6. All rights reserved. The Top Ranked Basketball Players of the 1970's He averaged 21+ points, 6+ rebounds, and 5+ assists per game in the 1970s, in the process earning nine All-Star selections, making seven All-NBA and All-Defensive teams, and winning two titles. One of the most ebullient personalities to ever play in the NBA, Johnsons charm was a major factor in the massive increase in the leagues popularity during the 1980s. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. After coming over from the ABA in 1976, Gervin led the NBA in scoring three times during the decade, doing so in consecutive years from 1978-1980. $179.99. Player/Athlete:. Note: We wanted guys who brought it for an extended period of time, so the bar was set at 20,000 minutes, the equivalent of 25 minutes per game, 80 games per season for 10 seasons. He pulled down 14 rebounds per game from 1970-1980, and any game that he finished without a double-double was a rarity.. Part of the merger agreement was the settlement of the Oscar Robertson lawsuit, which ended the dreaded reserve clause. Dugan has called him the best player he's ever coached. Though he was a great offensive player, Cowens made his biggest impact on defense, being named to three All-Defensive teams in his career. His ability to rebound as just a 64 guard was tremendous, averaging six boards per game for his 13-year run in the league. Cowens was known for his intensity that could get him in trouble with some fights. This was the period of time that reallyhelped build the foundation to sneakers as we know it today. 12. Ranking Explanations . 17 Reasons why Jordan is greater than Lebron, 16 Reasons why Lebron is greater than Jordan, The 18 greates Coaches in College Football History, The Top 21 Offensive Linemen in NFL History, The Top 10 Seattle Mariners of all Time, 19 undeniable Lies in Disney's Remember the Titans, If you enjoy hearing from the legends of pro sports, then be sure to tune into The Grueling Truth sports shows, Where the legends speak. Oscar Robertson versus Russell Westbrook? Parish was able to stick around for so long because of his great talent as a basketball player, making nine All-Star teams during his career as well as winning four NBA championships. (LogOut/ Top 10 NBA Players of the 1970s - The Grueling Truth Ranking the top 10 players of the 1970s TGT Tips! He won six MVPs during his career, tied for the most all-time, and was also a six-time NBA champion. Malone was the league's best player in 1981-82 by nearly every metric. He was also a double-double machine, averaging over 12 rebounds per game for the decade. Gambling Problem? And while his free throw routine may have looked silly to some, it worked like a charm; Barrys 91.3 percent free throw percentage was the best of anyone in the decade by over seven percentage points. Hockey. The most notable of his scoring feats came on March 2, 1962, when he put up an astounding 100 points in a game, an NBA record that will likely never be broken. In fact, Hubie Browns Atlanta Hawks attempted just 75 three-pointers all season (making just 13). After the 1976 ABA-NBA merger, team owners hoped salaries would normalize. 1. As a sophomore, he led the "Flying Clouds" to . Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. -- Flannery. debates. Lets pick a winner in every mens college basketball conference tournament. [7] The following is the 196970 Academic All-America Men's Basketball Team as selected by CoSIDA: Members of the 1970 Consensus All-America first team. Oh jeez, this guy. reserve clause similar to that which existed in Major League Baseball. 9 Noteworthy Bog Bodies (And What They Tell Us), 12 Novels Considered the Greatest Book Ever Written, Inventors and Inventions of the Industrial Revolution, https://www.britannica.com/list/the-10-greatest-basketball-players-of-all-time. Courtesy of Flickr. 1986 Boston Celtics - Were they the greatest Team? Bob McAdoo was a poster child for seventies basketball. Who Is Better: Lebron James Or Wilt Chamberlain? 6 of 13. He can be reached at acriblez@semo.edu and followed on Twitter at@AdamCriblez. Quite possibly. This brought an even greater influx of stars to the NBA, making for a great new era of basketball. 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Scored the fifth-most points of the decade, Two-time All-ABA selection and seven-time All-NBA selection, Four-time All-ABA selection and six-time All-NBA selection. Erving was one of the defining figures of the game during the decade, combining exceptional athleticism and finesse in a style that has remained popular all these years later. The consensus 1970 College Basketball All-American team, as determined by aggregating the results of four major All-American teams. I have a confession to make: even though Im a lifelong devotee to all Seattle sports team, I had a fan-fling with the San Antonio Spurs teams of the late 90s and early 2000s. 1972-73 Missing player: Bob McAdoo The 1971-72 squad fell to Florida State in the Final Four, before defeating Louisville in the now defunct consolation game. As Araton put it: "When The Captain and Clyde and the rest of the Old Knicks played, when the city and country convulsed with pain, oh what a beautiful game it was.". and fought Bruce Lee in Game of Death, so his cool quotient is easily the highest of anyone on this list. Card Manufacturer: Topps. Clockwise from upper left: Issel, Lanier, Mount and Maravich (not pictured: Murphy). With no further adieu, here are your All-1970s teams. He won two championships alongside Havlicek in 1974 and 1976, and was also extremely successful as an individual player. Play Video. He also happens to be one of the top five in-game dunkers ever. Their mantra was simple: Find the open man. David Thompson: Thompson was an incredible scorer whose exploits rivaled those of Gervin and Maravich, and is considered one of MJ's chief inspirations. Abdul-Jabbar was a six-time MVP and six-time NBA champion, cementing his legacy as not just the greatest of the decade but one of the greatest in league history. David Thompson and Dr. J. Im going to pressure you with three-quarters, half-court defense. Background. They appreciated the game on its merits, and embraced the athletes as individuals and fellow entertainers. Moreover, he not only faced the incredible pressure of being anointed The Chosen One by Sports Illustrated as a teenager, but hes actually exceeded the lofty expectations set for him. They didnt. But here again, when I played years ago, if you shot a shot outside and hit it, the next time Im going to be up on top of you. He led the league in minutes played for the decade, and also grabbed more rebounds than anyone else.He was no slouch when it came to scoring either, recording the second-most points of the decade behind only Abdul-Jabbar.Hayes was a 12-time All-Star, being selected in each of his first twelve years, and was also a six-time All-NBA selection. Michael Ray Richardson 8. And how might retired NBA legends fare in todays game? He absolutely dominated the seventies, leading the NBA in points scored and blocks for the decade, as well as recording the second-most rebounds.Abdul-Jabbar was a force on the offensive end, armed with a skyhook shot that was seemingly unstoppable. (Photo on right by: Ronald Martinez/ Getty Images) These days, when basketball players hit the court, there is so much swish-swashing of damn clothing going on, it's hard to focus on anything else. 1970s and the Chicago Bulls. A high scorer and rebounder, the purveyor of the Sky Hook and a thoughtful off-court presence, it's really a shame KAJ isn't more beloved. Before the seventies, many players spent their summers barnstorming (making a few hundred bucks for a week or two of work) or working a white-collar job selling insurance or cars. When it comes to the 1970s, there was no greater basketball player than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.In fact, Abdul-Jabbars game has transcended eras, as he remains one of the greatest players to ever pick up a basketball. He debuted in 1972 and proceeded to make an All-Star team seven times during the decade, continuing the great legacy of big men in the NBA.He was named MVP of the 1974-75 season, a year that came in the middle of a dominant run for the Buffalo Braves. Nash is one of the best, most productive point guards in the league, having won back-to-back season MVP trophies after reaching the age of 30. Previous Decade > Next Decade . Understanding the marketability of high-flying, slam-dunking showmen, the NBA copied the dunk contest concept in 1977 (won by Indiana Pacer Dr. So whether or not you believe the Rolls-Royce Backcourt could defuse the Splash Brothers or that Dr. J could take LeBron to school, theres no denying the league as we know it todayfull of three-pointers, highlight-reel dunks, and multi-millionaire free agentswas born in the 1970s. For his unbelievable scoring and ball-handling ability, Maravich was a three-time SEC Player of the Year and Consensus First-Team All-American and was the National College Player of the Year in 1969 and 1970. If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. In the 10th and 11th round, the Atlanta Hawks drafted Mexican Manuel Raga and Italian Dino Meneghin; both were playing in the Italian league at the time. Oh, and the 12-time All-Star also helped initiate true free agency into the NBA through a landmark antitrust suit, an accomplishment just as impressive as his jaw-dropping on-court exploits. In the first season with a three-point line, Maravich's last season, Pete went 10 for 15 from three-point range. He was named an All-Star every year of the decade that he played, from the 1969-1970 season through the 1977-78 season.Havlicek did retire shortly before the three-point line was introduced to the NBA, but he was still known as one of the best jump shooters in the league. Two rival leagues (the NBA and ABA) were . Sure Barry was an asshole, but he was also a prolific scorer who averaged 24+ points, 6+ rebounds, and 5+ assists per game during the 1970s across the NBA and ABA; during the decade, he was also a 9x All-Star and 7x All-ABA/NBA selection who took home Finals MVP in 1974-1975 while guiding the Golden State Warriors to the championship.