With the arrival of Ramsay from the Buffalo Braves, the Blazers built a precision offense around playmaker Lionel Hollins and the awesome frontcourt of Walton and intimidating Maurice Lucas. But todays players arent the only ones with the right skills to tick those boxes; plenty of their predecessors could, too. (Walton later sued the team; the case was settled out of court.). And theyre able to get their hands on balls or shots or loose balls. Last, but certainly not least, for the Time Machine All-Stars: the men in the middle. (Or, for that matter, pushed the sliders all the way up on his son Domantas Sabonis, an excellent modern player and All-Star in his own right. Warriors 7-foot center JaVale McGee went through only a handful of pre-draft workouts for NBA teams, hardly a prized prospect after a career at Nevada. If your wingspan is more than your height, thats kind of abnormal. He won the NBA Most Valuable Player award while playing for the defending NBA champion Trail Blazers in 1977-78. Rewards Domination Rewards. Im a big believer in that., Donate to the newsroom now. Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is nicknamed the Greek Freak in part because he stands 6-11 with a 7-3 wingspan and giant hands. Doing the talking for Walton was controversial sports educator and activist Jack Scott, whose presence only made an already strange situation more bizarre. Maybe I just kind of miss perennial playoff performers who looked like theyd just smoked half a pack of Camel Wides before the start of the third. Its no coincidence that Jazz center Rudy Gobert, who stands 7-1 and led the NBA in blocks last season, has the longest wingspan in the league at 7 feet, 9 inches. He is very tall with 6 feet and 11 inches height and his total body weight is 95 kg. Bill Russell was a great shotblocker. Walton also used the time off to attend Stanford law school. "I think it's something that makes a big difference, especially defensively," he said. Yet each visit he made, among the first things measured was his wingspan, 7-6. When Bill Walton dominated at UCLA in the 1970s, no one ever measured his wingspan from fingertips to fingertips and arms outstretched. Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is nicknamed the Greek Freak in part because he stands 6-11 with a 7-3 wingspan and giant hands. In todays NBA, the best offenses weaponize the threat of the 3-point shot to spread the floor; the best defenses scheme ways for long, smart ber-athletes to erase that space; and the best players tilt that spatial battle in their teams favor. Position C/PF. Walton inducted himself. At age 34, Walton retired after playing 10 games of the 1986-87 season. Despite the late-season injury, Walton earned the NBA MVP award. But several NBA players pop off the chart because of their long arms. Portland won 11 more games in 1974-75 than in the previous year but failed to live up to its potential, largely because of Waltons health troubles. Im not as fast laterally, Im not as athletic, Im not as quick as guys up and down but I think I make up for it with my length, said Durant, a defensive player of the year candidate. He was a perfectionist whose range of skills and dedication never ceased to impress those who saw him play. But a version of Perkins who starts spreading his wings a bit earlier, when he still had the athleticism to be a problem on the offensive glass and explode for tip dunks, and even the quickness to be a threat running off of pindown screens for catch-and-shoot looks, might have been more than a role playerand maybe even quite a bit more. But when he was right man, was he right: At his peakthe 1976-77 season in which the Blazers won the title, and the 1977-78 campaign in which Portland was 50-10 when Walton broke his foot (he won MVP that year despite missing the final 22 games)Walton averaged 24.9 points, 18.3 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 3.8 blocks per 100 possessions. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. The NBA playoffs begin Saturday, and an extra inch of reach can lead to a blocked shot or steal that might alter a series or a season. The other end would be even more interesting. In an article in the Boston Herald, McHale said of Walton: You watch an old, old guy like that, with the most hammered body in sports, acting like a high school kid its both funny and inspiring at the same time. His old national teammate Sarunas Marciulionis emphasized in Basketball: A Love Story that Sabonis hadnt yet fully developed his face-up game, his 3-point shot, or his court vision before playing in Spain following the 88 Olympics, so a younger model wouldnt necessarily have resembled a more explosive version of the finished product. But several NBA players pop off the chart because of their long arms. Stay tuned for more updates on LatestinBollywood. Chances are, Chris Ballard wrote in his excellent book The Art of a Beautiful Game, the mobile big man and sweet-shooting 7-footer could have emerged at an earlier time in the games history if players had been given the opportunity. Well, friends: Let us, one last time, use our collective powers of imagination to grant that opportunity. Career (468 games, 1974-87): 13.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 blocks per game, 52.1% FG, 66.0% FT. (Nearly.) While at UCLA in the early 70s, he was arrested during an anti-Vietnam War rally, publicly criticized Richard Nixon and the FBI, and reportedly flirted with leaving basketball to pursue spiritual enlightenment. Kon Hai Alakh Pandey aka Physics Wallah Wife Shivani Dubey? In 1981 he underwent radical surgery to restructure his battle-scarred left foot. He went home elatednot because of all the skill, pageantry, and aerial artistry he just witnessed, but because even as an undergraduate just barely getting his feet wet in the game, he wasnt too impressed with the future competition. It cant buy happiness, and I just want to be happy., Many who knew Walton, including Wooden himself, felt the young center was too susceptible to fringe ideas. Take a look back at the late 1970s Blazers and the impact Bill Walton had on them. I am not even joking; he did this during a Michigan State vs. North Carolina basketball game back in 2017. While at Helix High School in La Mesa, Calif., Walton broke an ankle, a leg, and several bones in his feet and underwent knee surgery. Im not as fast laterally, Im not as athletic, Im not as quick as guys up and down but I think I make up for it with my length, said Durant, a defensive player of the year candidate. The average man has a wingspan about 2 inches more than his height. The idea was to expose the bones to less stress when Waltons feet hit the ground, particularly after skying high for a dunk or rebound. NBA legend Bill Walton co-authored a byline explaining why one plot of land outside San Diego could be a way to help end the homeless crisis in the city. Wellat the risk of disrespecting a stand-up dude for the second time in the space of one columnlets ask David Robinson, against whom Sabonis held his own when the Soviet Union nearly knocked off Team USA in the gold-medal game of the 1986 FIBA World Championship, and when the USSR did defeat the Americans in the semifinals of the 1988 Summer Olympics (despite Sabonis playing shortly after recovering from his first Achilles rupture): Legendary big-man coach and talent evaluator Pete Newell told Sam Toperoff of The Atlantic Monthly in 1986 that he thought Sabonis could conceivably become the greatest player in the game and he would have taken the Lithuanian over Patrick Ewing in the 1985 draft if he had played for an American team. When Bill Walton dominated at UCLA in the 1970s, no one ever measured his wingspan from fingertips to fingertips and arms outstretched. After several Celtics said they liked the idea of having Walton as a teammate and as a backup for workhorses Robert Parish and Kevin McHale, Red Auerbach made the deal happen. It's no coincidence that Jazz center Rudy Gobert, who stands 7-1 and led the NBA in blocks last season, has the longest wingspan in the league at 7 feet, 9 inches. (For what its worth: Robinson would be a worthwhile choice for this exercise, too. The NBA playoffs begin Saturday, and an extra inch of reach can lead to a blocked shot or steal that might alter a series or a season. And he was cocky, even to the Trail Blazers coaching staff. I think hed do just fine now, too. But several NBA players pop off the chart because of their long arms. I see people, they drive to the basket, I say, I must be missing something. This would still play: At 7-foot-1 with a reported 7-foot-8 wingspan and 9-foot-6 standing reach, having starred at both 250 pounds as a lithe rookie and a muscular 300-plus pounds during his latter years with the Lakers, Chamberlain had more than enough size, length, and strength to challenge even the burliest modern bigs. The next day, the reporters ask me, You were at the Rockets game, what do you think? I told them, I think I could block four shots I saw.. sltrib.com 1996-2023 The Salt Lake Tribune. He didnt often hear the term wingspan, finally understanding how special his measurement is when he got to the NBA. Its nothing that I heard about until I got to the league, or right before I got into the league, theyre like, Wed like to measure your wingspan. They dont really bring it up to us about that in college or high school.. The most accurate reports found that West had an 81 inch wingspan, which would translate to 6'9. Its much more important than your height, Kerr said. The average man has a wingspan about 2 inches more than his height. At 7-foot-1 with a reported 7-foot-8 wingspan and 9-foot-6 standing reach, having starred at both 250 pounds as a lithe rookie and a muscular 300-plus pounds during his latter years with the. One of them was fellow Time Machine All-Star Andrei Kirilenko, who was also one of just two players in NBA history with multiple 5x5 gamesat least five points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocksto his credit. I see opportunities that should be rejected, but it scores. Drop him into todays league, and the bet here is that he wouldnt miss a stepand, in fact, he might have even picked up his pace of production. A wingspan always helps people, whether its blocking shots or deflections on defense.. Bill Walton is an American sportscaster and former professional retired basketball player. When he was healthy, Walton had few peers. "Yeah, I found that out once I bought my first suit," the 6-foot-5 McMillan, a 12-year pro now coaching the Pacers, said with a chuckle, realizing his arms stretched more than 3 feet each. Defense 94. Walton inducted himself into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993. Mehmet Okur (2002-12): At the risk of veering too close to the territory of scraping-the-barrel Twitter highlight videos about how this player in 2004 WAS A PROBLEM, there was absolutely a minute there where the Turkish shooter was somebody you didnt really want to see on the perimeter late in a tight game: The 6-foot-11, 250-pound Okur was a perfect pick-and-pop partner for Deron Williams in Utaha legitimate 3-point threat who could pull opposing centers away from the paint to create more room for D-Will drives, Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap post-ups, or whatever weird shit Andrei Kirilenko wanted to try. Fortunately for Portland, Waltons skills spoke louder than his tongue. Chamberlain essentially wrote the scoring record books of his era, using his physical dominance to overpower nearly every opponent he faced. Walton was even more spectacular in 1977-78 that is, as long as he was healthy. His arms are long and he can block shots. 2x NCAA Tourney MOP. After the playoffs Walton demanded to be traded and accused Portland management with providing him poor medical treatment. How Far Can This Version of James Harden Take the Sixers? Everything else is said for me or explained to me, right? Seems like our man Bill wouldve made for an interesting podcast guest! Every asset that a player has might make up for something else. Coaches marvel at players with long arms, figuring they will more easily grab rebounds, block shots, steal passes and shoot over defenders. Former American Basketball Player. Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is nicknamed the Greek Freak in part because he stands 6-11 with a 7-3 wingspan and giant hands. Give a young Wilt a steady diet of reps as a creator in the half court and more space to work with, and who knows what alternate pathways to dominance might open? Its legit. Years before the Kevin Garnetts and Kevin Durants of the world began lying about their heights to make themselves seem smaller, Walton was reported to be 7-foot-2 but listed as 6-foot-11 [because] he didnt like the stigma of being a 7-footer. Walton didnt want to be chained to the block and forced into the same old dump it down and drop step monotony; he wanted to be free to explore the outer limits of both his skills and those of his teammates. A half-century ago, Pink Floyd unleashed a classic that still lingers on the Billboard charts and in college dorms to this day. And theyre able to get their hands on balls or shots or loose balls. Type above and press Enter to search. Some of the best players Kerr faced had incredible reach. But several NBA players pop off the chart because of their long arms. The Walton-led Blazers rampaged through their first 60 games with a 50-10 record. Once limited to descriptions of birds, wingspan has become one of the most important measurements for basketball prospects over the past decade. OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Not until Nate McMillan began being fitted for custom-made suits a few years into his NBA career three decades ago did he understand just how far his arms reached. Its no coincidence that Jazz center Rudy Gobert, who stands 7-1 and led the NBA in blocks last season, has the longest wingspan in the league at 7 feet, 9 inches. The controversies that had embroiled Walton up to this point were mild compared to what would follow. . In 49 playoff games he averaged 10.8 points and 9.1 rebounds. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. A lot of basketball players dont, though, they have wider wingspans. The average man has a wingspan about 2 inches more than his height. Walton enjoyed a blazing start as a rookie, averaging 16.0 ppg, 19.0 rpg, 4.4 apg and 4 bpg in his first seven contests. OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Not until Nate McMillan began being fitted for custom-made suits a few years into his NBA career three decades ago did he understand just how far his arms reached. They can control the basketball, they can do things with it. Weight, Net Worth, Age, Parents, Wife & More. )told Grantlands Jonathan Abrams back in 2011, [Sabonis] could do everything. In The Breaks of the Gamean all-time great sports book not about the triumphs of the 1976-77 Trail Blazers team that Walton led to a championship, but rather about how things fell apart, for Walton and for the organizationthe great David Halberstam described a truly great basketball player as not necessarily someone who scored a lot of points; a truly great basketball player is someone of exceptional talent and self-discipline who could make his teammates better. He left the game with 6,215 points (13.3 ppg), 4,923 rebounds (10.5 rpg), and a .521 shooting percentage in 468 regular-season contests. He had the athleticism of Kareem, and he could shoot the 3-point shot. . Its not how big you are, its how big you play. His aptly titled 2016 memoir Back from the Dead distills and expands Bill's essence in a rambling narrative that, . Even so, the collection of skills at that size, with that flair, and with the athleticism to play like a point guard at 7-foot-3 would be intoxicating to watch nowa perfect fit for where the center position is, and where it could go from here. 6-11 , 210lb (211cm, 95kg) School: UCLA (Men) Draft: Portland Trail Blazers, 1st round (1st pick, 1st overall), 1974 NBA draft. I decided it might be cool to write about some of these players. 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