There are certain things we are old enough to remember but
too young to recall.
I recently wrote an NFL column about blowing the minds of
millennials as a middle-aged man (47 years old to be precise):
Let’s just say it piqued my interest to write an NBA version too.
I’m wasn’t born during the Boston Celtics 1957-1969 Boston
Celtics dynasty, they won 11 titles in that span. I am, however,
old enough to remember the Showtime Los Angeles Lakers,
win eight NBA titles in the 1980s along with the Chicago Bulls
winning six NBA titles in eight years.
I’m old enough to remember the butt-hugger shorts, popularized
by Utah Jazz legend John Stockton. I can also remember when
players were not proliferated in tattoos. I remember when
players had hairstyles that varied from Jack Sikma and Kelly
Tripucka sporting the man perm. Then there was Michael
Jordan’s shaved head, Chris Mullin’s flat-top and Shawn Kemp’s
high and tight fade. These days, players have enough tattoos to
look like an overpass. As for the hair, today you see deadlocks,
cornrows and various other braided styles.
OK, millennials, here is a team-by-team version of blowing your
mind:
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division
Philadelphia -- I remember Charles Barkley and Julius Erving
(aka Dr. J) as 76ers. Fact: Barkley last played in the NBA as a
member of the Houston Rockets in 2000. He was a 76er from
1984-1992 and a Phoenix Sun from 1992-1996. Erving, who
was known as Dr. J, played for the 76ers from 1976-1987 along
with the Virginia Squires (1971-1973) and New Jersey Nets
(1973-1976).
Boston -- I remember the 1980s Celtics winning three titles.
Fact: No team has won more NBA championships than Boston
(17). The Celtics are famously known for winning 11 titles in 13
seasons (1957-1969). I can’t claim to remember the Celtics of
that ilk but I remember the 1980s version winning three titles in
six years (1981-1986) headlined by Larry Bird, Kevin McHale
and Robert Parrish.
Brooklyn -- I remember John Calipari as the head coach. Fact:
Calipari is mostly known for his incredible success at the college
level, most notably Massachusetts, Memphis and Kentucky.
Calipari, however, was the head coach of the then New Jersey
Nets from 1996-1999.
New York -- I remember Rick Pitino as the head coach and the
Knicks playing in the NBA Finals. Fact: To be fair, some
millennials remember the Knicks playing in the NBA Finals in
1994 and 1999, losing to Houston and San Antonio respectively.
That knowledge is significant because since 1999, the Knicks
have five playoff appearance and just one series win. Like
Calipari, Pitino is well known for his college coaching career
but tried his hand at the NBA twice (New York 1987-1989;
Boston 1997-2001). Though the Golden State Warriors are
known for changing the game with their 3-point shooting,
Pitino’s Knicks did it before it was en vogue. The 1988-89
Knicks, under coach Rick Pitino, attempted 1,147 3-pointers,
up by more than 400 from the previous league high, and
made 386, to shatter the former standard of 271.
Toronto -- I remember when the Raptors did not exist. Fact:
The Raptors, who won the franchise’s first NBA title in 2018-
2019, entered the NBA in 1995.
Central Division
Milwaukee -- I remember the Bucks winning a playoff series
before the turn of the century. Fact: Since 2001, the Bucks
had four playoff series wins. Two each in 2001 and 2019. The
previous one came in 1989, 3-2 over the Atlanta Hawks.
Indiana -- I remember the Pacers and New York Knicks being
a rivalry. Fact: In 1994 and 1995, the Pacers and Knicks
squared off for two epic playoff series. In the 1994 Eastern
Conference Finals, the Knicks prevail in seven games. In
1995, the Pacers prevailed in seven games. In Game One,
Miller scored nine points in the final 18.9 seconds to lift the
Pacers to a 107-105 win. In those days, Miller and celebrity
Knicks fan Spike Lee had a spirited rivalry.
Detroit -- I remember the late 1980s Bad Boys. Fact: Today’s
NBA is known as free flowing with the number of 3-pointers
being shot rivaling the passes that a gigolo makes at a
nightclub. The Bay Boys Era of the Pistons is known as 1980-
1991 but the Golden Age of that era was from 1987-1990.
The Pistons did not just give hard fouls, they bludgeoned
teams into submission. They were a football team
masquerading as a basketball team.
Chicago -- I remember the Bulls before the 1990s. Fact:
The Bulls won six NBA titles in eight seasons from 1991-
1998. Many people contend Chicago would have won eight
straight had Michael Jordan not retired for two years to play
baseball. The Jordan Era began in 1984. His first three
seasons featured first round losses in the playoffs.
Cleveland -- I feel slightly conflicted here. I remember the
pre-LeBron James Cavaliers but so do some millennials.
Fact: The Cavs drafted the Akron, OH, native in 2003. In
the late 1980s/early 1990s, the Cavs made the postseason
10 times in 14 years from 1985-1998 before missing the
next seven postseasons. The first two of which came after
James was drafted.
Atlantic Division
Charlotte, Miami and Orlando -- I remember when the Heat
and Magic did not exist. Fact: The Miami Heat and Charlotte
Hornets were founded in 1988 and the Orlando Magic one
year later, 1989.
Washington -- I remember them as the Washington Bullets.
Fact: In November 1995, owner Abe Pollin announced he
was changing the team's nickname because “Bullets” had
acquired violent overtones that had made him increasingly
uncomfortable over the years, particularly given the high
homicide and crime rate in the early 1990s in Washington,
D.C. The name change was widely believed to be related
to the assassination of Pollin's longtime friend, Israeli Prime
Minister Yitzhak Rabin.
Atlanta -- I remember the Dominique Wilkins era. Fact: From
1985 to 1989, the Hawks were among the league's elite,
winning 50 games or more each season. They won a division
title in 1986–87 going 57–25 which was a franchise record
that would last until the 2014–15 season. However, the team
could not advance past the semifinals of the Eastern
Conference playoffs, losing to the eventual Eastern
Conference (and in some years, NBA) champions Boston
and Detroit.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Northwest Division
Denver -- I remember the Nuggets playing a triple overtime
game in 1983 against Detroit with both teams combining for
370 points, which Detroit won 186-184. Fact: Doug Moe
coached the Nuggets from 1980-1991. Moe ran virtually no
plays, instead relying on screens, ball movement and cutting
to the basket.
Oklahoma City -- No real stumping points for millennials
since the Thunder were formerly known as the Seattle
Supersonics. The franchise moved to Oklahoma City in
2008. I think millennials will know.
Portland -- I remember the Trailblazers reaching two NBA
Finals in three years, losing to Detroit (4-1 in 1990) and
Chicago (4-2 in 1992). Fact: I was alive when the Blazers
won the NBA title in 1977 but I do not remember since I
was five years old. I do, however, recall several contending
Portland teams with Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler as the
face of the franchise.
Minnesota -- I remember when the Timberwolves did not
exist. Fact: The Timberwolves entered the NBA in 1989.
Utah -- I remember the beginning of the John Stockton and
Karl Malone era. Fact: Some millennials would remember
the latter part of the dynamic duo’s career in Utah, which
ended in 2003. Most millennials, however, were not born
when that era began in 1984.
Pacific Division
Phoenix -- I remember the pre-Kevin Johnson era. Fact:
The Suns endured four straight losing seasons from 1984
-1988. The Suns then acquired Johnson, Mark West and
Tyron Corbin from Cleveland for All-Star Larry Nance and
Mike Sanders. From there, the Suns enjoyed 13 straight
playoff seasons including a trip to the NBA Finals in 1993,
losing 4-2 to Chicago. The height of that time were Suns
teams that featured Johnson, Charles Barkley and Dan
Majerle.
LA Clippers -- I remember them as the San Diego Clippers.
Fact: I was alive when the franchise was known as the
Buffalo Braves (1960-1978) but not in follow basketball
mode. The franchise relocated to San Diego (1978-1984)
before moving to Los Angeles.
LA Lakers -- I remember the Showtime Lakers. Fact:
The millennials remember the Lakers winning five NBA
titles led by Kobe Bryant from 2000-2010. In 1979, the
Lakers drafted Earvin “Magic” Johnson with the first
overall pick from Michigan State. Led by Magic, Kareem
Abdul-Jabaar, James Worthy, Bryon Scott and Michael
Cooper, the Lakers won five NBA titles.
Sacramento -- I remember the Kansas City/Omaha
Kings. Fact: Before moving to Sacramento in 1985, the
Kings called Kansas City their home from 1972-1985.
However, I am not so old that I remember them as the
Rochester Royals (1948-1957) and the Cincinnati
Royals (1957-1972).
Golden State -- I remember the pre-Run TMC Warriors.
Fact: From 1989-1991, the Warriors made the playoffs
twice in three years as the No. 7 seed led by the high
scoring trio of Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris
Mullin, scoring first round upsets over Utah and San
Antonio.
Southwest Division
Dallas -- I remember the early years of the Dallas
Mavericks. Fact: The NBA was reluctant to to expand to
Texas given that the Houston Rockets and San Antonio
Spurs existed. Despite the NBA’s lack of popularity in
the late 1970s, the league expanded to Dallas in 1978.
I was not quite in follow basketball mode yet but unlike
millennials, I remember the Mavericks long before Dirk
Nowitski ever donned an NBA uniform.
San Antonio -- I remember the Spurs before David
Robinson. Fact: Millennials remember Robinson’s last
game being the Spurs beating the New Jersey Nets 4-2
for the NBA title in 2003. Robinson’s retirement ushered
in the triumvirate of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu
Ginolbi being centerpieces to three more Spurs titles
along with Kawhi Leonard. The Spurs currently have a
streak of 22 consecutive playoff appearances but
between 1985-1989, before Robinson’s arrival, the Spurs
were 115-213.
Houston -- I remember the pre-Hakeem Olajuwon era.
Fact: Several millennials recall Olajuwon leading the
Rockets to consecutive titles in 1994-1995. Olajuwon
played from 1984-2001. I vaguely remember the last
couple of years of Moses Malone being the franchise’s
centerpiece.
New Orleans -- I remember them as the original Charlotte
Hornets. Fact: The original Charlotte Hornets entered the
NBA in 1998. In 2002, owner George Shinn relocated the
franchise to New Orleans but because of Hurricane
Katrina damage, the organization temporarily relocated to
Oklahoma City.
Memphis -- I remember them as the Vancouver Grizzlies.
Fact: In all fairness, some millennials recall the Grizzlies
entering the NBA in 1995 when Bryant “Big Country”
Reeves was the franchise’s first draft choice.
No comments:
Post a Comment