Jerry West – From Way Downtown

Three-Point Shot: Pro Basketball’s Big Bomb? 1971

Imagine the excitement in Madison Square Garden if one of the Knicks sank a three-point play in the closing minutes of a stretch-run game. It would be pandemonium.

Jim McMillian Picks His Shot, 1970, 1973

Despite his size, McMillian can break in at forward because, with the menace of Wilt Chamberlain at center, the Lakers really don’t need strong rebounding cornermen.

Jerry West: Reflections on ‘The Perfect Season,’ 1972

I remember sitting on the bench in the Forum in the last quarter of the last playoff game against the Knicks and looking at the clock and finally realizing that there is no way we could lose it.

Gail Goodrich: Stumping the NBA, 1972

Goodrich says his blossoming into a superstar is due to many things, not the least of which is the confidence that coach Bill Sharman has instilled in him.

Willis Reed: The Game I’ll Never Forget, 1970

I had some nerve going up against the greatest all-around center in NBA history in my condition, but I’m glad I made the effort. It was worth it.

Eddie Jones: The Reluctant Star, 1998

Jones is getting the star treatment, all right. People aren’t just waiting for autographs; they also wait to give him flowers or candy. They take photos, jockey for handshakes, ask for Eddie’s signature on balls and trading cards.

The $10 Million Gamble to Save Pro Basketball: Bill Walton and Larry Bird, 1980

The Clippers and Celtics paid a fortune to get them. Now, they and the rest of the league can only hope Walton and Bird get back the fans and make pro basketball “The Sport of the 1980s.”

Goliath Comes to Tinseltown, 1968-1969

Contrary to popular opinion, the Lakers and their opponents, though agreeing that Los Angeles would be formidable, had reservations about the Super-team label and scoffed at the thought that the Lakers had anything locked up.

What’s Left for Lew Alcindor? 1972

What, then, will incite Alcindor and keep his interest? The same thing that incites all great athletes—a competitive challenge.

Meet the NBA’s Sultans of Swing, 1994

Not all players who defy classification by position, however, are destined for success as NBA swingmen. NBA coaches and general managers know all too well that a fine line exists between the swingman and the “tweener.”