But it was in New York, and specifically in the World's Most Famous Arena, where the '70s made their strongest impression. Frazier was one of the most significant point guards in NBA history. 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. He won six MVPs during his career, tied for the most all-time, and was also a six-time NBA champion. 1970 Topps #75 Lew Alcindor. 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. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Sooners' 1970s all-decade team By Joey Helmer Apr 18, 2020 12 NORMAN, Okla. Welcome to the glory years known as the Barry Switzer Era. Football. Most obsessively competitive to the detriment of ever having normal human relations with anybody? Mac remains one of the greatest athletes in Buffalo history, though, which is something. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. His only title as a player came in 1972; he darn near led the Lakers to one in 1970, as well. You had Earl Monroe and Walt Frazier in the Big Apple, drawing attention and respect to the Mecca of basketball. Pretty much all you can ask for from the best ever, no? 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. Russell was the ultimate winner in the history of the NBA. 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. University of California at Berkeley was given an outdoor basketball court for women by philanthropist Phoebe Hearst. 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. Data Provided By One big on-court change was the three-pointer, arguably the most exciting part of the modern NBA. I have defended the '70s before, notably in Free Darko Presents: The Undisputed Guide to Pro Basketball History. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). He is one of only five players to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals, all in one season. For better or worse, basketball fans love to compare different eras of their favorite sport. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, consult individual encyclopedia entries about the topics. 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. 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. You had D.C.'s best era with Wes Unseld and Elvin Hayes. The '70s were not an easy time for basketball, defined as they were by drugs and dissension, as well as the notion that the sport was simply too urban (read: too black) for middle America. Now players could subsist without off-season work and, for the first time in league history, make life-changing money playing pro basketball. 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. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. 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. How Many Championships Does Michael Jordan Have? Malone entered 1981-82 ready to exact vengeance. Choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. In 1975, he led the San Francisco Warriors to an NBA championship, and he was named Finals MVP that year as well. 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. A member of the NBAs 75th Anniversary Team, Elvin Hayes was one of the most recognizable faces of the NBA in the 1970s. If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. The Celtics had played for 10 seasons before Russell joined the team, never once reaching a championship series in that time. They didnt. 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. Steve Nash Eight-time NBA All-Star Steve Nash first gained the notice of the basketball world in 1993. [7] The following is the 196970 Academic All-America Men's Basketball Team as selected by CoSIDA: Members of the 1970 Consensus All-America first team. This list is, naturally, incredibly subjective, and shouldnt be taken too seriously. Abdul-Jabbar was dominant in all aspects of the game, but he was particularly unstoppable on offense. A member of six NBA championship teams as a player and two more as an assistant coach, Abdul-Jabbar twice was voted NBA Finals MVP. (Russell Westbrook's head perks up.) 15,159 Sets. Founded in Boston in 1946 by Walter Brown, the Celtics were charter members of the Basketball Association of America, a . He was never the best player in either league -- Dr. J and Kareem ensured that -- but he was always in that second tier as a really great scorer. $11.45 shipping. 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. . ABC News Live. Absolutely. It didnt. He can be reached at acriblez@semo.edu and followed on Twitter at@AdamCriblez. How to Win While Sports Betting? Calvin Murphy San Diego/Houston Rockets 1970-79 Calvin Murphy was a scoring machine at Niagara and San Diego rolled the dice on the 5-foot-9 guard in the second round of the 1970 NBA Draft.. Known as Clyde Frazier, Walt brought the razzle dazzle to Madison Square Garden in the seventies. PSA Set Registry. 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. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. 1970 Consensus All-America team Individual All-America teams AP Honorable Mention: [6] Nate Archibald, UTEP Jim Ard, Cincinnati Dennis Awtrey, Santa Clara Henry Bibby, UCLA Bill Cain, Iowa State Corky Calhoun, Penn Jim Collins, New Mexico State Dave Cowens, Florida State Jarrett Durham, Duquesne Mike Grosso, Louisville Jeff Halliburton, Drake What are boosted odds in sports betting strategies? 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. Or write about sports? 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. 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. Fast And Free U.S. The other big on-court change during the decade was that NBA players began embracing the slam dunk as a form of artistic expression. Their mantra was simple: Find the open man. 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!. McAdoo was the 1972-1973 NBA Rookie of the Year; he also won three straight scoring titles mid-decade and averaged 27+ points and 12+ rebounds per game in the 1970s en route to five All-Star Games, two All-NBA selections, and the 1974-1975 MVP. The 1970'swas a time when you had a lot of emerging sneaker companies and no one company completely dominating thesneaker market. Top 21 ACC Basketball Players of All Time: Where does Michael Jordan Rank? Original/Reprint: Original. Two rival leagues (the NBA and ABA) were . 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. Bob McAdoo was a poster child for seventies basketball. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. 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. Gambling Problem? Top 10 NBA Players of the 1970s - The Grueling Truth Ranking the top 10 players of the 1970s TGT Tips! The Rockets' forward led the league in minutes, rebounds and win shares . UK welcomed its first African-American basketball player in Tom Payne, an All-American high-schooler from Louisville . He also happens to be one of the top five in-game dunkers ever. 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. My argument was that it was a time of testing new limits, of parity and of transition. This brought an even greater influx of stars to the NBA, making for a great new era of basketball. 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. Best-known for his underhand free throw technique, Rick Barry was not someone to be taken lightly on the basketball court.He was a 12-time All-Star selection between the ABA and NBA, and also made a total of 10 All-League teams between the two leagues. In 1970, three expansion teams enteredthe Buffalo Braves, Cleveland Cavaliers and Portland Trail Blazers. I put Pistol Pete on the first team over Jerry West primarily because my father raised me to believe Pistol Pete was the most exciting player ever. 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? Rick Barry, a two-time NBA All-Star, made $45,000 in the NBA and jumped leagues for a $75,000 payday. 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. 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. 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. Oh my, yes. Once there, he would finish with an emphatic dunk, a foolproof strategy that helped ONeal lead the NBA in field-goal percentage 10 times in his career. Yes, the NBA consisted of just 8 to 14 teams during this period, so capturing championships was a statistically easier feat for a single franchise, but even that fact doesnt minimize Russells historic accomplishments. 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. And how might retired NBA legends fare in todays game? If Team A signed a player from Team B, A owed B some combination of players, draft choices, or money in compensation. Just kidding. But Maravich was so unbelievably '70s. In addition to his unprecedented prowess at putting up points, Chamberlain was also the only person to grab more rebounds per game than Bill Russell (22.9), all while averaging more minutes played per game than any player in league history (45.8). Ja Morant suspended 2 games after flashing gun on Instagram following allegations, Luka and Kyrie make Mavs history with 40+ point efforts vs. Sixers, How ballscreen-centered sets can help unleash Jordan Pooles potency, LeBron James diagnosed with foot tendon injury, will be re-evaluated in three weeks, surgery not required, NBA Scores: Kevin Durants Suns debut was an easy W. Star Power: Now we are on the to 70's. See below where Professor Flannery waxes on Clyde and the Knicks. 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. Player/Athlete:. . We present them here for purely educational purposes. 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 one time in his 14-year career that he was not an All-Star was in 1970, a season in which an injured Chamberlain was limited to just 12 regular-season games and yet he still managed to will his team to the NBA finals upon his return. Product: Set. J.. Earvin Magic Johnson, Jr. Bob McAdoo 5. Jabbar then went on to finish up the decade with the Lakers. [This list was originally published in April 2014. He also led the U.S. national basketball team to . Logos were compiled by the amazing SportsLogos.net. 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. Hes bigger than a good portion of the players in the NFL and yet he still moves as gracefully as the most nimble guards in basketball. You can't just change your wiring on stuff like that. What sneakers do you like from the 70's? Missouri Valley Tournament 2023: Bracket, schedule, scores, teams, and more. Rick Barry Career Highlights UNDERRATED! Impressive, right? More famously, when the New Orleans Jazz signed aging guard Gail Goodrich away from Los Angeles in 1976, the league awarded the Lakers three first-round draft picks (one of which became Earvin Magic Johnson). One of the most ebullient personalities to ever play in the NBA, Johnsons charm was a major factor in the massive increase in the leagues popularity during the 1980s. Please play responsibly. Cowens was known for his intensity that could get him in trouble with some fights. There were also great centers like Bob McAdoo, Artis Gilmore and Bill Walton. He was a menace on the defensive side of the ball, racking up 400 more steals than any other player in the seventies.Like Gervin, he is a member of both the All-Time ABA Team and the NBAs 75th Anniversary Team. He really did help continue the legacy of Bob Cousy in some ways, and with Frazier helped set the table for the next generation of bombastic point guards. Dont be fooled by his humble small-college provenance and the Hick from French Lick nicknameLarry Bird was one of the fiercest competitors and greatest smack-talkers in NBA history. The Golden Eagles (23-6, 15-3 Big East) wrap . Our apologies, George Mikan, K.C. This decade served as the start of the second Sooner. All-Decade 1970s All-Stars on NBA 2K23. But they somehow managed to turn the simple act of making the extra pass into an exercise of communal cool. Then the American Basketball Association (ABA) came along and celebrated the showmanship of their top stars. He was also a double-double machine, averaging over 12 rebounds per game for the decade. 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. The 1970s saw another national title, a coaching change of epic proportions, and several stars comes through the door. But they seem inconsequential when compared to the off-court changes that took place in the seventies. Some say the three-time All-Stater and future baseball Hall of Famer was Illinois' first high-school basketball star. The consensus 1970 College Basketball All-American team, as determined by aggregating the results of four major All-American teams. Through the publication of this list, James has averaged a Robertson-esque 27.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.9 steals per game andunlike the Big Ohe was doing so against teams stocked with elite athletes and not players who smoked cigarettes at halftime. $179.99. Sure, we still saw centers like Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, David Robinson, Shaq, Tim Duncan and Yao Ming rise and dominate down the road. New technology was being used to make better sneakers for running, basketball, and skateboarding. T&Cs apply. Richardson was a four-time All-Star in the NBA. Fearing bankruptcy and finally willing to concede to player movement, the summer of 1976 witnessed the first crop of NBA free agents. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. http://www.basketball-reference.com/about/bpm.html, Steph CurryThe Male Machine Gun Molly? 1986 Boston Celtics - Were they the greatest Team? . 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. . Director: Ron Shelton | Stars: Wesley Snipes, Woody Harrelson, Rosie Perez, Tyra Ferrell Votes: 89,504 | Gross: $76.25M 66 (4) Blu-ray 8. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. 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. Though Frazier was a model point guard, running the offense and dishing out a plethora of sweet dimes, he also possessed a skill that would foreshadow the direction of the position. Rick Barry, a two-time NBA All-Star, made $45,000 in the NBA and jumped leagues for a $75,000 payday. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. And he never dunked in an NBA game. 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. Athlete Body Size Changes Over Time Sports Nutrition for Basketball As a sophomore, he led the "Flying Clouds" to . LeBron James overtook Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBAs leading scorer in February 2023.]. This was the period of time that reallyhelped build the foundation to sneakers as we know it today. Erving then reeled off 11 straight All-Star bids in the NBA after the merger. 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. 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. Artis was great and underappreciated, but Cowens was better. Olympic Games Anthropometry for other sports in 2012. Atlanta General Manager Stan. 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 Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Basketball has not escaped the fashion roller-coaster of the past century. Mostly, players shot three-pointers out of desperation, not as a strategic element. Rookie Road may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Next time you put a pair of Nike Cortez or Vans Sk8 High on know the history behind them. He was an All-Star every year from 1970-76, and from 1970-75 he was named to both an All-NBA Team and an All-Defensive Team for each season. Gervin made 12 All-Star teams between the ABA and NBA, and was an All-League player nine times. What hasn't been said about Gervin? After the 1976 ABA-NBA merger, team owners hoped salaries would normalize. 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. J Erving. Call 1-800-522-4700. thegruelingtruth.com is available in the following countries: The bonus offer of was already opened in an additional window. He didn't play for really excellent teams until joining the Showtime Lakers in '80s, however, which hampers his legacy. The five players represented by LA Tech during the 1980s all played a huge part in the success of these Bulldog teams. 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. 1. At their best the Knicks were a hybrid of downtown artistry mixed with old-school values. Bidding wars almost bankrupted both leagues and soon even marginally talented players made six-figure salaries. Bet with your head, not over it. The Knicks also won two championships and it's this team that stands out as the enduring essence of '70s basketball. The player who scored the most points in the 1970s was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. 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. Play Video. He was a perennial All-Star, won the scoring title in 1970 and had four All-NBA first team nods in the decade. UCLAs Lew Alcindor. Black and white basketball hustlers join forces to double their chances of winning money on the street courts and in a basketball tournament. 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. Money was hard to come by for basketball players in the early days of the league as well. Change). Part of the merger agreement was the settlement of the Oscar Robertson lawsuit, which ended the dreaded reserve clause. Who are the best basketball players of the '70s of all time? 17 Reasons why Jordan is greater than Lebron, 16 Reasons why Lebron is greater than Jordan, The 18 greates Coaches in College Football History, The Top 21 Offensive Linemen in NFL History, 19 undeniable Lies in Disney's Remember the Titans. Check this out: http://www.basketball-reference.com/about/bpm.html, Pingback: Review of Tall Tales and Short Shorts | Sport in American History. In the 10th and 11th round, the Atlanta Hawks drafted Mexican Manuel Raga and Italian Dino Meneghin; both were playing in the Italian league at the time. At the opposite end of the attractive play spectrum from Duncan is Shaquille ONeal. 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. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? (Editors Note: For a brief excerpt of the book, click here; for author reflections, click here.) 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. Do you have a blog? debates. There have been some great shooters in the past. 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. . 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.. But in his rookie year, Russell completely changed the franchises course and established the Celtics as the winningest team in the NBA. 2. Top 9 Greatest World Series Upsets of All Time, Top 10 Pound for Pound Boxers of the 1980s, NBA Top 10 Power Rankings at the All-Star break: The Ten teams that can win it all, The Greatest College Basketball Team of All Time, Esteban de Jesus, Roberto Duran y AIDS (1972-89), Ranking the decade: Top ten NBA point guards of the 2010s. In 1977, the Denver Nuggets signed their star guard, David Skywalker Thompson to a record-setting, five-year, $4-million deal, because they knew he would receive similar offers from other teams (*cough* the Knicks *cough*), should he enter free agency.