Part Two of our episode on Bill Russell picks up when Part One left off. Russell has just won his 9th championship in 10 seasons. As an individual he's broken basketball and with the Boston Celtics he's achieved basketball perfection. But somehow the most important parts of his story are yet to be told. In this 2 hour and 33 minute marathon of an episode, we delve into the twilight years of Russell's extraordinary playing career, his rocky next phase as a coach and media personality, as well as his tremendous legacy off the court as a leader and civil rights activist. To cap off the show, we do a deep dive into the biggest question in basketball media and analysis - how do you measure and compare the greatness of players across positions, styles, systems and eras?
This episode will be our last for the foreseeable future as we take time to focus on other aspects of our lives and work. Thank you all so much for listening and your support. We have absolutely loved researching and making these podcasts, and hope we have been able to be a part of and assist in your basketball journeys.
Bill Russell. A name which carries so much weight. A man that needs no introduction.
But for those that need their memories jogged, between 1956 and 1969 Bill Russell won:
He is widely acknowledged as the best defender in NBA history, one of the smartest basketball players of all time, and one of the best leaders in professional sports history. More significantly, he was a trailblazing African American NBA player in the era of segregation and an important leader in the American Civil Rights Movement. Put simply - Bill Russell changed basketball and the NBA forever.
In episode 4 of The Stepback Pod we delve into the extraordinary life and career of the greatest winner in NBA history. There was so much to discuss that we have spread the episode over two parts. In Part One, we cover Bill Russell's early life and college career, the way he broke the NBA with his defense, athleticism and IQ, and the dominance of the Boston Celtics dynasty from 1956 to 1965. Part Two, which will be released in the following week, will reflect on Bill Russell's legacy on and off the court, how we measure greatness, and Bill Russell's place in NBA history.
Imagine a Power Forward who has the following accolades:
1. 11 All NBA selections (include 10 straight All NBA first teams) and 11 All Star selections (including 4 All Star MVPs) in 11 seasons.
2. Two MVP awards.
3. One NBA championship out of 4 NBA finals appearances.
4. Leading the league in scoring twice and being one of two players to average over 20 points every season of their career.
5. Being third all time in rebounds per game behind only Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain.
Is he one of the best players of all time? Definitely. Is he the greatest Power Forward of all time? Behind only Tim Duncan and Karl Malone surely. Is the one of the most popular players of all time? Surprisingly not.
Bob Pettit was one of the most consistently dominant players of the 1950s and 1960s, comparable in his era only to legends such as Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor and Oscar Robertson. Yet for some reason, Bob Pettit's name is not one that many modern fans will have heard of. His careers and achievements are lost to time and only pop up in the occasional "Top Power Forwards of All Time" ranking lists.
In this episode we give Bob Pettit his due recognition and discuss a career that is matched only by a handful of all time greats. We also do a deep dive into why we remember certain players and seem to forget others - what is it about the Bob Pettits and Moses Malones of the world that incline us to disregard their legacies?
Bob Cousy was in many ways the exact opposite of George Mikan, the superstar that immediately preceded him as the face of the NBA. Standing at a mere 6'1", Bob Cousy was the first true point guard in league history and revolutionised the way that basketball is played to this day. He was a flashy floor general whose blend of court vision, handles and scoring ability allowed him to be the best player in a league dominated at the time by giants such as Mikan, Pettit and Schayes.
A star from the moment he entered the league, Cousy earned all the accolades to put him amongst the NBA's greatest players of all time. He was asix time NBA champ with the Boston Celtics (where he lead the team alongside Bill Russell), 12 time All NBA player, 13 time All Star, a NBA MVP and the league leader in assists for a record 8 seasons.
But for all of his on-court achievements it is Cousy's impact off the court that is arguably his most important legacy. With a flashy and creative style of play, Cousy brought excitement to a stodgy league. At a time when the NBA was struggling for profile and popularity, his free-wheeling style of play put bums on seats and filled out arenas. That same style of play would go on to inspire generations of points guards that came after him, Most importantly, at a time when NBA players were the victims of the whims of the team owners, Bob Cousy started the player's union to help fight for better conditions for players.
Join us in this episode as we discuss the life and legacy of one of the most important players in NBA history, the Houdini of the Hardwood - Bob Cousy.
In our very first player profile we discuss George Mikan, also known in his day as "Mr Basketball".
Mikan was the star of the Minneapolis Lakers dynasty, the first true Centre in basketball and the most dominant player of his era. He achieved a feat no player has matched since and that no player ever will, winning 7 titles as the best player on his team in 8 full seasons as a pro. He was the very first basketball superstar who transcended the sport into national fame in the USA and was voted the best basketball player from 1900 to 1950.
However, over time Mikan's ability and feats on and off the basketball court have been lost to history. In this episode we bring his career to life and discuss the importance of his legacy to the NBA.
Fact Check #2 for the series - The 19 - 18 game between the Fort Wayne Pistons and Minneapolis Lakers took place in the 1950 - 1951 NBA season rather than the 1949 - 1950 season.
Fact Check #3 - George Mikan played with two fractures to his fibula in the 1951 playoffs against the Rochester Royals, not his fibia. The fibula is still a leg bone, we're not sure that the fibia is even exists.
Welcome to the very first episode of The Stepback Pod!
In this episode we track the history and development of basketball from its creation by Dr James Naismith in 1891 to the first season of the NBA in 1949. The idea is to provide you with the necessary historical background before we start our player profiles with the very first NBA superstar - George Mikan.
Along the way, get to know us, your hosts Sam and Sati, and all the crap that we talk.
Disclaimer: We have our very first correction of the podcast series. The 2012 Rugby League World Club Challenge referred to in the podcast was actually played between the Manly Sea Eagles and the Leeds Rhinos. The Leeds Rhinos won 26 - 12.