1. Micheal Jordan
Jordan really didn’t have much weakness in his basketball game. He was a relentless defender as witnessed by his 9 All defensive 1st team selections and also winning a defensive player of the year award. He was also by far the most dominant offensive force of his generation, routinely having to battle double and triple teams every game yet still scoring at a career 30.1 PPG pace. Clutch shooting was also his forte as he hit so many game winning shots and his stats only improved in the playoffs when it really mattered. Micheal Jordan had 10 Scoring tiles, 5 season MVP awards, 6 Finals MVP awards and 6 championship titles.
2. Wilt Chamberlain
Statistically Wilt Chamberlain should be number one on this list. In a single game he once scored 100 pts by himself! In another game he scored 58 pts and pulled down 45 rebounds. His most amazing stat I think is that he never once fouled out of a NBA game in his entire career. He had absolutely off the chart career numbers 30.1 PPG, 22.9 RPG, .540 FGP %. Chamberlain was over 7 ft tall, could run and jump like a gazelle and was one of the strongest men on two feet. On the downside Wilt only won one NBA championship and was a notorious poor free throw shooter.
He may have won more championships if he didn’t have to face the great Celtics team of his era almost every year in the playoffs.
As some of you know, I collect NBA basketball games. I enjoy watching old footage of 1970’s and 1980’s basketball. Though I always marvel at the fundamentals displayed in those vintage contests, I can’t help but notice how, compared to today’s game, the players seem to be moving in slow motion. The harmonious blend of great play-making never lacked in those old games, but the athleticism displayed in today’s league was certainly only still a trailor for what the league would grow into.
One aspect that shot out at me during the footage of this game was that the athleticism of the players started to emerge. Early in the second quarter, I was intently typing away at my lap top when I heard Stockton bellow out “Michael Jordan breaks free”, I looked up at my plasma and saw Jordan’s full sprint down the court on a fast break for another tongue wagging dunk.
The combination of the Chicago Stadium crowd, Dick Stockton’s voice and the sight of Jordan’s highlight reel dunk, brought back memories of watching games such as these in my grandmother’s living room, on her old TV that resembled more of a piece of furniture then it did a piece of technology. I can still smell the sauce cooking in the kitchen and I can remember thinking “please let the sauce not be finished until half time”. I didn’t want to miss a second of the contest, as every play was a highlight reel of offensive greatness and defensive grit.
The picks were set like an illustration out of a text book, the lob passes were set up with perfection, the fast break was ran like a play on a chalk board and speaking of plays, these teams ran none yet they were in perfect sync. This was an era where coaches were more like managers and less like head’s of state. The intelligence of the player dominated the game and “x’s & o’s” were less necessary.
Did I mention hustle in this exhibition contest? I just looked up as Larry-Legend was diving into the stands for a lose ball as if it was the finals. Is this an exhibition?
Did I mention dunks? With the human Highlight Reel and Air-Jordan sharing the basketball for the East, there was no
Years later MJ would pass the torch to Kobe Bryant in All-Star compitition
lacking of amazing dunks.
In 1988, The Lakers were champs and the Celtics were one year removed from that title. The two titans from each coast were still the powerhouses in the league. Eager on lookers such as Isiah Thomas and Michael Jordan were still licking their chops, waiting for their chance to compete for the greatest prize in basketball. Though Larry and the Celtics had competed in their last title bout, Ainge, Bird and McHale were still the prized possessions in the East. Speaking of the Celtics, where was the Chief? He was missing from this All-Star competition. Robert Parish was always in the shadows of Larry and Kevin – a symbol of the great talent those old Celtics teams possessed.
Magic still had three Finals appearances left in him, yet 1988 would be his last championship and Kareem’s last finals appearance. A perfect night cap to Kareem’s twenty year odyssey.
Kareem was moving around Chicago stadium like more of a 20 year old man in his prime and less of a 40 year old veteran close to waiving goodbye.
It seemed every player back then had their signature move. Larry Bird had the fade away jumper, Magic had the no look pass, Kevin McHale had the up and under, Hakeem had the baseline jumper, Worthy had the baby hook, Jordan had the tongue wagging dunk, Isiah had the killer cross over but there was only one player who possessed the most unstoppable weapon in sports.
In 1987, Jordan averaged an astonishing 37 points per game but was again swept by the Celtics.
It wasn’t until 1988, perhaps Jordan’s most successful season individually, the Bulls emerged from the first round of
Jordan holding on of his 6 Larry O’Brien Trophies
the playoffs. That season, Jordan averaged 35 points per game, 52 percent from the field. He won his first of five NBA Most Valuable Player award and the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award.
It’s rare to have a player succeed on the offensive and defensive ends of the court in such a dominant fashion.
In 1988, the first of 4 epic post season battles, Isiah Thomas and his Detroit Pistons eliminated the Chicago Bulls in five games.
The Pistons and Bulls would meet again in 1989 and the Pistons, now famous, “Jordan Rules” defense facilitated in once again eliminating the Bulls.
In 1990 the Bulls emerging talent surrounding Jordan again fell to the Pistons as the “Jordan Rules” was now a famous and effective method for slowing down Jordan and stopping the Bulls.
It wasn’t until 1991 that Michael and his now ultra talented squad finally beat the Detroit Pistons. The Bulls were able to finally get revenge and swept the Pistons led by Jordan opting for the assist over the shot, made difficult by the Pistons “Jordan Defensive Rules”.
Isiah Thomas, in typical unsportsmanlike fashion, walked off the court before the final buzzer without congratulating his opponent.
After defeating the Detroit Pistons in 1991, Jordan led his Bulls to their first title.
The Bulls would go on to win 6 titles in 7 years.
Michael Jordan, a man who achieved personal stats unmatched by any player in NBA history, won 6 NBA titles, 5 NBA MVP awards, 6 Finals MVP awards, Rookie of the Year honors, Defensive Player of the Year honors, 14 all-star appearance, 10 all NBA first team appearances, 9 time defensive first team honors, 3 all-star game MVP awards, 2 Dunk contest championships, and now he will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Jordan, nearly single handedly, made famous such globally branded products as Nike and Gatorade.
Even in retirement, Jordan’s endorsements of products such as Nike and Gatorade continues to ensure their profits. On the day of Jordan’s first retirement, the NY Stock Exchange actually took a dip because of Jordan’s effect on global business.
One year later, Kareem entered his last campaign and Larry Bird was injured. Mo Cheeks and Moses Malone had not been elected to the All-Star game. In 1989’s All-Star game, it just wasn’t the same but there is no doubt the torch was being left in competant hands.
As the 1980’s closed, though the game would never be the same, Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwan, Karl Malone and Charles Barkley would lead the way through the 1990’s, a less competitive era and yet NBA basketball’s following expanded to regions of the world where it’s presence had never been felt during the Bird, Magic, Kareem, Dr. J era.
I wonder if 20 years from now I will be looking back on today’s All-Star games with the amazement I do of the 1980’s exhibitions
Signature***********************
Mortgage refinancing Your #1 Home mortgage refinance Solution
house moving website, ease the stress of moving