Cazzie Russell: Living On Wheat Germ, Vitamin C, and Tiger Milk, 1976

Mostly, Cazzie is called “The Machine,” and for good reason. During a workout last fall while his teammates were doing stretching exercises, he picked up a ball on the baseline and, from 20 feet, arched it through the net.

Secret Plot to Make NBA Champs of Milwaukee Bucks, 1971

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.”

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.

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.”