I Love The 90s(Just Posted: The Big Men)

[GloveGuy]

Well in honor of what many call the greatest era of basketball in the history of the NBA, I thought it would only be fitting to pay tribute through this forum.

Over the month, I will create a cornucopia of posts, each focusing on one specific. My first post will focus on the franchises that made the 1990s. Enjoy!



I Love The 90s!

Teams of the 1990s

Chicago Bulls: ESPN rated their 1996 72-10 team as the greatest team of all time -- in all sports! This team had all the parts -- a great coach, two great players, a tenacious rebounder, a clutch shooter...During the 80s, they were a team trying to get over the hill..until Phil Jackson came along. He molded Michael Jordan into a player who could rely on his teammates in order to win. Possibly the second greatest dynasty after the early Boston Celtics.


Los Angeles Lakers: In a span of 10 years, a dynasty ended and a dynasty started with this franchise. In 1991, the remaining of Magic Johnson's Showtime Lakers -- him, James Worthy, Byron Scott, and A.C. Green -- were defeated in the Finals by the Chicago Bulls. They wouldn't reach the Finals until 9 years later. In the summer of '96, they signed Shaquille O'Neal and drafted 18 year-old Kobe Bryant. Four years later, they won their first of three championships.


Houston Rockets: During the two years which spanned over Michael Jordan's retirement(yes, I know he came back for the latter part of '95), the NBA title was up for grabs. In 1993-1994, they finished first in their division, carried by league MVP, Hakeem Olajuwon. They would win the NBA Finals in seven games over the New York Knicks. In the summer of '94, they traded for Clyde Drexler who would help lead the team over the season, including the 18 games where Olajuwon was hobbled by injury. Though playing as a sixth seed, they were able to make strong comebacks throughout the playoffs and would sweep the Orlando Magic in the Finals.


Utah Jazz: The franchise of the greatest offensive duo of all time, along with two of the greatest players to never win an NBA title. John Stockton and Karl Malone were running the pick-and-roll for over a decade until they finally made it to the Finals off of Stockton's buzzer-beater shot against the Houston Rockets. Though they came up short in six games, they would come back the next year...and lose in six games again! But they put up a valiant effort, as did every team that lost to the Chicago Bulls.


I realize that there are other teams deserving mention, which is why I'm letting you people take this post and expand it to a greater level.

Next Post: Shooters Of the 1990s

[Matthew]

Nice thread:


New York: The Knicks were the Bulls most consistant Rival in the 90's. It took mj retireing for New York to finally make the finals, twice. They could never beat a mj led bulls. Ewing will go down as one of the hardest workers in league history, and most deserving of a ring that he never won.

San Antonio: Maybe the best "twin tower" tandem in league history won the final championship of the 90's. David Robinson was an absolute gun in his early years, and despite one lottery season (which landed them duncan), they were always in the playoffs.

Indiana: Alot like the spurs, the pacers were great during the regular season, but had some classic wars in the playoffs. Looking at this team on paper, and theres no way they could of competeted with new york or chicago, but they pushed both teams to their max.

[Andrew]

I'd like to add the Charles Barkley-led Phoenix Suns. 1993 was their best year, as they jumped out to a 21-4 start and had the league's best record. Sir Charles proclaimed it a team of destiny but the team fell to the Bulls 4-2 in the NBA Finals. For three of Barkley's four seasons in Phoenix, they were one of the best teams in the league. Injuries took their toll during the 1996 season and Barkley was traded to Houston during the offseason.

[Fresh8]

umm...i wasnt following the NBA then. But I believe the Bullets traded away several players during that decade.

Question: Did people know the caliber of the players the Bullets were trading away?

[FanOfAll]

I'd like to add the Charles Barkley-led Phoenix Suns. 1993 was their best year, as they jumped out to a 21-4 start and had the league's best record. Sir Charles proclaimed it a team of destiny but the team fell to the Bulls 4-2 in the NBA Finals. For three of Barkley's four seasons in Phoenix, they were one of the best teams in the league. Injuries took their toll during the 1996 season and Barkley was traded to Houston during the offseason.

I loved the 93 Suns. One of my favorite of all time. KJ is one of my favorite PG's of all time, Barkely was just so fun to watch...an almost 6'5" iso vs guys so much taller him and he still has the advantage. And they had the 3 Dannys.

New York: The Knicks were the Bulls most consistant Rival in the 90's. It took mj retireing for New York to finally make the finals, twice. They could never beat a mj led bulls. Ewing will go down as one of the hardest workers in league history, and most deserving of a ring that he never won.

Indiana: Alot like the spurs, the pacers were great during the regular season, but had some classic wars in the playoffs. Looking at this team on paper, and theres no way they could of competeted with new york or chicago, but they pushed both teams to their max.

Reggie Miller, John Starks aside, absolutely loved these teams too.

[Matt]

can anyone tell me what teams gave the 96-98 Bulls the greatest difficulties.....as far as my memories go i believe it to be Indiana, New York, Utah and Atlanta (not sure bout Atl, but didn't they always have close games with the Bulls?)

[j.23]

definately indiana, they were the only team to beat the bulls twice in their 72-10 season.. they also pushed the bulls to a 7 game series during the 97-98 playoffs..

seattle, miami, atlanta, utah also defeated the bulls several times during those several years..

[ATTENTIONWHORE]

Early 90's Portland- Clyde Drexler, Buck Williams...etc. etc.

[Amphatoast]

Los Angeles Lakers: In a span of 10 years, a dynasty ended and a dynasty started with this franchise. In 1991, the remaining of Magic Johnson's Showtime Lakers -- him, James Worthy, Byron Scott, and A.C. Green -- were defeated in the Finals by the Chicago Bulls. They wouldn't reach the Finals until 9 years later. In the summer of '96, they signed Shaquille O'Neal and drafted 18 year-old Kobe Bryant. Four years later, they won their first of three championships.

they didn't draft him, the Hornets did...so many think the Lakers drafted Kobe..

[GloveGuy]

I knew that...

The Hornets drafted him for the Lakers. They never actually wanted him, but they did want Vlade.

[Robby]

Gloveguy, why did you leave Seattle off the list? They had 3 60+ win seasons and they had respectable playoff success. And, if the Rockets had to play them during their championship years, Houston most likely would not have won a title.

[GloveGuy]

Like, I said, I didn't want to do any rankings. I just did profiles on four teams and I let you guys finish it all off. No disrespect to Seattle since they were my favorite team of the nineties. That S.I. cover was my sig a few monts ago.

[Ben-le-ouf]

can anyone tell me what teams gave the 96-98 Bulls the greatest difficulties.....as far as my memories go i believe it to be Indiana, New York, Utah and Atlanta (not sure bout Atl, but didn't they always have close games with the Bulls?)

Atlanta vs Chicago in the beginning of the 90s was not a serious matchup. It was just D.Wilkins VS Jordan and they're having fun playing againt each other.

For me,
NY and Phenix gave the 91-93 Bulls the greatest difficulties.
Indiana and Utah gave the 94-96 Bulls the greatest difficulties.

As a fan of NY Knicks, I think the 95 Knicks could have done lots of damage to the Bulls, if there had not been this stupid fight against Miami....

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NY KNICKS NY KNICKS NY KNICKS NY KNICKS NY KNICKS NY KNICKS

[Matthew]

Indiana and Utah gave the 94-96 Bulls the greatest difficulties.

I think you mean 96-98 bulls

[Ben-le-ouf]

Indiana and Utah gave the 94-96 Bulls the greatest difficulties.

I think you mean 96-98 bulls

that's what i meant

[GloveGuy]

Shooters Of the 1990s

Steve Kerr: The guy could shoot the ball. Drafted in the second round by the Phoenix Suns, Steve Kerr never averaged above eight points per game. His skills weren't those of a 6'3" point guard. In fact, they weren't much of anything. But if the game was close in the fourth quarter, you knew he'd be on the floor. His .453 three-point field goal percentage wasn't by accident, and neither was his 1997 Three Point Contest Win. But what many would call his biggest accomplisment would be the shot he made against the Utah Jazz in the 1997 NBA Finals. With seconds remaining, he received a pass from a double-teamed Michael Jordan and made a shot from the top of the key. The shot would give the Bulls the lead and their fifth NBA Chamionship in seven years.



Mark Price: One of the best point guards of our decade and a two-time Three Point Contest Winner. Unlike Kerr, he possessed the skills to start at point guard on an NBA team. Has a .402 three-point field goal percentage in a career which spanned over 12 years and four teams, first nine being with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Georgia Tech alum was a three time all-star and an All-NBA First Teamer in 1993.



Glen Rice: While playing for the Miami Heat and the Charlotte Hornets, Rice was one of the most feared small forwards in the league. His range was incredible yet he also had all the necessary tools to be an offensively dominate NBA player. In 1995, he won the Three Point Contest while averaging 22 points per game. In 1997, he set an all-star record for points in a quarter with 20. He was named All-Star MVP with a final total of 26 points, shooting 4-7 from long range. In the middle of 1999, he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. The next year, he would help them win their first of three straight titles as the third option. Though his numbers have dropped over the last four years, he still remains a career .400 three-point shooter.



Reggie Miller: Defines the word "clutch." In 1994, he carried the Indiana Pacers to their longest playoff run in NBA history. In Game 5 of the conference finals, he scored 25 points on 5-5 from long range to lead the Pacers to a 93-86 victory against the New York Knicks. The next year, Reggie performed the greatest 16 seconds of basketball, scoring 8 points and erasing a 6-point deficit against the Knicks in Game 1 of the conference semifinals. In 1998, Game 4 of the conference finals, he hit the winning shot with 2 seconds left, tying the series against the Chicago Bulls at two games apiece. Though they would lose the series, he finally made it to the NBA Finals in 2000, performing spectacularly, enough to win two games against the Los Angeles Lakers. Reggie is 15th on the NBA's all-time scoring list and is the NBA's all time career leader in three-point field goals made. If you were to look up "clutch" in the dictionary, you'd see his picture right next to it, and it would be him shooting a three point shot.



Tomorrow: Trios of the 1990s

[Andrew]

Mark Price was certainly one of the best shooters in the history of the league. He's the career free throw percentage leader, shooting just over 90% (just a few tenths of a percentage higher than Rick Barry I believe).

Glen Rice's decline came very swiftly. One moment he had established himself as a perennial All-Star and one of the league's top scorers and the next he was the third man on a championship team, then a sixth man and now a former All-Star who has been traded back and forth and cut a couple of teams; even by the Clippers, mid-season. Injuries have certainly accounted for his lack of visibility in recent years but his career really saw a sharp decline after reaching its peak.

Steve Kerr was one of those players that always seems to survive in the NBA. His defense was adequate, he was a great shooter and he knew his role. Players like that always find a home in the NBA, generally as key role players on successful teams. He may not have scored a lot of points consistently, but playing on a team with two dangerous offensive players that commanded the attention of the defense he could enter the game and easily score 12-15 points knocking down a couple of threes - something he would do every now and again.

Reggie Miller's career filled with clutch shots speaks for itself, though Reggie usually had plenty to say in addition to his performance. Probably one of the most disliked players of the 90s, yet he was once voted to start in an All-Star game and aside from some cocky trash talk, wasn't considered one of the bad or grumpy guys in the league.

umm...i wasnt following the NBA then. But I believe the Bullets traded away several players during that decade.

Question: Did people know the caliber of the players the Bullets were trading away?

The Bullets (actually, they had become the Wizards by then) dealt Chris Webber to Sacramento for Mitch Richmond. At the time, Richmond was a perennial All-Star who was usually in the top five for scoring. Webber had made one All-Star appearance and hadn't really reached the level he achieved in his first few years in Sacramento.

They traded Rasheed Wallace to Portland before his second season, receiving Rod Strickland in return. They didn't see a need for Sheed with Webber, Howard and Muresan up front and they needed a point guard. Keeping Sheed may or may not have made them any better and he may or may not have become the player he did. Given their plans and roster at the time (they did make the playoffs that year), you can't really fault them for that deal.

[Sauru]

couple things, i think one of the best things about price that you didnt mention was his free throw shooting. the guy was basicly a guarentee. i mean the other team should have just gave the cavs 2 points so they game could get going faster lol.

about glen rice,i think the trade hurt him. i myself base most of my game on shooting so i can tell you(and i am sure you already know) that once you lose even part of your confidence you aint gonna help your team. i think when he was in LA he had alot of preasure on him to perform and when eh didnt do it right away he caught alot of shit for it. i think this is what started his decline. maybe even winning the ring hurt him as it could have killed his drive. who knows just my thoughts on it.

i think i would have to add hodges to this list of shooters also. actually the 90's still had a few damn good shooters. i remember the sonics had a few of them alone. hell even thier center(perkins) was knocking down 3's.

i cant end this post without bringing up mullen. one of the better shooters we have seen ever play the game.

[Jowe]

chris mullin

I personally loved the 90's too before the league became watered down by the expansion teams, almost 3/4 of the league were competitive. Every team had a dynamic duo.
Every team was loaded with shooters.
Heck the 4 or 5th option on a basketball team would be averaging 15-17ppg.

One of my personaly favourite games to watch was the JJJ's of dallas in their hey day with Jamal, Jason and Jim. Especially on the fastbreak, it was a thing of beauty. I still remember a game vs Atlanta where it was a 3 on 1 fast break, Jason threw the ball from just behind the 3pt line off the backboard got it back, threw it behind his head for a Jamal Mashburn slam

[FanOfAll]

Goodness, how could I forget Rice and Johnson? Man those two were awesome. I really do love the 90s.

[j.23]

One of my personaly favourite games to watch was the JJJ's of dallas in their hey day with Jamal, Jason and Jim. Especially on the fastbreak, it was a thing of beauty. I still remember a game vs Atlanta where it was a 3 on 1 fast break, Jason threw the ball from just behind the 3pt line off the backboard got it back, threw it behind his head for a Jamal Mashburn slam

i have that on tape.. i've watched the reply of it over and over again and i still can't manage how he did that.. that was unreal, i wish i could make a .gif out of it

[Ben-le-ouf]

Jowe talked about Chris Mullin
and Andrew about Mitch Richmond.

So I also mention Tim Hardaway when he was in Golden State Warriors with the same players. "Run TMC" was a terrific group and maybe the greatest trio of shooters.

They (Wadshington) traded Rasheed Wallace to Portland before his second season, receiving Rod Strickland in return. They didn't see a need for Sheed with Webber, Howard and Muresan up front and they needed a point guard. Keeping Sheed may or may not have made them any better and he may or may not have become the player he did. Given their plans and roster at the time (they did make the playoffs that year), you can't really fault them for that deal.

They also traded Ben Wallace and Rip Hamilton.
3 players who are now in the Detroit Pistons Champions.

[ATTENTIONWHORE]

Drazen Petrovic, anyone? Even though he was only in the NBA for what, 3 seasons? He could shoot. Very well.

[Colin]

i remember the sonics had a few of them alone. hell even thier center(perkins) was knocking down 3's.

I remember playing Live 98 and 99 and bombing three's with Hersey Hawkins and Dale Ellis all game.

A few more shooters:
Hersey and Dale
John Starks - Yeah he was streaky, but when he got his confidence going.
Dell Curry
That Jud guy on the Bulls

And it seemed like every team had a white guy between 6'3'' and 6'6'' that just stood around shooting

[ATTENTIONWHORE]

That Jud guy on the Bulls

Jud Buechler.