You always do what you have to do if you want to win. That is one of the more painful games from my teen years so than you for bringing it up.So many myths have grown up around that game. One of those myths is Magic being the PG. The PG on those Laker teams was actually Norm Nixon. Magic did not hit his full stride as the Lakers PG until Nixon was traded away. Another thing that help the myth is that the broadcast rigidly stuck to the FFCGG designation for both teams and incorrectly designated Magic as the center. Michael Cooper was Kareem's replacement in the starting lineup and a correct designation of the Lakers lineup should have been FF(G/F)GG. On defense Magic guarded Caldwell Jones and Dr. J. who were both forwards. If Magic had played center he would have been matched against Daryl Dawkins and that might not have gone well for Magic who had recently recovered from the flu.
Norm Nixon is not 6'9"
She's ranked #18 by HG, but it's early. That can change.
That might be the understatement of the century right there in bold. The entire city had assumed game 7 would be played. It was indeed Magic's Cheeks, Hollins, and Bobby Jones were superb defenders but not on this day.
While the argument over the GOAT typically revolves around MJ or LeBron, as a lifelong Celtic fan, I always felt Magic was the most difficult player to defend in the history of the NBA. His size, strength and handle allowed him to get to wherever he wanted on the court. His court awareness and passing ability made everyone on his team better.
Interesting ideas about her future coaching staff
However, she has some qualities that she would like to see in a school that she will commit to. One of the key things that she is looking for is "a coach that will let me be me - not a post player because that's not my strong suit; I'm more of a wing. Like my (Alabama Southern) Starz AAU coach lets me play center, point guard, and bring the ball down the court."
She also said that she wants to play for a coach who is "goofy off the court because I like to have fun."
I also have Magic very high on my GOAT ranking and usually lead with this stat whenever an argument breaks out. 5 Time Champion and 4 time runner up. Each of Magic's Finals loses it took a HoF / ALL-TIME player (Isaiah Thomas, Larry Bird, Dr. J, and Michael Jordan) to beat him.
Sounds like she wants to play positionless basketball. A UConn trademark....Interesting ideas about her future coaching staff
However, she has some qualities that she would like to see in a school that she will commit to. One of the key things that she is looking for is "a coach that will let me be me - not a post player because that's not my strong suit; I'm more of a wing. Like my (Alabama Southern) Starz AAU coach lets me play center, point guard, and bring the ball down the court."
She also said that she wants to play for a coach who is "goofy off the court because I like to have fun."
Nothing earth-shattering, but a solid look at Azzi Fudd's upcoming (potentially) senior season of high school:
monumental sports network
www.nbcsports.com
She can beat out Day-Wilson
Nicole Melious is class of 2023, but maybe she will be able to beat out a upper class men.
My bad.
If rings are the "Big" thing, Bill Russell is the GOAT {& a BIG, as we on the BY are always looking for more Bigs! ; )}
The Lakers and Celtics met in the 68/69 season finals. What other final did they meet in, when the Lakers had West, Baylor and Chamberlain on the roster ?
Bill Russell was a great basketball player (most championships) and is probably a better humanitarian. He is not The GOAT of basketball however. Wilt averaged more RPG than Bill (22.9 vs 22.5) and almost twice as many PPG (30.1 vs 15.1). Wilt also has an 80 game season on the books where he averaged 50.4 PPG.
| Player | G | W | L | GS | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | FT | FTA | FT% | TRB | AST | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Russell | 94 | 57 | 37 | 5.9 | 15.9 | .370 | 2.4 | 4.4 | .543 | 22.9 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 14.2 | ||
| Wilt Chamberlain | 94 | 37 | 57 | 12.0 | 24.6 | .488 | 5.9 | 12.0 | .493 | 28.1 | 3.8 | 29.9 |
| Player | G | W | L | GS | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | FT | FTA | FT% | TRB | AST | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Russell | 49 | 29 | 20 | 5.9 | 14.0 | .417 | 3.2 | 5.2 | .609 | 24.7 | 4.9 | 3.9 | 14.9 | ||
| Wilt Chamberlain | 49 | 20 | 29 | 10.0 | 19.6 | .508 | 5.8 | 11.8 | .490 | 28.0 | 4.1 | 2.4 | 25.7 |
I will go with the wins over stats every time. In college, I was recruited to play back-up center on a team that ended up winning the intra-murals for basketball, not for my offensive skills. I would make my five fouls count, and wear out the center who would typically be 5 - 7 inches taller, so our 6' 8" center could use his serious offensive skills against the now more gravitationally-challenged opposing center. Therefore, I like the personal fouls per game 'advantage' of Bill Russell (and the wins). Thanks for the post, VC!
Point taken. I'll try to get us back on track. I have a new crush which is really an old crush. CD visited her in Florida at the conclusion of her Freshman year before USA basketball trials. She made the U16 team, was spectacular in the tryouts but didn't show much in the games. Love the defensive intensity with which she plays. A very complete offensive and defensive tool kit, a great motor, and a "college ready frame" that would allow her to play inside and the skills to play on the perimeter.
