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| Larry Bird |
| A month into his freshman year at Indiana University, Larry Bird dropped out and returned home to French Lick. He enrolled at the local junior college, Northwood Institute, only to leave a short time later. Bird took a job with the city, cutting grass, painting benches and driving a garbage truck. Bird finally entered Indiana State University in 1975, the same year his father committed suicide. After sitting out his freshman year as a transfer student, Bird averaged 30 points per game as a sophmore and a junior, and in his junior year, he was named a First Team All-American and drafted by the Boston Celtics, who knew Bird might choose to play for Indiana State for his senior year. Bird did, and his Sycamores went undefeated and he was honored with the 1979 College Player of the Year Award. Indiana State fell to Magic Johnson's Michigan State team in the championship game 75-64, but Bird won the next meeting between the two in the 1984 NBA Finals, leading his Boston Celtics to the NBA title in a 4 games to 3 series win over Magic's L.A. Lakers. Bird also won the Finals MVP Award, and the first of his 3 consecutive NBA MVP awards. |
| Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998 |
| Selected in 1996 as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History |
| 12-time NBA All Star (1981-88, 90-92) |
| 1982 NBA All-Star MVP |
| 9 consecutive All NBA First Team Selections (1980-88) |
| 3 NBA MVP awards (1984-86) |
| Only the 3rd player and the first non-center to win 3 consecutive NBA MVP awards |
| 3 NBA championship rings (1981,84, 86) |
| 3-time NBA Long-Distance Shootout champion (85-88) |
| 2 Finals MVP Awards (1984, 86) |
| College Player of the Year (1979) |
| NBA Rookie of the Year (1980) |
| Sporting News Man of the Year (1986) |
| AP Male Athlete of the Year (1986) |
| Bill Russell |
| Inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1974 |
| Selected in 1970 to the NBA 25th Anniversary All-Time Team |
| Selected in 1980 to the NBA 35th Anniversary All-Time Team |
| Voted in 1980 as the Greatest Player in the History of the NBA by the Professional Basketball Writers Association of America |
| Selected in 1996 as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History |
| 12-time NBA All Star (1958-69) |
| NBA All Star MVP 1963 |
| 11 NBA championship rings (1957, 59-66, 68, 69) in 13 seasons with the Celtics |
| 5-time NBA MVP (1958, 61-63, 65) |
| Member of the 1956 gold-medal winning U.S. Olympic basketball team |
| 8-time All-NBA 2nd team selections (1958, 60-62, 64, 66-68) |
| 3-time All-NBA First Team Selections (1959, 63, 65) |
| 2nd all time in minutes per game (42.3), total rebounds (21,620) and rebounds per game (22.5) |
| Charles Barkley |
| Selected in 1996 as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History |
| 1993 NBA Most Valuable Player |
| 10-time NBA All Star (1987-96) |
| Leading scorer of 1992 and 1996 gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic teams |
| One of only four players in NBA history to post more than 23,000 points, 12,000 rebounds and 4,000 assists |
| 1991 NBA All Star MVP |
| 5-time All NBA First Team Selection (1988-91, 93) |
| 5-time All NBA Second Team Selection (1986-87,92, 94) |
| Shortest player (6'4") to ever win the NBA rebounding title (1987, 14.6 rebounds per game) |
| All Interview team for 13 consecutive seasons (1988-00) |
| Southeastern Conference Player of the Year in 1984 |
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| Co-capitan of gold medal winning of 1992 U.S. Olympic Basketball Team |
| As a first year coach, won the 1998 NBA Coach of the Year Award |
| In 1996, the National Basketball Association announced its list of the 50 Greatest Players of All Time. Great debate ensued among casual and serious fans alike. Everyone has their favorites, and the following is a submission of my favorite 5 players ever, certain to have a massive impact on the sports landscape. |
| Russell won the NBA MVP 5 seasons, and of those seasons, he was named First-Team All NBA only twice.The argument was that other centers, namley Wilt Chamberlin, had more individual skills. However, no player, arguably ever, has meant more to his team. The Boston Celtics were without a single title when they got the 6'9' center in 1956. Bill Russell, with a contagious laugh, a brilliant smile and amazing class, guided Boston to 11 titles in his 13 seasons, including 8, yes, 8 in a row. |
| One could never tell what he would say or do next. Whether he'd say something offensive, hysterical or thoughtful, Barkley has been compared to a roller-coaster ride, delighting fans for over a decade. On the court Barkley, with his intensity, talent and charisma, would suprise fans and players by steam-rolling into the NBA record books as one of the NBA's smallest players to ever play his position. Barkley announced his retirement before the start of the 1999-00 season and with the season not two months old, Barkley suffered a massive knee injury. Stating he didn't want his carrer to end by being carried off the floor, Charles underwent four months of rehab to play in the season finale. |
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| Dan Blanchette 12/00 |
| For more on Larry Bird click here. |
| To see the complete, official list of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players of All Time click here. |
| For more on Bill Russell click here. |
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