By Paul Casey Gotham
****Remember, try this without research. Release your inner James Joyce and show us your stream of consciousness as you try to decipher the answer.
Not many schools can lay claim to having two #1 overall picks in the N.B.A. draft. My alma mater can. In fact, we did it in back-to-back years. Although, there is some confusion about territorial picks. That was back in the day, and things were not as clear then. Nonetheless, a guy from my school was taken before The champion. Yeah, that other guy won plenty of rings. He recently received a Medal of Freedom. I wasn’t a number one overall pick. Oddly enough, though, I played more games in the Association than those two #1 picks combined. I played more than 750 games during 10 seasons with two organizations. I led the league in minutes played one year and helped to win a N.B.A. title. Yeah, you might have forgotten about me. After all, that team was about Magic and Kareem. The rest of us did our job. We won the title again two years later. I averaged 15 points a game throughout my career. I led the league in assists one year and steals another year. Think of alliteration and you’ll find me.
Who am I?
OK, well I know Stan Musial won a Medal of Freedom yesterday, but that doesn’t really help here. I should have some idea about teammates of Magic and Kareem. Obviously, it’s not James Worthy. Led the league in assists one year and steals another, so probably a guard. I’ll also assume he played point somewhere other than the Lakers. This shouldn’t be that difficult, but it’s not coming to me.
Laker guards coming to mind from that era are Michael Cooper, Norm Nixon and Byron Scott. Have to read all the clues yet again to see if anyone sticks out. Aha … alliteration! I’m going with Norm Nixon. If it was Michael Cooper, the clues woulda said more about All-Defensive team honors. If it was Byron Scott, the clues woulda mentioned that he’s now a coach.
Norm Nixon … final answer!
Bill Russell also won a medal of freedom yesterday along with Stan the man. He was a #2 pick back in the day and can be considered “the champion”
The guy taken before Russell was Sihugo Green from Duquense.
I hate typing these words..I agree with Wally. Norm Nixon
Smitty, you figured out how to work your phone? Alright!
Nice job, Wally. So, the other #1 pick would have to be Dick Ricketts (I looked it up). What an unfortunate name.
Ha! Helmet sticker to Chas 🙂
I was thinking very early, to the point where I was thinking terrirorial picks like Tommy Heinsohn and champions like Bill Russell. But then I see this guy played with Kareem and Magic and his name is alliterative. I think that takes Keith “Silk” Wilkes or James Worthy out of consideration. I can not think of other players on the Lakers’ championship teams. Going back to read more, but drawing a blank so far.
Still blank. Going to look at others thoughts.
Got to agree with Wally; Norm Nixon, but I would never have come up with that on my own. Nice with the Si Green note Smitty. Not too long ago I had that discussion with Casey when we were talking about the great players in the Dukes history. Was Si drafted by the Knicks or the Rochester Royals? I believe it was some NY State team.
In looking at the list of NBA #1 draft picks I ran across something I forgot that I knew. Texas Western (now UTEP) was already somewhat noted before their 1966 national championship. Jim Barnes was a Texas Western guy who was highly touted and drafted #1 in 1964. He was probably the reason that they were able to recruit some solid though virtually unknown players there for the 1966 run to the title.
I doubt there’s a better, more compelling, Cinderella story, David slays Goliath event in sports than Texas Western winning the national title by beating Kentucky in ’66. If anyone wants to offer a competitor, please respond … I’d be anxious to see it.
Thanks for bringing this up, Pete!
Oh … almost forgot … a better one has to be the 2005 Chicago WhiteSox bringing home the Windy City’s first World Series title since 1917 or so.
Just kidding 😉
Casey —
We’re out of football season and I’m bored with my blue BSU helmet avatar. Please remind me again how to change it. I’m thinking something a little “Bullsy” would be appropo. Thanks.
I don’t know if that’s a David slays Goliath story, Wally, but a city with two baseball teams winning their first World Series in almost 80 years is a pretty big deal. The equivalent would be if the Red Sox went from 1918 until 2074 between championships.
Wally, you have to be the most high maintenance user of this site. 😉
Chas —
a) Exactly … was starting to approach a collective 200 years of baseball seasons without a WS. It was HUGE that the ChiSox won in ’05. Leading up to that, our motto was … “Hey, anyone can have a bad century.” 🙂
b) at least I use the site … unlike some people who disappear for weeks. But i’ll admit it … I’m not a real techno guy. (but at least I have an avatar).
Nova BEATING GU IN 84 OR WHENEVER HAS TO RANK UP THERE as Cinderella.
Yep, that was a big upset, Pete, no doubt. STILL … it didn’t “shake the bushes” (as Casey would say) quite like Texas Western.
I guess! All black team beating Adolph Rupp; does indeed “shake the bushes”.