Author Archives: bobkuska

The Old Days When the Cleveland Cavaliers Were Funny, 1971

The coach looks back on that first season today and says, “By the end of it, we were not the worst team in basketball, even though we had the worst record.”

Jamaal Wilkes: The Silent Assassin, 1980

Wilkes is basketball’s version of Perry Como, the velvet singer whose trademark was the epitome of ultra-relaxed, super-casual, laidback stage presence. Wilkes comes across the same way, on and off the court.

Guy Rodgers: Mr. Excitement, 1968

Somehow Rodgers seems to have lost none of his speed even at age 32 and credits his continual physical activity for it. “I feel as though I could play quite a bit of ball with the kids.”

Julius Erving: The Doctor Establishes His NBA Practice, 1977

It was only one play, one fast moment of magic in The Doctor’s lifetime of wizardry, but that one play, that super dunk, that shattering demonstration of superiority, seemed to capture the essence of Doctor J.

Ode to Sonny Dove, 1983

The pro game never was his thing. His career was adequate, but he never fooled himself. He knew what he wanted to do with his life, and he was determined to develop those skills in the same fashion that he developed his skills on the court during teenaged summers

Phil Ford: Have You Driven a Ford Lately? 1983

Ford never has taken a nap on the basketball floor. Loose balls? He’d dive for them. Draw a charge? It didn’t matter if the player was 6-10, 300 pounds.

Red Robbins Rides Again, 1973

Red Robbins is so vital to the interior clockwork of the Utah Stars that it would be virtually impossible to list the ways he contributes to the overall success of the ABA champions.