Mount Rushmore; The Who's Who of American Presidents. Located in South Dakota, Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, and Roosevelt are on display for everyone to see much like Richard and Regina Rich were in the classic 90's kid movie, Richie Rich. Supposedly, these are the elite American presidents; the ones that are worth remembering with a huge stone face sculpture in the side of a mountain. But that does not come with controversy. Washington and Lincoln are pretty much slam dunks. However, Jefferson had 78 kids (I'm approximating) with his African slaves, a number that makes Shawn Kemp and Travis Henry go out and buy a dozen Trojans. Teddy Roosevelt isn't even the best President with that last name. So that got me thinking. If we were to do this with each sport, who would be on and why? Let's start out with basketball.
The first guy is a no brainer. The greatest player of all-time, Michael Jordan.
Jordan epitomizes what makes a great basketball player. A competitive drive that is unmatched, unlimited clutch-ups, transcending plays, ring after ring, and tons of endorsement deals. Jordan took the NBA to heights that it had never seen before. People tuned in to see MJ win or lose, which is alot different than today when some of the casual fans don't even tune in anymore. Simply put, there is no name that should go first on this list other than MJ.
The second name is where it starts to get a little harder. I wanted to go with someone who was an ambassador to the game like no one before them. I started to lean to James Naismaith, the inventor of the game. While the game wouldn't exist without him, I think this other guy has done more for the game of basketball. That man is John Wooden.
The Wizard of Westwood was the first man in basketball ever to be inducted into the Hall of Fame as a player and a coach. With 10 NCAA championships in 12 years, he has a record that will likely never fall. As a player at Purdue (where he was a 3x All American), he was dubbed the "Indiana Rubber Man" for his suicidal dives after loose balls. After coaching, he has written many books that are best sellers, not only to basketball people but to people all around sports and the general public. He has coached great players like Bill Walton, Lew Alcindor, and Gail Goodrich. He is revered like no other coach in the history of basketball, and for that reason he earns his place right next to MJ on the Mount Rushmore of Basketball.
The third man on the Mt. Rushmore of basketball changed the game like no other person before him. Wilt Chamberlain.
A man who changed the game and the lives of 20,000 ladies deserves a spot on the mountain. Chamberlain, all 7'1" of him, played in an era when the average height was probably about 6'1" or 6'2". Simply put, nobody (save Bill Russell) could stop Wilt. The legendary 100 point game is still something that kids around the world dream about doing. In his first game as a college player at Kansas, he put up 52 and grabbed 31 boards. His professional career started out with the legendary Harlem Globetrotters. From there, he went on to the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, then to the 76ers, then most famously with the Lakers. He finished with the San Diego Conquistadors, and his post NBA career only proved what a larger than life character Wilt was. Even today, after he is long gone, everyone knows the name Wilt Chamberlain.
The last member gets a little tricky. With such a rich history, it is hard to narrow it down to only four. After much deliberation, my last spot goes to ... Magic Johnson.
The most versatile player in NBA history, Magic has laid the groundwork for what Lebron James is trying to do today. His running sky hook across the lane is the stuff of legends, and he played in one of the greatest rivalries in the history of sports (Celts/Lakers and Bird/Magic). He had five NBA championships, three MVPs, three Finals MVPs, a spot on the Dream Team, an NCAA Championship (over Larry Bird), and a spot on the NBA 50 Greatest Players List. He did all this before having his career cut short with the HIV. If he hadn't had unprotected sex with a bunch of skanks, he may very well have passed Jordan as the greatest player of all time. His only downfall was his post-NBA career, which has featured him trying to get over as an commentator and host. It has gone as well as trying to get Jeff Jarrett over as a main eventer.
So there it is, the Mount Rushmore of basketball. Jordan, Wooden, Wilt, and Magic. If you got beef, give me yours. As always, NRTTS.
Coach Deuce
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MAGIC JOHNSON!!!! Aside from bangin all the groupies and gettin HIV he is no where near the mount rushmore of basketball.
ReplyDeleteJordan is a shoe-in. NO question. Wooden was an excellent pick that I totally agree with and probably wouldn't have come up with off the top of my head.
Wilt is where my debate begins. I agree that there has to be a dominant big man on mt. rushmore and wilt was certainly larger than life. I can't disagree with putting wilt there but 2 other big man could have an argument.
1.- Bill Russell who had countless match-ups with Chamberlain, and wound up with more rings. Also, the Celtics are just as much, if not more a part of nba history as the Lakers. Which is why I don't like having two Lakers and no Celtics. Also, Russell was very active in the players union and did a lot for the league.
2.-The other big man would be Lew Alcindor/Kareem. Dominant in College-at UCLA with wooden- and dominant throughout a long pro career. Won titles in Milwaukee and L.A. and also did a movie with Bruce Lee. Chamberlain was in the treasured "Conan" movie with Arnold. But all in all I can't say Wilt should not be there. Just giving a look at the other two.
As for the 4th. I would say without any doubt in my mind that "Dr. J" Julius Erving cannot be kept off a Mount Rushmore of basketball. He should be right there with a big afro. Aside from being one of the 50 greatest players of all time, he won titles in the ABA and NBA. He was also the face of the league before MJ, Bird, and Magic. If Magic layed the foundation for Lebron than Dr. J layed the foundation for MJ. Although MJ became a better shooter, no one could take it to the rack like the doc.
Identify yourself!
ReplyDeleteKareem and Russell definitely crossed my mind when coming up with the list. Shaq too. In the end, I felt Wilt was the most dominant and transcending player of that era. Russell did it with defense, but he also had a slew of other talent around him. Kareem tailed off too much at the end of his career for me to put him on the mountain. He definitely is a candidate, but I feel Wilt was a much more dominating figure.
I stand by my decision with Magic. Dr. J certainly has a place in the lore of the basketball world, but Magic has that name that anyone who is anyone knows. He was involved in games in college and the pros that are legendary, and he was a key figure in all of them. Bottom line is Magic was a winner, and if not for the HIV, he would be a mortal lock for this mountain. As it is, there is room for debate.