George Gervin – From Way Downtown

European Pro Basketball Back in the Day, 1993

Unlike the NBA, where teams are required to post multimillion dollar operating bonds before the season, most teams in Europe are run on a nickel-and-dime basis at best. Many grew out of small neighborhood sporting clubs—YMCAs, really, and depend heavily on corporate sponsors for their cash flow.

James Silas: Captain Late, 1981

Silas is unassuming and never has let the publicity drain his enthusiasm for his profession. Though he exhibits a confident gait, cockiness never ruled his dealings with fans or the news media.

George McGinnis’ Thoughts on His Old ABA Colleagues, 1976

“People want to find out about these (ABA) guys. You know, if I had stayed my whole career with the ABA, that was something they’d always say about me. It probably would have been on my mind, too.”

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.

Bubbles Hawkins: How to Burst a Bubble, 1977

BUH-bbles! . . . BUH-bbles! . . .BUH-bbles! . . .” The name has become the fans’ refrain, a sort of new tribal chant to ward off losing and to summon, as if magically, points upon the board.

George Gervin: Chillin’ with The Iceman, 1988

[No intro needed for George Gervin. His many career achievements and chill image precede him. In this article, which ran in the April 1988 issue of Basketball Digest, Glenn Rogers of the San Antonio Express newspaper checks in with the 35-year-old Iceman to mark an upcoming city-wide ceremony to fete their retired pro basketball heroContinue reading “George Gervin: Chillin’ with The Iceman, 1988”

George Gervin: Icing Down the NBA, 1978

“Everybody thinks I shoot the jumper funny,” Gervin said. “But I’ll tell you what, I think they shoot it funny.”

Dennis Johnson: Basketball’s Top Defensive Guard, 1980

Johnson says, “My reputation is as a defensive player. I like getting the credit. But no one seems to notice me for anything else, and that’s hard for me to accept sometimes.”