NBA Throwback Thursday: Marion's game winning oop from Kidd

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A game winning ally oop off the inbound pass with .4 seconds remaining down 1 is tough , a game winning ally oop off the inbound pass with .4 seconds remaining down 1 with 7'6 Yao Ming standing in front of the guy throwing it in is nearly impossible. The Dallas Mavericks were fortunate enough to have the magician Jason Kidd be that guy making the perfect pass to Shawn Marion who lays it in to win the Mavs their last preseason game and give them momentum heading into the regular season. 

NBA Throwback Thursday: Karl Malone dunks on Michael Jordan

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Karl Malone is the second highest scorer in NBA history for two reasons, longevity and being nearly unstoppable. Karl was probably the greatest big man in transition, running like a deer while being the size of small bus had something to do with it. On this play the Jazz come up with a steal and Malone's running mate John Stockton finds him in transition where he proceeds to dunk over Michael Jordan. 

NBA Throwback Thursday: Bill Russell teaches defensive rebounding

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One of the greatest players to ever hit the hardwood shows you how to properly box somebody out so you can gobble up all of the defensive rebounds. Russell finished his 13 year career with 11 championship rings playing the center position so if anybody knows how to box a man out, it's him. 

NBA Throwback Thursday: Kevin Johnson dunks over Hakeem Olajuwon

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Hakeem Olajuwon, who has more blocks than anyone else in nba history, gets posterized by Kevin Johnson in game 4 of 1994's western conference semi-finals. You gotta do something special to dunk with the greatest shot blocker ever guarding the paint and Johnson did just that going up high and finishing with the hoop and the harm. Extra credit for hitting the free throw. 

NBA Throwback Thursday: Pistol Pete Maravich scores 68

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In 1977 one of the best players of his generation, and all time, "Pistol" Pete Maravich put his talents on display as he scored 68 points in a game against New York.  The 1976-1977 season was his best ever as a professional player. He led the league in scoring with an average of 31.1 points per game and scored 40 points or more in 13 different games which includes the 68 point masterpiece.  

NBA Throwback Thursday: John Stockton clutch in game 4 vs Kings

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One of the best John Stockton comes up clutch when it matters most. Stockton was 3/8 through the first 3 quarters but shot 3/3 in the 4th quarter including the go ahead bucket with only .7 seconds left on the clock. The Jazz would win the game and hold off elimination by the Sacramento Kings. 

NBA Throwback Thursday: Clyde Drexler 3 pointer with 0.9 to go

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After the Bucks made a desperation three pointer to tie the game Clyde Drexler hits what may be the most difficult shot of his career. Drexler went to the Houston Rockets in 1995 where he won an NBA Championship with his college teammate and friend Hakeem Olajuwon. 

NBA Throwback Thursday: Olajuwon's block to force game 7 of the 1994 finals

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You probably know Hakeem Olajuwon for his patented unguardable dream shake move but Olajuwon can also be argued as the best defender in NBA history. Hakeem holds the all time blocks record with 3,830 averaging 3.09 blocks per game across his hall of fame career. Olajuwon has many highlight blocks but the one he may be remembered for the most occurred in the 1994 NBA finals. Patrick Ewing and the New York Knicks led the series 3-2 but the Houston Rockets were up 86-84 with 7.6 seconds left in game 6. The ball came into John Starks and Ewing set the pick forcing Olajuwon to switch onto Starks. The rest is history. After a slight stumble Hakeem recovered to get the block on Starks forcing a game 7 that the Rockets would go onto win. We will never know if the shot would've gone in but considering that Starks had 16pts in the 4th quarter of that game my guess is that it would've been splash. Hakeem may no longer be the highest scoring international player but his all around skill make him a true baller. 

NBA Throwback Thursday: Ewing posterizes Mourning

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Nothing is more special in sports than seeing two guys go at it, especially when the two guys in question would one day be inducted into the hall of fame. Ewing got the ball baseline and for half a second there was a pause as he looked at Mourning, both men aware that something spectacular was about to happen. Mourning thinking block of the year and Ewing thinking of the poster. To the disappointment of the crowd in Miami Patrick Ewing was victorious. If I was a kid growing up in New York during the 90's the image of Ewing dunking over Zo would plastered all over my bedroom. 

NBA Throwback Thursday: Ron Artest tries EVERYTHING to stop Paul Pierce

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The basketball player formerly known as Ron Artest (soon to be formerly known as Metta World Peace) was known for a lot of things. Being a hassle on the defensive end, getting into fights, and sometimes just downright hilarity. In a game between the Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers Ron Artest got fed up with his defence not being as good as Paul Pierce's offence so he decided he needed to do what was necessary to get Pierce out his game. Pierce has to get pantsed. Pierce shook it off easily and drained a three pointer moments later right in Artest's face. Ron later apologized in the only way Ron knows how. Song. 

NBA Throwback Thursday: Dr. J's half-court game winner

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In 1986 Dr. J stunned the Dallas crowd when he hit a buzzer beating game winner from half court. Julius Erving finished the game with 20pts and 8ast and the biggest shot but it was the round mound of rebound Charles Barkley who put the sixers in their position to win with 35pts and 13rbs. One of the greatest ballers to ever play the game, Julius Erving was a hall of fame type guy on and off the court and he Barkley develop into the MVP player he became in 1993. The doctor is the only player in history to win a championship and MVP in both the ABA and the NBA. Dr. J took the whole team and pulled that win right out of a dream. 

NBA Throwback Thursday: Jordan 52 vs Drexler 42

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Between the regular season and playoffs Michael Jordan scored 50+ 39 times. While there are a lot of exciting 50+ point games for me to choose from for nbatbt this one stood out to me because Jordan gets to battle with the only shooting guard who could challenge him at the time, Clyde Drexler. Michael got to go back and forth scoring with a lot of players, Bird, Magic, Malone, but he wasn't defending them and they weren't defending him most of the time. In this game two of the best shooting guards in history go head-to-head as they steal, block, and score on one another in a classic game from 1988 you won't want to miss. Oh and it gives me a reason to mention Kevin Duckworth who was the third highest scorer in the game with 27 for Portland.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3a-fEIRJ-k  

NBA Throwback Thursday: 7'7 Manute Bol 6 three's in a half

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Looking like a character pulled from a Tim Burton movie, Manute Bol standing rather towering at 7'7 wasn't exactly known throughout the league for his long range shot. But things happened. Charles Barkley and the Suns were up 72-55 at the half and things looked bleak for the 76ers that is until Manute Bol started draining three pointers and at least allowed Philadelphia to lose with some style. Even Barkley was into it giving Bol a high five after making his 6th three pointer. Manute finished the game shooting 6-12 from beyond the arc which gave him the record for most 3 pointers in a half by any Philadelphia 76er.  Was this complete luck? Considering Bol made only 43-205 of his three pointers during his career it seems so but the tape don't lie, he made them. It was baller time for Manute.

Manute Bol 6 3-point half:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45czWPhWQOI   

Oh and if  you were wondering what Manute Bol's main strengths were this video should give you a rough idea:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnHbGFpr4Qs

NBA Throwback Thursday: Mahmoud 51 against Stockton

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     Ever since 1891 when Canadian Dr. James Naismith invented basketball people have been doing baller shit with the sport. Thousands of these moments have occurred throughout the history of the NBA, some like Wilt Chamberlain scoring 100 points or a multitude of Michael Jordan game winners have been replayed hundreds of times but there are still many baller instances in the NBA that haven't been largely publicized. This is where NBA TBT comes in. Each week I'll be bringing you a baller moment that you've hopefully never seen before starting this week with Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf and the game where he scored 51 points against John Stockton and the Jazz.  It was December 7, 1995 when the Nuggets led by Dikembe Mutombo arrived in Utah to challenge on Stockton and Malone, and challenge them Mahmoud did as he finished the game scoring more points then the two did combined! That night Abdul-Rauf was unconscious shooting 9-14 from 3 and making all of his 8 free throws. Mahmoud looked to be in attack mode all night as he knocked down shot after shot against tight defence making buckets both off the dribble and in catch and shoot situations. His performance was very Stephen Curry like as his ability to create a shot for himself wrecked havoc on the opposing defence. This game was simply amazing but not just a fluke either since during his 9 year career Mahmoud averaged 14.6 ppg and made 1051/1161 of his total free throws (.905) with a career high of 19.2 ppg during the 92-93 season with the Nuggets. 

If you're a stickler for the highest video quality possible watch it here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXGRNGWNk0I

If not then I'd recommend checking it out here, if only to hear one of the commentators say "What screen? he don't need no screen," around the 2:50 mark. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-w3vbrj7KQ 

If you're a fan of Mahmoud's game here are 3 other instances where he took over that's worth checking out: 

Mahmoud was also a key factor in ending Jordan's Bulls 18 game winning streak. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e93l5so7f9s

He's just one of those players who helps prove that 'getting hot' is a real thing, scoring 2 points through 3 quarters only to finish the game with 28 pts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozxEUAUlEFc

Abdul-Rauf was never afraid of the competition proving it once again by scoring 39 points and getting 10 assists during his win over Jason Kidd and the Mavericks in 1995. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sewdK-uoX3I

I hope everyone who read this enjoyed it and don't forget to check back next Thursday for another edition of NBA TBT.