This was written by me :beerchug: I built it off a post I made.<u>Sidney Moncrief</u>One of the games best perimiter defenders of all time. He was more of an explosive scorer than his 15 per night stats showed. Moncrief could score with the best of them. He is Two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, Four-time All-NBA First Team, Five-time NBA All-Defensive Team, and a Five-time All-Star but yet not many remember who he is.He was so strong and quick he had no choice but to become a good defender. He could bench his body weight plus 30 pounds which not only made him a great interior defender, but made him capable of banging inside with the big men.I remember him most for shutting down Larry Bird as his Milwaukee team swept the Boston Celtics in the semifinals. The Celtics team they swept were one of the best teams in NBA history and Moncrief stopped them.<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>"When you play against Moncrief, you're in for a night of all-around basketball. He'll hound you everywhere you go, both ends of the court. You just expect it."-Michael Jordan</div><u>Walt Frazier</u>A top 5 point guard of all time in my opinion.He was such a great scorer and playmaker that people overlook the fact that he was a top notch defender as well. One of the greatest defensive guards in league history.He was the best player on one of the best teams in history. He dominated Jerry West in the 1970 NBA finals. He frustrated West with his tough defense and unstopable jump shot.Frazier had one of the best stat lines in NBA history. In game 7 of the 1970 NBA finals against the great Laker team that consisted of Jerry West,Elgin Baylor, and Wilt Chamberlian. Frazier scored 39 points, dished out 19 assists, and got 5 steals.Those great numbers are overshadowed because thats the same night Willis Reed surprised the world by limping onto the court with a major leg injury. Had this been any other night people would still be talking about Fraziers amazing performance.<u>Maurice Stokes </u>Is there anything this man couldn't do? He scored,rebounded,and dished out assists at will.He was one of the NBA's best rebounders averaing over 17 boards a game. He did this while being among the NBA's assist leaders and scoring in double figures. He was just a monster who played every game as if it was his last... However one night that statement become true. In the final regular-season game his third year as a pro, the Cincinnati Royals all-star fell to the floor, hit his head and was knocked unconscious. He was revived a few minutes later and actally returned to the gameA few days later the 24-year-old went into a coma and was permanently paralyzed, his career over just as fast as it had started.In 1970 Stokes died of a heart attack. Maurice Stokes was only 36 years old.Bobby Wanzer, who coached and played with him, said, "If things had worked out differently, Maurice would have become one of the top 10 players of all time."<u>Andrew Toney</u>If you looked up the word overshadowed in the dictionary you would see a picture of Andrew Toney. He played on the same 76ers team as greats Moses Malone,Julius Erving,Maurice Cheeks, and for a short while Charles Barkley.He was the complete package. He had very little flaws in his game.The most impressive thing about Toney was his ability to take over in late game situations.He is one of the most clutch players in NBA history yet not many remember who he was. The Celtics actually traded for great defender Dennis Johnson just to guard Toney in the playoffs. Of course it didn't work. He still lit the Celtics up which is why he is called the "Boston Strangler"Current Miami Heat coach Pat Riley once said, "He's the greatest clutch player I've ever seen. The hell with Jerry West!"<u>Reggie Theus</u>He is the definiton of underrated. He was solid and he rarley sat out NBA games because of injury. He was a 2 time NBA all star but his teams leading scorer 6 times. He is overlooked often because he had bad luck when it came to playing for losing teams. He played on some really horrible teams. Heres a shocker for guys who doesn't know who Reggie Theus is. He scored more points than hall of famers Isiah Thomas,Bob McAdoo, and many others. He has more assists than hall of famers Jerry West,Larry Bird,Walt Frazier, and many othersThe guy gets no love. In my opinion he is one of the most underrated players in league history.There are only four players among the top 40 all-time scorers and top 20 all-time assists leaders: Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Isiah Thomas, and ....... Reggie Theus.Career stats:18.6 ppg 4.7 apg 1.2 spg 3.3 rpg and he shot a pretty solid 47% <u>Not to be forgotten:</u>Mark AguirreBernard KingNate ArchibaldArtis GilmoreDennis Johnson
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Stokes' life a tale of tragedy and friendshipBy Bob CarterSpecial to ESPN.com"To see the way he conducted himself, I just stood in awe of him. It got so bad, when I would be having a bad day myself, I would go to see Maurice, selfishly, to say, I want to get pumped up. And he never failed to pump me up," says Jack Twyman.In the 1950s, his ability to beat opponents to rebounds with his muscular body, quickness and positioning was nearly unparalleled. He averaged more than 20 rebounds per game in college, more than 17 in the NBA. He passed well, too, good enough to be among the NBA's assist leaders, and averaged double figures in scoring. Maurice Stokes was one of basketball's best forwards then, one of its least-known stars now. Stokes, 6-foot-7 and 240 pounds, wasn't around long enough to be remembered like many of his peers. In the final regular-season game of the 1957-58 season, his third year as a pro, the Cincinnati Royals all-star fell to the floor, hit his head and was knocked unconscious. Three days later, the 24-year-old went into a coma and was permanently paralyzed, his career over. His life, however, wasn't over, thanks mostly to teammate Jack Twyman, who helped to raise money for his medical expenses and became his legal guardian. Twyman started an exhibition game in Stokes' honor and established the Maurice Stokes Foundation to defray hospital costs. In 1973, three years after Stokes' death, his story was told in the film "Maurie," which starred former football player Bernie Casey. Though few of today's NBA stars know much about Stokes, mid-century players appreciated his game. Bobby Wanzer, who coached and played with him, said, "If things had worked out differently, Maurice would have become one of the top 10 players of all time." Said Twyman: "No one had seen a guy with that combination of strength, speed and size." Stokes, who was born on June 17, 1933 in Rankin, Pa., just outside Pittsburgh, and Twyman had connections early on. They were high school basketball contemporaries in Pittsburgh, and both showed late development on the court. The Stokes family - Maurice, his parents, two brothers and twin sister - moved to the Homewood section of Pittsburgh when he was eight. At Westinghouse High School, Stokes was a two-year starter and the team won back-to-back city championships, but he often was overshadowed by teammates. Though he received 10 basketball scholarship offers, some college coaches thought he was too slow. Twyman, during the same span, failed to make his Central Catholic High School team three times and played only one season before going on to the University of Cincinnati, where he turned into a superb shooter. At St. Francis College in Loretto, Pa., Stokes became a small-college All-American. He averaged 23.3 points and 22.2 rebounds in his junior year as St. Francis went 22-9 and played in the National Invitation Tournament. As a senior, he led the Frankies to fourth place at the 1955 NIT, where he scored 43 points in a 79-73 overtime loss in the semifinals to Dayton and was named the tournament's MVP. In 1997, a media panel voted him to the all-time NIT team. The NBA, Harlem Globetrotters and industrial teams pursued Stokes after his senior season. The Rochester Royals chose Stokes No. 2 overall in the 1955 NBA draft - after Milwaukee picked <Censored> Ricketts of Duquesne - and selected Twyman in the second round. Along with Niagara's Ed Fleming, the Royals' No. 3 pick who was a Westinghouse teammate of Stokes, they drove from Pittsburgh for their first pro training camp. Stokes made an immediate impact, getting 32 points, 20 rebounds and eight assists in his NBA debut. He went on to average 16.8 points in 1955-56 and a league-best 16.3 rebounds, snatching a franchise-record 38 in one game, and was voted the NBA's Rookie of the Year. "The first great, athletic power forward," Bob Cousy said years later. "He was Karl Malone with more finesse." Twyman also became a rookie starter for the Royals and averaged 14.4 points and 6.5 rebounds. In Stokes' second season, he set an NBA record by grabbing 1,256 rebounds (17.4 per game), ranked third in the league in assists with 331 (4.6 average) and scored 15.6 points a game. The Royals moved to Cincinnati before the 1957-58 season, and Stokes finished second in rebounding average (18.1) to Bill Russell, third again in assists (6.4), behind only guards Cousy and <Censored> McGuire, and scored 16.9 points a game. A 35-percent shooter in his three seasons, he averaged 16.4 points, 17.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists. Playing 37 minutes a contest in his 202-game career, he was named second-team all-league each year. "Competitive, hard-nosed, tough," former NBA player and coach Gene Shue described Stokes in 1992. "He was a coach's dream." The dream career ended tragically on March 12, 1958 in Minneapolis when Stokes drove to the basket against the Lakers, drew contact and fell awkwardly to the floor, hitting his head. Knocked out for several minutes, he was revived with smelling salts and returned to the game. Three days later, the Royals lost their playoff opener at Detroit, and after a 12-point, 15-rebound performance, Stokes became ill on the team's flight back to Cincinnati. "I feel like I'm going to die," he told a teammate. When the plane landed, he was taken to a nearby hospital in Covington, Ky., where he remained unconscious for weeks, a quadriplegic. He later was moved to a Cincinnati hospital, his home for six years. Stokes' illness was first diagnosed as encephalitis. Soon, it was traced to the head injury he suffered against the Lakers. The final diagnosis: post-traumatic encephalopathy, a brain injury that damaged his motor control center. When Stokes' family could not afford the medical bills, stepping up to take charge was Twyman, who lived in Cincinnati. "Things had to be done immediately," he said, "and no one was there to do them but me." Twyman worked feverishly. He applied to become his friend's legal guardian and a judge granted the request, enabling Twyman to control Stokes' $9,000 bank account and pay some bills. He filed applications so that Stokes received work injury compensation, which helped with his hospitalization, care and medicine. Later in 1958, Twyman worked to organize an exhibition doubleheader that raised $10,000 for Stokes' expenses. He handled Stokes' mail, including his bills. And though he had a family of his own, Twyman spent countless hours at the hospital with Stokes, who after regaining consciousness could not speak. Twyman communicated by going through the alphabet, letter by letter, until Stokes, who was mentally alert, blinked in recognition. Slowly, the process spelled out words. The brain injury had robbed Stokes of his speech, mobility and independence, but not his spirit. He took on a painful regimen of physical therapy, gradually gaining minimal movement in his limbs and joints. His body sweating, Stokes spent hours receiving treatment from therapists and eventually took small steps down the hospital hallway in braces, his large frame supported by nurses. Though his body suffered spasms and his fingers didn't always go where he wanted, Stokes learned how to type again and how to paint. In a wheelchair, he accompanied Twyman to some of the annual exhibition games in his honor, an event kept alive by Milt Kutsher, who offered up his Catskills resort as a game site. Somehow, after accepting his situation, Stokes kept his sense of humor. "Stokes lived as a symbol of the best that a man is, despite the terrible things which can happen to him," wrote New York Post columnist Milton Gross. "He was a beautiful man who believed that surrender was not the way, even though he couldn't walk, couldn't talk except agonizingly. And he laughed when he should have cried." On April 6, 1970, Stokes died of a heart attack. At his request, he was buried at St. Francis. Maurice Stokes was 36.In September 2004, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.</div>
Great write-up Tony. Another player I'd like to add to that list is Walt Bellamy. 'Bells' played in an era which was dominated by the likes of Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell. Yet his 20 ppg and 14 rpg for his career still showed. One of only 7 NBA players to register more than 20,000 points and grab more than 14,000 rebounds. All-time greats from that list include: Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elvin Hayes, Robert Parish, Moses Malone and Karl Malone. Not bad company if you ask me.
Come on, Reggie Theus a star? He's a nobody.....(Note- SunnyD is only saying that because this is the 6th time he has seen Ballaholic post about Reggie Theus.)You can't forget Adrian Dantley. Or Sean Elliot.
How about Kevin Johnson? Probably one of the most underrated point guards. Didn't get alot of recognition down in Phoenix because he never won a championship. But still, career averages of 18 PPG and 9 APG arent bad. Also shot 49% from the field for his career, thats amazing for a PG.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (BCB @ Apr 5 2006, 01:03 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Reggie Theus wasn't a nobody, he averaged 22/7.5/4 a game.</div>Yes I know, read my post. There was sarcasm. Read the added note.
