The pictures are all taken from the time to give you a better idea of how the sneakers were worn. In fact, there has been no college basketball player in history as dominant as Pistol Pete. They were drilled at an early age to work the ball into position for a shot close to the basket. What is the Best Decade of Basketball in NBA History? On May 12, 1970, CoSIDA announced the 1970 Academic All-America team. Mel Daniels, drafted by both leagues out of New Mexico, signed with the ABA's Minnesota Muskies (great name, by the way) for $36,000-triple what he was offered to play in the NBA. 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. . 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. My argument was that it was a time of testing new limits, of parity and of transition. And how might retired NBA legends fare in todays game? But here again, when I played years ago, if you shot a shot outside and hit it, the next time Im going to be up on top of you. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Years with Cavaliers: 1973-1979 Playing a key role for the Cavs for much of the 70's, Brewer was a strong defender and rebounder. Before 1976, NBA players were bound to their teams through a reserve clause similar to that which existed in Major League Baseball. He also led the U.S. national basketball team to . All-Decade 1970s All-Stars on NBA 2K23. He led the league in scoring three straight times from 1974-1976, pouring in over 30 points per game in each season. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Michael Gearon, president of the Hawks, said he believes that as many as half the players in the league may use cocaine and as many as 10 percent may use free base. Fast And Free U.S. 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. List of all the NBA and ABA Players Born in 1970 | Basketball-Reference.com We've added Women's stats dating back to 2009-10 on College Basketball Reference!. Sure, we still saw centers like Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Shaq, Tim Duncan and Yao Ming rise and dominate down the road. Though he was a great offensive player, Cowens made his biggest impact on defense, being named to three All-Defensive teams in his career. 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. Elvin Hayes 4. 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. Nevertheless, he was an awesome force who dominated the sport for two decades and perfected the sky hook, one of the most gorgeous shots the game has ever seen. For example, Oscar Robertson was one of the most athletic players of his erajust Google Oscar Robertson splits (Ill wait). 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 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. On defense, he was one of the most feared rim protectors of his time, swatting away every attempt that was thrown up. 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. Just kidding. While the 1970's do not have as many classic silhouettes as the 80's or 90's, there are many sneakers that came out during this time thatwe still wear today. All rights reserved. Atlanta General Manager Stan. With no further adieu, here are your All-1970s teams. One of the most brilliant scorers ever, David Thompson's wing rival in the late '70s and the first great Spur. LeBron James overtook Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBAs leading scorer in February 2023.]. 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. From baggy street clothes to signature form-fitting apparel and back to baggy, basketball uniforms have undergone transition until what has settled today is both comfortable and functional, and invokes a sense of nostalgic pride among players and fans alike. 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. But they seem inconsequential when compared to the off-court changes that took place in the seventies. Next time you put a pair of Nike Cortez or Vans Sk8 High on know the history behind them. He was also a three-time MVP in the ABA during the seventies, capturing a three-peat in the award from 1974-1976. 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. The most notable of his scoring feats came on March 2, 1962, when he put up an astounding 100 points in a game, an NBA record that will likely never be broken. Find out more. Adam Criblez is an Assistant Professor of History at Southeast Missouri State University and the author of the new book Tall Tales and Short Shorts: Dr. J, Pistol Pete, and the Birth of the Modern NBA. You also had the burgeoning troupe of high-flyers with style: guys like Julius Erving, David Thompson and George Gervin. T&Cs apply. Do you have a blog? 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. By decades end, that had jumped to $180,000 ($641,000 today). 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. He absolutely dominated the seventies, leading the NBA in points scored and blocks for the decade, as well as recording the second-most rebounds.Abdul-Jabbar was a force on the offensive end, armed with a skyhook shot that was seemingly unstoppable. Not once. In fact, Hubie Browns Atlanta Hawks attempted just 75 three-pointers all season (making just 13). Gambling Problem? A brutal sucker punch in the OVC tournament stopped the game in its tracks. Oh, the humanity. The three-pointer debuted in the NBA in late 1979, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson dominated the early years of the 1980s, Michael Jordan arrived a few years later and the rest is history. Top 5 Ranked Mens Basketball Players Of All Time, Top 6 Best NBA Power Forwards of All Time, Top 6 Best NBA Shooting Guards of All Time, Top 6 Best NBA Small Forwards of All Time, Top 6 Best Womens Basketball Players Of All Time. It was a time when the great civil rights . 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. The pace of play increased, players were given more freedom, and the talent in the league was at an all-time high. Arguably the greatest college basketball player of all time, Christian Laettner's success didn't translate well to the NBA. Star Power: Now we are on the to 70's. But a decade before kids wanted to Be like Mike, they wanted to operate above the rim like Dr. 1. 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. Abdul-Jabbar also made 19 All-Star teams during his career and was a two-time Finals MVP, recording one of the most legendary and impactful resumes in league history.. It's hard to understand why this is a debate, as great as West was. The '70s were marked by an absence of dynasties. In 1975-76, Brewer had his best season as a Cavalier, averaging a. 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. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 2. Original/Reprint: Original. But in his rookie year, Russell completely changed the franchises course and established the Celtics as the winningest team in the NBA. Top 21 ACC Basketball Players of All Time: Where does Michael Jordan Rank? 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. Packs. Not only does he routinely pull off feats that Ive never before seen, he has consistently evolved his game to fix the relative weak spots he was previously criticized for. 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. It's famously noted that in this era the NBA Finals were on tape delay. Why did NBA players not shoot more three-pointers in the late seventies and early eighties? He is a retired professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association who played small forward (NBA). When Lew Alcindor graduated from UCLA in 1969, both sides negotiated for his services. He wasn't just a pure shooter and scorer. 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. Jordan played college basketball for three seasons under coach Dean Smith with the North Carolina Tar Heels. UK welcomed its first African-American basketball player in Tom Payne, an All-American high-schooler from Louisville . He never averaged fewer than 10 rebounds in the seventies, and also never dipped below two blocks per game.Although Hayes was only 69, he played the center position with more ferocity than nearly anyone else in the game, and was known as one of the toughest competitors in the league. 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. FLANNERY DISSENTS: No offense to your old man, but Jerry West should be here now and forever. Steve Downing (1970-73) - overshadowed by his high school teammate George McGinnis for a long time, Downing came into his own after McGinnis left for riches of professional basketball. Bidding wars almost bankrupted both leagues and soon even marginally talented players made six-figure salaries. UCLAs Lew Alcindor. 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. Dave Cowens 9. In 1970, the average player earned a $35,000 salary (equivalent to around $224,000 today). Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Basketball has not escaped the fashion roller-coaster of the past century. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. Owners hoped this would disincentivize large contracts. Two rival leagues (the NBA and ABA) were . What sneakers do you like from the 70's? 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He was an All-NBA selection every year from 1970-1976, and he also won two championships with the Boston Celtics in the seventies, one in 1974 and again in 1976.. In 1996, he was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. Hayes averaged 23+ points and 14+ rebounds per game during the 1970s, he gets lost in the conversation when people talk about the greatest players in NBA history, but the Big E should always be in that conversation. Top 10 NBA Players of the 1970s - The Grueling Truth Ranking the top 10 players of the 1970s TGT Tips! Director: Ron Shelton | Stars: Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson, Rosie Perez, Tyra Ferrell Votes: 89,504 | Gross: $76.25M 66 (4) Blu-ray 8. Football. At the time, the best basketball players in the world were signed with Adidas and Converse, Nike was creating their first running sneaker, and Vans was makingsneakers tailored specifically for skaters. Or write about sports? The big guy out of Duke looked like the demonic love child of John C. Reilly and Will Ferrell just after Ferrell . 6 of 13. Rick Robey was drafted #3 overall. College basketball conference tournament predictions: Picks for every mens league. 1970-71 Los Angeles Lakers Roster and Stats | Basketball-Reference.com via Sports Logos.net About logos 1970-71 Los Angeles Lakers Roster and Stats Previous Season Next Season Record: 48-34, Finished 1st in NBA Pacific Division Coach: Joe Mullaney (48-34) Executive: Fred Schaus PTS/G: 114.8 (7th of 17) Opp PTS/G: 111.7 (6th of 17) He might belong ahead of Hayes on the first team All-1970s. During the 196162 season, The Big O averaged a triple-double with 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 11.4 assists per game. The Lakers got one championship, while Kareem got two on his own including one with Milwaukee. 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. 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. 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. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. He pulled down 14 rebounds per game from 1970-1980, and any game that he finished without a double-double was a rarity.. Frazier had a flair for style that had been sparsely seen in the league before his debut, but once he arrived, all eyes were glued on him. And, frankly, its sort of fun tweaking all the Chicagoans who are surprisingly defensive about their sporting accomplishments. This brought an even greater influx of stars to the NBA, making for a great new era of basketball. Rick Barry Honorable Mentions FAQ Who are the best basketball players of the '70s of all time? 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. The shirts were fastened like a current-day body suit to keep them from becoming untucked. We forget how damn good Boston was in the '70s because their success then paled to that experienced in the '60s and '80s. Admittedly, Chamberlain played at a time when post players were significantly smaller and basketball wasnt drawing the types of athletic marvels we see today, but the man was so incredibly dominant that he deserves a spot in the top five regardless of context. Jones, George T. Johnson, Andre Drummond and Kawhi Leonard. 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. 1970s and the Chicago Bulls. 1970s Basketball Players Basketball 1970s vs. now. Plus, he was hilarious in Airplane! Sluggers reached 40 home runs a stunning 77 times in the 1990s and 91 times in the 2000s as steroids and smaller ballparks came to dominate the game. He went on to play for Brazil until 1982 before finally calling time on a glittering eighteen-year career in the yellow and green of his home country, retiring as one of the most revered Brazilian . Julius Erving 3. RUSTON - The Southland Conference, as part of its year-long 50th Anniversary commemoration, has announced its 1970s and 1980s All-Decade Men's Basketball teams which includes 10 former Louisiana Tech greats. Walt Frazier 7. 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. 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 Artis Gilmore: The best stiff ever. Nash led the 15th seeded, and lightly regarded, Santa Clara to an improbable upset win over 2 seed Arizona in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. With the Knicks leading the way, this early to mid-70s period was the moment when the NBA was supposed to take hold as the nation's trendiest sport, just as baseball went through one of its periodic downturns. Impressive, right? And while his free throw routine may have looked silly to some, it worked like a charm; Barrys 91.3 percent free throw percentage was the best of anyone in the decade by over seven percentage points. Elvin Hayes Career Highlights THE BIG E! Indeedy. Nash is one of the best, most productive point guards in the league, having won back-to-back season MVP trophies after reaching the age of 30. 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. (LogOut/ (Russell Westbrook's head perks up.) 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. 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. [1] To earn "consensus" status, a player must win honors from a majority of the following teams: the Associated Press, the USBWA, The United Press International and the National Association of Basketball Coaches. After the 1976 ABA-NBA merger, team owners hoped salaries would normalize. The competition between the two leagues became fierce. ABC News Live. As a sophomore, he led the "Flying Clouds" to . After the Converse "Chuck Taylor All Stars" and before Michael "Air" Jordan was the 1970's. Bet with your head, not over it. 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Mostly, players shot three-pointers out of desperation, not as a strategic element. Black and white basketball hustlers join forces to double their chances of winning money on the street courts and in a basketball tournament. The mans desire to be the best is legendary and propelled him to six championships, five MVP awards, All-Star appearances in every full season he played, and the status as possibly the best defender ever. Until others called the 80s and 90s the same. The Warriors, Blazers, Bullets and Sonics all had their moments in the sun. 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. Russell was the ultimate winner in the history of the NBA. Founded in Boston in 1946 by Walter Brown, the Celtics were charter members of the Basketball Association of America, a . Malone entered 1981-82 ready to exact vengeance. Walton was so damn good that it's impossible to imagine a world where he stayed healthy and reached his potential. 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. 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. Do you have a sports website? 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. He won two championships alongside Havlicek in 1974 and 1976, and was also extremely successful as an individual player. 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.