A serious fellow, Richie does not leave his game in the dressing room. He takes it home or on road trips, trying to replay it, detect where he or one of his teammates made a mistake that might have affected the actual outcome.
Tag Archives: 1960s NBA
Richie Guerin: Wilt Chamberlain’s Magical Night in 1962
Chamberlain’s 100th point came with 46 seconds remaining when he outleaped two defenders to spare a lob pass from Joe Rucklick and slam it through the net. Then all Hades broke loose.
Balls of Confusion: Signing Lew Alcindor, 1969
Brown handed him the certified check from Chemical Bank. Alcindor fingered the paper, eyed his name printed as clearas day across the middle, and handed it back. “Mr. Brown said to me, ‘We’ll give you a million dollars,’” recalled Alcindor, but without mentioning a timeframe.
Walter Bellamy vs. the NBA, 1963
The money he makes is considerable salve for the aches and bruises that he absorbs working at his job. At a workout a while ago, a gash was opened on his left wrist.
Reggie Harding: A New Kind of Piston, 1964
Harding still retains some of his arrogance, but it’s not offensive. Sure, he said, he misses playing basketball. “It’s part of me,” he said. But he added: “I’ve still got the ability, and they can’t take that away from me.”
Penny for Your Thoughts on Cleo Hill
Cleo Hill had certain remarkable talents as a player. He had fast hands, a wonderful asset for a basketball player. He was quick. But his quickness and his hand speed were wasted when they weren’t harnessed with the team effort of everybody else. It is something a man might learn in a minor league but has to be taken for granted in the majors.
Oscar Robertson: Picture of Consistency
It is true. Robertson is a perfectionist. Whenever the subject is basketball, the Big O wants to be the best, the absolute best.
Sam Jones: Cha-Ching, 1966
Sam is 32 years old now, but there was no indication last year that his speed was diminishing, while his skills and confidence rose to new heights.
Elgin Baylor: How Serious Is His Leg Trouble? 1965
Baylor feels he’ll be back in stride again now. Although he’s never won the President’s Cup as the NBA Most Valuable Player as voted by the athletes, Baylor has always been a top contender. He could capture the coveted prize this year if he regains as much bounce as the Lakers hope and expect.
Jerry West: The Making of a Superstar, 1966
No one has shown, each year, the distinct improvement that West continues to show. There’s no telling where he’ll stop—and that, come to think of it, is a characteristic of explosive forces, isn’t it?