In the 1960’s, basketball was full of talented players. There were many players who were great and had a lot of potential. There were many people who changed the game and put all of their heart into the game. In this essay you will learn about some the greatest players in the 1960’s.
Bill Russell was one of the greatest basketball players of all time. For example, a basketball reporter was asked on what he thought about Russell and he responded with this “He dominated and changed the sport” (Deveny 1). Russell changed the sport by dominating the game and taking advantage of the league. Russell encouraged other players to compete more because he was taking over the league easily. Another article read, “Bill Russell’s championships were the most
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For example, a bad thing in college was that “the star center of the SSU men's basketball team brutally rapes a student” (“The conquering heroes” 4). This hurt the SSU basketball team because the best player couldn’t play and the team was viewed in an awful way. This was an act that made the SSU basketball team suffer horribly. One of the good things in basketball was a coach, “Wooden attributed his success to life and coaching…” (Gunderman 2). This coach brought the light onto the UCLA team. Some people called Wooden the greatest coach of all time. For example, “Wooden converted to a losing team into the conference champions in only his first year” (Gunderman 2). This had not been done before until Wooden did it. Wooden made a team of losers a bunch of champions. Plus, “The author talks about Wooden’s life and uses the life of John Wooden as an example in the articles that he writes” (Gunderman 2). Wooden used his life to the fullest and succeed in it. Wooden was a good role model and an excellent coach at the same time. Lastly, “To Wooden, success meant not winning basketball games but “knowing that you did everything you could to be the best you could be” (Gunderman 2). This is very important to live by in general. If we try our hardest and do our best then that is what …show more content…
For example, “The new players needed represented an increasingly small percentage of the number of current places” (Chatterjee 8). Some places grew the sport of basketball in other countries so the sport grew. Now basketball is Olympic sport because the sport has grown so much. In addition, “As basketball entered the modern era, its worldwide popularity increased dramatically” (Chatterjee 8). This caused the game to grow so it can be played worldwide. Countries started to create their own leagues and play the game more. Also, basketball went to new places “beginning in the mid 1960’s, basketball expanded to new markets.” (Chatterjee 8) Basketball courts were now being put into more parks and more people were excited to play. The game started to expand as the interest in the game kept on growing. Plus, “This was bolstered by the decreasing variability in the quality of players (Chatterjee 8) The players in the NBA at the time weren’t very good at the time. That is why the game was not nearly as popular as it is
Earl Lloyd was probably the most courageous player of all time. Some people know him as “The Big Cat” others know him as the first African-American to play in an NBA basketball game with the whites; he changed the way people think and look at basketball and black players and coaches. Earl Lloyd loved basketball from a very young age. Earl had two brothers older than him which was Earnest and Theodore. Earl was very dedicated from a very young age. With his high school team he took them to a state championship and won. After high school Earl went off and took his talents to West Virginia State College. While Earl was there his sophomore year they went 33-0 which is a perfect season. Earl’s team won back to back CIAA conference championships and tournament championships.
Although many youngsters fail in the NBA, there are a few high school players who have had, or do have a successful career in the NBA. Some of these are, Moses Malone, Kobe Bryant, Tracey McGrady, and this year’s most valu...
Bill Russell played in a generation as racism and people messed with him his family and his house. Also since Bill was African American he was not recruited at all by colleges until one coach went to see him play in high school and offered him to come play at the University of San Francisco which Bill of course accepted. Bill Russell was in a league where there was only 8 to 14 teams which of course now there is 30. ‘’The Bill ‘’ was also on the first NBA all starting black team which was in 1964. Bill Russell’s stats were very impressive too with 15.1 PPG, 22.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists and Russell’s 22.5 rebounds a game is second best all time and he did that at 6’9 which is now known for a Power Forward in the NBA not a center. Blocks were not recorded into stats back then so we are not sure how many blocks he had for his career. Russell has won 11 NBA Championships and him and his team won 9 out of 10 seasons and won 8 straight in that span which has never been done before. Russell has also won a gold medal in 1956 and 2 championships as a NBA head coach. Since Russell has the most championships as a player and was dominant the MVP Trophy for the finals is named after him. Russell contract when he became a rookie was worth $24,000 which and his top salary in his career was $100,001 which in today’s league no one’s contract is even close to that low. Bill Russell was also the first ever NBA player to visit
Wilt Chamberlain , one of the NBA’s greatest center of all time , impacted the basketball culture by breaking tons of records. He broke multiple scoring and rebounding records. Wilt was inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame. He recorded these records through his 14 year career span . Wilt played with the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors , Philadelphia 76ers , and the Los Angeles Lakers .
The game of basketball today has taken the world by storm. Basketball has become one of the most popular sports worldwide. Amazing athletes like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Carmelo Anthony have amazed NBA and basketball fans all over the world. Basketball was created as a humble game with a peach basket in 1891 by James Naismith. Most people would agree that the best basketball player of all time is Michael Jordan. But how did the game evolve? The Harlem Globetrotters helped the game grow in the 1920’s
The NBA(National Basketball Association) has welcomed the world's best basketball players ever since the early 1940’s. Over time after seeing the different talents pass by the question has been asked; who is the true best player on and off the court? A majority of the votes go to the two most well-known players: Micheal Jordan and Lebron James. James claims himself as “king,” but the people of the world know who really wears the crown. Michael Jordan is a better basketball player than Lebron James with his astounding statistics and character matched against Lebron’s.
One of the first things people think about when talking about the 60’s Celtics is the great players that played for the team. One of the first players they think of is Bill Russell, who had 15.1 points per game, 22.5 rebounds per game, and 4.3 assists per game over his 13 season career(NBA.com). Those are amazing career numbers which led him to being one of the NBA’s all time leading rebounders. This shows that Bill Russell was one of the best players from the 60’s Celtics. Another player many think about is
Thesis Statement: Michael Jordan set records and has set the example of what the greatest basketball player can accomplish and really set the standards of what a hall of famer basketball player looks like.
Basketball players were not paid all as well and did not play as hard and they looked up to legends. “Smith is Abe Lincoln in a sports world” (Reilly 2). Both Abe and Smith include blacks in their activities. “In today’s scandal-dripping land of college basketball, couldn’t we all use a little of Dean Smith” (Reilly 2). So many people only went to basketball games were that they only wanted to she the famous people that play and to get their
Basketball has made a much more powerful impact on his life and his future. This sport was never just a sport to him, it helped him become the leader, teammate, student, friend, and Lobo that he is today. Logwood’s childhood was no piece of cake. There were trials to overcome and battles to face. Unfortunately, Logwood lived a significant part of life without a father figure to guide him. The lack of guidance led him into trouble and that trouble was guiding him down a path no one truly hopes to go down. Eventually, he realized that he had an opportunity to change his future and he found the strength to do so. That strength came from his father, God, and basketball. Basketball helped change Sam’s life in more ways than just recognition, fame, and popularity. When he found the passion for basketball, he found the motivation to alter what his future had in store for him. His passion for the sport is too special to put into words, “there’s just something about
Wilt and the Kansas team fell short to win the NCAA championship. He made all-conference and all-American his sophomore year in college. When he finished his career in 1958, he had to wait a year to play NBA basketball because of the rules in the NBA. So Wilt went on to play with the Harlem Globetrotters. Wilt played his first NBA game at the Madison square garden. He went on to score 43 points in his first game. During his rookie season, he was already being named Rookie of the Year and the season wasn’t over yet. Wilt biggest NBA rival was Bill Russell. They would always go back and forth in the game. But Bill Russell Got The best of him by winning 16 NBA titles. Wilt Chamberlain had missed a whole season due to lung problem in his body. He lost about 50 pounds so it could help him get back on the court. When Wilt came back into the NBA he had went to the NBA playoffs 10 consecutive straight years. Wilt chamberlain finally won his first NBA championship in 1967. He went on to win
Basketball has been around for 118 years. It has evolved so much. I bet Naismith never thought that something so simple would change the world. Basketball has even changed lives, by reaching out to other countries, and all kinds of charities. For some people basketball is life, and it has even saved lives. A lot of players in the NBA have come from nothing, but since they excelled in basketball all their biggest dreams have come true. Basketball can even help you escape from all your troubles and worries. You can ask any player what it is like to step on a basketball court and I bet they will tell you it’s the best feeling in the world. Basketball really is more than a game, it’s a way of life.
Some players would just give up when it comes to guarding Michael Jordan, they would just let Jordan drive to the basket. More people started to watch the NBA once Michael Jordan went in the league. Jordan’s accomplishments on & off the court make him the ideal poster human. “The attendance at Chicago stadium rose by in 1984-1985 and on the road”. (Encyclopedia Britannica) Michael Jordan wasn’t just and All-Star he was a god to basketball. M.J. was the definition of basketball by the hared-working he made in his career.
Basketball is among the most played sports in the world, accounting for nearly half a billion fans. It would be difficult to find an American who has not heard of the sport's greatest stars such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird. Over the years, basketball has evolved to a more challenging game as it added long distance 3-point shooting, flashy alley-oops, and gravity-defying slam dunks.
In this paragraph I am going to tell you about the history of basketball and who created it and more. James Naismith was the