You think WE'VE had some unathletic stiffs?

[SilliSooner]

I watched a few of those guys (Oscar, KC Jones, Bill Russell, Pete) in person and didn't think they were stiffs when I was watching them. But when looking at that video, you'd have to say a few of them were.

Oscar, in the vid, really looks slow and seems to dribble with his right hand only. Also, he doesn't look like he can bend over. Blake looks a gymnast compared to Robertson and Longar Longar looked twice as agile as Bill Russell.

In the All-College tourney I do remember KC Jones tossing an alley-oop to Russell where he flushed it two-handed with his back to the basket. First alley-oop I had ever seen. But when you think of it athletically it didn't compare to the grabs Calvin Pierce made years later at OU. I don't think Russell's hands were as big as Calvin's and I don't think Russell could have manipulated the ball on the run like the modern day athlete.

LeBron James would have averaged fifty points a game in the Oscar Robertson, Havlicek days.

 

[EufaulaSooner]

You said it for yourself...Russell against Duncan or Howard is a huge mismatch. I think Russell would definitely be a force in todays game, but he'd be a Dennis Rodman type, like you said. That's a big difference.
Maravich I think would have success because of his size along with that skill set. He's not any less frail than Steve Nash, Manu Ginobilli, Kevin Durant, etc. The difference is Russell would be undersized in todays game where Maravich wouldn't.

Sounds like we don't really disagree on anything re: Russell. You think Pistol Pete would still be a big force in the game today, and I don't. Like you said re: Russell, Maravich would be a player, but wouldn't dominate.

BTW, Ginobili is WAY stronger physically than Maravich was, and LOVES contact. Maravich was scrawny, Ginobili is not.

 

[Cheno]

Yes, but what if these guys had access to todays training methods? All the weight, nutriton, camps, equipment, etc. Would they still be unathletic stiffs then? I highly doubt it. Also, what if lebron, kobe, kd, and those guys didn't have all of that stuff? Would they be as good as they are?

I don't think anyone is making that argument. I agree with you. I bet CoolM would as well.
Some people are really missing the point of CoolM's thread.

 

[Max Power]

That was the argument I was not able to properly convey earlier in the thread. The old guys still had the heart had work ethic that todays superstars posses, and thats why I believe that they would still be hall of famers in todays game. They would have worked as hard as they could to win.

 

[Sooner Quick]

Calling them unathletic stiffs is unfair to them. It was a different game,a different time, and different workouts.

 

[HeismanWatch]

check these guys out...geez

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCRxiWSMekg&feature=popular


only one guy on the floor for either team had any hint of today's athleticism

Oh brother. Comparing our stiffs to NBA greats!:vitale

 

[coolm]

Oh brother. Comparing our stiffs to NBA greats!:vitale

reading comprehension is your friend.