Discussions about old-school NBA
r/VintageNBA
I'm very low-tech and only use reddit on my laptop, but I get the gist of what's happening. Apparently with the massive pricing changes from reddit that begin July 1st, most (all?) 3rd-party apps where the majority of people use reddit will no longer carry reddit because it will be cost-prohibitive for them to do so. It sounds like a lot of people will be forced to use the reddit app instead, something they don't want to do or they would have been using it in the first place, so I guess a ton of people will effectively leave reddit.
Could someone who is knowledgeable about this change and potential impact speak to how this could affect this sub?
If I'm reading the data correctly that I have access to as a mod, about 75% of people on here currently use a 3rd-party app for reddit. VintageNBA is a more cohesive community than most of reddit, so I'd like to think our members are all going to use the official app to remain, but it's not a choice I need to make so I'm in no position to know how reasonable or realistic that is. Any help would help, especially if it means we should do something before the end of June to preserve the great community we have.
https://www.upi.com/Archives/1992/06/30/Stockton-willing-to-play-with-cracked-leg/7211709876800/
"U.S. team spokesman Craig Miller said the team has until July 15 to submit a final roster to the International Olympic Committee. He said the team's position is that it will wait and see how Stockton does.
He said there had been no selection of alternates to replace Stockton at point guard."
lol.
After the conversation we've been having today regarding number retirements, especially after u/NotJuniorBridgeman's question reminded me of Chuck Cooper's status as the only player in the Hall of Fame to have never either made an all-star game or had their jersey retired, I started to think about how the MLB has every team wear Jackie Robinson's #42 on the anniversary of his debut. Since the NBA doesn't exactly have a singular Jackie Robinson-esque figure, I thought I'd make a list of which player each team would be most likely to honor if they did something similar. Let me know of any alternate suggestions you have, there are five or so where I feel like there should be a better answer but there just isn't that I'm aware of.
Atlanta Hawks: Pop Gates (first post-war Black NBL player, sparked pro ball's integration movement)
Boston Celtics: Chuck Cooper (integrated the NBA as a Celtic)
Brooklyn Nets: Dolly King (integrated the NBL along with Gates, first gained fame at LIU)
Charlotte Hornets: Tex Harrison (first HBCU player to be an All-American, played 18 years with the Globetrotters)
Chicago Bulls: Sonny Boswell (1940s star for the Rens and Globetrotters, one of the seven Black players the Chicago Studebakers integrated the wartime NBL with)
Cleveland Cavaliers: Willie Smith (At one point the best player in the world while on the Rens, Cleveland native who integrated the NBL's Cleveland Chase Brass and played for the Dayton Rens)
Dallas Mavericks: Harry Rusan (nine years with the Globetrotters after a college career at Paul Quinn)
Denver Nuggets: Ziggy Marcell (eight years with the Globetrotters, briefly integrated the NPBL Denver Refiners in 1950-51)
Detroit Pistons: Willie King (integrated the NBL's Detroit Gems)
This list was put together by u/TringlePringle a while ago, and I just stumbled across it again. Below are the guys in alphabetical order (thanks to TP again) with a brief description of why their numbers have been retired.
Tony Allen, #9 with Grizzlies - played with Memphis for 7 years during their best ever stretch ('11-17 including WCF in '13) - was a great defensive player (6x All-D) whose grit was the heartbeat of their team's culture at that time
Al Attles, #16 with Warriors - played entire career with Warriors, then coached there, then was an executive there, is still some sort of ambassador there - phenomenal defensive player who was also an incredible bad ass who no one wanted to fight despite him being little (6-ft-0, 175 lbs)
Bruce Bowen, #12 with Spurs - great defender (8x All-D) and very good 3-point shooter with Spurs while they won 3 titles ('03, '05, '07)
Junior Bridgeman, #2 with Bucks - great 6th man with Milwaukee as they ascended from good to great in the early-80s
Nick Collison, #4 with Thunder - played his entire 14-year career with Sonics/Thunder - consistent, solid, good leader, smart player, doesn't matter but had great +/- stats for most of his career
Brad Davis, #15 with Mavericks - smart, scrappy player who was incredibly efficient (low turnovers, good shooter), rumor has it his number was retired because the owner at the time loved him and was rewarding his loyalty
Darrell Griffith, #35 with Jazz - popular, exciting player with his dunking and 3-point shooting throughout the 80s, won ROTY in '81
Bob Gross, #30 with Trail Blazers - rugged, defensive-minded player with the Blazers, one of multiple questionable guys from the 70s who Portland honored by retiring their number
Derek Harper, #12 with Mavericks - good scorer and defender with Dallas in the late-80s/early-90s who seemed to always be just on the outside looking in at the ASG