Walton sits in front of his dressing stall and stares down at the floor, treating his chronically aching feet with ice. Reporters surround him and lean forward to hear him speak. However, the words don’t come easily, and when they do come, they are few and far between.
Author Archives: bobkuska
Rony Seikaly: Turns Up the Heat in Miami, 1991
As the NBA moves to quicker, faster centers in the Olajuwon-Ewing-Robinson mold, Seikaly’s name is often mentioned when experts speak of the centers of the 1990s.
Pickles Kennedy: A Big Dill From the 1950s
Pickles sizzled. Watching him with the pill in his hands was like listening to Jerry Lee Lewis. Great balls of fire.
Jim Chones: Learning to Live with the Pressure
“I always wanted to get a degree. I’ve been going back to school every summer to get my degree in philosophy. I don’t know what good it will do me, or if I’ll ever use it. But it’s something I want to have.”
Billy Cunningham: The 76er Who Loves Pressure, 1970
The first thing Cunningham has to say about his role as the 76ers’ man on the spot is that he wishes they had never gotten on the spot in the first place.
Lou Hudson: Superstar in Transit, 1970
But the high point of that season for Hudson—what can be called a pivotal point in his career— came when Guerin decided to permanently move Lou to guard. And the coach wasn’t very subtle about it.
Willie Burton: Finding Willie, 1995
The problem was, everything was not right in Willie Burton’s life during the four seasons he spent in Miami.
Bill Laimbeer’s Greatest Hits, 1988
We can argue with some of what he does, but not with the consistency with which he does it. Laimbeer has played in 646 consecutive regular-season games. He has started 522 in a row. Those are the longest active streaks in the league.
On the Bounce with Jo Jo White, 1975
Jo Jo’s efforts to develop an all-around game have had a noticeable effect on his shooting. “He is streaky now because he has so many other things to think about,” says Tommy Heinsohn, the Boston coach.
The Pro’s Pros: Jerry West and John Havlicek, 1969
Both are intense competitors. To say such is to use a cliché used too often about too many. The fact is, under pressure, some choke up, some do as well as they usually do, only a handful do better.
From Way Downtown 