2014 Anger General Geatest of All Time: #27 selection

[Odogg]

Elvin Hayes

why?

21/13 for his career. Even better stats in the playoffs. Blocks too.

Lead dog ring in 78. Great playoffs. Great battles with Kareem in college, which you watched live.

[elmouse03]

Elvin Hayes

why?

21/13 for his career. Even better stats in the playoffs. Blocks too.

Lead dog ring in 78. Great playoffs. Great battles with Kareem in college, which you watched live.

He was also part of that 60-22 Bullets team that got swept by Barry 48-34 Warriors in the finals back in 1975. Also lost a finals in 1979.

[wailuaFC]

Stockton, thomas, and Cousy should be an interesting debate

[AbeVigodaLive]

Elvin Hayes

why?

21/13 for his career. Even better stats in the playoffs. Blocks too.

Lead dog ring in 78. Great playoffs. Great battles with Kareem in college, which you watched live.

What's funny is that if we just go by stats we see that Elvin Hayes played better in the playoffs. More points. More rebounds.

But if you go by anecdotal accounts... he was known as a "guaranteed loser"... a phrase written in Sports Illustrated about him. Sure, he won a title. But look closer...

Yes. Hayes won a title. To some, they'll move him ahead of guys without rings just because of that ring. But, look closer. Hayes scored 145 points in those Finals. He scored only 19 of those (13%) in the 4th quarters. And that was allegedly not an anomaly. But they won the title... look closer. Hayes fouled out with 10 minutes to go (only 12 points) in the 7th game. His team won him that title while he was out... on the road. What makes it more interesting is that the newspapers ran a huge story that morning about Hayes' history of "choking" in big games, most noteworthy the 1975 upset Finals loss to Golden State. As predicted, he played poorly... but his team bailed him out.

Here's an excerpt from an article after they won: "Even the winning of the championship after nine futile seasons failed to erase Hayes’ reputation as a choker. The collapse of the Philadelphia 76ers, and injuries to Bill Walton and other Portland Trail Blazers, tainted the Bullets’ win over the Seattle SuperSonics. Because Hayes fouled out of two of the final seven games—including the seventh—some fans felt that the Bullets won despite Hayes rather than because of him.”

Plus, Hayes was one of those cats who posted HUGE numbers right away in his career playing in the fractured ABA/NBA days with half the best players in the other league. (28/17) He did it while shooting a lousy percentage for below .500 teams. When he stopped shooting so much, his teams started winning.

Consider that in his prime... after his 4th year in the league... he was traded for a guy named Jack Marin. Straight up...

Hayes was hated by more than the media. There's a laundry list of folks (coaches and players) who point to Hayes' selfishness on the court as being damaging to the team.

In my opinion... we're at least 10 spots away from Elvin Hayes.

[876Stephen]

Barry

[ripper76]

I'll go with Hayes.

[Wishbone]

Thomas

[AbeVigodaLive]

I'll go with Hayes.

Nice!



[Note: Although I MIGHT make a claim that Ewing was better.]

[Odogg]

I'll go with Hayes.

Here's a man who knows his hoops.

[dwcmwa]

Rick Barry.

[Havlicekstealsit]

[Bush4Ever]

Elvin Hayes is a player I don't know too much about, since arguably is most famous years took place during that strange, dark period of NBA history that nobody ever seems to analyze or discuss.

[Deez]

Barry

[kobeunderbite]

Hmmm... Abe is a smart basketball guy, and he picked Thomas, but I don't want to pick Thomas?

But doesn't Abe know more than me?

I will go with Patrick Ewing, and I nominate Willis Reed.

[kobeunderbite]

It seems like the voting seems to be more geared towards "who had the best NBA career" as opposed to "who was the best basketball player".

[AbeVigodaLive]

It seems like the voting seems to be more geared towards "who had the best NBA career" as opposed to "who was the best basketball player".

Everybody has their own take... their own criteria. You can go with "most skilled" or something if you want. It's your choice.

[kobeunderbite]

It seems like the voting seems to be more geared towards "who had the best NBA career" as opposed to "who was the best basketball player".

Everybody has their own take... their own criteria. You can go with "most skilled" or something if you want. It's your choice.

"Skills + Rings"

[elmouse03]

It seems like the voting seems to be more geared towards "who had the best NBA career" as opposed to "who was the best basketball player".

Everybody has their own take... their own criteria. You can go with "most skilled" or something if you want. It's your choice.

"Skills + Rings"

Good times.

[Bush4Ever]

Yes, let's vote for the "most skilled", when the "skill" doesn't actually translate into anything tangible as it relates to performance.

I nominate God Shammgod because his ball-handling ability was the best I've ever seen live.

I even did the Shammgod in pickup games when I was younger (albeit, kind of badly).

So yeah, for the sake of skill he is my nomination.

[kobeunderbite]

Yes, let's vote for the "most skilled", when the "skill" doesn't actually translate into anything tangible as it relates to performance.

I nominate God Shammgod because his ball-handling ability was the best I've ever seen live.

I even did the Shammgod in pickup games when I was younger (albeit, kind of badly).

So yeah, for the sake of skill he is my nomination.

"Skills + Rings" was a common two-word reply on ESPN from Kobe Kids to Kobe haters who were trying to downplay Kobe's all-time standing, in around 2009-2011.

I could be wrong but I think Griff popularized it, or perhaps Madness.