Alright. We have our first NBA discussion, thanks to loyal RFS reader and RFS Chief Basketball Commentator Dan “Chitwood” McGillicuddy. Believe me, if you saw him back in the day… you’d know where the name came from. Many a team got caught watching the paint dry while Dan dropped 35 and 10 (assists) on them.
***Random RFS Trivia*** - The actor that played Jimmy Chitwood in the movie Hoosiers was the only actor in the movie (that portrayed a Hickory High player) that did NOT play college basketball.
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In his submission, Dan writes:
“I would like to throw this out as the “greatest” starting five of all-time (that would actually function as a team is one of the key components):
PG - Earvin “Magic” Johnson
SG - Michael Jordan
SF - Larry Bird
PF - Tim Duncan
C - Bill Russell
I think you have two of the greatest passers (Magic and Bird), the greatest clutch shooters in Bird and MJ, the one-on-one ability of MJ and Duncan, and then the rebounding/blocks/hustle/winning plays of Russell.”
-RFS Chief Basketball Commentator Dan “Chitwood” McGillicuddy
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We’ll get to the argument in a second, but in the interim, enjoy the following video of Magic.
Make sure to notice the following:
-The badass threaded pass to “Big Game” James Worthy (at 1:00)
-”Around the World” (at 1:05)
-The Magic to Michael Cooper “Coop-A-Loop” (at 1:09)
-SICK wraparound (at 1:25)
-Cheesy 80s-style celebration by AC Green and Magic (at 1:47)
The main thing to note is that Magic was doing these things when it was UNTHINKABLE that a 6′8″ guard could/would/should do them. Maybe Steve Nash (or his progenitor John Stockton) have some better highlights, but the thing about Magic is that he broke the ground. I don’t watch much NBA basketball - maybe 20-30 games per year - but I still don’t see threaded passes through traffic like Magic pulled off.
Anyway, my official RFS comment is that there are 2 spots up for debate on Dan’s list (5 years ago there would have been 3).
Five years ago many people would have argued for Karl Malone at PF, but since I hate that whiny foam-front, mesh-back, spandex-wearin’, free-throw-line-mumblin, sonuva… I’ll leave it at that. Tim Duncan is the right choice - for you hoops connisseurs out there, I think you’ll agree that NOBODY has ever used the glass better than Duncan. And I’ll fully admit - since “Chitwood” and I have known each other for many years - that I didn’t expect Duncan to be one of the great ones. Dan saw him at Wake and saw a Hall-of-Famer.
On to the All-Time Team argument:
The two possibly glaring omissions are… Oscar Robertson and Wilt Chamberlain. The Big O and Wilt the Stilt didn’t win many championships, but they changed the game.
Everybody knows that Oscar was the first guy to average a triple-double. Everybody knows that Wilt was the first to average 50 points per game.
But who do you kick off?
MJ is a lock. Magic is a lock. Bird is… a lock (we’ll cover the “if he was black, he’d be just another good player” topic at another time).
That leaves me with Duncan and Russell, both of whom I respect.
Very tough.
So tough that I can only bump one. Here’s my squad:
PG- Magic Johnson
SG - Michael Jordan
SF - Larry Bird
PF - Bill Russell
C - Wilt Chamberlain
A very tough decision, but Wilt changed the game. Head to head, he DESTROYED Russell, and count me in the camp of people that believe a supporting cast IS important.
Wilt never had anybody around him. Big Russ had Hall-Of-Famers.
Furthermore, I think that Russell - while he couldn’t shoot a lick outside - would be an ideal power forward on a team-oriented squad.
And that’s just one man’s opinion. Thanks to Chitwood McGillicuddy for the submission.
And as one final treat, enjoy the video from the guy that just might be my favorite NBA player of all time. At the very least, he’s the captain of my all-time NBA Warrior Team (which we’ll cover at another time).
Even if you don’t watch the entire video, make sure you catch the dunk 37 seconds into the clip. Probably my vote for my favorite dunk ever (yet another topic), but at the very least you gotta love him rearing back and cranking on Bill “Tuuuurrrrrrrrrriiible” Walton. And keep in mind that the Round Mound was only 6′5″.
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5 Responses to “NBA Notebook #1 - Magic Johnson Edition”
Hard to leave Wilt off of any list and great Barkley video via Superstar Video. A suggestion would be an all-time college (based purely on college accomplishment) team. I saw where Centenary lost to UT by 10 (ouch!). I have a feeling UT will lose 4-7 games in a row in conference and that might destroy their confidence for the rest of the season. I can see NIT or no tournament for that team (and I am a big fan of UT sports in general).
All-time college team is an excellent suggestion, and will definitely be attended to.
Assuming my schedule doesn’t change, I really see RFS kicking into high gear in regard to college basketball discussion during March Madness.
I think I might have to disagree about UT losing 4-7 in a row in conference, but only because I think UT is too streaky to let that happen (not because they’re not capable of it).
I think I might also have to disagree on the NIT/no tournament. They’ll make it - it’s part of the game. Bilas and Packer and Nantz have been yammering/sucking on Durant for months. No way the selection committee ignores an audience that size.
The NIT/no tourney was sarcastic but I am practicing my shocking statements for potential future around the horn discussions. I have not seen their schedule but I can see them playing a few tough road games and then either Kansas or aTm at home and losing to them as well. I think my problem is I see their glaring weaknesses against a decent zone defense but you are probably right about the tourney chances since their non-conference schedule is really good and DJ has been playing really well at point lately.
December 29th, 2006 at 11:55 am
PG - Random Person
SG - Michael Jordan
SF - Random Person
PF - Random Person
C - Random Person
I know this is extreme…but I truly believe there will only be one person as dominant as Michael Jordan…ever…in any sport.
December 29th, 2006 at 2:31 pm
…or Kobe or Lebron…or Tiger…or Vince Young. Ok. I’ll stop now.
December 29th, 2006 at 5:40 pm
Hard to leave Wilt off of any list and great Barkley video via Superstar Video. A suggestion would be an all-time college (based purely on college accomplishment) team. I saw where Centenary lost to UT by 10 (ouch!). I have a feeling UT will lose 4-7 games in a row in conference and that might destroy their confidence for the rest of the season. I can see NIT or no tournament for that team (and I am a big fan of UT sports in general).
December 31st, 2006 at 9:56 pm
All-time college team is an excellent suggestion, and will definitely be attended to.
Assuming my schedule doesn’t change, I really see RFS kicking into high gear in regard to college basketball discussion during March Madness.
I think I might have to disagree about UT losing 4-7 in a row in conference, but only because I think UT is too streaky to let that happen (not because they’re not capable of it).
I think I might also have to disagree on the NIT/no tournament. They’ll make it - it’s part of the game. Bilas and Packer and Nantz have been yammering/sucking on Durant for months. No way the selection committee ignores an audience that size.
Chitwood McGillicuddy - are you being sarcastic?
January 1st, 2007 at 9:18 am
The NIT/no tourney was sarcastic but I am practicing my shocking statements for potential future around the horn discussions. I have not seen their schedule but I can see them playing a few tough road games and then either Kansas or aTm at home and losing to them as well. I think my problem is I see their glaring weaknesses against a decent zone defense but you are probably right about the tourney chances since their non-conference schedule is really good and DJ has been playing really well at point lately.