half of the stunning upset of the Celtics in Game Seven of Eastern Conference Finals...Also accounted for 18 of his 23 points in the second half of do-or-die Game Five victory over Lakers." The profile concluded with these words: "As classy off the court as he is on...Patient and personable to everyone...Very popular with opposing players...And the best of all--he shows no signs of slowing down."

18) Second year guard Andrew Toney emerged as a big-time player and the 76ers' second leading scorer behind Erving: "Has a great jumper and can stop on a dime...Difficult to defend because he has no favorite spot and unlimited range...A vastly underrated passer, too...His 52.2 shooting percentage was third in league among guards...Has ability to score in bunches."

19) George Gervin averaged 32.3 ppg en route to winning his fourth scoring title, second in ABA/NBA history behind only Wilt Chamberlain's seven at that time. Gervin's profile noted that he began his career playing alongside another future Hall of Famer in the ABA: "'I went to the School of Dr. J and I'm proud to say it,' Gervin says of his old Virginia Squires' teammate. 'He schooled me, not in basketball, but in life.'"

Wayback Machine, Part I looked at the 1975 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part II looked at the 1976 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part III looked at the 1977 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part IV looked at the 1978 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part V looked at the 1979 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part VI looked at the 1980 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part VII looked at the 1981 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part VIII looked at the 1982 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Labels: Bob Ryan, Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball, Dave DeBusschere, Dick Stockton, Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Robert Parish, Zander Hollander

posted by David Friedman @ 3:02 PM

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Wayback Machine, Part VIII: The 1982 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

The front cover photo of the 1982 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball depicted the NBA's best early-1980's rivalry--not Larry Bird versus Magic Johnson (which peaked from 1984-87 when Johnson's L.A. Lakers won two out of three NBA Finals showdowns with Bird's Boston Celtics, capped by the Lakers' 1987 victory that prompted Bird to call Johnson "The best I've ever seen") but rather Julius Erving versus Larry Bird. Erving's Philadelphia 76ers beat Bird's Celtics 4-1 in the 1980 Eastern Conference Finals and took a 3-1 lead in the 1981 Eastern Conference Finals before losing three straight games, capped by a 91-90 game seven defeat in the Boston Garden. The back cover photo showed Houston's Moses Malone authoritatively pulling down a one-handed rebound against the Celtics, who defeated Malone's Rockets 4-2 in the 1981 NBA Finals.

The 1982 CHPB contained 319 pages, a 16 page reduction from the 1981 CHPB. In addition to 23 team profiles, the CHPB included lists of the 1981 NBA statistical leaders, a complete schedule, a list of all-time NBA records, a list of all 223 players selected in the 1981 NBA Draft and a "TV/Radio roundup." Bob Ryan, the long-time Boston Globe writer who is probably better known to younger readers as an ESPN personality, contributed a feature story titled "The Championship Flight of Boston's Rare Bird." Ira Berkow, who shared the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for national reporting, wrote "Isiah Thomas' Giant Step to the Pros" and Barry Bloom described "The Resurrection of Bernard King."

Steve Hershey and George White co-wrote the "Inside the NBA" preview, predicting that the Philadelphia 76ers would defeat the San Antonio Spurs in the 1982 NBA Finals. Most of the article dealt with the biggest NBA news of the offseason: the beginning of the era of "free agency without compensation." Previously, if a free agent signed with a different team then his new team had to compensate his old team and if the two teams could not agree on the proper compensation then the NBA Commissioner would make the decision for them. For instance, Houston signed Golden State's free agent forward Rick Barry prior to the 1978-79 season and Commissioner Larry O'Brien sent Rockets point guard John Lucas to the Warriors as compensation after the two teams could not come to terms. Hershey and White speculated that the new form of free agency could lead to the rich getting richer because wealthy owners who thought that they were one player away from winning a championship might spend wildly to get that player--but Hershey and White concluded that in the short run the balance of power would likely not tilt and thus they selected perennial contender Philadelphia to finally win the championship in Erving's sixth season with the team.

Erving and the 76ers lived up to part of the CHPB's prediction--making it to the Finals for the second time in three years (and the third time in Erving's NBA career)--but they ran into one of the most underrated teams in pro basketball history: the L.A. Lakers featured Magic Johnson nearly averaging a triple double for the season (18.6 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 9.5 apg), a 34 year old but still highly productive Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (23.9 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 2.7 bpg), All-Star guard Norm Nixon and future Hall of Famer Jamaal Wilkes. The Lakers were so talented and so deep that former MVP/future Hall of Famer Bob McAdoo and future Defensive Player of the Year Michael Cooper both came off of the bench. By the time the 76ers met the Lakers in the Finals, the Lakers had won 11 games in a row--including 4-0 playoff sweeps of the Suns and the Spurs--and had not lost a game in six weeks. The 76ers took a 61-50 halftime lead in game one and then watched helplessly as the Showtime Lakers blew their doors off in the third quarter with a 19-2 run. The 76ers won game two at home but the Lakers captured three of the next four--with each victory coming by double digit margins--to take their second title in three seasons.

Here are some interesting notes, quotes and quips from the 1982 CHPB:

1) Ryan painted a detailed portrait of the young Larry Bird, though Ryan's prose drifted a bit toward hagiography--most notably when he lauded Bird as "far better than average" on defense even though the Celtics routinely assigned Bird to check the least dangerous opposing frontcourt player regardless of position; Bird was a savvy team defender and an outstanding defensive rebounder but he was a below average one on one defender who rarely guarded top notch scorers. Ryan asserted that in just his second season Bird had already proved "If he's not the finest all-around player in the game, then surely he must be the standard of comparison."

Though Ryan made it sound like Bird was flawless, Bird shot just .419 from the field in the 1981 NBA Finals even though he rarely launched from long distance (Bird connected on one of his two three point field goal attempts during the six game series win over the Houston Rockets). Cedric Maxwell's clutch play--he led the Celtics in scoring with a 17.7 ppg average against Houston--earned him Finals MVP honors, while Bird's major contribution came on the boards (15.3 rpg), where he nearly battled perennial rebounding champion Moses Malone to a draw (Malone hauled in a series-high 16.3 rpg).

Many fans, especially those who are too young to remember Bird's entire career, think of him as a three point shooter and deft passer but Bird started out as a rugged rebounder who did a lot of work in the trenches. While he shot .406 from three point range as a rookie in 1979-80--the first year that the NBA used the three point shot--Bird shot .286 or worse from behind the arc in each of the next four seasons and he did not average more than six apg until 1983-84, the first of his three straight MVP seasons.

2) Berkow began his Isiah Thomas article--reprinted from the New York Times--with the now-familiar story of how Thomas' mother used sharp words and a shotgun to fend off local Chicago gangs who tried to recruit Isiah and his brothers. Berkow described how Thomas improved his grades during his high school years so that he could earn a basketball scholarship as a ticket out of the Chicago ghettos. Thomas went to Indiana University with the goal of becoming a lawyer and helping members of his community who could not afford proper legal representation but he left school early because playing pro basketball enabled him to provide financial security for his family. Berkow's story ended with Thomas leading the Indiana Hoosiers to the second of Coach Bob Knight's three NCAA titles.

After that victory, Thomas turned pro and was drafted by the moribund Detroit Pistons, a team that posted just 16 wins in 1979-80 and 21 wins in 1980-81. Who could have imagined that just seven years later this undersized point guard (listed at 6-1 but probably closer to 5-11 or 6-0 at the most) would help the Pistons replace Bird's Celtics as the best team in the East en route to winning back to back championships versus Johnson's Lakers? Casual fans do not understand or appreciate just how rare and difficult it is for a short player to dominate pro basketball at a championship level. Thomas' Detroit Coach Chuck Daly once said that if Thomas had been 6-6 he would have been the greatest player ever; there is a bit of hyperbole in that statement and a bit of bias in favor of the best player Daly ever coached but there is also a kernel of truth in the sentiment. Thomas achieved so much but his size placed certain irrevocable limitations on him; Thomas refused to admit that while he played but after he retired he stood next to Bird and Johnson at some function and mentioned that for the first time it had dawned on him just how much they both towered over him (Bird and Johnson are each 6-9) and how remarkable it was that he went toe to toe with them for so many years.

3) Many NBA fans know that Bernard King became the first player to make the All-Star team after blowing out his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) but that was actually King's second comeback. Prior to that, King overcame drug and alcohol addiction, as Bloom explained: "Adversity and courage. They have become a way of life for Bernard King...since January, 1980, King has been engaged in the fight of his life--a fight not only against alcoholism, but a fight to clear his name of a once-reckless reputation." After averaging 24.2 ppg as a rookie for the Nets in 1977-78 and then scoring 21.6 ppg for the Nets in 1978-79, King slumped to just 9.3 ppg in only 19 games for the Utah Jazz in 1979-80. King averaged 21.9 ppg for the Golden State Warriors in 1980-81, winning the NBA's first Comeback Player of the Year award. King did not make the All-Star team in 1981 but he won Player of the Week honors in the first week of January after shooting 59-72 (.819) from the field and then he earned January's Player of the Month Award after averaging 27.4 ppg in 13 games while shooting 141-194 (.727) from the field.

King averaged 23.2 ppg for the Warriors in 1981-82, finally earning his first All-Star selection and also making the All-NBA Second Team for the first time. He signed a free agent deal with the New York Knicks after that season and the Warriors exercised their right of first refusal before agreeing to trade King for Micheal Ray Richardson. King made the All-NBA First Team in 1984 and 1985--and was selected as the 1984 MVP by the league's players in a Sporting News poll, though King finished second to Bird in the official MVP balloting conducted by media members--but his devastating ACL injury in early 1985 robbed him of his explosiveness and cost him nearly two full seasons. King returned to action late in the 1986-87 season and he ranked third in the league in scoring in 1990-91, earning his fourth and final All-Star selection.

4) John Drew was a big-time scorer in the 1970s and early 1980s, averaging at least 20 ppg for four straight seasons and for five seasons in a six season stretch. However, Drew's CHPB profile noted that his game was a bit one dimensional: "Retained his spot on the All-Non-Passing team with a mere 79 assists...Went to the Larry Kenon school of defense and was saved his usual embarrassment in the playoffs when the Hawks failed to qualify."

5) Bird's CHPB profile began with these words: "Belongs in a higher league...Absolutely the best all-around player in the universe. Could carry the Celtics on a dynasty trip." Despite that lofty praise, a good case could be made that--contrary to the way things were reported by many media outlets at the time--Bird never equaled or surpassed Magic Johnson: Johnson beat Bird head to head in the 1979 NCAA Championship Game, Johnson won Finals MVP honors as a rookie--guiding the Lakers to victory over a Philadelphia team that routed Bird's Celtics 4-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals--and Johnson ultimately topped Bird five to three in NBA championships, including the league's first back to back titles since Bill Russell retired. Ironically, by the time that Johnson finally received his due vis a vis Bird a new star eclipsed both of them: Michael Jordan won the much heralded MJ versus MJ showdown in the 1991 Finals, bested Johnson's repeat accomplishment by leading the Bulls to a three-peat and then came out of retirement to win a second three-peat.

If the 76ers had not blown a 3-1 lead in the 1981 Eastern Conference Finals and/or if Maxwell had not come through in the 1981 NBA Finals then the media likely could not have continued to portray Bird as the game's best all-around player--that just would not have sounded right if Bird was the only player in the Abdul-Jabbar-Johnson-Erving early 1980's pantheon who had not won a championship ring (if Erving's 76ers had not collapsed in the Eastern Conference Finals they would have presumably beaten the Rockets in the 1981 Finals). The elephant in the room is that, for many fans and media members, Larry Bird was the Great White Hope in a league that was widely perceived to be "too Black." Bird was indisputably a great player but at times--particularly early in his career--the media got more than a little carried away in terms of lauding him at the expense of Johnson; for instance, Johnson was killed in the press for supposedly getting Coach Paul Westhead fired in 1981 and for playing poorly in the Lakers' 1984 Finals loss but Bird largely escaped scrutiny for his subpar play when the Milwaukee Bucks swept the Celtics in the 1983 Eastern Conference semifinals and for having any role in Coach Bill Fitch's resignation after that season. The two coaching situations were different and I am not saying that Johnson was blameless and/or that Bird deserved blame; the point is that during that era the media seemed to quickly jump to negative conclusions about Johnson while giving Bird the benefit of the doubt.

6) Earlier editions of the CHPB did not speak highly of Robert Parish but his 1982 profile noted that Parish "Made the difference" for the Celtics because he "Supplied the shot-blocking and intimidating defense the team lacked."

7) Rookie Kevin McHale averaged 10.0 ppg and blocked 151 shots. His profile contained this colorful description of his physique: "Chicken-breasted and his waist seems to start above his often beer-filled stomach but can run the court with anyone." Boston's Bird-Parish-Maxwell starting frontcourt had proved formidable, prompting this rhetorical question about McHale: "When will he ever start?" McHale won the Sixth Man Award in 1984 and 1985 before becoming a full-time starter in 1986 and an All-NBA First Team member in 1987.

8) George McGinnis shared ABA MVP honors with Julius Erving in 1975 but by 1982 McGinnis' career was just about over, as his CHPB profile noted: "What a waste...Has all the tools, but keeps leaving them on the work bench...Now in the twilight of an outstanding career, which just never seemed to completely satisfy anyone...Genuine nice guy."

9) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was often unappreciated during his career and he is arguably the most underrated great player of all-time; his name rarely if ever comes up in the ubiquitous greatest player of all-time conversations but he should be on the short list in any such discussion. His profile contained this lament from the man who would become the sport's all-time scoring leader: "There's a certain 'otherness' about me that makes it hard for me. I'm not a mainstream type of person." Julius Erving has often called Abdul-Jabbar the greatest player he played against and that is understandable considering that Abdul-Jabbar is the major reason that Erving's 76ers did not win the 1980 and 1982 NBA titles (Magic Johnson performed at an outstanding level in both series but Abdul-Jabbar presented an unsolvable matchup problem for the 76ers until they acquired Moses Malone).

10) As memories of Erving's ABA heroics faded and as young stars emerged, the dominant media theme about Erving's career focused not on how much he had accomplished but rather on the one goal he had not achieved: winning an NBA title to go along with his two ABA titles. Erving's profile declared, "Another magnificent effort wasted...The Good Doctor plays nothing but top stakes now...Anything short of a world championship is a disappointment...Averaged 24.7 in seven game playoff against Milwaukee and 19.9 against Boston, when he finally wore down chasing Larry Bird...Will be 32 before playoffs start again and must be wondering if he'll ever collect an NBA championship to go along with his MVP trophy...Decision to have him face guard Bird for last five games of Celtics' series cost him some offensive effectiveness, but he accepted the task without a question...Still king of the one-on-one."

It is interesting to note that Erving "wore down" during the 1981 playoffs guarding the younger and bigger Bird while the Celtics usually assigned Maxwell or McHale to check Erving so that Bird could defend Caldwell Jones or whichever Philadelphia player was the least likely to get the ball. Magic Johnson was never as praised for his defense as Bird--who somehow made the All-Defensive Second Team twice--but one of the key adjustments of the 1982 Finals saw the Lakers switch Johnson on to Erving to keep Erving off of the offensive boards after Erving hurt the Lakers in that area earlier in the series. Johnson, who was roughly the same size as Bird--two to three inches taller than Erving and at least 15 pounds heavier--could not stop Erving from scoring but he did limit Erving's offensive rebounding.

11) Four-time All-Star Doug Collins played in just 12 games for Philadelphia during the 1981 season and he missed the entire playoffs: "Still wants to try...Trouble is, there's no room at the inn...Would make somebody a fine coach...Has missed 240 games in his eight year career and has endured enough punishment...When he was healthy, he was one of the best." Collins retired prior to the 1981-82 season and got his first NBA head coaching job five years later, mentoring a young Michael Jordan. Collins is still coaching in the league now, so that CHPB blurb proved to be prophetic.

12) Dudley Bradley's profile started with something that sounded like a Zen koan: "If he could shoot, he'd make the All-Defensive Team...Stop and think about it. He's one of the best defensive guards but his lack of offense keeps him in a reserve role...Fifth in the league in steals." What is even more confusing about that quote is that Bradley actually made the All-Defensive Team in 1981 despite only averaging 22.8 mpg for the Indiana Pacers! Bradley never became a good shooter but he hit one of the most unlikely three pointers in NBA history--a game-winner for Washington versus Philadelphia in the first game of the first round of the 1986 playoffs, capping a miraculous 18-0 run in the final four minutes. Bradley shot just 17-68 (.250) from three point range that season and he shot just 5-22 (.227) from three point range during his entire postseason career but he banked in a turnaround jumper from several feet behind the three point arc as time expired to stun the 76ers in Philadelphia. The 76ers eventually won the series three games to two.

13) Before Freeman Williams played Duck Johnson in "White Men Can't Jump" he was a two-time NCAA scoring champion--averaging 38.8 ppg as a junior in 1976-77 and 35.9 ppg as a senior in 1977-78 at Portland State--and he still ranks second on the NCAA's career scoring list behind Pete Maravich. Williams could score at the NBA level, too: "Could find the basket if you buried it five miles under the most remote peak in the Alps...Clipper Coach Paul Silas calls him 'one of the easiest scorers I've ever seen.'...Despite his gunner reputation, he does make an effort on defense." Williams led the Clippers in scoring in 1980-81 (19.3 ppg) despite playing just 24.1 mpg as a reserve.

14) Paul Westphal spent three seasons as a reserve player in Boston before being traded to the Phoenix Suns and blossoming into one of the league's premier guards--a five-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA selection--but by 1982 his health and skills had declined dramatically, leading to this poignant question at the start of his CHPB profile: "What happened en route to the Hall of Fame?...Wanted to leave Phoenix, where he was as much a part of the landscape as a gila monster, got his wish and was traded to Seattle. After playing just 36 games, he suffered his second foot stress fracture of the season and became a permanent spectator. Was forced to spend the next 30 weeks on electromagnetic therapy." Westphal's career lasted just three more seasons, two in New York followed by a swan song in Phoenix. He is not a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame.

James Harden is trying to navigate a Westphal-like path from the bench to perennial All-Star status; Harden made the All-Star team this season but it will be interesting to see if he can maintain his productivity and his health for the duration of his max level contract.

Wayback Machine, Part I looked at the 1975 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part II looked at the 1976 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part III looked at the 1977 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part IV looked at the 1978 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part V looked at the 1979 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part VI looked at the 1980 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part VII looked at the 1981 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Labels: Bernard King, Bob Ryan, Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball, Freeman Williams, Ira Berkow, Isiah Thomas, James Harden, Julius Erving, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Paul Westphal, Zander Hollander

posted by David Friedman @ 4:58 AM

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Wayback Machine VII: The 1981 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

The 1981 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball featured 1980 NBA Finals MVP Magic Johnson in the front cover photo and 1980 Rookie of the Year Larry Bird in the back cover photo; those two players became the faces of the NBA in the next decade and they played a major role in the league's soaring popularity. Johnson had arguably already played his best game--tallying 42 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists in game six of the NBA Finals as the L.A. Lakers defeated Julius Erving's Philadelphia 76ers to win their first title since 1972--but it was not until he bested Bird in two out of three head to head Finals matchups and then won three regular season MVPs that he cemented his status as one of the sport's all-time greats; Bird achieved individual recognition earlier than Johnson did--winning three straight regular season MVPs before Johnson captured a single one--but by the end of their careers Johnson had matched Bird in MVPs and topped him five to three in championships.

The 1981 CHPB totaled 335 pages, the largest volume in the series' seven year history. The Dallas Mavericks joined the league as an expansion franchise, the first addition to the NBA's ranks since the 1976-77 ABA/NBA merger brought the Nets, Nuggets, Pacers and Spurs into the fold. The 1981 CHPB contained 23 team profiles, lists of the 1980 NBA statistical leaders, a complete schedule, a list of all-time NBA records, a list of all 214 players selected in the 1980 NBA Draft and a "TV/Radio roundup." The 1981 CHPB also had six feature stories: Joe Gergen--who invented an "All-Time All-Star Game" for the 1980 CHPB--brought out a whimsical crystal ball for a piece titled "A Fantastic Preview! 1981-90 NBA Champions," Scott Ostler described how "Jabbar and the Lakers Find Magic," Thom Greer discussed "Dr. J and Dr. Dunk," Bill Libby profiled "The Remarkable Vandeweghes," Howard Blatt wrote about the fledgling "Women's Pro Basketball League" and an uncredited writer contributed a one page item about 1980's Basketball Hall of Fame class.

Steve Hershey and George White co-wrote the "Inside the NBA" article, forecasting that the L.A. Lakers would beat the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1981 NBA Finals. The Lakers' quest for a repeat fell apart after Magic Johnson suffered a knee injury and missed 45 regular season games; Johnson returned to action in time for the playoffs but the third seeded Lakers lost to the sixth seeded Houston Rockets 2-1 in a first round mini-series. The 76ers tied the Boston Celtics for the best record in the league (62-20) but the Celtics earned homecourt advantage by capturing the tiebreaker with a 98-94 victory over the 76ers in the final regular season game; it did not seem like that would matter after the 76ers took a 3-1 lead over the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals but the Celtics rallied to win the next two games and then clinched the series with a 91-90 game seven triumph in the Boston Garden. The Celtics topped the Rockets 4-2 in the NBA Finals.

Here are some interesting notes, quotes and quips from the 1981 CHPB:

1) The dateline for Gergen's piece was "LOVETRON, May 10, 1991," which indicates the humorous tone of the article. Gergen described a 34 year old Darryl Dawkins, the player-coach for the Philadelphia 76ers, having one last hurrah versus the Paris Jazz in the NBA Finals before retiring to work for Corning Glass Company as a pitchman for "The Glass Sir Slam Couldn't Break." Bill Walton, forced into retirement by his many injuries, served as the Commissioner of the International Basketball Association; the league had gone global--actually, interplanetary if one counts Dawkins' home planet of Lovetron.

Here are some highlights from Gergen's tongue in cheek Finals recaps:

1981: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar filled in at guard for Magic Johnson in game six, flipping the script from the 1980 Finals, and Abdul-Jabbar delivered 52 points, 15 assists and five steals as the L.A. Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics 114-112. The Lakers suffered so many injuries during the series that Jack Nicholson suited up for the clinching contest and Nicholson scored the game-winning basket after Abdul-Jabbar's no-look, behind the back pass bounced off of his hands and into the hoop. 

1982: Julius Erving scored 20 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter of game six as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the San Diego Clippers 105-99 to win the title--but Bill Walton, who played despite needing a cast on his broken foot, won Finals MVP honors after averaging 24 ppg, 14 rpg and six apg while playing the series on one leg. Walton retired after the Finals.

1983: George Gervin scored 100 points in game seven for the Dallas Mavericks but the Calgary Hawks escaped with a 104-101 victory. Billy McKinney scored the other point for the Mavericks, swishing a free throw after Calgary Coach Hubie Brown was whistled for a technical foul. Gervin averaged 74.8 ppg during the regular season but Brown's defensive philosophy during the Finals was to concede Gervin his points while shutting down everyone else.

1984: Rookie Ralph Sampson, who had sprouted to 7-8, led the Detroit Pistons to the championship over the Fort Wayne Jazz, a team that had relocated for the fourth time in four years. Sampson provided the winning points in the waning seconds of game seven when he "controlled a jump ball at the free throw line and jammed it home in the same motion" to finish with 45 points. Sam Bowie, Fort Wayne's 7-6 rookie center, scored 26 points in defeat. Nader, Edsel and Iacocca appeared in the box score for Detroit.

1985: Johnson City (Tennessee) defeated the L.A. Lakers despite Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 44 points in his game seven swan song. Dennis Johnson (34 points), Magic Johnson (24 points) and Marques Johnson (21 points) led the way for Johnson City in a 124-121 victory.

The funny thing about this portion of Gergen's satire is that real life proved to be even more fantastic than his spoof; Abdul-Jabbar won the 1985 Finals MVP in the real world and then kept playing until 1989, contributing to two more championship runs.

1986: The New York Knicks seemed to have the championship wrapped up when franchise owner Gulf & Western bought the two teams ahead of the Knicks in the Eastern Conference standings plus their first three playoff opponents but then the Monterey Jazz--relocated yet again--lured Wilt Chamberlain out of retirement by offering him $1 million per game plus a bonus for providing a halftime volleyball exhibition. Chamberlain scored 42 points and grabbed 50 rebounds as Monterey won game six 120-112 to capture the title. It did not help the Knicks that guards Micheal Ray Richardson and Ray Williams each went 0-4 from four point range; a new IBA rule made shots from beyond half court worth four points.

If you are familiar with 1980s basketball then you get the joke about the shot selections of Richardson and Williams but otherwise you don't understand why they would be taking half court shots and you also assume that I misspelled Richardson's first name (in fact, Gergen--or the editor--misspelled the name in the article but I spelled it correctly).

1987: The Havana Sugar Kings won game seven at home versus the Boston Celtics, rallying from a 10 point halftime deficit after forward Teofilo Stevenson--taking advantage of the more physical nature of international play--knocked out Larry Bird.

1988: Seattle defeated Tokyo in Tokyo 67-66 in a unique game seven; to level the playing field, Seattle shot at a 12 foot hoop while Tokyo shot at a conventional 10 foot hoop. The teams set Finals records for worst shooting percentage and most rebounds. Freddie Brown, still bombing away from outside at 39 years of age, dropped in the game-winning jumper with one second remaining.

1989: Ulyana Semanova led the Moscow Bears to victory over the Indiana Pacers in the most controversial playoff series in IBA history. The Pacers easily won each of the three games held in the United States but the Bears required multiple do-overs at the end of each of their home games before prevailing. Indiana Coach Bobby Knight was sent to jail after threatening to attack the two Cuban referees in the wake of Moscow's 97-96 game seven triumph.

1990: Paul McCartney led the London Philharmonic with 20 points in the decisive contest as they cruised to a 110-90 win to sweep the Chicago Strings. Reggie Theus poured in a game-high 34 points for the Strings.

2) Ostler explained how Magic Johnson transformed the Lakers from a "low-key, businesslike team" into the high flying, high fiving outfit known as "Showtime." Prior to the 1979 NBA Draft, Philadelphia General Manager Pat Williams expressed skepticism about Magic: "I think half of his appeal is his enthusiasm, but you have to remember that happiness and glow and joy often turn to dust in our league." Instead, Magic turned the 76ers into dust in game six of the NBA Finals; with an injured Abdul-Jabbar out of the lineup, it seemed like the 76ers had a great chance to win at home and force a game seven but a smiling, relaxed Magic jumped center, played all five positions and completely dominated all aspects of the game in a 123-107 L.A. win. Ostler astutely observed that, smiling visage notwithstanding, Magic was a physical, blue collar player who was comfortable playing power forward and banging with the big bodies in the paint. Magic ranked second on the team in both regular season rebounding (7.7 rpg) and playoff rebounding (10.5 rpg), trailing only Abdul-Jabbar, the league's regular season MVP.

3) Greer's article noted that Julius Erving deliberately sublimated his game during his first three NBA seasons, sharing the basketball with All-Star teammates George McGinnis and Doug Collins--but it soon became apparent that it made no sense for the team's best player (and arguably the league's best player) to sacrifice the most. In 1979-80, Erving once again took full flight, averaging an NBA career-high 26.9 ppg. As Erving poetically--and analytically--put it, he had decided to "become more singularly purposeful." Erving had read what the critics said about him--one sniped that Erving was a "struggling forward on a mediocre team...in the twilight of his career"--and he set out to prove that he had a lot left in the tank. "Ever since I came to Philadelphia, I tried to be an all-around player," Erving explained. "Instead I was criticized for not being dominant. There is a rush to stereotype or label a player as being one dimensional. People are looking for flaws rather than facts. I finally realized I couldn't worry about pleasing everyone. There's a creativity, an artistry, that I can bring to the game. But I saw an awful lot of what I had been working for, building up, just gradually slipping away. I had been worrying so much about what was in the best interest of the team that I had been afraid to do the things I used to...I decided that I had certain abilities and I had not been using them night in and night out. I was cheating myself. I have always believed that if you don't dare to be great then you are only denying yourself."

Philadelphia Coach Billy Cunningham praised Erving's skills and selflessness: "There may not be a more respected player in the league. You have to respect Doc so much because he has this incredible amount of talent and still all he wants to do is win a championship. It's a cliche but he's so team oriented. He'll do anything you ask him to do. Tell him to play defense and he'll go out and stop a guy. Have some guys hurt and he'll score 43 for you. He knows when to take charge, when to be assertive."

Erving took charge in game four of the NBA Finals, unveiling one of the most iconic shots in pro basketball history, jumping from the right baseline, gliding underneath the hoop while holding the ball over the out of bounds line and then flipping in the most amazing reverse layup anyone had ever seen: Erving elevated to shoot a regular shot, pulled the ball back down to make a pass and then shot the reverse layup as his third option because no one was open underneath the hoop. Other players have made some sweet reverse layups but no one else has turned the reverse layup into a three part, suspended animation saga. The play was not only spectacular but it was a key basket in Philadelphia's 105-102 win. After the game, Erving said, "I'm the leader. Down the stretch, the team looks to me to create something. Maybe I was setting an example for Darryl today, because I know it's a role he will evolve into." It is very typical for Erving that even after executing a great move in a big win he sought to deflect attention to Darryl Dawkins by anointing Dawkins as the team's future leader. Dawkins never became a big-time star, even though he possessed great athletic ability; Dawkins never put the mental game together the way that Erving did and he never figured out how to be consistently excellent: Dawkins would follow great plays and great games with average plays and average games.

The vastly disparate career arcs of Erving and Dawkins vividly demonstrate that it takes much more than tremendous raw talent to become a great player; there is a mental/psychological component that is essential for someone to fully reach his potential.

4) Bill Libby, author of more than 60 books, told the story of the multi-generational success of the Vandeweghe family. Kiki Vandeweghe, the first round draft pick of the expansion Dallas franchise, followed in the footsteps of great grandfather Maurice (a soccer star), grandfather Ernest (another soccer star), two cousins who swam in the 1936 Olympics and father Ernest (a collegiate All-American in basketball and soccer who later played for the New York Knicks). Kiki's mother Colleen was Miss America in 1952. Bill Walton often refers to people who have "won the genetic lottery" and that phrase applies perfectly to Kiki Vandeweghe, who set youth swimming records before switching his focus to basketball. Kiki excelled at UCLA--helping the Bruins to reach the NCAA Championship Game in 1980--before becoming a two-time All-Star with the Denver Nuggets. Dallas traded Kiki to Denver after he refused to sign with the Mavericks--and the Mavericks had to take Kiki's refusal seriously, because Kiki had other options besides playing in the NBA, including pursuing the possibility of receiving a Rhodes scholarship. Kiki's father Ernest only played for the Knicks after the Knicks agreed to subsidize his continuing education; Ernest eventually became a physician.

5) Howard Blatt's brief article about the struggling Women's Pro Basketball League noted that three franchises folded in the league's first season and three more were sold. The addition of Old Dominion superstar Nancy Lieberman was expected to boost interest and attendance but by 1981 the WBL disbanded.

6) Previous editions of the CHPB did not contain any information about the Basketball Hall of Fame but the 1980 Hall of Fame Class was pretty special: Oscar Robertson and Jerry West--the two greatest guards in league history up to that point--joined Jerry Lucas (who teamed with Robertson and West to win an Olympic gold medal in 1960), Wyoming coach Everett Shelton, referee J. Dallas Shirley and Rochester Royals founder/owner Les Harrison.

7) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar received a lot of criticism during his first few seasons in L.A. but the 1981 CHPB gave him his just due: "After a few years in which the basketball world glorified first Bill Walton and then Moses Malone, this man is once again recognized as the most dominating force in the game. No longer can there be any question after a season in which he hit 60.4 percent of his shots, played in every game despite skull-splitting migraines, established himself as the league's most destructive defensive force, and was the major component in the Lakers' sweep to the NBA championship." It is worth mentioning that after completing 11 NBA seasons Abdul-Jabbar had a 28.3 ppg career scoring average.

8) Magic Johnson's profile declared him to be "Without question, the best 20 year old professional to ever play the game" and said "Magic may be the hottest name to hit town since Clark Gable."

9) Only in the CHPB will you find lines like this description of Phoenix center Rich Kelley: "Ask him about his favorite barbershop, Hair by Weedeater...Despite his villainous looks, this man is a good basketball player."

10) Dennis Johnson's profile mentioned that he had received high praise from someone who knows a little bit about defense: "When Bill Russell says you're the player he most enjoys watching play defense in the NBA, you've got something to write home about." Johnson was the only unanimous selection to the 1980 All-Defensive Team.

11) Larry Bird's profile did not mince words: "Wow...Exceeded all expectations except his own...'I'll be a better player next year,' he said during the playoffs. If he is, he should start looking for a higher league to play in...All he did in his first season is lead the Celtics in scoring, rebounding, minutes played, personal fouls and turnovers plus turn in the best passing by a forward this side of John Johnson."

12) New York's Ray Williams frustrated his coaches and fans at times: "Has all the tools, but sometimes uses a sledge hammer when a ball-point pen would do the job."

13) Julius Erving finished second to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the MVP voting: "Enjoyed his greatest season in the NBA, but it ended in bitter frustration...Stunned and disappointed by his teammates' lack of intensity and determination in the finals...His mid-air maneuver behind the basket in Game 4 will never be forgotten...Shed his knee braces and said he felt free and looser than in previous seasons...Still the league's most entertaining player and most cooperative interview...Has earned the respect of everyone." After nine professional seasons, Erving had a career scoring average of 26.2 ppg.

14) Philadelphia selected Andrew Toney, soon to be known as the "Boston Strangler," with the eighth overall pick: "May have been the best pure shooter in the draft...Poured in 2526 points in four years at Southwestern Louisiana to rank 13th on the all-time NCAA list...Had the scouts' eyes popping in the Aloha Classic."

15) Elvin Hayes had another exceptional season: "The most remarkable physical specimen in the league...After celebrating his 34th birthday, Nov. 17, he went on to play more than 3100 minutes for the 11th time in his brilliant 12 year career...Will he ever slow down? Finished eighth in the league in scoring, sixth in rebounding and fifth in blocked shots and still has many detractors. Can you believe it?"

Wayback Machine, Part I looked at the 1975 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part II looked at the 1976 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part III looked at the 1977 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part IV looked at the 1978 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part V looked at the 1979 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Wayback Machine, Part VI looked at the 1980 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

Labels: Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball, Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Zander Hollander

posted by David Friedman @ 7:36 AM

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