Musings from Grampa Celtic

In 1982, Bob Ryan left the Boston Globe for a job at a television station. Everyone figured it was the end of an era. Ryan had seen more great basketball in twenty years than most people do in a lifetime. Before he left, he began compiling lists.

Here's one of them.

All-NBA Team, 1969-82:

First Team

C Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
F Larry Bird
F John Havlicek
G Jerry West
G Walt Frazier

Second Team

C Dave Cowens
F Dave DeBusschere
F Julius Erving
G Nate Archibald
G Lenny Wilkens

Special Category

Bill Walton The greatest all-around short-term force in basketball history, but a year and a half of productivity does not a career make.