Auerbach said that, “Stokes is no rookie. He was ready for the league when he was in college. Nothing’ll stop him.”
Author Archives: bobkuska
Lebron, Kobe, KG, Moses . . . and Bones Graboski?
Meet the first prep-to-pro in NBA history.
Remembering the Early NBA
It was all fun, sensational fun. Those were the days when we felt that everything we did was great.
Good . . . Like Nedick’s!
The function of a sports broadcaster is to take the listener out of his chair alongside his radio and place him in the arena alongside the broadcaster. The listener must see verbally what the broadcaster sees visually.
Quality Transcends Time
Had he lived in another era, Buddy Jeannette would have been a household name.
Pro Basketball Needs a Bill of Rights
No one has a bigger stake in the future of the National Basketball Association than the players.
NBA Players Vote to Unionize
Bob Cousy racked up thousands of assists during his Hall-of-Fame career with the Boston Celtics. He called it “spreading the sugar,” and the internet is filled with grainy, black-and-white film clips of Boston’s original basketball leprechaun dishing out nifty, no-look passes behind his back and, more often, sprinkled magically delicious over his shoulder.
Willis Reed and the Icing on the Cake, 1970
So through it all, one shining fact evolves. Basketball and Willis Reed are so entwined, the two are one.
Forward Thinking, 1971
Dave DeBusschere was a defensive stopper who could take the air out of opponents with his physical brand of ball.
The Knicks—Pro Basketball’s Next Dynasty
Red Holzman criticized Willis Reed unmercifully in the early days. The team captain was generally the target when Holzman screamed: “Don’t turn your head . . . get back . . . pick up your man.” The Knick coach knew Willis had the temperament to handle the abuse while the other players learned the biggest and the smallest [players] would get the same treatment.
From Way Downtown 