For many of you who have purchased this book and have taken the time to read my work that I’ve dedicated years to complete, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving me a chance. I am not a well-known author and I’m not a well-known journalist that’s been writing about the league for an extended period of time, and that might have given you some doubts if it’s really worth your money to purchase this book. So I want to start by giving some clarity about me and what my expertise on the subject matter is.
First things first, I’m 29 years old and my memory of watching basketball goes as far back to the glorious 1999 lockout season. I remember being a huge fan of Michael Jordan. I remember the day my parents purchased me a Michael Jordan jersey from K-Mart, and I wanted to wear that jersey every time I played basketball on my Fisher-Price goal. In my mind, I was Jordan playing for the Chicago Bulls. I must have watched him for me to be such a fan, but I just don’t remember watching any of the games he played in as a member of the Chicago Bulls. So that means I never got to witness Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and all the other greats from the ‘80s and beyond play.
Since this book is solely about ranking the greatest teams and players of all time, one might conclude that a person that’s never witnessed so many great players play cannot objectively rank the players that were around before my time. I don’t blame you for thinking that way, but there is a well-respected journalist that has come to the defense of people like me who have such a love for the NBA.
That person is Bob Ryan, who’s been around the NBA since players like Bill Russell and Elgin Baylor were playing. He’s an award-winning columnist and he wrote for The Boston Globe for decades. He wrote this article for Boston.com in 2008, and he said something that resonates with me deeply. He wrote this, “I’d tend to forgive him on the basis of him not being there, but that would mean that history requires that you had to be there. I wasn’t present for the Gettysburg Address or the Bobby Thomson home run, but that doesn’t mean I can’t have a good idea of what it must have been like to be there. That’s what being an historian entails. You do your homework.”
I consider myself a historian of the league. I care about it deeply. I pay more attention to the events that transpired decades ago than what’s going on in the league right now. That love for the history of the game all started when my dad saw the love that I had for the game of basketball. So just like any father would do, he wanted to pass on all the memories that he was able to gain watching his favorite team and player play. My dad is from Providence, Rhode Island, so he was a fan of Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics. So one day, he bought the documentary “Larry Bird: A Basketball Legend” on VHS. After watching that with my dad and my brother, I was enamored with what I saw. It was the rich tradition of the Boston Celtics. It was the legendary rivalry between him and Magic Johnson, and all the classic Finals matchups that they had. It was the pure shooter that he was, the unselfish nature of his game, the behind the head passes that he would do, and all the crazy late-game moments that he was a part of. I just wanted to know more and more.
Luckily, my dad had boxes of Celtics games that he recorded in VHS, and we went through all the games that were televised on the CBS channel. Watching the highlights of Larry Bird’s greatest moments was awesome, but watching the full 48-minute games is what made me appreciate even more so the greatness of Larry Bird. It was all the little things that he would do during the game that made a difference in the Celtics winning a large portion of the games that I saw. Then when you have players like Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson in the mix, and it’s no wonder they won all the championships that they did.
The way the NBA is played now and how it’s revolved around the three-point shot is great and all, but how could you not be entertained when Kevin McHale would introduce a new post-up move on every game. I came to realize that Larry Bird and Kevin McHale were improvisers. Nothing ever seemed planed and you would never define their game as repetitive. They were masters at reacting on the fly, depending on the situation of the game. My allegiance was with the Los Angeles Lakers, but I couldn’t help but have a deep appreciation for the way the Celtics played and how much fun they were to watch. Allow me to speak for all the so-called “old heads” that repeat this same phrase every time they talk about the NBA in the ’80s. This was indeed the golden era of basketball.
I was also introduced to a lot of the great teams and players of the ’80s. I saw some of the battles that the Celtics had with teams like the Milwaukee Bucks. Jack Sikma was always the player that stuck out to me because of his curly blonde perm. But man he was such a versatile player that could do it all on the court. And Terry Cummings always seemed to have a big game every time he played the Celtics on national television for the world to see. I saw the Celtics play the Atlanta Hawks, and I instantly became a fan of Dominique Wilkins for his powerful rim-shattering dunks that he would make a point to do against Boston. I saw the battles that the Celtics had with the Philadelphia 76ers, and how it always seemed like Andrew Toney would go all game without missing a shot. I was taught that the Detroit Pistons were the enemy of the state, and Bill Laimbeer was public enemy number one. But I could not resist marveling at how smooth Isiah Thomas was with the basketball, and how he always seemed to make the biggest shots of the game.
But the two teams that my dad was able to catch on film that I felt the most excited to watch were when the Celtics played the Los Angeles Lakers and the Chicago Bulls. You couldn’t keep your eyes off of Magic Johnson, or you might miss a pass being darted half court to a teammate that didn’t seem open for a basket, but somehow Magic was able to pass it at just the right angle for an easy bucket. I’m sure his teammates learned to always be ready for an unexpected pass. And then there were these two men with goggles that seemed to dominate the Celtics every time they played them. James Worthy seemed to always be right there with Magic Johnson on the fast break that would usually end with his trademark one-handed swooping dunk.
The few times the Lakers weren’t looking to push the pace, there was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who always seemed to make the exact same move, but the result would always be the same. He would back down Robert Parish, turn over his shoulder, his right leg bent and suspended in midair, he would hold the ball as high up as possible, he’d then follow through, and that ball would hit nothing but net. Then when I found out he was the all-time leading scorer in league history, my initial reaction was, “well why don’t all the centers in the league just do this move every time? Why is he the only player I’ve seen to do this?!”
Then the moment arrived when he pulled out the tape that had the words “Chicago Bulls vs Boston Celtics” written in sharpie on the front end of the VHS cassette. I was so excited to see how Michael Jordan would play against one of the greatest players and teams of all time. I was sure that Michael Jordan would find a way to win the game at the Boston Garden. However, the Celtics would end up crushing the Chicago Bulls by like 20 points, which baffled me at the time. Everyone was calling Michael Jordan the greatest player to ever live, how could he allow his team to lose in such a fashion? It took a while for my younger self to realize this, but a basic basketball principle was being taught to me. A great team will always beat a great player.
Even though the game was a rout, I couldn’t help but to be fascinated by the grace, the beauty, the effortlessness, and the way Michael Jordan carried himself during the game. But the most exciting part of his game was his ability to hang in the air and convert on the most difficult shots at the rim. And when he was in the open court all by himself for a dunk, it seemed like everyone came to their feet (including me) to see Jordan soar to the hoop. It was one of the most entertaining blowouts I’ve ever seen. In the end, it saddened me that I just missed out on witnessing his playing career when he was dominating the league.
Now before my dad started showing me all these recordings of games, and before I even knew who Larry Bird was, my dad wanted to reintroduce the tradition of recording basketball games for me and my brother to watch. It started in the spring of 1999. I specifically remember my dad having some of his buddies over to watch the NBA on NBC on a Sunday afternoon. The game was the Los Angeles Lakers vs the Orlando Magic. It was such a coincidence that the first game I ever remember watching was the team that had the player that ended up being the closest thing that we have ever seen to Michael Jordan. And not only that, but he ended up having a career game. He ended the game with a career-high 38 points.
Looking at the way his career ended, this might seem like just another day at the office for Kobe Bryant. In fact, he averaged close to 38 points per game in the 2005-06 season. But just as it has always been for Kobe, it’s not about the numbers. It’s not the fact that he scored 33 points in the second half on 13/16 shooting. It’s not the fact that he scored 18 points in the fourth quarter to help the Lakers come back from a 20-point deficit in the second half. It was all about how he got each of those points.
He was in one of those zones where whatever shot he put up was going in. Fadeaway jumpers, pull-up three-pointers, heavily contested jumpers after dancing with the ball on Penny Hardaway, and strong finishes at the rim. There was one play where he had the ball on the open court and one of the Magic players fouled him to prevent an easy bucket. Kobe saw that coming, so he tried to dunk it anyways to trick the referee to make the following play count on continuation. And I swear to you, it seemed like he took off just below the free-throw line. When I saw that, I thought to myself, “this is the next Michael Jordan”. My fandom for the Lakers and Kobe Bryant started right then and there.
That was the first year that Kobe was in the starting rotation for the Lakers, and I began watching his career closely ever since. Every big game that Kobe and the Lakers were a part of, I was right there in front of the TV set with the VHS tape rolling. From the lob to Shaq against the Blazers in the 2000 playoffs, to Kobe’s coming out party in game 4 of the Finals when Shaq fouled out against the Pacers, to the most dominant playoff run in the history of the game in the 2001 playoffs, to Robert Horry’s game-winner against the Sacramento Kings in 2002, to Derek Fishers miracle game-winner against the Spurs in 2004, to Kobe’s game-tying bucket against the Detroit Pistons in the Finals, to Kobe’s fall from grace after being accused of sexual assault, to the ugly breakup between Shaq, Kobe, and Phil Jackson, to Kobe’s 2006 revenge tour where he was looking to prove all the doubters wrong in a major way, to his game-winner against the Phoenix Suns in the playoffs, to Kobe saying on live radio to Stephen A. Smith that he wanted out of LA, to the Memphis Grizzlies gift-wrapping Pau Gasol to us, to the ugly Finals defeat against Boston in 2008, to Kobe coming back and winning two straight titles without Shaq, and to the game where Kobe had his achilles injury against the Golden State Warriors in 2013.
I have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. I’ve gone through every emotion when rooting for Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. It’s like any other relationship you have with your family or friends. We felt like we were a part of the ride. So on the day that Kobe was going to play the final game of his career against the Utah Jazz in 2016, I felt the same way that I did on the day the Lakers played the Boston Celtics for game 7 of the 2010 Finals. I was nervous. I had the jitters all day long. It was the most meaningless game of the season, but at the same time, the most meaningful game of that decade for the Lakers. It wasn’t enough that Kobe scored 30 points or he that wouldn’t go 6/20 from the field like he did all season long. He needed to come out on top because that’s what he was all about. To win the game at all cost. And we knew “the mamba” was still in there, even if he did soften up during his retirement tour.
As the game went on, he gave us one final vintage performance. I would have been happy with a win and for Kobe to score at least 35 points. That was a realistic expectation for me. However, he exceeded those expectations times a thousand by the end of the game. He already had 37 points through three quarters, and I was happy with that. But we were still down by double-digits in the fourth quarter. I remember thinking, could Kobe give us one last clutch moment before hanging it all up? What if he went for 50 points and made a game-winner?! There are wild things that you imagine in your head when watching the game. It’s called wishful thinking.
But in the last 6 minutes of the game, he scored 17 straight points that brought the Lakers back from a 10-point deficit with about 2 minutes left in the game. The moment that still sends a chill through my spine was when he was walking up the court with 40 seconds remaining to take the lead. After Julius Randle made an illegal screen that would have never been called back in a million years at that moment, Kobe got free to go to his favorite spot on the floor. He rose up on the right elbow and he converted on the last field goal attempt of his career. Once that shot went through the hoop, my brother and I were jumping up and down and going absolutely nuts! It felt like we were kids again, watching our hero save the day for our favorite team one last time. Oh, what I wouldn’t do so I can feel that feeling once again when watching sports. I still care about the Lakers and I root for them, but it’s just doesn’t feel the same.
Then it was time to say goodbye. For those who have moved out of state and had to say goodbye to close friends and family, you know that feeling I’m talking about. It’s that feeling when you have to move on with your life and start a new chapter without your dear friends and family by your side. You’ll get to see them on special occasions, but it’s not the same. When Kobe went to center court to say a few last words to the NBA world, it was his way of saying goodbye. It was time to move on, and start a new chapter in his life. It’s a bittersweet moment, but we still saw him on occasions like when he got his jersey retired or when he would occasionally show up to Laker games with his daughter Gianna. He was still actively a part of the Lakers community, and we showed him love every time he swung by.
But there’s one human emotion that I never thought I would experience with Kobe Bryant, and that’s grief. When I first heard the news that Kobe passed away, I honestly didn’t know how to react. I felt guilty at first for the pain that ripped through my heart. We didn’t have a personal relationship, and I’ve never met this person before. But as everyone in the sports community started mourning his death, I naturally started to shed tears. That was especially the case when we all heard the devasting news that his daughter, Gianna Bryant, passed away with him in that helicopter crash.
And throughout the day, something curious happened. I first got a phone call from my brother, and we were just in the moment. We didn’t know what to say, we just needed to hear each other’s voices to mourn together the loss of our fallen hero. Then my mom called, and she started talking about how sad she was that her children’s favorite player was gone. And we started talking about the moments when she could hear us playing in our nerf hoop from our bedroom, or when we were playing in the driveway trying to emulate our favorite player. And then my father called, and he talked about how devastated he was that his favorite player was gone. I was confused, and I asked him, “I thought Larry Bird was your favorite player?” He told me that he was at first, but that this couldn’t compare. He is primarily a Boston Red Sox fan, and he didn’t really pay attention to the NBA until the mid-’80s. By then, Larry Bird was halfway through his career. But for Kobe Bryant, he mentioned that he saw him grow up. He saw him make mistakes. He saw him reach the mountain top, and he mentioned all the moments that we saw as a family. And then he asked me rhetorically, “how could he not be my favorite player? He was a part of our lives.”
He was right, he was a part of our lives in a way. Why else would we all be calling each other during that day? And it made me realize something about what the first thing we think of when remembering a player’s legacy, it’s all the moments that stuck with us. We didn’t mention once the fact that he was fourth in scoring or that he has the 16th highest career win shares in league history, because who cares. It was the moments that made us jump from our couches out of excitement. It was those moments where we can point to and say, I was there watching it happen live and I witnessed history. It was in those historic moments where he was able to prove time and time again that he was great. Whenever we look back fondly on a player’s legacy, that’s always going to be the first thing that we naturally think of. And then the numbers simply validate it.
So the purpose of this book isn’t to belittle a player that I hold a grudge on or to start debates. The purpose of this book is to relive all the moments that these legendary teams and players gave us. Because that’s why we’re all fans of the game. And yes, maybe we can have a friendly discourse on the rankings of the players and teams. You’ll surely disagree with some of the rankings that I have on here. But hopefully, you’ll find this book informative. Hopefully, I make you chuckle a bit. And hopefully, we can go back through memory lane and relive the great moments that make the NBA the greatest sports league in the world.
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