20 Second Timeout

The 2024 NBA Legends Brunch Honors Tamika Catchings, Jalen Rose, Reggie Miller, and Larry Bird While Also Featuring ABA Panel Discussion

The NBA Legends Brunch is the highlight of NBA All-Star Weekend. I covered this event six times as a credentialed journalist (2005-10), and I watch it every year on TV when I am not able to attend. TNT's Ernie Johnson is a wonderful host/master of ceremonies, and you can tell that he genuinely enjoys his role.

Retired NBA player Harvey Catchings presented the Pioneer Award to his daughter, Tamika Catchings, who starred for the WNBA's Indiana Fever. Harvey recalled that Tamika had an insatiable love for basketball right from the start; when the whole family went to the gym together, Tamika did not want to leave, imploring her father, "Daddy, can we play one more game?" Harvey said that he never let Tamika win, because he knew that the world can be harsh and that she faced challenges because of her hearing issue and her speech impediment. He told her that she has to set the standard for herself, and that if she does that then she can become one of the greatest basketball players ever. 

After receiving the award from her father, Tamika began her speech by remembering when her father first brought her to the NBA Legends Brunch and she wondered why she had to sit next to old people, but she grew to understand that this was a blessing. She said that she could have never imagined standing on the NBA Legends Brunch stage as a Legend, let alone as the Pioneer Award winner. Tamika modeled her game after players that her father played with or against--including Julius Erving, Larry Bird, and Bob Lanier--but her favorite player of all-time (other than her father, she hastened to note!) is Alonzo Mourning. Her father told her that to be a great player you have to be great at more than one thing, and Tamika felt that Mourning's game embodied that.

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Labels: ABA, Artis Gilmore, Bob Costas, Darnell Hillman, Indiana Pacers, Jalen Rose, Julius Erving, Larry Bird, Reggie Miller, Spencer Haywood, Tamika Catchings

posted by David Friedman @ 11:07 AM

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Stephen Curry Sets Record for Career Three Pointers Made as Warriors Beat Knicks 105-96

Stephen Curry scored a team-high 22 points and he set the ABA/NBA career record for regular season three point field goals made--breaking Ray Allen's mark of 2973--while leading his Golden State Warriors to a 105-96 win over the slumping New York Knicks. Curry shot 8-19 from the field (including 5-14 from three point range) and he hit two three pointers in the first 4:27 of the first quarter to tie and then pass Allen on the career list. Allen had held the record since 2011, when he surpassed Reggie Miller, who finished his career in 2005 with 2560 regular season three point field goals made. Allen made a special trip to Madison Square Garden to be on hand to personally congratulate Curry, while Miller was at the game to do color commentary for TNT.

In his previous three games, Curry shot 22-59 (.373) from the field overall, including 14-46 (.304) from three point range. He had 13 assists and 14 turnovers in those contests. When Curry was 16 three pointers away from the record, he spoke openly about the possibility of making 16 three pointers in one game, which would break the single game record of 14 held by Curry's teammate Klay Thompson. Prior to Tuesday night's game, Curry shot .400 or worse from the field in 12 of his 26 games this season, and he shot .300 or worse from three point range in 12 games. 

Imagine for a moment if Kobe Bryant had posted such poor numbers over a three game stretch while chasing an individual career record and talking to the media about chasing an individual single game record as well. Would the media coverage portray Bryant positively or negatively? Anyone who follows the NBA knows that the media coverage of Bryant in that scenario would be overwhelmingly negative, and that Bryant would be depicted as "selfish," "not focused on team success," "uncoachable," and so forth. 

It is hypocritical to bash Bryant as a self-centered player when he set individual records, but then praise Curry for seeking individual glory even when doing so clearly is having a negative impact on his efficiency, and possibly even jeopardizing team success. Curry's Warriors went 2-1 in the three games referenced above, but the wins came against two teams that are performing poorly (Indiana and Portland) while the loss came against a team that is hardly setting the league on fire (Philadelphia). 

Why is it acceptable for Curry to openly chase individual records, and to perform very inefficiently while doing so? 

If setting a career individual record is a great accomplishment and it is acceptable to openly seek to set career individual records, then that standard should be applied to all record-seekers. If doing so is selfish, then that standard should be applied to all record-seekers. 

To be clear, I don't think that Bryant was selfish, nor do I think that Curry is selfish. The point is not to criticize either player, but rather to demonstrate the hypocrisy of many media members.

It also should be noted that little to no media attention has been focused on the evolution of the career record for three pointers made. The current NBA was created in 1976 by a merger of the old NBA with the ABA's four surviving teams. The ABA used the three pointer throughout its nine year existence, but the ABA did not invent the three pointer; the ABL, which survived for less than two seasons in the early 1960s, was the first professional basketball league to use the three pointer, but the first recorded instance of the three pointer being utilized is a 1945 college game featuring Columbia versus Fordham. There are at least a couple other examples of the three pointer being used in individual college games long before the NCAA began using the three pointer in all college games in the 1986-87 season (a few NCAA conferences used the three pointer in the early 1980s before the rule was codified for all NCAA games).

The player who held the ABA/NBA career record for regular season three point field goals made for longer than any other player is Louie Dampier, who made 794 regular season three point field goals during his career. Dampier played in the ABA during each of the league's nine seasons (1967-76), and then he played three NBA seasons before retiring in 1979, one season before the NBA began using the three point shot. Les Selvage led the ABA with 147 three point field goals made in the league's inaugural season, while Dampier ranked ninth with 38 three point field goals made. Selvage only made four more three pointers during his brief career, so Chico Vaughn became the career leader in 1969 after making 137 three pointers in the ABA's first season and 145 three pointers in the ABA's second season. In 1970, Dampier--who set the single season record with 199 three pointers in 1969, and then made 198 three pointers in 1970--established a new career record with 435 three pointers, and he remained on top until Dale Ellis passed him during the 1992-93 season.

Ellis held the career record until Miller broke his mark in 1998. Miller retired in 2005, and he held the career record from 1998 until Ray Allen passed him in 2011. 

Note that the record that Dampier set during nine ABA seasons lasted until the 14th season after the NBA began utilizing the three point shot; thus, including the three post-ABA/NBA merger seasons during which the NBA did not utilize the three pointer, Dampier held the record for over 20 years, much longer than Ellis, Miller, or Allen. 

Curry is a fantastic shooter, but he is thriving in an era during which minimal defensive contact is allowed while most NBA players are encouraged to shoot many three pointers--and this era would have been perfectly suited not only for Dampier, but, also for Selvage, Vaughn, Ellis, Miller, Allen, and many others. Imagine if Pistol Pete Maravich had played in this era, let alone if he had played on a team coached by Steve Kerr or Mike D'Antoni!

The TNT studio crew speculated that Curry's record may never be broken, but a player has made at least 200 three pointers in a season over 100 times, and there have been 25 times that a player made at least 250 three pointers in a season. It is not clear if the steady increase in three pointers attempted and made has stabilized or not, but unless there is a big decrease in the utilization of the three pointer there is a decent chance that Curry's record will be broken. It is not inconceivable that at least one player will average 200 or 250 three pointers made per season for 15 years or so; in fact, unless something changes about the way the game is being played it seems almost inevitable that Curry will be surpassed in 15 or 20 years, or possibly even sooner. 

Acknowledging the reality that this record is likely made to be broken under the prevailing circumstances takes nothing away from Curry's greatness. He is the most prolific outside shooter of his era, and a good case can be made that he is the greatest shooter of all-time. It is fun to watch Curry play, and it is refreshing to see both his joy and his work ethic; it is not nearly as enjoyable to read, watch, and/or listen to media coverage of him, but the media's shortcomings are not his fault.

Labels: Dale Ellis, Golden State Warriors, Les Selvage, Louie Dampier, New York Knicks, Ray Allen, Reggie Miller, Stephen Curry

posted by David Friedman @ 2:04 AM

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"Untold: Malice at the Palace" Does Not Tell the Whole Story

The Netflix documentary "Untold: Malice at the Palace" purports to tell the "untold" story of perhaps one of the most "re-told" basketball events of the past two decades: the melee that took place on November 19, 2004 in the Palace of Auburn Hills after a "fan" named John Green threw a cup that hit Indiana Pacers forward Ron Artest, who jumped up from his reclining position on the scorer's table and bolted into the stands to confront the person who he thought had assaulted him (Artest's initial target was, in fact, not the person who had thrown the cup). Artest's teammate Stephen Jackson followed him into the stands, "fans" threw objects at players, players hit fans, and the NBA took a figurative black eye as players and fans attempted to inflict literal black eyes (and worse) against each other in a nationally televised game that featured a rematch of the 2004 Eastern Conference Finals.

NBA Commissioner David Stern swiftly suspended Artest for the remainder of the season plus the playoffs. Stern also suspended nine other players, most notably Pacers Jackson (30 games), Jermaine O'Neal (25 games, later reduced to 15), and Anthony Johnson (five games), plus Piston Ben Wallace (six games). Four other players were each suspended for one game. It has become popular in some quarters to say that Stern overreacted and issued punishments that were too harsh--the documentary takes that stance--while not addressing the bad behavior by Green that started the melee, as well as the bad behavior by other fans during the fracas. The only power that the NBA Commissioner has over fans is to have them thrown out and/or banned from arenas; it is up to the criminal justice system to impose penalties on fans for criminal conduct. Stern understood that--no matter how badly fans behave--if players go into the stands and get into altercations with fans this is very bad for the league for a whole host of reasons that any intelligent person should be able to comprehend without too much explanation. The NBA can and should do everything possible to protect players, but players are in no way deputized to enforce laws, nor do they have the right to impose vigilante justice. 

John Green was eventually arrested, convicted of misdemeanor assault and battery and sentenced to 30 days in jail plus two years' probation. A "fan" named Bryant Jackson who threw a chair pleaded no contest to felony assault plus misdemeanor assault and battery, receiving a sentence of two years' probation plus being ordered to pay $6000 in restitution. Charlie Haddad, a "fan" who wandered onto the court seeking a confrontation with players--and who had a history of seeking such confrontations--received two years' probation, 100 hours of community service, and 10 straight weekends in a county work program. 

The documentary glosses over this part, but Artest, Jackson, O'Neal, Johnson, and their teammate David Harrison each pleaded no contest to charges of misdemeanor assault and battery, and each received sentences of one year of probation and 60 hours of community service plus a $250 fine. The documentary portrays the players as a band of brothers engaging in self-defense against a horde of thousands of crazed fans, but self-defense is defined clearly under the law, and the actions of several of the players went far beyond that legal definition. Artest did not have to go barreling into the stands to "defend" himself. He was without question the victim of assault, but he was not being assaulted when he ran into the stands. He could have saved himself several million dollars in lost salary and endorsements had he stayed on the court. 

O'Neal often says in reference to the Malice in the Palace, "What would you have done?" He is right that unless you are placed under the duress of those circumstances you do not know for sure how you would react--but the point that he misses is that, even if many other people might have reacted the same way that does not change the reality that there is a right/legal way to react and a wrong/illegal way to react. 

Considering that O'Neal is one of the documentary's executive producers, it is perhaps not surprising that the documentary largely frames the incident and the aftermath in terms of how it affected his life. A significant portion of the documentary is devoted to telling the story of O'Neal's rise from poverty in South Carolina to generational wealth as an NBA player. O'Neal's story is inspiring--and a reminder of the kind of upward mobility available in the United States that exists in few other places around the world--but you don't need that much background material about O'Neal to understand the Malice in the Palace. Perhaps if this documentary had lasted 10 hours then it would make sense to provide deep background on all of the principal participants, but devoting so much time to O'Neal's life story did not leave nearly enough time to shed much new light on the Malice at the Palace. 

Much interesting material was left on the cutting room floor, or never even sought in the first place. For example, Indiana Pacers' play by play announcer Mark Boyle had a front row seat for the drama. After the infamous cup infamously hit Artest in the chest, Boyle can be seen engaging in a futile effort to prevent Artest from going into the stands. Boyle suffered five broken vertebrae in his back. As Boyle wrote on Twitter regarding the documentary, "I was [as] involved in this as anyone, assuming you would consider five fractured vertebrae being involved, yet nobody producing this documentary reached out to me."

The documentary has no interview footage of then-Indiana Coach Rick Carlisle--who later led the Dallas Mavericks to the 2011 NBA title--and there is no footage featuring then-Detroit Coach Larry Brown, a Hall of Famer who is the only coach to win an NCAA Division I title (Kansas 1988) and an NBA title (Detroit 2004). It would have been interesting to hear their perspective. Even if you say that the documentary is meant to show the players' perspective, keep in mind that Carlisle is a former NBA player and Brown is a former ABA All-Star. 

We do hear a lot from Artest, whose honesty and self-awareness are refreshing. He describes how at that stage of his life he was battling both anxiety and depression. As Artest put it, he was worried about the future, and upset about the present. He knew even at that time that he needed help, and he was under the care of mental health professionals who were trying to guide him toward ways to manage his mental illness and control his anger. The reason that Artest was lying on the scorer's table is that he had been counseled to withdraw physically and count to five whenever he felt like he was about to lash out; in the prior moments, he had committed a hard (and unnecessary) foul against Ben Wallace with the Pacers up 97-82 and less than a minute remaining in the fourth quarter. Wallace responded with a two-hand push to Artest, players from both teams squared off in classic "hold me back" stances, and the referees were sorting out how to proceed. Artest may have been well-intentioned when he lay down on the scorer's table, but doing so in an opposing arena was not a great idea, and it placed him in a much more exposed position than he would have been in if he had just sat on his team's bench. The referees and his teammates both failed to the extent that they did not remove him from his "resting spot" before trouble happened. This is in no way meant to exonerate Green, who is an idiot and a criminal, but deescalation should have been the order of the day. The referees should have promptly ejected Artest and Wallace, which would have not only been appropriate based on their actions but would have also enabled the teams to likely finish the game without further incidents.

Did you know or remember that Tim Donaghy, who soon became infamous for other reasons, was one of the three referees that night? Donaghy appears on camera in the documentary.

Stephen Jackson gets a lot of air time in the documentary, and almost every time he opens his mouth he reminds you that logical, analytical thinking is not his strong suit. Jackson is an antisemite and he seems to be confused about what he wants to be when (if?) he grows up: as Kwame Brown memorably put it, Jackson cannot decide if he is a gangster or a Black Lives Matter activist. O'Neal is the only player whose initial suspension was reduced on appeal, but Jackson defiantly states that he refused to show any remorse or say anything in his own defense. I don't know if Jackson's suspension would or should have been reduced, but that kind of shortsighted thinking is what led him into the stands (and a host of other negative situations throughout his life and career), costing him millions of dollars.

The documentary tantalizes the viewer with a promise that after you see "previously unseen" footage frame by frame your perspective on the night's events might change. The documentary does not deliver on that promise.

Here is what I saw and knew that night that I also saw during the documentary and still know today:

1) Nobody on the Pacers wanted any part of physically confronting Ben Wallace. If "Hold me back" were a person, his name would be Stephen Jackson. That, in turn, strongly suggests that Artest, Jackson and the others had the ability to hold themselves back--or be held back--from going into the stands, which changed the dynamic from one idiot criminal throwing a cup to a whole bunch of people reacting to the sight of large NBA players hitting normal-sized civilians.

2) Many of the Detroit fans behaved in a criminal and horrific manner. Every one of the people who threw things at the Pacers should have been banned for life from going to an NBA game.

3) I understand why O'Neal felt threatened in the midst of an out of control situation during which fans were on the court and also throwing things at players, but his description of his infamous sliding punch seems more than a little self-serving. After Haddad confronted Artest on the court, Anthony Johnson hit Haddad and then jumped on Haddad while Haddad was on the ground (that is why Johnson was not only suspended multiple games but also successfully prosecuted). O'Neal's version is that he saw Haddad hitting Johnson and thus he came running/sliding to Johnson's defense, but the footage clearly shows that Johnson went to the ground to hit an already fallen Haddad and not the other way around. Haddad did not belong on the court but it was not Johnson's job to subdue Haddad, who was in any case pretty well subdued by that point. If O'Neal had not slipped, the blow that he attempted to deliver would likely have caused serious if not fatal injuries to Haddad. O'Neal should have been gathering Johnson and the rest of his teammates together to head to the locker room. It is important to remember that not every fan acted like a raving lunatic, and not every Pacer decided to just randomly start punching people. Even in the midst of chaos, it is possible to at least attempt to utilize sound judgment.

4) Reggie Miller is perhaps the most sympathetic figure, at least among the players. The 2004-05 season was his last, best chance to win the NBA title, and that chance disappeared in a flurry of foolishness and criminality. I am not as convinced as some people are that the Pacers would have beaten the Pistons in a playoff series had the Malice at the Palace not happened--I think that the Pacers lacked focus and mental toughness, two shortcomings that were on display not only during the Malice at the Palace but also both before and after that seminal event--but it is clear that at full strength the Pacers posed a viable threat to the Pistons. Miller was no longer at the peak of his powers as a player, and he needed O'Neal, Artest, and Jackson to be the leaders/standard bearers, but those guys failed him (and themselves) colossally.

In short, the documentary did not show footage that I had not seen, nor did it change my overall impression of what happened.

By the end of the documentary, I had mixed feelings about O'Neal. The arc of the documentary is meant to portray O'Neal in heroic fashion. He has admirable qualities, and I respect the way that he rose out of adverse circumstances to be successful. He has expressed remorse for his actions, and he has said that he deserved to be punished. O'Neal admits that he failed as a leader to keep the team together and try to win a title for Miller. 

However and as noted above, the documentary inaccurately portrays O'Neal's sliding punch, which was not a noble act of defending his teammate but rather an act of aggression against a fan who was on the ground and being hit by Johnson. Also, O'Neal states that the court system vindicated him at every turn after Stern issued the 25 game suspension, a claim that does not withstand careful scrutiny. 

First, O'Neal pleaded no contest to two criminal charges. Vindication is acquittal, not a no contest plea. 

Second, O'Neal was ordered to pay $1686.50 in restitution to Haddad. I have little sympathy for Haddad, but from a legal standpoint he was a victim of assault by both Johnson and O'Neal (Artest just shoved Haddad away but did not hit him; Artest got in trouble because of what he did when he went into the stands, not for his reaction to Haddad approaching him on the court). 

Third, O'Neal's assertion that he won in federal district court misrepresents what happened. The judge most assuredly did not say that O'Neal's actions were justified; that was not, in fact, what the federal case was even about. After Stern suspended the players, the Players Association requested that an arbitrator independently review the penalties. The arbitrator determined that O'Neal's suspension should be reduced to 15 games--again, not a "vindication" of O'Neal, but just an assessment that the punishment should have been less severe. The NBA contended that this was an "on court" incident over which the NBA Commissioner has total authority that cannot be diminished by an arbitrator, while the Players Association argued that this was not an "on court" incident. Without getting into all of the labor law and arbitration law semantics, in layman's terms the federal district court judge agreed with the Players Association and thus held that the arbitrator could reduce O'Neal's suspension to 15 games. 

So, in sum, while O'Neal spends the documentary claiming that the legal system vindicated and exonerated him, the reality is the opposite: he suffered a criminal penalty for his conduct, he paid a civil damage award, and an independent arbitrator determined that he deserved a 15 game suspension. 

I am not saying that O'Neal is a bad guy. He comes across as infinitely more intelligent than Jackson (admittedly, that is a low bar to clear), and I believe that O'Neal is genuinely remorseful about the impact that his actions had on his team and his teammates in spite of his apparent denial of the extent to which he was in the wrong. 

The point is that his telling of the "untold" story distorts the factual record, which is available for anyone to independently examine: watch the footage yourself and, if you are so inclined, look up the judicial proceedings and read them as well. 

A final note concerns the use of the word "thug." The etymology of the word traces back to a group of robbers and assassins in India in the 1800s who strangled their victims before stealing their property. Journalists and commentators throw the word around a lot, often in reference to young Black people. I first realized how the word "thug" is received and understood in the Black community after I interviewed Warren Jabali, who deeply resented being called a "thug" in Terry Pluto's ABA oral history Loose Balls. Jabali readily admitted to me that he was wrong "and had no defense" for hitting and then stomping opposing player Jim Jarvis during an ABA game, but Jabali passionately insisted that he was not a thug but rather someone who resented things that had transpired and chose the wrong way to demonstrate that resentment. Talking to Jabali and learning his perspective helped me to understand that the word "thug" has a specific and deeply felt negative connotation in the Black community. The linguist John McWhorter has explained that "thug" has become a code word for the "N-word" but that many people do not realize this because they resist accepting that the meaning of a word is not fixed forever but rather evolves. What "thug" meant in India in 1830 (or even in this country 100 years later) is not what the word means or connotes now. The Pacer players were not/are not "thugs." It is not helpful or productive to categorize a whole group of people as "thugs." That being said, it is also not helpful when entertainers and celebrities promote any form of "thug culture" or "thug life," either.

What happened during The Malice at the Palace was not about "thuggish" players or a "thug" mentality in the NBA; it was a perfect storm of referees not deescalating a situation after a hard foul, fans engaging in criminal behavior, and several players overreacting under adverse conditions.

Labels: Anthony Johnson, Ben Wallace, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Jermaine O'Neal, Malice at the Palace, Reggie Miller, Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson, Tim Donaghy

posted by David Friedman @ 12:46 AM

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Revising the NBA's 50 Greatest Players List, Part III

In late 2015, the Boston Globe published a list of the Top 50 NBA Players of All-Time, ranking the players in order and providing a brief bio of each player written by Gary Washburn. Here is the Boston Globe's list (an asterisk indicates that the player was not on the NBA's 50 Greatest Players List):

1) Michael Jordan
2) Bill Russell
3) Wilt Chamberlain
4) Magic Johnson
5) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
6) Jerry West
7) LeBron James*
8) Oscar Robertson
9) Larry Bird
10) Kobe Bryant*
11) Shaquille O'Neal
12) Elgin Baylor
13) Julius Erving
14) Bob Pettit
15) Karl Malone
16) Tim Duncan*
17) John Havlicek
18) Hakeem Olajuwon
19) Rick Barry
20) John Stockton
21) Bob Cousy
22) Kevin Garnett*
23) Elvin Hayes
24) Moses Malone
25) Charles Barkley
26) Isiah Thomas
27) Jerry Lucas
28) George Gervin
29) George Mikan
30) Dirk Nowitzki*
31) Patrick Ewing
32) Kevin McHale
33) Kevin Durant*
34) Scottie Pippen
35) Nate Archibald
36) David Robinson
37) Robert Parish
38) Allen Iverson*
39) Walt Frazier
40) Dwyane Wade*
41) Hal Greer
42) Dennis Rodman*
43) Paul Arizin
44) Clyde Drexler
45) Steve Nash*
46) Lenny Wilkens
47) Reggie Miller*
48) Gary Payton*
49) Paul Pierce*
50) Dolph Schayes

Thus, the Boston Globe added LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Durant, Allen Iverson, Dwyane Wade, Dennis Rodman, Steve Nash, Reggie Miller, Gary Payton and Paul Pierce to the list and did not include Dave Bing, Dave Cowens, Billy Cunningham, Dave DeBusschere, Sam Jones, Pete Maravich, Earl Monroe, Willis Reed, Bill Sharman, Nate Thurmond, Wes Unseld, Bill Walton and James Worthy.

Similar to Part II in this series--which examined the 50 Greatest Players List compiled by Athlon Sports in 2008--this article will not reconsider the entire 1996 NBA list but instead will focus on comparing the 13 players added by the Boston Globe to the 13 players that the Boston Globe did not include. Thus, a player who made the cut in my estimation when examining Athlon Sports' choices may not make the cut when examining the selections made by the Boston Globe.

In Part II, I called the inclusion of Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan "obvious and indisputable." Similarly, Kevin Garnett is a worthy choice and Allen Iverson's selection should not be controversial, though some may disagree. By 2015, it was also obvious and indisputable that LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Durant and Dwyane Wade had earned their way on to the list.

Capsule resumes are provided in Part II for Bryant, Duncan, Garnett and Iverson.

James is still adding to his long list of accomplishments but at this writing he has won four regular season MVPs (2009-10, 2012-13; he has ranked in the top five in MVP balloting 13 times), three Finals MVPs (2012-13, 2016), three All-Star Game MVPs (2006, 2008, 2018) and the 2004 Rookie of the Year award. James won the 2008 regular season scoring title and he has led the league in playoff scoring average three times (2009, 2012, 2018). He has made the All-NBA Team 14 times, including 12 First Team selections to break the record of 11 held until last season by Kobe Bryant and Karl Malone. He has made the All-Defensive Team six times, including five First Team selections. He has made the All-Star team 15 times, tied for fourth on the all-time list with Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and Shaquille O'Neal. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (19), Kobe Bryant (18) and Julius Erving (16, including 11 NBA and five ABA) have made the All-Star more than 15 times.

James ranks fourth all-time in ABA/NBA regular season scoring (32,543 points), first all-time in ABA/NBA playoff scoring (6911 points) and third all-time in ABA/NBA playoff assists (1687).

Early in his career, James had a few skill set weaknesses--free throw shooting, midrange shooting, three point shooting, post up game--but he has worked hard to minimize, if not eliminate, those weaknesses. James has a power forward's body (he is approximately the same height and weight as Karl Malone) but the scoring skill set of a small forward and the passing/ballhandling skill set of a point guard. No other player in pro basketball history has the combination of size, speed, jumping ability and diverse skill set that James has. Magic Johnson had the height, the passing and the ballhandling but not the same scoring ability and jumping prowess; the (few) others who could compete with James as a scorer and jumper lacked James' passing and ballhandling skills. James has the necessary physical attributes and basketball skills to be on the short list in the greatest player of all-time discussion. James has been the best player on three championship teams (2012-13, 2016) but his teams are just 3-6 overall in the NBA Finals. James falls short of being the greatest player of all-time for reasons that are outside the scope of this article, but there is no question that he has earned a place not only among the top 50 players but among the top 10.

Dirk Nowitzki won the 2007 regular season MVP and he has ranked in the top five in MVP balloting three times. He won the 2011 Finals MVP and he has made the All-NBA Team 12 times, including four First Team selections. Nowitzki has made the All-Star team 14 times, including 2019 when NBA Commissioner Adam Silver tapped him and Dwyane Wade as "special team roster additions." He ranks third all-time in ABA/NBA regular season minutes played, behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (57,446) and Karl Malone (54,852), neither of whom Nowitzki will catch as this is almost certainly his last season. Nowitzki ranks fourth all-time in ABA/NBA regular season games played, trailing only Robert Parish (1611), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1560) and John Stockton (1504). Nowitzki needs to play 34 games this season to pass Stockton. Nowitzki is one of just eight players in ABA/NBA history to score at least 30,000 career regular season points.

Nowitzki entered the NBA as a 20 year old with no U.S. playing experience, though he had played professionally in Germany. During his rookie season he had a rough adjustment to the speed and physicality of the NBA game, but by his second season he was already a solid player (17.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg, .379 3FG%) and by his third season he was a member of the All-NBA Third Team (oddly, he did not make the All-Star team until his fourth season).

Nowitzki is perhaps best known for his shooting prowess, both from three point range and with his unstoppable turnaround in the post/midpost area, but during his prime he was an elite rebounder--especially during the postseason; he averaged at least 20 ppg and at least 10 rpg for seven different playoff years and he is one of just four players in pro basketball history to have career playoff averages of at least 25 ppg and at least 10 rpg (Bob Pettit, Elgin Baylor and Hakeem Olajuwon are the other three). Nowitzki had four straight playoff games with at least 30 points and at least 15 rebounds, a feat that had not been accomplished since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had done it three decades earlier. Nowitzki ranks ninth all-time with 29 playoff games during which he scored at least 30 points and grabbed at least 10 rebounds; that is four more such games than Larry Bird had and Nowitzki only trails Elgin Baylor (the all-time leader with 56), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, Karl Malone, Wilt Chamberlain, Hakeem Olajuwon, Bob Pettit and Tim Duncan in this category. That combination of scoring and rebounding prowess in a playoff setting probably is a surprise to casual fans and maybe even to some NBA commentators.

Nowitzki was never a great individual defender but he used his length to contest shots and he made an important contribution as a defensive rebounder. Nowitzki was never a playmaker but he developed into a reasonably effective passer; he was never a ball-stopper or a player who interfered with the effective operation of the team's offense.

He led the Dallas Mavericks to the 2006 NBA Finals and the Mavericks went up 2-0 on the Miami Heat before losing four straight games. Next season, the Mavericks won an NBA-best 67 games and Nowitzki was given the regular season MVP but his reputation took a hit after the Mavericks lost in the first round of the playoffs to the eighth seeded Golden State Warriors. Nowitkzi and the Mavericks avenged the Finals collapse and the first round upset by upsetting the star-studded Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals. Outdueling LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in that series eliminated any doubt--real or imagined--that Nowitzki is an all-time great. During the fourth quarters in that Finals, Nowitzki duplicated the scoring output of James and Wade combined. The Mavericks became just the fourth team in NBA history led by one current All-Star to win the Finals against a team that had three current All-Stars.

While Nowitzki is rapidly approaching the end of the road, Kevin Durant is in his prime and has already put together an impressive resume. Durant won the 2014 regular season MVP and he has ranked in the top five in MVP balloting six times, including three second place finishes. Durant won the Finals MVP in 2017 and 2018, plus the 2012 and 2019 All-Star Game MVPs and the 2008 Rookie of the Year award. Durant has led the league in regular season scoring four times (2010-12, 2014) and he has led the league in playoff scoring average four times (2011, 2013-14, 2016). He has made the All-NBA Team eight times, including six First Team selections. He is a 10-time All-Star.

Durant's NBA career had a bumpy start largely because Coach P.J. Carlesimo played him out of position at guard but after Carlesimo was fired his replacement Scott Brooks moved Durant back to his natural forward position and the rest is history. Durant is not a great post up player but other than that he has a complete repertoire as a scorer, from the three point shot to the midrange shot to the ability to drive/finish in traffic to the ability to draw fouls and then convert free throws at a high percentage. Durant has led three teams to the NBA Finals (Oklahoma City in 2012, Golden State in 2017 and 2018) and won two championships (2017-18).

Dwyane Wade ranked in the top five in regular season MVP voting twice. He won the 2006 Finals MVP and the 2010 All-Star Game MVP. Wade won the 2009 NBA scoring title and he led the league in playoff scoring in 2010. He made the All-NBA Team eight times, including two First Team selections, and he was chosen for the All-Defensive Team three times. Wade made the All-Star team 13 times, including when he joined Nowitzki in 2019 as a "special team roster addition" selected by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. Wade has played in the NBA Finals five times, winning titles in 2006, 2012 and 2013.

Wade never developed a reliable three point shot; he never shot better than .320 from three point range for a full season, and in 10 of his 15 full seasons he shot worse than .300 from three point range. Wade is a solid free throw shooter whose seasonal free throw percentages range from .714 to .807. His main offensive weapons are (1) driving to the hoop, (2) drawing fouls (he averaged at least 9 FTA/g for six straight seasons) and (3) his midrange jump shot. He played exceptionally well during Miami's run to the 2006 title--culminating in a Finals performance during which he earned MVP honors--and he was very solid during Miami's 2012 title run but he averaged just 15.9 ppg during the 2013 playoffs as the Heat secured back to back championships and he has averaged less than 20 ppg in five of his 13 playoff appearances. Wade is an excellent shotblocking guard, and he has amassed the second most career regular season blocked shots for any guard since that statistic has been officially recorded (1972-73 for the ABA, 1973-74 for the NBA).

Capsule resumes are provided in Part II for Rodman and Payton.

Steve Nash won two regular season MVPs (2005-06) and he ranked in the top five in MVP voting three times. He led the league in regular season assists five times (2005-07, 2010-11) and he led the league in playoff assists four times (2004-07). He won two regular season free throw percentage titles (2006, 2010). Nash made the All-NBA Team seven times, including three First Team selections. He made the All-Star team eight times.

Nash had four 50/40/90 seasons (FG% of at least 50, 3FG% of at least 40 and FT% of at least 90), ranking first on the all-time list. Larry Bird did it twice and only five other players have accomplished the feat one time each since the NBA started using the three point shot in the 1979-80 season. Nash's career regular season shooting percentages are .490, .428 and .904 respectively, meaning that he was nearly a 50/40/90 player for his entire career.

Nash ranks third all-time in ABA/NBA regular season assists (10,335), second all-time in ABA/NBA regular season free throw percentage (.904) and ninth all-time in ABA/NBA regular season assists average (8.5 apg). He also ranks seventh all-time in ABA/NBA playoff assists (1061), is tied for sixth all-time in ABA/NBA playoff free throw percentage (.900) and ranks eighth in ABA/NBA playoff assists average (8.8 apg).

Nash is one of the greatest shooters of all-time and also one of the greatest passers. He was a below average defensive player and the regular season numbers that he put up in 2005-06 would not historically have been sufficient to win MVP honors. Nash's MVP awards are very anomalous when examined in the wider context of pro basketball history, both in terms of his individual productivity and also in terms of his lack of team success compared to other multiple MVP winners. Nash's numbers through his first 12 seasons are very similar to Mark Price's numbers for his 12 year career (15.2 ppg, 6.7 apg, .472 FG%, .402 3Pt FG%, .904 FT% for Price, 14.3 ppg, 7.9 apg, .485 FG%, .431 3Pt FG%, .897 FT% for Nash) and Nash did not do anything in his last six seasons to materially add to his legacy (Nash's career numbers are 14.3 ppg, 8.5 apg, .490 FG%, .428 3Pt FG%, .904 FT%). Mark Price was a very good player, an underrated player and a player who perhaps could have been a Hall of Famer had his career not been shortened by injury--but, even at his best, he was never a serious MVP candidate, nor a player who would be considered among the 50 greatest players of all-time.

Nash's teams advanced to the Conference Finals four times in his 18 seasons and he never made it to the NBA Finals; his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, made it to two NBA Finals after he left, winning the 2011 title. While it is true that the Mavericks made many roster changes after Nash's departure, it is unusual for a team to lose a future multiple MVP winner and still be a serious contender. For instance, the Boston Celtics won 11 championships in Bill Russell's 13 seasons but then missed the playoffs two years in a row after he retired and did not reemerge as a contender until adding Dave Cowens--a future MVP and Top 50 player in his own right--to the roster. The Philadelphia 76ers posted the worst record in NBA history shortly after Wilt Chamberlain's departure. The Nets were awful after losing Julius Erving, as were the Chicago Bulls after Michael Jordan's final retirement. The struggles of LeBron James' ex-teams in recent years have been well documented. This was not the case with Nash in Dallas. In Phoenix, the Suns were declining from contender status as Nash aged--they went 40-42 in Nash's last full Phoenix season, then they went 33-33 the next year with Nash in the lockout shortened campaign--and they dropped to 25-57 in their first full season without him (albeit with other roster changes as well).

Nash is one of 15 players in ABA/NBA history to win at least two regular season MVPs. Other than Karl Malone, each of those players won at least one championship. Of those 13 championship winners, 11 of them won at least two championships and 10 of those 11 won at least one of their MVPs during a season in which their team won a championship.

Reggie Miller never finished in the top 12 in regular season MVP voting and he never made the All-NBA First Team or the All-NBA Second Team, though he did make the All-NBA Third Team (which did not exist prior to 1989) three times. Miller made the All-Star team five times in 18 seasons. He is one of just 26 members of the exclusive ABA/NBA 25,000 point club.

He led the NBA in regular season free throw percentage five times and he ranks 11th in ABA/NBA regular season free throw percentage (.888). Miller is most famous for being a three point shooter but, while he did at one time hold the regular season career record for most three pointers made (2560, now second to Ray Allen and soon to be third behind Stephen Curry), he ranks just 58th in ABA/NBA regular season career three point field goal percentage (.395). Miller ranks even lower in ABA/NBA playoff three point field goal percentage (67th, .390). Miller averaged at least 20 ppg in just six of his 18 regular seasons, but he averaged at least 20 ppg in 11 of his 15 playoff runs (seven of those 11 postseason appearances lasted six games or less). Miller played in the NBA Finals one time (2000), as his Indiana Pacers lost to the L.A. Lakers.

Miller's primary skill set strength was shooting. He was not much better than average at any other aspect of the game such as rebounding, passing, ballhandling and defense. Early in his career, he ranked in the top 10 in free throw attempts in three different seasons, an indication of his ability to draw fouls, but later in his career he did not excel at that, though he did flop to the extent that the league made a rule against players who kick out their legs unnaturally while attempting a shot in an attempt to draw a foul; such a play was not only against the spirit of the rules--before it was formally outlawed--but it was dangerous as well.

In a 1998 interview, Miller told Dan Patrick that there were only a few great players in the NBA, including Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Grant Hill and Shaquille O'Neal on that list. Miller included himself among some "very good" players who are in a separate category underneath the great players. Patrick asked Miller why he was not great and Miller replied that he did not have the same athletic gifts and that he worked very hard just to establish himself as a very good player. That is a more objective assessment of Miller's ranking than one generally sees in the media. Miller was a great shooter, he was very durable--remarkably so, considering his slight frame--and he had some memorable playoff moments but there is no way he should be seriously considered for listing among the top 50 players of all-time.

Paul Pierce never ranked in the top five in regular season MVP voting and he only finished in the top 10 once (seventh place, 2009), He won the 2008 Finals MVP. Pierce never made the All-NBA First Team but he earned Second Team honors once and made the Third Team three times. He made the All-Star team 10 times. He averaged at least 20 ppg in eight of his 19 regular seasons and, like Miller, he is a member of the ABA/NBA 25,000 point club.

Pierce's greatest skill set strength was his ability to create his own shot in a variety of different ways; he could drive, he could post up and he was a deadly shooter out to three point range. He was a solid rebounder, playmaker and defender. Pierce was the leading regular season scorer for Boston's 2008 championship team and for the 2010 Boston team that lost in the NBA Finals. 

The players from the original 50 Greatest Players List who the Boston Globe did not include have impressive accomplishments worthy of recognition and acknowledgment. As I wrote in Part II, "Players from earlier eras should not be judged based solely or primarily on numbers, at least not without placing those numbers in the context of the vast differences between eras." Capsule resumes are provided in Part II for DeBusschere, Jones, Monroe, Thurmond, Unseld, Walton and Worthy.

Dave Bing ranked in the top five in MVP voting twice, he won the 1976 All-Star Game MVP and he was selected as the 1967 Rookie of the Year. Bing led the league in scoring in 1968 when the scoring title was determined by total points and not by scoring average; he ranked second in scoring average that season. Bing averaged at least 20 ppg in each of his first seven seasons. He ranked in the top five in assists five times, including the year that he won the scoring title. He made the All-NBA First Team twice and the All-NBA Second Team once. Bing was a seven-time All-Star.

Bing was a top notch scorer and playmaker for a decade and he was still a solid player in his final two seasons. He also rebounded well from the point guard position and he was a decent defensive player, who improved at that end of the court as his career progressed.

Dave Cowens won the 1973 regular season MVP, the first of four straight years that he finished in the top five in MVP voting, including second place in 1975. He also won the 1973 All-Star Game MVP and he was the 1971 NBA Rookie of the Year. Cowens made the All-NBA Team three times. He made the All-Defensive Team three times, including a First Team selection in 1976. He was an eight-time All-Star.

Although Cowens never led the league in rebounding, he averaged at least 13.9 rpg in each of his first eight seasons, finishing second for three straight years (1974-76) and never ranking below seventh. He ranks ninth all-time in ABA/NBA career regular season rebounding average (13.6 rpg). Cowens led the NBA in playoff rebounding in 1975 (16.5 rpg) and 1976 (16.4 rpg). He ranks seventh in ABA/NBA playoff rebounding average (14.4 rpg).

Cowens was an undersized center but he was fast and agile. He had a good shooting touch and he also could drive to the hoop. He was a first rate rebounder and passer. Cowens was a key member of Boston teams that advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals for five straight years (1972-76). Boston's 1973 team went 68-14, which was the third best winning percentage at that time and which still ranks as the sixth best winning percentage. The 1973 Celtics lost to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals after John Havlicek suffered a shoulder injury. Boston won the 1974 championship, tied for the best record in the NBA (60-22) before losing to the 60-22 Washington Bullets in the 1975 Eastern Conference Finals and then bounced back to capture the 1976 title.

Billy Cunningham won the 1973 ABA regular season MVP and he ranked in the top five in MVP voting three times, including third in 1969 in the NBA and fifth in 1970 in the NBA. Cunningham was an All-League selection five times, including three straight All-NBA First Team selections (1969-71) and one All-ABA First Team selection (1973). Cunningham made the All-Star team five times--four times in the NBA and once in the ABA. He led the ABA in steals in 1972-73 (the first season that either league officially recorded that statistic).

Cunningham began his career as the sixth man for a Philadelphia 76ers team that featured fellow future Hall of Famers Wilt Chamberlain, Hal Greer and Chet Walker, plus other talented players such as Luke Jackson and Wali Jones. Cunningham was the fourth leading scorer (18.5 ppg) for the 1967 76ers, who set the record--since broken--for best regular season winning percentage (68-13, .840). The 76ers routed Boston 4-1 in the Eastern Division Finals (ending the Celtics' run of eight straight NBA titles) and then beat the San Francisco Warriors to win the NBA title.

Cunningham jumped to the ABA's Carolina Cougars in 1972 and won his only MVP award after leading the team to the best record in the league, 57-27. The Cougars lost to the 56-28 Kentucky Colonels in game seven of the Eastern Division Finals, denying Cunningham the opportunity to win a championship in both leagues. Cunningham was just 29 years old and seemed poised to be an elite player for years to come, but injuries and health problems limited him to just 132 more games before he retired at age 32.

Cunningham was a left-handed player known for his jumping ability, stamina and quickness. He was a top level scorer, rebounder and playmaker; Cunningham averaged at least 23 ppg for five straight seasons, at least 10 rpg for five straight seasons and at least 4.9 apg for three straight seasons. Each of those streaks ended in 1973-74, when kidney problems (which ultimately required two surgeries) limited Cunningham to just 32 games.

Pete Maravich finished in the top five in MVP voting once (third in 1977 behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Walton). He made the All-NBA Team four times, including First Team selections in 1976 and 1977. Maravich led the league in scoring in 1976-77 and was leading the league in scoring more than halfway through the 1977-78 season before suffering a season-ending knee injury from which he never fully recovered. He averaged at least 21.5 ppg in eight of his first nine regular seasons (though he missed at least 30 games in two of those eight seasons) and he ranked in the top five in scoring four times. Maravich ranked in the top 10 in assists twice and he finished in the top 10 in free throws made five times, including first one time and second two times. He was a five-time All-Star. He averaged 25.5 ppg during the playoffs while leading the Hawks to the postseason in each of his first three campaigns but Maravich's career playoff scoring average took a hit after his final season, when he scored 6.0 ppg in just 11.6 mpg for the Boston Celtics during their run to the 1980 Eastern Conference Finals.

In Part I of this series, I mentioned a set of criteria (in no particular order) for comparing great players from different eras:

1) How great was a particular player in his own era?

2) How highly does a player rank overall in key statistical categories?

3) Based on a skill set evaluation, how well would a player have performed in a different era when facing different rules and circumstances?

4) Did the player have a historical impact on the game, in terms of forcing rules changes and/or influencing shifts in style of play?

Maravich was not blessed with great longevity, which negatively impacted his ability to post high rankings in key statistical categories. However, Maravich does very well by the other three criteria. He made the All-NBA Team four times despite having just five seasons during which he played at least 70 games.When healthy, he was an elite guard for a significant portion of his career, a player who could score in a variety of ways, draw fouls, create shots for his teammates and rebound well for his position. Maravich's skill set would fit in perfectly with today's game; the rules changes and the rules interpretations heavily favor offense, particularly for perimeter players, and it is reasonable to suggest that a healthy Maravich would easily average more than 30 ppg and at least 8-10 apg under today's conditions. Regarding historical impact, Maravich's legacy is indisputable; many of the great players who followed him, including Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas, have credited Maravich as a primary influence.

Willis Reed is the first player to win the All-Star Game MVP, regular season MVP and Finals MVP in the same season (1970). Michael Jordan (1996 and 1998) and Shaquille O'Neal (2000) are the only other players who accomplished this feat. Reed also finished second in the 1969 regular season MVP voting and fourth in the 1971 regular season MVP voting. His trophy case includes the 1973 Finals MVP and the 1965 Rookie of the Year award. Reed made the All-NBA Team five times, including one First Team selection (1970, the year he earned his only All-Defensive Team selection, also to the First Team). His New York teams advanced to the NBA Finals three times (1970, 1972-73) and won two titles (1970, 1973).

Reed never led the league in a major statistical category but he averaged at least 11.6 rpg in each of his first seven seasons and his career average of 12.9 rpg ranks 13th in ABA/NBA history. While Reed could post up and he had a good hook shot, his New York Knicks often ran an inverted offense featuring guards Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe attacking the hoop while Reed and forwards Dave DeBusschere and Jerry Lucas bombed away from outside. Reed did not display three point range--which, of course, was not necessary or desirable at a time that the NBA had not adopted the three point shot from the ABA--but he had a reliable shot in the 15-18 foot range. Reed was an excellent defensive player and he had great physical presence. He was not a great passer but he contributed offensively not only as a scorer but also as a screen setter.

While Reed put up impressive statistics during his prime, he is most famous for a game during which he scored just four points: in game seven of the 1970 NBA Finals versus the L.A. Lakers, a hobbled Reed limped on to the court after missing game six due to a hip injury and he made his first two shots from the field, providing inspiration as the Knicks rolled to a 113-99 victory. Walt Frazier had 36 points, 19 assists and seven rebounds in game seven but Reed received the Finals MVP after averaging a team-high 23.0 ppg plus 10.5 rpg during the series (Reed averaged 26.8 ppg during the first five games of the series before suffering the injury).

Bill Sharman ranked in the top five in MVP voting once (fifth in 1956; he also finished seventh in 1958) and he won the 1955 All-Star Game MVP. He made the All-NBA Team seven times, including four straight First Team selections (1956-59), and he was a seven-time All-Star. The All-Defensive Team had not been created at that time, but Sharman was a physical player despite being just 6-1, 190 pounds, and he was considered a tenacious and pugnacious defensive player. Jerry West once said that Sharman had more fights than Mike Tyson!

Sharman's .426 career field goal percentage may not look impressive at first glance but that is deceptive. Field goal percentages during his era were lower than in subsequent eras for a variety of reasons. Sharman was one of the greatest shooters of all-time. He not only ranked in the top 10 in field goal percentage five times during his 11 seasons but he also led the NBA in free throw percentage for five straight seasons (1953-57) and seven times overall; the only other player who led the league in free throw percentage seven times is Rick Barry (six times in the NBA, once in the ABA). Sharman's .883 career free throw percentage ranked first all-time when he retired and is still 14th in ABA/NBA history.

Sharman played on four championship teams (1957, 1959-61) as a member of the Boston Celtics, for whom he played 10 of his 11 NBA seasons.

Although not relevant to his worthiness for inclusion on the 50 Greatest Players List, it should be noted that Sharman is the first North American professional sports figure to win a championship as a player, as a coach and as an executive. He coached a championship team in the ABL, the ABA and the NBA. Sharman personified championship level success throughout his career and he is on the short list of people who have been inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach (John Wooden, Lenny Wilkens and Tommy Heinsohn are the others).

Before providing my take on the Boston Globe's list, I must emphasize that all of the players discussed above had great careers and made a significant impact on the sport. There is not one definitive top 50 list or only one correct way to construct such a list. All of these players deserve tremendous respect and appreciation.

I agree with nine of the additions made by the Boston Globe: LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Durant, Allen Iverson, Dwyane Wade and Gary Payton. However, instead of adding Dennis Rodman, Steve Nash, Reggie Miller and Paul Pierce, I would keep Dave Cowens, Willis Reed, Billy Cunningham and Pete Maravich. Cowens and Reed were dominant MVP centers who were strong contributors to multiple championship teams. Cunningham and Maravich both had careers cut short by injury/illness but here I am looking at peak value and, particularly in Maravich's case, historical impact on the game. Nash was a great passer and shooter but he was a reluctant scorer who had significant defensive liabilities. Pierce was an excellent player who had a long career but he was never an elite player like Cunningham and Maravich were in their primes. Rodman, as discussed in Part II, was a great rebounder and defender but I cannot place him on the list ahead of power forwards who not only rebounded and defended but also were top notch scorers.

In Part II, I discussed my reasons for not including Sam Jones, Earl Monroe, Nate Thurmond, Wes Unseld, Bill Walton, Lenny Wilkens and James Worthy.

In Part II, I rejected the notion of removing Dave DeBusschere from the 50 Greatest Players List--but that was in the context of a list published by Athlon Sports in 2008. By 2015, several more all-time greats had emerged and had earned a place on the list, which requires removing players who still would have made the cut just a few years earlier. DeBusschere was a tremendous player who was a key contributor for two championship teams, but he was never an MVP level player--let alone a perennial MVP candidate--so when you start adding players like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Dirk Nowitzki to the list you end up cutting players who were not MVP level performers.

As for Dave Bing and Bill Sharman, it is particularly difficult to leave out Sharman. He was a great two-way player on four championship teams and he is one of the best shooters of all-time. However, I just cannot quite rank him ahead of the players who the Boston Globe added whose careers took place subsequent to the creation of the original list; if the list remains limited to 50 players then this becomes a numbers game and it is inevitable that some great players will not make the cut. Bing did not have quite the two-way impact that Sharman did but he was a worthy member of the initial list who, like Sharman, is just not as good as some of the all-time great players who have come along in the past two decades or so.

---

Further Reading:

Part I of this series can be found here.

Part II of this series can be found here.

Labels: Allen Iverson, Dennis Rodman, Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade, Gary Payton, Kevin Durant, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Paul Pierce, Reggie Miller, Steve Nash, Tim Duncan

posted by David Friedman @ 5:51 PM

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The Basketball Hall of Fame Belatedly Welcomes Roger Brown

"It doesn't exonerate people for doing what they did to him. It shouldn't make anybody feel better that they denied him a special part of his life."--Basketball Hall of Famer Mel Daniels, commenting about the Hall of Fame enshrinement of his teammate Roger Brown

Better late than never--but more than three decades overdue--the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame finally enshrined Roger Brown, who is one of the most underrated players in pro basketball history. Brown starred on the University of Dayton's freshman team in 1961 but he never played varsity college basketball nor did he ever play in the NBA; false accusations robbed him of his collegiate career and stole several of what should have been his prime professional seasons. For six years, Brown was relegated to playing on the AAU circuit and he was also denied his rightful opportunity to earn a spot on the 1964 U.S. Olympic team. In 1967 the Indiana Pacers of the newly-formed American Basketball Association (ABA) signed Brown, who helped the team win three championships in five ABA Finals appearances. The Pacers became known as the Boston Celtics of the ABA. As Julius Erving put it, "The Pacers were the class of the league and Roger was the class of the class."

Brown sued the NBA and received an out of court settlement that compensated him financially and also lifted the league's ban against him but Brown remained loyal to the Pacers instead of jumping to the more established league. Connie Hawkins, Brown's high school friend/rival who was also wrongfully blackballed by the NBA, had previously settled out of court with the NBA but he chose to sign with the Phoenix Suns--and the additional exposure that Hawkins gained from his time spent in the NBA is probably the major reason that he was inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame 21 years before Brown.

Hall of Famers Mel Daniels and Reggie Miller served as Brown's presenters during Sunday's enshrinement ceremony and Brown's son Roger Brown Jr. gave a brief, recorded speech--but the entire tribute to Brown barely lasted six minutes. Brown's career should have received a longer and more detailed appreciation; an uninformed person watching the telecast--and, sad to say, most people who watched the telecast probably are uninformed about Roger Brown's career, if not basketball history in general--still would have no idea why Roger Brown is a significant figure in the sport's history. The Hall of Fame has an obligation not only to honor basketball's greatest players, coaches and contributors but also to educate the public about those people's accomplishments.

Roger Brown had an uncanny skill set, featuring tremendous fakes, deft ballhandling and the rare ability to score equally well both on drives to the hoop and on long jump shots. He made the game look easy and he elevated his performance level in clutch situations, thriving late in games and also in the postseason. Brown had some of his best moments during the 1970 playoffs, averaging 28.5 ppg, 10.1 rpg and 5.6 apg while winning Playoff MVP honors and leading the Pacers to their first championship. Brown scored 53, 39 and 45 points in the last three games of that year's ABA Finals.

This is what Hall of Famer George Gervin told me when I asked him what it was like to play against Brown:

"He probably had one of the best first steps in basketball," Gervin said. "You've really got to understand basketball to know what I'm saying when I say 'first step.' Matter of fact, I learned that from him when I played against Roger Brown. He used to pivot and make you move and he isn't going anywhere. It was probably one of the best moves that I picked up, and when I went to the guard spot it really helped to take my game to the next level."

"What guys don't realize today is that first step is everything because if I can get the first step on you then you will never catch me. And if you do catch me then all I have to do is fake and you will go for the fake because you are trying to catch up, you are in a recovery situation. That's where Roger was good. He forced you into a recovery situation all the time, so you had to go for his fakes."

Gervin contrasts Brown's use of the first step with the way that many current players set up their moves: "Dribbling that ball five, six, seven, eight seconds is a travesty. What are the other four guys doing, standing there watching? A lot of the guys pound the ball today, but we used to move the ball around and when we got it, we took that first step and made something happen. So we (retired legends) hope and pray that the guys understand that you really need to give the ball up. If you're not going to make your move, give it up, go back and get it. Don't just stand there and pound it."

I am thrilled beyond words that Brown has been granted formal basketball immortality by the Basketball Hall of Fame but I strongly feel that the Hall of Fame not only perpetrated an injustice by excluding Brown for so many decades but also by giving him such short shrift in the enshrinement ceremony. People who want to know the complete Roger Brown story should check out the articles listed below and also watch Ted Green's tremendous documentary "Undefeated: The Roger Brown Story."

**************************************************

More Information About Roger Brown:

Interview with Ted Green, Producer of "Undefeated: The Roger Brown Story" (October 30, 2012)

Roger Brown is Finally Elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame! (February 16, 2013)

The Neon Presents Special Screening of "Undefeated: The Roger Brown Story" on Thursday August 15 (August 13, 2013)

Labels: Basketball Hall of Fame, George Gervin, Indiana Pacers, Julius Erving, Mel Daniels, Reggie Miller, Roger Brown, Ted Green

posted by David Friedman @ 3:03 AM

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Tracy McGrady is Clearly a Hall of Famer

Tracy McGrady officially retired from the NBA on Monday. It seems like only yesterday that he jumped from high school to the pros, but McGrady put it in 15 seasons of work--and he worked over opponents, averaging 19.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg and 4.4 apg in the regular season, numbers that he bumped up to 22.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg and 5.0 apg in the playoffs. McGrady made the All-NBA Team seven times (including two First Team selections), he made the All-Star team seven times, he finished in the top six in MVP voting four times (including a pair of fourth place nods) and he won two scoring titles. I get the impression that many casual fans and media members do not perceive McGrady as a legitimate Hall of Famer. This article will set the record straight.

There are many different perspectives and opinions about Hall of Fame voting. I remember a Sporting News article that declared that the Baseball Hall of Fame should have a small, fixed number of members and that no one should be voted in without someone else being voted out. That is intriguing at first glance but asinine once you think about it in greater depth; a Hall of Fame should honor a sport's entire history and all of its greatest players, not set up artificial barriers to induction.

Before the PED users skewed Major League Baseball's record book, certain numbers--like 500 home runs for a slugger and 300 wins for a pitcher--were considered automatic Hall of Fame tickets. Basketball has never had a similar overt attachment to specific statistical plateaus but research indicates that players who register certain accomplishments are very likely to be inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame.

McGrady ranks 60th on the all-time ABA/NBA scoring list with 18,381 points. That ranking and that total may not look impressive at first glance but almost all of the players who are ahead of McGrady are either already in the Hall of Fame or will be inducted as soon as they become eligible--and McGrady scored more points than several Hall of Fame guards, including Dave Bing, Calvin Murphy, Lenny Wilkens, Magic Johnson, Earl Monroe, Bob Cousy, Nate Archibald, Joe Dumars and Pete Maravich.

McGrady's seven All-NBA Team selections are tied for 31st-39th on the all-time ABA/NBA list. Every eligible player who is ahead of McGrady on this list is already in the Hall of Fame--and there are many Hall of Famers who did not earn seven All-NBA and/or All-ABA selections, including Walt Frazier, Elvin Hayes, Nate Archibald, Billy Cunningham, Clyde Drexler and Isiah Thomas.

There was a lot of outrage expressed when Reggie Miller was not voted in as a first ballot Hall of Famer. Miller played 18 seasons and he was much more durable than McGrady so he accumulated more total points but Miller only earned five All-Star selections and three All-NBA Team honors. Miller never finished in the top 10 in MVP voting and he never was the best player at his position or even an All-NBA First Team performer. From a skill set standpoint, he was a better three point shooter and free throw shooter than McGrady but McGrady was a much better all-around scorer, a much better rebounder, a much better passer, a much better defender and a much better ballhandler.

Despite McGrady's nagging injuries, he averaged at least 20 ppg in eight straight seasons--including 25-plus ppg for five years in a row--and he scored at least 2000 points three times. McGrady averaged at least 25 ppg, at least five rpg and at least five apg in four straight seasons. Miller never once averaged 25 ppg in a season, he never once averaged four rpg in a season and he only averaged four apg in a season once.

McGrady is criticized because his teams never made it past the first round (until last season, when he rode the bench for the NBA Finalist San Antonio Spurs) but McGrady carried several subpar teams to the playoffs and during his prime he was a tremendous playoff performer, averaging at least 30 ppg in four straight postseasons.

The point of this article is not to say that the validity of McGrady's Hall of Fame candidacy can or should be determined purely by using certain statistics and/or purely by comparing his numbers to any one particular Hall of Famer; McGrady's total body of work--his all-around skill set, his individual statistical accomplishments and the awards he earned--are more than sufficient to justify classifying him as a clear cut Hall of Fame caliber performer.

Labels: Basketball Hall of Fame, Calvin Murphy, Dave Bing, Magic Johnson, Reggie Miller, Tracy McGrady

posted by David Friedman @ 8:48 AM

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Reflections on the 2012 Basketball Hall of Fame Class

If you believe the mainstream media hype, Reggie Miller "headlined" the 12 member 2012 Basketball Hall of Fame class. Miller had an outstanding 18 year NBA career, scoring 25,279 regular season points while hitting many celebrated clutch shots but he earned just five All-Star selections and three All-NBA Third Team honors; he was never the best player at his position--admittedly, that would have been hard to do while spending most of his career competing against Michael Jordan--but it could also be argued that he was never the second best shooting guard in the league. With all due respect to Miller--and I greatly respect not only his accomplishments but also his extraordinary work ethic, which I witnessed firsthand late in his career when he practiced on the court by himself long before game time--it is ludicrous for Mark Jackson to suggest that Miller is the fourth greatest shooting guard in NBA history behind Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade. Miller made the All-Star team for the first time in 1990, the season during which he averaged a career-high 24.6 ppg--and yet he was no better than the fourth best shooting guard in the league that season, never mind all-time: the 1990 All-NBA shooting guards were Michael Jordan, Clyde Drexler and Joe Dumars.

The point is not to bash Miller--placing his accomplishments in proper context should not be considered "bashing" anyway and, as I said, he had a wonderful career--but rather to bash the media for focusing so much attention on Miller that other players who are at least as deserving of praise just get shoved aside. Miller deserves credit for mentioning Mel Daniels, who he called his "uncle," but this cannot and must not just be acceptance speech lip service; Miller's platform as a recently retired player who is now a TNT broadcaster gives him tremendous influence and he should use that influence to remind viewers about the great players who built this game.

Mel Daniels won two ABA regular season MVPs, made the All-Star team seven times during his eight ABA seasons, led the Indiana Pacers to three ABA titles and is one of the greatest rebounders in professional basketball history: his 14.9 regular season rpg average ranks sixth all-time, while his 1608 playoff rebounds rank 14th on the all-time list and when he retired he trailed only Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor in that department. Daniels may be a forgotten player to younger fans but those fans need to learn the history of the game--and LeBron James set a great example by attending the Hall of Fame ceremony, which reminds me of how Isiah Thomas and Mark Aguirre used to attend the NBA Finals in person as young pros before they eventually won two championships together: it is vitally important to respect the past, respect the game and learn from one's great predecessors. I hope that James was at the ceremony not just as part of Phil Knight's Nike contingent but also to learn firsthand from the legends of the game.

Jim Bukata's 1973 book One on One--which may be even more forgotten than Daniels' career--contains some interesting quotes and insights. Daniels' Indiana Coach Bobby "Slick" Leonard said, "I've been around professional basketball as a player and coach for more than 20 years. Mel ranks among the top 10 centers I've seen. That includes Chamberlain and Russell and Mikan, all the great ones. Mel's the best defensive rebounder in the game today." Daniels' rebounding prowess was a key factor for those Indiana championship teams and Bukata noted that Daniels grabbed more rebounds in his first five professional seasons than anyone other than Chamberlain, Russell, Jerry Lucas and Walt Bellamy. Babe McCarthy, then the Coach of the Dallas Chaparrals, said, "Nobody pushes Daniels around. As far as I'm concerned, he is the second-best center in either league--behind Jabbar."

It is a travesty that Daniels had to wait almost 30 years to be inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame and it is very sad that some health problems prevented Daniels from attending the ceremony, limiting him to a brief video acceptance speech of less than four minutes:

Mel Daniels' Hall of Fame Speech

It is not surprising that he spent a good portion of the speech urging the Hall of Fame to recognize other worthy ABA players. Daniels is not a braggart or a self-promoter and during the times I was fortunate enough to speak with him I found him to be a no-nonsense straight talker. Jerry Colangelo deserves a lot of credit for forming the ABA Committee that selected Daniels and that honored Artis Gilmore last year.

Another player who had to wait far too long to be inducted is Chet Walker, who probably made some powerful enemies when he became a member of the "NBA 14," the group of players whose lawsuits paved the way for the free agency system that has made LeBron James and so many other current players fabulously wealthy. Walker is a successful businessman who earned an Emmy for co-producing a TV movie about Isiah Thomas' mother; Walker does not need and probably does not want charity from anyone but wouldn't it be great if James and other NBA players who have earned well in excess of $100 million each set up a fund to help out retired NBA players who have fallen on hard times? Do today's NBA stars even know anything about Bill Tosheff and the "Pre-1965ers"? Sadly, that is not the kind of story that will ever gain much traction with the so-called Worldwide Leader in Sports or--for that matter--even with the NBA's official publicity organs/media outlets.

Walker chose Isiah Thomas, Earl Monroe, Billy Cunningham and Adrian Dantley to be his presenters; Walker shares Chicago ties with Thomas, he played against Monroe, he played with and against Cunningham and he lauded Dantley for copying his moves. Walker spoke frankly and seemingly extemporaneously about his fight for free agency rights and the greatness of his 1967 Philadelphia championship team, a squad that he said has been ignored by so-called experts:

Chet Walker's Hall of Fame Speech

Julius Erving served as a 2012 presenter three times--for Ralph Sampson, Katrina McClain and the All-American Red Heads--which may be a record for one ceremony and adds to his previous total of five times as a Basketball Hall of Fame presenter. Casual fans may not fully understand just how much Erving is respected and idolized by other greats of the game but the number of times he has been selected as a presenter and the diversity of the Hall of Famers that he has presented (ranging from teammates to opponents to players who grew up watching him to great female players) demonstrates just how highly he is regarded.

Labels: Basketball Hall of Fame, Chet Walker, Jerry Colangelo, Julius Erving, Mel Daniels, Reggie Miller

posted by David Friedman @ 6:53 AM

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Similarities Between Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan

Kobe Bryant's late career postseason productivity--particularly from 2008-10 when the L.A. Lakers won three Western Conference titles and two NBA championships--is very comparable with Michael Jordan's 1996-98 playoff performances during the Bulls' second three-peat but overall I rank Jordan ahead of Bryant in pro basketball's Pantheon: Jordan had a better postup and midrange game and his larger hands enabled him to be a superior ballhandler and provided Jordan more finishing options in traffic. However, it is obvious that the two players are very similar both stylistically and in terms of their productivity; Bryant has far exceeded the accomplishments of the various other so-called "Heir Jordans" that the media attempted to elevate, ranging from the sublime (perennial All-Stars Grant Hill, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady) to the ridiculous (the inaptly nicknamed Harold "Baby Jordan" Miner).

While going through old files I discovered previously unpublished notes that I made regarding an interesting on air discussion in 2008 between TNT commentators Reggie Miller and Mike Fratello about similarities between Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan.

Miller cited four things that Bryant and Jordan have in common:

1. Balance. "They always come to a two foot jump stop."
2. Technique. "The ability to attack defenders going in either direction--rocker moves, pump fakes."
3. Agility. Miller said that both players can immediately contort their bodies on the fly to counter whatever the defense does.
4. Heart. "Finish in traffic, take the contact, make the impossible possible."
   

Fratello added that both players could create space to get off a shot, a skill that Fratello said is "so key to being a star in this league."

Balance, technique, agility, heart and the ability to create a shot are not traits that can be quantified but Miller and Fratello are correct that these five characteristics link Jordan and Bryant while also separating them from most other players.

Labels: Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Mike Fratello, Reggie Miller

posted by David Friedman @ 2:11 AM

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Lakers Edge Celtics, Spoil Allen's Record-Setting Night

Ray Allen scored 12 first quarter points--including two three pointers to move past Reggie Miller into sole possession of first place on the career list for three pointers made--as the Boston Celtics cruised to a 27-20 first quarter lead over the L.A. Lakers. The Celtics eventually pushed that margin to 15 points but then Kobe Bryant erupted for 20 second half points and the Lakers emerged with a 92-86 win, their first victory of the season against a legitimate championship contender. "Statement game" is a somewhat overused phrase but, whatever you call it, at some point before the playoffs began the Lakers needed to prove that they could summon up the necessary concentration and effort to beat a top level squad.

Bryant finished with a game-high 23 points on 9-17 field goal shooting, plus five rebounds and four assists; he played 38 minutes, which is roughly four more than his season average and an indication of just how important this game was to Lakers Coach Phil Jackson, because there have been times this season when Jackson has left Bryant fiddling on the bench even as the Laker reserves were burning down Rome on the court. It is reasonable to expect that in the playoffs Bryant's minutes will receive a similar boost if necessary but during the regular season Jackson is following a version of Rick Mears' classic Indy 500 mantra that to win the race you first must have a working car at the end of the race; if Jackson runs Bryant into the ground during the regular season then the team's three-peat hopes will surely vanish but if the Lakers are smart enough and steady enough to finish with one of the top four records in the league (second in the West only to the streaking San Antonio Spurs) then they will be well positioned to claim a third straight championship.

Pau Gasol contributed 20 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. He looked soft and tentative early in the game--bobbling the ball every time Kendrick Perkins touched him and settling for some fadeaway shots--but eventually Gasol provided some much needed paint presence. Miller (who was one member of TNT's three man announcing crew) even called Gasol "Iron Man" (surely the first time that appellation has ever been applied to Gasol)--not in response to Gasol's solid play but rather because a freak collision between Gasol and Lamar Odom left Gasol unmarked while opening a gash on Odom's head that required several stitches to close. Odom shot just 4-12 from the field for 10 points but he snared a game-high 12 rebounds (though several of those boards were his own misses). Andrew Bynum tallied 16 points and nine rebounds.

Allen led the Celtics with 20 points but he was largely silent after his sparkling first quarter. The Celtics will make no excuses about this loss but they were undermanned due to the absences of Shaquille O'Neal, Jermaine O'Neal and Delonte West, three players who figure to be significant postseason contributors. Foul trouble further wrecked Boston's rotation, resulting in Rajon Rondo playing 44 minutes and requiring the seldom-used Von Wafer to play 20 minutes.

In the first half, Bryant worked hard to get his big men involved while he scored just three points on 1-3 field goal shooting but even though Gasol and Bynum each scored 12 points the Lakers trailed 53-45. TNT's Charles Barkley has repeatedly said that Kobe Bryant has "slowed down a lot" and at halftime Barkley added that he knows from personal experience what Bryant is going through: Barkley recalled that during his prime he could go wherever he wanted to on the court and score but that later in his career he had to keep pump faking to get off a shot, a change that Barkley noted in Bryant's game now. Barkley's observation is valid to some degree--and I don't think that this is the first season in which Bryant has been relying more frequently on pump fakes as opposed to explosiveness--but Bryant is hardly as broken down as Barkley was during his late career run in Houston. Bryant has already played as many career minutes as Michael Jordan had logged by the time he was a 39 year old Wizard but I think that Bryant's current explosiveness is roughly equivalent to Jordan's circa 1997 or 1998; Bryant can still blow by people and dunk and he is not noticeably hobbling the way that Jordan did as a Wizard (or the way that Bryant did last season when he was limited not by age but by a knee injury that ultimately required surgical repair). Bryant has indeed slowed down to some extent but unless he suffers an acute injury (as opposed to the chronic wear and tear that he clearly knows how to manage) there is little reason to think that his numbers--or, more importantly, his overall effectiveness--will be diminished at playoff time; over the past three playoff runs resulting in three trips to the NBA Finals and two championships, Kobe Bryant's playoff numbers have been remarkably similar to the numbers that Jordan posted during the Bulls' second three-peat and I expect that Bryant's 2011 playoff numbers will not decline from that level.

The Lakers took command in the second half as Bryant poured in 20 points on 8-14 field goal shooting. The Lakers' bench did a solid job of maintaining a slender lead while Bryant rested during the first part of the fourth quarter and then Bryant returned to action with guns blazing, bagging three straight buckets in less than two minutes (and eight points in the final 4:49 overall, plus a great dish to Gasol for an easy layup after the Celtics triple-teamed Bryant) to hold off a late charge by the Celtics. It is obviously true that the Lakers enjoy a size advantage against many teams but it is befuddling that many people do not recognize that a major reason that the Lakers can so effectively exploit this advantage is that it is very difficult to double team the Lakers' bigs because of how much Bryant threatens the defense. Gasol and Bynum receive much more single coverage than they would if they played without Bryant. It is also worth remembering that the Lakers' big man-focused offense in the first half resulted in an eight point deficit; however, the advantage of getting the big men the ball early is two-fold: it keeps them mentally involved in the game at both ends of the court and, as long as the score is reasonably close, it preserves Bryant's energy so that he can close out the game at the end (whether or not Bryant's heroics fit the definition of "clutch" prescribed by various "stat gurus"). Coach Jackson has often mentioned that he would like the Lakers to keep the game competitive enough in the first three quarters so that Bryant can take over in the fourth quarter and I recall an oft-played video clip from Jackson's Bulls days when he implored his team, "Don't leave Michael (Jordan) yet. It's not time."

Allen's three point milestone is a significant accomplishment; his 2562 career three pointers are not only two more than Miller's old record but they are more than 800 ahead of Jason Kidd's third place total. The 35 year old Allen is in excellent condition and is shooting a career-high .459 from long range this season, so he probably will ultimately obliterate Miller's standard. However, amidst the quite deserved appreciation that is being shown for Allen (and for Miller) it would be nice if some recognition were given to the league that popularized the three point shot and to the player who held the career three point field goal record even longer than Miller did. The ABA adopted the three point shot (which had previously been used in the short-lived ABL) but despite the ABA's reputation its players were not nearly as three point happy as current NBA players are; as I wrote in The Evolution of the Usage of the Three Point Shot, "The ABA is thought of as a run and gun league that featured guards launching three pointers from all angles, but ABA teams actually did not shoot that many three pointers--at least compared to NBA teams since the 1988-89 season." Louie Dampier--who spent most of his career with the Kentucky Colonels and helped the Hubie Brown-coached Colonels to win the 1975 ABA title--held the career NBA/ABA record for three point field goals made (794) until the 1992-93 season. Dampier deserves mention as one of the sport's great long range bombers; in 1968-69 he drained 199 threes for the Colonels and the next season he buried 198 shots behind the arc: not only did those individual single season records stand until 1994-95--when John Starks took advantage of the temporarily shortened NBA three point arc to make 217 threes--but no NBA team made more three pointers than Dampier's 199 until the 1986-87 Dallas Mavericks connected 241 times from long distance in the eighth season after the NBA began using the three point shot. Dampier currently ranks just 103rd on the career list for three pointers made but his career three point shooting percentage was a very respectable .358, just ahead of Kevin Durant's current career three point shooting percentage (though of course Durant's number could go up--or down--as his career progresses)--and Dampier made more career three pointers than Larry Bird, who finished with 649 (Dominique Wilkins--hardly a pure shooter--made 711 three pointers, a good example of how much more prevalent three point shooting became in the 1990s than it was during Bird's prime in the 1980s). It would not have taken anything away from Allen if TNT had shown a highlight montage depicting the evolution of the three point record from Dampier to Dale Ellis (who Miller mentioned briefly during the telecast) to Miller to Allen.

Labels: Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers, Louie Dampier, Pau Gasol, Ray Allen, Reggie Miller

posted by David Friedman @ 2:35 AM

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Dirk Nowitzki: Model of Consistency

Remember when I asked Dallas Coach Rick Carlisle if he thinks that Dirk Nowitzki is underrated? Instead of suggesting that Nowitzki deserves more acclaim than he receives, Coach Carlisle diplomatically praised the media for voting Nowitzki to the 2009 All-NBA First Team--but Hall of Fame contributor/two-time NBA Coach of the Year/ESPN analyst Hubie Brown completely agrees with my take on Nowitzki. Late in ESPN's Wednesday night broadcast of Dallas' 100-86 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder--during which Nowitzki scored a game-high 35 points on blistering 13-18 field goal shooting while tying for game-high honors with 11 rebounds--play by play announcer Dan Shulman asked Brown, "Is it possible that a guy who has been as good as he is for as long as he has been that good--is it possible Dirk Nowitzki is still a little bit underappreciated?"

Brown immediately replied, "Oh, I think so and I've always felt that way. I feel that for what he has accomplished--and even the year that he won the MVP (2006-07), a lot of guys questioned (why) he won the MVP--and yet when you back up the stats and see everything that he did, it is just one of those freakish things that happen that certain players, no matter what they do, no matter how consistent, no matter how overwhelming their stats are, people still do not want to give them the total recognition."

Nowitzki has averaged at least 21.8 ppg for nine straight seasons and is well on course to make it ten in a row with his career-high tying 26.6 ppg average this season. During that time Nowitzki has averaged at least 8.4 rpg each year (he is slightly behind that pace with an 8.2 rpg average so far this season). As Brown pointed out earlier in the telecast, Nowitzki has consistently been an accurate shooter from the field, three point range and the three point line; during Nowitzki's aforementioned MVP campaign he joined the elite .500 (field goal percentage)--.400 (three point field goal percentage)--.900 (free throw percentage) Club, whose members include sharpshooters Larry Bird, Mark Price, Reggie Miller and Steve Nash.

For those of you who think you know NBA basketball (but really don't) and say that Nowitzki is not a clutch player, consider that this season he has shot 55-55 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter/overtime--and remember that his playoff scoring and rebounding averages (25.5 and 11.0 respectively) are significantly better than his regular season scoring and rebounding averages (22.5 and 8.4); for comparison purposes, note that renowned playoff assassin Reggie Miller not only averaged fewer points in the postseason than Nowitzki (20.6 ppg) but that Miller's playoff scoring average is 2.4 ppg higher than his regular season scoring average compared to a 3.0 differential for Nowitzki, who advanced past the first round in six of his first 11 seasons while Miller's Indiana Pacers made it out of the first round seven times in 18 seasons.

Labels: Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki, Hubie Brown, Reggie Miller, Rick Carlisle

posted by David Friedman @ 3:43 AM

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