bobkuska

Alex Groza: How I Play George Mikan, 1950

Playing Mikan is hard work, and it’s not always rewarding, but there’s one thing you can say for sure. It’s always interesting.

Warbling Over Rookie Otis Birdsong, 1978

Almost half a season is gone, and the interesting thing is that Birdsong, while suffering with the team through its losing ways, already has achieved the playing confidence that makes him a potential force for changing the Kings’ ways.

Robert Parish: Hail to the Chief, 1994

He’s all over the NBA record book, of course, even if he doesn’t either know or care about such things. Going into the season, he was second in games played, fifth in blocks, seventh in minutes played, and ninth in field goals made and rebounds.

Bill Sharman: The Game I’ll Never Forget, 1972

“I don’t think there’s any way we could have won the title—or even gotten into the final round—if we had not defeated the Bucks in that second game. The last few seconds of that game were among the most unusual and dramatic I have ever seen in my many years in professional basketball.”

Scott Skiles: A Star on the Rise, 1991

“There were many nights he just forced me to play him for 48 minutes,” head coach Matt Goukas said. “When he is on top of his game, there is no other guy I would rather have in the game.”

Dave Bing: Going Through Changes, 1970

Pain has become a constant in Dave Bing’s basketball life. Even in the 1968-69 season—his third NBA campaign in which he went through multiple changes—bodily ache remained a verity of his working hours.

David Greenwood: A Teammate for All Seasons, 1980, 1984, 1990

David Greenwood would find it funny he’s getting backslaps and handshakes for his five rebound performance Sunday afternoon. As far as he’s concerned, he should have had eight.

Nate Archibald: The Tiny Touch, 1982

“If you let it happen, this game will pass you by,” Archibald declares in looking at his different roles with the Celtics. “They gave me a challenge, and I had to meet it.”

Shawn Marion: Rookie Number 9 of 1999

The key for Marion is taking advantage of the opportunities. The fluid motion and ability to soar through the air may come naturally, but making it in the NBA requires more. The willingness to work hard and capitalize on natural ability is what will set Marion apart.

Rick Barry: Why I Want Out of the ABA, 1970

One day, I hope all this will be settled in court. Maybe the merger will help. Maybe then Franklin can do something to get me back where I belong. Meanwhile, all I can do is hope—one, that my knee holds up and, two, that I can go back home.