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NBA Thread
Jun 22, 2021 10:09:17 GMT -5
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Post by pippsheadache on Jun 22, 2021 10:09:17 GMT -5
Chi, Doc Rivers started backtracking this afternoon on Simmons after saying earlier that he "didn't know" what his future as point guard would be. Maybe the Sixers just don't want to drive down his trade value, or maybe they feel they've invested so much in him that they will sink or swim with him. How did you become a Sixers fan? I know Pittsburgh didn't have an NBA team. Was it Dr. J who brought you into the fold? Those 76er teams with Malone, Cheeks, Dr. J, Andrew Toney, McGinnis, Dawkins, and Bobby Jones were tough and talented. Unfortunately, Boston had a guy named Bird, who kept them out of the finals time and time again. Bird came to a last place Celtics team that had won 29 games the year before he got there and won 61 games his rookie year. That was before McHale and Parrish or Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge. Essentially the same team as the year before…except for Larry Bird. Spot on with the Bird impact. He was playing with once-great but end of the trail teammates like Dave Cowens and Don Chaney and Pete Maravich and with veteran pluggers like Chris Ford and M.L. Carr and Rick Robey and Gerald Henderson playing significant minutes. Only Cedric Maxwell and a slightly dog-eared Tiny Archibald brought much to the table. Bird carried that team maybe more than anyone ever carried a championship team considering the supporting cast. There was no Pippen equivalent. And accomplished under the baleful eye of Bill Fitch, who doesn't make anybody's list of 100 greatest NBA coaches. Getting Bird was one of Red Auerbach's great sleight of hand moves, using some draft chicanery that became illegal later. Then essentially getting Robert Parrish and Kevin McHale from Golden State for Joe Barry Carroll was grand larceny. Trade for Dennis Johnson-- who Bird so highly esteemed-- and draft Danny Ainge (and get him to give up MLB) and voila! Auerbach was an absolute basketball genius. He almost pulled it off again by finagling to get Len Bias, but we know how that turned out. He was going to be the next foundational dynastic figure. Man I loved the NBA back then. I'm always up for hoops nostalgia. |
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Post by rizzuto on Jun 22, 2021 13:14:47 GMT -5
Those 76er teams with Malone, Cheeks, Dr. J, Andrew Toney, McGinnis, Dawkins, and Bobby Jones were tough and talented. Unfortunately, Boston had a guy named Bird, who kept them out of the finals time and time again. Bird came to a last place Celtics team that had won 29 games the year before he got there and won 61 games his rookie year. That was before McHale and Parrish or Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge. Essentially the same team as the year before…except for Larry Bird. Spot on with the Bird impact. He was playing with once-great but end of the trail teammates like Dave Cowens and Don Chaney and Pete Maravich and with veteran pluggers like Chris Ford and M.L. Carr and Rick Robey and Gerald Henderson playing significant minutes. Only Cedric Maxwell and a slightly dog-eared Tiny Archibald brought much to the table. Bird carried that team maybe more than anyone ever carried a championship team considering the supporting cast. There was no Pippen equivalent. And accomplished under the baleful eye of Bill Fitch, who doesn't make anybody's list of 100 greatest NBA coaches. Getting Bird was one of Red Auerbach's great sleight of hand moves, using some draft chicanery that became illegal later. Then essentially getting Robert Parrish and Kevin McHale from Golden State for Joe Barry Carroll was grand larceny. Trade for Dennis Johnson-- who Bird so highly esteemed-- and draft Danny Ainge (and get him to give up MLB) and voila! Auerbach was an absolute basketball genius. He almost pulled it off again by finagling to get Len Bias, but we know how that turned out. He was going to be the next foundational dynastic figure. Man I loved the NBA back then. I'm always up for hoops nostalgia. The deaths of Len Bias and Reggie Lewis devastated the Celtics, especially following the retirements of Bird, Johnson, and McHale. To have had two long, quick, athletic scorers on the wings who could also defend may have provided another ten years of playoff runs. Reggie Lewis often gave Michael Jordan difficulty because of his length and athleticism, and Bias was even more explosive of a scorer and leaper. |
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Post by rizzuto on Jun 22, 2021 13:18:41 GMT -5
Those 76er teams with Malone, Cheeks, Dr. J, Andrew Toney, McGinnis, Dawkins, and Bobby Jones were tough and talented. Unfortunately, Boston had a guy named Bird, who kept them out of the finals time and time again. Bird came to a last place Celtics team that had won 29 games the year before he got there and won 61 games his rookie year. That was before McHale and Parrish or Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge. Essentially the same team as the year before…except for Larry Bird. Spot on with the Bird impact. He was playing with once-great but end of the trail teammates like Dave Cowens and Don Chaney and Pete Maravich and with veteran pluggers like Chris Ford and M.L. Carr and Rick Robey and Gerald Henderson playing significant minutes. Only Cedric Maxwell and a slightly dog-eared Tiny Archibald brought much to the table. Bird carried that team maybe more than anyone ever carried a championship team considering the supporting cast. There was no Pippen equivalent. And accomplished under the baleful eye of Bill Fitch, who doesn't make anybody's list of 100 greatest NBA coaches. Getting Bird was one of Red Auerbach's great sleight of hand moves, using some draft chicanery that became illegal later. Then essentially getting Robert Parrish and Kevin McHale from Golden State for Joe Barry Carroll was grand larceny. Trade for Dennis Johnson-- who Bird so highly esteemed-- and draft Danny Ainge (and get him to give up MLB) and voila! Auerbach was an absolute basketball genius. He almost pulled it off again by finagling to get Len Bias, but we know how that turned out. He was going to be the next foundational dynastic figure. Man I loved the NBA back then. I'm always up for hoops nostalgia. One of my favorite interviews with Larry Bird. It really shows the humorous and quick-witted side of Bird. |
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Post by pippsheadache on Jun 22, 2021 13:52:04 GMT -5
Great interview, Rizz. Thanks for posting it.
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Post by chiyankee on Jun 22, 2021 18:06:06 GMT -5
Simmon's is a max contract players and about to get really expensive, so the Sixers need to get this figured out. Growing up near Williamsport, the Sixers were the only NBA we could watch regularly (this was the pre-cable days, so there were no games on ESPN or TNT). I helped they were really good, but they just couldn't get past the Celtics until the added Moses Malone and they had that magical 1982 season. They were sill waiting for another title!!! Do you remember those "We owe you one" ads with Julius Erving? When they swept the Lakers to win the championship, the most visibly intoxicated guy at the celebration was seldom-used backup center Mark McNamara. I don't remember the ad, but I remember Mark McNamara and Marc Iavaroni, who was a starter because Bobby Jones came off the bench. Remember the old public address announcer at the Spectrum? Juuuuuuuulius Errrrrrrrrrving!!!!! |
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Post by anthonyd46 on Jun 22, 2021 18:20:47 GMT -5
Still can't believe the Nets didn't even make the conference finals. Durant is going to be looking at that foot on the line for a while. Thought following that up with the team going 1/12 FGS in OT Didn't help anything.
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Post by pippsheadache on Jun 22, 2021 18:21:06 GMT -5
That was Dave Zinkoff on the PA. One of my first interviews. He loved being interviewed. He did a great FREEEE! for World B. Free if you remember him. One of his best was for Garfield Heard, who played for the-then Buffalo Braves before they moved to San Diego and became the Clippers. "Heard of Buffalo."
Good recall on Mark Iavaroni. They also had Clint Richardson coming off the bench. Earl Cureton was on that team too.
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Post by chiyankee on Jun 22, 2021 18:43:17 GMT -5
Still can't believe the Nets didn't even make the conference finals. Durant is going to be looking at that foot on the line for a while. Thought following that up with the team going 1/12 FGS in OT Didn't help anything. Losing to a real good Milwaukee team with Irving hurt and Harden nowhere near 100% is understandable. It's not like they lost to team like the Atlanta Hawks, blowing two huge leads in two of the four loses. |
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Post by rizzuto on Jun 22, 2021 18:45:43 GMT -5
That was Dave Zinkoff on the PA. One of my first interviews. He loved being interviewed. He did a great FREEEE! for World B. Free if you remember him. One of his best was for Garfield Heard, who played for the-then Buffalo Braves before they moved to San Diego and became the Clippers. "Heard of Buffalo." Good recall on Mark Iavaroni. They also had Clint Richardson coming off the bench. Earl Cureton was on that team too. Lloyd Free was one of the best pure shooters in the NBA. |
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Post by chiyankee on Jun 22, 2021 18:45:53 GMT -5
That was Dave Zinkoff on the PA. One of my first interviews. He loved being interviewed. He did a great FREEEE! for World B. Free if you remember him. "Bob Macadoo for two!" was another one. |
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NBA Thread
Jun 22, 2021 18:56:25 GMT -5
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Post by pippsheadache on Jun 22, 2021 18:56:25 GMT -5
That was Dave Zinkoff on the PA. One of my first interviews. He loved being interviewed. He did a great FREEEE! for World B. Free if you remember him. One of his best was for Garfield Heard, who played for the-then Buffalo Braves before they moved to San Diego and became the Clippers. "Heard of Buffalo." Good recall on Mark Iavaroni. They also had Clint Richardson coming off the bench. Earl Cureton was on that team too. Lloyd Free was one of the best pure shooters in the NBA. He had a high floating shot. Fun to watch. Didn't care so much about D. |
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Post by pippsheadache on Jun 22, 2021 19:08:00 GMT -5
That was Dave Zinkoff on the PA. One of my first interviews. He loved being interviewed. He did a great FREEEE! for World B. Free if you remember him. "Bob Macadoo for two!" was another one. "Mix Makes" for Steve Mix. And the trilling of "three for two" when you had three chances to make two foul shots. McAdoo was a great one for Buffalo. They had a promotion at The Spectrum in the early 70s called Buffalo Nickel Night. You got in for bringing in an old buffalo nickel. Big spender, I took my parents, girlfriend and sister to the game for 25 cents. McAdoo and Ernie DiGregorio playing for Buffalo. Trying to recall other names. Caldwell Jones. I think Kevin Kunnert. Garfield Heard. Love this stuff. |
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Post by pippsheadache on Jun 22, 2021 19:19:55 GMT -5
Randy Smith, Bob Kauffman, Matt Guokas and Jim McMillian from Columbia were also on that Buffalo team. Coached by Philly legend Dr. Jack Ramsey.
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Post by rizzuto on Jun 22, 2021 19:33:08 GMT -5
Randy Smith, Bob Kauffman, Matt Guokas and Jim McMillian from Columbia were also on that Buffalo team. Coached by Philly legend Dr. Jack Ramsey. Who would later coach one of the least talented, yet smartest NBA championship teams in the Portland Trailblazers. If only Walton could have stayed healthy, because the next year they were playing some of the best basketball I had ever seen, until his injury. |
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NBA Thread
Jun 22, 2021 19:54:31 GMT -5
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Post by pippsheadache on Jun 22, 2021 19:54:31 GMT -5
Randy Smith, Bob Kauffman, Matt Guokas and Jim McMillian from Columbia were also on that Buffalo team. Coached by Philly legend Dr. Jack Ramsey. Who would later coach one of the least talented, yet smartest NBA championship teams in the Portland Trailblazers. If only Walton could have stayed healthy, because the next year they were playing some of the best basketball I had ever seen, until his injury. I can only imagine what a healthy Bill Walton could have accomplished. At UCLA he was as good as Abdul-Jabbar. Actually better IMO. Dr. Jack was a brilliant coach at St. Joseph's where they punched far above their weight. Disciplined, fundamentally sound basketball. I remember Maurice Lucas, one of Al McGuire's boys at Marquette, as the other standout player on that team. Wally Wonder Walker. The Train, Lionel Hollins. The immortal Dave Twardzik. I guess Geoff Petrie was gone by them. He was from out my way. A heady player. As I suppose you would expect from Pete Carrill at Princeton. That Blazers team isn't much remembered outside of Portland. |
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