20 Second Timeout

The Ageless LeBron James

LeBron James is one of the select few players who belongs in the conversation for the title of the greatest basketball player of all-time, but there will probably never be a consensus choice for that distinction: Bill Russell won 11 championships in 13 seasons, Wilt Chamberlain set numerous individual statistical records and led two dominant championship runs, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won six championships and had incredible longevity, Michael Jordan broke some of Chamberlain's scoring records while posting a 6-0 NBA Finals record, and a handful of other players merit being mentioned as well.

However, one title that LeBron James may clinch--if he has not done so already--is greatest "old" basketball player of all-time. "Old" can be defined in various ways, but this article stipulates that an "old" player is one who turns 35 during a given calendar year. Historically, that age is a meaningful milestone. For example, Jerry West made the 1973 All-NBA First Team and finished sixth in MVP voting just before turning 35, but he played only 31 games as a 35 year old before retiring after the 1973-74 season. Only a relatively small number of players extend their careers past the age of 35, and a much smaller number of players that age perform at an All-Star level, let alone at an All-NBA, MVP, and/or Finals MVP level.

I first wrote about pro basketball's ageless wonders in the November 2002 issue of Basketball Digest, and then I revisited that subject in the April 2004 issue of Basketball Digest. The first article used 35 as a demarcation point, while the second article--written in the wake of Michael Jordan's two year stint as a Washington Wizard--focused on the 40 and over club, which LeBron James has not yet joined.

The first article crowned Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as "the unquestioned king of the 35 and over club," noting that he posted Hall of Fame caliber numbers just in the eight seasons comprising that portion of his career, including playing an important role for four Lakers' championship teams while receiving eight All-Star selections, four All-NBA First or Second Team selections, one All-Defensive Second Team selection, and one Finals MVP. He ranked among the league's scoring, field goal percentage and shot blocking leaders in several of those seasons. To put those accolades into perspective, Hall of Fame centers Dave Cowens, Bob Lanier, Willis Reed, and Nate Thurmond each earned eight or fewer All-Star selections in their entire careers! 

Jordan turned 35 during his final season as a Chicago Bull, and he authored perhaps the greatest season by a 35 year old player, winning the scoring title (28.7 ppg), the All-Star Game MVP, the regular season MVP, and the Finals MVP while also being selected to the All-NBA First Team and the All-Defensive First Team. He then retired for three years before coming back to play two seasons as a Wizard, when he earned two All-Star selections but no other seasonal honors (he finished 13th in the 2002 MVP voting).

Jordan may have been the greatest 35 year old ever, but his overall post-35 body of work does not match up with Abdul-Jabbar's.

Other players who had notable accomplishments at 35 or older include Bill Russell (in his final season he finished fourth in MVP voting, made the All-Defensive First Team, and averaged 19.3 rpg for a championship team as player-coach), Wilt Chamberlain (one Finals MVP, two rebounding titles), John Havlicek (four All-Star selections, second only to Abdul-Jabbar in this age category), Julius Erving (three All-Star selections, and he holds the record as the oldest member of the 100-100 club), Dennis Rodman (three rebounding titles while playing for three championship teams), and Karl Malone (won the 1999 regular season MVP as a 35 year old).

Kobe Bryant led the Lakers to three straight NBA Finals and back to back titles in the 12th-14th seasons of his career, mirroring what Jordan did with the Bulls at a similar stage in his career (but Jordan was older, because he played three years of college ball compared to Bryant going straight from high school to the NBA), and it seemed that he might challenge Abdul-Jabbar and Jordan as the greatest "old" player of all-time, but ultimately Bryant's body gave out. Bryant was playing at an MVP level (he finished fifth in the 2013 regular season MVP voting) when he ruptured his Achilles just a few months prior to turning 35. He played 107 games over three seasons at ages 35-37, but he never regained his old form, though he did finish his career on a high note by setting the all-time record for most points scored in a player's final NBA game (60, more than doubling John Havlicek's previous record of 29) while also becoming the oldest player to score at least 60 points in an NBA game.

If Bryant had not suffered such a serious injury then he seemed on track to be an elite performer past the age of 35, but of course injuries are a part of the game, and injuries are one of the major reasons that most players do not even play past 35 at all.

LeBron James turned 35 last season, when he averaged 25.3 ppg, a career-high/league leading 10.2 apg, and 7.8 rpg. During the playoffs he averaged 27.6 ppg, 8.8 apg, and 10.8 rpg, and he led the L.A. Lakers to their first title of the post-Bryant era. James won his fourth Finals MVP after averaging 29.8 ppg, 11.8 rpg, and 8.5 apg as the Lakers beat the Heat in six games. He is the second oldest Finals MVP, trailing only Abdul-Jabbar.

This season, through his first 20 games James averaged 25.5 ppg, 7.8 rpg, and 7.5 apg. He is on pace to post a career-high three point field goal percentage (.417), though that may be an artifact of a small sample size.

When comparing "old" Abdul-Jabbar to "old" James it is important to remember that Abdul-Jabbar--arguably the greatest college basketball player of all-time--played four years at UCLA before joining the NBA, while James jumped straight from high school to the NBA. Thus, James is currently a 36 year old in his 18th season, while Abdul-Jabbar turned 40 years old late in his 18th season, and Abdul-Jabbar turned 36 years old late in his 14th season. Thus, you cannot fairly compare the two players only on a season to season basis, because that gives James a four year age advantage over Abdul-Jabbar.

Abdul-Jabbar's post-35 career is quite remarkable.

As a 35 year old in his 13th season, Abdul-Jabbar averaged 23.9 ppg and 8.7 rpg during the regular season. That was the worst season of his career up to that point, and he slipped to 10th in the MVP voting after finishing third and first in the previous two years. However, he and Norm Nixon each averaged 20.4 ppg in the playoffs (Nixon scored one more point than Abdul-Jabbar over the span of 14 playoff games) to share the team lead as the Lakers won their second title in three seasons.

As a 36 year old in his 14th season, Abdul-Jabbar averaged 21.8 ppg and 7.5 rpg during the regular season. He again finished 10th in the regular season MVP voting. Abdul-Jabbar led the NBA in playoff scoring (27.1 ppg), but the Lakers were swept in the NBA Finals by one of the best single-season teams of all-time, the Moses Malone-Julius Erving Philadelphia 76ers. 

As a 37 year old in his 15th season, Abdul-Jabbar averaged 21.5 ppg and 7.3 rpg during the regular season. He finished fourth in the regular season MVP voting. He averaged 23.9 ppg and 8.2 rpg in the playoffs, but the Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics in seven games in the NBA Finals.

As a 38 year old in his 16th season, Abdul-Jabbar averaged 22.0 ppg and 7.9 rpg during the regular season. He finished fourth in regular season MVP balloting and made the All-NBA Second Team before winning the Finals MVP after averaging 25.7 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 5.2 apg, and 1.5 bpg as his Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics in six games. He led the Lakers in scoring, rebounding, and blocked shots during the Finals, while ranking second on the team in assists behind Magic Johnson.

Abdul-Jabbar made the All-NBA Team for the final time--earning First Team honors--as a 39 year old during his 17th season. He averaged 23.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg, and 1.6 bpg during the regular season, and he finished fifth in regular season MVP voting. He was the Lakers' leading scorer during the regular season and the playoffs (25.9 ppg) as the Lakers lost to Houston in the Western Conference Finals.

As a 40 year old in his 18th season, Abdul-Jabbar averaged 17.5 ppg and 6.7 rpg during the regular season and 19.2 ppg and 6.8 rpg during the playoffs. He was the Lakers' third leading scorer during both the regular season and the playoffs as the Lakers won the title after a 65-17 regular season. 

Abdul-Jabbar averaged at least 40 mpg in each of his first seven seasons. Then, he averaged between 35 and 39.5 mpg in each of the next six seasons. He averaged between 31-33 mpg in the next five seasons, before averaging 28.9 mpg in season 19 and 22.9 mpg in season 20.  

James' mpg numbers have followed a similar trajectory: he averaged at least 40 mpg for four straight seasons early in his career, but he is averaging a career-low 33.1 mpg this season. However, James is more productive on a per minute basis now--as a scorer, rebounder, and playmaker--than he was during most of his previous seasons: his 2021 per minute numbers are his second best ever in scoring, his second best ever in rebounding, and his fifth best ever in assists. The most amazing thing about James' play as a 35 year old--and now as a 36 year old--is that when you watch him, if you ignore that he is developing a hairline resembling "old" Abdul-Jabbar, you cannot tell his age, nor can you tell that he is an 18 year veteran. 

In terms of accolades, Michael Jordan's 1998 season was even better than LeBron James' 2020 season, but the way that James played last season and the way he is playing so far this season seems different--looks different--than "old" Jordan or "old" Abdul-Jabbar or any other "old" all-time great discussed above. "Old" Jordan was extraordinarily productive: he was crafty, and after an intensive exercise regimen he was probably stronger than he had ever been. However, you would never mistake "old" Jordan for Air Jordan in terms of athleticism and explosiveness.

Similarly, "old" Abdul-Jabbar posted impressive statistics while playing an integral role for four championship teams, but he was not the highly mobile and incredibly athletic marvel that he had been during his prime years.

In terms of retaining elite athletic ability at an advanced age, Julius Erving ranks as highly as anyone: he took off from just inside the free throw line in the 1985 Slam Dunk Contest at 35, and he was a more prolific shot blocker at that age (109 blocked shots in 78 games) than James ever was (James had a career-high 93 blocked shots in 81 games as a 24 year old in 2008-09)--but, even accounting for Erving's late career shift from forward to guard, he was not the rebounder that he was during his prime, and he did not consistently play above the rim to the extent that he did during his prime. During his final season at the age of 37, Erving claimed that he could still do any single move that he had ever done before, and that was probably true, but Erving could no longer do those moves repeatedly every game over the course of a season.

In contrast, James is still flying through the air on a regular basis, still posting elite scoring numbers with a high field goal percentage (.496, just below his career average), and still able to go head to head with much younger MVP caliber players such as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kawhi Leonard not only using craftiness, strength and guile, but also at the very least matching their athleticism as well. 

I would take young Jordan and young Bryant over James, for reasons that I have discussed at length in various articles--but "old" James is obviously better than hobbled "old" Bryant, "old" James' peak is better than "old" Abdul-Jabbar's peak, and "old" James is at least comparable to the 1998 version of "old" Jordan ("old" James is better than "old" Jordan from the Wizards, though to be fair to Jordan he was several years older at that time than James is now).

It remains to be seen if James will have a post-35 career as long and productive as Abdul-Jabbar's and/or if James will still be an All-Star at 40 as Jordan was, but in terms of peak value James has already made a strong case that he is the greatest "old" player of all-time.

Labels: Bill Russell, Jerry West, John Havlicek, Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain

posted by David Friedman @ 3:01 AM

2 comments

Hall of Famer Tommy Heinsohn Left an Indelible Legacy as a Player, Coach, and Broadcaster

Tommy Heinsohn, who lived a remarkable and highly decorated basketball life, passed away today at the age of 86. He joined John Wooden, Bill Sharman, and Lenny Wilkens as the only people inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player (1986) and a coach (2015). Heinsohn won the 1957 NBA Rookie of the Year award, made the All-Star team six times in nine seasons, and earned the 1973 NBA Coach of the Year award. 

How you remember or think about Heinsohn is very much a generational consideration, which is a testament to his longevity and versatility. If you are at least 70 years old, you may remember Tommy Heinsohn most as a great player who played a key role for eight of Boston's NBA championship teams. If you are at least 60 years old, you may remember Tommy Heinsohn most as a great coach who led the Boston Celtics to NBA championships in 1974 and 1976. If you are younger than 60 years old, you probably remember Tommy Heinsohn most as a colorful broadcaster who did not hide that he bled Celtic green but who also had great insight about the game from both a playing and coaching perspective.  

My earliest memories of Heinsohn date back to his days as a color commentator for CBS' national NBA coverage in the 1980s. I did not think that he was an overt Celtic partisan during those broadcasts, but some observers did. Heinsohn spent nearly 40 years working as a color commentator for the Celtics' local coverage, and during those broadcasts his rooting preferences were quite evident--and there is nothing wrong with that.

I did a phone interview with Heinsohn on June 10, 2004, and we spoke about many basketball topics, ranging from his playing career to the modern game. I quoted Heinsohn in my December 2004 Basketball Digest article about Sam Jones. I also interviewed Bob Cousy and K.C. Jones during that period, and I later interviewed John Havlicek, Satch Sanders, and Dave Cowens. All of those legendary Celtics were a joy to interview. I believe that I first met Heinsohn when Indiana played Boston during the 2005 NBA playoffs. I recall that he was very approachable and friendly; he did not put on any airs, or act like he was a legend who should get special consideration.

Bill Russell was the defensive anchor for the dynasty Celtics, Cousy was the playmaker who could also score, Bill Sharman was the sharpshooter who was also a scrappy defender, and Heinsohn was known as "Ack-Ack" and "Tommy Gun" because he loved to shoot. In each of Heinsohn's first six seasons he averaged at least 16.2 ppg and at least 9.5 rpg for Boston's balanced attack. In his first couple seasons he was the third option behind Cousy and Sharman but in 1959-60 he led Boston in scoring (21.7 ppg). Heinsohn led the team in scoring for three straight seasons before Sam Jones and Havlicek emerged as the team's top scorers. Heinsohn was Boston's leading playoff scorer during four championship seasons (22.9 ppg in 1957; 21.8 ppg in 1960; 19.7 ppg in 1961; 24.7 ppg in 1963). He was Boston's second leading playoff scorer in 1962 (20.7 ppg) when Russell put up this incredible playoff stat line: 22.4 ppg, 26.4 rpg, 5.0 apg, 48.0 mpg. 

Heinsohn retired in 1965 before returning to coach the Celtics four years later, succeeding Russell, who retired as player-coach after leading the team to the 1969 title. Heinsohn compiled a 427-263 regular season record (.619 winning percentage) as Boston's head coach from 1969-78. The Celtics missed the playoffs in the first two years of the post-Russell era before winning at least 54 games in each of the next five seasons. Heinsohn's best team went 68-14 in 1973 but did not win the title after Havlicek injured his shoulder versus the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. Boston won two of the next three titles before declining in the late 1970s.

After Heinsohn was inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach in 2015, I wrote about Heinsohn's perspective on the enduring greatness of the Boston Celtics teams that he played for and coached. Coach Red Auerbach set the tone:

Heinsohn declares, "Red’s style of play: the philosophy was to destroy the will of the other team to beat you and his strategy was to put you to the supreme mental and physical test. We had this uptempo game called the fast break. This put you, including the big guys, to the ultimate physical test of sprinting on every possession. He also implemented an aggressive defense and we had the ultimate stopper in Bill Russell." 

So much is made now of "analytics" and the value of pushing the pace and spreading the court but Auerbach figured all of this out decades ago without using a spreadsheet. Heinsohn states simply, "The secret weapon of the Boston Celtics for over 30 years" was "the pace of the game." This made the other team pay a physical price by forcing the other team to play faster than they were comfortable playing and making them "think fast while running backwards." Heinsohn compares this to racing against the world's best marathoner by using a relay team.

Heinsohn has worked as a broadcaster for decades now and he says that when he meets with coaches before games they will often say that they want to push the pace but Heinsohn believes that most coaches do not understand what that means. Heinsohn is appalled when he sees a big guy retrieve the ball after a made basket and walk out of bounds to pass the ball into play; he trained all of his players--even his big guys--to be able to bring the ball up the court and initiate the offense. The point was to get the ball in play and up the court as fast as possible before the defense can get set.

Heinsohn admits that when he became a coach he did not see a reason to deviate much from Auerbach's approach. The Boston teams that Heinsohn coached were small but they were tough, they rebounded ferociously and they ran the court relentlessly. His 1972-73 team went 68-14 in the regular season featuring a lineup of 6-9 center Dave Cowens, 6-7 power forward Paul Silas, 6-5 small forward John Havlicek, 6-5 shooting guard Don Chaney and 6-3 point guard Jo Jo White. The undersized Celtics led the league in rebounding and might have won the championship if Havlicek had not injured his shoulder during the playoffs. In 1973-74, that same group posted a 56-26 record (second best in the NBA), led the league in rebounding and beat the 59-23 Milwaukee Bucks in seven games to win the Celtics' first championship of the post-Bill Russell era. The 1974-75 Celtics tied with the Washington Bullets for the best record in the NBA (60-22), finished second in the league in rebounding and lost to the Bullets in the Eastern Conference Finals. In 1975-76, the Celtics replaced Chaney with Charlie Scott, a 6-5 shooting guard who won the 1972 ABA scoring championship (34.6 ppg) before making the All-Star team three years in a row as a Phoenix Sun. The Celtics went 54-28--the second best record in the NBA behind only the defending champion Golden State Warriors--and led the league in rebounding en route to claiming their second title in three years.

The sound, fundamental principles of winning basketball have not changed in the past 60 years, and they likely will not change in the next 60 years: be mentally and physically strong, push the pace to wear down the other team, and attack on offense before the defense has time to get set. Heinsohn learned and applied those principles well, so it is not an accident that he won eight championships in nine seasons as a player before winning two championships in nine seasons as Boston's head coach.

Labels: Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Boston Celtics, Dave Cowens, John Havlicek, K.C. Jones, Sam Jones, Satch Sanders, Tommy Heinsohn

posted by David Friedman @ 8:54 PM

0 comments

Remembering John Havlicek: Ironman, Versatile Performer and Unselfish Teammate

Pro basketball lost one of its most legendary and accomplished players on Thursday with the passing of John Havlicek, a Hall of Famer and Top 50 player who won eight championships during his NBA career, trailing only his Boston Celtic teammates Bill Russell (11) and Sam Jones (10).

I interviewed Havlicek over a decade ago and the title of the article I wrote about him says it all: John Havlicek: The Ultimate Complete Player. Havlicek had no skill set weaknesses: He could score, pass, rebound, defend and handle the ball. He was a clutch player and an unselfish teammate who embraced the sixth man role early in his career before becoming a four-time All-NBA First Team selection and a five-time All-Defensive First Team selection. Havlicek played all of his 16 seasons for the Boston Celtics and he was the first pro basketball player to score at least 1000 points in each season of a career of that length, a feat later matched by Julius Erving.

The recent concept of "load management" would have been anathema to Havlicek, who missed just 33 regular season games during his career. "I'm ready to go 48 all the time. I get to rest on free throws and timeouts," he once declared. He retired as pro basketball's career leader in regular season games played (1270) and he ranked second (to Wilt Chamberlain) in career regular season minutes played (46,471) when he retired. During the 1976 playoffs, Havlicek played through a torn plantar fascia, missing just three games and playing 58 minutes in Boston's game five triple overtime win versus Phoenix in the NBA Finals, setting the stage for the title-clinching game six victory. "I don’t think you should mind a little pain if you’re paid to play," Havlicek explained.

Two years later, Havlicek scored 29 points in 41 minutes in his final game, which stands as the record for most points by a Hall of Famer in the final game of his career--at least until Kobe Bryant (60 points) is inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Labels: Boston Celtics, John Havlicek

posted by David Friedman @ 12:47 AM

2 comments

LeBron James is NOT the First Player to Rank Among the Top 10 Career Leaders in Scoring and Assists

Contrary to recent headlines and reports, LeBron James is NOT the first player to rank among the top 10 career leaders in scoring and assists. James, who is fifth on the career ABA/NBA scoring list, recently passed Andre Miller to rank 10th all-time in career ABA/NBA assists. This is, without question, a tremendous accomplishment. However, to rephrase a quote from James' past, he is not the first, or second, or third, or fourth, or even fifth player to achieve this distinction.

The inaccurate headlines and stories about this particular subject are symptomatic of a larger issue: basketball history is not well understood and well reported. It is worth recognizing the players who accomplished the dual scoring/playmaking feat prior to James; these players are often not given the credit that they deserve, in part because their accomplishments and milestones are not widely known. 

Rather than going back too far in NBA history, which would provide a small sample size of data from just a few seasons, we can begin by looking at the rankings after the 1965-66 season (the NBA's 20th campaign). At that time, Bob Cousy not only ranked first in career assists (6945) but he also ranked fourth in all-time scoring (16,955 points). How many fans and commentators are aware that Cousy was not just the best playmaker of his era but that he was also a big-time scorer?

In 1966, Oscar Robertson ranked second in career assists (4923) and eighth in career scoring (13,998 points). Richie Guerin ranked sixth in career assists (3755) and 10th in career scoring (13,426 points). Dolph Schayes ranked eighth in career assists (3072) and third in career scoring (18,438 points).

Moving ahead by a decade, after the 1975-76 season, Oscar Robertson ranked first in career assists (9887) and second in career scoring (26,710 points). Jerry West ranked fourth in career assists (6238) and third in career scoring (25,192 points). John Havlicek ranked fifth in career assists (5386) and fourth in career scoring (23,678 points). Wilt Chamberlain ranked seventh in career assists (4643) and first in career scoring (31,419 points). Hal Greer ranked eighth in career assists (4540) and sixth in career scoring (21,586 points).

After the 1985-86 season, Oscar Robertson ranked first in career assists (9887) and sixth in career scoring (26,710 points). Jerry West ranked fifth in career assists (6238) and 10th in career scoring (25,192 points). John Havlicek ranked sixth in career assists (6114) and eighth in career scoring (26,395 points). Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ranked eighth in career assists (5248) and first in career scoring (35,108 points).

In addition, Julius Erving barely missed the cut, ranking third in career scoring (29,021 points) and 11th in career assists (4985, just 55 behind Walt Frazier); Erving retired after the 1986-87 season and he briefly enjoyed the distinction of ranking in the top 10 in both categories (third in career scoring, 10th in career assists), before being passed on the assists list by his former teammate, Maurice Cheeks.

LeBron James is not even close to being the first--or the only--player to rank among the top 10 career leaders in both scoring and assists. Listing the players who accomplished this feat before James does not in any way diminish his greatness; it just sets the record straight, while also providing overdue recognition to a select list of all-time great players who preceded James.

Labels: Bob Cousy, Dolph Schayes, Hal Greer, Jerry West, John Havlicek, Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James, Oscar Robertson, Richie Guerin, Wilt Chamberlain

posted by David Friedman @ 1:28 PM

6 comments

Vince Carter Joins the 25,000 Point Club

On Wednesday night, Vince Carter scored on a slam dunk as the game ended. That used to be a routine play for Carter but this particular dunk was anything but routine, as those two points enabled Carter to become the 26th player in ABA/NBA history to amass at least 25,000 career points. The 25,000 point club officially only has 22 members, as the NBA's stubborn refusal to acknowledge ABA statistics keeps Julius Erving, Dan Issel, George Gervin, and Rick Barry out of the NBA segregated 25,000 point club while also deducting 2171 points from Moses Malone's career total. Carter scored 14 points as his Atlanta Hawks lost 124-108 to Carter's first NBA team, the Toronto Raptors.

Carter has evolved from a high flying eight-time All-Star who averaged at least 20 ppg for 10 straight seasons (2000-09), including six seasons during which he scored at least 24 ppg, into a veteran leader who serves as a role model of professionalism for his younger teammates. The soon to be 42 year old has the enthusiasm of a player half his age, as he noted right after attaining the milestone: "I still love it. I still love playing. I was willing to do whatever it took to stick around. All of the things I have to do to play a game, to be prepared, to get prepared for the season, I'm willing to do. I'm asked constantly, 'What's the secret? What are you doing?' Well, the secret is I'm willing to do whatever it takes."

As I noted when Carmelo Anthony joined the 25,000 point club earlier this year, this is a significant accomplishment for a scorer; every player who has scored at least 25,000 points is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame or is a lock to be inducted as soon as he becomes eligible. Simple math shows why this is the case: a player could score 25 ppg while playing 80 games per season for a dozen years and still be 1000 points short of qualifying!

Younger fans may not realize that the 25,000 point club used to be even more exclusive. The "charter" members, so to speak, are Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West and John Havlicek, who founded the club from the mid-1960s through the mid-1970s. In the 1980s, the club added six members: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (who is still the all-time scoring leader), Julius Erving, Dan Issel, Elvin Hayes, George Gervin, Moses Malone and Rick Barry. The club has since more than doubled in size. This is similar to the dramatic increase in the number of chess players who have at least a 2600 FIDE (International Chess Federation) rating; there were just 15 such players on the first official rating list in 1971 but by 1991 there were 33 and by 2004 a 2600 rating was not enough to earn a top 100 spot in the world rankings. Chess ratings are affected by the composition of the entire pool of players (it is easier to gain points when there are more players who have high ratings), while pro basketball point totals are affected not just by skill but also by rules changes, style of play changes, training advances that have extended careers and other factors. None of this is meant to denigrate Carter’s accomplishment but rather just to place it in context. Being one out of four or five is different than being one out of 25 or 26, regardless of what is being measured or how it is being measured.

That being said, Carter deserves congratulations for his longevity, his skill level, his dedication and his willingness to accept a lesser role as his skills declined, something that has proven to be difficult for some of his contemporaries (including fellow 25,000 point club member Carmelo Anthony).

Labels: Jerry West, John Havlicek, Oscar Robertson, Vince Carter, Wilt Chamberlain

posted by David Friedman @ 2:17 AM

0 comments

Tommy Heinsohn Explains the "Secret Weapon" That Helped the Celtics Win so Many Championships

Tommy Heinsohn won eight championships as a player for the Boston Celtics before leading the franchise to two titles as head coach. He is one of just four people--John Wooden, Bill Sharman and Lenny Wilkens are the others--enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach. During his September 2015 speech after being enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach, Heinsohn provided some insights about why the Boston Celtics were so successful for so long. It all started with Red Auerbach, who built the Celtics into a powerhouse in the 1950s and 1960s.


Heinsohn has worked as a broadcaster for decades now and he says that when he meets with coaches before games they will often say that they want to push the pace but Heinsohn believes that most coaches do not understand what that means. Heinsohn is appalled when he sees a big guy retrieve the ball after a made basket and walk out of bounds to pass the ball into play; he trained all of his players--even his big guys--to be able to bring the ball up the court and initiate the offense. The point was to get the ball in play and up the court as fast as possible before the defense can get set.

Heinsohn admits that when he became a coach he did not see a reason to deviate much from Auerbach's approach. The Boston teams that Heinsohn coached were small but they were tough, they rebounded ferociously and they ran the court relentlessly. His 1972-73 team went 68-14 in the regular season featuring a lineup of 6-9 center Dave Cowens, 6-7 power forward Paul Silas, 6-5 small forward John Havlicek, 6-5 shooting guard Don Chaney and 6-3 point guard Jo Jo White. The undersized Celtics led the league in rebounding and might have won the championship if Havlicek had not injured his shoulder during the playoffs. In 1973-74, that same group posted a 56-26 record (second best in the NBA), led the league in rebounding and beat the 59-23 Milwaukee Bucks in seven games to win the Celtics' first championship of the post-Bill Russell era. The 1974-75 Celtics tied with the Washington Bullets for the best record in the NBA (60-22), finished second in the league in rebounding and lost to the Bullets in the Eastern Conference Finals. In 1975-76, the Celtics replaced Chaney with Charlie Scott, a 6-5 shooting guard who won the 1972 ABA scoring championship (34.6 ppg) before making the All-Star team three years in a row as a Phoenix Sun. The Celtics went 54-28--the second best record in the NBA behind only the defending champion Golden State Warriors--and led the league in rebounding en route to claiming their second title in three years.

The Golden State Warriors who won last year's NBA title and who are running roughshod over the league so far this season are not doing much that is new and they certainly are not in any way vindicating either "analytics" (an example of the result of blindly following "analytics" can be found in Philadelphia) or Mike D'Antoni (whose teams did not focus enough on defense and rebounding). It does not take fancy calculations and an M.B.A. to figure out how to build a winning basketball team. Red Auerbach proved that more than 50 years ago, Tommy Heinsohn reaffirmed this in the 1970s and Heinsohn's Hall of Fame speech is a nice, brief tutorial for anyone who did not know or who needed a refresher course.

Labels: Boston Celtics, Charlie Scott, Dave Cowens, Don Chaney, Jo Jo White, John Havlicek, Paul Silas, Tommy Heinsohn

posted by David Friedman @ 4:09 PM

0 comments

Wayback Machine, Part III: The 1977 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball

The 1977 Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball has a sweet cover photo of New York Net Julius "Dr. J" Erving suspended in mid-air, operating on Denver Nugget Dan Issel. In the 1976 ABA Finals--the league's swan song before the ABA-NBA merger--Erving led both teams in scoring (37.7 ppg), rebounding (14.2 rpg), assists (6.0 apg), steals (3.0 spg) and blocked shots (2.2 bpg) while carrying his Nets to a 4-2 victory over a dominant Denver team that featured two Hall of Fame players (Issel and David Thompson), a Hall of Fame coach (Larry Brown) and the best defensive forward in pro basketball (Bobby Jones).

The first post-merger edition of the CHPB had fewer pages (272) than the 1976 (304 pages) and 1975 (288 pages) editions, largely because the pro basketball world had contracted from 28 teams in two leagues at the start of the 1975-76 season to 22 teams in one league. In addition to 22 team profiles, lists of 1976 statistical leaders from both leagues, a detailed account of the ABA Dispersal Draft (which included future Hall of Famers Artis Gilmore and Moses Malone plus future Coach of the Year Mike D'Antoni), a "TV/Radio roundup" and a complete schedule, the 1977 CHPB employed an all-star cast of writers to describe what the new NBA would look like. Woodrow Paige from the Rocky Mountain News--better known now as ESPN's Woody Paige--contributed a feature story titled "How Dr. J Will Dissect the NBA," Bob Ryan--another veteran newspaper writer who is now better known for being an ESPN personality--answered the question "Is John Havlicek the All-Time Best Performer?" and Roger Director--a sportswriter who became a big-time TV writer, producer and story editor in the 1980s--contributed a pieced titled "So You Want to be a Referee."

Here are some interesting notes, quotes and quips from the 1977 CHPB:

1) When I interviewed Woody Paige he told me that the two times in his career he walked away "amazed" were the first time he saw Julius Erving and the first time he saw John Elway. This is how Paige described Erving in his feature story:

"My personal thoughts about Erving already have been established during his five professional seasons. Writers aren't supposed to idolize, only report. But it's difficult to distinguish between the two when describing Erving. He is the greatest I've ever seen. I have watched him play some 70 times, but when I am old and feeble, surrounded by a multitude of grandurchins, I will remember distinctly and tell them again and again of the first time I saw Dr. J play."

Later in that same piece, Paige quoted Vince Boryla, a veteran pro basketball player, coach and executive:

"Nobody I ever have seen could play the game like he does. And he does it so effortlessly. And none of it takes away from his team play or his ability to play great defense. Elgin Baylor was the best I'd ever seen for a long time. We thought he was so quick. Baylor was like a stagecoach, though, compared to Erving. Erving can make his move, shoot and start back on defense before Baylor could take two steps."

LeBron James is justifiably lauded for his ability to play forward, guard and even center at times but it is unfortunate that some people have forgotten--and many people are too young to remember--that before James was even born Erving did the same thing and he did it with even more flair while leading the Nets to two championships in three years. Paige explained Erving's amazing versatility and even had the foresight to predict Erving's eventual shift to guard, which happened a decade later in Erving's final two seasons:

"Dr. J may be the only player in the game who can be utilized in any of the three positions without hurting his team or throwing off his game plan. For the Nets, he is primarily a forward. But because of injuries and weaknesses in the past at center, and when [Coach Kevin] Loughery wants more speed in the lineup, Erving moves into the middle. During the playoffs he was at guard for segments and he may end his career there. He can dribble and pass and run like a guard; he can rebound and shoot like a forward; and he can box out and throw the outlet pass like a center. He has the uncanny ability to pull down a rebound, throw the first pass on the break and then race down the court to score off it.

Because of his skill around the basket, clubs are forced to double-team him, setting up the Erving passes to the center for so-easy baskets. Dr. J has fantastic peripheral vision that allows him to go up, pull the ball back from a possible shot and make the good pass just before his feet return to Earth."

Paige conceded that it would be harder for Erving to get to the hoop in the NBA and stated that the nature of the sport is that a small forward cannot dominate quite the same way that a 7-2 center like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar can but Paige correctly predicted that in the NBA Erving "will win games and he'll be consistent." Erving's Philadelphia 76ers were the winningest team in the NBA from 1976-77 through 1982-83, they won the 1983 championship in dominant fashion, they made it to the Finals four times in those seven seasons and five of their six playoff series losses came against teams that had a future Hall of Famer at center.

During the 11 years that Abdul-Jabbar and Erving played in the NBA together, Abdul-Jabbar won two MVPs, one Finals MVP and four titles, while Erving won one MVP--the first such award claimed by a non-center in the NBA in nearly 20 years--and one title. Much like Abdul-Jabbar blocked Erving's path at times--his teams beat Erving's teams two out of three times in the Finals--Dwight Howard, the league's most dominant big man for the past several years, has already blocked James' path to one title (2009) and now that Howard has joined the Lakers he may block James' path more times.

2) Bob Ryan argued that while Bill Russell has "unchallenged supremacy" as the most valuable player in pro basketball history, John Havlicek "could, by virtue of a variety of skills, contribute to the winning of more games in more different ways" than any other performer in the sport's history. When Havlicek retired he ranked in the top ten on both the career scoring list and the career assists list. Ryan declared that in 1969-70, 1970-71 and 1971-72 Havlicek "was the most consistently brilliant all-around player who ever set foot on the court." Havlicek was certainly great during that period--culminating in averages of 28.9 ppg, 9.0 rpg and 7.5 apg in 1970-71--but Ryan's statement is still a bit over the top in light of Oscar Robertson averaging an aggregate triple double for the first five seasons of his career (including 30.8 ppg, 12.5 rpg and 11.4 apg in 1961-62, the first and only time that a pro basketball player averaged a triple double for an entire season), not to mention the all-around brilliance displayed by players such as Elgin Baylor and Jerry West (Ryan blithely dismissed Erving from consideration because Erving had spent his entire career to that point in the ABA, an indication of Ryan's bias not just for Boston players but also against the ABA).

While Ryan somewhat overstated his case, the sad reality now is that Havlicek is underrated--if not completely forgotten--by just about anybody born after 1980, so it is worth mentioning some of his accomplishments. Havlicek began his career as a sixth man and likely would have won the Sixth Man Award several times if that honor had existed during his career. Unlike Erving and James, Havlicek could not play center but Ryan is correct that Havlicek was an extremely versatile and gifted player: he was a key contributor on eight championship teams (six while playing alongside Bill Russell plus two more after Russell retired) and in 1970 and 1972 he ranked in the top ten in scoring, assists and free throw percentage. Havlicek made the All-Defensive Team eight times (including five First Team selections)--and that honor did not exist until the seventh season of his 16 year career. Havlicek won the 1974 Finals MVP and even though it was almost impossible for a non-center to win the regular season MVP during his career he did earn five top 10 finishes. Havlicek still ranks 15th in pro basketball history in career points (26,395), ahead of every currently active player except for Kobe Bryant and ahead of legendary forwards Rick Barry, Elgin Baylor and Larry Bird. He also ranks 28th in pro basketball history in career assists (6114), ahead of every currently active player except Jason Kidd, Steve Nash and Andre Miller and ahead of many other renowned passers, including Larry Bird and Michael Jordan.

It is interesting that in the 1976 CHPB, Commissioner Emeritus J. Walter Kennedy left Havlicek off of his all-time NBA team. Havlicek made the official 35th Anniversary Team in 1980-81 and he also made the cut for the NBA's 50 Greatest Players List in 1996.

3) Roger Director's article provided John Nucatola, then the NBA's Supervisor of Officials, the opportunity to explain in detail how the NBA selected and evaluated its referees. Three interesting candidates were in the pipeline at that time: Don Nelson (a former player who became a Hall of Fame coach), Bernie Fryer (a former player who later served for three decades as an NBA referee before becoming the NBA's Vice President and Director of Officials) and Evonne Maxwell (who tried unsuccessfully to become the league's first female referee). Nucatola told Director that the league encouraged former players to try out but that other than Nelson and Fryer not too many had chosen to do so. Nucatola noted that the job required that candidates not only know the rules and be in good physical condition but also that they have the right mindset and personality to deal with 10 players, two coaching staffs and a potentially hostile crowd. Referees must be in control--of both themselves and the game situation--at all times and yet not be arrogant. That balance is difficult to maintain, as the NFL is finding out this season with their replacement referees--people who may be very experienced and competent for lower levels of the sport but are totally out of their depth at the pro level. Every drunk fan thinks that he can be a referee but it is actually a difficult and thankless job.

4) Ryan and Paige co-wrote the "Inside the NBA" article, predicting that Washington would defeat Phoenix in the 1977 NBA Finals. Washington posted the third best record in the East--just two games behind Erving's East-leading Philadelphia 76ers--but Washington lost in the second round to Houston while the 76ers toppled the Rockets in the Eastern Conference Finals before losing to the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA Finals. Phoenix, the 1976 Western Conference champions, dropped to 34-48 and did not make the 1977 playoffs. Abdul-Jabbar's Lakers posted the best record in the league (53-29) but were swept by Portland in the Western Conference Finals. Erving was still a Net at press time or else Ryan and Paige undoubtedly would have ranked the 76ers higher than they did.

5) While the 76ers team preview did not include Erving, it is interesting to read the mini-profiles of some of his future teammates. George McGinnis hardly received rave reviews: "Shot selection is still an alien concept to a guy who has been doing as he damned well pleases on the floor since he was in junior high...Would have had trouble guarding a phone booth...Friendly guy who doesn't realize he is only scratching his potential." Those words proved to be very prophetic, as the talented McGinnis was out of the league just five years later at the age of 32; he showed flashes of brilliance at times and helped lead the Indiana Pacers to back to back ABA titles in 1972 and 1973 but he did not display the same level of dedication to his craft that Erving and Havlicek did as they managed to be highly productive well past the age of 35.

Doug Collins received praise for his ability to move without the ball, a skill that was somewhat wasted on this particular squad: "Should be equipped with flares on the floor...That's about the only way he'll ever attract the attention of either McGinnis or, especially, [Fred] Carter out there."

Kobe Bryant's father, Joe Bryant, was not quite the two way performer that his son became: "A long way from the All-Defensive Team but he's not alone on this club."

6) Although the Nets won the 1976 ABA championship thanks to Erving's all-around brilliance, the Nets' team preview pointed out the team's serious weaknesses: "Erving was once again the best passing forward with five assists a game...If only the others threw the ball to Erving in open situations the way he does it for them, no telling what he could average. But they don't." While Erving "is an intelligent defensive forward," the Nets' overall defense was panned for relying on "street gang defensive maneuvers...hang on and bang on." Finally, the team's struggles on the boards compelled Erving to crash the defensive glass like a center instead of being able to fully take advantage of his open court skills. "Take away Dr. J and New York is a completely mediocre team." That, in fact, is what happened: the Nets sold Erving to the 76ers and dropped from champions to 22-60, the worst record in the league.

7) Erving's profile said a lot in a few words: "The complete player...Can do it all and does...Among top 10 in seven different categories last season...Led the ABA in scoring as usual and was MVP again...Has really improved outside shooting in last two seasons and now can score from anywhere by any means against anybody at any time."

8) Future 11-time championship coach Phil Jackson was nearing the end of the line as a backup forward with the New York Knicks: "Not very productive last year, primarily because he fouled too damn much...Legitimate intellectual...Interested in comparative religions, as befits the son of a preacher...Forward on the All-Hook Shot team...Great on the zone press."

9) Phoenix guard Ricky Sobers played solidly as a rookie in 1976 but his mini-profile noted that he might also have been auditioning for another sport: "Must make up his mind whether he wants to play basketball or become the second coming of Kid Gavilan...Had many fights during the regular season and one per playoff round (Tommy Burleson, Rick Barry, Kevin Stacom)...When he sticks to business, however, he can play the game."

10) Jamaal Wilkes, a 2012 Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, enjoyed a very productive second season: "Essentially a flawless player...No more astute young defensive player and a scrappy rebounder...Poses a difficult matchup problem because he's quick and so much stronger than he looks."

11) Bill Walton played in just 86 games in his first two seasons but he had already showed flashes of his true potential: "Don't doubt that he could lead his team to a title someday just because you hate beards, vegetables and left-wing politics. He can really play." Walton enjoyed the best season of his career in 1976-77, earning the Finals MVP while leading the Trail Blazers to the first and only championship in franchise history.

12) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ranked second in scoring (27.7 ppg), won his first rebounding title (16.9 rpg) and claimed his fourth MVP in his first seven seasons but not everyone was impressed: "Paid more lip service than any player in the game, but the fact remains everybody thought his teams would dominate forever, and he's been on one exactly one champeen in seven years" (yes, the author wrote "champeen"). Within a decade of those words being written, Abdul-Jabbar won five more championships, two more MVPs and a Finals MVP while also breaking Wilt Chamberlain's regular season career scoring record.

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

Labels: Bob Ryan, Complete Handbook of Pro Basketball, John Havlicek, Julius Erving, LeBron James, Woody Paige, Zander Hollander

posted by David Friedman @ 7:28 AM

0 comments

Julius Erving Ignored as Kobe Bryant Joins Exclusive 25,000/5000/5000 Club

During the L.A. Lakers' 114-106 overtime win versus the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night, Kobe Bryant joined the exclusive 25,000 point/5000 rebound/5000 assist club. Unfortunately, every media account of this accomplishment that I have seen disregarded the fact that Julius Erving accomplished this feat; Erving played five of his 16 professional seasons in the ABA and it is a travesty that the NBA still refuses to admit that ABA Numbers Should Also Count, a point that I have been emphasizing for the better part of a decade (and it sure would be nice if some media members who have been fortunate enough to be blessed with a larger platform than I currently have would use that influence constructively to make that point as well).

Here is the real membership list of the 25,000/5000/5000 Club (in order of career points scored):

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 38,387 points/17,440 rebounds/5660 assists (1560 games played)
Karl Malone: 36,928 points/14,968 rebounds/5248 assists (1476 games played)
Michael Jordan: 32,292 points/6672 rebounds/5633 assists (1072 games played)
Julius Erving: 30,026 points/10,525 rebounds/5176 assists (1243 games played)
Kobe Bryant: 27,061 points/5663 rebounds/5015 assists (1071 games played)
Oscar Robertson: 26,710 points/7804 rebounds/9887 assists (1040 games played)
John Havlicek: 26,395 points/8007 rebounds/6114 assists (1270 games played)
Jerry West: 25,192 points/5366 rebounds/6238 assists (932 games played)

Labels: Jerry West, John Havlicek, Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson

posted by David Friedman @ 6:47 AM

13 comments

The NBA in the 1970s: The Greatest Game Ever Played

I wrote the chapter about the NBA in the 1970s for the 2005 anthology Basketball in America: From the Playgrounds to Jordan's Game and Beyond. This is the eighth of 12 installments reprinting that chapter in its entirety.

I have removed the footnotes that accompanied the original text; direct quotations are now acknowledged in the body of the work and I will post a bibliography at the end of the final installment. I hope that you enjoy my take on one of the most fascinating and eventful decades in NBA history.

The Greatest Game Ever Played

The NBA-ABA rivalry heated up during the 1975 offseason. The Kentucky Colonels, a powerful squad coached by Hubie Brown and built around the talents of Artis Gilmore, Dan Issel and Louie Dampier, won the 1975 ABA championship. Knicks' legend DeBusschere, newly selected as the ABA commissioner, promptly challenged the NBA to permit the Warriors to play the Colonels in a best of three series but the established league refused. Meanwhile, the Knicks signed ABA co-MVP George McGinnis to a contract, blatantly disregarding the fact that the Sixers' owned his NBA draft rights. NBA Commissioner Larry O'Brien voided the Knicks' deal with the superstar forward, fined the team and took away a draft choice. McGinnis signed with the Sixers shortly thereafter.

The ABA scored a major victory when the Denver Nuggets agreed to terms with David Thompson and Marvin Webster, the first and third picks in the 1975 NBA draft. Thompson went on to capture ABA Rookie of the Year honors; Alvan Adams, the NBA Rookie of the Year, began his acceptance speech humorously by thanking Thompson for not signing with an NBA team. Of course, this was no laughing matter for NBA owners; top level talent was signing with the ABA regularly and the competition between the leagues for these players continued to push salaries higher.

The Lakers pulled off the blockbuster deal of the summer, acquiring Kareem Abdul-Jabbar from the Bucks in exchange for Junior Bridgeman, Dave Meyers, Elmore Smith and Brian Winters. In his first year with the Lakers, Abdul-Jabbar won his only rebounding crown (16.9 rebounds per game) and the fourth of his record six regular season MVPs. The Lakers improved by 10 wins, but their 40-42 record did not qualify them for postseason play. Meanwhile, the Bucks matched their 1974-1975 win total (38) but incredibly moved from last place to first as the other three teams in the Midwest Division plummeted in the standings. Rick Barry's Warriors, no longer upstarts, won the Pacific Division with the best record in the league, 59-23. Seattle, Phoenix and Detroit claimed the other Western Conference playoff spots.

Boston finished with the best record in the East for the fifth straight season, 54-28. The surprising 49-33 Cleveland Cavaliers earned the franchise's first playoff appearance, winning the Central Division by one game over the Bullets. Seven Cavs averaged at least 10 points per game, led by center Jim Chones (15.8 points per game) and small forward Campy Russell (15.0 points per game). Bob McAdoo won his third straight scoring title (31.1 points per game) for the 46-36 Braves, while McGinnis (23.0 points per game) and guard Doug Collins (20.8 points per game) led the Sixers to an identical record. The two evenly matched Atlantic Division rivals faced off in the first round, with the Braves winning game three 124-123 in overtime at Philadelphia. In the Eastern Conference Semifinals Boston knocked off Buffalo in six games, while the Cavaliers won an action packed seven game series versus the Bullets. Unfortunately for the Cavs, Chones broke his foot and was not available for the Eastern Finals versus the Celtics, who defeated the Cavs in six games to earn their second NBA Finals berth in three years.

The Bucks had the worst record of the five Western playoff teams and did not receive a bye even though they won the Midwest Division. The Pistons beat them in three games, taking the final contest 107-104 in Milwaukee. Detroit took home court advantage from the Warriors with a 123-111 game two win but Golden State closed out the series in six games, winning the last one 118-116 in overtime. Phoenix beat Seattle in six games but entered the Western Finals as decided underdogs. Their prospects looked even grimmer after the Warriors blew them out 128-103 in game one, but the resilient Suns seized home court advantage with a 108-101 win in game two. The teams traded wins after that, culminating in a 94-86 Suns' victory in game seven at Golden State.

Boston-Phoenix looked like a decisive mismatch on paper. Paul Westphal, the Suns' leading scorer (20.5 points per game), had been a bench player with the Celtics until they traded him and two draft picks to Phoenix for Charlie Scott. Center Alvan Adams, Rookie of the Year and the Suns' second leading scorer (19.0 points per game), did not figure to have an easy series against a team that placed its entire starting frontcourt--Dave Cowens, John Havlicek, and Paul Silas--on the 1976 All-Defensive First Team. However, Phoenix proved to be surprisingly tough, bouncing back after two losses in Boston to tie the series after four games.

The pivotal game five encounter became a triple overtime thriller that is still considered by many to be the greatest basketball game ever played, filled with exciting plays, comebacks and numerous twists and turns. At the end of the second overtime the Suns trailed by one and were set to inbound the ball from their own backcourt with one second left. Westphal, showing the strategic wiles that later made him a successful Suns coach, urged Coach John MacLeod to call a time-out, even though Phoenix had used up all of their time-outs. The Suns were assessed a technical foul and Jo Jo White made the free throw. Westphal knew that after the stoppage of play for the free throw the Suns would be allowed to advance the ball to half court for the inbounds play as if a legitimate time-out had been called (a rule later changed as a result of this game). Gar Heard made a sensational shot to send the game into a third overtime. In the third extra period, the clock struck midnight for the Cinderella Suns, as Celtics' reserve Glenn McDonald made several clutch plays to seal a 128-126 win for Boston; he was only in the game because Silas had fouled out.

The Celtics wrapped up the title in game six. White scored 15 points and led Boston with 21.7 points per game in the series, earning the Finals MVP. Cowens and Silas combined for 31 points and 30 rebounds in game six, while Scott totaled 25 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three steals. Scott, a much maligned player during his stints with Phoenix and Virginia, also scored 31 points with eight assists and two steals in the final playoff game versus the Braves and put up 20 points in the last game against the Cavs.

Labels: Boston Celtics, Jo Jo White, John Havlicek, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Paul Westphal, Phoenix Suns

posted by David Friedman @ 2:43 AM

1 comments

The NBA in the 1970s: Celtic Pride Reborn

I wrote the chapter about the NBA in the 1970s for the 2005 anthology Basketball in America: From the Playgrounds to Jordan's Game and Beyond. This is the fifth of 12 installments reprinting that chapter in its entirety.

I have removed the footnotes that accompanied the original text; direct quotations are now acknowledged in the body of the work and I will post a bibliography at the end of the final installment. I hope that you enjoy my take on one of the most fascinating and eventful decades in NBA history.

Celtic Pride Reborn

Wilt Chamberlain jumped to the ABA to be a player coach for the San Diego Conquistadors in the 1973-1974 season, but the Lakers successfully sought an injunction that kept him from playing for San Diego for one year. This was the same option clause that forced Rick Barry to sit out a year before joining the Oaks and that Connie Hawkins' representatives removed from his Pipers' contract so that he could join the NBA as soon as his case was resolved. The option only existed from the point of view of the team, which could choose to sign a player to a new contract when the original one expired or else restrain the player from signing with another team for a year; the player's "option" consisted of re-signing with the same team on their terms or losing a year's worth of earnings. This was a convenient way for the owners to restrict player movement and contain salaries but the cases of Rick Barry, Spencer Haywood and others were the first steps in eliminating this clause from standard player contracts.

The Lakers' championship hopes were dealt a second blow by injuries that limited Jerry West to 31 regular season games and a 14 minute cameo appearance in one playoff game before he retired. The Lakers acquired Hawkins from the Suns but he was no longer a star player. They also dealt Jim McMillian to the Buffalo Braves for journeyman center Elmore Smith, who led the league in blocked shots with a 4.85 per game average in the first year that the NBA recorded this statistic; Portland's aptly named Larry Steele averaged 2.68 steals per game as the NBA's first official leader in that category. The 47-35 Lakers won their fourth consecutive Pacific Division title but were no longer a legitimate title contender.

Oscar Robertson struggled with age and injuries in his last season but he, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bob Dandridge combined to lead the Bucks to their fourth straight Midwest Division crown with a league best 59-23 record. The Bulls and a fine Detroit Pistons team led by center Bob Lanier (22.5 points per game, 13.3 rebounds per game and 3.05 blocked shots per game) rounded out the playoff field in the Western Conference.

Similarly, the Eastern Conference playoffs featured three established playoff teams and one newcomer. The Celtics won the Atlantic Division for the third straight year, this time with a conference best 56 victories, while the 47-35 Capital (formerly Baltimore) Bullets took their fourth Central Division title in a row. The veteran Knicks (49-33) and young Buffalo Braves (42-40) were the other participants in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Buffalo featured Bob McAdoo, a center who won the first of three straight scoring titles (30.6 points per game) while leading the league in field goal percentage (54.7), ranking third in rebounding (15.1 rebounds per game) and third in blocked shots (3.32 blocks per game). His shooting prowess was remarkable considering that many of his attempts were long jump shots, while his rebounding and shot blocking were impressive because he was undersized (6-9, 215) for a center. No less an authority than Bill Russell offered this high praise: "He's the greatest shooter of all time, period. Forget that bit about 'greatest shooting big man.'"

McAdoo scored 31.7 points per game versus Boston in the playoffs, but the Celtics won the series four games to two. The Knicks and Bullets squared off for the sixth year in a row and the Knicks won for the fifth time, taking game seven 91-81 in New York. The Bucks annihilated the Lakers in five games, while Chicago and Detroit slugged it out for seven games before the Bulls advanced after a 96-94 triumph at home. The Celtics avenged the previous year's loss to the Knicks with a five game victory in the Eastern Conference Finals, while the Bucks swept the Bulls in the Western Conference Finals.

The Finals proved to be a seesaw affair. Milwaukee won a dramatic 102-101 double overtime game six in Boston and seemed to have matters in control heading home for game seven. Instead the Celtics blew the Bucks out, 102-87. Dave Cowens scored 28 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. During an 18 minute stretch Abdul-Jabbar went 0-3 from the field, due mainly to Cowens' physical, aggressive defense, the Celtics' double teaming in the post, and tremendous defensive pressure on the Bucks' ball handlers. "Their team concept of pressure was more than we could handle. With all the adjustments we tried, we just couldn't cope with it. Boston is a great team with no weaknesses. At least I haven't been able to find any," commented Bucks' Coach Larry Costello. Havlicek averaged 27.1 points per game during the postseason and won the Finals MVP.

Labels: Bob Lanier, Bob McAdoo, Boston Celtics, Dave Cowens, John Havlicek

posted by David Friedman @ 12:34 AM

0 comments

Young at Heart: Pro Basketball’s All-Time Ageless Wonders

A slightly different* version of this article was originally published in the November 2002 issue of Basketball Digest.

In Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana Jones laments, "It's not the years, it’s the mileage." For most pro basketball players it is a combination of both: years banging in the paint and miles sprinting up and down the court. Eventually, the body breaks down, skills erode and the next stop is the golf course or the broadcast booth.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, 46 year old Nat Hickey of the 1947-48 Providence Steamrollers is the oldest player in NBA history. He only appeared in one game that season; the Official NBA Encyclopedia credits Hickey with two free throws made, while the 2002 Sporting News NBA Guide indicates that Hickey did not score any points.

Nine other NBA players have participated in at least one game after turning 40. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Robert Parish and John Stockton--who joined the club last season--played significant, effective minutes. In fact, while it is becoming increasingly common for players to extend their careers into their late 30s, few of them have maintained a high level of play past the age of 35.

The unquestioned king of the 35 and over club is Abdul-Jabbar; he posted Hall of Fame caliber career numbers just in his final eight seasons. During that time he played an important role on four Lakers' championship teams, was an All-Star each year, earned four All-NBA First or Second Team selections, made the All-Defensive Second Team once and won one Finals MVP. He ranked among the league's scoring, field goal percentage and shot blocking leaders in several of those seasons.

One could argue that his last two All-Star selections were more of a career achievement award than anything else (he averaged only 14.6 ppg and 10.1 ppg at the ages of 41 and 42 respectively). On the other hand, comparing Abdul-Jabbar's last eight seasons to the careers of some Hall of Famers, it could easily be said that he earned such dispensation. His eight All-Star appearances would tie him on the all-time list with luminaries such as Alex English and Bob Lanier, while the four All-NBA selections are more than Dave Cowens, Bob McAdoo or Wes Unseld earned during their distinguished careers. Abdul-Jabbar's 12,117 points (19.4 ppg) in his final eight seasons would rank just behind Willis Reed on the career regular season scoring list.

During his first comeback Michael Jordan had the most decorated season of any 35 year old in pro basketball history. He won the 1997-98 regular season, All-Star and Finals MVPs (only Willis Reed in 1969-70 and Shaquille O'Neal in 1999-2000 have matched this achievement). Jordan also won the scoring title and made the All-NBA First Team and All-Defensive First Team. Jordan capped off 1997-98 by hitting the game winning shot in the Finals and (seemingly) riding off into the sunset.

Of course, last year Jordan made his second comeback. He made the All-Star team and became the oldest player to score at least 50 points in a regular season game (51 points in a 107-90 win versus the Hornets on December 29, 2001). Before being hobbled by knee injuries he, Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady were the only players in the NBA averaging 25-plus points, 5-plus rebounds and 5-plus assists per game. By the All-Star break Jordan had almost single-handedly propelled the previously woeful Washington Wizards (19-63 in 2000-2001) into the chase for home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Unfortunately, Jordan only scored 12.4 ppg after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery on February 27, finishing the season with averages of 22.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg and 5.2 apg. The Wizards were 30-30 when Jordan played (including several losses in which he was severely hampered by his bad knee) and 7-15 without him. Jordan's injuries kept him out of MVP and All-NBA contention and enabled Abdul-Jabbar to retain the unofficial title of best 39 year old basketball player. In 1985-86 Abdul-Jabbar ranked tenth in scoring (23.4 ppg, with a high game of 46), seventh in field goal percentage (.564) and displayed remarkable durability by averaging 33.3 minutes per game in 79 games. He earned All-NBA First Team honors and in the postseason he increased his scoring to 25.9 ppg while shooting a stellar .557 from the field.

In the lockout-shortened 1999 season Karl Malone joined Jordan as the only 35-plus year old regular season MVP. He also made the All-NBA First Team and All-Defensive First Team. Malone was selected to the All-NBA Second Team the following season and the All-NBA Third Team in 2000-01. Malone earned All-Star selections in each of those seasons except 1999, when no All-Star Game was held; he was also chosen for the 2002 game, but did not play. He will turn 40 a few months before the start of the 2003-2004 season and seems intent on playing long enough to break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's regular season career scoring record.

Although Wilt Chamberlain voluntarily reduced his scoring during his last several seasons he remained a dominant defender and rebounder until the end of his career. He won the Finals MVP as a 35 year old for the 69-13 L.A. Lakers in 1971-72. He also made the All-NBA Second Team. Chamberlain won the rebounding and field goal percentage crowns in 1971-72 and 1972-73; he was selected for the All-Defensive First Team and the All-Star team in both of those seasons.

Player-coach Bill Russell led the Boston Celtics to their eleventh championship in thirteen seasons in 1968-69. Chamberlain's longtime rival finished third in the league in rebounds (1484; 19.3 rpg) and made the All-Defensive First Team.

Jerry West became the first 35 year old guard to perform at a superstar level, making the All-NBA First Team, All-Defensive First Team and the All-Star team in 1972-73. He averaged 22.8 ppg and 8.8 apg but was not listed among league leaders because he played in only 69 games (at that time players had to appear in at least 70 games to be ranked among the statistical leaders). West made the All-Star team again in 1973-74 but only participated in 31 regular season games due to injuries.

Ironman John Havlicek, who retired as the all-time leader in games played (1270), did not slow down much when he passed his 35th birthday. He made the All-NBA Second Team and All-Defensive First Team in 1974-75 and 1975-76. He also was selected to four All-Star teams at 35-plus years of age, tied for second all-time with Karl Malone. He was an important contributor to the Celtics' 1975-76 championship team.

John Stockton made the All-NBA Third Team and All-Defensive First Team as a 35 year old in 1996-97. He added another All-NBA Third Team selection in 1999 and made the All-Star Team in 1996-97 and 1999-00. Although Stockton at 35 was not as productive as West at the same age, he has managed to stay healthy and continue to play at a high level for several more seasons than West did.

Stockton celebrated his 40th birthday during the 2001-02 season, although one would never know it by looking at his statistics: 13.4 ppg, 8.2 apg (fifth in the league), 1.85 spg (tied for 10th in the league) and .517 shooting from the field (fifth in the league) in 31.3 mpg. He played in all 82 games for the 15th time. Only Abdul-Jabbar has posted better numbers at 40 (17.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg, .564 field goal percentage in 1986-87); Robert Parish is the next closest, with 11.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg and a .491 field goal percentage in 1993-94.

Dennis Rodman was a key contributor during the Chicago Bulls' second three-peat, winning three straight rebounding titles (1996-98) and making the All-Defensive First Team in 1995-96. His flamboyance likely cost him selections to All-Star and All-NBA teams .

Robert Parish played until he was 43 and holds the records for most seasons (21) and most games played (1611). He made the All-NBA Third Team as a 35 year old in 1988-89 and was an All-Star the next two seasons. Parish averaged less than 5 ppg in each of his last three seasons.

Several other players who enjoyed productive seasons after the age of 35 were not selected for the postseason All-NBA or All-Defensive Teams:

***Alex English made the All-Star team in 1988-89 and finished sixth in scoring (26.5 ppg), including a 51 point outburst; at 35 he was the oldest to score 50-plus points in a game until Jordan topped him last season.

***Julius Erving made three All-Star teams past the age of 35, trailing only Abdul-Jabbar, Malone and Havlicek. In 1984-85 the 35 year old Erving averaged 20.0 ppg and became the oldest 100/100 Club player (135 steals, 109 blocked shots). Two years later Erving averaged 16.8 ppg and blocked 94 shots in only 60 games.

***Lenny Wilkens posted excellent numbers as a 35 year old All-Star in 1972-73 (20.5 ppg, 8.4 apg and 4.6 rpg). He averaged 16.4 ppg, 7.1 apg and 3.7 rpg the next season before his numbers dropped dramatically in his final year.

***Moses Malone played until he was 40, although he did not log significant minutes his last three seasons. He averaged 18.9 ppg and 10.0 rpg as a 35 year old in 1989-90, leading the league in offensive rebounds (364).

***Artis Gilmore averaged 19.1 ppg and 10.4 rpg as a 35 year old in 1984-85. He didn't make the All-Star team that year, but he did make the cut in 1985-86 despite a decline in production (16.7 ppg, 8.5 rpg).


* You may wonder why some of the 20 Second Timeout versions of my Basketball Digest articles are "slightly different" from the versions that were originally published in Basketball Digest. In the writing business it is commonplace for editors to revise submitted copy due to space considerations, grammar and/or factual inaccuracies but I have always prided myself on submitting perfect copy--a final draft that precisely fits word count specifications and does not contain any errors; my consistent ability to do this is why the vast majority of my articles have been published with few or no changes. However, for some strange reason, Basketball Digest editor Brett Ballantini occasionally made odd changes to my submitted copy; for instance, he edited the above article by adding a sentence that contained an inaccurate statistic about John Stockton. At first, Ballantini made such "improvements" without consulting me and I would not know about the alterations until I received a copy of the magazine; I was less than thrilled to see my perfect copy marred by someone else's sloppiness, particularly since most readers simply assume that any mistakes in an article are the fault of the writer.

Eventually, Ballantini figured out that it would be better to either leave my submitted copy alone or to at least run proposed changes by me first. Naturally, I see no reason to include Ballantini's "improvements" in the versions of these articles that I am posting here.

******

I submitted the following chart along with this article but Basketball Digest did not publish it. In this chart--and in most of my Basketball Digest articles and charts that I have posted at 20 Second Timeout--I have chosen not to update the statistics because I think that leaving the articles/charts intact provides a "time capsule" feel; after all, articles in Sports Illustrated's "Vault" are presented as they were originally written, so it seems natural to take the same approach for the articles that I am placing in my "Vault" (the righthand sidebar of 20 Second Timeout's main page).

Pro Basketball's Ageless Wonders

Player	Years	Accomplishments
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	82-89	Finals MVP 85; All-NBA 1st Team 84 & 86; All-NBA 2nd Team 83& 85;
		All-Def. 2nd Team 84; All-Star
		82-89
Michael Jordan	98; 02	MVP/Finals MVP/All-Star MVP 98; scoring champion 98; All-NBA
		1st Team 98; All-Def. 1st
		Team 98; All-Star 98 & 02; oldest to score 50+ points in a game 02
Karl Malone	99-02	MVP 99; All-NBA 1st Team 99; All-NBA 2nd Team 00; All-NBA 3rd Team
		01; All-Def. 1st Team 99;
		All-Star 00-02
Wilt Chamberlain	72-73	Finals MVP 72; rebounding champion 72-73; field goal percentage
		champion 72-73; All-NBA 2nd Team 72;
		All-Def. 1st Team 72-73; All-Star 72-73
Bill Russell	69	Won championship as player-coach;
		All-Def. 1st Team; third in rebounds (1484; 19.3 rpg)
Jerry West	73-74	All-NBA 1st Team 73; All-Def. 1st Team 73; All-Star 73-74
John Havlicek	75-78	All-NBA 2nd Team 75-76; All-Def. 1st Team 75-76; All-Star 75-78
John Stockton	97-02	All-NBA 3rd Team 97 & 99; All-Def. 2nd Team 97; All-Star 97 & 00
Dennis Rodman	96-00	Rebounding champion 96-98; All-Def. 1st Team 96
Robert Parish	89-97	All-NBA 3rd Team 89; All-Star 90-91
Alex English	89-91	All-Star 89; sixth in scoring (26.5 ppg) 89; 51 point game 89
Julius Erving	85-87	All-Star 85-87; 20.0 ppg, 135 steals, 109 blocks 85 (oldest 100/100 player)

Note: The "Seasons" column refers to seasons in which the player was at least 35 years old by the end of the season, while the "Accomplishments" column lists the player's main achievements during those seasons (the seasons are abbreviated to two digit numbers for space/format considerations).

Labels: Jerry West, John Havlicek, John Stockton, Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain

posted by David Friedman @ 12:27 AM

6 comments

More Than A Passing Fancy: The Best Playmaking Forwards Ever

A slightly different version of this article was originally published in the December 2001 issue of Basketball Digest.

Great playmaking forwards have made a significant impact throughout professional basketball history. Scottie Pippen's skills as a "point-forward" freed Michael Jordan of ball handling responsibilities, enabling him to be a finisher on the fast break early in his career and giving him additional time to set up to receive the ball in the post during his later years with the Bulls. Celtics' legends John Havlicek and Larry Bird did not always bring the ball up the court like a point guard, but both used their court vision and passing skills to rack up impressive assists totals. Many NBA and ABA forwards have ranked among the annual assists leaders.

John Havlicek accomplished this feat seven times in his 16 seasons with the Boston Celtics. He posted his best ranking and highest average in 1970-71 (7.5 apg, fourth in the NBA); Havlicek averaged 7.5 apg again in 1971-72, this time placing fifth in the league. He was also a top scoring threat, averaging 20+ ppg from 1966-67 through 1973-74, with a high mark of 28.9 ppg (second in the league) in 1970-71. Havlicek's versatility enabled him to play guard at times, a trait he shares with several other top playmaking forwards. His 6114 assists are the most of any forward in professional basketball history.

Rick Barry, the only player to win scoring championships in the NCAA, NBA and ABA, was also a gifted playmaker. This facet of his game emerged gradually. He averaged 25.7 ppg but only 2.2 apg in 1965-66, his rookie year with the San Francisco Warriors. In his second year he won the NBA scoring title with 2775 points (35.6 ppg) and increased his assists to 3.6 apg. After four years in the ABA during which he averaged 4.1 apg, Barry returned to the NBA's Golden State Warriors and became a fixture among the league’s assists leaders. He averaged at least 6 apg from 1973-74 to 1976-1977, achieving his highest ranking in 1975-76 (6.1 apg, fifth in the NBA). He finished his career with the Houston Rockets, ranking sixth in the league in assists (6.3 apg) in 1978-79, his second to last season; he was the last forward to rank among the league’s assists leaders until LeBron James.

Elgin Baylor was a scoring machine who finished second in points three different times (NBA statistical leaders were ranked by totals, not averages, until 1969-70) and still has the fourth highest regular season scoring average of all time (27.4 ppg). He was an accomplished passer from the beginning of his career, ranking eighth in the NBA in assists as a rookie (287 assists, 4.1 apg) with the Minneapolis Lakers. Baylor achieved his highest assists ranking in 1962-63, totaling 386 assists (4.8 apg), fifth in the NBA.

Cliff Hagan spent his entire NBA career with the St. Louis Hawks, ranking among the league's assists leaders three straight years. In 1960-61 he placed fifth in the NBA with 381 assists (5.0 apg). What sets Hagan apart from the other forwards on this list is that he came out of retirement in 1967-68 and served three seasons as a player-coach with the Dallas Chaparrals of the ABA. In Hagan's first ABA season he averaged 4.9 apg, second in the league. The 36 year old Hagan, who had retired from the Hawks after the 1965-66 season, became the first and only forward to rank as high as second in the NBA or ABA in assists.

Julius Erving is best remembered as a high flying scorer who won three ABA scoring championships and became just the third player in the history of the game to surpass the 30,000 point mark (Michael Jordan and Karl Malone have since joined Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain in this elite group). He was also an excellent passer, ranking among the ABA's assists leaders from 1973-74 to 1975-76. His best finish was sixth in 1973-74 (5.2 apg), although he actually posted a higher average the following season (5.5 apg, seventh in the league). Erving's career total of 5176 assists is surpassed among forwards only by Havlicek, Larry Bird and Scottie Pippen and his career average of 4.2 apg is virtually identical to Baylor’s (4.3 apg) and not significantly less than Havlicek's (4.8) and Barry's (4.9).

In the early 1960s Dolph Schayes was the NBA's all-time scoring leader. He spent his entire Hall of Fame career with the Syracuse Nationals/Philadelphia 76ers, winning a rebounding title in 1950-51 and playing on a championship team in 1954-55. Schayes ranked among the league's assists leaders three times, placing as high as sixth in 1949-50 (259 assists, 4.0 apg). While several of the other top playmaking forwards spent some time in the backcourt, Schayes played some minutes at center.

Roger Brown's career slipped under the radar of many basketball fans. Like Connie Hawkins, he was wrongly blackballed from the NBA for many years, but—unlike Hawkins—Brown never received the national recognition that comes from playing in the NBA. Brown spent his entire career in the ABA, winning three titles with the Indiana Pacers. A dangerous scorer, particularly in the clutch, Brown also ranked in the top ten in assists in his first three seasons. His high apg average came in 1969-70 (4.7 apg, ninth in the ABA) but he had his best rankings in 1967-68 (fifth in the ABA with 4.3 apg) and 1968-69 (fifth in the ABA with 4.6 apg).

Maurice Stokes won the Rookie of the Year award in 1955-56 with the Rochester Royals after ranking 11th in the NBA in scoring, second in rebounding and ninth in assists. Anyone who saw the 6-7, 240 pound power forward play—or has seen him in grainy black and white film clips—witnessed a player who was well ahead of his time. Stokes would grab a defensive rebound, dribble upcourt and lead the fast break, just like Magic Johnson would three decades later. Celtics Hall of Famer Bob Cousy preferred a different comparison: "He was Karl Malone with more finesse." Stokes finished in the top ten in assists in his first three seasons, peaking at 403 assists (6.4 apg, third in the league) in 1957-58. Near the end of that season Stokes fell to the court and hit his head. Although he returned to the game, three days later he became extremely ill. Eventually he was diagnosed with post-traumatic encephalopathy, a brain injury that affects motor functions. Stokes would never walk again and died of a stroke in 1970 at the age of 36.

Billy Cunningham joins Cliff Hagan as the only forwards to rank among the annual assists leaders in the NBA and in the ABA. Cunningham accomplished the feat in consecutive seasons, posting a 5.9 apg average (seventh in the NBA) with the 76ers in 1971-72 and increasing that to 6.3 apg (fifth in the ABA) with the Carolina Cougars in 1972-73. The next year he averaged 4.7 apg with the Cougars but appeared in only 32 games due to a severe kidney ailment. In 1974-75 Cunningham returned to the 76ers and narrowly missed the top ten with a 5.5 apg average. The next year he was averaging 5.4 apg after 20 games when a devastating knee injury ended his career.

Leo Barnhorst is undoubtedly the least famous player on this list, but he enjoyed a good, albeit brief, NBA career. He made the All-Star team twice in his five NBA seasons before embarking on a successful 45 year career with American United Life. Barnhorst posted 3.9 apg averages in 1951-52 and 1952-53 for the Indianapolis Olympians, ranking eighth in the NBA both seasons. Barnhorst, a 1948-49 All-America selection at Notre Dame, passed away on August 25, 2000 after a 13 year battle with lymphoma.

Several of the greatest passing forwards never ranked among the annual assists leaders. Larry Bird posted three 7+ apg seasons, with a career high 7.6 apg in 1986-87. He led the Celtics in assists four times and had the team’s highest average in 1991-92, but only played in 45 games. Paul Pressey also had three 7+ apg seasons, including 7.8 apg in 1985-86, the best assists average ever by a forward. Milwaukee Bucks’ Coach Don Nelson used Pressey in a "point-forward" role, much like the Bulls would later do with Scottie Pippen. Pressey led the Bucks in assists five straight seasons. Pippen averaged a career high 7.0 apg in 1991-92 and led the Bulls in assists seven straight years (from 1990-91 until 1996-97). He also had the Bulls' highest apg average in 1997-98, but appeared in only 44 games. The next season he moved to Houston and led the Rockets in assists. Grant Hill averaged a career high 7.3 apg in 1996-97 and led the Detroit Pistons in assists five straight seasons (1995-96 through 1999-00).

One other forward who deserves mention is John Johnson. Twice an All-Star, Johnson played a "point-forward" role for the expansion Cleveland Cavaliers in the early '70s and was a key member of the Sonics' 1977-78 NBA Finalists and 1978-79 NBA Championship team. He led the Sonics in assists in 1978-79 (4.4 apg) and 1979-80 (5.2 apg), enabling guards Gus Williams and Dennis Johnson to focus on scoring and defense respectively.

NBA/ABA Forwards Among Annual Top-10 Assists Leaders

Player	Top-10	Career	Career	Career
	Seasons	Assists	Games	APG

John Havlicek	7: 68-74	6114	1270	4.8
Rick Barry	5: 74-77; 79	4952	1020	4.9
Elgin Baylor	4: 59; 61; 63; 65	3650	846	4.3
Cliff Hagan	4: 60-62; 68*	2646	839	3.2
Julius Erving	3: 74*; 75*; 76*	5176	1243	4.2
Dolph Schayes	3: 50-51; 57	3072	996	3.1
Roger Brown	3: 68*; 69*; 70*	2315	605	3.8
Maurice Stokes	3: 56-58	1062	202	5.3
Billy Cunningham	2: 72; 73*	3305	770	4.3
Leo Barnhorst	2: 52-53	1116	344	3.2

Notes:

• List includes all forwards with at least two top-10 finishes.

• The ABA ranked assists leaders based on assists per game average; * designates ABA seasons on this list.

• The NBA ranked assists leaders based on total assists until the 1969-70 season; since then the NBA ranks assists leaders based on assists per game average.

• Tied players listed in order of career assists.

• Schayes’ career totals do not reflect his rookie year (1948-49) in the NBL when assists were not a recorded statistic.

(5/4/09 Note: LeBron James ranked sixth in the NBA in assists with a 7.2 apg average in 2004-05, he ranked eighth in the NBA in assists with a 7.2 apg average in 2007-08 and he ranked ninth in the NBA in assists with a 7.2 apg average in 2008-09; his career 6.7 apg average is the best ever posted by a forward in pro basketball history)

Labels: Billy Cunningham, Cliff Hagan, Dolph Schayes, Elgin Baylor, John Havlicek, Julius Erving, LeBron James, Leo Barnhorst, Maurice Stokes, Rick Barry, Roger Brown, Scottie Pippen

posted by David Friedman @ 6:38 PM

0 comments