A preternatural rebounder and low post scorer, he started his career at age 19, compiled huge stats until he was 40, and earned three NBA MVP awards and one Finals MVP trophy
FEATURED LISTS
Second acts: 22 franchise legends who ended their career with a brief stop on an unfamiliar team
Keep your bags packed: 15 legendary players who switched NBA teams twice or more in their prime
Soles power: 16 notable signature basketball shoes
No longer home for the holidays: 20 notable NBA transactions that took place in late December
Don’t you forget about me: 80 basketball moments from the ’80s that changed the sport forever
INDEX
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- Earning league MVP and then getting eliminated early in the playoffs (1979, 1982)
- Ending career with the Spurs
- Never named NBA All-Star MVP
- On ’82-’83 Philadelphia 76ers (greatest teams)
- One of the greatest players of the ’80s
- Replaced by Tim McCormick
- Selected by the Jazz in the ABA supplementary draft
- Signature Nike Air Force Ones shoes
- Signing with 76ers; leaving the Rockets (1982)
- Traded from 76ers to Bullets (1986)
FULL archive
Separated laundry: 18 NBA players with a jersey retired by multiple franchises
It’s honor enough to have your jersey retired by an NBA franchise but how about two? Or even three? These 18 players have their number hanging in the rafter of multiple arenas.
Tough act to follow: 23 (mostly) forgotten NBA players who replaced departing legends
Everyone remembers the franchise legends but when those great ones departed, either to retire or join a different team, who were the unsung heroes taking their place in the lineup?
Soles power: 16 notable signature basketball shoes
Many a Christmas tree featured one of these pairs of shoes under it over the years, after the 16 superstars listed below blessed the line with their donning of them and/or their name.
You’re the best around: 80 greatest NBA players of the 1980s
We conclude our Totally ’80s series by ranking the 80 greatest players of the decade, based solely on statistics, accolades, and awards compiled between the ’80-’81 and ’88-’89 seasons.
Testing the waters and creating a ripple: 15 free agency signings that changed the NBA
With the 2023 free agency period about to began, we take a look back at the most notable free agent signings that had a major effect on the player, the teams, and/or the league itself.
Keep your bags packed: 15 legendary players who switched NBA teams twice or more in their prime
It’s now a regular occurrence, with players like Kevin Durant, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Chris Paul adding their name recently to the list, but here we review 15 previous legendary players who changed franchise affiliations not just once but two or more times.
Unrewarded exhibitionists: 12 greatest players who never earned NBA All-Star Game MVP
Many of the greatest players of all time have added All-Star MVP to their list of accomplishments but these 12 legends, many of whom earned league MVP and/or Finals MVP never added the ultimate All-Star honor to their trophy case.
Leaders of the pack: 16 players who hold a major NBA statistical career record
We crowned a new NBA three-point king during the ’21-’22 season and LeBron James will soon be the all-time leading scorer. They join an illustrious list of 16 players that currently hold one of the major NBA career statistical records.
Second acts: 22 franchise legends who ended their career with a brief stop on an unfamiliar team
The star players on this list are indelibly linked with a single franchise where they built their legend, but closed out their career looking not-quite-right in a different jersey.
Hollow trophies: 14 early playoff exits by reigning league MVPs
The reigning MVP has led their team to the NBA or ABA championship 26 times in the history of the two leagues. But in these 15 examples, the ultimate regular season honor was sullied by subsequent postseason disappointment. Can Nikola Jokic avoid a similar fate in 2021?
No longer home for the holidays: 20 notable NBA transactions that took place in late December
With the season typically about one-third finished, and teams starting to settle into understanding their potential and limits, late December is typically a busy time for trades, releases, free agency signings, and coaching changes.