Pro Basketball's All-Time All-Stars

Across the Eras

Robert W. Cohen

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.

Scarecrow Press

Pages: 506 • Trim: 6½ x 9¼

978-0-8108-8744-2 • Hardback • March 2013 • $158.00 • (£123.00)

978-0-8108-8745-9 • eBook • March 2013 • $150.00 • (£115.00)

Series: All-Time All-Stars

Subjects: Sports & Recreation / Basketball

Pro Basketball's All-Time All-Stars

Across the Eras

Hardback

eBook

Summary

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.

Details

Scarecrow Press

Pages: 506 • Trim: 6½ x 9¼

978-0-8108-8744-2 • Hardback • March 2013 • $158.00 • (£123.00)

978-0-8108-8745-9 • eBook • March 2013 • $150.00 • (£115.00)

Series: All-Time All-Stars

Subjects: Sports & Recreation / Basketball

Author

Robert W. Cohen is the author of numerous sports books, including A Team for the Ages: Baseball's All-Time All-Star Team (2004), The Lean Years of the Yankees: 1965-1975 (2004), Baseball's Hall of Fame – Or Hall of Shame? (2009), MVP (2010), The 50 Greatest Players in New York Yankees History (Scarecrow, 2012), and The 50 Most Dynamic Duos in Sports History: Baseball, Basketball, Football, and Hockey (Scarecrow, 2013). Cohen currently writes for the website TheBaseballPage.com.

Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction

PART ONE: The Set Shot Era
The 1946-1960 All-Star Team

PART TWO: The Era of the Superstar
The 1961-1975 All-Star Team

PART THREE: The Bird/Magic Era
The 1976-1990 All-Star Team

PART FOUR: The Slam Dunk Era
The 1991-2005 All-Star Team

PART FIVE: The Free Agent Era
The 2006-2012 All-Star Team

PART SIX
Pro Basketball's All-Time All-Stars

Conclusion
Glossary
Bibliography
Index

Reviews

Who was better: Chamberlain or Russell, or Magic or Bird? Cohen, a fan and sports historian, rates the best centers, power forwards, small forwards, shooting guards, and point guards across five eras of professional basketball (“Set Shot,” 1946–60; “Superstar,” 1961–75; “Bird/Magic,” 1976–90; “Slam Dunk,” 1991–2005; and “Free Agent,” 2006–12). The five best—plus honorable mentions—are ranked with justifications. For example, Cohen uses statistics, championships, honors, and reputation to show why he selected Hakeem Olajuwon ahead of Shaquille O’Neal, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, and Alonzo Mourning. Recommended for all libraries with a sports collection, suitable for circulation.
— Booklist

Say it isn’t so—the Big O on the second team and the incomparable Dr J on the fifth team? That may be hard to swallow but that is where we’ll find Oscar Robertson and Julius Erving in Cohen’s all time all-star basketball volume. Spanning six pro eras from the set shot age to the advent of free agents, Cohen selects an all-star team from each period—first and second teams. Cohen, author of numerous sports books, uses statistics (offensive and defensive), sustained excellence, and input from writers, coaches, and players to compare players at each of five positions from each era. A daunting task indeed but Cohen pulls it off and the result is a highly entertaining reference volume. He includes a preface and introduction to explain his objective and criteria. . . .[H]is all star teams are the book’s features.
— American Reference Books Annual

Pro Basketball's All-Time All-Stars

Across the Eras

Robert W. Cohen

Pro Basketball's All-Time All-Stars

Across the Eras

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