by KoufaxSpahn
The NBA, and basketball in general, is still a relatively young sport. The NBA has only been around for a little over 60 years, and is always evolving with each passing generation. The 12 players below have impacted the game in ways you can't just find by looking up statistics. It goes beyond that. They were true inovators who left the game better off than when they entered it. For some, their work is not done yet. Here are those 12 players.
George Mikan – At close to 6’10”, Mikan towered over
most in his days. However, he also possessed great
athleticism for his size, which allowed him to dominate
the game like no one before had. He is the main reason
why the lane had to be widened, and began the trend
of building a team around a big man. To this day, that is
still the key to success as a team. Few NBA
championships have been won without a strong center.
Bill Russell – The term defense wins
championships in undoubtedly true, although
perhaps a tad cliché. The way Russell
revolutionized the defensive game though,
few can argue with the strategy. Being the
catalyst of 11 championships in 13 seasons,
he mostly dominated games as the final line
of defense near the rim. No block statistics
were kept during his days, let alone shots
altered, but he was more than that. It was the
way he turned defense into the best offense, often leading fast breaks with his defense instead of seeing how many rows he could swat the ball. Coaching strategy adapted to the Celtics' ideas, and they made GMs everywhere search for the next great big man defender.
Wilt Chamberlain – Video games were not invented until well after Chamberlain
retired from the NBA, but gamers now would still struggle to put up the numbers
Chamberlain did. The Big Dipper became one of the first virtually unstoppable
offensive forces, overpowering every player in his site. Even going against his
rival Russell, Chamberlain still got his. Being his size and athletic put him
decades before his time, and forced the league to catch up or pay the price.
Connie Hawkins – Before Dr. J, David Thompson or Michael Jordan, Hawkins
brought the high-flying game with a playground twist to the mainstream. After
growing up around New York City and being a Rucker Park legend, he went to
Iowa to start his college career. A point shaving scandal, in which most question
if he was actually involved in, got him thrown out of college and banned from the
NBA. After years of fighting the ruling, he joined the upstart ABA, before playing
a few years in the NBA. Despite not getting to play some of his prime years at the
highest level, the influx on NBA players from the streets of New York City point to
Hawkins as the player who showed he could take the act to the pros.
Spencer Haywood – Challenging the system is always a gamble, but for
Haywood, it was something he felt like he had to do. He felt he had the right to
play professional basketball without putting in all four years in college, so he
challenged the system. The result? Added pro seasons for just about every
NBA star in the past decade. He also later paved the way for those wanting to j
jump straight from high school to a professional league.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – Back when Abdul-Jabbar was Alcindor, he
dominated the college game like no other before him. Dunking was banned
to try and level the playing field, so he developed one of the deadliest shots
of all time: the sky hook. That shot became his signature move, but he was
so much more than that. He was really the first national recruit who everyone
knew about even in high school. Once he got to the NBA, his way of adapting
his game accordingly allowed him to play one of the longest careers in the
league’s history. He might not have been as great as Russell on defense or
Chamberlain on offense, but he was a hybrid of the two who was a force for
two decades.
Magic Johnson – Bill Russell and Dave Cowens were the two prominent
centers for the most successful team in the NBA before Magic entered the
league. So, when this point guard came into the NBA with the same size as
them, everyone knew this guy had the potential to change the league forever.
He never disappointed, being the first player who could literally play all five
positions. He’s still arguably had the best court vision ever for a player, and
was the catalyst of the Showtime Lakers.
Larry Bird – Much like Magic, the two of them really could go together. Arriving
in 1979, together they saved the NBA from fading into obscurity. Bird never
possessed the athletic ability of the elite players, but his basketball sense made
him one of the best players to ever play the game. His shooting skills took off
with the recently added 3-point line, and his love for the game brought fans back
to the game they were ready to abandon.
Michael Jordan – Out of the more obvious selections on this list, Jordan
barely needs an introduction. However, you can’t gloss over all his Airness
did for the game. Perhaps the best testament to how much he meant to
the game: more than a decade after his final shot as a Chicago Bull,
Jordan is still one of the first people thought of when the NBA is
mentioned. The void he left right after retirement hurt the NBA more than
any other great. He became the NBA’s first global superstar, marketed
everywhere by the likes of Nike and Gatorade. On the court, he is arguably
the best player to ever lace them up. He also showed his ability to adapt
his game from high-flying in his early years to developing a turnaround
jumper. His great defensive play was icing on the cake.
Dražen Petrović – Since basketball became an Olympic sport, Americans
were never truly challenged. Sure, NBA began to gain interest each year
overseas, and the former Soviet Union could put some decent teams
together, but actually play in the NBA? Get real. Although not the first,
Petrović was a rising NBA star before tragedy hit and he passed away in a
car accident. The impact of the Croatian directly impacted those European
stars in the NBA now growing up (Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, Tony Parker,
Peja Stojakovic to name only a few). He never was able to see just how
much the NBA could change in a generation, but you have to imagine this
was exactly the vision he had.
Kevin Garnett – It was the mid-1990s, and Michael Jordan was just making
his first comeback. The Minnesota Timberwolves took a gamble on the first
guy to come straight out of high school in twenty years. If Garnett had been a
bust, the idea would have most likely been dismissed and high schoolers
wouldn’t opt for prom-to-pros. After a slight learning curve, Garnett became
the cornerstone of the Timberwolves. His impact does not start and end with
his high school jump. At 6’11” (or 6’12” as he has said before), he refused to
be relegated to the block. His versatility instantly caused mismatches on
offense, and gave him advantages of defense. To play in the NBA now, you
must have some range to go along with your height.
Yao Ming – Just as Dražen Petrović paved the way for Europeans to have
success in the NBA, Yao is arguably the most influential player in the NBA
today. What he has done on the court is only a fraction of what he has done for
the game. China in general has more than a billion people, and when you start
counting up other Asian countries, a whole new world has someone who looks
like them playing the game they love. Also like Petrović, perhaps we won’t see
the full affects of Yao for another 10-15 years, when those kids who grew up
watching Houston Rockets games at odd hours have the confidence in
knowing that they too CAN play in the NBA.
Second team (to add for discussion/debate): Bob Cousy, Allen Iverson, Julius Erving, Ken Sailors, Elgin Baylor, Shaquille O'Neal, Earl Monroe, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Bob Pettit, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Lebron James
Original here
The NBA, and basketball in general, is still a relatively young sport. The NBA has only been around for a little over 60 years, and is always evolving with each passing generation. The 12 players below have impacted the game in ways you can't just find by looking up statistics. It goes beyond that. They were true inovators who left the game better off than when they entered it. For some, their work is not done yet. Here are those 12 players.
George Mikan – At close to 6’10”, Mikan towered overmost in his days. However, he also possessed great
athleticism for his size, which allowed him to dominate
the game like no one before had. He is the main reason
why the lane had to be widened, and began the trend
of building a team around a big man. To this day, that is
still the key to success as a team. Few NBA
championships have been won without a strong center.
Bill Russell – The term defense winschampionships in undoubtedly true, although
perhaps a tad cliché. The way Russell
revolutionized the defensive game though,
few can argue with the strategy. Being the
catalyst of 11 championships in 13 seasons,
he mostly dominated games as the final line
of defense near the rim. No block statistics
were kept during his days, let alone shots
altered, but he was more than that. It was the
way he turned defense into the best offense, often leading fast breaks with his defense instead of seeing how many rows he could swat the ball. Coaching strategy adapted to the Celtics' ideas, and they made GMs everywhere search for the next great big man defender.
Wilt Chamberlain – Video games were not invented until well after Chamberlain retired from the NBA, but gamers now would still struggle to put up the numbers
Chamberlain did. The Big Dipper became one of the first virtually unstoppable
offensive forces, overpowering every player in his site. Even going against his
rival Russell, Chamberlain still got his. Being his size and athletic put him
decades before his time, and forced the league to catch up or pay the price.
Connie Hawkins – Before Dr. J, David Thompson or Michael Jordan, Hawkins brought the high-flying game with a playground twist to the mainstream. After
growing up around New York City and being a Rucker Park legend, he went to
Iowa to start his college career. A point shaving scandal, in which most question
if he was actually involved in, got him thrown out of college and banned from the
NBA. After years of fighting the ruling, he joined the upstart ABA, before playing
a few years in the NBA. Despite not getting to play some of his prime years at the
highest level, the influx on NBA players from the streets of New York City point to
Hawkins as the player who showed he could take the act to the pros.
Spencer Haywood – Challenging the system is always a gamble, but for
Haywood, it was something he felt like he had to do. He felt he had the right to
play professional basketball without putting in all four years in college, so he
challenged the system. The result? Added pro seasons for just about every
NBA star in the past decade. He also later paved the way for those wanting to j
jump straight from high school to a professional league.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – Back when Abdul-Jabbar was Alcindor, he dominated the college game like no other before him. Dunking was banned
to try and level the playing field, so he developed one of the deadliest shots
of all time: the sky hook. That shot became his signature move, but he was
so much more than that. He was really the first national recruit who everyone
knew about even in high school. Once he got to the NBA, his way of adapting
his game accordingly allowed him to play one of the longest careers in the
league’s history. He might not have been as great as Russell on defense or
Chamberlain on offense, but he was a hybrid of the two who was a force for
two decades.
Magic Johnson – Bill Russell and Dave Cowens were the two prominent
centers for the most successful team in the NBA before Magic entered the
league. So, when this point guard came into the NBA with the same size as
them, everyone knew this guy had the potential to change the league forever.
He never disappointed, being the first player who could literally play all five
positions. He’s still arguably had the best court vision ever for a player, and
was the catalyst of the Showtime Lakers.
Larry Bird – Much like Magic, the two of them really could go together. Arriving
in 1979, together they saved the NBA from fading into obscurity. Bird never
possessed the athletic ability of the elite players, but his basketball sense made
him one of the best players to ever play the game. His shooting skills took off
with the recently added 3-point line, and his love for the game brought fans back
to the game they were ready to abandon.
Michael Jordan – Out of the more obvious selections on this list, Jordanbarely needs an introduction. However, you can’t gloss over all his Airness
did for the game. Perhaps the best testament to how much he meant to
the game: more than a decade after his final shot as a Chicago Bull,
Jordan is still one of the first people thought of when the NBA is
mentioned. The void he left right after retirement hurt the NBA more than
any other great. He became the NBA’s first global superstar, marketed
everywhere by the likes of Nike and Gatorade. On the court, he is arguably
the best player to ever lace them up. He also showed his ability to adapt
his game from high-flying in his early years to developing a turnaround
jumper. His great defensive play was icing on the cake.
Dražen Petrović – Since basketball became an Olympic sport, Americanswere never truly challenged. Sure, NBA began to gain interest each year
overseas, and the former Soviet Union could put some decent teams
together, but actually play in the NBA? Get real. Although not the first,
Petrović was a rising NBA star before tragedy hit and he passed away in a
car accident. The impact of the Croatian directly impacted those European
stars in the NBA now growing up (Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, Tony Parker,
Peja Stojakovic to name only a few). He never was able to see just how
much the NBA could change in a generation, but you have to imagine this
was exactly the vision he had.
Kevin Garnett – It was the mid-1990s, and Michael Jordan was just makinghis first comeback. The Minnesota Timberwolves took a gamble on the first
guy to come straight out of high school in twenty years. If Garnett had been a
bust, the idea would have most likely been dismissed and high schoolers
wouldn’t opt for prom-to-pros. After a slight learning curve, Garnett became
the cornerstone of the Timberwolves. His impact does not start and end with
his high school jump. At 6’11” (or 6’12” as he has said before), he refused to
be relegated to the block. His versatility instantly caused mismatches on
offense, and gave him advantages of defense. To play in the NBA now, you
must have some range to go along with your height.
Yao Ming – Just as Dražen Petrović paved the way for Europeans to havesuccess in the NBA, Yao is arguably the most influential player in the NBA
today. What he has done on the court is only a fraction of what he has done for
the game. China in general has more than a billion people, and when you start
counting up other Asian countries, a whole new world has someone who looks
like them playing the game they love. Also like Petrović, perhaps we won’t see
the full affects of Yao for another 10-15 years, when those kids who grew up
watching Houston Rockets games at odd hours have the confidence in
knowing that they too CAN play in the NBA.
Second team (to add for discussion/debate): Bob Cousy, Allen Iverson, Julius Erving, Ken Sailors, Elgin Baylor, Shaquille O'Neal, Earl Monroe, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Bob Pettit, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Lebron James
Original here
No comments:
Post a Comment