Pete Vecsey Unplugged at In All Airness
Greg from DrJStuff shared the obscure Estonian basketball footage of Julius Erving that I cited in my
Dr. J is 63 years old article and now he has brought to my attention another real treat for basketball researchers as well as casual fans: an Australian website called
In all Airness that features several podcast interviews with a diverse cast including Sam Smith, Ray Clay and Christian Laettner. Pete Vecsey, who
introduced the "In Memoriam" tribute at the 2013 Legends Brunch, retired from the
New York Post last July, so it is a real treat to hear him speak his mind "unplugged"; he talked with In all Airness for more than an hour and a half, discussing subjects ranging from Wilt Chamberlain to Oscar Robertson to Rick Barry to Julius Erving to Drazen Petrovic to Vecsey's well-publicized feud with Charles Barkley. As usual, Vecsey does not mince words; whether you agree with him or not, whether you like his style or not, Vecsey is smart, fearless and opinionated so it is always interesting to hear his take--and he deserves a lot of credit for publicly rebuking the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame for not inducting
Roger Brown,
Mel Daniels,
Artis Gilmore,
Dennis Johnson,
Chet Walker, and Jamaal Wilkes, all of whom are now Hall of Famers. Vecsey's sharp tongue cost him money and created a long list of enemies and I am not suggesting that Vecsey is always right or that I always agree with him but I respect someone who is more interested in speaking the truth as he sees it than he is in trying to become friends with the rich and the powerful.
You can check out the Vecsey podcast
here.
Labels: Artis Gilmore, Charles Barkley, Drazen Petrovic, In All Airness, Julius Erving, Mel Daniels, Oscar Robertson, Pete Vecsey, Rick Barry, Roger Brown, Wilt Chamberlain
posted by David Friedman @ 2:23 AM
Hall of Famer Bobby Wanzer Visits the NBA TV Set
Hall of Famer
Bobby Wanzer appeared on NBA TV on Wednesday prior to the Warriors-Raptors game and he spoke with Pete Vecsey and Rick Kamla (fortunately, Vecsey asked most of the questions, while Kamla thankfully refrained from going off on a tangent about Minnesota or Kevin Garnett). Wanzer was one of the great guards in the early years of the NBA and he paired with Bob Davies to form a tremendous backcourt for the Rochester Royals, who beat George Mikan's Minneapolis Lakers in the 1951 Western Division Finals en route to winning that season's NBA title; Mikan's Lakers won the championship the two previous years and the three years after that. Wanzer played in five straight All-Star Games and made the All-NBA Team three straight times. His Hall of Fame bio states that he won the 1953 NBA MVP and an NBA TV graphic during his appearance mentioned that as well but the NBA did not officially start awarding an MVP until
the 1955-56 season. It seems unlikely that Wanzer would have won the MVP if it had been awarded in 1953 because he only made the All-NBA Second Team, meaning that at least five players received more votes than he did for that honor.
Wanzer led the NBA in free throw shooting in 1952, becoming the first NBA player to shoot better than .900 (.904). He also ranked in the top ten in field goal percentage four times; the field goal percentage numbers from his era don't look great to today's eyes but there are several mitigating factors to consider,
as I explained in a previous post: "The early NBA played its games in poorly lit arenas and dealt with travel and lodging accommodations that NBA and WNBA players of today could not even imagine. Also, forget 'no blood, no foul'—it was more like, 'no first degree assault, no foul.' Players did not dunk in games because leaving your feet was an invitation to a maiming—and yes, players back then could dunk the ball, as shown on old Minneapolis Lakers films displaying the team dunking during practice and pre-game lay-up lines. Even as late as 1959-60, Wilt Chamberlain’s rookie season, there was a 'Wild West' quality to the game. Sports Illustrated had a big story around that time about how Chamberlain planned to retire because of the cheap shots and rough play that he endured on a nightly basis."
Wanzer described to Vecsey and Kamla how the NBA game has changed: "Our game was much different than it is today. Today is a run, speed (game). We passed, went behind the picks, (ran) back door (plays). Possession was important--you had to get a good shot almost every time."
Here is how Wanzer evaluated his strengths as a player: "I was a very good shooter. I had what they called a 'case move,' where you make your move, faked and went in. I also liked to go in the post and take a couple hook shots."
Vecsey asked Wanzer to clarify what a "case move" is and Wanzer answered, "I think that every ball player should have a move where he can free himself up," adding that in today's game anyone who can do a good crossover dribble is virtually impossible to guard.
The 86 year old Wanzer said that he golfs three times a week but still keeps up with what is going on in the NBA. He likes the Nets' acquisition of Devin Harris for Jason Kidd because Harris is a young, talented player whose shot continues to improve but he also understands that Dallas did the deal in order to win now. Wanzer suggested that the Heat may let Shawn Marion leave after the end of the season and use the salary cap space to sign more players, prompting Vecsey to quip good-naturedly that the Heat should sign Wanzer as a consultant.
Labels: Bobby Wanzer, George Mikan, Pete Vecsey, Rochester Royals
posted by David Friedman @ 6:42 AM
