It was that zest that separated Riordan from most players and made him the darling of Capital Centre fans.
Author Archives: bobkuska
Danny Manning: The New Best Thing in L.A., 1993
“Manning is the closest thing to Earvin Johnson in this league,” said Knicks coach Pat Riley, who won four championships with Magic in L.A. “Danny has that level of skill.”
Reggie Theus: From Junior Varsity to the Pros, 1989
“He literally paid the price. He worked seven days a week for three years. He’d have us open the gym, and he’d work out on Sundays.”
MLK Assassination: To Play or Not to Play? 1968
Shortly after 7 p.m., Philadelphia general manager Jack Ramsay met in his office with Celtics president Marvin Kratter and general manager Red Auerbach to discuss the possibility of postponement. Both Ramsay and Auerbach left the office, and Kratter talked to league commissioner Walter Kennedy on the phone.
Caldwell Jones: On Guarding Kareem in the NBA Finals, 1980
How would you like to guard Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for two straight basketball games, mano a mano, no one in between? How tired would you be?
Sir Charles Barkley, 1992
In an era where star athletes dole out their signatures for money, barely nodding or smiling at the purchaser, Barkley is a throwback. He grins and chats, seeking conversations with the littlest ones in the rear who are too shy to call out his name.
Wali Jones: Outlaws & Holdouts, 1974
Let me tell you something—when you worry, three things happen. You get baldheaded, you get fat, and you have a heart attack. As for me, I’ll just keep on being an outlaw and doing the best I can.
Dennis Johnson: Committed, 1985
Dennis Johnson has matured through the seasons. His emotions now do not erupt at coaches, they are channeled into his superlative all-around game.
The Master Plan to Change Wilt Chamberlain, 1962
The Warriors were sputtering in their early games, but Chamberlain was ripping up the record book like a barracuda with a can of tuna.
Slater Martin: A David Cutting Down Goliaths, 1950s
Nobody was ever sure what made Martin great. He was too small to cope with the huge stars of the game, yet he often played them to a standstill.
From Way Downtown 