Double the Leagues, Double the Stars: 70s All Decade Teams

This is the decade where it feels we leave the age of myth into actual history. This is the NBA’s Renaissance, even thought the dark ages weren’t actually that dark but that’s not this discussion. Some people, including a writer for this site, don’t believe the NBA is the same sport before the NBA/ABA merger in the middle of this decade— they are completely wrong, but they think it. A lot of players didn’t get their complete primes in the NBA either because they played in the ABA, because of drugs, because of injuries, or in the case of our second team Forward a legal battle fueled by a lie the ruined a teens career. We will start with some honorable mentions. Also I count ABA achievements.

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Bob Lanier, 8x All Star, A absolute monster in college his NBA career started slow because of knee surgery, but he then averaged 20/10 for 7 straight seasons. If his knee would have held up (8 surgeries) Milwaukee could have had a championship team at the end of his career, or if he had more coaching stability in Detroit (7 coaches in 10 years) his story might be different.

Dave Bing, 7x All Star, 3x all NBA, ROY, in college he and his roommate Jim Boehime played for Syracuse. He was basically The prototype for Scoring point guards.

Earl Monroe, BLACK MAGIC, The Pearl, 4x all star, all NBA, ROY, Champion. The Bullets looked like a dynasty in the making but Monroe didn’t want to play with their center. So he forced a trade to the Knicks. He was a magician at ball handling but not at getting assists.

Mel Daniels, 3x ABA Champion, 2x ABA MVP, 7x ABA All Star, 5x all ABA, ABA ROY. Mel Daniels was the Tim Duncan of the ABA, he was the first 1st round draft pick to choose the ABA over the NBA. Sadly the year before the merger a back and stomach injury made it to where he only played 16 NBA games.

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1st Team

G- Walt Frazier, Clyde, 7x All Star, 7x All NBA, 7x All Defense, 2x Champion. He lost finals MVP to Willis Reed even though he had the better finals and was the better player and has the greatest game seven ever (36 points, 19 assists, 6 steals).

G- John Havlicek, Hondo was a 8x Champion, finals MVP, 13x All Star, 11x all NBA, 8x all defense. The ultimate teammate he was a superstar that was also the glue guy.

F- Julius Erving, Dr. J, 16x All Star (5x ABA), 7x All NBA, 4x all ABA, 2x ABA all Defense, 4x MVP (3 ABA), 3x Champion (2 ABA). First thing first the fact that college basketball made dunking illegal when Dr J was in college and didn’t quit being a sport is one of the most mind blowing facts ever to happen in human history. He was the first Wing Superstar to capture our imagination, without him the sport doesn’t look the same.

F- Bob McAdoo, MVP, 5x all star, 2x all NBA, 2x Champion. The first stretch Big, he was a great scorer and average at everything else. A poor teammate till he finally sacrificed on the showtime lakers to be their 6th man and win some rings. He also was a Superstar in Europe after he left the NBA.

C- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Born Lew Alcindor, 6x Champion, 2x Finals MVP, 6x MVP, 19x All Star, 15x all NBA, 11x all defense. If Russell and Wilt fought over the early GOAT conversation Kareem proved to be better than both. He was flat out better and in my Opinion the greatest Center ever.

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2nd Team

G- Nate Archibald, 6x All Star, 5x all NBA, campion. Not the guy from Gossip Girl, this guy was actually cool. He was fast. So fast he led the league in scoring and assists in the same season.

G- Pete Maravich, Pistol, that name sparks forth imagination in the ideas of men. 5x All Star, 4x all NBA, his college stats are unbelievable, but he wasn’t a great winner and knee injuries ended his prime and ultimately career early.

F- Elvin Hayes, Champion, 12x All Star, 6x all NBA, 2x all Defense. A great scorer and rebounder, he fit great with Wes Unseld to create a contender in the decade.

F- Connie Hawkins, ABA Champion, ABA playoffs MVP, ABA MVP, 5x All Star (1 ABA), 2x All ABA, 1 all NBA. Let’s look at the elephant in the room, Connie Hawkins was black balled from the league for knowing a guy who fixed games, he was then tortured by law enforcement, denied an attorney, and almost went to prison for knowing a point shaver. He never got to play in the NCAA, and didn’t get to play real pro Ball till the ABA was created when he was 26. Starting his career at 26 he still had this resume. If Connie was white it’s hard to imagine he gets blackballed because lawyers would have been provided to help him. He is one of the biggest what ifs in NBA history. He was similar to Dr J but taller. His knees were hurt on world tour with the Harlem Globetrotters and it’s worth the question what he could have done healthy in the NBA.

C- Bill Walton, 2x Champion, Finals MVP, MVP, 2x all Star, 2x all NBA, 2x all Defense, 6th Man. Ok speaking of Elephants in the room, this one is another huge NBA what if. He missed 3 full seasons, and played over 67 games once in 13 years. But his Highs were incredible he was a big man who could flat out pass and a great defender.

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3rd Team

G- David Thompson, 5x all star (1 ABA), 2 all NBA, all ABA, ABA ROY, a high flyer who let drugs and injuries destroy his career.

G- Jo Jo White, 2x Champion, Finals MVP, 7x all star, 2x All NBA. Draymond green says, “there are 82 game players and there are 16 game players” meaning some players are better in the playoffs. Jo Jo White was a 16 game player.

F- Rick Barry, 2x Champion (1 ABA), Finals MVP, 12x All Star (4x ABA) 6x All NBA, 4x all ABA, ROY. Possibly the greatest passing Forward before Bird. He was a winner but also apparently hard to get along with and obsessed with his looks. All being said he was amazing at this basketball thing. The Warriors got the US SUPREME COURT involved to get him to come back from the ABA and play for them again (insanely petty and honestly seems unfair that the Supreme Court sided with the Warriors) and it payed off with a ring.

F- Wes Unseld, Champion, Finals MVP, MVP, 5x all star, 1 all NBA. I’m fudging positions to have Wes as a Forward he was an undersized pivot but he was a beast on defense.

C- Dave Cowens, 2x Champion, MVP, 8x All Star, 3x all NBA, 3x all defense. Cowens was a do everything center, he shot from midrange, was a great rebounder, passer and defender. He was a great player.