Kareem Abdul - Jabbar: Kareem played for the Los Angeles Lakers and was the NBA's all-time leading scorer, a six-time MVP, and the most complete center basketball has ever seen. The sky hook was his trademark and it was the greatest offensive weapon in the history of sports. Kareem played pro basketball for 20 years. By the time he retired in 1989 at age 42, he was honored in every NBA city.
Charles Barkley: Many people have said that you may love Barkley or you may hate Barkley, but you can't ignore Barkley. They are right. Charles Barkley played for the Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets. Now he plays for the Houston Rockets. He was the leading scorer on both the 1992 and 1996 U.S. Olympic dream team. He stands at 6-foot 6-inches tall and weights 252 pounds. All that would make it impossible to ignore him, don't you think?
Larry Bird: Although he has retired, Larry Bird is still remembered as one of the Greats. In fact, it has been said that there will never be another Larry Bird. While playing for the Celtics, Bird became known as "The Hick from the French Lick", because he was country boy with a Midwest accent and always kept a calm attitude about life - at least off the court. Once he got on the court, his competitive side came out and he showed a strong desire to win that matched his skills. Bird was one of the original Dream Team players and won a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992.
Wilt Chamberlain: Wilt Chamberlain was a strong force in the NBA. He played with the Warriors and Lakers. In one game against the New York Nicks, he even scored 100 points. That caused him to beat his own record of 78 points! Although Chamberlain was 7'1 and weighted 275 pounds, that is not what he is remembered for. Instead we remember him for never fouling out in any of his 1,045 games! Not a bad thing to be remembered for.
Julius "Dr.J" Erving: It has been said that Julius Erving seemed to defy gravity because of his amazing power dunk jumps. No one could stop him once he was in the air. He is known for his slam dunk. Julius Erving not only jumped, he almost flew.
Earvin Johnson: You might not recognize the name Earvin Johnson, because most of us know him as "Magic" Johnson. Magic Johnson absolutely loved the game of basketball. You could tell it by watching the enthusiasm and happiness on his face when he was on the court. Every time he put on the Los Angeles Lakers' purple and gold uniform, he began a show that no one could forget.
Michael Jordan: Early in his career, Michael played for the Chicago Bulls, which was a losing team. But before long, the Bulls added players like Scottie Pippen until finally Jordan's team was as successful as he was. With teammates Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and Luke Longly, they created an unstoppable team.
"Pistol" Pete Maravich: Pete's dad, Press Maravich, helped Pete become a great player. In the eighth grade Pete played on the junior varsity team in North Carolina. His dad, Press, was a college coach for North Carolina. Pete got to play on the team and he did great. In the pros he played for Utah and Atlanta. He died of a heart attack after playing a pickup game.
Shaquille O'Neal- Shaq has played for the Orlando Magic's and the Los Angeles Lakers. Shaq O'Neal does everything in a huge way. In the 1992 draft he was the main prize and was also the league's Rookie of the year. In his second season, he led the NBA in shooting percentage. In his third season, he was the league's scoring champion, and carried his team to the NBA Finals. Shaq is so talented he even performs of the court. He has even starred in movies. When he shattered the backboard in one of his games, they called it the "Shaq Attack."
Scottie Pippen: Scottie Pippen played side by side with Michael Jordan. Pippen, who is 6-foot-7-inches tall, has played every position but center and helped the Bulls win four championships in the 1990's. He has averaged at least six rebounds each game!
Bill Russell: Bill changed our thinking about the game of basketball by making the position of defense popular in winning games. Because of him, the belief now is that defense wins the championship. Bill was 6-foot-9-inch and a great star in sports history. Leading Celtics to eleven championships in thirteen seasons! His blocked shots made an impression, and his career
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