bobkuska

Dave Cowens: Farewell John Havlicek, 1978

People ask me who will replace John Havlicek this year. I tell them there will be another name on the roster, but that nobody will replace him—ever.

Sam Jones: Cha-Ching, 1966

Sam is 32 years old now, but there was no indication last year that his speed was diminishing, while his skills and confidence rose to new heights.

Bob Cousy: One Magical Night in Boston Garden, 1953

Cooz, the reason for the mass delirium, just sat on the bench, hunched over, trying to hide the tears. “Thanks for everything. Thanks fellas,” he said to well-wishers and his teammates. “There was a prayer going with every shot. I certainly needed them. But I don’t want to have to play a game like that again. Boy, it’s too much. I was lucky.”

Alex English: Mister Poetry in Motion, 1989

That’s the amazing thing about English. His body with the arms and legs that look like pipe cleaners sticking out of a lean torso, doesn’t look like it would hold up in this very physical game.

A Belated Cheer for Ray Felix, 1987

The Knicks were playing the old Philadelphia Warriors, whose star was Wilt Chamberlain. And it was Ray’s job, at least when he was in the game, to guard him. He did his best, I’m sure, but it wasn’t close to good enough.

Elgin Baylor: How Serious Is His Leg Trouble? 1965

Baylor feels he’ll be back in stride again now. Although he’s never won the President’s Cup as the NBA Most Valuable Player as voted by the athletes, Baylor has always been a top contender. He could capture the coveted prize this year if he regains as much bounce as the Lakers hope and expect.

Jerry West: The Making of a Superstar, 1966

No one has shown, each year, the distinct improvement that West continues to show. There’s no telling where he’ll stop—and that, come to think of it, is a characteristic of explosive forces, isn’t it?

Gus Johnson: ‘I Sometimes Amaze Me,’ 1966

Triggered by the magic words, all pro, his voice grows stronger and his words come faster, and suddenly there seems no chance that in the interest of safety, he will abandon the style that made him Gus the Great. ”You don’t see Bill Russell or Wilt Chamberlain gliding through the air and shoving it in there like I do,” Gus says firmly.

James Jones: Best Guard in the ABA? 1974

Jones is also a showman, not a showboat. His sense of the spectacular is controlled, not contrived, and Jones is perhaps the best clutch operator in the league. His style is reminiscent of the best big guards in the NBA, combining physical ability with brains and marked by a sense of always knowing what to do when it counts most.

Oscar Robertson: As Bob Cousy Sees Him, 1965

“Oscar is the greatest,” Cousy states. “There are none better.” That’s the word from the man who wrote the book on the position that both play so well.