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. He was voted as an all-star five times in the 1970s. . He debuted in 1972 and proceeded to make an All-Star team seven times during the decade, continuing the great legacy of big men in the NBA.He was named MVP of the 1974-75 season, a year that came in the middle of a dominant run for the Buffalo Braves. Understanding the marketability of high-flying, slam-dunking showmen, the NBA copied the dunk contest concept in 1977 (won by Indiana Pacer Dr. Check this out: http://www.basketball-reference.com/about/bpm.html, Pingback: Review of Tall Tales and Short Shorts | Sport in American History. 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. Vtg 70's AAU USA Basketball Shoes Upside Down Swoosh Logo Travis Size 3.5 Scott. A high scorer and rebounder, the purveyor of the Sky Hook and a thoughtful off-court presence, it's really a shame KAJ isn't more beloved. 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. The league officially adopted the three-point field goal in 1979 and the San Diego Clippers led the NBA that season with 543 three-point attempts (making 32.6%). But now they dont do that. Dunk Darnell Hillman) and the fans love of the dunk only grew, peaking in the eighties with the powerful dunks of Dominique Wilkins and the tongue-wagging exploits of Michael Air Jordan. Lets pick a winner in every mens college basketball conference tournament. From a mall parking lot altercation to a fight with a teenager during a pickup game, these are the allegations Ja Morant is facing. Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org. Do you have a sports website? He pulled down 14 rebounds per game from 1970-1980, and any game that he finished without a double-double was a rarity.. 1901. Why did salaries increase so much during the decade? You had championships in San Francisco, Portland and Seattle, signaling the weakening of the East's stranglehold on basketball dominance, as well as providing evidence that L.A. could be rivaled on the Pacific Coast. or Best Offer . More famously, when the New Orleans Jazz signed aging guard Gail Goodrich away from Los Angeles in 1976, the league awarded the Lakers three first-round draft picks (one of which became Earvin Magic Johnson). 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. For better or worse, basketball fans love to compare different eras of their favorite sport. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 2. He made eight All-Star games in the seventies, only missing out in his rookie year and in 1978-79 when he was injured. Most importantly, he led a very weak team in the New Orleans Jazz. They were no strong national rivalries, no dynasties, no epic G.O.A.T. (All this said, it's pretty clear that Kobe eclipsed him as the second best Laker guard ever right around 2009 or 2010. It was this transition, from earth-bound giants to brilliant athleticism, that paved the way for the glorious rebirth that was to come. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 4:50AM. One big on-court change was the three-pointer, arguably the most exciting part of the modern NBA. On May 12, 1970, CoSIDA announced the 1970 Academic All-America team. Top 21 ACC Basketball Players of All Time: Where does Michael Jordan Rank? Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? (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. He worked at both ends. Curious about the story behind the basketball card, intern Curtis Harris interviewed Jim Barnett, whose pro basketball career began in 1966 with the Boston Celtics.Aside from the outlandish hair and flamboyant jerseys of the players, basketball cards of the 1970s provide a fascinating window into an exciting and chaotic era in the sport's history. Most important player ever? Ja Morants allegations of aggression off the court, explained. And how might retired NBA legends fare in todays game? Facebook Watch. He is one of only five players to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals, all in one season. Earvin Magic Johnson, Jr. Top 10 NBA Players of the 1970s - The Grueling Truth Ranking the top 10 players of the 1970s TGT Tips! Hondo's back as the star of the post-Russell Celtics. 1970s and the Chicago Bulls. Body Size of NBA Basketball Players Body Size in Basketball Fitness testing for basketball Height records, including the tallest and shortest in sports. Starting in 1966, he served as player-coach for the Celtics, becoming the first Black coach in the NBA and the first to win an NBA championship. Free shipping for many products! The 1970 Draft is also known as the first draft where international players who had never played U.S. high school and college basketball were selected. Plus, he was hilarious in Airplane! But they seem inconsequential when compared to the off-court changes that took place in the seventies. The 69 Johnson (making him the NBAs tallest point guard) not only posted the best assists-per-game mark in league history (11.2) but had a tremendous all-around game, as well. The 40th anniversary of the U.S. men's Olympic basketball team and its infamous Cold War gold-medal game again the Soviet Union, up until the last week or so, had been passing rather quietly. He was a key component to the success of the Celtics in the 1970s, helping them win two NBA titles. Its time for BritannicaOK, one editor at Britannicato jump into the perpetually unresolved greatest ever in [insert sport here] fray. The 6-foot . There has never been a more enthralling backcourt than Clyde and the Pearl, and their ingenious styles were balanced by bedrock pros like Bill Bradley, Dave DeBusschere and the Captain, Willis Reed. Indeedy. But a decade before kids wanted to Be like Mike, they wanted to operate above the rim like Dr. The 1970s were a golden age for basketball. Who Is Better: Lebron James Or Wilt Chamberlain? Known as Clyde Frazier, Walt brought the razzle dazzle to Madison Square Garden in the seventies. [This list was originally published in April 2014. . I know I risk getting run out of my beloved Chicago on a rail for daring to suggest His Airness isnt the best player ever but, well, I just dont think he is. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. He led the league in minutes played for the decade, and also grabbed more rebounds than anyone else.He was no slouch when it came to scoring either, recording the second-most points of the decade behind only Abdul-Jabbar.Hayes was a 12-time All-Star, being selected in each of his first twelve years, and was also a six-time All-NBA selection. At their best the Knicks were a hybrid of downtown artistry mixed with old-school values. When it all clicked, the Knicks flowed like the deadline poetry that was emanating from the press box. Unfortunately, Maravich was a consummate showman who was stuck on bad teams throughout the 1970s. In 1973, just his third season in the league, he won the MVP award after averaging 20 points and 16 rebounds per game. Hayes and Wes Unseld led the Bullets to three Finals berths and one title, and Hayes was an All-Star every year of the decade. Overall, he averaged 28.6 points per contest from 1969-70 through 1979-80. He was like living, breathing quicksilver on the court, a physical specimen in ways different from his contemporaries. He is a member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, and an inductee in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. FLANNERY DISSENTS: No offense to your old man, but Jerry West should be here now and forever. My argument was that it was a time of testing new limits, of parity and of transition. The four highest all-time NBA single-season scoring averages all belong to Chamberlainin his first four professional seasons. . Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. While his famously vanilla playing style and quiet demeanor kept him from having a cultural impact similar to the other greats, his four championships, 14 All-Star Games, and two NBA MVP awards are indisputable evidence of his fantastic ability. When it comes to the 1970s, there was no greater basketball player than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.In fact, Abdul-Jabbars game has transcended eras, as he remains one of the greatest players to ever pick up a basketball. I have defended the '70s before, notably in Free Darko Presents: The Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball History. Packs. He might belong ahead of Hayes on the first team All-1970s. J Julius Erving against LeBron James? With no further adieu, here are your All-1970s teams. John Havlicek 6. The other big on-court change during the decade was that NBA players began embracing the slam dunk as a form of artistic expression. Gilmore wasn't the most fluid looking player, but he dominated the paint on both ends in both leagues. 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. The five players represented by LA Tech during the 1980s all played a huge part in the success of these Bulldog teams. He was an All-Star every year of his career, racking up 16 selections while dominating both leagues. Absolutely. 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. He finished his NBA career in '76 having averaged 20-10. Instead, coaches demanded that players only take the shot during late-game rallies to overcome huge deficits, often done in concert with a full-court pressing defense, hoping to create turnovers. The easy answer would be to point to a lack of analytics (seriously, how did they survive without WAR, BPM, or VORP?)[1]. Michael Ray Richardson 8. One of the most brilliant scorers ever, David Thompson's wing rival in the late '70s and the first great Spur. Why did NBA players not shoot more three-pointers in the late seventies and early eighties? Elvin Hayes Career Highlights THE BIG E! Their mantra was simple: Find the open man. 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. Most famous player ever? Parish was able to stick around for so long because of his great talent as a basketball player, making nine All-Star teams during his career as well as winning four NBA championships. 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, The Top 10 Seattle Mariners of all Time, 19 undeniable Lies in Disney's Remember the Titans, If you enjoy hearing from the legends of pro sports, then be sure to tune into The Grueling Truth sports shows, Where the legends speak. 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. 22 episodes 1970-1971 Rudy Clark 22 episodes 1970-1971 Scatman Crothers George 'Meadowlark' Lemon 22 episodes 1970-1971 Robert DoQui Pablo Robertson 22 episodes 1970-1971 Richard Elkins J.C. 'Gip' Gipson 22 episodes 1970-1971 Stu Gilliam Freddie 'Curly' Neal 22 episodes 1970-1971 Meadowlark Lemon 22 episodes 1970-1971 Nancy Wible Mel Daniels, drafted by both leagues out of New Mexico, signed with the ABAs Minnesota Muskies (great name, by the way) for $36,000triple what he was offered to play in the NBA. Top 10 Boxers of the 1990s: Was Roy Jones Jr. the best? If Team A signed a player from Team B, A owed B some combination of players, draft choices, or money in compensation. Wagers only accepted in CO. For full terms and conditions, click here. 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. . He was amazing, but he had a lot of help, at least more than the last guy on this list. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Julius Erving Atlanta General Manager Stan. Sam Teets 2021 NBA mock draft 1.0: Cunningham goes first, Top 50 NBA players under 25 years old in 2021: Doncic bests Young, Ranking the top 70 free agents in the 2021 NBA offseason, Grading every NFL teams picks from the 2021 NFL Draft, Sam Teets two-round 2021 NFL Mock Draft 5.0 with Kyle the Commish, UFC 285: Jon Jones returns, facing Ciryl Gane for heavyweight title, Top 13 Indiana High School Players of all Time, The 6 greatest Indiana Highschool pure Shooters, The 8 greatest IHSAA Championship Games in History. UCLAs Lew Alcindor. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. That's worth a lot in my book. Nicknamed Big Red for his ginger hair, Dave Cowens was the anchor for many great Boston Celtics teams during the seventies. Through the publication of this list, James has averaged a Robertson-esque 27.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.9 steals per game andunlike the Big Ohe was doing so against teams stocked with elite athletes and not players who smoked cigarettes at halftime. Some say the three-time All-Stater and future baseball Hall of Famer was Illinois' first high-school basketball star. They didnt. Most obsessively competitive to the detriment of ever having normal human relations with anybody? Though he was a great offensive player, Cowens made his biggest impact on defense, being named to three All-Defensive teams in his career. Either Bird's Celtics or Magic's Lakers played in every single NBA Finals in the decade and won eight of the 10 titles . McAdoo won an MVP and five All-Star berths in the '70s as a brilliant scorer and rebounder; in that 1975 MVP season he averaged 34 and 15. Until researching my upcoming book, Tall Tales and Short Shorts: Dr. J, Pistol Pete, and the Birth of the Modern NBA, I didnt realize how many of these changes actually occurred during the 1970s, when the NBA arguably entered a modern age. 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. Johnsons otherworldly passing set the stage for the Showtime L.A. Lakers teams that captured five championships during his 13 years with the franchise. 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. How to keep your Expected Value bets Positive? Erving was one of the defining figures of the game during the decade, combining exceptional athleticism and finesse in a style that has remained popular all these years later. $11.45 shipping. And, frankly, its sort of fun tweaking all the Chicagoans who are surprisingly defensive about their sporting accomplishments. As magnificent as earlier players were, they never had to deal with the 24/7 stresses of 21st century media, which James has with aplomb. The Golden Eagles (23-6, 15-3 Big East) wrap . What hasn't been said about Gervin? During his career as a center, Abdul-Jabbar was a record six-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), a record 19-time NBA All-Star, a 15-time All-NBA selection, and an 11-time NBA All-Defensive Team member. His height is 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m), and his weight is 205 lb (93 kg). The 6'9" Johnson (making him the NBA's tallest point guard) not only posted the best assists-per-game mark in league history (11.2) but had a tremendous all-around game, as well. 2. Overall, the NBA in the 60's was good, but I find it hard to say it was the best decade of NBA basketball. The last remaining player from the 1970s in the NBA was Robert Parish. For whatever reason, he kept it in his pocket and Alcindor signed with the Milwaukee Bucks for a $250,000 annual salary. Like it or not, the three-point field goal and the slam dunk have greatly changed the on-court product in the NBA. Jabbar then went on to finish up the decade with the Lakers. T&Cs apply. Overall, he averaged 26.6 points per game for the seventies, the third-most of any player. Pretty much all you can ask for from the best ever, no? The Knicks legend was All-NBA six times, All-Defence six times, a seven-time All-Star and helped New York win its only two NBA titles in 1970 and 1973. When Dr. James Naismith nailed a peach basket to a spot ten feet above the gym floor, he didnt account for dribbling, let alone slam dunks, hyper-athletic seven-footers, or J.R. Smith. Successful Sports Betting Tips. As Araton put it: "When The Captain and Clyde and the rest of the Old Knicks played, when the city and country convulsed with pain, oh what a beautiful game it was.". Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1970-71 Topps Basketball Complete Set - Premier 7.5 - NM+ at the best online prices at eBay! Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. (Russell Westbrook's head perks up.) Check the Blazers in 77-78 when they were 44-9 the year after they won the title, for an example. He led all players in the seventies in scoring and blocks, and he was second in both minutes and rebounds.. Learn more and register, Scores from any date in BAA/NBA or ABA history, Frequently Asked Questions about the NBA, WNBA and Basketball, Basketball-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Basketball: Get your first month FREE. How 1970s NBA pioneers paved the way for today's game George Gervin 10. Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. Note: We wanted guys who brought it for an extended period of time, so the bar was set at 20,000 minutes, the equivalent of 25 minutes per game, 80 games per season for 10 seasons. But they somehow managed to turn the simple act of making the extra pass into an exercise of communal cool. 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. Two rival leagues (the NBA and ABA) were . Product: Set. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Something not often mentioned about West is his excellent defense. 1970s NBA Average Height: 6'6 Average male height: 5'8 Notable stars of the decade: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Julius Erving, Elvin Hayes, John Havlicek 1980s NBA Average Height: 6'6 Average male height: 5'8 Injuries hampered and eventually shortened his career, but Cowbns was a great player winning Rookie of the Year in 1970-1971 and MVP in 1972-1973; he was a 7x All-Star, 2x NBA champion, 3x All-NBA, and 3x All-Defensive during the decade while averaging 18+ points and 14+ rebounds per game. Plus his 30.1 points per game is the NBAs highest career scoring average. debates. College basketball conference tournament predictions: Picks for every mens league. But he was so much more than a dazzling smile. What about Dr. He was more than just a dunker, though, and when he moved on to the Philadelphia 76ers, his play was dominant. There have been some great shooters in the past. Rick Barry Career Highlights UNDERRATED! The pace of play increased, players were given more freedom, and the talent in the league was at an all-time high. $179.99. Parish was drafted in 1976 by the Golden State Warriors and didnt retire until 1997, capping off a 21-year career. Fearing bankruptcy and finally willing to concede to player movement, the summer of 1976 witnessed the first crop of NBA free agents. J Erving. George Gervin: The Ice Man could have been a second-team guard here, but he'll be back on the '80s team thanks to some great work in that decade so I don't feel too bad about elevating West and Tiny. Jo Jo White: It's a bit criminal that Jo Jo is just now being inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Card Manufacturer: Topps. Notable stars of the decade: Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Bill Russell. Gambling problem? college basketball player." . Calvin Murphy San Diego/Houston Rockets 1970-79 Calvin Murphy was a scoring machine at Niagara and San Diego rolled the dice on the 5-foot-9 guard in the second round of the 1970 NBA Draft.. He was never the best player in either league -- Dr. J and Kareem ensured that --.