Diary of a Basketball Lifer

Celebrating the beautiful game, from every angle

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Happy Days Are Here, Again. 🙌🏼

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Up there with Russell, Cousy, Jones, Havlicek, Cowens, Bird, McHale and Parish 🍀

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The Logo and The Executive with the Most Championships

He is 'the NBA'. He represents the league's identity. As a player, he achieved a great deal:

NBA champion (1972)

NBA Finals MVP (1969)

14× NBA All-Star (1961–1974)

NBA All-Star Game MVP (1972)

10× All-NBA First Team (1962–1967, 1970–1973)

4× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1970–1973)

NBA scoring champion (1970)

NBA assists leader (1972)

NBA anniversary team (35th, 50th, 75th)

But his most championships came when he became an executive for the Los Angeles Lakers and later for the Golden State Warriors. He knew how to build championship teams, he knew how to build dynasties

The only reason he wasn't able to win more as a player was because of Red Auerbach's Celtics, led by Bill Russell. Still, when he finally won his first championship in the 1971-72 season, it set a milestone for the league that would only be surpassed 24 years later by the Chicago Bulls. At the twilight of his career along with Wilt Chamberlain, they led their team to the most wins in a season (69-13), the longest winning streak in a season (33-0), and an NBA championship (West also was named the NBA All-Star MVP that season as well as leading the league in assists)

His contributions to the game of basketball, both on and off the court, cannot be matched or surpassed

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Remembering the Man Who Mowed Down the Sixers

If he hadn't suffered injury in the initial years, he would've reached new heights. His feats in the 1976-77 season alone tell it all

2× NBA champion (1977, 1986)

NBA Finals MVP (1977)

NBA Most Valuable Player (1978)

2× NBA All-Star (1977, 1978)

All-NBA First Team (1978)

2× NBA All-Defensive First Team (1977, 1978)

NBA Sixth Man of the Year (1986)

NBA rebounding leader (1977)

NBA blocks leader (1977)

NBA anniversary team (50th, 75th)

Let's not forget that his team faced a mighty Sixers team that was led by Dr. J, who at the time was at his peak

[basketball-lifer]

You Will be Missed, George McGinnis

"There are players in the Hall of Fame that Big George would eat alive." - Coach Slick Leonard

Farewell, Big George

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Larry is a legend not because of his play, his rings, and his team; he's a legend because he gained the respect of his rivals even if he pushed, punched or elbowed them “Great rivalries don’t have to be built on hatred. They’re built on respect, on a respect for excellence.”

— Mike Krzyzewski

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Pure Magic

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They say: "Heaven is a Playground"

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1994 FIBA World Cup tournament MVP Member of the All-Tournament team Member of the 1994 World Championship Team

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Stanley Lee "Whitey" Von Nieda Jr. was an American professional basketball player and coach. Up until his death, he was the oldest living NBA player

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Baller’s life before streaming 📼 

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Flashback to a time when the most popular player in the 70s played for New York 

The son of Nassau County. The highlight of Rucker Park: Dr. J 

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His record will remain unbeatable...forever

11× NBA champion (1957, 1959–1966, 1968, 1969) with the last two won as a player-coach 

5× NBA Most Valuable Player (1958, 1961–1963, 1965)

12× NBA All-Star (1958–1969)

NBA All-Star Game MVP (1963)

3× All-NBA First Team (1959, 1963, 1965)

NBA All-Defensive First Team (1969)

4× NBA rebounding champion (1958, 1959, 1964, 1965)

NBA anniversary team (25th, 35th, 50th, 75th)

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God’s View

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“I’m walking in the air”

Michael Jordan edition, landing after 11 years

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The New Golden Boy

They had Rick Barry. We have Steph Curry

[basketball-lifer]

Not a super-team