That's kinda ridiculous, since the Celtics had the first all-Black starting five in '64, and the very best players in the country (black or white), who were eligible to be drafted, were in the NBA and not the Rucker League.
Kareem's Open Letter To Pippen For His Comments About Lebron...
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That's kinda ridiculous, since the Celtics had the first all-Black starting five in '64, and the very best players in the country (black or white), who were eligible to be drafted, were in the NBA and not the Rucker League.
yes a lot of good players had to play at the rucker
only the best of the best got to play in the nba...since there weren't that many slots for them...
which is the point
That's the point, there were only so many NBA slots. The Kwame Brown's and Adam Morrisons couldn't get a spot in the NBA, teams weren't waiting on players to develop the fundamentals. Only the best of the best played in the NBA, the rest went to the Rucker or other basketball leagues.
For the record lets stop acting like those slots were ONLY based on skill. It wasn't about being the best on the court it was about off the court as well. If they felt that a player would not a "good boy" he wasn't making it to the league and this came from one of the original cat who could not get in the league. If people think it was simply based on talent you clearly aren't aware of the times in our country back then.
For the record, everyone talks about how much better the athletes are now as opposed to then, etc. So, take all of the supplements, amenities, and exposure you have now, bring Wilt's athleticism from back then to today, combine the two by giving him the same advantages the athletes today have, and tell me he wouldn't STILL do what he did then!?!?! He was a much better athlete then than a lot of Pro athletes are now, without the advantages... If you want to make a far comparison.. Just saying... 
For the record, everyone talks about how much better the athletes are now as opposed to then, etc. So, take all of the supplements, amenities, and exposure you have now, bring Wilt's athleticism from back then to today, combine the two by giving him the same advantages the athletes today have, and tell me he wouldn't STILL do what he did then!?!?! He was a much better athlete then than a lot of Pro athletes are now, without the advantages... If you want to make a far comparison.. Just saying...
exactly
no knuckleheads
Nah I'm not talking about that. This isn't something I heard from some blog. This was from JoJo White from the Celtics who grew up in that era, even though he didnt play in it. He said older dudes told him that basically if you didn't play up to massa you weren't getting to the league. Cats like Russell were so good they tolerated him "speaking out". Seriously do you REALLY think it was all about talent back then? Come on man.
You can count all the teams because players start their careers with every team-- usually a bad one or at least one having a down stretch.
You can't say we're not counting the Cavs because the Cavs stink. As I said in my last post, look where LeBron ended up and which franchise he totally turned around.
Russell played on a team full of hall of famers and his legacy is very dependent on that. You throw him on Cleveland and that 11 championships shit is out the window. You can't just assume him onto a top eight team just because it's the only way he can even approach his reputation and thus the only way you can argue in his favor if championships is your unit of measurement.
Kareem's argument is weak and passive in that he is arguing in favor of Wilt in order to build himself up. Kareem did not even like Wilt Chamberlain and has called him a "crybaby" etc in the past. Kareem is mad that people never really mention him in the greatest of all time discussion and he is just stirring up some shit.
If rings mean everything then Robert Horry is better than Jordan, Barkley, Karl Malone, Lebron, etc.
And the all time leading scorer title loses a lot of its luster when you consider that Kareem played until he was like 41 years old. If Jordan would have played as long as Kareem he would be way ahead of him on the all time scoring list.
The 50's- 60's NBA was slow and teams shot horrible field goal percentages, most teams shot right under 40% from the field. It was a field day for big men especially exceptionally talented ones like Wilt and Russel to put up those crazy rebounding numbers.
Kareem never averaged 30 or more points a game after the 75 season and his numbers went down every year after that. This was way before Magic came to the Lakers,Kareem was still taking most of the shots and was in his physical prime.
His drop off was due to the fact that the NBA changed a lot in the mid 70's after the merger with the ABA. The merger expanded the league, introduced new talent and sped up the pace of the game. Before the merger beasts like Moses Malone, Julius Erving, George Gervin and David Thompson were not even playing in the NBA.
The three point line, slam dunk contest etc. the merger permanently changed the NBA style of play. Kareem was there to see the newer era and also saw his dominant stats he had in his early Milwaukee years drop off. Kareem was a great player but he more than likely would not have dominated like he did in this era or Jordan's era.
If rings mean everything then Robert Horry is better than Jordan, Barkley, Karl Malone, Lebron, etc.
And the all time leading scorer title loses a lot of its luster when you consider that Kareem played until he was like 41 years old. If Jordan would have played as long as Kareem he would be way ahead of him on the all time scoring list.
The 50's- 60's NBA was slow and teams shot horrible field goal percentages, most teams shot right under 40% from the field. It was a field day for big men especially exceptionally talented ones like Wilt and Russel to put up those crazy rebounding numbers.
Kareem never averaged 30 or more points a game after the 75 season and his numbers went down every year after that. This was way before Magic came to the Lakers,Kareem was still taking most of the shots and was in his physical prime.
His drop off was due to the fact that the NBA changed a lot in the mid 70's after the merger with the ABA. The merger expanded the league, introduced new talent and sped up the pace of the game. Before the merger beasts like Moses Malone, Julius Erving, George Gervin and David Thompson were not even playing in the NBA.
The three point line, slam dunk contest etc. the merger permanently changed the NBA style of play. Kareem was there to see the newer era and also saw his dominant stats he had in his early Milwaukee years drop off. Kareem was a great player but he more than likely would not have dominated like he did in this era or Jordan's era.
wtf???
You disagree with which part on what basis?
Russell came out of college as one of the greatest players in college history. He'd just won back-to-back NCAA titles, and 55 games in a row, while revolutionizing the game with his defensive style (and averaging 20-20). The Celtics traded TWO future HOFers to get him from St.Louis (after he was drafted #2 overall by them). He was a WINNER from Day One and wasn't created by a "team full of HOFers." He MADE HOFers. Dude came within an eyelash of winning 13 Titles in 13 years. There's no other NBA player who can even remotely compare to him as far as performance and accomplishments go.
If Russell were drafted by the Rochester Royals or St. Louis Hawks, would he even remotely compare to himself as a Celtic as far as performance and "accomplishments" go?
One also has to take into consideration that with more teams will come watered-down competition. The reason the Stilt gets 50/game is because there were no bums in the league back then. It was harder to double-team when everybody on the floor had a 15-foot jumper. Dwight Howard gets double- and sometimes triple-teamed because his entire squad can't reliably shoot. (let's not even discuss ball movement.) Quite a few guys playing today couldn't make a roster back in the day. We might have better physical specimens now, but most guys today are severely one-dimensional, and in possession of low Basketball IQs.
Exactly.....
From what I understand there was some unspoken quota of how many blacks could play in the league.
I think Wilt might have been a better scorer per se based on sheer numbers. But really...look at those old films....
Those white boys don't even look like rec league material.
There was a prevailing thought that black people couldn't dribble and run with a basketball at the same time...(Imagine that??)
Why not??? The Celtics were a .500 team when he got there. He turned them into champs.
Pee Wee Kirkland would give it to Lebron.
man i hate wilt, that nigga aint shit
i couldve been an nba all star back in his days guarantee!
and plus wilt was abusing all these short ass white men
only comp was bill russel
i couldve been an nba all star back in his days guarantee!
and plus wilt was abusing all these short ass white men
only comp was bill russel
was deeper? the talent at the Center position was at an all time high during the Jordan era. Wilt has Russel, that's it, or 6'7" wanna be centers. Shaq played with Ewing, Olajuwon, Mourning, Robinson, Duncan, Yao, Mutombo and others. Wilt would've had a tough time with them.
I guess you never heard of Thurmond, Bellamy, Reed, Lanier, Embry and Zelmo Beaty, among others. All of whom had to face each other (and Wilt and Russell) a DOZEN times a year in a 9, 12 or 16--team league. Unlike those you mentioned above who only had to face each other a couple of times a year in a 30-team league (which was otherwise full of watered-down competition).
Dumbass.
They couldn't shoot back in the day at all. Double teams were illegal during that era too.
Actually, they shot much better since they didn't pad their stats with stupid-ass, showboating slamdunks. EVERYONE had to have an outside shot of one sort or another.
exactly!
why are peopel so stupid? do they do this on purpose?
even as a child when i watched ol' school basketball i can clearly see that wilt hardly had any comp
he didnt average 50 pts a game cuz he was that good
in reality is because the majority was that bad
No, because Pippen's comments were public, so Kareem's should be as well.
Wilt unfortunately isn't able to speak for himself.
I've been disgusted by the disrespect of basketball pre Magic and Bird myself.
Just like dudes get upset when young dudes say Lil Wayne is the best. You quickly correct them.
Yes, verrrry quickly correct them! 
Pee Wee Kirkland would give it to Lebron.
Joe Hammond would and have given it to Pee Wee Kirkland (Paws)
So that must explain all of Jordan's success too, right?? His 37 PPG was nearly the equivalent of Wilt's 50 PPG, given his team's (and the league's) average PPG. Jordan scored 35% of his team's points (104.8 PPG), and Wilt 40% (of his team's 125 PPG).
Wilt was the greatest athelete the nba has ever seen.He was a great track athelete the man ran a 4.5 forty yard dash he ran the 440 in 49 seconds could high jump 6'9 and throw the shot put 54-56 feet.Also was a great volleyball player maybe the best ever.All this from a person who was 7'1 he could take you inside or outside could shoot the ball out to 20 feet.He led the league in assist from the center position.They changed rules because of Wilt what other player was so dominant they had to change the rules?Then we get into this he played against nobody well let's see Kareem,Unseld,Thurmond,Cowens,Reed,Russell,Bellamy and Lanier were all hall of famers.4 of them are on the top 50 list of all-time.I mean how many of y'all heard of Walter Dukes he was a 7 footer and a dominant college player in the 50's.He averaged 4 points a game in the NBA.Wilt had skills you will never see from a big man again.If he played today who would stop him Dwight Howard Jokim Noahhow about Dalembert or Gasol or Bynum You have to be kidding me all of those players are limited with what they can do.Look I use to think wilt played against a bunch of stiff's as well and thought Jordan was the greatest.But when I did research listen to basketball people who will give you the truth like a Sonny Hill on sunday mornings on WIP in Philly.Saw film and read books and talked to people who saw him play and also know the game he was the baddest thing the NBA ever saw.You will never see another Wilt.Wilt played against Kareem who played against Olajuwon who played against Shaq.Kareem should know considering he played 20 years and played against different era of big men.Kareem and Moses Malone are two of the most underappreciated stars ever.Someone said Kareem's numbers went down after the 1976 season that is true but he was 7 years in the league and also with the lakers he did have Adrian Dantley,Norm Nixon and Silk Wilkes all of them were big time scorers.
Jokim Noahhow about Dalembert or Gasol or Bynum You have to be kidding me all of those players are limited with what they can do.Look I use to think wilt played against a bunch of stiff's as well and thought Jordan was the greatest.But when I did research listen to basketball people who will give you the truth like a Sonny Hill on sunday mornings on WIP in Philly.Saw film and read books and talked to people who saw him play and also know the game he was the baddest thing the NBA ever saw.You will never see another Wilt.Wilt played against Kareem who played against Olajuwon who played against Shaq.Kareem should know considering he played 20 years and played against different era of big men.Kareem and Moses Malone are two of the most underappreciated stars ever.Someone said Kareem's numbers went down after the 1976 season that is true but he was 7 years in the league and also with the lakers he did have Adrian Dantley,Norm Nixon and Silk Wilkes all of them were big time scorers.
Yea u right
Stromile swift would have 3 rings in the 90s
He woulda been the next Shawn kemp.
This.
very true
Thank You for the REAL truth! Humans will be Human! LOL
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