20 Second Timeout

Reflecting on Dick Barnett's Legacy

Dick Barnett, who passed away in his sleep yesterday at the age of 88, leaves behind a rich legacy not only as a basketball champion and Hall of Famer but also as an educator. Barnett was one of several stars from historically black colleges who told their inspiring stories in the must-see movie "Black Magic." When the Tennessee A&I team that won three straight collegiate national championships (1957-59) was inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Barnett--the team's biggest star--narrated the video that put the team's accomplishments in historical context. By the time that Barnett was inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame individually in 2024, he was in a wheelchair and unable to speak; his Knicks teammate Bill Bradley spoke on his behalf, and Bradley praised Barnett as a two-way player who was a key member of the Knicks' championship teams in 1970 and 1973. Barnett's trademark shot was his "Fall back, baby" jumper during which he curled up his legs underneath his body while saying his catchphrase, which meant that his teammates could fall back on defense because he knew that his shot was good.

Barnett began his NBA career with two solid seasons with the Syracuse Nationals before jumping to the American Basketball League (ABL) to play for his college coach John McClendon with the Cleveland Pipers, who won the 1962 ABL title. The ABL was the first professional basketball league to use the three point shot (the ABA was founded in 1967-68). After one ABL season, Barnett returned to the NBA as an L.A. Laker, and he played three seasons for the Lakers before being traded to the New York Knicks for Bob Boozer.

In his first season with the Knicks, Barnett averaged a career-high 23.1 ppg to rank sixth in scoring average (he finished seventh in total points, which is the method the NBA used to determine statistical leaders prior to 1970). He bounced back from an Achilles injury to earn his first and only All-Star selection in 1968. In the famous "Willis Reed game"--game seven of the 1970 NBA Finals, when Reed limped onto the court and scored four points despite being hobbled a painful leg injury--Barnett scored 21 points while also guarding Pantheon member Jerry West, the L.A. Lakers' star guard. Barnett's performance was overshadowed by Reed's heroics and by Walt Frazier's magnificent 36 point/19 assist/seven rebound stat line. Barnett averaged at least 12.2 ppg in each of his first 12 NBA seasons before his production dropped in his last two years.

After his playing career ended, Barnett earned a doctorate in education and communications from Fordham, and he wrote more than 20 books. He was an energetic and charismatic speaker, and a great role model not just for athletes but for all people.

Labels: Bill Bradley, Dick Barnett, John McClendon, L.A. Lakers, New York Knicks, Syracuse Nationals, Walt Frazier, Willis Reed

posted by David Friedman @ 4:57 PM

0 comments

Julius Erving as Viewed by his Contemporaries, Part II

In my October 3, 2013 article Julius Erving as Viewed by his Contemporaries, I quoted several people--including coaches Adolph Rupp, Kevin Loughery, and Babe McCarthy--who praised Erving as a great all-around player and great clutch performer. Since that time, I did in depth archival research of articles published throughout Erving's pro basketball career, and it is fascinating to see how Erving was perceived and described during those years. This article focuses on 1972-74, covering Erving's first three professional seasons.

Hall of Famers and future Hall of Famers recognized Erving's greatness very quickly. When Erving was a rookie during the 1971-72 season, Rick Barry predicted that Erving would become the greatest forward of all-time: "He's almost reached that point already. He's blessed with everything it takes to be number one: jumping ability, speed, soft touch, big hands, desire to excel, and the great attitude" (quoted in Pete Vecsey's February 5, 1972 New York Daily News column). Carl Braun compared rookie Erving to Elgin Baylor--at that time widely considered to be the greatest forward of all-time--and concluded that Baylor was stronger but Erving was faster. Braun added that Erving was not only a great forward but Erving was versatile and skilled enough to become the best guard in pro basketball: "Like Jerry West, you don't 'stop' Erving, he just has an off night" (quoted in Jerry Cassidy's April 27, 1972 article in the New York Daily News). Even before Erving won the first of his two ABA titles, Willis Reed called him "the best young forward I've ever seen," a quote mentioned in Dave Anderson's October 1, 1972 syndicated column discussing the bidding war for Erving's services.

Gary Long's April 6, 1972 Miami Herald article included quotes from two of Erving's Virginia Squires teammates. After rookie Erving tied the ABA single game playoff scoring record with 53 points as his Squires defeated the Floridians 118-113, Ray Scott--who played 10 years in the NBA before joining the Squires--said, "There's never been anyone in the NBA like him. There's nobody I can compare Julius with. He's first. What's really beautiful is he's still learning, and he's willing to learn." Adrian Smith, the 1966 NBA All-Star Game MVP who joined the Squires after a 10 year NBA career, declared, "In my 11 years in pro basketball, I've never seen another guy come into the game like this one."

Milwaukee Bucks' Coach Larry Costello called Erving "probably the best forward playing basketball today," and Chicago Bulls' Coach Dick Motta asserted that Erving is "the best basketball player around" (both quotes are from a syndicated UPI article published on September 24, 1972).

A little while later, Motta said of Erving, "The man has to be the most exciting basketball player I've ever seen. He means 25 percent, no make that 30 percent, more power to the team he plays for." Motta added, "If Milwaukee gets Erving, everybody can pack it up for the next 20 years. Teaming him with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar would mean the end of any real competition in the NBA." Those quotes appeared in the October 12, 1972 edition of The Atlanta Constitution when Erving was under contract with the Squires, had signed a deal with the Atlanta Hawks, and had been drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks. Erving played for the Hawks in the 1972 preseason before a court ruling sent him back to Virginia, where he played one more season before being traded to the New York Nets.

Atlanta Hawks' Coach Cotton Fitzsimmons called Erving--who was not even halfway through his second pro season--"the most spectacular player I've ever seen play the game, and I've seen a few...For example, Spencer Haywood of Seattle was All-NBA last season, and he can't do HALF the things Erving can on the court" (quoted in Dave Hicks' December 3, 1972 column in The Arizona Republic).

In his August 4, 1973 New York Daily News column, Dick Young wrote (in his trademark staccato style, with some missing definite articles), "It was off-the-record at time, but I suppose it's okay to tell now: About a year ago, Al McGuire was asked to name best basketball player in land. 'Julius Erving,' he said. 'And Number 2 is Rick Barry.'" Note that McGuire expressed that opinion before Erving joined the New York Nets. During Erving's three seasons with the Nets, he won three regular season MVPs, two ABA titles, two ABA Playoff MVPs, and two scoring titles (to go along with the scoring title he won in 1973 with the Squires, averaging a career-high 31.9 ppg).

In an August 9, 1973 Highland Park News and Journal article, Bob Guerrero raved about Erving's first Los Angeles appearance after Erving scored a game-high 31 points in the Ralph Bunche Memorial Basketball Benefit that pitted Erving's Pro All-Stars (including Connie Hawkins, Charlie Scott, and Paul Westphal) versus a UCLA Alumni team featuring Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Sidney Wicks, Curtis Rowe, and Mahdi Abdul-Rahman. The Pro All-Stars won 143-105, and Guerrero was very impressed by Erving: 

He's said to be the best forward in professional basketball and may well be one of the best cagers of all-time...

Dr. J, as he's known around the ABA and the rest of the basketball world, defies description on the basketball court and might be a combination between a Walt Frazier and Elgin Baylor.

At 6-7 he lacks the size of a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or a Wilt Chamberlain, but plays defense with the abilities of a Bill Russell in his prime.

Erving has an unlimited assortment of shots only because he reacts to the pressure of the defensive player after it is applied and can usually be seen sailing or twisting toward the basket with two or three other players trying to stop him.

What he does with a basketball is usually seen just once, he may have as much trouble describing his shot[s] as people who saw them from the stands.

UCLA has long been noted for basketball excellence, having dominated the college game for the past 10 years almost as regularly as the sun coming up, with players like Jabbar, Keith Erickson, Sidney Wicks, Lucius Allen, Curtis Rowe, and company.

But never in the history of Pauley Pavilion has a star the magnitude of Julius Erving done his thing, whatever it may be, with a basketball.

Erving made the All-Defensive Team once in his 16 season professional career, but he ranks among the all-time leaders in both steals and blocked shots, and his teams regularly ranked among the league leaders in points allowed and defensive field goal percentage, so it is interesting that Guerrero heaped such praise on Erving's defense after watching Erving play in an exhibition game. It is also noteworthy that Guerrero called Erving the biggest star to ever play in Pauley Pavilion right after mentioning Abdul-Jabbar's record-setting UCLA career.

A September 4, 1973 article by Ralph Trower of the The Journal Times (Racine, Wisconsin) quoted Jim Chones--a member of the ABA's 1973 All-Rookie Team--declaring, "Erving is the best I've ever seen."

Even at a young age, Erving had a thoughtful approach to his craft. An October 21, 1973 New York Daily News article by Kay Gilman quoted Erving explaining how he developed his unique playing style: "I'm a Pisces. I have a wild imagination and I've always been one to experiment. I used to watch games on TV. My palms would sweat and I'd think of moves no one else had done. I'd learn by watching good guys and bad guys. I'd dream up fantastic moves and then go out on the court and make them work. Some of them took a long time. I'm underweight. I'm not going to be able to jump higher or run faster. Eventually I will slow down. I've got to magnify my strengths--my quickness and my moves. It's called experience."

Erving did not brag, but he always had justified confidence in his abilities. Responding to a question early in his career, Erving said, "Am I the best? Well, I haven't seen them all, but the ones I've seen sure can't do the stuff I can do."

Advertising by definition involves some degree of hype/promotion, but it is worth noting that early in the 1973-74 season the San Antonio Spurs called Erving "one of the best forwards to ever play the game" in a newspaper ad for tickets to the upcoming Spurs-Nets game. Tickets for that game were available for $5, $4, and $2!

Despite all of the accolades and despite his gaudy statistics, Erving focused on team success, not personal glory. Prior to the Nets' October 31, 1973 game versus the Denver Rockets, Erving told reporters, "There are two ways you can determine how well you played. How you feel, and what the stat sheet says. I go by how you feel." Erving scored 38 points on 13-21 field goal shooting in a 107-104 loss, and afterward he said, "How good can you feel about losing?" The Nets started 4-1 in 1973-74, but then lost nine straight games, including a 121-109 setback versus the Kentucky Colonels on November 2, 1973. After that game, Erving said, "I don't care about my own performance. I'm terrifically disappointed because we lost. Nothing else mattered."

It has become fashionable to speak of a star player's "gravity," most notably in reference to Stephen Curry, so it is important to emphasize that Curry is not the first player whose greatness drew extra defensive attention that created open shots for his teammates. Early in the 1973-74 season, Nets' center Billy Paultz said, "Erving has only helped me. Julius opens things up for me, because when Dr. J goes one on one to the basket, he either forces a foul or a double team. If my man tries to double team, that leaves me open for a short jumper." 

In a November 13, 1973 Memphis Commercial Appeal feature article, Woody Paige wrote of Erving, "...he has averaged close to 30 points a game and 15 rebounds a game, and most say he can be the best forward ever to play; others claim he already is. It is said that two doctors influenced basketball: Dr. James Naismith invented it, and Dr. J is making it an art."

In a December 3, 1973 UPI report filed after the Nets defeated the Carolina Cougars, 121-103, Cougars forward and 1973 ABA MVP Billy Cunningham--who became Erving's coach with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1977--said of Erving, "He's sensational, one of the best ever." Erving had 32 points, 17 rebounds, six assists, six blocked shots, and four steals versus Cunningham and the Cougars. In that same report, Nets Coach Kevin Loughery declared, "I've been in basketball a long time, and I've never seen anyone play better than Doc has in the last 10 games. He hasn't just been scoring or rebounding. He's been everywhere." 

Erving's reported salary for the 1973-74 season was $300,000, which ranked third in the ABA and tied for eighth in pro basketball. In the January 4, 1974 edition of the Holland Evening Sentinel (Michigan), Leo Martonosi opined, "We feel that the 'pro jocks' are overpaid and they eventually could kill the goose that laid the 'Golden egg.'" If Martonosi thought that athletes making more than the President earned ($200,000 a year at that time) was a problem, what would he have thought of today's athletes who earn tens of millions of dollars per year?

As noted above, Erving was an excellent defensive player even though he only received one All-Defensive Team selection. After Erving held Dan Issel--at that point the ABA's leading scorer--to 12 points as Erving's Nets defeated Issel's Kentucky Colonels 83-82 in a December 19, 1973 game, Loughery said of Erving, "That's the real superstar...He has such tremendous pride...people don't recognize his defensive ability because he's also a top scorer." Erving finished with 30 points, 12 rebounds, four blocked shots, and two steals. Per Doug Smith's December 20, 1973 Newsday recap, Erving scored 16 fourth quarter points, including the game-winning jump shot from the foul line area.

A January 20, 1974 AP story noted that Erving ranked among the league leaders in scoring, rebounding, blocked shots, steals, assists, and field goal percentage, and contained this Loughery quote about Erving's impact: "I've never seen anyone better. In overall ability, he's as good as anyone I've ever seen. He does so much offensively and defensively, and he's also a leader in his own quiet way. The guys look to him. He's tremendously coachable and that makes it easier for me. He not only has unique talents, he's a unique guy."

A February 27, 1974 L.A. Times article by Dwight Chapin quoted Loughery raving about Erving: "He's the best and most exciting forward in pro basketball. And even though he's only 23, he's a leader. I mean a real leader. You know what he can do on the court. Off the court, he's one of the nicest guys you'd want to be around." Erving transformed the Nets into winners not just with his superior basketball skills but also with his leadership. Erving explained, "The reputation of the Nets last year was that if you got up on them early, they'd start squabbling among themselves. They were losers. From the minute I knew I was coming here I was preparing myself to stop that. I knew I'd have leadership responsibilities. There has to be criticism among the players, but I guess what I've tried to do is make it constructive and cut down on meaningless griping. I don't think you should cuss a guy out for missing a pass. You should boost him up by saying something like, 'It's all right. We'll get it next time.' And when something goes wrong in a game or there's a flareup at practice I know it's easier for me to be the one who apologizes. A guy who the public doesn't consider such a big star might feel, 'Damn, I'm not going to bow down to the blankety-blank just because he's the big shot around here.' But for me it's no problem to go over and say I'm sorry."

In that same article, Doug Moe--a three-time ABA All-Star who later became an assistant coach in the ABA and a head coach in the NBA--said of Erving, "He comes at you with those long, open strides, and you have a tendency to keep backing away because you think he's not really into his move yet. If you keep backing, if you fail to go up and challenge him, he'll simply glide right by you."

A March 25, 1974 article in the Greeley Daily Tribune (Colorado) described a 112-100 Nets victory over the Denver Rockets during which Erving scored 21 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, and "brought the crowd to its feet in the first half when he slam dunked the ball on a fast break. He left the floor at the free throw line, cocked the ball behind his head, then rammed it through the hoop." I have heard some people suggest that the slam dunks from previous eras were "basic" compared to what players do today; the next time any player dunks from the free throw line in a game, feel free to make note in the comments section of this article. 

After Erving scored a game-high 43 points on 19-26 field goal shooting, grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds, and dished for a team-high six assists in the season finale--a 102-96 win over the Denver Rockets that clinched the Eastern Division title for the Nets--Loughery said, "During the last month, Doc has been the best forward I've seen. He can't do any more than he has already done."

In 1973-74, Erving's unselfish leadership and great all-around play--he finished in the top ten in scoring (first, thus notching his second consecutive scoring title), rebounding (seventh), assists (sixth), field goal percentage (ninth), steals (third), and blocked shots (third)--helped the Nets post a 55-29 regular season record before going 12-2 in the playoffs en route to the franchise's first championship. The Nets tied the pro basketball record for best playoff winning percentage set by the 1971 Milwaukee Bucks. That mark stood until Moses Malone and Erving led the 1983 Philadelphia 76ers to a 12-1 postseason run in 1982-83 (the current record is 16-1, held by the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors). 

Erving won the first of his four regular season MVP awards, and as he accepted that honor he said, "My goals were to rise to the top and realize my God-given talents to their greatest potential and to make whatever team I'm playing for a winner. One of the things I want to do in my career is to be acknowledged as one of the best players who has played the game." Erving singlehandedly won several games for the Nets during the last month of the season, prompting Loughery to declare, "In all my years in professional basketball I've never seen a better player than Doc was during that time."

As the 1974 ABA playoffs began, Kentucky Colonels coach Babe McCarthy said, "The Doctor is the most dynamic player in the American Basketball Association. He can do things with a basketball that you thought no mortal man ever could." During the regular season, Erving hit a game-winning shot versus the Colonels that all but clinched the regular season Eastern Division title for the Nets; he scored 41 points on 16-25 field goal shooting in that 114-112 overtime win on March 16, 1974. Eight days later, Erving had 33 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, and yet another game-winning shot as the Nets beat the Spurs, 99-97.

The April 14, 1974 edition of the Lexington Herald-Leader included this quote from Larry Brown, then the Carolina Cougars' coach: "Julius does things with a basketball that must be seen to be accepted. He's 6-7 and he plays like he's 7-7. Or he's quick enough to play like 5-7. He has his own style and nobody else has it. I don't think there's a better player anywhere." 

In the first round of the 1974 ABA playoffs, the Nets faced Erving's previous team, the Virginia Squires, and won the series 4-1 as Erving averaged 26.0 ppg, 8.4 rpg, and 6.0 apg with shooting splits of .562/.400/.737. The Nets swept the Kentucky Colonels in the Eastern Division Finals as Erving averaged 29.8 ppg, 9.0 rpg, and 3.0 apg with shooting splits of .515/.667/.733.

Erving had a game-high 30 points and a team-high 14 rebounds in New York's 89-87 game three win versus Kentucky, capping off his performance by hitting the game-winning shot at the buzzer over Hall of Fame center Artis Gilmore. After the game, McCarthy said, "When the pressure is on and the chips are down, he might be as good as anybody in the game."

Here is a photo of Erving's game three game-winning shot:

After Erving scored a game-high 47 points to lead the Nets to an 89-85 victory over the Utah Stars in game one of the 1974 ABA Finals, the postgame conversation focused on whether Erving had already established himself as the greatest forward of all-time. Loughery said, "Baylor was the best for a longer time, but Doc is a better all-around player than Baylor ever was. Doc can do everything Baylor could do on offense and more, and he plays much better defense." Utah Coach Joe Mullaney declared, "I've seen him have a few other games like this. He's just the best there is. He never throws up a bad shot, and when he's looking to the basket he's just unstoppable." Erving's scoring outburst fell just six points short of the ABA single game playoff scoring record that he shared with Roger Brown. 

In a May 2, 1974 syndicated column, Dave Anderson quoted legendary coach Adolph Rupp, who called Erving "The Babe Ruth of basketball." Rupp also said, "Up until now, I always thought Jerry West was the greatest basketball player I ever saw, with Oscar Robertson right behind him, but I think right now that Julius Erving is the best." One of the things that set Erving apart from other great players is that, even as a young pro, he proved capable of playing forward, center, and guard. Anderson quoted Loughery: "We used Doc at center when Billy Paultz was hurt and Doc did well. We haven't used him at guard too often, but if we did he'd be an All-Star guard. At center, his size might hurt him but he's a leader. If he was a center, he'd be right there when they picked the All-Star center." It is notable that Erving not only dominated game one offensively--shooting 19-29 from the field and 9-10 from the free throw line--but in the final six minutes of the game he took the defensive assignment on Jimmy Jones, and held the All-ABA First Team guard to just one point. Erving's defense and positional versatility are inexplicably ignored or diminished when today's "experts" talk about the greatest basketball players of all-time.

Erving scored a game-high 32 points as the Nets won game two, 118-94. The Nets trailed 94-91 near the end of the fourth quarter of game three, and Loughery drew up a play for Erving to attempt a three point shot. That play call may surprise those who believe the fiction that Erving was not a good shooter or that he only became an adequate shooter later in his career, but the reality is that Erving shot .395 (17-43) from three point range that season; he would have led the league in three point field goal percentage but for the fact that he was just short of making the minimum number of three point field goals (20) to qualify for the leaderboard. It is very important to note that only 15 ABA players made at least 20 three point field goals that season, and Erving's total of 17 3FGM ranked 19th in the league; this was long before "stat gurus" contrived "advanced basketball statistics" to support the argument that every shot attempt should be a layup, a free throw, or a three point shot. Loughery explained why he called the play for Erving: "Doc is by far the best in the league on three pointers." The "by far" description is an exaggeration--Louie Dampier shot .387 (48-124) from beyond the arc that season, just a shade worse than Erving while attempting almost three times as many three pointers as Erving--but it would no doubt surprise many "experts" that Erving was a reliable enough three point shooter that his coach drew up a play for Erving to shoot a three pointer when his team trailed by three points in an ABA Finals game. The Stars guarded Erving tightly to prevent him from getting a shot off, but after Wendell Ladner missed a three pointer the Nets secured the rebound and Brian Taylor drained a three pointer to send the game to overtime. The Nets won 103-100 as Erving led the team in scoring (24 points), rebounding (13), and assists (seven).

In a May 9, 1974 article in The Philadelphia Inquirer, Bill Lyon wrote:

...there is growing opinion that Erving is the best player--ABA, NBA, or interplanetary--to ever slam dunk his way along a baseline. 

Billy Cunningham, who has been a star in both the ABA and the old, established NBA, says point blank: "He's the most exciting player I have ever seen."

Testifies Dave DeBusschere, probably the NBA's finest defensive forward: "He's the best basketball player there is right now. I expect him to go and become the greatest who ever played the game." The reason DeBusschere was smiling when he said that was he has signed a 10-year contract to become the Nets' general manager, starting next year.

Willie Wise of Utah, who tried to guard Dr. J for one half and "held" him to 12-for-14 from the field in the first game of the ABA title finals, just shook his head:

"Baby, if he's not the best, then I'm in for a REAL treat."

Adds a slightly awed writer who has covered Dr. J regularly:

"I gave up trying to describe his moves. Even the average ones are semi-incredible; the rest they ought to get on tape and ship right to the Hall of Fame."

On a ho-hum, so-so night Erving, playing forward, will score 30 points, grab a dozen rebounds, deal out a handful of assists and, at the other end of the court, produce perhaps 10 turnovers with steals and blocked shots. His total worth, offensively and defensively, what points he accounts for and what points he denies the opposition, may approach 75 in a game.

The Stars avoided a sweep by winning game four, 97-89. Erving scored a team-high (but series low) 18 points on 9-22 field goal shooting. In a UPI article dated May 10, 1974, Wise pushed back against any assertions that he had stopped Erving: "Actually, nobody stops Erving. He just had a bad shooting night. All anyone can do is wave, shout, and carry on in the hope that he'll miss a few."

That would turn out to be Erving's second lowest point total in an ABA or NBA Finals game; he scored at least 20 points in 31 of his 33 career Finals games, and his streak of 26 straight Finals games with at least 20 points is second all-time to Michael Jordan's 35 game streak. Note that Stephen Curry, who is often lauded as a Pantheon-level player, failed to score at least 20 points in eight of his 34 NBA Finals games. 

With the Nets on the verge of winning the title, DeBusschere praised Erving's ability to draw fouls by driving to the hoop, and he mentioned an underrated aspect of Erving's game: "He's quite a playmaker...some of those passes just went bang, bang, bang."

After Erving's New York Nets defeated the Utah Stars 4-1 in the 1974 ABA Finals, the Associated Press' Bert Rosenthal wrote a May 12, 1974 article including some interesting quotes about Erving. Utah Coach Joe Mullaney said, "He's just a fantastic player. He's exceptionally gifted. He has a unique talent. He has that real long body, a soft touch on his shots, amazing physical equipment, and he's so unselfish, something you rarely see in a player of his caliber." Arnie Ferrin, then the Utah Stars' general manager, declared, "He's as good a basketball player as I've ever seen. Obviously, he's the best forward in the game." 

In the 1974 ABA Finals, Erving averaged 28.2 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 5.0 apg, 1.8 spg, and 1.4 bpg with shooting splits of .513/.333/.750. In 1974, Erving led the ABA in playoff scoring for the third straight time (27.9 ppg) while also averaging 9.6 rpg, 4.8 apg, 1.6 spg, and 1.4 bpg. Championship teams tend to have experienced veterans, but the Nets featured the youngest starting lineup in pro basketball.

In a May 16, 1974 UPI article, Milton Richman cited Rupp calling Erving the Erving the best basketball player ever, and Richman concluded, "For Julius Erving, or Dr. J as everybody calls him, I have the feeling this is only the beginning. I can't ever remember a young man his age accomplishing and accumulating so much, so quickly, and still staying unspoiled." 

Perhaps Dan Issel put it simplest when asked his opinion about Erving, as quoted in the May 23, 1974 Kentucky New Era: "I think he's the best basketball player in the world today."

Labels: ABA, Artis Gilmore, Billy Cunningham, Dan Issel, Dick Motta, Doug Moe, Julius Erving, Kevin Loughery, Larry Costello, New York Nets, Rick Barry, Utah Stars, Virginia Squires, Willie Wise, Willis Reed

posted by David Friedman @ 8:25 PM

7 comments

Remembering Willis Reed, the Heart and Soul of the New York Knicks

Willis Reed, the spiritual and physical leader of the great New York Knicks teams of the early 1970s, passed away earlier today. Here is the scouting report on Reed that I wrote in one of my articles about the NBA's 50 Greatest Players:

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). 

Many current NBA players talk like they are tough and act like they are tough. Reed proved that he was tough through his actions, not through words or false bravado. He not only played through injury, but he never backed down from any challenge; not that fighting should be glorified, but during an era when real fighting--not the "hold me back" posturing that we see so much today--was common in the NBA there may not have been a more feared/respected player than Reed, perhaps best exemplified by a 1966 melee during which Reed took on multiple Lakers in succession "and just decimated this team," as his teammate Phil Jackson later put it. 

Reed made the All-Star team in each of his first seven seasons, but he fully hit his stride in 1969 after the Knicks traded Walt Bellamy and Howard Komives to the Detroit Pistons for Dave DeBusschere. The departure of Bellamy and addition of DeBusschere enabled Reed to shift from power forward to center while DeBusschere took over the power forward duties. In 1969, Reed earned the first of three straight top four finishes in regular season MVP voting as the Knicks went 54-28 before reaching the Eastern Division Finals for the first time since 1953. 

That set the stage for the Knicks' storied 1970 season, when they were the top overall seed in the NBA playoffs with a 60-22 record before defeating the Baltimore Bullets (4-3), Milwaukee Bucks (4-1), and L.A. Lakers (4-3) to capture the franchise's first NBA title. So much has been written and said about how tough Reed was to come back from a painful hip injury to play in game seven of the NBA Finals that it is often forgotten how dominant he had been in the 1970 playoffs before he got hurt. Reed averaged 21.3 ppg and 17.7 rpg versus the Bullets, who featured Hall of Famers Wes Unseld and Gus Johnson in their frontcourt, plus Hall of Famer (and future Knick) Earl Monroe in the backcourt. Reed then averaged 27.8 ppg and 12.2 rpg versus the Bucks while battling Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (who also had an excellent series, averaging 34.2 ppg and 17.8 rpg); Reed may not have outplayed Abdul-Jabbar, but he was productive enough to balance out that matchup, which enabled the Knicks to exploit matchup advantages at other positions. Then, as noted above, Reed averaged a team-high 23.0 ppg in the NBA Finals versus Wilt Chamberlain despite scoring just four points in game seven while hobbling around with his hip injury.

The iconic call by Marv Albert--"Now here comes Willis--and the crowd is going wild!"--combined with the footage of Reed walking through the tunnel on to the court before game seven of the 1970 NBA Finals is one of the classic moments in NBA history. Reed's willingness to play through pain and to sacrifice his individual statistics to help his team win stand in marked contrast to the "load management" and veneration of individual statistics over team goals that characterize so many of today's most talented NBA players.

Reed later said, "This was something we all wanted very badly. It was so close you could touch it. It's one game. It was what I dreamed of as a high school kid. It was what I worked so hard in college for. Not only me, but everyone in that locker room. The coaches. Management. For me to not go out there to try and be a part of that, to try and give whatever I could--and I didn't know what it was--then I would be letting them down and letting myself down. If I tried and failed that's the way I wanted it. I didn't want to be a guy who didn't come out and show he had the guts and grit to be there...That was the moment to try."

In my chapter about the NBA in the 1970s in the anthology Basketball in America, I mentioned that it takes nothing away from what the Knicks accomplished in 1970 to point out that, contrary to the mythology that has developed regarding the 1970 NBA Finals, the Knicks were not plucky underdogs but rather a young team stacked with Hall of Famers facing an aging Lakers team whose three main cogs--Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, and Elgin Baylor--were all in their 30s: "It is true that by the conclusion of the 1970 playoffs West (3708 points, 30.9 points per game) Baylor (3623 points, 27.0 points per game), and Chamberlain (2990 points, 25.8 points per game) were the three leading scorers in NBA playoff history. That is impressive and unprecedented, but it also reflects the fact that all three players were past their primes. Baylor's chronically bad knees would soon force him to retire and, as noted above, Chamberlain had not completely recovered from his early season knee injury. West still had plenty of great games left, but his body was also battered and bruised from so many years of battling deep into the playoffs. The Knicks were hardly an underdog team without a chance; there is a reason that they had homecourt advantage for game seven. None of these facts diminish Reed's courage, Frazier's clutch game seven performance and the overall greatness of the 1970 New York Knicks. Quite the opposite: the 1970 Knicks should be remembered as a great team, not as an underdog."

Reed was the undisputed leader of that great 1970 Knicks team. 

In 1970-71, Reed had another excellent season, but the Knicks' bid to win back to back titles ended with a seven game loss to the Bullets in the Eastern Conference Finals. Reed battled injuries in his final three seasons, but he won the 1973 Finals MVP while leading a balanced attack that defeated the defending champion L.A. Lakers, 4-1. Reed played in just 19 regular season games in 1973-74 before retiring.

After his playing career ended, Reed had a brief stint as the Knicks' head coach (1977-1979). He was Creighton University's head coach from 1981-85, and then worked as an assistant coach with the Atlanta Hawks and Sacramento Kings before becoming the head coach of the New Jersey Nets from 1987-89. During his time as the Nets' general manager in the 1990s, the Nets drafted Derrick Coleman and Kenny Anderson while also signing Drazen Petrovic. Those three players helped the Nets become a playoff team before Petrovic's tragic death in a car accident. Reed was the New Orleans Hornets' Vice President of Basketball Operations from 2004-07.

Reed received many honors after he retired, including induction in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, selection as one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players, and selection to the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team.

Labels: Marv Albert, New York Knicks, Walt Frazier, Willis Reed

posted by David Friedman @ 11:52 PM

2 comments

Player Comparisons and Analysis Must Be Based on Facts

The sad state of sports journalism is not a new story, nor is it a story whose narrative is likely to improve any time soon. It is striking and disappointing how frequently player comparisons are made that contain inaccurate factual statements--and some of the most prominent, respected commentators have been guilty of this. For example, during Kobe Bryant's prime when there were heated debates about Michael Jordan versus Kobe Bryant, Kobe Bryant versus Steve Nash, and so forth, Mike Wilbon appeared on Dan Patrick's podcast and told Patrick that he had just been researching some numbers--whereupon Wilbon then incorrectly cited Jordan's field goal attempts per game and field goal percentage, while also incorrectly citing Bryant's field goal attempts per game! Not surprisingly, Wilbon's analysis and conclusions were skewed by the inaccurate statistics that he cited.

Charley Rosen has been writing about basketball for decades, and his observations are often insightful. However, a trip through the archives reveals that he has repeatedly made basic factual errors that skewed his analysis. Here are two examples.

In a 2005 FoxSports.com article titled "All-Time Overrated NBA Players," Rosen included Bob McAdoo. Rosen's critique of McAdoo began, "Here's all anyone needs to know about McAdoo's game" and then Rosen based his entire argument on a description of McAdoo's matchups versus Dave Cowens. Rosen claimed that Cowens' physical defense wore McAdoo down to such a great extent that "By the end of the fourth quarter, he'd be looking to receive the ball near the three point line. Anything to avoid contact. In other words, McAdoo was nothing more than a big, quick, soft, jump-shooter deluxe."

The specific details provided by Rosen add superficial credibility to his analysis--but that credibility is shattered by the fact that Cowens and McAdoo faced each other in 38 regular season games, but just four of those games took place after the NBA added the three point shot in the 1979-80 season (none of their 12 head to head playoff games took place during the NBA's three point shot era). McAdoo shot just 1-6 from three point range in those four games--at that time, the three pointer was more of a desperation shot at the end of a quarter than a regular part of the offense--but he also scored 28, 29, 32 and 19 points (27.0 ppg) compared to 10, 15, 4 and 10 points scored (9.8 ppg) by Cowens. BasketballReference.com only has overall field goal percentage data for three of those four games, but the numbers that they have show that McAdoo outshot Cowens .596 (31-52) to .392 (11-28). Rosen's case against McAdoo is destroyed by Rosen's sloppy research. If there is a valid argument to be made against McAdoo, that argument is clearly not that Cowens had great success defending McAdoo by pushing McAdoo out past the three point line; the numbers show that McAdoo gave Cowens--and anyone else who might have been guarding him--the business with a capital "B" during those games. By the way, if you extend the comparison to before 1979-80 you do not save Rosen's argument: McAdoo outscored Cowens 28.6 ppg to 17.9 ppg head to head overall in the regular season, and McAdoo outscored Cowens 29.3 ppg to 21.8 ppg head to head in the playoffs. While it may be true that there was more to those matchups than just scoring, that is not what Rosen argued; Rosen specifically stated that "all you need to know about McAdoo's game" is how well Cowens defended McAdoo.

The second example is even worse. In a companion piece titled "All-Time Underrated NBA Players," Rosen sung Willis Reed's praises: "Reed was a reliable and versatile scorer from the high post, the pivot and along either baseline. Possessed of a soft jumper, and deadly hooks and fadeaways, Reed was the Knicks' fail-safe option on offense...It's not surprising that Reed also played rock-'em-sock-'em defense." So far, so good--but Rosen concluded by asking, "Why isn't he in the Hall of Fame?" Say what? Reed was inducted in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982!

Rosen's mistake is not just a random throwaway line, either. Rosen then goes into detail about how a hip injury curtailed Reed's career and prevented him from playing long enough to be a Hall of Fame candidate.

This is not like calling a player a nine time All-Star when that player actually made the All-Star team 10 times. That is sloppy but it does not reframe the entire conversation. Rosen's error is just breathtaking ignorance not only by the writer, but by the editor as well. Rosen wrote a book about the 1972 Lakers, who played Reed's Knicks in the NBA Finals. Did Rosen's research never uncover the basic fact that Reed was inducted in the Hall of Fame just 10 years after that series?

It is important to consider any media coverage or commentary with a critical eye and informed brain--and that is true not just regarding sports media, but the media in general.

Labels: Bob McAdoo, Charley Rosen, Dave Cowens, Willis Reed

posted by David Friedman @ 7:06 PM

0 comments

When the Garden was Eden: A Nostalgic Trip Through the Golden Age of New York Hoops

New York professional sports experienced a golden age from the late 1960s through the mid-1970s, with the Jets, Mets, Nets and Knicks each winning at least one league title. Joe Namath's Jets and Tom Seaver's Mets are fondly remembered to this day even though they were each basically one year wonders. Julius Erving's Nets won ABA championships in 1974 and 1976 but they never quite captured the imagination of New York, let alone the rest of the country; Erving eventually became recognized as an all-time great but his years in New York are still shrouded in obscurity because the Nets specifically and their league in general did not receive much national media coverage.

The Knicks were the crown jewel of that brief golden age of New York sports. The Knicks not only won the 1970 and 1973 NBA championships but they reached the Division (later Conference) Finals six straight years while having a memorable rivalry with the Baltimore Bullets that produced many classic individual battles, including Dave DeBusschere versus Gus Johnson and Walt Frazier versus Earl Monroe (the Knicks later acquired Monroe, pairing him with Frazier to form the "Rolls Royce" backcourt). The early 1970s Knicks featured five of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players (Dave DeBusschere, Walt Frazier, Jerry Lucas, Earl Monroe and Willis Reed).

The Knicks have not won an NBA championship since 1973 and--even if the lockout "nuclear winter" ends soon--it is exceedingly unlikely that the Knicks will win the NBA championship in the near future. Memories, nostalgia and hope are all that sustain Knicks' fans today; whether or not the hope is well founded is a subject for another day but plenty of wonderful memories and nostalgic glimpses back to the golden age can be found in Harvey Araton's When the Garden was Eden: Clyde, the Captain, Dollar Bill, and the Glory Days of the New York Knicks. Araton rooted for the Knicks as a teenager and he has covered the New York sports scene for more than three decades, starting just after the golden age ended.

Araton begins his story with a brief prologue that poignantly contrasts the beautiful, teamwork-oriented game played by the 1970s Knicks with the disjointed and lifeless efforts of the 2010 Knicks, a patchwork group of players assembled not to win but to serve as placeholders until the franchise made its ultimately fruitless run at wooing LeBron James, who later infamously decided to take his talents to South Beach--a narcissistic and solipsistic phrase that represents the antithesis of how the golden age Knicks thought about and played basketball: when Monroe joined the Knicks he did not take his talents to Madison Square Garden in a self-aggrandizing manner but rather sacrificed individual glory to achieve team success. Monroe made a choice that would be almost unthinkable for a modern superstar: he willingly sacrificed his numbers (and even, for a time, his starting role) for a chance to win a title. Monroe took it as a challenge to prove that he could fit in with the Knicks' team concept, while far too many modern superstars would only view such a situation as a disrespectful challenge to their egos (and their paychecks). Frazier--now a Knicks' broadcaster--confided to Araton that, although he tries to keep his feelings in check as he provides commentary about the bumbling Knicks, "Man, sometimes it's like watching a different sport."

Araton does not limit himself to describing the details of the Knicks' glory days but instead takes a leisurely stroll through the nooks and crannies of Knicks' history, exploring diverse topics ranging from Willis Reed's Louisiana roots to the reason that Madison Square Garden is known as the "Mecca" of basketball (Araton reports that the "Mecca" designation for a New York sports venue originated with the Shriners' Mecca Temple, an old boxing arena). Much of this territory has been explored before both in first person accounts by the participants as well as recollections by various sports writers but Araton's account is neither a straight history of the team nor strictly a personal memoir; Araton writes in the first person and interjects himself--appropriately, not excessively--into the narrative, creating a text that is both intimate and informative.

Red Holzman played for the Rochester Royals' 1951 NBA championship team before serving the Knicks as a scout and a front office executive--but he made his biggest mark as a Hall of Fame coach, compiling a 696-604 record in 18 seasons on the bench while leading the Knicks to the franchise's only two championships. Holzman's daughter Gail granted Araton exclusive access to Holzman's old scouting reports, the only proviso being that Araton not directly mention any critical comments that Holzman made about various players; Araton explains that Gail, like her father, was "unwilling under any conditions to publicly share anything that might be construed as negative...Her father would not have approved." One gem from those files is Holzman's comment after seeing Cazzie Russell's Michigan Wolverines defeat Bill Bradley's Princeton Tigers on a last second jumper by Russell: "Guts to take the last shot." The willingness to take a clutch shot is not something that can be quantified but, as Araton puts it, Holzman knew that a championship team cannot be built around guys who are "conscientious objectors" when the game is on the line.

Holzman's teams achieved a rare harmonious balance: the roster was stacked with Hall of Fame talent but each great player kept his ego in check and the group worked together to achieve a collective goal without fussing over who would receive the credit and the glory. Sure, Frazier may have griped at times that he, not Reed, should have been awarded the 1970 Finals MVP, and Monroe no doubt wonders what his individual career numbers would have looked like had he finished his career as a Bullet; such thoughts are only natural but they never interfered with the team's performance on the court and they pale in comparison to the ego explosions that have undermined so many other squads that contained multiple superstars.

Not surprisingly, the book's longest chapter focuses on game seven of the 1970 NBA Finals--known to most casual basketball fans as the Willis Reed game but remembered by students of basketball history as the game in which Walt Frazier produced one of the greatest clutch performances ever (36 points, 19 assists, seven rebounds) as the Knicks defeated the L.A. Lakers 113-99. Araton deftly weaves together his personal impressions of that 1970 Knicks team with the thoughts and recollections of various players, broadcasters (most notably Marv Albert) and fans (including Spike Lee, who attended game seven at Madison Square Garden as a 13 year old).

Although the Knicks' victory is commonly viewed as the triumph of an underdog over the star-studded trio of Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West--an impression that Araton neither aggressively propagates nor definitively rejects--in the interest of historical accuracy I will briefly share the nuanced description of that series that I wrote a few years ago:

It is true that by the conclusion of the 1970 playoffs West (3708 points, 30.9 points per game) Baylor (3623 points, 27.0 points per game), and Chamberlain (2990 points, 25.8 points per game) were the three leading scorers in NBA playoff history. That is impressive and unprecedented, but it also reflects the fact that all three players were past their primes. Baylor's chronically bad knees would soon force him to retire and, as noted above, Chamberlain had not completely recovered from his early season knee injury. West still had plenty of great games left, but his body was also battered and bruised from so many years of battling deep into the playoffs. The Knicks were hardly an underdog team without a chance; there is a reason that they had homecourt advantage for game seven. None of these facts diminish Reed's courage, Frazier's clutch game seven performance and the overall greatness of the 1970 New York Knicks. Quite the opposite: the 1970 Knicks should be remembered as a great team, not as an underdog.

Placing that matchup in proper historical context does not diminish the unquestioned impact that the Knicks' victory had on the franchise, the city and pro sports history; the images of Willis Reed walking out of the tunnel prior to the game and then hitting his first two jumpers are an indelible part of American popular culture. Hall of Fame forward Bill Bradley, a Rhodes Scholar before becoming a Knick and a U.S. Senator after his Knicks' career ended, told Araton why the Knicks' 1970 championship resonated so deeply at that time and still has a special place in fans' hearts decades later:

In life, it's very difficult to get to the mountaintop, because one day leads to another day and leads to another day. There are small wins and losses in the process. You win an election or lose an election. You can close a deal or not close a deal. But in sports, what you can do as a team, and with your fans feeling part of it, is show what's possible for human beings to achieve if they work together, if they care about each other. Winning the title gave resolution to people who didn't have much resolution in their lives, at a time when resolution was something they really needed.

The Knicks lost to the Bullets in seven games in the 1971 Eastern Conference Finals and then fell in five games to the Lakers in the 1972 NBA Finals. By 1973, Reed was not just temporarily hobbled but rather permanently limited by an accumulation of ailments; he was two years removed from his final All-Star selection and a shadow of his former self, averaging just 11.0 ppg and 8.6 rpg. Frazier was at the top of his game and he was clearly the Knicks' best player. The Boston Celtics cruised to the NBA's best record (68-14) but after a shoulder injury restricted John Havlicek the Knicks took out the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals to earn their third NBA Finals appearance in four seasons, the final chapter in their trilogy of battles against the Lakers. The Knicks defeated the Lakers in five games but, as Reed mentioned to Araton, it sometimes seems like people do not even remember that the Knicks won a second title; the 1970 team has been elevated to legendary status, while the 1973 squad has receded somewhat into the mist.

The flipside of Bradley's poetic rendering of what the 1970s Knicks mean to their fans is that the camaraderie the players felt for one another did not necessarily extend to how the franchise treated them as their respective careers wound down: the Knicks banished Frazier to Cleveland, fired Reed after barely more than one season as Holzman's successor and informed Monroe of the end of his tenure with the team via a newspaper article written by none other than Araton himself. The Celtics and Lakers historically have taken care of their great players--bringing them back as coaches, scouts or front office members--but that is not always the case with other NBA teams (Julius Erving, who usually measures his public words quite carefully, noted during his Farewell Tour that this tribute was an exception for the Philadelphia 76ers and that many of his former teammates had just been unceremoniously cut or had drifted away without much fanfare or recognition from the team). Monroe told Araton, "The history of what's been here: that should be what every organization is about. If you don't honor your history, then how can you plot your future? If you history has been clouded, it sends a bad message. You haven't won the championship in almost 40 years; karma-wise, that may be the reason why. I mean, how long did it take to retire Dick Barnett's number?" Barnett, the third leading scorer on the 1970 championship team behind only Reed and Frazier, played the last nine seasons of his 14 year career with the Knicks and made the All-Star team as a Knick just prior to the beginning of the Knicks' golden age.

Ironically, a role player for those Knicks teams eventually won five of his record 11 championships coaching the Lakers; Phil Jackson sat out the 1970 season because of a back injury and he averaged just 8.1 ppg for the 1973 NBA champions but his later success in Chicago and L.A. can very much be traced back to his time in New York, specifically the mentoring he received from Holzman; Jackson's description of Holzman's demeanor indicates the genesis of Jackson's laid-back coaching style: "Kind words when they were needed, but mostly a matter-of-fact guy. It was the middle of the road--not too high, not too low." Jackson told Araton that Holzman offered Jackson some simple advice about coaching winning basketball: "It's not rocket science. It's see the ball on defense, hit the open man on offense." Araton commented, "Zen philosophy stripped away, Jackson was much like Holzman: he allowed his players to succeed through self-discovery."

When the Garden was Eden mostly hits the right notes, though the concluding passages comparing the character traits of various golden age Knicks to President Obama are a bit discordant; America is a country consisting of roughly 40% Democrats, 40% Republicans and 20% swing voters, so an extended love letter dedicated to one side of the political spectrum is sure to seem odd--if not completely misplaced--to at least nearly half of the readership of the book (it could also be safely argued that the Knicks' place in history is a lot more secure than President Obama's, as the reputations of politicians are apt to rise or fall very swiftly). Despite the odd ending, When the Garden was Eden makes a positive impression overall: it is an easy and enjoyable book to read, a heartfelt and personal portrait of the golden age Knicks.

Labels: Dave DeBusschere, Earl Monroe, Harvey Araton, Jerry Lucas, New York Knicks, Phil Jackson, Walt Frazier, Willis Reed

posted by David Friedman @ 7:55 PM

0 comments

The NBA in the 1970s: The Rolls Royce Backcourt Drives Off With The Title

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

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

The Rolls Royce Backcourt Drives Off With The Title

The Celtics were the class of the league in the 1972-1973 season, racing to a 68-14 record, only one game off the Lakers' mark set the year before. Dave Cowens was selected MVP, Paul Silas added rebounding and toughness, and John Havlicek had yet another outstanding season. The Bullets (52-30) won their third straight Central Division title behind the 21.2 points per game and 14.5 rebounds per game of Elvin Hayes, acquired in the offseason from the Rockets. The Philadelphia 76ers represented the opposite end of the spectrum. They hit rock bottom in 1972-1973 after a steady free fall since Wilt Chamberlain led the team to the 1967 championship. Sixers' star Billy Cunningham signed a deal to play with the ABA Carolina Cougars and although he later decided that he wanted to remain with the Sixers, a court ruling forced him to honor the contract with the Cougars. Without the "Kangaroo Kid" the 76ers collapsed to a 9-73 record, worst in NBA history; Cunningham won the ABA MVP that season. While the Sixers got the short end of the stick, the NBA did get a superstar forward to replace Cunningham: Rick Barry was compelled by court order to return to the Warriors after playing out his contract with the ABA's New York Nets.

Rick Barry's arrival in Golden State brought his career full circle. In 1965-1966 he was the Rookie of the Year for the then San Francisco Warriors and the next year he won the scoring title (2775 points, 35.6 points per game) while leading the Warriors to the NBA Finals. After that season he became the first big NBA star to jump to the ABA, signing with the Oakland Oaks, but a court ruling stated that he either had to play out his option year with the Warriors or sit out a season before joining the Oaks. Barry chose to sit out. The next year Barry won the ABA scoring title (34.0 points per game), becoming the first and only player to capture scoring crowns in both leagues. The Oaks won the championship, but Barry missed a sizeable portion of the regular season and all of the playoffs due to injury. The Oaks moved to Washington, D.C. for the 1969-1970 season and Barry signed with the NBA Warriors, contending that his deal with the Oaks included an escape clause if the team left the Bay area. Again the courts ruled against Barry and he averaged 27.7 points per game for the Washington Capitols. In the offseason the Capitols became the Virginia Squires, but Barry complained so vociferously about this move that the team dealt him to the Nets. Barry enjoyed two successful seasons with the Nets and decided that he wanted to remain with the team, but there was the issue of the contract that he had signed with the Warriors in the wake of the Oaks move to Washington. The courts ruled that he could not remain with the Nets after his contract with the club expired in 1972, so after five eventful years Barry ended up right back where his career began. He held the dubious distinction of being the one player in this time period who repeatedly lost his court cases, in contrast to Connie Hawkins, Spencer Haywood, and others who eventually ended up with the teams for which they wanted to play. Nevertheless, Barry's legal travails opened the way for numerous other players to jump leagues, including Zelmo Beaty, Joe Caldwell and Cunningham.

In his return to the Bay Area, Barry averaged 22.3 points per game, made the All-NBA Second Team and led the Warriors to a 47-35 record, good enough for second place in the Pacific Division. The Lakers and Bucks again stood at the top of the Western Conference, winning the Pacific and Midwest Divisions respectively with identical 60-22 records. The Chicago Bulls, a tough, defensive minded team paced by high scoring forwards Bob Love (23.1 points per game) and Chet Walker (19.9 points per game), grabbed the other playoff spot, winning 51 games and finishing second in the Midwest Division.

One of the biggest stories of the season turned out to be one of the smallest players in the league. Coach Bob Cousy of the Kansas City-Omaha Kings (formerly the Cincinnati Royals) knew that his squad did not have the horses to make the playoffs, so he granted tremendous freedom to third year guard Nate "Tiny" Archibald, who measured 6-1, 160. Archibald became the only player to ever lead the league in scoring (34.0 points per game) and assists (11.4 assists per game) in the same season. He joined Jerry West on the All-NBA First Team. The Kings finished last in the Midwest Division with a 36-46 record but attracted many fans to watch Archibald perform.

"Pistol" Pete Maravich of the Atlanta Hawks was another flashy guard who fans flocked to see. He joined the Hawks in 1970-1971 after setting the all-time NCAA Division I career scoring record by averaging an astounding 44.2 points per game. He averaged 23.2 points per game in his rookie year and 19.3 points per game in an injury marred second season but the Hawks, which had seemed to be a team on the rise, slumped in the standings. Maravich's fancy ball handling and passing skills caused many critics to label him a "showboat" and "hot dog."

Some of the criticisms of Maravich were muted, at least temporarily, by his performance in the 1972-1973 season, when he ranked fifth in scoring (26.1 points per game) and sixth in assists (6.9 assists per game) and made the All-NBA Second Team. Maravich knew that he was ahead of his time: "You're going to see forwards and centers throwing the ball behind their backs, just like I do. The time will come before we know it." In fact, he was literally a decade ahead of his time, because Magic Johnson later became a beloved superstar doing similar things. Johnson came along at the right time and had teammates who caught his passes instead of fumbling them out of bounds.

Maravich's competitive fires burned as fiercely as those of the other greats of the game and he was not satisfied with individual statistics or achievements: "I'm not pleased with anything I've done so far...All I want to do is win the title and I'll quit. A title would be the highest level you can attain. They'll say 'He was a hot dog--but he was a champion.'" He also understood that fans paid good money to watch professional athletes and deserved to be entertained: "(Fans)…should get total satisfaction from watching a game." While some of Maravich's success in 1972-1973 came from increasing maturity, George Vecsey noted, "…there is more evidence that he was finally playing with teammates who could cope with his ability." Johnson later assessed Maravich's impact on basketball history: "Maravich was unbelievable. He was ahead of his time with the things he did." Isiah Thomas concurs: "The best showman of all time? I'd have to say Pistol Pete."

Maravich's Hawks played the powerful Celtics to a standstill after four games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, but the Celtics won the next two to close out the series. Maravich averaged 26.2 points per game and 6.7 assists per game in the playoffs. The Knicks obliterated the Bullets in the other Eastern Conference series, taking the first three games en route to a four to one decision. In the Western Conference, Barry and the Warriors pulled off one of the biggest upsets in NBA playoff history, defeating the Bucks in six games. The Bulls extended the defending champion Lakers to the limit, losing 95-92 in game seven. The Lakers overpowered the Warriors four to one in the Western Conference Finals, while the Knicks savored a gritty seven game triumph over the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals; Havlicek was severely hampered in the latter part of the series with a painful shoulder injury.

By this time the Knicks were peaking and their "Rolls Royce" backcourt of Frazier and Monroe was in full flower. "There's never been two players together that were so good in the same backcourt. They were the best ever," raved teammate DeBusschere. The Lakers narrowly took game one of the NBA Finals but the Knicks reeled off four consecutive wins to claim their second title in four years. Willis Reed's numbers were up and down throughout the season and the playoffs due to his injuries, but he was again selected as the Finals MVP. A dissenting vote on the Finals MVP later came from Frazier: "They (the media) always jerked me around. When I didn't get the MVP that year (1970) they told me it was because they judged by the season; and when I didn't get it in 1973 they said it was because they judged by the series..."

Labels: Earl Monroe, Nate Archibald, New York Knicks, Pete Maravich, Walt Frazier, Willis Reed

posted by David Friedman @ 1:30 AM

0 comments

The NBA in the 1970s: The Hawk Soars Into the NBA; Willis Reed Limps Into Immortality

I wrote the chapter about the NBA in the 1970s for the 2005 anthology Basketball in America: From the Playgrounds to Jordan's Game and Beyond. I will now publish that chapter in a series of 12 installments.

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

Introduction: The Sport Of The Seventies

The 1969-1970 NBA season did not merely mark the end of the 1960s in a chronological sense; the league was in a state of transition on a number of levels. Bill Russell, the cornerstone of the Boston Celtics' dynasty, retired in 1969 after claiming his eleventh championship in 13 seasons. Six of the titles came at the expense of the Los Angeles Lakers, who featured the superstar duo of forward Elgin Baylor and guard Jerry West. The 1969 loss was particularly galling for the Lakers. That season Baylor and West were joined by Wilt Chamberlain, who was already the league's all-time leading scorer and had been the driving force on the 1967 champion Philadelphia 76ers, who set the mark for best regular season record (68-13). A Lakers' championship seemed to be a foregone conclusion. Prior to the game seven showdown in L.A., Lakers' owner Jack Kent Cooke hired the USC marching band and had hundreds of balloons placed in the rafters of the Forum. The band would perform amid descending balloons after the Lakers won the game. Player-coach Russell and his veteran teammates drew great inspiration from the Lakers' blatant disrespect and won, 108-106. West performed so valiantly in defeat that he became the only player from the losing team to win the Finals MVP.

Russell's retirement appeared to open the door for the Lakers to finally win the title in 1970, but they still had to deal with several worthy challengers. Young guns such as Milwaukee Bucks' rookie Lew Alcindor (soon to be known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), the New York Knicks' Willis Reed, and the Baltimore Bullets' Wes Unseld eagerly awaited the opportunity to prove themselves in championship play.

While the league's greatest players battled to claim the ultimate prize, the NBA found itself in bitter competition with the upstart American Basketball Association. The NBA and the ABA fought to sign players, to attract fans, and to win court cases that would change the shape of sports (not just basketball) forever. Lucrative television deals vaulted the National Football League (NFL) to prominence in the 1960s and pro basketball seemed ready to enjoy the same good fortune in the 1970s. Pro basketball was promoted as the "Sport of the Seventies."

The NBA in the 1970s was not short on action. Eight different franchises won championships. Showmen such as Earl "the Pearl" Monroe, Connie Hawkins, "Pistol" Pete Maravich, Julius "Dr. J" Erving, George "Iceman" Gervin and many others performed dazzling acts of wizardry. Darryl "Chocolate Thunder" Dawkins dismayed purists by entering the NBA straight from high school, gained notoriety by shattering two backboards, and amused fans by naming his sensational dunks (he also frustrated his coaches by his frequent indifference to rebounding and defense…). By the end of the decade the groundbreaking court cases were resolved, the leagues had merged and the NBA was about to enter into a golden age--although no one would have predicted that at the time considering the league's declining television ratings and problematic public image. The NBA went through some rough patches during the 1970s but it was seldom dull--on court or in court. Our story begins with a Hall of Fame player who played in both rival leagues but whose greatest challenge was a lengthy legal battle with the NBA.

The Hawk Soars Into The NBA; Willis Reed Limps Into Immortality

Connie Hawkins, an immensely talented freshman at the University of Iowa, was falsely implicated in the 1961 college basketball point shaving scandal. Although he was never charged with or convicted of any crimes, his college career ended in disgrace and the NBA blackballed him from the league. In 1961-1962, Hawkins won the MVP as a 19 year old rookie in the new American Basketball League. Unfortunately, the ABL folded early in its second season. He then traveled the world for four years with the Harlem Globetrotters but he did not enjoy all the clowning around that was part of the job description; Connie Hawkins wanted to play serious basketball against the best players in the world.

When the American Basketball Association was founded in 1967-68 as an American Football League-type rival for the NBA, it was eager to attract name talent. The ABA welcomed many players unfairly shunned by the NBA, including Hawkins, Roger Brown and Doug Moe. By this time Hawkins was already pursuing legal action against the NBA. When he signed to play with the ABA's Pittsburgh Pipers his representatives inserted clauses in his contract that enabled him to become a free agent at the conclusion of his two year deal or in the event that he was traded. This was very unusual, because up until that time pro basketball teams retained the option to re-sign or trade players as they saw fit. Hawkins needed these provisions because a key element in winning or successfully settling his lawsuit with the NBA would be his prompt availability to play in the league. Hawkins finished first in the ABA in scoring (26.8 points per game), won the MVP, and led the Pipers to the championship. A knee injury cut short his second season with the Pipers.

Meanwhile, Hawkins' case against the NBA picked up steam. Shockingly, it soon became apparent that the NBA had never thoroughly investigated his guilt or innocence before blackballing him; in essence, he was banned on the basis of his name being mentioned in a newspaper article about the scandal! The NBA did not want to publicly admit this but it also realized that taking the case to trial would be a losing proposition. In the summer of 1969 the NBA reached an out of court settlement with Hawkins worth over $1.2 million. This total included damages (for lost wages), a five year no-cut contract with the Phoenix Suns (who owned Hawkins' rights after losing the coin toss for Alcindor), deferred compensation, and payment of legal fees. Hawkins immediately transformed the Suns, a 16-66 expansion team the previous year, into a contending team. Despite still being slowed by his injured knee, he averaged 24.6 points per game, ranking sixth in the league in scoring. Hawkins earned a spot on the All-NBA First Team.

While Hawkins made the most of his opportunity to play in the NBA, several of the league's elite teams eagerly awaited the start of the playoffs. For the first time since 1949-1950 the Celtics did not qualify for postseason play; the two-time defending champions fell to 34-48 without Russell. Chamberlain sustained a devastating knee injury early in the season, further raising the championship hopes of the other contenders. Chamberlain contradicted the pessimistic evaluations of his doctors and vowed to return before the end of the season. Meanwhile, the New York Knicks roared out of the gates, winning their first five games, losing one and then setting a league record with an 18 game winning streak. They finished the season with a league best 60-22 record. Rookie Alcindor carried the second year Milwaukee Bucks to a 56-26 record and a second place finish behind the Knicks in the Eastern Division. In the West, a talented Atlanta Hawks team led by Lou Hudson finished first with a 48-34 record. Baylor and West guided the Lakers to second place with 46 wins; Chamberlain kept his word and returned to the lineup with three games left in the season.

The Lakers faced Hawkins and the Suns in the Western Division Semifinals. The Suns shocked the Lakers by taking a three to one lead in the series, but the Lakers regrouped behind Chamberlain's rebounding and West’s scoring to win the series in seven. Hawkins averaged 25.4 points per game, 13.9 rebounds per game and 5.9 assists per game.

Atlanta defeated Chicago 4-1 in the other Western Division Semifinals, while Milwaukee advanced to the Eastern Division Finals by knocking off Philadelphia four to one. The Knicks won a thrilling seven game series against the Bullets, their archrivals. The Knicks took the first two games, including a double overtime affair in game one, but the Bullets evened the series after four games. After that the teams traded wins, with New York advancing after a 127-114 game seven win at home. Considering that the series went the distance, it is interesting that the game scores were not particularly close, including a 21 point Knicks' win in game five and a 14 point Bullets' win in game three. Both Conference Finals proved to be anticlimactic: the Lakers swept the Hawks, while the Knicks dispatched the Bucks four games to one.

The balanced and deep Knicks were favored to defeat the Lakers in the Finals. They did not disappoint in the first game, winning 124-112 behind Reed's 37 points, 16 rebounds and five assists. Chamberlain tallied 17 points and 24 rebounds, while West scored 33 points and Baylor contributed 21 points and 20 rebounds. The Lakers bounced back to win game two, with Reed scoring 29 points and Chamberlain 19. Game three featured one of the most famous shots in NBA history. The Lakers trailed 102-100 with three seconds left. Chamberlain inbounded to West, who took a few dribbles and nailed a shot from three quarters court. The shot was amazing not just because of the situation and distance but the way that West released the ball, followed through and casually walked to the sidelines as if nothing remarkable had happened. Meanwhile, stunned Knicks forward Dave DeBusschere fell to the ground under his own basket. Unfortunately for West and the Lakers, the NBA did not adopt the three point shot for another decade and the Knicks recovered to win in overtime, 111-108. Baylor had a triple double (13 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists), West scored 34 points and Chamberlain added 21 points with 26 rebounds. Reed dominated with 38 points and 17 rebounds. In game four the Lakers evened the series behind West’s 37 points, 18 assists and five rebounds.

The momentum seemed to turn in the Lakers' favor early in game five when Reed tore a muscle in his right thigh while driving around Chamberlain. The Lakers led 25-15 at that point. With Reed out, Chamberlain possessed a decisive advantage over anyone the Knicks used against him in the post, but the Lakers tried so hard to force the ball in to him that they got out of rhythm and turned the ball over repeatedly. The Knicks stormed back to win 107-100. The Lakers finished with 30 turnovers; West did not make a field goal in the second half and Chamberlain managed only four second half points. Back home in L.A. for game six the Lakers made the appropriate adjustments and destroyed the Knicks 135-113. Reed was unable to play and Chamberlain rang up 45 points and 27 rebounds.

Game seven has become an integral part of the lore not just of pro basketball but of all American sports. Reed took painkilling injections in his injured leg and limped out onto the court. He only managed four points and three rebounds but his inspired teammates rolled to a 113-99 victory. Walt Frazier was magnificent for the Knicks with 36 points, 19 assists and seven rebounds. Like Reed, West took painkilling injections before the game, as he had suffered injuries to both of his hands earlier in the series. He still managed to score 28 points, while Baylor added 19 and Chamberlain had 24 rebounds to go along with his 21 points. Reed, who already had won the regular season and All-Star MVPs in 1970, was selected as Finals MVP; he became the first player to win all three awards in the same season, a feat later matched by Michael Jordan (1996 and 1998) and Shaquille O'Neal (2000).

While Chamberlain posted good numbers in the decisive game, it is somewhat puzzling that the Lakers did not do a better job of exploiting the fact that Reed was basically playing on one leg. A possible answer may be found in Chamberlain’s frequent lament: "Nobody roots for Goliath." He felt that his achievements were dismissed because of his size and he took great pride in accomplishing things that did not depend on physical dominance, like becoming the only center to lead the league in assists (702 in 1968). He did not want to be perceived as the bad guy and consequently he did not look at a limping Willis Reed like a shark would look at blood on the water.

Chamberlain certainly did not react the way that Michael Jordan did during a similar situation in a December 31, 2001 game versus the Nets (as recounted in Michael Leahy's March 3, 2002 Washington Post article titled "For Jordan, Insatiable Drive Yields Heavy Toll"):

He [Jordan] had been astounded, earlier in the season, when the New Jersey Nets' Kenyon Martin, in the midst of trying to guard him, jocularly confessed that he was playing with a back injury that hampered his movement. Jordan went on to score 45. Why, why, why had Martin been so naïve to tell him that? he asked later. Didn't Martin know he was a predator who 'went for the kill' against weakened quarry? It illustrated, he said, why you never let on about the severity of an injury.

Jordan's heroics that night were not in game seven of the NBA Finals or against a Hall of Fame player like Reed but the point is that Jordan eagerly pounces on any weakness that he detects in his opponents; given the same set of circumstances that Chamberlain faced, it is easy to picture Jordan going right at the hobbling Reed (in a similar vein, Russell once commented that he would have taken it as an insult if someone had played against him on one good leg). Of course, a major difference between Jordan and Chamberlain is that Jordan can bring the ball up the court and free himself for the shot, while Chamberlain depended upon his teammates to feed him the ball in the post; perhaps in game seven the Lakers were not effective or persistent enough in isolating Chamberlain versus Reed.

It should be emphasized that this comparison between two of the greatest players ever is not meant to suggest in any way that Chamberlain was not a winner; after all, he was the dominant player on the 1967 76ers and the 1972 Lakers, each of whom won the championship and posted the best regular season records in league history at the time. Chamberlain could not have had the individual and team success that he did without possessing tremendous drive. The fact that he was even playing in the 1970 championship series only months after suffering a serious knee injury testifies to his desire and intensity.

As the years passed a certain mythology arose that the 1970 Finals matched a team of stars (the Lakers) versus a well balanced team that emphasized passing and defense (the Knicks). DeBusschere commented: "The feeling that we were a team heightened most at the finals because they set Chamberlain, Baylor and West--best center, best forward, best guard--against a team of just guys. We weren’t supposed to have a chance." Calling the Knicks a "team of just guys" is a bit disingenuous considering that the Knicks had a Hall of Fame coach (Red Holzman) and four Hall of Fame players on their roster: Reed, DeBusschere, Frazier and forward Bill Bradley. What's more, none of the Knicks' stars were older than 30, while Baylor (35), Chamberlain (33) and West (31) were all past their thirtieth birthdays. It is true that by the conclusion of the 1970 playoffs West (3708 points, 30.9 points per game) Baylor (3623 points, 27.0 points per game), and Chamberlain (2990 points, 25.8 points per game) were the three leading scorers in NBA playoff history. That is impressive and unprecedented, but it also reflects the fact that all three players were past their primes. Baylor's chronically bad knees would soon force him to retire and, as noted above, Chamberlain had not completely recovered from his early season knee injury. West still had plenty of great games left, but his body was also battered and bruised from so many years of battling deep into the playoffs. The Knicks were hardly an underdog team without a chance; there is a reason that they had homecourt advantage for game seven. None of these facts diminish Reed's courage, Frazier's clutch game seven performance and the overall greatness of the 1970 New York Knicks. Quite the opposite: the 1970 Knicks should be remembered as a great team, not as an underdog.

Labels: Connie Hawkins, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Michael Jordan, Walt Frazier, Willis Reed, Wilt Chamberlain

posted by David Friedman @ 1:50 AM

1 comments

"Black Magic": Must-See TV

ESPN's four hour program "Black Magic" is truly must-see TV. It interweaves the story of the development of the basketball programs at historically black colleges with the Civil Rights' movement's struggles against racism and segregation. NBA stars Earl Monroe, Willis Reed, Bob Love, Bob Dandridge and Dick Barnett all played at historically black colleges and they each tell their stories in this show. If you missed the broadcast on Sunday and Monday night then you definitely should try to see it when it is shown on ESPN2 next week. Meanwhile, here is an article that I wrote about the program:

"Black Magic": Must-See TV

Labels: Black Magic, Bob Love, Dick Barnett, Earl Monroe, Willis Reed

posted by David Friedman @ 1:03 AM

1 comments