McKenzie: “It makes me mad to hear some fans complain that we don’t play defense in pro basketball. That’s a lot of bull. If we didn’t play defense, teams would be scoring 200 points a game.”
Author Archives: bobkuska
Julius Erving: The Greatest Show on Earth, 1973
Did Erving need the big-time to feed his ego, feeling perhaps that he’d suffer the sort of way Henry Aaron did by playing in towns where he didn’t get much national publicity? “No, I don’t feel that way,” said Erving. “All during my basketball career and life, the acknowledgement of me has been in a very limited sense.”
Mel Daniels Itching for Shot at NBA Stars, 1971
[In late 1967, about two weeks into his rookie season, Mel Daniels and his Minnesota Muskies were in Teaneck National Guard Armory to face the New Jersey Americans. A young reporter named Ira Berkow ambled over to Daniels and asked, “What do you think of playing in the ABA?” The ABA was brand-spanking-new, and DanielsContinue reading “Mel Daniels Itching for Shot at NBA Stars, 1971”
John Shumate’s Roughest Opponent is Death, 1976
[When John Shumate played for the Phoenix Suns, fans chanted, “Shu . . . Shu . . . Shu . . . Shu,” But the chant lasted only briefly. Shumate’s rookie season was delayed for health reasons. Then, after Shumate made an impressive comeback during the 1975-76 season, the Suns brass dealt “Shu”Continue reading “John Shumate’s Roughest Opponent is Death, 1976”
The NBA’s War on ABA, 1970
When superstar Connie Hawkins jumped from the American Basketball Association to the National Basketball Association, it was hailed as a major triumph for The Establishment (NBA) over the Young Rebels (ABA). Actually, it was a strategic move motivated by expediency and economy.
Big Lew—Already Great, 1971
Fast or slow, the game is usually Alcindor’s. He leads the NBA in scoring with 31-plus points a game, he ranks one-two in shooting accuracy, and he is among the leaders in rebounding. There really isn’t anything he can’t do.
The Unbearable Pressures Facing Lew Alcindor, 1970
Milwaukee will not win a pennant or championship this season. But next season or the season after, the Bucks will be boosted to the top by the first truly dominant force to move into professional basketball in a decade.
Two Witnesses to a Cheap Shot, 1969
Darrell Imhoff spun away, and Lew Alcindor cracked him hard with a long swing of the right elbow, catching him behind the left ear.
In NBA Rookie Race, It’s Lew 145 Votes to One, 1970
Opposing centers who tried vainly to stop Alcindor find it hard to believe how he could improve any further on his hook shots.
Flynn Robinson, 1970
There are few better than Flynn Robinson at what he does.
From Way Downtown 