“If that hadn’t happened, it would have been all different,” he said. “I know I could play. When I was that age, I don’t think there were five players in the country who could shoot better than me from 20 feet on out. I could flat shoot the ball.”
Author Archives: bobkuska
Ron Lee: King of the Floor Burn, 1978
“I have to play the way I’ve been playing all my life. If I get hurt, at least I’ll know it was because I was trying.”
Connie Hawkins: The Hawk Ages Gracefully, 1991
At 48, The Hawk can still fly, but he prefers to lay low and stay close to his nest in the Pittsburgh suburbs.
Paul Westphal: Mr. 44 in Phoenix, 1976
This is his fourth year in the league, but the first in which he’s started. At Boston, he played behind such standouts as Jo Jo White and Don Chaney.
Larry Siegfried: Marching to the Beat of His Own Enigma, 1970
His demeanor has become a subject for conversation, pro and con. Just when you are about to consign him to the lower regions of Hades, he goes out on the basketball court and makes a mockery of his critics.
Maurice Podoloff: The NBA Needs You, 1953
Big league basketball—as we are now going to some lengths to point out—is a lot more than just putting the ball through the hoop.
Earvin Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: How the Magic Really Works, 1981
When the Lakers boarded the plane for the flight to Philadelphia, Magic sat in the front row, left aisle—the seat usually occupied by Abdul-Jabbar. Magic looked back at Westhead and said, “Guess you have a new Big Fella, Coach.”
John Stockton: Utah’s Blue-Chipper, 1989
About all that remains for Stockton is to become more accustomed to star status. “He really hates the limelight,” says his older brother Steve. “He likes the recognition, but he doesn’t like some of the stuff that goes with it.”
Tom Gola: ‘Two Hank Luisettis Wrapped in One,’ 1962
The quiet, crewcut with a Johnny Murphy type of jaw and brown eyes is one of the most inconspicuous fellows on the floor. He is ready to sacrifice personal glory for team triumph.
Three Cheers and a Hoorah for Guy Rodgers
As quick as Allen Iverson is and as fast as he gets the ball up and down the court—and he’s one of the top five in the history of the NBA—number one is Guy Rodgers. That’s Nate “Tiny” Archibald saying that.
From Way Downtown 