Now the world knows what Bryant did for the Celtics when he got a chance to play for them last winter. He steadied them for a playoff position, then produced many clutch moments in the burst to glory.
Tag Archives: Bill Russell
Rick Barry Rates His All-Time Opponents, 1980
As one of the few players who had the chance to play pro basketball in three different decades (the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s), it also was my fortune to play both against—and with—most of the great players produced by the National Basketball Association.
John Brisker Sent Down to the Minors, 1974
Brisker does have a bad rep, pedigree blotched with unsavory tags like punch-out artist and troublemaker, league jumper, money-grabber and, it is even whispered, fixer and thrower of basketball games.
‘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.
John Havlicek: A Study in Stamina, 1975
“The Celtics, new and old, are very different,” says Havlicek. “The difference isn’t only because of Bill Russell. They are just different kinds of players.”
The Big E vs. Wilt, 1968
So Elvin Hayes prodded, spoke of getting ready for the real Wilt Chamberlain. But something kept getting in the way.
E Stands for Elvin . . . And Excellence, 1969
Elvin Hayes, the Big E, the two-time All-America from Houston University, started the current National Basketball Association season as the most heralded rookie since Oscar Robertson
Bob Pettit: So Steady He’s Overlooked, 1964
“Bobby has the greatest desire of any athlete who ever lived,” says Marty Blake, general manager of the Hawks. “It is remarkable St. Louis should have had two such athletic heroes as Stan Musial and Pettit cut out of the same mould.”
Nate Thurmond: He Can’t Get ‘Up’ for Every Game, 1970
“When I play the best—guys like Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, and Wes Unseld—I get inspired. You know how great Russell was. I wanted to play my best against him.”
Russ Meets Wilt, October 14, 1959
This is the saga of the $81,000 needed to refurbish the Minneapolis Armory to make it into a major league basketball playing site.
From Way Downtown 