Arvydas Sabonis: The Original Unicorn (2 Viewers)

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Mediocre Man said:
Still one of my favorite sports center things. Was that Kilborne who came up with that?
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I associate it with Dan Patrick, but he may have just said it more often. Not completely sure who came up with it.
 
Up to and including George Mikan, good centers were "unicorns" meaning...they played like the other positions. Bill Russell taught the basketball world that centers should specialize in defense and rebounding. There were 4 teammates on the floor who could do the shooting. This was constantly mentioned in the 60s and 70s as a wise revolution in basketball that had recently occurred. Great centers like Walton and Olajuwon could have played like guards (they were better than Sabonis), but centers like that were considered weaklings.

Then David Stern Europeanized the NBA rules (actually, he Europeanized referee's interpretations of existing rules). The league returned to Mikan-like centers. This article fails to explore why the change was made, and whether it is good.
 
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jlprk said:
Up to and including George Mikan, good centers were "unicorns" meaning...they played like the other positions. Bill Russell taught the basketball world that centers should specialize in defense and rebounding. There were 4 teammates who could do the shooting. Great centers like Walton and Olajuwon could have played like guards, but centers like that were considered weaklings.

Then David Stern Europeanized the NBA rules. The league returned to Mikan-like centers. This article fails to explore why the change was made, and whether it is good.
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Whenever I think of jlprk....

 
You have to watch the video to the end, but...I didn't know Marshall McLuhan was tall enough to play basketball.
 
jlprk said:
Up to and including George Mikan, good centers were "unicorns" meaning...they played like the other positions. Bill Russell taught the basketball world that centers should specialize in defense and rebounding. There were 4 teammates on the floor who could do the shooting. This was constantly mentioned in the 60s and 70s as a wise revolution in basketball that had recently occurred. Great centers like Walton and Olajuwon could have played like guards (they were better than Sabonis), but centers like that were considered weaklings.

Then David Stern Europeanized the NBA rules (actually, he Europeanized referee's interpretations of existing rules). The league returned to Mikan-like centers. This article fails to explore why the change was made, and whether it is good.
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Sounds like there is a void begging to be filled. As I always tell my kids: if you're not willing to do something about it, you don't have much room to complain about it.
 
jlprk said:
You have to watch the video to the end, but...I didn't know Marshall McLuhan was tall enough to play basketball.
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I didn't mean you were the jerk in the line. I just meant you were exacting and precise. The final word. I meant it as a compliment.
 
PtldPlatypus said:
Sounds like there is a void begging to be filled. As I always tell my kids: if you're not willing to do something about it, you don't have much room to complain about it.
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What can fans do about it? Ideas:

1. Make others aware of it by, on rare occasions in a thread which is already all about this "unicorn" change in the league, mentioning it on a message board (my choice; you apparently oppose this option).

2. Spend millions of dollars to create a new political party to elect people who will change the NBA.
 
ripcityboy said:
I didn't mean you were the jerk in the line. I just meant you were exacting and precise. The final word. I meant it as a compliment.
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Jerk? I just took it as you were saying my paragraph-length posts are too intellectual. But your literate posts often refer to popular cultural phenomena I have never heard of, so I thought that was ironic.
 
jlprk said:
Jerk? I just took it as you were saying my paragraph-length posts are too intellectual. But your literate posts often refer to popular cultural phenomena I have never heard of, so I thought that was ironic.
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Well. I'm a Pop Culture Quisanart, that's for sure.
 
Minstrel said:
Dedicate your life to coaching, reach the NBA level and play the big guys the way they should be played.
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New official policy of this board:
Do not post opinions. First, become the NBA Commissioner. Then...do not post opinions.

Wait. Then you shouldn't have posted that.
 
PtldPlatypus said:
Sounds like there is a void begging to be filled. As I always tell my kids: if you're not willing to do something about it, you don't have much room to complain about it.
Click to expand...

You should stop complaining to your kids, and do something about it.
 
jlprk said:
What can fans do about it? Ideas:

1. Make others aware of it by, on rare occasions in a thread which is already all about this "unicorn" change in the league, mentioning it on a message board (my choice; you apparently oppose this option).

2. Spend millions of dollars to create a new political party to elect people who will change the NBA.
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Actually, I was referring to the absence of the article/research to which you were referring, not the state of the league over which you have absolutely no influence.
 
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PtldPlatypus said:
Actually, I was referring to the absence of the article/research to which you were referring, not the state of the league over which you have absolutely no influence.
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You are confused today. You answered my answer to ripcityboy. It wasn't my answer to you.

Not that it matters, but...does anyone want to talk about whether the change to "unicorn centers" is good? That's all I questioned, and it seems to have ruffled feathers of the many flying unicorns who read it.
 
jlprk said:
You are confused today. You answered my answer to ripcityboy. It wasn't my answer to you.

Not that it matters, but...does anyone want to talk about whether the change to "unicorn centers" is good? That's all I questioned, and it seems to have ruffled feathers of the many flying unicorns who read it.
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I am, you're right. I'll correct my post. Thank you.

But no, I have no issue with the discussion. In fact, I'd love to read your expanded views on the subject.
 
jlprk said:
Bad attitude there. I used to hear my grandmother say, "If you want something done right, do it yourself." Good thing to say to the kids.
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At work I say "If you want something done right, have me do it"

People don't seem to like it.
 
jlprk said:
New official policy of this board:
Do not post opinions. First, become the NBA Commissioner. Then...do not post opinions.

Wait. Then you shouldn't have posted that.
Click to expand...

Oh, I wasn't saying you shouldn't post until then. I was just answering your question about what you could do. I'm nothing but helpful.
 
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