Adam and Aaron recap the 1995 through 1998 NBA All-Star Games. We discuss rosters, coaches, leading vote getters, memorable moments and Most Valuable Players. The ‘NBA at 50′ is also a topic of conversation. Our chat is filled with plenty of insight and occasional hi-jinks, plus we inadvertently offend the city of Cleveland.
Executive Producer of the TV series, Courtside Jones – Talani Goodson. We talk about New York’s culture of basketball and discuss 1980s and 1990s impact players, particularly from the Tri-State area. Talani recalls a fantastic story about meeting Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls, in the hours following their 1991 NBA Championship win. We chat about his great new TV series, his interviewing style and how he has positioned the show to feature a unique blend of guests, location and music.
Our conversation covers the whole season – we discuss best / worst team records, all major award winners and notable retirees. We also focus on the Bulls’ historic 72-10 record. We chat random stats, fake player nicknames (amazingly make a return) and of course, the 1996 Playoffs – culminating with Jordan v Payton / Kemp in the 1996 NBA Finals.
It’s important to distinguish, these are my favorite players – clearly, subjective. A host of past players resonate with me for many reasons; a select moment in time, a well-played, yet under-appreciated career, or merely happenstance.
In no particular order, here are my favorite guards of the Jordan-era [obviously MJ-excluded; must have played at least 4 seasons against MJ's Bulls]:
Notable: 2-time All-Star (1988, 1990) | 6th all-time, steals per game
Opinion: criminally underrated player, deserving of much higher recognition. He had a stunning six season span (1985-1990) averaging 17.0 pts, 7.6 rbs, 7.5 ast and 2.5 stl per game. Oh, and he’s only 6’3″.
Notable: 3-time All-Star (1990-1991, 1994) | 6th all-time, assists per game
Opinion: an outstanding player, mere percentage points from averaging 20 pts / 10 ast for nine consecutive seasons (1989-1997). I loved his exuberant celebrations on court, plus his fearless penetration in the lane. This resulted in assists to open team mates, or an attack on the rim.
Here, KJ gives The Dream, his own night-Mayor (see what I did there?):
Notable: UK (Wildcats) standout, turned pro as a sophomore | Flair for the dramatic
Opinion: an acrobatic and entertaining player, confident in his ability. He has career averages of almost 15 pts / 3 rbs / 3 ast / 1 stl, in under 30 minutes per game. Rex could light up a scoreboard, had a sweet shooting stroke and was a maestro of dunk. I even had his photo on my high school diary (too much information?)
Notable: All-Defensive (2nd) Team (1993) | All-Star (1994) | Sixth Man of the Year (1997)
Opinion: whilst never beating Jordan in the Playoffs, Starks is a first-ballot nominee, for the role of MJ’s nemesis. I admired his tenacity, in-your-face style of play and all out hustle. Plus, John’s road to the NBA is a fascinating tale in itself.
Notable: Rookie of the Year (1989) | 6-time All-Star (1993-1998) | NBA Champion (2002)
Opinion: part of the famed ‘Run TMC’ [part 1 / part 2] at Golden State. He was All-Star MVP in 1995 and Sacramento’s franchise player for seven seasons (1992-1998), averaging 23.3 pts, 3.7 rbs, 4.1 ast and 1.3 stl per game. A consummate professional, lauded as MJ’s toughest defender, by none other than Jordan himself.
Obvious omissions: clearly, the following players are all-time greats at their position. They didn’t make the cut as they’re not my favorites of the era – due to team/s played for or rivalries against MJ’s Bulls – imagined or otherwise…
Portland Trail Blazer great and basketball Iron Man, Cliff Robinson.
Our chat spans his entire career – playing at the University of Connecticut, two NBA Finals appearances, Sixth Man of the Year and emergence as an All-Star. We also discuss his memories of ‘The Shrug’ – Michael Jordan’s history-making performance in Game 1 of the 1992 NBA Finals – plus plenty more.
Links to topics discussed:
Spurs v Blazers – 1990 NBA Playoffs (part 1 / part 2)
