My All-Time Favorite
Basketball Players
It's the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament tonight and I was watching my newest "favorite" player, Jimmer Fredette of BYU. He's an old-fashioned gunner (long-range shooter) and I can relate to that. Here are my other favorite basketball players of all time.
1. Pete Maravich, LSU, NBA: He was just so amazing on the court and with the ball. The shots, the passes and the pizzazz.
2. Jon McGlocklin, Milwaukee Bucks: My original favorite gunner, he was a star for the Bucks when I was just becoming a teen. Interestingly, they spelled his first name wrong in the card above.
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bucks and L.A. Lakers: From the same era and longer, the big sky-hooking center from UCLA (Lew Alcindor then) was dominating and fun to watch.
4. Jerry West, Lakers: I didn't realize until I started this list how the players from my youth would be the top 3. But this guard
was one of the greatest shooters ever.
5. Larry Bird, Boston Celtics: How could a guy who looked like Bird play so well? Somehow he made that unathletic body
do some amazing things.
6. Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls: Probably the best ever,
if you count overall talent and titles.
7. Bill Russell, Boston Celtics: Maybe better than Jordan,
again counting talent and titles.
8. Magic Johnson, L.A. Lakers: Another wizard on the court,
his battles against Bird are unforgettable.
9. John Stockton, Utah Jazz: He gave all of us little white guys inspiration. Man he could pass it.
10. Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns: Ditto to No. 9, he's so good,
he became an MVP.
You've left off my favorite Buck, Dick "The Cement Mixer" Cunningham. And, let's remember hustling Gregg Smith.
ReplyDeleteGotta add a few other names. Bob Cousy, John Halicek, Dave Debusschere, Curt Ramblis...oops, too many white guys...Happy Hairston, Wes Unseld, Bob Dandridge, and Dave Bing. And many more.
did you know that Johnson and Bird recently wrote a book together? "When the Games Was Ours."
ReplyDeleteThat would be a good book, I'll bet. And Dave Bing just missed making my Top 10. He was very good. Remember Hal Greer? I believe he did a jump shot for his free throws.
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