Maurice Cheeks: Still Going Strong, 1988

Maurice Cheeks, at 30, is suddenly the oldest Sixer, even if he does not feel it. He is a leader, even if he does not want to be one. He is a spokesman, even though he usually prefers to say little.

Chuck Person: Person-al Touch, 1988

After every game, Person leans against his locker, ice bags hanging from all extremities. Although he’s got good size at 225 pounds, he invariably wears black-and-blue marks like merit badges.

Sir Charles Barkley, 1992

In an era where star athletes dole out their signatures for money, barely nodding or smiling at the purchaser, Barkley is a throwback. He grins and chats, seeking conversations with the littlest ones in the rear who are too shy to call out his name.