bobkuska

Bob Boozer and the Early Chicago Bulls, 1969

Last season was an even better one for Boozer. He scored 1,655 points, 13th-best in the league, and led the Bulls with a 21.5 average.

Pat Riley: Taking the Man Inside, 1994

Riley believes that the only way to make a team out of isolated players is “to get them to do what they don’t want to do.” Yet he knows, too, that there are things certain players can never do.

It’s Murder Under the Basket, 1976

No officiating changes are going to eliminate rough play from professional basketball. It has become part of the game, every aspect of it.

Moses Malone: Capturing the Real Mo, 1981

Malone, in a characteristic bit of understatement, says, “I love to make my defensive man work.”

The NBA’s Five Most-Underrated Players, 1968

If we missed your favorite underrated player, we’re sorry. But it just proves that you’re right—he’s so underrated, even the experts never got to him!

Jimmy Walker: Play It Again Sam, 1968

“All I saw or heard was how inconsistent I was playing. But the only way I can play consistently is to have consistent time, and for the last two years, it hasn’t been.”

Eddie Johnson: A Country Boy in a Fast Town, 1980

Eddie’s mother asked me not to forget something about her oldest son: “You have to remember,” she said, “he’s just a country boy in a fast town.”

James Silas: Captain Late, 1981

Silas is unassuming and never has let the publicity drain his enthusiasm for his profession. Though he exhibits a confident gait, cockiness never ruled his dealings with fans or the news media.

Hubie Brown: Inside the Atlanta Hawks’ Hellraiser, 1980

“We give them an opportunity to display their talent,” Brown said. “In return, they have to give us maximum concentration, intensity, and their physical talent. If they do that, they won’t hear about it. If they don’t, they have to face the consequences.”

Calvin Murphy: Four Seasons, Three Coaches, 1974

“Ever since high school, I have always played taller ballplayers, and I’ve never had any trouble. Every year, it’s been getting easier for me.”