Isiah Thomas

Isiah Lord Thomas III (nicknamed “Zeke“) (/a?’ze??/; born April 30, 1961) is a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1981 until 1994. He led the “Bad Boys” to the NBA Championship in the 1988-1989 and 1989-1990 seasons. After his playing career, he was an executive with the Toronto Raptors, a television commentator, an executive with the Continental Basketball Association, head coach of the Indiana Pacers, and an executive and head coach for the New York Knicks. During the NBA’s 50th anniversary, he was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. Read more ->

Moses Malone

Moses Eugene Malone (born March 23, 1955 in Petersburg, Virginia) is a retired American National Basketball Association (NBA) basketball player who also played in the American Basketball Association (ABA), as well as on the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks, Philadelphia 76ers, San Antonio Spurs and Washington Bullets. Malone played 19 seasons in the NBA and 2 in the defunct ABA. Before retiring from basketball, he was the last ABA participant to still be playing in the NBA. In 2001, he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

High school and ABA

Right after graduating from Petersburg High School, Malone moved to the ABA, being drafted by the Utah Stars in 1974, after signing a letter of intent to play at the University of Maryland. He was the fifth basketball player to jump straight from high school into the professional leagues.

In two seasons in the ABA, Malone averaged 17.2 points and 12.9 rebounds per game. He played with the Utah Stars and the Spirits of St. Louis. Read more ->

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Jr.; April 16, 1947) is an American athlete and retired professional basketball player, widely considered one of the greatest NBA players of all time. During his 20 years in the NBA from 1969 to 1989, he scored 38,387 points – the highest total of any player in league history – in addition to winning a record six Most Valuable Player Awards. He was known for his “Skyhook” shot, which was famously difficult to block because it put his 7′ 2″ body between the basket and the ball. Abdul-Jabbar’s success began well before his professional career; in college, he played on three championship teams, and his high school team won 71 consecutive games.

Abdul-Jabbar (Alcindor at the time) grew up in the Inwood neighborhood in Manhattan, New York City, the son of Cora Lillian, a department store price checker, and Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor, Sr., a police officer and jazz musician. College took him to Los Angeles, and he returned there for 14 seasons in the NBA after six seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks. In 1971, several years after converting to Islam, he changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Arabic: Karim ‘Abd al-Jabar). Since retiring from basketball, he has been known as a successful coach and author, and a sometimes actor. Read more ->

Bob Cousy

Robert Joseph “Bob” Cousy (born August 9, 1928) is a retired American professional basketball player. The 6′1″ (1.85 m), 175 pounds (79.4 kg) Cousy played point guard with the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Boston Celtics from 1951 to 1963 and briefly with the Cincinnati Royals in the 1969-70 season. Cousy first demonstrated his basketball abilities while playing for his high school varsity team in his junior year. He obtained a scholarship to the College of the Holy Cross, where he led the Crusaders to berths in the 1948 and 1950 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament and was named an NCAA All-American for three seasons. Cousy was initially drafted as the third overall pick in the first round of the 1950 NBA Draft by the Tri-Cities Blackhawks, but after he refused to report with the Blackhawks, he was picked up by the Boston Celtics. Cousy had a highly successful career with the Celtics, winning six championship rings, being voted into 13 All-Star and 12 All-NBA First and Second Teams and winning the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in 1957. Read more ->

Elgin Baylor

Elgin Gay Baylor (born September 16, 1934 in Washington, D.C.) is a retired American basketball player who played 13 seasons as a forward for the NBA’s Minneapolis Lakers/Los Angeles Lakers. Baylor was just recently relieved of the General Manager role for the Los Angeles Clippers after 22 years with the team. Baylor was a gifted shooter, a strong rebounder, and an accomplished passer. Renowned for his acrobatic maneuvers on the court, Baylor regularly dazzled Lakers fans with his trademark hanging jump shots. He is regarded as one of the game’s all-time greatest players.

Early life

Elgin Baylor was born in 1934 in Washington, D.C., and was named for his father’s favorite watch. A sports star at Spingarn High School, he did not perform well academically and even dropped out for a while to work in a furniture store and to play basketball in the local recreational leagues. Read more ->