Maravich Monroe/Monroe Maravich: Remembering Ball Outside the Envelope
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Young fans and players need to recover certain things about the past of the greatest game ever invented and jettison others. Both these players have been discussed in this forum before. But some times some things are so extraordinary that they must be repeated, because they point the way to the undiscovered country that the game might still evolve toward.
Once upon a time on courts long long ago, there were two men that came along and approached the game quite differently than it had been played at the highest levels before or since. Allen Iverson, who came along much later, could have done it had he been born at a different time and played in a more tolerant time. Probably some more existed that I do not know about before and since.
But these two men did it once. They went to the undiscovered country and returned played what could be in college and the NBA. And these are Youtube feeds that capture just the surface of how differently they showed the game could be played. And both of them believed they were the harbingers of things to come, not evolutionary dead ends.
Show these feeds to old board rats grown cynical and doubtful about the future possibilities of the game.
Show these feeds to young boys and girls raised in an age of terror, pessimism, knock-offs and doubt.
These two men were originals.
Uninhibited in their exploration of the undiscovered country.
Infinite in all directions on the sacred wood.
Not harbingers of how it might be.
But of what can be.
Of what is.
When the blinders come off.
I love both men equally.
I wish I could find a better feed of Earl.
Ignore the imbecility of “the greatest basketball player ever.” There is NO greatest basketball player ever.
The thing to learn is what can happen on offense, when the defense NEVER knows what the offensive player might do next.
Maravich…
Monroe…
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@jaybate-1.0 Love the movie “The Pistol”, well did as I was younger, bought it on Amazon and re-watched it and it was more Disney than I remembered, but growning up was my all time favorite.
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Awesome Videos !! Some GREAT memories !! Memory Lane !!
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Pistol Pete was a Serb on a mission… he carried a big chip developed by his demanding father, who was also a player and coach. He was supposed to be a WVU Mountaineer but his dad was coaching at LSU and offered him.
He was considered “the Elvis” of basketball.
He is a great example of what a chip can do for a player. Imagine what it can do for a team?!
Earl the Pearl developed his game on the playgrounds of Philly. A real playground player and his style was somewhat typical of a lot of playground players back then… lots of flash!
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That was back when players had great nick names too!
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@wissoxfan83
My all-time favorite name was “Chocolate Thunder” given to “Double D” (Dr. Dunk)… Darryl Dawkins… the monster slammer who exploded more backboards than anyone else.
I’m not sure… but I kind of think the term “throwin’ it down” came to existence because of what he did.
Check out the #1 dunk… they ran an iso camera just on Darryl. That says plenty.
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That was a great one too. He named some of his dunks as I recall. Hot Rod Hundley was a good one too, but I think the greatest nickname in all of sports, ever, has got to be Dr. J. We’ve got our own Dr. J. Dr. @jaybate-1.0
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Maybe “Dr. Jay”… since Dr. J is taken…
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Thinking back to all the great players and teams… it seems the “old days” had a lot more players that were true individuals that brought something very unique and outstanding to the game. Dr. Dunk brought his monster slam, Dr. J brought his art and beauty. Jordan… Wilt brought Wilt, the tower of power. Kareem brought his sky hook. Magic brought his no look pass and a forward body at PG. Bird brought his cleverness. Who can forget Pistol Pete and Earl the Pearl.
Who are the players today that are bringing something big to the game? I’m on board for adding in LeBron. Who else? Steph Curry looks like a candidate. I’m not talking about guys that just score a lot of points. I’m talking about players that appear to have come from another planet… an advanced basketball planet. It must be Saturn… showing us a ball going through a rim… guess Dr. Dunk broke the backboard many moons ago!
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When it comes to show biz and grace backed up by incredible talent, no one will ever be as good as Pistol Pete in his prime.
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@drgnslayr said:
I’m talking about players that appear to have come from another planet… an advanced basketball planet.
PHOF
