In 1970, the average player earned a $35,000 salary (equivalent to around $224,000 today). For example, Oscar Robertson was one of the most athletic players of his erajust Google Oscar Robertson splits (Ill wait). There was no need to, Robertson later explained, because a layup counted the same as a dunk. In fact, there has been no college basketball player in history as dominant as Pistol Pete. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Sure Barry was an asshole, but he was also a prolific scorer who averaged 24+ points, 6+ rebounds, and 5+ assists per game during the 1970s across the NBA and ABA; during the decade, he was also a 9x All-Star and 7x All-ABA/NBA selection who took home Finals MVP in 1974-1975 while guiding the Golden State Warriors to the championship. What is the Best Decade of Basketball in NBA History? Its time for BritannicaOK, one editor at Britannicato jump into the perpetually unresolved greatest ever in [insert sport here] fray. All-Decade 1970s All-Stars on NBA 2K23. 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. Oscar Robertson versus Russell Westbrook? Just as the game took a step back in the national consciousness, it survived and even prospered in some quarters, such as the Pacific Northwest. 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. If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. Successful Sports Betting Tips. 2. Two rival leagues (the NBA and ABA) were . Basketball. 1970s and the Chicago Bulls. 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) In 1971, the San Francisco Warriors changed cities and names, leaving the Cow Palace. $44.99. See the rankings as for this Basketball Player Sets set on 3/2/2023 3:23:10 PM. http://www.basketball-reference.com/about/bpm.html, Steph CurryThe Male Machine Gun Molly? Hondo's back as the star of the post-Russell Celtics. Like it or not, the three-point field goal and the slam dunk have greatly changed the on-court product in the NBA. 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. How Many Championships Does Steph Curry Have? The pictures are all taken from the time to give you a better idea of how the sneakers were worn. 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. That's worth a lot in my book. . In 1979, few players specialized as three-point marksmen. This brought an even greater influx of stars to the NBA, making for a great new era of basketball. Rick Barry Career Highlights UNDERRATED! He finished his NBA career in '76 having averaged 20-10. [25] 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. Top 13 Cincinnati Reds Starting Pitchers of all time. He was a key component to the success of the Celtics in the 1970s, helping them win two NBA titles. 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. On NBA 2K23, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is All-Decade 1970s All-Stars' highest rated player, followed by Julius Erving in second place, and Walt Frazier in third. Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. Below is All-Decade 1970s All-Stars' 2K full team roster. Or write about sports? 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? 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. Drake and Bradley are the favorites in the MVC mens basketball conference tournament. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. To woo top-tier college talent and lure elite players to jump leagues, ABA owners offered much higher salaries than their NBA counterparts. LeBron James just does things that shouldnt be humanly possible. 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. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. [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. Fearing bankruptcy and finally willing to concede to player movement, the summer of 1976 witnessed the first crop of NBA free agents. 26,045 Sets. UCLAs Lew Alcindor. Was . For his unbelievable scoring and ball-handling ability, Maravich was a three-time SEC Player of the Year and Consensus First-Team All-American and was the National College Player of the Year in 1969 and 1970. Best 1970s Basketball Players | Top 70s NBA Player List The Best Players in the NBA in 2022 Greatest Players with No Rings The Best Ever Team Owners Tall Players Over 7'2 Best Players from Foreign Countries Short Players Under 5'9 The Best White Guys in the NBA Hall of Fame Candidates Worst Team Owners of All Time Players with Their Numbers Retired 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. Body Size of NBA Basketball Players Body Size in Basketball Fitness testing for basketball Height records, including the tallest and shortest in sports. A member of the NBAs 75th Anniversary Team, Elvin Hayes was one of the most recognizable faces of the NBA in the 1970s. 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. NBA Grizzlies vs Nuggets: Odds, Tips and predictions 03/03/23, Top 11 Big Ten Basketball Teams, since 1960, Top 12 Guards in Big Ten Basketball history, NBA Pacers vs Spurs: Odds, Tips and predictions 03/02/23, NCAA Basketball Purdue vs Wisconsin: Odds, Tips and Predictions 03/02/23, NCAA Basketball Xavier vs Providence: Odds, Tips and Predictions 03/01/23, Top 20 Big Ten Basketball players of all time, The Hypocrisy of Major League Baseball, Gambling, Steroids, and Why it's Time to Put Pete Rose in the Hall. 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. The big guy out of Duke looked like the demonic love child of John C. Reilly and Will Ferrell just after Ferrell . Overall, he averaged 28.6 points per contest from 1969-70 through 1979-80. The pace of play increased, players were given more freedom, and the talent in the league was at an all-time high. The Golden Eagles (23-6, 15-3 Big East) wrap . Which NBA player from the 1980's & 1990's helped popularized basketball and turn it into a global game? I included ABA contributions as warranted. These debates boil down to a very simple premise: basketball was different in the past. 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. Quite possibly. The curation of this content is at the discretion of the author, and not necessarily reflective of the views of Encyclopaedia Britannica or its editorial staff. Battle for the soul of basketball: Meet the All-1970s NBA (and ABA)team, The Clippers Russell Westbrook experiment is off to a terrible start. The Warriors, Blazers, Bullets and Sonics all had their moments in the sun. There have been some great shooters in the past. Who are the best basketball players of the 70s of all time? Sucker punch in OVC tournament leads to 3 ejections. 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.. hydroxyclorquin quineprox kratom chloroquine who produces hydroxychloroquine win, side effects tadalafil tadalafil brands tadalafil tablets 60mg, is tadalafil and cialis the same thing what is tadalafil tadalafil research powder, tadalafil citrate cialis online tadalafil cost walmart. Mac remains one of the greatest athletes in Buffalo history, though, which is something. Kevin McHale was part of one of the most historic big threes of all time, which included him, Robert Parish and Larry Bird. Director: Ron Shelton | Stars: Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson, Rosie Perez, Tyra Ferrell Votes: 89,504 | Gross: $76.25M 66 (4) Blu-ray 8. Overall, the NBA in the 60's was good, but I find it hard to say it was the best decade of NBA basketball. Bidding wars almost bankrupted both leagues and soon even marginally talented players made six-figure salaries. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Could the Rolls-Royce Backcourt of Walt Clyde Frazier and Earl The Pearl Monroe handle the modern-day Golden State Warriors Splash Brothers? But he was so much more than a dazzling smile. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 2. Adam Augustyn is Managing Editor, Reference Content at Encyclopdia Britannica. Check this out: http://www.basketball-reference.com/about/bpm.html, Pingback: Review of Tall Tales and Short Shorts | Sport in American History. Where Timmy would work his way around an opponent in the post with his superb footwork, Shaq would often use his extraordinary bulk (71 and 315 pounds) to bully his way to the basket. 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. The history of basketball uniforms shows more coordination among players between 1920 and 1940 as they began wearing mid-length shorts and jerseys made of wool. Fast And Free U.S. Yes, they played the kind of slow-paced ball that put most fans to sleep by the third quarter, but there was often a thing of pure beauty hidden among the tire-fire of a 7871 final score: Tim Duncans bank shot. 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. Havlicek is widely considered to have been one of the greatest players in the history of the game and was inducted as a. Elvin Ernest Hayes (born November 17, 1945) is an American retired professional basketball player and radio analyst for his alma-mater Houston Cougars. He was voted as an all-star five times in the 1970s. In addition, the decade saw the merging of the ABA and the NBA, the two top leagues of the time. 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. Malone was the league's best player in 1981-82 by nearly every metric. (All this said, it's pretty clear that Kobe eclipsed him as the second best Laker guard ever right around 2009 or 2010. For whatever reason, he kept it in his pocket and Alcindor signed with the Milwaukee Bucks for a $250,000 annual salary. Kareem won five of the 10 MVPs awarded in the '70s, made the All-Star team every year but '78 and only missed All-NBA first team three times in the decade. 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. And how might retired NBA legends fare in todays game? Russell was the ultimate winner in the history of the NBA. John Havlicek 6. Maravich averaged 25+ points, 4+ rebounds, and 5+ assists per game in the 1970s for five All-Star selections, four All-NBA teams, and the 1976-1977 scoring title. Impressive, right? Pretty much all you can ask for from the best ever, no? 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. -- Flannery. You had Earl Monroe and Walt Frazier in the Big Apple, drawing attention and respect to the Mecca of basketball. 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.". Oh my, yes. University of California at Berkeley was given an outdoor basketball court for women by philanthropist Phoebe Hearst. Playing for the Detroit Pistons until he was traded in 1980, Lanier was the heart and soul of his teams and promoted a tough, intense culture. In the first season with a three-point line, Maravich's last season, Pete went 10 for 15 from three-point range. 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. 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. Jordan played college basketball for three seasons under coach Dean Smith with the North Carolina Tar Heels. It was this transition, from earth-bound giants to brilliant athleticism, that paved the way for the glorious rebirth that was to come. The Doctor was the original Dunk king. 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. 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. Copyright 2017-2023 Rookie Road Inc. All rights reserved. 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 made the All-Star Game in four of his first five seasons and in 1974 was named the All-Star Game MVP.Overall, he made seven All-Star teams during the decade, playing as one of the best centers of the era.He averaged over 22 points and 11 rebounds per game for the seventies, and also rejected over two shots per game. It was a time when the great civil rights . They were no strong national rivalries, no dynasties, no epic G.O.A.T. PSA Set Registry. 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. The other big on-court change during the decade was that NBA players began embracing the slam dunk as a form of artistic expression. You still see them at the Garden and no sport has ever had a more dedicated celebrity fan than Jack Nicholson. 9 Noteworthy Bog Bodies (And What They Tell Us), 12 Novels Considered the Greatest Book Ever Written, Inventors and Inventions of the Industrial Revolution, https://www.britannica.com/list/the-10-greatest-basketball-players-of-all-time. 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. College basketball career scoring leaders. The struggles and hard-won glory of pioneers such as Alice Coachman, Althea Gibson, Wilma Rudolph and Lynette Woodard helped pave the way for later generations of sports greats like Jackie. Change). Sneaker Name: Nike Cortez Year: 1972 The Nike Cortez was created by Nike Co-Founder and Oregon Head Track and Field Coach Bill Bowerman. The 1970s saw another national title, a coaching change of epic proportions, and several stars comes through the door. Data Provided By He is a retired professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association who played small forward (NBA). 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.. 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. The Rockets' forward led the league in minutes, rebounds and win shares . He made the All-NBA Second Team in 1974 and was promoted to the First Team the following year.Although he began to struggle with injuries towards the end of the decade, theres still no doubt that McAdoo was one of the most impressive players of his time. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. The 2021 NBA Draft is less than three weeks away. Most famous player ever? How Many Championships Does Kobe Bryant Have? 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. The 6-foot . While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Atlanta General Manager Stan. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. 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. Scored the fifth-most points of the decade, Two-time All-ABA selection and seven-time All-NBA selection, Four-time All-ABA selection and six-time All-NBA selection. But they somehow managed to turn the simple act of making the extra pass into an exercise of communal cool. 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. Founded in Boston in 1946 by Walter Brown, the Celtics were charter members of the Basketball Association of America, a . 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 Top 30 Greatest NBA Players Of The 1970s 1. Unless you agree with me, in which case this was the most meaningful thing Ive ever written. One of the most brilliant scorers ever, David Thompson's wing rival in the late '70s and the first great Spur. Let's take a look at some of the doper sneakers released in the 1970's. The Top 10 Best Basketball Players of the 1970's, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born April 16, 1947) is an American retired professional basketball player who played 20 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers. Gervin was famous for his finger roll and seemed to score at will against any opponent the Spurs played against. . Something not often mentioned about West is his excellent defense. Shipping + Taxes Included In Price. 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. Though Barry had many of his best seasons in the ABA, he also found success on a team scale in the NBA. 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. 44,845 Sets. 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. $11.45 shipping. eBay item number: 404182195911. His ability to rebound as just a 64 guard was tremendous, averaging six boards per game for his 13-year run in the league. 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. J Julius Erving against LeBron James? reserve clause similar to that which existed in Major League Baseball. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. 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's one of the most interesting elite athletes ever, he was fully dominant for a long spell and he kept the Lakers afloat in bridging the West and Magic eras. He was also a three-time MVP in the ABA during the seventies, capturing a three-peat in the award from 1974-1976. His only title as a player came in 1972; he darn near led the Lakers to one in 1970, as well. He averaged 20+ points, 6+ rebounds, and 6+ assists per game during the decade while guiding the New York Knicks to a pair of championships. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, consult individual encyclopedia entries about the topics. David Thompson: Thompson was an incredible scorer whose exploits rivaled those of Gervin and Maravich, and is considered one of MJ's chief inspirations. Elvin Hayes Career Highlights THE BIG E! 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. has been obsessively watching sports for nearly three decades and arguing about them with friends for nearly as long. Who are the best basketball players of the '70s of all time? 6. He was a 7x All-Star and 6x All-NBA/All-Defensive selection during the 1970s. Product: Set. Dr. J isn't just symbolically important as a harbinger of the style that would arrive in the '80s: he was a two-time ABA champion and won the last three MVPs of the ABA. He was an All-Star every year of his career, racking up 16 selections while dominating both leagues. Gervin made 12 All-Star teams between the ABA and NBA, and was an All-League player nine times. At the opposite end of the attractive play spectrum from Duncan is Shaquille ONeal. But he didnt earn his place on this list though some sort of vague, ethereal winningness. Russell was one of the fiercest defenders of all time and he redefined the value of blocking shots, in addition to averaging an incredible 22.5 rebounds per game over his career. 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. There were also great centers like Bob McAdoo, Artis Gilmore and Bill Walton. Oh jeez, this guy. 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. Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. Notice the striped tubed socks and short shorts in almost every picture. Lou Boudreau, Thornton, 1935. Those two players, more than any others, defined the 1980s in the NBA. In fact, Hubie Browns Atlanta Hawks attempted just 75 three-pointers all season (making just 13). He is a member of the All-time ABA Team as well as the NBAs 75th Anniversary Team, and his talent as a pure scorer will be remembered forever. Malone entered 1981-82 ready to exact vengeance. Spalding issued women's basketball rules, edited by Senda Berenson, establishing 3 zones with 5-10 players per team; some teams used men's rules, some used Baer's rules, and some used Spalding's/Berenson's rules. Find out more. Another, less easily explained difference, is that NBA players coming of age in the seventies grew up playing a game in which *every* shot counted for two points. Packs. Boasting five players who averaged. 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. Captured consecutive state championships in 1970 and 1971 3-time All State choice Charles Smith - Harding - 1984 1984 McDonald's All American 1 st Team Parade Magazine All American in 1984 Captured state championships in 1983 and 1984 2-time All State honoree Chris Smith - Kolbe Cathedral - 1988 1988 Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year Courtesy of Flickr. The leading scorer in National Basketball Association (NBA) history is just the 10th-best player ever? He can be reached at acriblez@semo.edu and followed on Twitter at@AdamCriblez. From a mall parking lot altercation to a fight with a teenager during a pickup game, these are the allegations Ja Morant is facing. 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 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. Teams: Atlanta Hawks (1970-74), New Orleans/Utah Jazz (1974-80), Boston Celtics (1980 . 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 never the best player in either league -- Dr. J and Kareem ensured that --. Free shipping for many products! His height is 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m), and his weight is 205 lb (93 kg). Find out what the legends have to say about sports this week. $2000 Risk Free $1000 + $100 in site credits, Must be 21+. 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. College basketball conference tournament predictions: Picks for every mens league. But they seem inconsequential when compared to the off-court changes that took place in the seventies. The '70s were marked by an absence of dynasties. In 1996, he was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. How Many Championships Does Michael Jordan Have? UK welcomed its first African-American basketball player in Tom Payne, an All-American high-schooler from Louisville . What are boosted odds in sports betting strategies? . His impact didnt stop on the offensive end of the court; Havlicek also made eight All-Defensive Teams in his career, epitomizing what it meant to be a two-way player. Ranking Explanations . Before 1976, NBA players were bound to their teams through a reserve clause similar to that which existed in Major League Baseball. One of two players, along with Stephon Marbury, who couldn't find a way to co-exist with a young Kevin Garnett in Minnesota. George Gervin 10. 1986 Boston Celtics - Were they the greatest Team? 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. Investors founded the ABA in 1967 as a rival to the more established NBA (then just an eight-team league). One on One (1977) PG | 98 min | Drama, Sport 6.5 Rate What about Dr. Billy Cunningham: The Kangaroo Kid didn't win a title in the '70s (he was a Wilt sidekick on that great '67 team) but he cranked out some great seasons with the Sixers and the Carolina Cougars of the ABA. Known as Clyde Frazier, Walt brought the razzle dazzle to Madison Square Garden in the seventies. Now players could subsist without off-season work and, for the first time in league history, make life-changing money playing pro basketball. (Or 20. The five players represented by LA Tech during the 1980s all played a huge part in the success of these Bulldog teams. Who Is Better: Lebron James Or Wilt Chamberlain? After helping . We forget how damn good Boston was in the '70s because their success then paled to that experienced in the '60s and '80s. Odds & lines subject to change. He is a member of the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, and an inductee in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.