NBA HoF player Wes Unseld has died.
View: https://twitter.com/WashWizards/status/1267813394003955714?s=20
Unseld is one of those players who always gets brought up when you talk about guys who stats didn't tell the whole story. Averaging 10 ppg and 14 rpg for your career won't put many players in the Hall of Fame, but Unseld excelled at various unselfish parts of the game. His outlet passing was the stuff of legend and triggered countless fast breaks, and his wall-like screens were the impetuous for half-court sets. At 6'7" he always played bigger than his size and banged around during an era that was absolutely loaded with premier big men, including Kareem, Wilt, Cowens, Reed, Walton, Lanier, McAdoo and more.
He is the only rookie to win the MVP award in NBA history, and he probably didn't deserve it. Reed and Russell were clearly better, and Billy Cunningham and Elgin Baylor had legit cases as well. However, as Bill Simmons wrote about in his book, there was something cool about rewarding a player who did all the little things well and a vote for Wes meant that you really knew your hoops, and didn't just vote based on whoever scored the most points or grabbed the most rebounds.
He was the MVP of '78 Finals and the best player on a championship team, even if Elvin Hayes put up bigger numbers.
It is crazy to think that out of all the NBA MVPs, only Wilt, Moses, Kobe and now Unseld are dead. It is amazing to see so many of the old NBA legends, dating back to Cousy and Pettit, still around.
View: https://twitter.com/WashWizards/status/1267813394003955714?s=20
Unseld is one of those players who always gets brought up when you talk about guys who stats didn't tell the whole story. Averaging 10 ppg and 14 rpg for your career won't put many players in the Hall of Fame, but Unseld excelled at various unselfish parts of the game. His outlet passing was the stuff of legend and triggered countless fast breaks, and his wall-like screens were the impetuous for half-court sets. At 6'7" he always played bigger than his size and banged around during an era that was absolutely loaded with premier big men, including Kareem, Wilt, Cowens, Reed, Walton, Lanier, McAdoo and more.
He is the only rookie to win the MVP award in NBA history, and he probably didn't deserve it. Reed and Russell were clearly better, and Billy Cunningham and Elgin Baylor had legit cases as well. However, as Bill Simmons wrote about in his book, there was something cool about rewarding a player who did all the little things well and a vote for Wes meant that you really knew your hoops, and didn't just vote based on whoever scored the most points or grabbed the most rebounds.
He was the MVP of '78 Finals and the best player on a championship team, even if Elvin Hayes put up bigger numbers.
It is crazy to think that out of all the NBA MVPs, only Wilt, Moses, Kobe and now Unseld are dead. It is amazing to see so many of the old NBA legends, dating back to Cousy and Pettit, still around.