I assume we're talking NBA. Wilt or Bill was the age old question when I was a kid in the 1970s. Until the 1990s the question of who was the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all-time) in the NBA was limited to Wilt or Bill. Then the torch passed to Michael. But I've never been on board with Michael Jordan as the greatest basketball player. After my virtual trip this spring back in time to the 1964 NBA Finals, I'm convinced that Bill Russell is the greatest basketball player ever. It's not just that he won 11 championships in 13 years. It's not just that he was possibly the greatest athlete in NBA history (he almost certainly would have won a medal in the 1956 Olympics in the high jump had he competed in track & field instead of basketball where he won a gold medal), it's that Russell was the ultimate team player in a team game. For example, his blocks were not wild swats at the ball, but were strategically tapped to start a fast break.
I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the question.
In 1974, in a Las Vegas made-for-tv tennis event, Connors defeated an ageing all-time great, Rod Laver and officially usurped him as the top player in the world. Connors and Bjorn Borg would dominate men's tennis for the remainder of the decade, at which time an even more "controversial" figure would emerge, John McEnroe. This period, in which your piece took place, was probably the apex in American tennis. With the exception of the 1990s quartet of Agassi, Sampras, Courier, and Chang ... never again it would seem, will tennis register with the American sporting public. Collectively, we can all ask, "Where have you gone, Joe Dimaggio" (Jimmy Connors)? Thanks again Len, for yet another fond memory of my youth.
Hello, Len. Thanks for the article. Love reading that. Quick question: Who do you think was better, Wilt or Bill?
I assume we're talking NBA. Wilt or Bill was the age old question when I was a kid in the 1970s. Until the 1990s the question of who was the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all-time) in the NBA was limited to Wilt or Bill. Then the torch passed to Michael. But I've never been on board with Michael Jordan as the greatest basketball player. After my virtual trip this spring back in time to the 1964 NBA Finals, I'm convinced that Bill Russell is the greatest basketball player ever. It's not just that he won 11 championships in 13 years. It's not just that he was possibly the greatest athlete in NBA history (he almost certainly would have won a medal in the 1956 Olympics in the high jump had he competed in track & field instead of basketball where he won a gold medal), it's that Russell was the ultimate team player in a team game. For example, his blocks were not wild swats at the ball, but were strategically tapped to start a fast break.
I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on the question.
In 1974, in a Las Vegas made-for-tv tennis event, Connors defeated an ageing all-time great, Rod Laver and officially usurped him as the top player in the world. Connors and Bjorn Borg would dominate men's tennis for the remainder of the decade, at which time an even more "controversial" figure would emerge, John McEnroe. This period, in which your piece took place, was probably the apex in American tennis. With the exception of the 1990s quartet of Agassi, Sampras, Courier, and Chang ... never again it would seem, will tennis register with the American sporting public. Collectively, we can all ask, "Where have you gone, Joe Dimaggio" (Jimmy Connors)? Thanks again Len, for yet another fond memory of my youth.
Lawrence, thanks for another great post here to provide additional context to the article. I'm so glad you enjoyed the story.