(Note: All of factual entries are pulled directly from Wikipedia, they are not my work, but hey, there not copyright either. On On Lazy!)
#1 In 1955, Wilt Chamberlain became a player for the Kansas Jayhawks freshman team under future Hall-of-Fame coach Phog Allen. In those days, freshmen could not compete with the varsity squad. In Chamberlain’s debut game for the freshman squad, the freshman Jayhawks were pitted against the varsity Jayhawks, who were favored to win their conference that year. Chamberlain dominated his older college mates by scoring 52 points (16-35 from the field, 10-12 on free throws), grabbing 29 rebounds and registering four blocks.
#2 In the 1956 NBA Draft, Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach had set his sights on Russell, thinking his defensive toughness and rebounding prowess was the missing link the Celtics needed. In perspective, Auerbach’s thoughts were unorthodox. In that period, centers and forwards were defined by their offensive output, and the ability to play defense was secondary.[14] However, the chances of getting Russell seemed slim. Because the Celtics had finished second in the previous season and the worst teams had the highest draft picks, the Celtics had slipped too low in the draft order to pick Russell. In addition, Auerbach had already used his territorial pick to acquire talented forward Tom Heinsohn. But Auerbach knew that the Rochester Royals, who owned the first draft pick, already had a talented young rebounder in Maurice Stokes and were unwilling to pay Russell the $25,000 signing bonus he requested.[7] The St. Louis Hawks, who owned the second pick, originally drafted Russell, but were vying for Celtics center Ed Macauley, a six-time All-Star who had roots in St. Louis. Auerbach agreed to trade Macauley if they gave up Russell, and after the Celtics also agreed to give up rookie Cliff Hagan, the Hawks made the trade. During that same draft, Boston also claimed guard K.C. Jones, Russell's former USF teammate. Thus, in one night, the Celtics managed to draft three future Hall-of-Fame players (and, in time, three NBA championship winning coaches): Russell, K.C. Jones and Heinsohn.
#3 Michael Jordan attended Emsley A. Laney High School in Wilmington, where he anchored his athletic career by playing baseball, football, and basketball. He tried out for the varsity basketball team during his sophomore year, but at 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m), he was deemed too short to play at that level. The following summer, however, he grew four inches (10 cm)[2] and trained rigorously. Upon earning a spot on the varsity roster, Jordan averaged 25 points per game over his final two seasons of high school play. As a senior, he was selected to the McDonald's All-American Team[3] after averaging a triple-double: 29.2 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 10.1 assists.[4]
#4 Michael Jordan was close to his father; as a child he had imitated his father's proclivity to stick out his tongue while absorbed in work.
#5 Larry Bird recalled how his mother would make do on the family's meager earnings: "If there was a payment to the bank due, and we needed shoes, she'd get the shoes, and then deal with them guys at the bank. I don't mean she wouldn't pay the bank, but the children always came first." Bird sometimes was sent to live with his grandmother due to the family's struggles. Being poor as a child, Bird told Sports Illustrated, "motivates me to this day."
#6 On November 9, 1984, Larry Bird was ejected along with Julius Erving in the third quarter after an on court scuffle. At the point of both ejections, Bird had outscored Erving 42 to 6. During the game, Bird had continuously informed Erving of their tallies with every chance he got to score. Eventually ensued a shoving match, then swings taken by both players, and finally a bench-clearing brawl.
#7 According to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, he learned the skyhook in fifth grade and soon learned to value it, as it was "the only shot I could use that didn't get smashed back in my face".
#8 After graduating from high school. Shaquille O'Neal attended Louisiana State University (LSU) and studied business. He had first met Dale Brown, LSU's men's basketball coach at that time, years before in Europe. With O'Neal's stepfather stationed on a U.S. Army base at Wildflecken, West Germany, O'Neal attended Fulda American High School, a DODDS school. Upon seeing the 6-foot, 6-inch, 224-pound O'Neal, the visiting Brown reportedly mistook the then-13-year old boy for a soldier.
#9 Shaquille O'Neal, whose mother is a Baptist and stepfather a Muslim, has not formally announced affiliation with a specific faith though in 2002, the Los Angeles Times identified O'Neal as being Muslim (though this was not confirmed by O'Neal) and quoted him as saying, "It's a Muslim thing," with regard to the greetings he exchanged with opposing player Hedo Turkoglu before each game of that year's Western Conference Finals series. The newspaper also quoted Turkoglu as saying that he was not surprised at the gesture from O'Neal "because Muslim people support each other."[12]
Traditional Muslim Pose
One of these things is not like the other (in truth and subject), one of these things just doesn't belong....
