Tag Archives: Wes Unseld

Golden State Warriors: We Are The Champions, 1975

The Warriors were not favored to win. Little, if any attention was given to the club’s determination and progression of improvement.

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. 

Mitch Kupchak: The Game’s Best Sixth Man, 1979

Because Kupchak is so versatile, he poses monumental problems for opposing teams. “He creates favorable mismatches for us,” says Bullet coach Dick Motta, who likes to compare Kupchak with Jerry Sloan, the hellaciously tough guard Motta coached with the Chicago Bulls some years ago.

The ‘New’ Elvin Hayes, 1973

He knew he had something to prove this season in Baltimore. Leading the Bullets to a championship would be the best way to silence his many critics. That’s why in 1972, the Big “E” stood for Effort.

Power Forward: Tracking the NBA Power Surge, 2000

Many all-time greats believe the term “power forward” was invented by New York sportswriters looking for a way to describe Dave DeBusschere, who played every minute on the court with reckless abandon.

Artis Gilmore: Million-Dollar Baby on Display, 1972

Artis is neither Kareem Abdul-Jabbar nor Bill Russell. He is simply Artis Gilmore, a big, talented, quiet, young man, who, by the time this basketball season is over, will have made his presence felt not by comparison, but by his own accomplishments. 

The Unarrested Development of Gheorghe Muresan, 1997

“If I wasn’t playing basketball,” he says, “I am not sure what I would be doing. When I stop playing, I am not sure. It doesn’t matter. For now, I am basketball player.”