“It’s a business,” he shrugged at a 3 p.m. news conference in the Sonic office. “I’m ready to go.”
Author Archives: bobkuska
Warren Jabali: The Rock of Ages, 1995
On this day at North Dade, Jabali slides through the milling children as they head home. A little girl holding a pickle. Gives him a hug and moves on.
Warren Armstrong (Jabali): Like a Rock, 1969-1975
“Warren plays like he was 6-foot-6 or 6-foot-7. It’s not all jumping ability, either. He can jump with anybody, but [when] he gets around the ball, he’s got timing and he’s strong.”
Buck Williams: On the Rebound in the City of Roses, 1991
All of the time, Williams had been regarded as the consummate pro, a man who tried to make the best of a bad situation.
Brad Daugherty: Battling the ‘Goliath Syndrome,’ 1991
Daugherty says: “A million a year, three million a year? It all sounds so incredible to me. I’m not hung up on making more money than this guy or that guy. I also know that if you give all the money to one or two guys, then the salary cap means you can’t pay everyone else, and you don’t have a good team.”
Julius Erving: Basketball’s Most Valuable Pro, 1984
He is 34 years old now. He has won the NBA title. If things go according to plan, 1985 will be his final season. It’s a cause for concern inside the game.
How Julius Erving Fights His Critics, 1980
By August, Erving was able to run again, working himself up from a quarter mile to two miles. By the start of camp, he was so strong that he didn’t bother wearing those ugly braces on his once aching knees.
Richie Guerin: Knick of Time, 1962
A serious fellow, Richie does not leave his game in the dressing room. He takes it home or on road trips, trying to replay it, detect where he or one of his teammates made a mistake that might have affected the actual outcome.
Austin Carr: He’s Number One, 1971
But Carr isn’t just a gunner. He is the complete offensive ballplayer. He rarely commits a ballhandling error and says that he likes to play without the ball, too.
Rodney Rogers: Mr. Rogers’ New Neighborhood, 1999
Actually, the 6-feet-7, 255-pound former Wake Forest star didn’t need much urging to be prepared. The chance to prove himself on a winning team was incentive enough.
