UBR Resim

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Re: UBR Resim

Postby Mavsfan_1991 on Sun Jul 10, 2022 12:30 am

It was the third time the Celtics and Lakers had met for the championship. The Celtics had come away victorious the previous two meetings. Elgin Baylor did all could to make sure that didn’t happen again. In game 1 he had an incredible sequence where he blocked three consecutive shots. In game 2 he rushed down the court after Russell blocked his shot and returned the favor with a chase down block on Sanders. Despite his best efforts, the Celtics had rolled through the first two games of the series. They had defended their homecourt and it was up to the Lakers to do the same in order to keep the championship dream alive. The stage was set for a dramatic night, but to the surprise of many the only drama that would take place would be courtside. Wilt Chamberlain attended the game with his agent. As the Celtics were rolling in the third quarter reporters gathered around Wilt as he announced that not only was he ready to leave Cincinnati, he would only play for the Lakers or he would retire. The news sent shockwaves around the league as this was something no player had done before. For the first time the action off the court was more important than what happened on the court. The Celtics completed the rout of the Lakers behind Russell’s defense and rebounding and pushed their lead to 3-0 in the series. The defeat seemed to carry over into the next game for the Lakers as they never were in game 4. Russell and Stokes were fantastic that game combining for 43 points, 30 rebounds, and 9 blocks. After falling behind to the Knicks earlier in the playoffs the Celtics won 11 of their next 12 games en route to the championship. The team clicked at precisely the right time and they celebrated their fourth championship of the Russell/Auerbach era. In the other locker room Baylor sat with a blank face and contemplated another Finals loss. He had played the best he ever had all season and played better than that in the playoffs. For all his troubles the Lakers got swept in the Finals by a better roster. After an hour passed he got up and walked into the GM office and said three words: go get Wilt.
At first glance the deal seemed like a no-brainer for the Lakers, but there was a little bit of hesitancy from the Lakers. Chamberlain was the first player ever to injure his achilles severely and had not seen much action over the past two seasons. He was aware he might not be the same again and had started to look to his next career. He was starting an acting career and that was a major reason for him to only want to play in Los Angeles which caused some to question his commitment. But if it worked out, the Lakers would have an unstoppable combination. At his peak, nobody could stop Chamberlain, the only center to ever dominate Bill Russell in a series. No two players could take over a game like Chamberlain and Baylor and as close as the Lakers had come they had to get better. For that reason they sent over Dick Barnett and Zelmo Beaty to the Royals in a trade they hoped would go down in history.

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Mavsfan_1991
 
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Re: UBR Resim

Postby Mavsfan_1991 on Mon Jul 11, 2022 12:26 am

There was a real debate at the top of the draft. Bill Bradley had one of the most historic careers in college basketball but was not ready to commit to basketball as a full time career. He would go overseas to study for two years. For that reason other players started to be considered, one of which was Rick Barry from the University of Miami. He was an all around scorer and was the safest pick to become a star. There was also Gail Goodrich of UCLA, a slender guard with a great jumper and a national championship winner. The Bullets selected Barry with the first pick. The Pistons chose Goodrich, teaming him up with his college teammate Walt Hazard. The Cincinnati Royals selected Bill Bradley, the first pick of a rebuilding era. Elsewhere in the draft the 76ers selected Billy Cunningham from North Carolina and the Hawks drafted Jerry Sloan from Evansville. After the draft, the Lakers made another big splash. They signed Sam Jones away from their in-state rivals. San Francisco had drafted Jones first overall back when they were the Philadelphia Warriors and had been the only player to make 1st team All-NBA while he was there. It was a huge signing for the Lakers as they now had three legitimate superstars on the same roster. The expectation was now clear - Championship or bust.

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