Smallthoughts:Old School Tuesday …Gus Johnson

A 6 ft 6 in, 235-pound  forward–center, Gus Johnson spent nine seasons with the Baltimore Bullets, and his final season was split between the Phoenix Suns and the Indiana Pacers of the ABA. One of the first forwards to frequently play above the rim, Johnson combined an unusual blend of strength, jumping ability, and speed; he was one of the first dunk shot artists in

Smallthoughts:Old School Tuesday…Walt Bellamy

In his final college game, Walt Bellamy set Indiana and Big Ten Conference records that still stand with 33 rebounds (and 28 points) in an 82-67 win over Michigan. Bellamy was named an All-American in both his junior and senior year (1960 and 1961). Bellamy was the first Hoosier taken No. 1 in the NBA draft and

Smallthoughts: Old School Tuesday …Wes Unseld

drafted second overall in the first round by the Baltimore Bullets in the 1968 NBA Draft,[1] helping lead the Bullets (who had finished in last place in the Eastern division the previous year) to a 57–25 record and a division title. Unseld averaged 18.2 rebounds per game that year, and became only the second player

Smallthoughts: Old School Tuesday …Elvin Hayes

When people talk about big men in the history of the NBA th name Elvin Hayes rarely comes up yet he was and still one of the best big men in the history of the game. In 1967, he led the Cougars to the Final Four of the 1967 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament.

Smallthoughts: Old school Tuesday …Wes Unseld

The mean scowl, the solid frame, the bone crushing picks that you couldn’t and wouldn’t get around, the rebounds you weren’t going to get out of his hands, and those outlets passes were a thing of beauty, these were the words to the describe Wes Unseld. Unseld was drafted by the Kentucky Colonels in the

Smallthoughts: Old School Tuesday …Earl the Pearl Monroe

His high school teammates at John Bartram High School called him “Thomas Edison” because of the many moves he invented.He was nicknamed both “Earl the Pearl” and “Black Jesus”. He was and is beloved by Knick fans for his play. He toned down his game when he came to New York to be part of