Hardwood Decade Duels:

The NBA All 70s team

By Marcus Barkley

              Before jumping right into the action, I need to preface just what is going to transpire in this little bit of NBA fun and frolic that will help quell the shakes so many diehard basketball fans are feeling as they wait in baited anticipation for the season to start near the end of October. In the next couple weeks, I will be laying out my choices for the best NBA players from the decades ranging from the 70s to the 00s. I will give my starting line-up (along with the reasons these legends made the cut) and a sixth man. From there, I will welcome debate from anyone who thinks I made the wrong choice. If I and/or the heads at Sports2Debate think the argument was a good one and other posters agree, I will gladly make changes to my list.

              After publishing and further solidifying the four lists, two teams will “face off”, with posters (along with myself and other S2D writers) debating and eventually voting on what two teams move on to face each other in “the Finals” to decide which decade has produced the best lineup of players over the past forty years.

              So, with all the pomp and circumstance out of the way, it’s time to debut my first All-Decade squad, this one hailing from an age of psychedelics and disco balls, the 1970s.

PG- Walt Frazier

6’4, 200 lbs.

Years: 1967-1980

Team(s): New York Knicks (67-77), Cavaliers (77-80)

Career Statistics: 18.9 PPG, 6.1 APG, 5.9 RPG, 681 steals

Summary: When you look at the majority of PGs in the NBA today, you can basically put them into one of two categories. Either they are a score first PG who can drive and cut to the hoop with the best of them or shoot the lights out or they are a pass first PG who is a field general and an on-court genius who leads his team in a more secondary yet just as vital role.

Very few elite PGs blur those lines these days (and few have in the past)- and that’s what makes Walt Frazier one of the greatest the game has ever seen. Frazier could dance to the hole with the best of them but could also shoot with the best of them, holding a career average of almost 50% (.490) and a career free throw mark of close to 80% (.786.) When Frazier wasn’t scoring though, his impact on the game at hand didn’t stop.

Along with his knack for putting down tons of points, Frazier also averaged around 6 APG and 6 RPG for his career, making him a quasi threat on the court. If those numbers weren’t enough, Frazier also made the All-Defensive 1^st team for six straight seasons, meaning that his game was basically liability free.

But this myriad of skills shouldn’t surprise many who know their basketball history- going into college; Frazier was actually recruited more for his football talent than his basketball skills, showing just how much of an athlete he was.  Even though many people will think of Patrick Ewing when asked for the best Knickerbockers of all time, my vote goes out to Walt.

Interesting fact: Frazier’s nickname was “Clyde” because of his pension for wearing a fedora style hat that looked reminiscent to the one worn by legendary criminal and romantic Clyde Barrow of Bonnie and Clyde fame.

SG- George Gervin

6’7, 185 lbs.

Years: 1972-1976 (ABA) 1976-1986 (NBA), 1986-1987 (Italian League)

Team(s): Virginia Squires (72-74), Spurs (74-85), Bulls (85-86), Banco Roma (86-87)

Career Statistics (in NBA): 26.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.8 APG, 941 steals, 670 blocks

Summary: When people argue between top SGs of all-time, often it goes down to Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant (occasionally with Jerry West thrown in for good measure.) But what so many people forget or never know is that George “the Ice Man” Gervin should be right up there with the best of all time.

A big reason Gervin’s name often escapes debater’s minds is because he didn’t make it into the NBA until 1976 and never won an MVP award or championship with the NBA expansion Spurs or the fledgling Bulls for the year he played with Chicago. But a lack of hardware, at least in my mind, can’t take away from the greatness of a career; no matter how much Kobe Kids want to think it does (they oddly feel the same way about rape allegations.)

So, what made Gervin so great? Can you say 26.2 PPG averaged over a 10 year career? (14 if you count the ABA.) Gervin was able to average double digits in scoring for a remarkable 407 consecutive games and collected four scoring titles in five seasons (twice as many as another notable SG…cough cough Kobe…cough.) Frazier shot over 50% (.511) from the field, nearly 85% from the line (.844) and about 30% from three (.297.)

He was the truly the Michael Jordan of the league before Michael Jordan was in the league, making a name for himself with his razzle dazzle moves and silky smooth jumper that made the most difficult offensive play look like a two foot shot on a hoop lowered for little kids to play on. It’s almost ironic that Gervin began his career with the Squires, who also had the originator of the razzle-dazzle himself, Dr. J, suiting up for them.

Along with his unbelievable pension for scoring the rock, Gervin was also able to contribute in other ways, contributing 4.6 RPG and 2.8 APG in his career, along with almost reaching the century mark for steals with 941. To show his resiliency, Gervin played his final year in the Italian League and averaged over 26 PPG (26.1) after a year with the Bulls that was wrought with injury as he suited up beside the next great SG, his Airness. So, even though he doesn’t have an MVP or a Finals ring to show for his hard work, it would be foolish to forget about The Ice Man when you speak about the best scorers this game has ever seen.

Interesting fact: Gervin made friends with the janitor at his high school, who he knew as simply “Mr. Winters.” Mr. Winters allowed Gervin into the gym after hours as long he promised to sweep the floor after he was done. Kind of reminds you of the Air Bud movie where the janitor ended up coaching the basketball team after befriending the kid who had the shot-making dog. Or maybe it doesn’t…hmm…nevermind.

SF- Julius Erving

6’7, 210

Years: 1971-1976 (ABA) 1976-1987 (NBA)

Team(s): Virginia Squires (71-73), New York Nets (73-76), Philadelphia 76ers (76-87)

Career Statistics: 24.2 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 3.9 APG, 2 SPG, 1,293 blocks

Summary: Though it’s arguable that (at least for now) Michael Jordan is the best player this league the game has ever seen and helped to forward the game with his efforts and ability, Julius Erving was the first innovator whose style of play back in the 70s and into the 80s helped transform the game into what it is today. Once could imagine that Michael Jordan’s aerial acrobatics and highlight reel dunks would not have been so memorable (or even possibly existed) if it wasn’t for the good doctor’s legacy.

But when people remember Dr. J, they often only think of him as that guy who dunked the ball and had a cadre of moves that would make the most weathered disco dancer jealous. But Erving was far more than just a dunker and his stat line proved it. If you count his ABA experience, Dr. J had a career scoring average of over 24 PPG (24.2) and 8.5 RPG, both stellar numbers for any basketball player. He also contributed in almost every other corridor of the game, logging almost 4 APG (3.9), 2 SPG and nearly 1,300 blocks (1293- though he had more if you add in his ABA blocks that weren’t kept that diligently.) He won a total of four MVPs (one in the NBA, three in the ABA,) and three league titles (one in the NBA, two in the ABA.) Take those stats and combine them with his seemingly unearthly abilities to make plays that seemed impossible even if gravity didn’t hold us down, and it’s easy to see why Dr. J was such a revolutionary force.

Erving may have been an even more notable player had he not kept jumping teams, especially as the ABA was folding and a few teams were getting there chance in the NBA. Though, with that being said, many basketball historians will tell you that it was because of Julius Erving that the NBA even took the ABA teams in- because they had to have the good doctor’s services, yet he was loyal to the fledgling league, a quality that is all but lost in today’s professional sports scene.

And that’s what makes Erving a shoe-in for this roster. Beyond his on the court skills, Erving was a true statesmen for the game of basketball and used his personality and caring demeanor to make more of a dent on the world than simply what he could do with a dimpled orange sphere. Putting those skill-sets together and combining them with his likeable personality and you easily have a player that legends are made about.

Interesting fact: Everyone knows Julius Erving’s nickname and oftentimes people will be able to recognize it before recognizing his actual name, but the story of how he came to have the moniker of “doctor” wasn’t necessarily because of anything he did on a basketball court. The most notable story of the nickname’s origin was that a high school friend called him “the Doctor” because Erving had denoted him as “the professor”. And no- I don’t think his friend was a scrawny white kid who could play street ball- but there is some irony in there regardless.

PF- Elvin Hayes

6’9, 235 lbs.

Years: 1968-1984

Team(s): San Diego and Houston Rockets (68-72), Baltimore, Capital and Washington Bullets (72-81), Houston Rockets (81-84)

Career Statistics: 21 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 1.8 RPG

Summary: Much like “The Iceman”, “The Big E” Elvin Hayes is often forgotten by the causal basketball fan because he only won one championship and had no MVP’s to complement his illustrious career (hmm…so maybe the MVP was always a sham award based on popularity?)

So, what made Hayes such a dominant force for three decades and an all-star for 12 straight seasons beginning with his first year in the NBA? Unlike so many power forwards in today’s game, Hayes used a consistent and altogether pretty looking turnaround jumper to carve out an average of over 20 PPG (21 PPG) for his career. He also used his size to dominate down low on shorter PFs and nab an average of over 12 RPG (12.5 RPG).

But beyond his amazing offensive prowess and his ability to wreak  havoc underneath the rim, possibly what made Hayes stand out as one of the most dominant forwards of all-time was his resiliency and drive. In sixteen seasons, Hayes only missed nine contests, a thought that would make today’s top forwards shiver at the thought. He played an almost mind-blowing 50,000 minutes on the NBA courts, ranking third all-time in that category behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Karl Malone, who played four and three more seasons then the Big E did respectively.

Because of his pension for playing and his dominant skill set, Hayes ended his career with more than 27,000 points (27,313), which puts him at sixth on the all-time scoring list. He also ranks fourth on the all-time list in rebounds with over 16,000 in his career (16,279.

Another reason Hayes may not be remembered as easily as such greats as Jordan and Kareem is because he was often seen as hard to get along with when it came to coaches and other players because of his notably extraverted way of saying what was on his mind, regardless of how it made other people feel. With the amazing ability the Big E and his bit of prima Madonna personality quarks, he not only will go down as one of the top power forwards of all-time and one of the greatest to ever play the game, he would make a fine mental player if the decades could ever face off because of his no non-sense personality that could easily rile his competition.

Interesting fact: Not only was Hayes an iron man when it came to his career and stat line, he was also a sort of iron man when it came to sticking with organizations, whether by his choosing or not. Even though his career spanned 16 seasons and he technically played for six teams, he really only played for two organizations since the San Diego Rockets moved to Houston when Hayes spent his first tenure with organization and the Bullets hailed from Baltimore, “Capital” (which was just what they were called before officially changing to Washington) and finally Washington- before winding up in Houston again to end his career. Even more interesting and trivia question worthy is that Hayes played college ball for the once dominant Houston Cougars, meaning he was one of the few notable players to both start and end his basketball career in the same city.

C- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

7’2, 267 lbs.

Years: 1969-1989

Team(s): Milwaukee Bucks (69-75), LA Lakers (75-89)

Career Statistics: 24.6 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 3.6 APG, 3,189 Blocks, 1,160 Steals

Summary: I feel as if I really need to employ Cesar Millan of “The Dog Whisperer” fame to adequately utter the word that best describes the career of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar- “Dominant.”

When the arguments come up for best player of all-time, they always seem to go to MJ and now have circled under Kobe and Lebron. But I’m here to tell you- sleeping on the man once known as Lew Alcindor when you discuss the greatest who have ever touched the hardwood would be the most foolish of follies. But since this is only supposed to be a summary and not a full blown article or novel, I’ll simply condense my argument for the greatness of Kareem with numbers and the corresponding NBA records: 38,387 (points scored- 1^st all-time,) 17,440 (rebounds grabbed- 3^rd all-time,) 3,189 (blocks- 3^rd all-time,) 57,446 (minutes played- 1^st all-time,) 20 (seasons played- 1^st all-time,) 1,560 (games played- 2nd all-time,) 6 (MVPs awarded- 1^st all-time,) 19 (All-Star appearances- 1^st all-time,) 10 (NBA 1^st team awards- tied for 1^st all-time).

Kareem simply dominated the game for twenty seasons, averaging staggering numbers of almost 25 PPG for his career (24.61- 14^th all time,) over 11 RPG (11.2- 24^th all-time) and over 2.5 BPG (2.57- 9^th all-time.) Funny enough, for being one of the most dominant forces under the hoop of all-time and coming in at a still lumbering 7’2, Abdul-Jabbar also averaged 3.6 APG, which is only 1 APG lower than a certain Laker guard who some argue is the best this game has ever seen. For his height, Abdul-Jabbar also averaged nearly a steal per game at 0.9 for his career.

But Kareem was not only a great player who could stuff a stat sheet full, he also knew what how to win and has enough championship rings to fill a hand and leave one for the other thumb, which ties him for ninth all-time along with Michael Jordan and others.

So…I guess after that display of stats, I guess going on to explain why Kareem Abdul-Jabbar should be the center on the All-70s team would seem rather redundant, now wouldn’t it?

Interesting fact: Not only does Abdul-Jabbar have a pension for being first in a number of on the court categories, he also lands at the top spot when it comes to his place in history. Whether you call him by the name he is now known as because of his spiritual faith or by the name he was given at birth, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (the artist formerly know as Ferdinand “Lew” Alcindor) is the first name in the both the Hall of Fame books and on the list of the 50 Greatest Players of All Time, ahead of Forrest C. “Phog” Allen in the hall and Nathaniel “Nate Archibald on the top 50 list.

- WHAT IS YOUR 70'S ALL DECADE TEAM?