Who is best athlete ever in Boston/New England?

[40yrpatsfan]

If you say Russell was better relative to the players around him, I would agree. If you said that Russell did more to revolutionize the game, there is no argument. But straight up in a time warp, there's no way that all you claim is true. From what I can gather, Russell was basically the only player in the league playing defense back then. I am amazed when I watch old tapes of NBA games with guys taking set shots. Set shots for crying out loud! Could you imagine someone trying to do that nowadays? Many blocks that I have seen Russell make were basically guys going right up to him and shooting the ball into his hand. How about Bob Cousy driving to his left, but only dribbling with his right hand. The ball is literally right in front of defenders and no one even makes an attempt for it. Its ridiculous. Could you imagine what a guy like Steve Nash would do if you put him in a time warp to 1965? Players of today are so much better defensively that its not even comparable. And offensively they have adjusted.

Its just a totally different game today. Its evolved so much from the 1960s that most of the players back then would not be in the league now. Players are way more athletic, people are playing basketball all over the world, they start playing all year round from a very young age, etc. Just like Johnny Unitas, Cy Young, Jack Johnson, etc., Russell deservedly should go down as one of the greatest of all-time because he dominated his era and revolutionized his sport. But sports evolve and I would argue that he would not be near as dominant if put in a time machine and dropped into today's game.

You're right the game has changed, mainly in guard play. I posted about this earlier. The way to look at it when comparing eras 45 years apart is to put him in that time machine at the age of 8, so that he would have the benefit of growing up watching and practicing today's game.

There are more great athletes concentrated in the NBA now than then, but at the top rung, they are no more athletic now than then. Russell occupies the top rung, with maybe only Michael Jordan. I saw Russell play in person about 50 times, and he could take over games like nobody's business. He flew around that defensive lane.

The only thing I would dispute is the poster who said that Russell was Garnett's superior offensively. Russell never displayed a great shooting touch. He made his free throws, had decent moves around the basket, could hit an open shot, and scored > 20 many times, but he never was truly great in that aspect of the game. Part of it was that he was always hurting his fingers and had them taped together a lot.

But a great shooting touch does not come automatically to even the greatest athletes, so you can't assume Russell would have had that if he grew up in today's game. Garnett, on the other hand, has one of the sweetest shots I've ever seen on a 6'11 center, along with all the moves.

 

[AzPatsFan]

If you say Russell was better relative to the players around him, I would agree. If you said that Russell did more to revolutionize the game, there is no argument. But straight up in a time warp, there's no way that all you claim is true. From what I can gather, Russell was basically the only player in the league playing defense back then. I am amazed when I watch old tapes of NBA games with guys taking set shots. Set shots for crying out loud! Could you imagine someone trying to do that nowadays? Many blocks that I have seen Russell make were basically guys going right up to him and shooting the ball into his hand. How about Bob Cousy driving to his left, but only dribbling with his right hand. The ball is literally right in front of defenders and no one even makes an attempt for it. Its ridiculous. Could you imagine what a guy like Steve Nash would do if you put him in a time warp to 1965? Players of today are so much better defensively that its not even comparable. And offensively they have adjusted.

Its just a totally different game today. Its evolved so much from the 1960s that most of the players back then would not be in the league now. Players are way more athletic, people are playing basketball all over the world, they start playing all year round from a very young age, etc. Just like Johnny Unitas, Cy Young, Jack Johnson, etc., Russell deservedly should go down as one of the greatest of all-time because he dominated his era and revolutionized his sport. But sports evolve and I would argue that he would not be near as dominant if put in a time machine and dropped into today's game.

I don'tknow where you saw Cousy do that but I know from scoolboy basketball that the ex-Celtics turned coaches taught left handed drives and right handed drives,using the correct hand. Today I don' tthink the coaches even try to teach fundamentals, like that, and/or boxing out for rebounding.

Its amazing to see big time college programs with people who can only play one handed.

 

[scout]

Iverson's post is humorous. He is critiquing one of the best athletes in the history of any sport without the knowledge or research of that player. To top it off, he goes by the name Iverson. Who is modern day player who would get his head handed to him if he drove the lane against Russell. This poster talks of the olden days as if set shots were the norm and no one played defense. Its really a shame that kids today never saw basketball played the way it is supposed to be played. Ever wonder why Europe is beating the U.S. lately? BTW, Iverson would never even make the team if one would choose an all-time back court. He would be behind Jerry West and Oscar Robertson to name two who played against Russell.

 

[Sean Pa Patriot]

Hard to name just one , I voted for Bird, but Brady is a close second and I had to give a Biased vote...

1 Larry Bird
2 Tom Brady
3 Roger Clemens
4 Bill Russel
5 Carl Yaztremski
6 Bobby Orr

Favorites- Steve Grogan, Tom Brady, Larry Bird, Dave Cowens, John Havlechick, Teddy Bruschi, Andre Tippet

Overated Boston/ New England Athlete- Doug Fluite, Pedro Martinenz , Manny Rameriz..

Underated- Steve Grogan

 

[kriskanos]

Hard to name just one , I voted for Bird, but Brady is a close second and I had to give a Biased vote...

1 Larry Bird
2 Tom Brady
3 Roger Clemens
4 Bill Russel
5 Carl Yaztremski
6 Bobby Orr

Favorites- Steve Grogan, Tom Brady, Larry Bird, Dave Cowens, John Havlechick, Teddy Bruschi, Andre Tippet

Overated Boston/ New England Athlete- Doug Fluite, Pedro Martinenz , Manny Rameriz..

Underated- Steve Grogan

Roger Clemens should not be on any best of Boston list. Hes a Texas jerk who played for the Yankees, and took steroids for like the last 12 years of his career. Plus just how is Manny overrated? His numbers are astronomical and he comes through in the playoffs. I agree with Flutie being overrated though.

 

[kriskanos]

I like the no-love for Cousy, He was great but he is a crotchety old man along the ranks of Teddy Ballgame.

 

[mcbee]

It's impossible to rank players across eras...what is the criteria? Best AT THE TIME or BEST of ALL TIME?

John Hannah was 260-270 pounds, pretty light for a guard....not sure what he'd be in today's NFL.

Don't know about Russell...

My vote is still with
Butch Hobson
Fred Lynn
and
Bill Rodgers (marathon runner)
with Rick Middleton coming in a close 4th.

No, I'm kidding.

Jerry Remy anyone?

It's always going to be biased toward players you watched personally.

 

[Seacoast Fan]

Yes, Teddy is still frozen, hence my screen name. It is a crime that he is not where he belongs, Arlington National.

When I saw your name, I knew immediately what it meant....although I voted for Orr in this poll, Ted was always my hero growing up, my parents (esp. my mom) were huge Ted fans, so I learned all about him, still know all his stats by heart. What happened to him posthumously WAS a crime, and I hated (still do) his kid for doing it. Arlington would have been a fitting choice for him.

 

[Seacoast Fan]

As far as popularity is concerned, nobody will ever be able to top Larry Bird for the next 50 years, until it is almost completely forgotten that he ever existed.

Orr was in fact far more popular in his day. No question about it.
Its tough to remember this nowadays, but Boston, at heart, is a hockey town...its the only franchise to always sell out, and to do that for the last 50 years, even when they truly suck.