Who were your childhood bball heroes?

[Huskybass]

Wilt, Walt Frazier and Elvin Hayes.

Got to play against Earl Kelley and John Bagley.

 

[jdb50]

Willis Reed and Clyde Frazier. Had big posters in my room. Listened to the games on my transistor radio in my room with lights out as was supposed to be sleeping.

 

[Rich]

Charles Oakley
Xavier McDaniel
Jordan
Shawn Kemp
John Starks
Anthony Mason

 

[Zissou]

 

[uconnbill]

Jo Jo White with John Havlicek with the Celtics. Then of course Larry Bird.

UConn it was Tony Hansen and then Corny Thompson

 

[SoFloDawg]

I’m from a Knick family. Bernard King was my guy.
I crossed enemy lines and loved Bird. My dad dabbled in acting and landed a 7Up commercial playing a ref. It was filmed in the Hartford Civic Center. Maybe 81-82? 70 takes for The Legend to smile and say “feeling up” my dad got to shoot around with Larry for hours. He was down to earth and funny and I still have the autograph he signed for me.

Edit - it was 1979

 

[CTHSHoops]

Yes. Havlicek, Lucas and 1 more

Siegfried and some guy named Knight.

 

[James]

Isiah Thomas and Olajuwon. Obviously was a huge ray and RIP fan when they got the league but I was older

 

[Jaydumo20]

Isiah Thomas and Olajuwon. Obviously was a huge ray and RIP fan when they got the league but I was older

Zeke is my all time fave. I was a huge pistons fan and Isiah is my confirmation name because of it (the biblical spelling)

But I grew up in Greenwich so the Knicks were all I saw. My friends all had the same faves: X, Oakley, Starks, Trent Tucker but i have a question for @Rich
Looking back, were these guys not as good as we thought? They didn't suck but I have the feeling that we made way too much of them. Except Ewing that is

 

[Fore!]

Bill Russell, Sam Jones, John Havlicek for professional players; Pete Maravich, Calvin Murphy, and of course our own, the Poughkeepsie Popper, Wes Bialosuknia.

 

[UConniki]

Wilt the stilt of course. He allegedly procreated with over a million volunteers during his time on Earth. Hes my hero, plus he was pretty good at basketball.

 

[CONN78SEJ]

Sixers of the early 80's were my NBA team.

Dr. J- Obviously
Bobby Jones- Secretary of Defense
Andrew Toney- Boston Strangler

Eventually I started liking the power forwards who would bang, score a bit and rebound- Buck Williams, Dale Davis, Otis Thorpe, Charles Oakley type players.

Hated the Celtics but knew Bird and McHale were special.

Dominique, I think it was Brooks, but whatever he wore, that was my first real pair of basketball sneakers.

Loved Phi Slamma Jamma in college so followed Drexler and Olajuwon in the NBA. Also loved the UNLV teams with LJ and Sticks Augmon.

For UConn my memories really start with Corny, Al Frederick, Ray Brockton and Norman Bailey.

If you want to start a thread on players who could’ve been great but didn’t pan out for whatever reason, Norman Bailey has to be discussed.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Bird, McHale, Parish in the pros.
Earl Kelley in college and high school (I went to Wilbur Cross when Earl was there... back when high school teams were good. Three state championships, Cross's upset of Patrick Ewing's team at Cambridge Rindge and Latin. High school gym full of fans and scouts. Big East Rookie of the Year. Good times)

When was that clash ? I got to UConn in 83 for Earl’s soph season.
Did Earl beat Ewing as a Sr in high school and Ewing a junior?
Sitting in front rows on baseline in field house and watching Earl cook was the best.

 

[shizzle787]

Kobe, Robert Horry, Derek Fisher, and Anderson Varejao.

Rashad Andersen was probably my favorite Husky.

 

[Hunt for 7]

Willis Reed and Clyde Frazier. Had big posters in my room. Listened to the games on my transistor radio in my room with lights out as was supposed to be sleeping.

Channel 18 on Friday night’s occasionally with a grainy picture. At least if you lived in central CT at the time. I think 18 was out if New Haven. And the reception was better some nights than others. Imagine that rabbit ears and vhf/uhf along with a rotary phone. What will it be like 50 years from today.

 

[jdb50]

Channel 18 on Friday night’s occasionally with a grainy picture. At least if you lived in central CT at the time. I think 18 was out if New Haven. And the reception was better some nights than others. Imagine that rabbit ears and vhf/uhf along with a rotary phone. What will it be like 50 years from today.

The whole family watched the Lakers series in 70. But the opener that year was trying to beat the Baltimore Bullets with Earl the Pearl Monroe, Gus Johnson and Unseld. Knicks won 4-3. That one was on the radio for me.

 

[HCCForever]

Channel 18 on Friday night’s occasionally with a grainy picture. At least if you lived in central CT at the time. I think 18 was out if New Haven. And the reception was better some nights than others. Imagine that rabbit ears and vhf/uhf along with a rotary phone. What will it be like 50 years from today.

Channel 8 was out of New Haven. Channel 18 was out of Hartford and used to be pay TV but was then converted to religious shows like Dr. Gene Scott.

 

[NatiHuskiFan]

Charles Barkley, Stephon Marbury, Ray Allen. Parents could not buy me Barkley shoes but when And1 introduced the Coney Island Classic for Marbury I was all over them. I purchased 5 pairs when they were remade a few years ago and the original is my go to shoe when I go to a Uconn game.

 

[Shenandoah]

Walt "Clyde" Frazier and Earl "The Pearl" Monroe, "Super" John Williamson

 

[J187Money]

Grew up a Bucks fan. So the Moncrief/Buckner/Johnson crew were my favs growing up.

 

[Hagahulk23]

Earl Kelly was my first favorite player. But Chris Smith was my guy. I used to copy his pull ups and low ball handling style. I remember Billy Packer used to always say he was carrying the ball. He was smooth as hell though. I always wished better for him in his Junior and Senior years. He wasn’t really a true point guard though and was forced to be a playmaker more after Tate George left. They really lacked another ball handler in 91-92 besides a Freshman Kevin Ollie in ‘92. He had Scott Burrell playing the 2 a lot next to him his Junior and Senior years. Chris Smith, the CT recruit that turned it all around. Legend.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Late 60s to mid 70s Celts. Howard Porter at Villanova.

 

[Mr. French]

Jordan, Alonzo/LJ w/ the Hornets, Donyell.

Then I shifted up to Ray, Penny, Glen Rice, Iverson, El-Amin. Any smooth 2s and shooters I’m way into. BG too.

Matter of fact, in ‘96 no one touched Ray and MJ for me, but Kerry Kittles was another guy I LOVED.

I’ve had plenty of favorites over the years, but those were most of my OGs.

 

[SellersElbow]

My favorite part of the game is a pass that catches the other team off guard. Is especially sweet when it comes from someone who is not a point guard.

It only took one season for Nadav Henefeld to become a hero for me.

 

[FlippinCrazy!]

1) Ron artest
2) meta world peace