Uncategorized – Page 4 – From Way Downtown

Larry Steele: Portland’s Man of Steal, 1975

The only problem with Steele gaining a reputation for ball thievery is that some of his other attributes are overlooked.

Michael Olowokandi: The Kandi Man Can, 1999

[Basketball offers no one single pathway to stardom. There are many, some traditional and others circuitous and seemingly zany. Take the mind-bending rise of Michael Olowokandi? In the mid-1990s, the seven-foot Olowokandi was a 20-year-old basketball neophyte in the United Kingdom who cold-called America and, as it happened, one Tony Marcopulos, assistant basketball coach atContinue reading “Michael Olowokandi: The Kandi Man Can, 1999”

Stanley Roberts: ‘The Big Friendly’ in Rookie-land, 1991

Roberts has yet to demonstrate that without a doubt he belongs in the NBA. He has a year to erase those doubts. If all goes well, pretty soon he will be bringing down the house instead of just the backboard.

Dave Twardzik: Diving and Driving He Goes, 1978

There will be times when Twardzik will fire from far out—at the end of a quarter or when the 24-second is running out. Don’t be distressed. He’ll probably make the shot anyway.

Dave Bing: Sight, Sealed, and Delivered, 1971

Unlike others around him, Bing said he has no fear about returning. The doctors have assured him that playing basketball will not cause a reoccurrence of the injury.

Robert Horry: Story of a Rising Sun, 1996

Although he was a member of two championship teams with the Rockets, four years of feeding the Dream down low or shooting threes when Hakeem was double-teamed began to wear old. Horry was ready to move on when the Suns made the trade for him and teammates Chucky Brown, Mark Bryant, and Sam Cassell.

Otto Moore: Appetite to Play, 1970

Since that pivotal night of January 2, Otto has averaged 17.4 points and 15 rebounds a game. If the latter number were projected over the whole season, it would be the same as the NBA’s third-ranked board man, a fellow named Lew Alcindor.

Bob Lanier: Bum Knee, Bad Rap, 1970-71

The curious thing is that skinny Otto Moore is saving the Pistons—saving their center position and even saving Lanier from further embarrassment. Who would have thought that . . .

Cazzie Russell: Trading Places, 1972

Inevitably, Russell is compared to the Warriors’ former Wonder Boy, Rick Barry, which is unfair to Cazzie. He is not the offensive player that Barry was with the Warriors, but he does have some of the same characteristics.

Jim McDaniels: The Dream That Failed, 1978

Even so, Jim McDaniels couldn’t help but admit that it’s been a while since he’s felt half as good as he does these days. It’s every reason why to McDaniels didn’t even mind the Buffalo winter. You can believe he’s gone through a lot colder winters in his time.