I didn't want to skip over the latest Basketball Hall of Fame class without sharing my thoughts.
For those who haven't heard, the inductees included Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, Adrian Dantley, coaches Pat Riley and Cathy Rush, owner William Davidson, and broadcaster/coach Dick Vitale.
I don't know Rush or Davidson at all. I'm currently reading Vitale's Wikipedia page, trying to find if there's any reason I should call his induction anything but a joke. Yes, that's harsh, and I do try to be nice on occasions like this, but I have no idea why Vitale will be in the Hall. (Also, Vitale is somehow the lede on that story, which means someone at the AP was in a hurry to get the piece done and went with the first guy who called him back.)
Pat Riley's one of the best coaches ever, winning titles with the Showtime Lakers and again with Shaq and Dwyane Wade just two years ago. The lamest thing I can say about him is that he trademarked the phrase "three-peat" while his Lakers were on the way to...not winning a third title in a row. (The Lakers won it all in 1987 and 1988, then were swept by Detroit in the Finals in 1989). That rarely gets pointed out. I almost feel like like you should bring it up whenever someone uses the phrase, except I have no desire to give those Pistons teams any credit whatsoever.
Dantley was a fantastic interior scorer and played for some of those Detroit teams, though he was traded to Dallas during the season of Detroit's first championship. I don't remember seeing him play, but he was discussed in David Halberstam's fabulous Playing for Keeps, where he was described as a terrific post scorer for a small forward. And I like this quote from his Wiki page:
Dantley finished his career with an average of 24.3 points per game. He scored his points with a mix of mid-range jump shots, high-percentage opportunities close to the basket, and frequent trips to the free throw line.
Jump shots, inside play, tons of free throws...sound like anyone you know? It's no wonder Dantley has worked as an assistant coach for the Denver Nuggets the last few years.
I'm excited to be reminded about Olajuwon and Ewing, two of the best centers of my lifetime. First, we have Olajuwon, the smooth, multi-talented Nigerian who eventually earned a gold medal with the 1996 U.S. Olympic team. Olajuwon was one of the game's true greats because he made an impact on both ends of the floor. He didn't just block shots, he got steals, too. He was a fabulous rebounder, a solid passer, scored a ton of a points, and won two rings and two NBA Finals MVP awards.
I remember one old Denver Post preview before the NBA playoffs, probably in 1997. It called Olajuwon the only player who could match Michael Jordan big shot for big shot. (Of course, he couldn't even match John Stockton and Karl Malone in that playoffs, so he would have been about two marathons behind Jordan, but still, it's impressive that people felt that way about him.)
In a recent Gmail chat with an older brother, we bemoaned the loss of personalities in sports, including guys like Ewing. Ewing is often remembered as a disappointment, which isn't fair, and which wouldn't be the case if he'd played anywhere but New York. His career stats are remarkably similar to Olajuwon's; though he lacked some of Hakeem's polish, he was an absolute force of nature. He was known for being on the wrong side of some famous Jordan moments, especially the 1982 NCAA Championship. But even that loss showed his physical dominance: did you know Ewing was called for goaltending on Carolina's first four baskets that night?
Of course, Ewing never won a championship, unless you're one of those wackos who thinks gold medals (1984, 1992) or national championships (1984) should count as "winning a basketball championship" for some reason. Yes, he never led the Knicks to the promised land, and his pro career probably never lived up to the promise he showed in college. But you can say that about all sorts of guys in every sport, and Ewing still had a better pro career than almost all of them.
Congratulations to all the inductees (including Vitale, I guess).
Comments
One interesting thing to think about is that Olajuwon was drafted #1 the year Jordan went #3. With just those two guys, that had to have been one of the strongest draft classes ever. And while Jordan became the best ever, it is hard to argue with choosing a proven 7 footer #1 overall.
Vitale is such a side show . . . I really wish someone would pull the plug on whatever life perpetuation machine is keeping him above ground . . . he is not only annoying, but a complete chump . . . I wish my job required me to hype up a bunch of guys who aren't good enough to play in the NBA and then not be held accountable for it.
C: Hakeem Olajuwon
PF: Charles Barkley
SF: Michael Jordan
SG: Alvin Robertson
PG: John Stockton
Robertson, the consensus worst player on the list, is the NBA's all-time leader in steals per game. Stockton, its all-time leader in steals and assists per career. Jordan has the best scoring average ever. Barkley was the highest-scoring player on the original Dream Team. These players won seven MVP awards (should have been more like nine) and eight straight Finals MVP awards. Plus Olajuwon and Robertson have two of the four quadruple-doubles on record (though remember that the NBA didn't track steals or blocks until the early 70s or so).
Vitale does like to run his mouth . . . but why doesn't anyone else on tv point out that he spent all season slurping Duke? That would be the ultimate comeback to his shameless self-promotion.