BASKETBALL FROM A FANS PERSPECTIVE
“I don’t miss free-throws”
Rick Barry has disappeared from view by much of the public. Who was Barry you ask, he was the second pick in the first round of the 1965 NBA Draft. The 6-7 Barry would become Rookie of the Year for the San Francisco Warriors in 1966. He provided gaudy numbers of 25.7 ppg and 10.6 rebounds. Barry was the first high profile NBA player to leave for an ABA team. Barry had a salary dispute believing he was not being adequately compensated.
The Warriors sued to prevent him from playing and Barry was forced to sit out that first year with the ABA Oakland Oaks. Barry remained in the ABA until 1972 playing for the Oaks, Washington Caps and Virginia Squires. He would return to the NBA with the Warriors under their new name Golden State.
In 1975 he would aid the team in winning the Bay Areas first NBA Championship, Barry was named series MVP. With salary becoming an issue once again his free-agent status would see him leave the Warriors and play out the remainder of his NBA career as a member of the Rockets. As for free throw shooting Barry shot his underhand (or granny style) he rarely missed from the line.
The last six years of his NBA career the lowest percentage he shot was .916, in the 1978-79 season Barry’s percentage was an astounding .947. Barry was an advocate of Chamberlain and several other poor shooters adopting his underhand method. Barry is enshrined in the Naismith and College Basketball Hall of Fame.
“The Doctor makes house calls”
Few could “fly” with the ability of Dr. J.; I wanted to check this because I was unsure. The Minutemen of UMass are members of the Atlanta 10 Conference and have been for years. At the time Dr. J. played at UMass the school was in the defunct Yankee Conference. Conference members were Boston University, Villanova and UConn to name a few. I once read Dr. J. had “Chamberlain” type rebounding numbers the two years he was at UMass. I checked Sportsreference.com and sure enough it confirmed what I’d heard. His sophomore year Dr. J., averaged 25.7 ppg while pulling down 20.9 rebounds, in his junior year his scoring went up to 26.9 however he slipped to 19.5 rebounds a game.
Dr. J. was a double-double machine his sophomore and junior year at UMass with a combined total of 26.3 ppg and 20.2 rebounds. Just in case you were questioning why no freshman numbers, at that time-period freshman were ineligible to play varsity football and basketball. The following year after Dr. J. left UMass the NCAA changed amended their rules and begin allowing freshmen to play. It made economic sense schools had freshman teams and varsity teams comprised of sophomores, juniors and seniors.
Best Big Man
A few weeks ago former NBA player and current NBA TV analyst provided us his list of the top five Big Men. Just in case you didn’t read it or forgot this is Scott’s list.
1. Kareem Abdul Jabbar
2. Bill Russell
3. Shaquille O’Neal
4. Wilt Chamberlain
5. Hakeem Olajuwon
I gave you an opportunity to compile your list, after consideration my list is below. Unlike Scott I took mine one step further by providing you the “why” of my list.
1. Kareem Abdul Jabbar - All time leading NBA scorer
2. Bill Russell - The key to multiple NBA Championships
3. Wilt Chamberlain - So dominate the lane had to be widen
4. Shaquille O’Neal - Can you say POWER game
5. Hakeem Olajuwon - Dream Shake, soccer moves on the court
After I completed my list I checked the internet, those below missed the cut in addition they are not placed in any order.
1. Moses Malone
2. David Robinson
3. Patrick Ewing
4. George Mikan
5. Bill Walton
6. Nate Thurmond
7. Artis Gilmore
8. Bob Lanier
9. Walt Bellamy
10. Dave Cowens
