Greatest Frontcourts in NBA History

[La Frescobaldi]

To me, these are the best front lines of all time:

These guys = ferocious grace and skill, true fast breakin' fools:
http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2010/0211/bos_g_80celtics_300.jpg

The guys sitting down in front in this team pic made the most powerful frontline of all time, centered by the greatest player of all time:
http://www.nasljerseys.com/ABA/Images/Sixers/Sixers%2066-67%20Home%20Team.jpg

There's lots of others, Rambis Kareem Worthy... Hondo Russ & Satch........ '83 Sixers... '76 Suns... Shaq Lakers frontline was awesome.... who ya got?

[smush=mvp!]

To me, these are the best front lines of all time:

These guys = ferocious grace and skill, true fast breakin' fools:
http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2010/0211/bos_g_80celtics_300.jpg

The guys sitting down in front in this team pic made the most powerful frontline of all time, centered by the greatest player of all time:
http://www.nasljerseys.com/ABA/Images/Sixers/Sixers%2066-67%20Home%20Team.jpg

There's lots of others, Rambis Kareem Worthy... Hondo Russ & Satch........ '83 Sixers... '76 Suns... Lakers frontline was awesome.... who ya got?


How was the Lakers shaq frontline awesome? Shaq was the only great one, playing with role players like old AC Green, Rick Fox, Medvendenko, Devean George, Samaki Walker, and Robert Horry. In the last year there was Karl Malone, but he was way past his prime too.

[JohnnySic]

Laimbeer/Mahorn/Auguire/Salley/Rodman/Edwards was a great frontline rotation.

[JohnnySic]

Garnett/Shaq/Pierce/Perkins/Jermaine O'Neal/Erden = biggest frontline ever, if they could have stayed healthy :(

[I<3NBA]

2011 Miami Heat should be in the list.

[La Frescobaldi]

How was the Lakers shaq frontline awesome? Shaq was the only great one, playing with role players like old AC Green, Rick Fox, Medvendenko, Devean George, Samaki Walker, and Robert Horry. In the last year there was Karl Malone, but he was way past his prime too.

i hear ya... I thought Rick Fox and D George were just playin their fool heads off, Big Shot Rob slammin and jammin... but yer prolly right on that one tho I do tend to go plumb crazy like huntin season when the playoffs hit

[Whoah10115]

Timmy and Robinson.




And Sean Elliot.





The Celtics have the greatest.




I wish Ewing and Mason's relationship hadn't soured. Prior to the trade, LJ was still great and a better player than Mason, but Mason fit better. He was an integral member of the team and his all-around game really came into its own that 94-95 season. He'd be All-NBA and All-Defense the next year and was great for a while. He should have stayed with the Knicks. To be honest, I say the same about Derek Harper. That starting line-up was the best, on paper, we had. Ewing and even Oakley were a little past their primes, and Starks was being stupid, but we had a team.



A Ewing, Oakley, Mason frontcourt...some of the best defense you'll ever see. And slightly physical.

[smush=mvp!]

I also nominate 84-85 Sixers - Barkley, Moses Malone, Julius Erving, Bobby Jones.

[CavaliersFTW]

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-0yHFkqeDfm0/T1LsHE4XCYI/AAAAAAAADKI/uXOCL96nwBs/s640/Wilt%2520blog%2520pic1.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i8mlFGwmO4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaXHYlPECcc

LA Lakers Wilt Chamberlain... all by himself.





no bias I swear :lol

[La Frescobaldi]

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-0yHFkqeDfm0/T1LsHE4XCYI/AAAAAAAADKI/uXOCL96nwBs/s640/Wilt%2520blog%2520pic1.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i8mlFGwmO4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaXHYlPECcc

LA Lakers Wilt Chamberlain... all by himself.





no bias I swear :lol

Don't forget about Happy Hairston on that tho.... he & Wilt are the only teammates in history to get 1000+ rebounds in a season..... each!!!

Jimmy MacMilian is way underrated on these boards too but he was a real player... another guy lost in the mists of the 70s NBA

[get these NETS]

I also nominate 84-85 Sixers - Barkley, Moses Malone, Julius Erving, Bobby Jones.


absolutely

3 men who be mvps
1 dpoy(minister of defense)
3 hof players


I like this lineup more than celtics big 3

[blablabla]

what about bradley debuscheere lucas and reed

[Whoah10115]

I also nominate 84-85 Sixers - Barkley, Moses Malone, Julius Erving, Bobby Jones.



Good shit.




what about bradley debuscheere lucas and reed



More good shit.

[NumberSix]

http://www.nasljerseys.com/ABA/Images/Sixers/Sixers%2066-67%20Home%20Team.jpg
Ahh yes. Wilt Chamberlain and 13 short white guys. Good times. :lebronamazed:

[La Frescobaldi]

what about bradley debuscheere lucas and reed

man no joke those Knicks teams were incredible!!!

And not only that but check out their 6th Man Forward......... stopping by the office!!!

http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lfa5chjO3O1qzxj7vo1_500.jpg

[get these NETS]

they never won anything

but in regular season for a good run

peja, webber and divac was a pretty good frontcourt

complemented each other pretty well


===========================================

[WillC]

George Mikan, Vern Mikkelsen and Jim Pollard of the Minneapolis Lakers combined to form one of the most dominant front courts in NBA history.

Joe Lapchick and Dutch Dehnert of the Original Celtics basically invented pivot play and were the dominant centers of their era.

Bob Pettit, Cliff Hagan and Ed Macauley of the St. Louis Hawks won a championship by beating Bill Russell's Boston Celtics in the Finals.

[Whoah10115]

Ahh yes. Wilt Chamberlain and 13 short white guys. Good times. :lebronamazed:



13 is pretty close to 5.

[B]

Kareem Worthy Thompson AC Green and Rambis

[La Frescobaldi]

Ahh yes. Wilt Chamberlain and 13 short white guys. Good times. :lebronamazed:

by any chance did you take math lessons from that guy in your picture

[PTB Fan]

Timmy and The Admiral or Parish/Bird/McHale

One of them.

[DaHeezy]

absolutely

3 men who be mvps
1 dpoy(minister of defense)
3 hof players


I like this lineup more than celtics big 3

Yet were owned by the Celtic's big 3.
Sixer's were great but the C's big 3 is the best of all-time

[PTB Fan]

Celtics' front court of the 60's aren't getting love here.

Russell/Sanders/Heinsohn

[get these NETS]

Yet were owned by the Celtic's big 3.
Sixer's were great but the C's big 3 is the best of all-time

do you know the origin of the chant "BEAT LA"?

no google

[PTB Fan]

George Mikan, Vern Mikkelsen and Jim Pollard of the Minneapolis Lakers combined to form one of the most dominant front courts in NBA history.

Joe Lapchick and Dutch Dehnert of the Original Celtics basically invented pivot play and were the dominant centers of their era.

Bob Pettit, Cliff Hagan and Ed Macauley of the St. Louis Hawks won a championship by beating Bill Russell's Boston Celtics in the Finals.

:applause:

The original front courts.

Glad that someone mentioned them.

[CavaliersFTW]

Ahh yes. Wilt Chamberlain and 13 short white guys. Good times. :lebronamazed:

:facepalm That team's starting PF, Luke Jackson, is taller than Dwight Howard... and just as black :roll:

[blablabla]

man no joke those Knicks teams were incredible!!!

And not only that but check out their 6th Man Forward......... stopping by the office!!!

http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lfa5chjO3O1qzxj7vo1_500.jpg
great photo

[wally_world]

BJ Mullens
Biyombo
DJ White

/endthread

[Deuce Bigalow]

http://www.nasljerseys.com/ABA/Images/Sixers/Sixers%2066-67%20Home%20Team.jpg

The guys sitting down in front in this team pic made the most powerful frontline of all time, centered by the greatest player of all time

Michael Jordan isn't in that pic. Nor is Magic, Kareem, or Russell (cases for GOAT).

[t-rex]

Bird, McHale, Parish.


I'm not even sure this is debatable.:confusedshrug:

[Deuce Bigalow]

Ahh yes. Wilt Chamberlain and 13 short white guys. Good times. :lebronamazed:
http://i33.tinypic.com/25q817l.jpg

[Rake2204]

Not nominating them as anywhere close to being the greatest. I'm more or less throwing them out there for the sake of bias and sentimentality. Certainly not a bad frontcourt for their run together.

http://cache2.allpostersimages.com/p/LRG/11/1151/C6OM000Z/posters/ben-wallace-rasheed-wallace.jpg

[CavaliersFTW]

http://i33.tinypic.com/25q817l.jpg

:lol @ Deuce

[L.A. Jazz]

Not nominating them as anywhere close to being the greatest. I'm more or less throwing them out there for the sake of bias and sentimentality. Certainly not a bad frontcourt for their run together.

i just wanted to post about Sheed and Big Ben.
You have to add Tayshaun Prince, Elden Campbell, Mehmet Okur, Corliss Williamson. the Pistons frontline was so deep and they could use all these men against 1 player - named SHAQ - because Karl Malone was injured and all others were scrubs.

[PHILA]

:facepalm That team's starting PF, Luke Jackson, is taller than Dwight Howard... and just as black :roll:


Yes indeed, Big Luke pre-Achilles injury would be the 2nd best C today, Chuck Taylors and all. :applause:


http://i.imgur.com/Vw3Wu.jpg



December 6, 1966

"They are the greatest basketball team ever assembled, "Schaus said casually the other night, realizing he said a mouthful, not to mention made a few more enemies in Boston.

"Only in team defense, and only because of Russell, can Boston match up anywhere. This Philly team shoots and rebounds better than any club Boston ever put on the court. The 76ers have no weakness, none whatsoever.

"Let me give you a breakdown on this club and you judge from there. They say the backcourt is their weakest link, but Greer (Hal) is great on offense, the statistics prove that. Jones (Wally) harasses everyone on defense and Costello (Larry) is steady and a good teacher for the rookies, Goukas (Matt) and Melchionni (Bill).

"I don't think anyone would argue with their front line. They have three great (not good, but great) rebounders in addition to Chamberlain in Walker (Chet), Cunningham (Billy) and Jackson (Luke).

"With this rebounding power, they can be free-wheelers on offense. Like Cunningham, he shoots from all over. So he misses a few. A teammate will get the rebound, most likely.

"With this strength up front, they can jam the middle on defense. This is the thing to do in pro basketball, to take away the drive and the close-range shots. That's why Russell is so great, but he doesn't have the help Wilt does."

Philadelphia is shooting 48 percent as a team, which is well above the NBA record of .459. Boston never shot over 44 percent. "There are so many great shooters at Philly, you can't stop 'em all," moans Schaus.






Lock Haven Express - January 27, 1968

76er Luke Jackson Makes Eyeballs Pop

"When Luke Jackson goes up for a rebound and shakes coming off the boards he makes a lot of eyeballs pop in an important place—the other team."

Coach Alex Hannum was talking about his six-foot-nine-inch forward after the Philadelphia 76ers defeated Cincinnati 123-113 Friday night to boost their Eastern Division lead in the National Basketball Association to three games over runner up Boston.The Celtics lost at home to the Los Angeles Lakers, 118-112.

Jackson had turned in another of his patented consistent performances, scoring 21 points, and dragging down 12 rebounds. He bagged 12 of those points in a third period 76ers surge which broke the game open.

Hannum said of the former U. S. Olympic basketball star, "He has done a consistently great job of helping this team win basketball games. Luke gives us the power our team is famous for. Working with Wilt Chamberlain at center and Chet Walker or Billy Cunningham at the other forward, he gives us an awesome front line."

The 76ers led the Royals 58-56 at halftime and were having a tough time shaking Oscar Robertson and Company. Jackson hit an 18-foot jump shot to start the third period, and added 10 more points in a surge which carried Philadelphia to an 85-69 edge. Cincinnati never did recover.

"What makes his performance even more significant," said Hannum, "is that Jackson is playing out of position. He's really a center. His case is the same as I had at San Francisco with Nate Thurmond and Wilt Chamberlain. Thurmond had to play forward and I believe that year helped him become a better center."

The 76ers coach said Jackson could be a starting center on most NBA teams. "Luke is going to realize great fame in this league," said Hannum, "and it will be as a center," he added.

Hannum described Jackson as heir apparent to Chamberlain when the seven-one Chamberlain decides to call it a career. He noted also that he had voted for Jackson as a member of the NBA's East All-Star team. "I felt Luke was a player who would help me in that ball game from an unselfish point of view."

Jackson is considered a rugged performer under the backboard, feared by opponents probably only second to Chamberlain. When the two go up together, you expect the floor to cave in.

One NBA official offered a good description of what Jackson must look like to an opponent when he said recently:

"When Jackson comes out in his warmup suit I feel like charging him with a personal foul."




Christian Science Monitor - Mar 16, 1966

"We can hope for a Philadelphia loss, but I personally think the 76ers will win their last three games," said K.C. Jones. "But if we don't catch Philadelphia during the regular season, I think can in the playoffs."

"Physically, the 76ers have the most powerful front court in pro basketball," Jones continued. They play a wide-open game, patterned very much after what the Celtics do. "

"Philadelphia has gambled a lot this year on defense and, because they know if their man gets away from them, Chamberlain will pick him up. They also shoot often and without fear, because they know that if they miss, Wilt will probably get the rebound. "Schayes [Coach Dolph Schayes] has put in alot of plays this season which compliment the shooting ability of Chamberlain, Walker, Greer, Cunningham, and Jackson. There are times when the 76ers will clear out one whole side of the court just so that Cunningham can go one-on-one."

Mel Counts has a theory as to why the Celtics are only winning their games by an average of four points this year, where last season they consistently won by eight. "Rivals play the way we used to," Counts explained. "Against teams which hit the boards well, like Philadelphia and Baltimore, we're in trouble if we don't score with our shot. Someone like Chamberlain or Johnny Green crashes the boards and there is no one like Heinsohn around to help Russell tap in the rebound."







Even Gambee was an excellent defensive player, as noted by his lockdown defense on HOF forward Rick Barry. On another team he would surely have seen more court time. And he was certainly not a stiff or "scrawny" as forum members here have declared the players of that era. :no:



Nov 25, 1966

http://i.imgur.com/iK96X.png





http://i.imgur.com/e4VRG.png

[swi7ch]

duncan (GOAT PF) + robinson (top 10 center of all time)

[CavaliersFTW]

[QUOTE=PHILA]Yes indeed, Big Luke pre-Achilles injury would be the 2nd best C today, Chuck Taylors and all. :applause:


http://i.imgur.com/Vw3Wu.jpg



December 6, 1966

"They are the greatest basketball team ever assembled, "Schaus said casually the other night, realizing he said a mouthful, not to mention made a few more enemies in Boston.

"Only in team defense, and only because of Russell, can Boston match up anywhere. This Philly team shoots and rebounds better than any club Boston ever put on the court. The 76ers have no weakness, none whatsoever.

"Let me give you a breakdown on this club and you judge from there. They say the backcourt is their weakest link, but Greer (Hal) is great on offense, the statistics prove that. Jones (Wally) harasses everyone on defense and Costello (Larry) is steady and a good teacher for the rookies, Goukas (Matt) and Melchionni (Bill).

"I don't think anyone would argue with their front line. They have three great (not good, but great) rebounders in addition to Chamberlain in Walker (Chet), Cunningham (Billy) and Jackson (Luke).

"With this rebounding power, they can be free-wheelers on offense. Like Cunningham, he shoots from all over. So he misses a few. A teammate will get the rebound, most likely.

"With this strength up front, they can jam the middle on defense. This is the thing to do in pro basketball, to take away the drive and the close-range shots. That's why Russell is so great, but he doesn't have the help Wilt does."

Philadelphia is shooting 48 percent as a team, which is well above the NBA record of .459. Boston never shot over 44 percent. "There are so many great shooters at Philly, you can't stop 'em all," moans Schaus.






[I]Lock Haven Express - January 27, 1968

76er Luke Jackson Makes Eyeballs Pop

"When Luke Jackson goes up for a rebound and shakes coming off the boards he makes a lot of eyeballs pop in an important place

[Round Mound]

http://reelsportsnotes.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/ap_parish_bird_mchale_080603_ssh.jpg

[(e)]

Ahh yes. Wilt Chamberlain and 13 short white guys. Good times. :lebronamazed:

nikka you color blind? :biggums:

[PHILA]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWVi0EtJcZg&t=13m50s
Jackson as a rookie


http://i.imgur.com/MyPDt.png



Billy C as well as Wilt have acknowledged him as the key to the '67 championship team for his individual sacrifice, playing what was originally considered out of position only to set a standard for many others in future decades. The players voted him the best rookie from 1964-65, while the sports writers gave it to Willis Reed. He led the US to a Gold Medal in '64 and was the key member of not only the best team but also the very best & most physically imposing front court in the history of professional basketball. What a luxury it was to team with a guy like Luke Jackson who could block shots and muscle with the centers down low and also have the footwork to step out and guard a smaller forward.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R9GatatVAg#t=1m18s

As noted by Goodrich above, he could have been a definite HOFer had he remained healthy and been able to effectively return from his Achilles rupture (which he likely would have with the modern treatments available to players today). Jackson definitely sacrificed individual game by shifting to the F position. As a rookie before Wilt's arrival he was at 14.8 rebounds in ?? minutes (34.1 for the entire season). While his minutes were reduced the following three seasons, I am interested in seeing his (and Wilt's) offensive rebounding average. Unfortunately he never had a full healthy season playing without Chamberlain.



The Telegraph - Jan 15, 1965

http://i.imgur.com/ERHPF.png




Reading Eagle - Dec 14, 1980 (http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Ht4hAAAAIBAJ&sjid=G6EFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4174,2679646&dq)

"When he went for a rebound, he instilled the fear of God in people."

"Luke Jackson was the ultimate power forward. That's because he created the position. He had power and could rebound, but he also had grace and could shoot. He could have been a great center, but he adapted his game to become a forward. He was a hustling intelligent player. I think we complimented each other's abilities very well."


November 19, 2008 (http://www.lasvegassun.com/blogs/now-and-then/2008/nov/19/rembering-lucious-jackson-pride-pan-american/)

Yeah, I know the Luke Jackson from Oregon, the one who plays for the Trail Blazers, can handle the ball and shoot it a little bit. But he didn't have a bald head, sweat like a coal miner and pound the backboards as if they were tough cuts of meat that needed tenderizing.

With all due respect to former Pistons center Otto Moore, Luke Jackson was the best basketball player ever produced by Texas-Pan American. When he played, it was just Pan American, though. I remember that's what it said on my basketball card.

When I was a kid, I would soak a sweatband with water before we played basketball, thinking that when I stood at the free throw line, it would help me sweat droplets that would fall onto the court, like Wilt Chamberlain.

Some kids dreamed about scoring 100 points like Wilt. My goal was to have a guy with a towel run onto the court to wipe up my perspiration when play switched to the other end.




Christian Science Monitor - Apr 18, 1968

Even when 6 ft. 9 in. Luke Jackson of the Philadelphia 76ers has a big scoring game, which is basically not his job, the superlatives invariably go to someone else.

Chances are no one is ever going to how great Jackson is until Wilt Chamberlain quits and Luke becomes the 76ers' No. 1 center. Jackson, right now, could probably start in the pivot for any rival NBA team except Boston and San Francisco, which have their own super centers in Bill Russell and Nate Thurmond.

"I think that is a safe assumption," said Philadelphia Coach Alex Hannum. "Luke is going to realize great fame in this league some day and it will be as a center." Jackson will still be young enough Chamberlain retires to make a name for himself. "Luke is a very unselfish ballplayer," Hannum continued. "He is not a fellow you can rate by looking at the box score. He does a different job, like blocking out, rebounding, and playing tough defense. And he's more valuable than plenty of high scorers in this league." Through no fault of his own Jackson has been cast as a spear carrier for Chamberlain, blocking out under the boards while Wilt goes for the rebound. The fact that Luke has been a starting forward for three years on a team which has a Billy Cunningham and a Johnny Green (and for a while a Dave Gambee) tells a great deal about Jackson's agility.

While Luke is not a scorer in the sense that Chet Walker and Elgin Baylor are scorers, he has enough of an outside shot so he has to be guarded.

Hannum has Chamberlain in the middle to get him the ball, the high-scoring forward on one side in Walker, and the tough defensive cornerman on the other in Jackson. Wally Jones, who brings the ball up the floor for the 76ers, is a playmaker who can also score. Hal Greer, who plays beside Jones, is one of the game's great shooters.

Jackson is also a player who reacts well to pressure situations. In the fourth game of this years Eastern Division playoffs between Boston and Philadelphia Celtics' Coach Bill Russell brought in Wayne Embry to help him cool off Chamberlain. It was a gamble because it left Luke unguarded maybe 15 feet away from the basket, but still unguarded. If the 76ers decided to give Jackson the ball, he could shoot unhurried and unbothered.

Luke turned Russell's gamble into a disaster for Boston by hitting his next four shots. It was the kind of insurance you can't buy from Lloyd's of London. "What Jackson did won the game for us," Hannum said. "But because the man was not guarded, everyone acted like he should have done it - that this kind of thing would be routine for any player."

[blablabla]

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn200/nbacardDOTnet/Special%20Classified/94-95%20Emotion%20Foil/robinsonrodman.jpg

[La Frescobaldi]

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn200/nbacardDOTnet/Special%20Classified/94-95%20Emotion%20Foil/robinsonrodman.jpg
Those guys were amazing, and D Rod may be the most inspirational player to his teammates of the last generation

Timmy Dunkin & The Admiral were real fierce too.

But nobody has thought about these guys?

http://www.thetallestman.com/images/ralphsampson/ralphsampson%20(3).jpg

[nbacardDOTnet]

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn200/nbacardDOTnet/zz%20NBA%20Photo%20Gallery/y%20NBA%20etc/6avi_000002958.jpg


http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn200/nbacardDOTnet/Special%20Classified/94-95%20Emotion%20Foil/robinsonrodman.jpg

haha That's what I uploaded. nice find. =)

[Rake2204]

Those guys were amazing, and D Rod may be the most inspirational player to his teammates of the last generation

Could you elaborate on what you may mean by this? I believe he was a lot of things, but beyond his Detroit days (where he was still knowingly troubled, but quieter about it and thus maintaining more of a focus from others on his game) I don't recall teammates being particularly inspired by Dennis Rodman. In fact, it often seemed to be the opposite. They respected everything about his basketball ability, but they had to do so while trying to ignore everything else about him.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWVi0EtJcZg&t=13m50s
Jackson as a rookie
That's actually pretty clear and vibrant footage. Nice.

[CavaliersFTW]

Could you elaborate on what you may mean by this? I believe he was a lot of things, but beyond his Detroit days (where he was still knowingly troubled, but quieter about it and thus maintaining more of a focus from others on his game) I don't recall teammates being particularly inspired by Dennis Rodman. In fact, it often seemed to be the opposite. They respected everything about his basketball ability, but they had to do so while trying to ignore everything else about him.


That's actually pretty clear and vibrant footage. Nice.
Thanks, I actually restored the contrast and clarity in Adobe After Effects. And unlike 90% of 1960's footage (including many games which were "commentated" after they were filmed, and not played back at full speed) it is played back in real-time.

Watch the whole thing if you haven't already. Very insightful window to the 1960's basketball. The person talking and giving the insight is the LA Lakers coach, and he talks about the players on his Lakers roster, some of their competition, and some of the NBA's offensive and defensive team strategies.

There is some seriously impressive highlights of those players that reveal more skill and athleticism than present day NBA fans expect. Some of those players moves are crazy good. Off the top of my head, the 6'2 Lakers (white guy) point guard does a post spin and fake that is full blown Olajuwon. He also dunks with ease after controlling a tip off and beating the defense down the floor... Rookie Willis Reed also stood out with some very impressive athleticism.

http://youtu.be/ZWVi0EtJcZg :cheers:

6:26 for Kings post-move...

[Owl]

Not nominating them as anywhere close to being the greatest. I'm more or less throwing them out there for the sake of bias and sentimentality. Certainly not a bad frontcourt for their run together.

http://cache2.allpostersimages.com/p/LRG/11/1151/C6OM000Z/posters/ben-wallace-rasheed-wallace.jpg
On a similar basis
Laimbeer, Edwards, Mahorn, Salley, Dantley/Aguirre and Rodman, is probably worth a mention just for the ridiculous depth.

[jlauber]

How good were the 72-73 Lakers front court of McMillian, Bridges, and Chamberlain? And had Happy Hairston not blown out his knee early in the season, that Laker team may have repeated.

Think about this...that Laker team wiped out a Warrior front court in the WCF's, 4-1, that had murdered Kareem's front line in the previous round, 4-2. The Warriors had a front line of little known Clyde Lee, who was game's premier rebounding PF at the time (and who was the leading rebounder in the Buck series), streaking shooting Cazzie Russell, HOFer Rick Barry, and the great Nate Thurmond.

A 36 year old Chamberlain outshot Thurmond (who had held Kareem to .428 shooting in the previous round) .550 to .398, and POUNDED him on the glass, 23.6 rpg to 17.2 rpg.

I was at game three in Oakland...a blowout win by LA, 126-70. Chamberlain dominated the ENTIRE Warrior front court in that game.

[La Frescobaldi]

Could you elaborate on what you may mean by this? I believe he was a lot of things, but beyond his Detroit days (where he was still knowingly troubled, but quieter about it and thus maintaining more of a focus from others on his game) I don't recall teammates being particularly inspired by Dennis Rodman. In fact, it often seemed to be the opposite. They respected everything about his basketball ability, but they had to do so while trying to ignore everything else about him.

I was talking about purely on the court!! lol

Even the outrageous hair-dos had their impact by getting into a guy's head a little bit. If somebody misses a basket because they can't see the hoop due to the day-glo.... D Rod has done his job!

But Rodman was crazy crazy inspiration for his teammates, goin horizontal after loose balls, facing down Shaquille O'Neal, playing lockdown defense when needed on Magic Johnson (!), rebounding like a total maniac - he truly was the whole defensive package and every player in the NBA knew it.......

Just think about Horry leaping to the ceiling with excitement from a beautiful D Rod transition pass, or Dumars in a frenzy of defense inspired out of his brain by a Rodman stop and you can remember what it is I'm saying there.... here's a little interview with the great JD of him talking about Dennis:
*******************************************
{KL is Keith Langois of Pistons.com}

http://www.nba.com/pistons/features/dumars_110216.html

KL: Another story from last week. The Pistons announced that Dennis Rodman’s number would be retired. To fans under 30 who don’t remember what he was all about, they might look at the stats and wonder if he was really that good. Talk about the impact he had on your Pistons teams.

JD: First of all, it’s a very well-deserved honor for him to have his number retired. He was certainly one of the all-time great Pistons. A two-time world champion here, two-time Defensive Player of the Year and an integral part of what we did here, the success we had. He is truly the only player that I know that not only could guard all five positions, but did, and did it as one of the best in the game to do it. He guarded Magic Johnson, he guarded Hakeem Olajuwon, he guarded David Robinson, he guarded Karl Malone, he guarded Michael Jordan, he guarded Bird. He guarded ones, twos, threes, fours and fives. I can’t think of anybody else who did that, and not only did it but was great at it.

KL: He might have guarded more Hall of Famers than anyone in history.

JD: Absolutely. And if you go back and look at it, I’m telling you, Rodman was just incredible.

KL: When you think about the NBA game and guys who didn’t need the ball in their hands to dominate, Dennis Rodman and Ben Wallace would be on anybody’s short list, wouldn’t they?

JD: I think they’re two of the top five guys who have ever done it like that. Great, great players, who didn’t need the ball, never had plays called for them and dominated play and had a tremendous impact in the game.

KL: He was a rookie in your second year. What were your first impressions of Rodman when he came to training camp that year?

JD: My second year I knew him as Debra Rodman’s little brother. Rodman’s older sister, who I knew, played at Louisiana Tech. She was an All-American there and he was just her little brother. And I knew her from way back in college and I knew that was her little brother and when he came, I was like, “Oh, that’s Debra’s little brother.” So that’s how I knew Dennis Rodman – Debra’s little brother.

KL: What were your impressions when he first got out on the court and started running around?

JD: Incredible athlete. Incredible energy. The kind of guy who is going to help you win a lot of games. Just a unique, different, incredible individual to play with.

’ KL: Did you guys know that about him right away? A lot of veterans on that team, not easily impressed.

JD: Immediately. Because Dennis did stuff on the court that nobody else could do and wanted to do. Dennis was diving over chairs and sliding all over the floor and running balls down – the guy was truly just incredible.
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