The man making the offer was Wes Pavalon, owner of the Bucks, a 36-year-old multimillionaire. “There’s nothing mysterious about paying tremendous salaries to tremendous athletes,” Pavalon insists, “or in making them happy in other ways.”
Tag Archives: Lucius Allen
Willis Reed: The Art & Agony of a Gentle Giant, 1973
Willis Reed was past 30 now, and in the compressed lifespan of athletics that is to be past middle-age. It is a time when the body begins to betray its promises of youth, a time when the infinite resilience and boundless energy start to become less dependable certainties.
The Quiet Rebellion of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 1972
His new name translates from the Arabic into the generous servant of the all-powerful—Kareem (generous), Abdul (the servant), Jabbar (all-powerful or subduer).
Jabbar, Jerry West, and the New Look Lakers, 1978
“Jerry West is one clever dude,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “He was responsible for making us a unified group. And that was the big difference in this team.”
Lucius Allen: A Career Almost Up in Smoke, 1971
“The way I look at myself now, I’m really proud of the way I evolved. If all the things that happened to me hadn’t, then I don’t know what kind of person I would be.”
From Way Downtown 