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Jim Chones: Learning to Live with the Pressure

“I always wanted to get a degree. I’ve been going back to school every summer to get my degree in philosophy. I don’t know what good it will do me, or if I’ll ever use it. But it’s something I want to have.”

Billy Cunningham: The 76er Who Loves Pressure, 1970

The first thing Cunningham has to say about his role as the 76ers’ man on the spot is that he wishes they had never gotten on the spot in the first place.

Lou Hudson: Superstar in Transit, 1970

But the high point of that season for Hudson—what can be called a pivotal point in his career— came when Guerin decided to permanently move Lou to guard. And the coach wasn’t very subtle about it.

Willie Burton: Finding Willie, 1995

The problem was, everything was not right in Willie Burton’s life during the four seasons he spent in Miami.

Bill Laimbeer’s Greatest Hits, 1988

We can argue with some of what he does, but not with the consistency with which he does it. Laimbeer has played in 646 consecutive regular-season games. He has started 522 in a row. Those are the longest active streaks in the league.

On the Bounce with Jo Jo White, 1975

Jo Jo’s efforts to develop an all-around game have had a noticeable effect on his shooting. “He is streaky now because he has so many other things to think about,” says Tommy Heinsohn, the Boston coach.

The Pro’s Pros: Jerry West and John Havlicek, 1969

Both are intense competitors. To say such is to use a cliché used too often about too many. The fact is, under pressure, some choke up, some do as well as they usually do, only a handful do better.

Pooh Richardson: As Chill as a Cucumber, 1993

With the Timberwolves, Richardson was sort of a sacrificial lamb. The first draft choice for the first-year Timberwolves, he was a steady rookie on a shaky team.

Running and Gunning with Reggie Theus, 1979

On the Chicago roster, Theus is listed as a guard, something of a misnomer. Actually, he’s an entertainer.

Robert Parish: The Chief Ages Gracefully, 1991

“I’m 38, and everyone is making a big deal out of it because I got a few gray hairs cropping in my sides,” he said. “I don’t think it matters how old you are as long as you keep yourself physically fit.”