I'd like to think that the nature of the two teams - Boston being a championship team over the years and the Lakers, same thing - was a lot bigger than Larry Bird or Magic Johnson.
From Oscar Robertson
If you're a basketball player, you've got to shoot.
Some players are more physical than others, some play with more finesse. Some are just really great all-around players. So you have to change your game.
When you go into a game on offense, you make a couple moves and see what the defender is going to do. Then you pretty much can figure out what he is going to do against you - whether he carries his hands low or high, whether he is bumping or pushing, those type of things.
You need a teaching coach who understands the game of basketball, not just some guy coming on the court talking about Xs and Os.
I don't think that players learn how to play any other aspect of the game in high school or college.
You don't cut anywhere, don't pick down anywhere, don't double screen, no weak side picking. All these things that should happen in a game of basketball don't happen anymore.
It's a sad commentary when I have to say that sometimes in our country we are real sensitive to race.
I think that everyone should be able to dribble. Everyone should be able to pass. Otherwise, why are you out there?
The thing about it is almost everyone could pass that way, but we were kept from doing it by our coaches.
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