1980s NBA – Page 10 – From Way Downtown

Dawning of the Age of Ralph Sampson, 1984

Now, like Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and, to a lesser extent, Bill Walton, Sampson is expected to usher in an era of his own—“The Age of Sampson.”

Which Game is Better: College or Pro? 1990

No one is about to argue the relative abilities of college and NBA players. Still, there is a certain unpredictability to the college game that the NBA, in the end, can never seem to generate.

Cedric Maxwell: A Late-Bloomer Who Made Good, 1981

Much has gone into the making of Cedric Maxwell, the very efficient power forward for the Celtics who emerged as one of the NBA’s superstars with his brilliance in the playoffs.

Don Nelson: Respect, 1991

Nelson’s mind, always active, always involved, sometimes moves in surprising directions.

Earl Strom: NBA’s Oldest Referee Does It His Way, 1982

Earl Strom officiates with his whistle in his hand. His partner, Joe Gushue, wore his on a lanyard. Strom suggested that Gushue remove the lanyard before they reach the exit, so that fans couldn’t get such an easy hold of him.

Bill Willoughby: Playing One-on-None, 1990

Trouble with agents, trouble with coaches, trouble with people to whom he gave his trust has accompanied Willoughby throughout his basketball career like a persistent little sister.

Forever on Tryout, 1980

Every time a man is waived, the odds of finding a job in the NBA decrease. Deserved or not, he gets a book, a rep that he can’t shake.

Charlie Criss: Guts and Elbows Basketball, 1977

Criss became known as “The Mosquito,” and it was not a phony alliterative or geographical title invented by a P.R. man. It was a high sign to Criss that even though there were guys on the playground nobody ever heard of, many of them could hold their own with the best in the NBA.

Kevin McHale: Superstar in His Own Right, 1989

This is Kevin McHale, who will turn 31 years old early in the 1988-89 National Basketball Association season, talking about his future.

Kevin Stacom: An NBA Career in Five Newspaper Clips

He is the last of the true ones left, the only Celtic who knows the difference between Galway and Waterford, and who wouldn’t ask for a frosted mug for his Guinness.