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.
Tag Archives: Dave DeBusschere
What Jerry Lucas Will Do for the Knicks, 1972
An All-NBA forward five times, he can also do a more-than-adequate job at center. And at either position, he can shoot from the outside about as well as any man his size ever has, and he can rebound with the best.
What Dave Bing Had to Learn, 1968
He jumps like a man inches taller. When he sets off on a long-striding drive, the common layup becomes a basketball happening.
The Walt Frazier Style, 1971
Madison Square Garden is probably the only basketball arena in the country where, when the home team falls behind in the fourth quarter, a chant begins in the lower tiers and swells until it sweeps the arena: “Dee-fense! (clap, clap), Dee-fense! (clap, clap) Dee-fense! (clap, clap).”
Willis Reed and the Icing on the Cake, 1970
So through it all, one shining fact evolves. Basketball and Willis Reed are so entwined, the two are one.
Forward Thinking, 1971
Dave DeBusschere was a defensive stopper who could take the air out of opponents with his physical brand of ball.
The Knicks—Pro Basketball’s Next Dynasty
Red Holzman criticized Willis Reed unmercifully in the early days. The team captain was generally the target when Holzman screamed: “Don’t turn your head . . . get back . . . pick up your man.” The Knick coach knew Willis had the temperament to handle the abuse while the other players learned the biggest and the smallest [players] would get the same treatment.
The Dark Side of the Knicks, 1970
The collaborative magic that the world champion basketball team, the New York Knicks, showed over the course of last season suggested an uncommon togetherness among men. As in any business, though, the affinity that existed was more professional than personal.
From Way Downtown 