Matt Jankowski - The Greatest Basketball Players of All Time

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Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Jankowski, Matthew.

Title: The greatest basketball players of all time / Matthew Jankowski.

Description: New York: Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2020. | Series: Greatest of all time: sports stars | Includes glossary and index.

Identifiers: ISBN 9781538247754 (pbk.) | ISBN 9781538247778 (library bound) | ISBN 9781538247761 (6 pack)

Subjects: LCSH: Basketball players--United States--Biography--Juvenile literature. | Basketball-- United States--History--Juvenile literature.

Classification: LCC GV885.1 J36 2019 | DDC 796.323 B--dc23

First Edition

Published in 2020 by

Gareth Stevens Publishing

111 East 14th Street, Suite 349

New York, NY 10003

Copyright 2020 Gareth Stevens Publishing

Designer: Katelyn E. Reynolds

Editor: Emily Mahoney

Photo credits: Cover, p. Lisa Blumenfeld/NBAE/Getty Images.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer.

Printed in the United States of America

CPSIA compliance information: Batch #CW20GS: For further information contact Gareth Stevens, New York, New York at 1-800-542-2595.

CONTENTS

WORDS IN THE GLOSSARY APPEAR IN BOLD TEXT THE FIRST TIME THEY ARE USED IN THE TEXT.

FIRST STEP ONTO THE COURT

In 1891, James Naismith, a gym class instructor of Springfield College in Massachusetts, grabbed two peach baskets, hung them on the walls of a gymnasium and had students try to put a ball into the basket. And just like that, the first ever game of basketball was played!

Basketball grew in popularity until the National Basketball Association (NBA) was formed in 1946. From that point forward, basketball was no longer just a game, but a professional sport with teams and a league. In this book, youll learn about the greatest basketball players to ever compete and exactly what made them the best of the best.

THERE IS A BRONZE STATUE OF JAMES NAISMITH IN A PARK IN HIS HOME TOWN OF ALMONTE, ONTARIO, CANADA. HE SITS NEXT TO HIS OWN BASKETBALL HOOP.

BREAKING IT DOWN

SOME BASKE TBALL PLAYERS ARE GOOD AT SCORING, MEANING THEY ACTUALLY PUT THE BALL IN THE HOOP TO SCORE POINTS. OTHERS SPECIALIZE IN ASSISTS, OR PASSING THE BALL TO OTHERS AND HELPING THEM SCORE. PLAYERS CAN ALSO EXCEL AT REBOUNDS, GRABBING THE BALL AFTER A MISSED SHOT AFTER IT BOUNCES OFF THE RIM OR BACKBOARD. OR A PLAYER CAN BE REALLY GOOD AT DEFENSE, RACKING UP LOTS OF BLOCKS OR STEALS. PEOPLE CAN BE CONSIDERED A GREAT BASKETBALL PLAYER IF THEYRE ESPECIALLY GOOD AT ANY OF THESE SKILLS!

POINT GUARDS: BOB THE COOZ COUSY

The year was 1950. The NBA, just 4 years old, was ready for a player to make the game his own. After being benched in college because his coach didnt like his over his difficulties to become an all-time great. If you liked behind-the-back passes and no-look dump offs, then Cousy was your man.

Known for assisting his teammates to victory, Bob Cousy won six NBA championships and played in 13 straight NBA All-Star games. He led the league in assists for eight seasons in a row and in 1970 was elected into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

COUSY WAS PART OF THE 1959-1960 BOSTON CELTICS THAT IS WIDELY REGARDED AS ONE OF THE GREATEST BASKETBALL TEAMS OF ALL TIME.

POINT GUARDS

BOB COUSY PLAYED AT THE POINT GUARD POSITION. POINT GUARDS ARE THE PLAYMAKERS ON THE COURT. OFTEN THE SHORTEST AND MOST PLAYERS, POINT GUARDS LOOK TO ADVANCE THE BALL, READ THE DEFENSE AND SET THEIR TEAMMATES UP TO SCORE. THE COOZ EXCELLED AS A POINT GUARD WITH HIS CREATIVITY AND FAST PASSES.

POINT GUARDS: EARVIN MAGIC JOHNSON

Imagine being so good at basketball that everyone simply called you Magic. Earvin Magic Johnson played point guard for 13 seasons for the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1980s. Magic dazzled fans with a joyful energy and passion for the game. He spun defenders in circles with his passing skills.

Magic made the basketball term from basketball, he had the all-time record for most assists.

EVEN AFTER RETIRING, MAGIC WORKED FOR THE LAKERS BY SCHEDULING EVENTS FOR THE PLAYERS TO HELP OUT THEIR COMMUNITY.

A TRUE LEGEND

MAGIC JOHNSON HAD A WITH ANOTHER OF THE GREATEST BASKETBALL PLAYERS OF ALL TIME: LARRY BIRD. THE TWO FACED EACH OTHER IN COLLEGE IN THE 1979 NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME (WHICH MAGIC WON). THEY THEN WENT ON TO COMPETE IN THE NBA FINALS THREE TIMES IN THE 1980S (MAGIC WON TWO OF THEM). THE TWO PLAYERS RESPECTED EACH OTHER. BIRD SAID: MAGIC IS HEAD AND SHOULDERS ABOVE EVERYBODY ELSE. IVE NEVER SEEN (ANYBODY) AS GOOD AS HIM.

SHOOTING GUARDS: MICHAEL MJ JORDAN

Michael Jordan is considered by many to be the greatest player ever to step on the court. He was MVP five times, won the NBA championship six times, and was the highest scoring player for 10 seasons. Often called by his initials MJ, Michael was electrifying for fans to watch.

MJ was known for his . Once he got in the zone, he could be seen sticking his tongue out while driving to the hoop and throwing down one of his famous Air Jordan acrobatic dunks. Jordans game has also been described as clutch since he scored many buzzer-beater shots to win games.

MICHAEL COULD JUMP SO HIGH AND FAR THAT WHEN HE WENT FOR A DUNK, HE WOULD GET CALLED MOONMAN IT LOOKED LIKE HE WAS IN ZERO GRAVITY!

AIR JORDANS

ALONG WITH BASKETBALL GREATNESS, MJ IS KNOWN FOR HIS FAMOUS JORDAN LINE OF FOOTWEAR. YOU MAY HAVE SEEN BASKETBALL SHOES OR SANDALS FEATURING HIS AIR JORDAN POSE. BASKETBALL SHOES OFFER ANKLE SUPPORT BECAUSE PLAYERS MOVE QUICKLY ON THE COURT. EVEN AFTER RETIRING, MJ INSPIRES PLAYERS TO KEEP DUNKING EVERY DAY.

SHOOTING GUARDS: KOBE BRYANT

Scoring baskets is what Kobe Bryant did best, so the position of shooting guard was a good fit. He so many shots by taking a fadeaway jumper, the shot became known as a Kobe on playground basketball courts. Kobe was so good that he started playing in the NBA right after he finished high school!

Kobe played his whole 20-year career for the Los Angeles Lakers. He has scored the third most points of all-time and during one game, he managed to score 81 points all on his own! Kobe won five championships, two Olympic gold medals, and was selected as an All-Star 17 times.