has been obsessively watching sports for nearly three decades and arguing about them with friends for nearly as long. Previous Decade > Next Decade . 12. [This list was originally published in April 2014. The Doctor averaged 26+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 4+ assists per game in the 1970s and was an 8x All-Star and 7x All-ABA/NBA selection. 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. The 6-foot . After the 1976 ABA-NBA merger, team owners hoped salaries would normalize. He racked up three championship rings and 12 All-Star appearances in his injury-shortened 13-year career. The '70s were a time of chaos in pro basketball, but the chaos was caused by the fate of pro basketball being completely up in the air. Though John Havlicek debuted in 1962, he was still very much in his prime when the seventies came around. There was actually a good deal of legal wrangling over the reserve clause, the ABA merger, draft eligibility and What Team Rick Barry Would Be Playing For. 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 The 2021 NBA Draft is less than three weeks away. Abdul-Jabbar was a six-time MVP and six-time NBA champion, cementing his legacy as not just the greatest of the decade but one of the greatest in league history. 1901. Top 13 Cincinnati Reds Starting Pitchers of all time. With one of the coldest nicknames in NBA history, Iceman George Gervin was one of the best scorers in the NBA during the seventies and early eighties. While Im too young to have ever seen him play, his statistics are so mind-blowing that I wish I had a time machine for the express purpose of going back and seeing him in action. eBay item number: 404182195911. The Women's Professional Basketball League was the first attempt to launch a nationwide professional basketball league for women. In fact, there has been no college basketball player in history as dominant as Pistol Pete. In 1975, he led the San Francisco Warriors to an NBA championship, and he was named Finals MVP that year as well. 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. 1986 Boston Celtics - Were they the greatest Team? 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. Understanding the marketability of high-flying, slam-dunking showmen, the NBA copied the dunk contest concept in 1977 (won by Indiana Pacer Dr. Bet with your head, not over it. As Paul Flannery wrote this week, the ABA's mere presence helped push the NBA in a fateful direction toward style, panache and run-and-gun tactics by introducing the three and elevating the dunk to a respectable art form. Vtg 70's AAU USA Basketball Shoes Upside Down Swoosh Logo Travis Size 3.5 Scott. So whether or not you believe the Rolls-Royce Backcourt could defuse the Splash Brothers or that Dr. J could take LeBron to school, theres no denying the league as we know it todayfull of three-pointers, highlight-reel dunks, and multi-millionaire free agentswas born in the 1970s. McAdoo was the 1972-1973 NBA Rookie of the Year; he also won three straight scoring titles mid-decade and averaged 27+ points and 12+ rebounds per game in the 1970s en route to five All-Star Games, two All-NBA selections, and the 1974-1975 MVP. In the first season with a three-point line, Maravich's last season, Pete went 10 for 15 from three-point range. Hondo's back as the star of the post-Russell Celtics. 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. Gervin was famous for his finger roll and seemed to score at will against any opponent the Spurs played against. So, yeah, Magic Johnsonneat guy. National Basketball Association, book | 296 views, 8 likes, 1 loves, 0 comments, 0 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from ABC News Live: "The NBA is the most woke league because the players pushed it to. Call 1-800-522-4700. thegruelingtruth.com is available in the following countries: The bonus offer of was already opened in an additional window. Cowens was only 69 at the center position, but he was one of the most prolific rebounders of the era. Below is All-Decade 1970s All-Stars' 2K full team roster. There was no need to, Robertson later explained, because a layup counted the same as a dunk. When Bill Walton signed a huge contract with the San Diego (later Los Angeles) Clippers in 1979, his former team received two players and a first-round draft pick in return, essentially gutting Waltons new team. Top 9 Most Underrated Running Backs in NFL History, QB Derek Carr to visit Jets on Saturday after leaving Raiders, Top 9 Worst Draft Picks in Bengals History, Super Bowl XIX: Montana and Walsh establish dominance, The 5 Greatest Quarterbacks Who Never Won a Championship, Top 11 Single Game Performances in NCAA Football History, Top 10 College football's greatest true freshman seasons of all time, Top 10 Two Year Runs in College Football History, where do the Georgia Bulldogs rank, NCAA FB Championship TCU vs Georgia: Odds, Tips and Predictions 01/09/23, Georgia vs. TCU National Championship: Preview & Prediction, Michigan Coach Jim Harbaugh facing possible suspension from the NCAA, Figueroa vs. Magsayo:Featherweights Duke it out on Showtime, The night Cassius Clay shook up the world, Boxing Paul vs Fury: Odds, Tips and Predictions 02/26/23, Matias vs. Ponce: Cant Miss Scrap Brings Heat To Chilly Minneapolis. Their mantra was simple: Find the open man. Julius Erving 3. $179.99. 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. Plus, he was hilarious in Airplane! 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. 1. You can't just change your wiring on stuff like that. 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. But in his rookie year, Russell completely changed the franchises course and established the Celtics as the winningest team in the NBA. (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. 1970: 'Mr. Clutch' sinks a must-see 60-footer Jerry West showed he deserved his nickname when he buried a 60-foot, game-tying bomb at the buzzer in Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Knicks.. (Or 20. He played in Boston for the entirety of the '70s, and was the engine that allowed Havlicek, Dave Cowens and company to thrive with two titles. Plus his 30.1 points per game is the NBAs highest career scoring average. 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. One of the most brilliant scorers ever, David Thompson's wing rival in the late '70s and the first great Spur. 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. 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 Celtics had played for 10 seasons before Russell joined the team, never once reaching a championship series in that time. Oh, the humanity. Why take a 30-foot jump shot if making it counted for the same as a two-footer? Star Power: Now we are on the to 70's. 1970s and the Chicago Bulls. Cowens was known for his intensity that could get him in trouble with some fights. 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 A member of the NBAs 75th Anniversary Team, Elvin Hayes was one of the most recognizable faces of the NBA in the 1970s. David Thompson: Thompson was an incredible scorer whose exploits rivaled those of Gervin and Maravich, and is considered one of MJ's chief inspirations. Bob McAdoo was a poster child for seventies basketball. 1986 Boston Celtics - Were they the greatest Team? While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. In 1979, few players specialized as three-point marksmen. These coaches do not understand the game of basketball, as far as Im concerned. 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. 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. He was a 7x All-Star and 6x All-NBA/All-Defensive selection during the 1970s. Indeedy. 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. Moreover, his rivalry with Magic Johnsonwho, spoiler alert, youll see a bit later in this listduring the 1980s launched basketball into an unprecedented level of national popularity that the sport has never fallen from. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. He was integral in helping to popularize the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s, becoming a global cultural icon in the process. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. College basketball conference tournament predictions: Picks for every mens league. LeBron James just does things that shouldnt be humanly possible. Richardson was a four-time All-Star in the NBA. 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. Al Lankford, Lee Averaged a double-double through much of his career with the Generals, scoring more than 20 points per game as a senior.. Overall, they have won 17 NBA titles. Lou Boudreau, Thornton, 1935. Oscar Robertson versus Russell Westbrook? What? Seller assumes all responsibility for this listing. The Top Ranked Basketball Players of the 1970's 1972-73 Missing player: Bob McAdoo The 1971-72 squad fell to Florida State in the Final Four, before defeating Louisville in the now defunct consolation game. 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. Last edited on 18 February 2023, at 16:44, National Association of Basketball Coaches, 196970 NCAA University Division men's basketball season, 2005 NCAA Basketball's Finest - All-Americans, "Awtrey leads All-American Academic unit", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1970_NCAA_Men%27s_Basketball_All-Americans&oldid=1140133496, No second, third or fourth teams (10-man first team), This page was last edited on 18 February 2023, at 16:44. What about Dr. FLANNERY DISSENTS: No offense to your old man, but Jerry West should be here now and forever. But it was in New York, and specifically in the World's Most Famous Arena, where the '70s made their strongest impression. 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. Oh my, yes. 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. But they somehow managed to turn the simple act of making the extra pass into an exercise of communal cool. Basketball. Do you have a sports website? One of two players, along with Stephon Marbury, who couldn't find a way to co-exist with a young Kevin Garnett in Minnesota. He was like living, breathing quicksilver on the court, a physical specimen in ways different from his contemporaries. (LogOut/ In the 10th and 11th round, the Atlanta Hawks drafted Mexican Manuel Raga and Italian Dino Meneghin; both were playing in the Italian league at the time. In 1973, just his third season in the league, he won the MVP award after averaging 20 points and 16 rebounds per game. 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 21 ACC Basketball Players of All Time: Where does Michael Jordan Rank? Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Player/Athlete:. Elvin Hayes 4. Russell Westbrook is being left wide open on offense, and hes still hurting the Clippers. (The latest, and for my money the best, entry in the canon is "When the Garden was Eden" by New York Times columnist Harvey Araton who writes with the benefit of history and perspective on his side.). I included ABA contributions as warranted. Teams: Atlanta Hawks (1970-74), New Orleans/Utah Jazz (1974-80), Boston Celtics (1980 . Spalding created some of the first padded shorts worn by basketball players during this era. If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. Rookie Road may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Hayes was perhaps Kareem's only true rival, even though they didn't run into each other much in the NBA. Notable stars of the decade: Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Bill Russell. A great post scorer, McHale was a huge spark off the Celtics bench, as he is even regarded as one of the best 6th man in all of basketball history. 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. Though Barry had many of his best seasons in the ABA, he also found success on a team scale in the NBA. Black and white basketball hustlers join forces to double their chances of winning money on the street courts and in a basketball tournament. 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. Top 10 NBA Players of the 1970s - The Grueling Truth Ranking the top 10 players of the 1970s TGT Tips! See our ethics statement. In his prime, Duncan, nicknamed The Big Fundamental by no less a nickname authority than Shaquille ONeal, was one of the most sound players of all time. His patented skyhook was unguardable, and he used it to score over 22,000 points during the decade. $44.99. [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. (LogOut/ Kareem was the best pro basketball player of the '70s -- that's more or less beyond debate -- but hoops came out the other side fully enthralled with shooters and high-flyers. In retrospect, it's a minor miracle that we got as much of Walton's career as we did, but what a world it could have been. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Was . Missouri Valley Tournament 2023: Bracket, schedule, scores, teams, and more. They appreciated the game on its merits, and embraced the athletes as individuals and fellow entertainers. If not, you can open it also by clicking the following link: Top 10 Athletes past the age of 40: Where does Tom Brady rank? Absolutely. But they seem inconsequential when compared to the off-court changes that took place in the seventies. It was this transition, from earth-bound giants to brilliant athleticism, that paved the way for the glorious rebirth that was to come. Card Manufacturer: Topps. He can be reached at acriblez@semo.edu and followed on Twitter at@AdamCriblez. 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. Johnsons otherworldly passing set the stage for the Showtime L.A. Lakers teams that captured five championships during his 13 years with the franchise. 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! Oh, and while this has nothing to do with his ranking on this list, its still incredibly awesome and noteworthy that he has successfully fought off HIV for over two decades, helped de-stigmatize AIDS through his high-profile advocacy, and launched a second career as an entrepreneur who opens businesses predominantly in poverty-stricken areas in efforts to spur urban revitalization. The 1970'swas a time when you had a lot of emerging sneaker companies and no one company completely dominating thesneaker market. How to Win While Sports Betting? Pretty much all you can ask for from the best ever, no? The four highest all-time NBA single-season scoring averages all belong to Chamberlainin his first four professional seasons. Because they played in New York at a time when the literary branch of sportswriting was blossoming, there have been numerous magazine pieces, books and even movies about the books dedicated to this particular team. Investors founded the ABA in 1967 as a rival to the more established NBA (then just an eight-team league). Erving then reeled off 11 straight All-Star bids in the NBA after the merger. His only title as a player came in 1972; he darn near led the Lakers to one in 1970, as well. Sure, we still saw centers like Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Shaq, Tim Duncan and Yao Ming rise and dominate down the road. J.. He was an All-Star every year of his career, racking up 16 selections while dominating both leagues. Most important player ever? It's hard to understand why this is a debate, as great as West was. Legendary Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach suggestedperhaps tongue-in-cheekthat if points were added to reward especially deep shots, uncontested layups should only receive a single point. The 1970s NBA. Despite the creation of the National Basketball Players Association in 1954 (the first team sports players union), NBA owners held most of the power in the league until the merger. 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. But ONeal wasnt just pure physicalityhe was surprisingly graceful for such a massive man and he had a deft touch with his close-range jump shots. What hasn't been said about Gervin? Artis Gilmore: The best stiff ever. Football. So might Barry, who bounced between the ABA and NBA before leading the Warriors to the '75 title. reserve clause similar to that which existed in Major League Baseball. 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. His free-throw shooting, on the other hand. Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati: 2,973 points (1957-58 to 1959-60) "The Big O" averaged 35.1, 32.6 and 33.7 points in his three seasons. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for VINTAGE HARD PLASTIC BASKETBALL PLAYER CAKE TOPPER / DECORATION 1970s at the best online prices at eBay! 1970-71 Houston Cougars Men's Roster and Stats Previous Season Next Season Record: 22-7 ( Independent ) Rank: 14th in the Final AP Poll Coach: Guy Lewis More School Info Houston (Men's) School History Roster & Stats Polls, Schedule & Results On this page: Roster Per Game Team and Opponent Stats Per Game Totals Per 40 Minutes Who are the best basketball players of the '70s of all time? Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Rick Barry, a two-time NBA All-Star, made $45,000 in the NBA and jumped leagues for a $75,000 payday. He was named an All-Star every year of the decade that he played, from the 1969-1970 season through the 1977-78 season.Havlicek did retire shortly before the three-point line was introduced to the NBA, but he was still known as one of the best jump shooters in the league. Drake and Bradley are the favorites in the MVC mens basketball conference tournament. Initially, free agency was restricted. 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.. After coming over from the ABA in 1976, Gervin led the NBA in scoring three times during the decade, doing so in consecutive years from 1978-1980. The competition between the two leagues became fierce. What are boosted odds in sports betting strategies? 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. The '70s were not an easy time for basketball, defined as they were by drugs and dissension, as well as the notion that the sport was simply too urban (read: too black) for middle America. The competition between the two leagues became fierce. He pulled down 14 rebounds per game from 1970-1980, and any game that he finished without a double-double was a rarity.. That's worth a lot in my book. Gilmore wasn't the most fluid looking player, but he dominated the paint on both ends in both leagues. Before the seventies, many players spent their summers barnstorming (making a few hundred bucks for a week or two of work) or working a white-collar job selling insurance or cars. Lets pick a winner in every mens college basketball conference tournament. Nicknamed Big Red for his ginger hair, Dave Cowens was the anchor for many great Boston Celtics teams during the seventies. Lew Alcindor's historic run to the NBA Rookie of the Year award was the talk of the 1969-70 season, but it was his sophomore campaign in 1970-71 where the Milwaukee Bucks big man took a transcendent leap towards the Hall of Fame.. With the acquisition of All-Star point guard and future Hall-of-Famer Oscar Robertson, the Bucks . Once there, he would finish with an emphatic dunk, a foolproof strategy that helped ONeal lead the NBA in field-goal percentage 10 times in his career. Hondo led the C's to titles in '74 and '76, was an All-Star every year of the decade until retiring in 1978 and made four straight All-NBA first teams from '71 through '74. We present them here for purely educational purposes. J Erving. He was also a three-time MVP in the ABA during the seventies, capturing a three-peat in the award from 1974-1976. One big on-court change was the three-pointer, arguably the most exciting part of the modern NBA. He worked at both ends. When it all clicked, the Knicks flowed like the deadline poetry that was emanating from the press box. The Golden Eagles (23-6, 15-3 Big East) wrap . 6. Or write about sports? 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. For example, Oscar Robertson was one of the most athletic players of his erajust Google Oscar Robertson splits (Ill wait). 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. But a decade before kids wanted to Be like Mike, they wanted to operate above the rim like Dr. 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%). How Many Championships Does Michael Jordan Have? Impressive, right? or Best Offer . Abdul-Jabbar was a six-time NBA MVP, a 19-time All-Star, a 15-time All-NBA pick, and an 11-time NBA All-Defensive Team member. 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.

Randy Mott Age, Articles OTHER