So what everything boils down to is: Whether or not the “good old days” of pro basketball were good depends upon who’s answering the question.
Tag Archives: Calvin Murphy
The Flops of the Game, 1976
No longer will a particularly ruthless assault on the basketball court be known as “a flagrant foul.” Henceforth it shall be known as a “Cowens.”
Ed Ratleff: Easy Does It, 1975
Coach Johnny Egan says Ratleff’s presence in the Rocket lineup “became a great stabilizing factor. He is the complete team basketball player. Offensively, he is totally unselfish. He just does whatever it takes to win.”
Larry Bird: Bird is Still the Word, 1991
But whether the final curtain on Bird’s show comes down after one, two, or five more years, he’s certain to retire to Indiana duly cast as Larry the Legend.
Moses Malone: Capturing the Real Mo, 1981
Malone, in a characteristic bit of understatement, says, “I love to make my defensive man work.”
Calvin Murphy: Four Seasons, Three Coaches, 1974
“Ever since high school, I have always played taller ballplayers, and I’ve never had any trouble. Every year, it’s been getting easier for me.”
Chewing the Fat with Fatty Taylor
Believe me, I stopped guys. I didn’t slow them down; I stopped them. I didn’t think nobody could score on me—until I ran into a guy named Calvin Murphy.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: A Seven-Footer with Roots, 1977
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar knows where he came from, knows where he’s at, and has an idea where he’s going.
Maravich, Mount, Murphy: M-M-M Good in College, But What Do the Pros Think? 1970
In approximately 11 months, when the M boys step onto the court to make their professional debuts, we will begin to see how right or wrong the experts were.
Calvin Murphy: The Little Man Plays It Big, 1972
It doesn’t matter where Calvin Murphy will be operating—even among all those tall Texans—he’s sure to be one of the giants in his specialty. So what if he’s only 5-foot-10 . . . errr, 5-foot-9. Every inch of him is a professional.
