He averaged 20+ points, 6+ rebounds, and 6+ assists per game during the decade while guiding the New York Knicks to a pair of championships. But here again, when I played years ago, if you shot a shot outside and hit it, the next time Im going to be up on top of you. One of the most successful franchises in sports history, the Celtics won 11 of 13 National Basketball Association (NBA) championships from 1957 to 1969. In 1975-76, Brewer had his best season as a Cavalier, averaging a. Richardson was a four-time All-Star in the NBA. From there, its just a short jump to comparing players from the past with present stars. For better or worse, basketball fans love to compare different eras of their favorite sport. 1970-71 Kansas Jayhawks Men 's Roster and Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com via Sports Logos.net About logos 1970-71 Kansas Jayhawks Men's Roster and Stats Previous Season Next Season Record: 27-3 (17-0, 1st in Big 8 MBB ) Rank: 4th in the Final AP Poll Coach: Ted Owens More School Info Big 8 Reg Season Champ Mac remains one of the greatest athletes in Buffalo history, though, which is something. Estimated PSA 9 Mint Value: $5,000. One of the most ebullient personalities to ever play in the NBA, Johnsons charm was a major factor in the massive increase in the leagues popularity during the 1980s. Cowens was only 69 at the center position, but he was one of the most prolific rebounders of the era. Sooners' 1970s all-decade team By Joey Helmer Apr 18, 2020 12 NORMAN, Okla. Welcome to the glory years known as the Barry Switzer Era. Famously, he played center in place of the injured Abdul-Jabbar in the title-clinching game six of the 1980 NBA finals as a 20-year-old rookie. The 70s was, as novelist Tom Wolfe once famously wrote, the me decade. You can't just change your wiring on stuff like that. During the 1970 tournament Jairzinho scored in each and every game, finishing with seven goals and a reputation as one of the world's best players. Abdul-Jabbar was dominant in all aspects of the game, but he was particularly unstoppable on offense. The uber-confident Bird had arguably the quickest release of anyone to ever play basketball and hed often let his defender know that the shot was going in soon after it left his hands. He never averaged fewer than 10 rebounds in the seventies, and also never dipped below two blocks per game.Although Hayes was only 69, he played the center position with more ferocity than nearly anyone else in the game, and was known as one of the toughest competitors in the league. [7] The following is the 196970 Academic All-America Men's Basketball Team as selected by CoSIDA: Members of the 1970 Consensus All-America first team. Part of the merger agreement was the settlement of the Oscar Robertson lawsuit, which ended the dreaded reserve clause. These debates boil down to a very simple premise: basketball was different in the past. Next time you put a pair of Nike Cortez or Vans Sk8 High on know the history behind them. At the time, the best basketball players in the world were signed with Adidas and Converse, Nike was creating their first running sneaker, and Vans was makingsneakers tailored specifically for skaters. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. One of two players, along with Stephon Marbury, who couldn't find a way to co-exist with a young Kevin Garnett in Minnesota. Admittedly, Chamberlain played at a time when post players were significantly smaller and basketball wasnt drawing the types of athletic marvels we see today, but the man was so incredibly dominant that he deserves a spot in the top five regardless of context. There were also great centers like Bob McAdoo, Artis Gilmore and Bill Walton. The glory the NBA would enjoy in the '80s and '90s wouldn't be possible without players like Dr. J and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar laying the groundwork for the league in the '70s. Director: Ron Shelton | Stars: Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson, Rosie Perez, Tyra Ferrell Votes: 89,504 | Gross: $76.25M 66 (4) Blu-ray 8. ABA Commissioner George Mikan held a $1 million check he was to give Big Lew. Seller assumes all responsibility for this listing. [1] Curious as to what these terms mean? Black and white basketball hustlers join forces to double their chances of winning money on the street courts and in a basketball tournament. Hayes was responsible for stopping UCLA's amazing college streak when it was Lew Alcindor manning the middle; they went on to play on different coasts most of the time in the pros. 15,159 Sets. Then the American Basketball Association (ABA) came along and celebrated the showmanship of their top stars. (All this said, it's pretty clear that Kobe eclipsed him as the second best Laker guard ever right around 2009 or 2010. Jabbar was from the very beginning of his career being named the 1969-1970 rookie year,Abdul-Jabbar was a 5x MVP, 9x All-Star, 9x All-NBA, and 8x All-Defensive selection in the 1970s with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers; moreover, he averaged 28+ points, 14+ rebounds, and 5+ assists per game and led the Bucks to their first NBA title, winning Finals MVP in the process. Basketball has not escaped the fashion roller-coaster of the past century. reserve clause similar to that which existed in Major League Baseball. Also, his career totals were inflated by the fact that he played roughly 10,000 years in the NBA. We adapted Google's Privacy Guidelines to keep your data safe at all times. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, consult individual encyclopedia entries about the topics. In addition to his unprecedented prowess at putting up points, Chamberlain was also the only person to grab more rebounds per game than Bill Russell (22.9), all while averaging more minutes played per game than any player in league history (45.8). The most notable of his scoring feats came on March 2, 1962, when he put up an astounding 100 points in a game, an NBA record that will likely never be broken. He was voted as an all-star five times in the 1970s. A member of the NBAs 75th Anniversary Team, Elvin Hayes was one of the most recognizable faces of the NBA in the 1970s. It's famously noted that in this era the NBA Finals were on tape delay. The pace of play increased, players were given more freedom, and the talent in the league was at an all-time high. But let's face it: the old-school center has been going out of style for a long, long time, all thanks to the chaos and rebirth in the '70s. . New technology was being used to make better sneakers for running, basketball, and skateboarding. Mel Daniels, drafted by both leagues out of New Mexico, signed with the ABA's Minnesota Muskies (great name, by the way) for $36,000-triple what he was offered to play in the NBA. 17 Reasons why Jordan is greater than Lebron, 16 Reasons why Lebron is greater than Jordan, The 18 greates Coaches in College Football History, The Top 21 Offensive Linemen in NFL History, 19 undeniable Lies in Disney's Remember the Titans. Top 30 Greatest NBA Players Of The 1970s 1. In 1971, the San Francisco Warriors changed cities and names, leaving the Cow Palace. Founded in Boston in 1946 by Walter Brown, the Celtics were charter members of the Basketball Association of America, a . While Kareem put up a whopping 38,387 points during his playing days, I cant look past the fact that he spent a good chunk of his career receiving passes from Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson, the two greatest point guards of all time. The hair, the nickname, the style of carefree, irresponsible play he exhibited: if Dr. J presented what basketball would become, Pistol Pete showed us what basketball could be at its most fun. Background. He was a perennial All-Star, won the scoring title in 1970 and had four All-NBA first team nods in the decade. His only title as a player came in 1972; he darn near led the Lakers to one in 1970, as well. He finished his NBA career in '76 having averaged 20-10. ABC News Live. He won a league title in all but two of his 13 seasons as a member of the Boston Celtics. How to keep your Expected Value bets Positive? All-Decade 1970s All-Stars on NBA 2K23. RUSTON - The Southland Conference, as part of its year-long 50th Anniversary commemoration, has announced its 1970s and 1980s All-Decade Men's Basketball teams which includes 10 former Louisiana Tech greats. This decade served as the start of the second Sooner. The competition between the two leagues became fierce. FLANNERY DISSENTS: No offense to your old man, but Jerry West should be here now and forever. So might Barry, who bounced between the ABA and NBA before leading the Warriors to the '75 title. The Logo retired in 1974, but he did enough in those first five seasons of the decade to warrant inclusion. He really did help continue the legacy of Bob Cousy in some ways, and with Frazier helped set the table for the next generation of bombastic point guards. He was an All-Star every year from 1970-76, and from 1970-75 he was named to both an All-NBA Team and an All-Defensive Team for each season. Most important player ever? Overall, the NBA in the 60's was good, but I find it hard to say it was the best decade of NBA basketball. Free shipping for many products! The one time in his 14-year career that he was not an All-Star was in 1970, a season in which an injured Chamberlain was limited to just 12 regular-season games and yet he still managed to will his team to the NBA finals upon his return. In fact, Hubie Browns Atlanta Hawks attempted just 75 three-pointers all season (making just 13). Whatever.) I put Pistol Pete on the first team over Jerry West primarily because my father raised me to believe Pistol Pete was the most exciting player ever. 12. You had dominating centers, of course, led by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a perennial MVP candidate and a fully dependable superstar in the middle for both Milwaukee and Los Angeles. (Photo on right by: Ronald Martinez/ Getty Images) These days, when basketball players hit the court, there is so much swish-swashing of damn clothing going on, it's hard to focus on anything else. A friend mentioned he'd heard there was a player on the verge of surpassing Pete Maravich's NCAA record 3,667 career points, a mark that's stood since 1970. . Shipping + Taxes Included In Price. David Thompson: Thompson was an incredible scorer whose exploits rivaled those of Gervin and Maravich, and is considered one of MJ's chief inspirations. He also happens to be one of the top five in-game dunkers ever. Hayes was an All-Star every year, 6x All-NBA, 2x All-Defensive, 2x rebounding champion, and NBA champion with the Washington Bullets in 1977-1978. But he was so much more than a dazzling smile. But, well, he played alongside another top-25 talent in Scottie Pippen and was coached by the strategic genius Phil Jackson during his most productive years. David Thompson and Dr. J. During the decade, Gervin was a 6x All-Star and 5x All-NBA/ABA selection which put up 24+ points, 6+ rebounds, and 2+ assists per game, including two straight scoring titles to close out the decade. He averaged 21+ points, 6+ rebounds, and 5+ assists per game in the 1970s, in the process earning nine All-Star selections, making seven All-NBA and All-Defensive teams, and winning two titles. See the rankings as for this Basketball Player Sets set on 3/2/2023 3:23:10 PM. Those two players, more than any others, defined the 1980s in the NBA. Julius Erving 3. Yeah. Clockwise from upper left: Issel, Lanier, Mount and Maravich (not pictured: Murphy). 1970s and the Chicago Bulls. Kevin McHale was part of one of the most historic big threes of all time, which included him, Robert Parish and Larry Bird. Billy Cunningham: The Kangaroo Kid didn't win a title in the '70s (he was a Wilt sidekick on that great '67 team) but he cranked out some great seasons with the Sixers and the Carolina Cougars of the ABA. Tall Tales and Short Shorts: Dr. J, Pistol Pete, and the Birth of the Modern NBA. The Knicks also won two championships and it's this team that stands out as the enduring essence of '70s basketball. He was a menace on the defensive side of the ball, racking up 400 more steals than any other player in the seventies.Like Gervin, he is a member of both the All-Time ABA Team and the NBAs 75th Anniversary Team. Erving was the most outstanding player in ABA history and won the 1976 ABA Dunk contest against David Thompson. In the National Basketball Association he is one of four players to have won eight championships in their playing careers; only teammates Bill Russell and Sam Jones have won more, with 11 and 10 championships respectively. His pro career essentially spanned the entire decade, and he racked up five All-Star bids, two first team All-NBA nods and a scoring title. Please play responsibly. Which NBA player from the 1980's & 1990's helped popularized basketball and turn it into a global game? Like Magic, Jordan and LeBron later on, he melded exciting play and quality in a way that reeled fans in and never let them go. Though the game was still primarily dominated by big men, the seventies saw a number of Hall of Fame wings, as well as exceptional guards. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. Join our linker program. With no further adieu, here are your All-1970s teams. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. Pistol Pete was one of the best scorers of the 70's. He led the NBA in scoring in the 1976-'77 season. LeBron James overtook Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBAs leading scorer in February 2023.]. Overall, he averaged 26.6 points per game for the seventies, the third-most of any player. Dan Issel, Calvin Murphy, Gail Goodrich, Spencer Haywood, Lou Hudson, Paul Silas, Dave Cowens, Bill Walton*, * Bill Walton should have challenged Kareem for decade supremacy but his feet betrayed him at the moment when he was ready to take over. Years with Cavaliers: 1973-1979 Playing a key role for the Cavs for much of the 70's, Brewer was a strong defender and rebounder. The mans desire to be the best is legendary and propelled him to six championships, five MVP awards, All-Star appearances in every full season he played, and the status as possibly the best defender ever. He was amazing, but he had a lot of help, at least more than the last guy on this list. Russell was the ultimate winner in the history of the NBA. You also had the burgeoning troupe of high-flyers with style: guys like Julius Erving, David Thompson and George Gervin. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Sure, we still saw centers like Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Shaq, Tim Duncan and Yao Ming rise and dominate down the road. The easy answer would be to point to a lack of analytics (seriously, how did they survive without WAR, BPM, or VORP?)[1]. Captured consecutive state championships in 1970 and 1971 3-time All State choice Charles Smith - Harding - 1984 1984 McDonald's All American 1 st Team Parade Magazine All American in 1984 Captured state championships in 1983 and 1984 2-time All State honoree Chris Smith - Kolbe Cathedral - 1988 1988 Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year
