Modern players have bigger, stronger, and more flexible bodies than their predecessors; they can shoot better, jump higher, and run faster.
Author Archives: bobkuska
It’s Suddenly Over: The NBA Odyssey of Jim Barnett, 1977
After 10 years as a hard-driving guard and frenetic defensive player for the Boston Celtics, the San Diego Rockets, the Portland Trail Blazers, the Golden State Warriors, the New Orleans Jazz, and finally the New York Knicks, the 32-year-old Jim Barnett is through as a professional basketball player.
‘Some Night in This League Chamberlain Will Score 90 Points,’ 1959
Some people don’t think I’m rough enough. Well, I don’t intend to be goaded into a wrestling match. I’m playing basketball.
Detroit’s Leon The Barber, 1976
The NBA’s heavyweight heckler
Who Is John Brisker? 1972
He’s worth knowing. He plays mean basketball but, in his soul, there is no meanness.
Geoff Petrie: Portland’s Prize Tiger, 1972
Petrie’s development was followed by admirers around the circuit.
Scowling Sidney Wicks Will Smile . . . When He Wins, 1977
Wicks was seething. He resented the implication that he hadn’t performed adequately since joining the Celtics early in the exhibition season.
John Brisker: Mr. Punch from Pittsburgh, 1972
Today, John Brisker is the most-prized possession of the ABA’s Pittsburgh Condors, a 6-foot-5, 210-pound forward who has led the team in scoring in his first two years of pro ball, and whose 29.3 average last season was the league’s second best.
Carolina Jim McDaniels: ‘I’m Talking About a Championship, 1971
“I have confidence in my ability and, even though I’m a rookie, I think I can do well against anyone,”
Spencer Haywood: Sonic Superstar, 1971
In SuperSonic basketball circles, he’s known as “The Wood” . . . easy to rap with . . . tough to knock.
From Way Downtown 