The history of the NBA has been filled with superstars, names known to fans and non-fans alike. But while comparisons between athletes who competed against each other face-to-face is a common occurrence in the sports world, it is not quite as easy to compare players from different eras. How would Wilt Chamberlain stack up against Shaquille O''Neal? What about LeBron James and Larry Bird, or Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson? In Pro Basketball’s All-Time All-Stars: Across the Eras, Robert Cohen not only examines the best players from each era, but also ranks the five greatest players at each position in the history of the pro game.
Dividing the history of professional basketball into five distinct eras, this book first describes the style of play that prevailed during each period. From the slow-paced, rough-and-tumble style of play that characterized the NBA during its formative years, to the up-tempo, high-flying style that currently prevails, Pro Basketball’s All-Time All-Stars gives an in-depth view of how the game has evolved. For each of the five eras, Cohen has selected the best players to man the five positions on the court, providing career bios for each. To determine the best of the best, Cohen considers the level of dominance each player reached during his time in the league, his individual statistics, the degree to which he impacted the fortunes of his team, and the extent to which he improved his teammates’ level of play. Individual honors and quotes from teammates and opponents alike are used to support the rankings.
Covering NBA greats such as Bob Pettit, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant, this book will appeal to basketball fans of all generations, and to any NBA fan interested in the history of the game.