It’s playoff time in the NBA. This time of year invites comparisons to previous playoffs and the great players that have had their day at center-court. I am a little disturbed that, in most cases, the writers and TV personalities can go back no further than Larry Bird and “Magic” Johnson.

I have no problem acknowledging either of them as well as those that followed, Michael Jordan and Lebron James, but none of them invented the game. I know, the game has changed, blah, blah. Change means different, not an assurance of better. But, enough of this …

What I object to is that the respect for those players in the 1960’s is missing. Their performance would be just as great today as it was then. Remember, the NBA was an eight team league with two divisions, East and West. In their division a team played 16 games each against the other three. That’s 32 games against the Boston Celtics’ Bill Russell and the Philadelphia Warriors’ Wilt Chamberlain.

Sorry, I forgot you might not know who they are. Russell is the winningest basketball player of all-time and Chamberlain the greatest physical specimen to ever pick up a ball. You know , the guy who averaged 50 points per game one year, played 46 minutes per game another and led the league in assists another. I think he still holds more records in the league than any other player. They changed rules because of him. Only two other players have that distinction, Mr. Russell and Kareem Abdul Jabbar. And, there changes were at the college level.

So here’s my 60’s All-Star Team. If they played today they would be just as great as they were then:

C-Bill Russell            6’8”       Boston Celtics

C-Wilt Chamberlain  7’2”       Philadelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles

PF-Bob Pettit            6’8”        St. Louis Hawks

PF-Maurice Stokes   6’8”        Cincinnati Royals

SF-Elgin Baylor         6’5”        Minnesota/LA Lakers

SF-John Havlicek      6’5”        Boston Celtics

G-Oscar Robertson    6’5”        Cincinnati. Milwaukee      

G-Jerry West             6’3”         Los Angeles Lakers

 

In my other two spots I could move Havlicek to a guard spot and insert Paul Arizin in his spot and pick from a half dozen guards for number 10. My first eight could play anyone, anytime and anywhere and win way more than they lose.