Today, one of the NBA's peskiest players is Spurs G/F Bruce Bowen. Bowen regularly irritates opposing players into losing control and playing poorly. But Bowen certainly isn't the first to do this. And he looks like an angel beside today's profile focus. Bill Laimbeer was called "His Heinous" and "the prince of darkness", among other things, but as this profile shows, he was more than just a hack.

Bill Laimbeer was born May 19, 1957, and was raised in Clarendon Hills, IL, a suburb of Chicago. He played for Palos Varda in California, and later attended Notre Dame, but his play didn't portend much noteriety; he flunked out as a freshman with the Irish, and even after he returned, he was only average, scoring 7.3 PPG and 6.0 RPG. Drafted in the third round by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1979, he wasn't offered a contract until mid-August, and he played the 1979-80 season in Italy, averaging 21.1 PPG and 12.5 RPG for Pinti Inox.

Laimbeer returned to the Cavs in 1980, and had a solid NBA debut year, with 9.8 PPG and 8.6 RPG, but the Cavs were a disaster, going 28-54. After the following year, with the Cavs in financial trouble, Laimbeer was traded to the Detroit Pistons (along with Kenny Carr) for Phil Hubbard, Paul Mokeski and two draft picks. Laimbeer was now on the team that would make him (in)famous.

Laimbeer's first season was statistically outstanding; he averaged a double-double for the first time (13.6 PPG and 12.1 RPG in 1982-83). Laimbeer averaged a double-double every year from 1982-83 to 1987-88, and in 1983, he made the All-Star team for the first time; he would make three more All-Star teams (1984-85, 1987) during his career. Laimbeer's best stats year came in 1985-86, when he averaged 16.6 PPG and 13.1 RPG (he led the league in boards that year). But many people remember Laimbeer as the poster child for the "Bad Boys" persona that the late 80s Pistons are remembered for. He did have plenty of fights; he fought with such stars as Larry Bird, Robert Parish, Brad Daugherty, and most notably Charles Barkley (In his book, Barkley said he left Laimbeer a note that simply said "Dear Bill, F**k you!, Love, Charles Barkley).

But Laimbeer was a key cog in the Pistons' rise from medicority to champions, as he started for both the 1989 and '90 title teams. In game 2 of the 1990 Finals, he tied a record (later broken by Kenny Smith and Scottie Pippen) with six three-pointers in a game. When he retired early in the 1993-94 season, he was the Pistons' all-time leading rebounder with 9,430, and he was the 19th player in NBA history (at the time) to amass 10,000 points and 10,000 rebounds. He has since showed he can coach, leading the WNBA Detroit Shock to three WNBA titles. Yes, Bill Laimbeer is a bundle of contradictions, but love him or hate him, Laimbeer should be respected as one of the toughest competitors in NBA history.

Season-by-Season Statistics

1980-81: 81 GP, 9.8 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 2.7 APG, 50.3 FG%, 76.5 FT%, 0 3P
1981-82: 80 GP, 34 GS, 9.0 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 1.3 APG, 49.4 FG%, 79.3 FT%, 30.8 3P%
1982-83: 82 GP, 82 GS, 13.6 PPG, 12.1 RPG, 3.2 APG, 49.7 FG%, 79.0 FT%, 15.4 3P%
1983-84: 82 GP, 82 GS, 17.3 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 1.8 APG, 53.0 FG%, 86.6 FT%, 0 3P
1984-85: 82 GP, 82 GS, 17.5 PPG, 12.4 RPG, 1.9 APG, 50.6 FG%, 79.7 FT%, 22.2 3P%
1985-86: 82 GP, 82 GS, 16.6 PPG, 13.1 RPG, 1.8 APG, 49.2 FG%, 83.4 FT%, 28.6 3P%
1986-87: 82 GP, 82 GS, 15.4 PPG, 11.6 RPG, 1.8 APG, 50.1 FG%, 89.4 FT%, 28.6 3P%
1987-88: 82 GP, 82 GS, 13.5 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 2.4 APG, 49.3 FG%, 87.4 FT%, 33.3 3P%
1988-89: 81 GP, 81 GS, 13.7 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 2.2 APG, 49.9 FG%, 84.0 FT%, 34.9 3P%
1989-90: 81 GP, 81 GS, 12.1 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 2.1 APG, 48.4 FG%, 85.4 FT%, 36.1 3P%
1990-91: 82 GP, 81 GS, 11.0 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 1.9 APG, 47.8 FG%, 83.7 FT%, 29.6 3P%
1991-92: 81 GP, 46 GS, 9.7 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.0 APG, 47.0 FG%, 89.3 FT%, 37.6 3P%
1992-93: 79 GP, 41 GS, 8.7 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.6 APG, 50.9 FG%, 89.4 FT%, 37.0 3P%
1993-94: 11 GP, 5 GS, 9.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.3 APG, 52.2 FG%, 84.6 FT%, 33.3 3P%

There have been many players who have specialized in playing the boards. Some of those players include Dennis Rodman and Wilt Chamberlain. But one player could have had a career similar to those players, but tragedy intervened. Here is the story of the brief NBA career of Maurice Stokes.

Maurice Stokes was born on June 17, 1933 in Rankin, Pennslyvania. Not much is known about his high school career, nor is much known about his college career at St. Francis (PA), before he was drafted by the Rochester Royals with the second pick in the 1955 NBA Draft.

Stokes made an immediate impact for the struggling Royals, averaging 16.8 PPG and 16.3 RPG, winning Rookie of the Year honors for the last place Royals. He had another solid season in 1956-57, averaging 15.6 PPG and 17.4 RPG (leading the league in rebounds) before the Royals moved from Rochester to Cincinnati. There, after a third stellar year, tragedy struck.

In the final game of that 1957-58 season, Stokes drove hard to the basket against the Minneapolis Lakers and hit his head hard on the floor, knocking him unconscious. He was revived by smelling salts, then played a good game against Detroit in the playoffs three days later, but on the flight home, he became gravely ill. It was revealed that he had post-traumatic encephalopathy (damage to the motor control center of the brain) and was permanently paralyzed. He never played again in the NBA.

Heroically, Stokes fought on, and former Royals teammate Jack Twyman took legal custody of him and cared for him the remainder of his life. Stokes never let his condition affect his humanity and care of others, but the long fight ended on April 6, 1970, when he died of a heart attack. He was buried at the cemetary on the campus of his alma mater, St. Francis University in Pennsylvania, and a big screen film, Maurie, was made in 1973. He was eventually elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004, and even today, his courage inspires those who knew him, and even those who didn't, to fight until the end, and never allow your circumstances to get you down.

Season-by-Season Statistics:

1955-56: 67 GP, 16.8 PPG, 16.3 RPG, 4.9 APG, 35.4 FG%, 71.4 FT%
1956-57: 72 GP, 15.6 PPG, 17.4 RPG, 4.6 APG, 34.7 FG%, 66.5 FT%
1957-58: 63 GP, 16.9 PPG, 18.1 RPG, 6.4 APG, 35.1 FG%, 71.5 FT%

Before guards like Chris Paul or even Michael Jordan showed all-around brilliance with not just scoring, but boards and assists plus defense, the original all-around master at guard was "the Big O", Oscar Robertson. Here's his (delayed) profile:

Oscar Robertson was born on November 24, 1938 in Charlotte, Tennessee, but he grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. Despite growing up in a segregated neighborhood, Robertson thrived, and soon starred at Crispus Attucks High School, where as a sophomore, he led the school to the state quarterfinals, which was the inspiration for the movie Hoosiers. Robertson then led the school to two straight high schools titles before attending the Uuniversity of Cincinnati.

At Cincinnati, Robertson continued to excel; he averaged 33.8 PPG and graduated as the all-time leading scorer in NCAA history (his record was broken by Pete Maravich in 1970). He won the Player of the Year award in all three of his seasons, and after graduating, teamed with Jerry West to lead the United States to a gold medal in the 1960 Olympics. After that, the Cincinnati Royals selected Robertson as a territorial pick in the 1960 NBA Draft.

Robertson's rookie season was stellar; he averaged 30.5 PPG, 10.1 RPG and 9.7 APG, winning both Rookie of the Year and All-Star Game MVP. But it's his second season that went into the history books; he averaged a triple-double for the entire season with averages of 30.8 PPG, 12.5 RPG and 11.4 APG. Robertson would be named league MVP in 1964 (the only non-center to win the award between 1960 and 1980) and won All-Star Game MVP two more times (1964 and 1969), but despite this, the Royals never advanced beyond the Eastern Division Finals.

Then, in 1970, the Royals shockingly traded Robertson to the Milwaukee Bucks for Fynn Robinson and Charlie Paulk. But Robertson now teamed with the best teammate he ever had; young center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. With Abdul-Jabbar and Robertson leading the way, the Bucks dominated, winning 66 games and going 12-2 in the playoffs, culminating in a sweep of the Baltimore Bullets in the NBA Finals. Robertson helped the Bucks win the Midwest Division in each of his four seasons there, and helped the Bucks to another Final in 1974, before retiring after the series with the Boston Celtics. He retired with 12 All-Star Game appearences, nine All-NBA 1st Team selections, and was selected as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996. Robertson left a legacy as one of the greatest all-around players in league history, and he paved the way for players like Jordan, Magic Johnson and Paul to be the all-around greats they are.

Season-by-Season Statistics

1960-61: 71 GP, 30.5 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 9.7 APG, 47.3 FG%, 82.2 FT%
1961-62: 79 GP, 30.8 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 11.4 APG, 47.8 FG%, 80.3 FT%
1962-63: 80 GP, 28.3 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 9.5 APG, 51.8 FG%, 81.0 FT%
1963-64: 79 GP, 31.4 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 11.0 APG, 48.3 FG%, 85.3 FT%
1964-65: 75 GP, 30.4 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 11.5 APG, 48.0 FG%, 83.9 FT%
1965-66: 76 GP, 31.3 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 11.1 APG, 47.5 FG%, 84.2 FT%
1966-67: 79 GP, 30.5 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 10.7 APG, 49.3 FG%, 87.3 FT%
1967-68: 65 GP, 29.2 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 9.7 APG, 50.0 FG%, 87.3 FT%
1968-69: 79 GP, 24.7 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 9.8 APG, 48.6 FG%, 83.8 FT%
1969-70: 69 GP, 25.3 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 8.1 APG, 51.1 FG%, 80.9 FT%
1970-71: 81 GP, 19.4 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 8.2 APG, 49.6 FG%, 85.0 FT%
1971-72: 64 GP, 17.4 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 7.7 APG, 47.2 FG%, 83.6 FT%
1972-73: 73 GP, 15.5 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 7.5 APG, 45.4 FG%, 84.7 FT%
1973-74: 70 GP, 12.7 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 6.4 APG, 43.8 FG%, 83.5 FT%

Today, I wanted to do a player profile on Oscar Robertson, but thanks to the idiots who are in charge of the place that facilitates this site, I couldn't. As soon as I finished writing, they said "we're updating Weebly with new stuff", and then, when it loaded, it erased everything I wrote. So, tomorrow, I'll rewrite the post, because if I do it today, I might throw something at the computer. Stay tuned tomorrow!

Today, Tommy Heinsohn is known as the most unabashed Boston Celtics homer on TV. It should come as no surprise then that Heinsohn has bled Celtics green for over four decades. Here's his profile:

Tom Heinsohn was born on August 26, 1934 in Jersey City, New Jersey. He starred at St. Michael's High School in Union City, NJ, then took his talents to Holy Cross, where he became the school's all-time leading scorer with 1,789 points (average of 22.1 PPG, including a school record 51 points against Boston College). The Boston Celtics forfeited their first round pick to draft Heinsohn as a "territorial pick" in 1956.

Heinsohn went on to capture Rookie of the Year that season. averaging 16.2 PPG and 9.8 RPG, and played in the All-Star Game. Heinsohn posted solid stats almost every year; he averaged about 16 PPG and 9.5 RPG in six of his nine seasons, with his best stats year coming in 1959-60 with averages of 21.7 PPG and 10.6 RPG. He played in the All-Star Game six times (1957, 1961-65), and won eight championships during his career.

After retiring as a player in 1965, Heinsohn refused to take over for Red Auerbach, saying he couldn't handle Bill Russell. He even made the suggestion that Russell become the coach, which did happen, making Russell the first African-American coach in modern pro sports. Heinsohn eventually succeeded Russell as coach in 1969 and, after a rough start, the team won five division titles, made five conference finals, and won two NBA titles. Heinsohn was named Coach of the Year in 1972-73, leading Boston to 68 wins (which remain a Celtics record) before stepping down in 1978. Today, Heinsohn is a broadcaster for Celtics home games. But his legacy is secure; he is the only person to have been associated with the Celtics for all 17 of their NBA titles. That makes him bleed green until the bitter end!

Season-by-Season Stats Review: Note that steals and blocks were not kept until 1973-74, 3 point percentage until 1979-80 and games started until 1981-82.

1956-57: 72 GP, 16.2 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 1.6 APG, 39.7 FG%, 79.0 FT%
1957-58: 69 GP, 17.8 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 1.8 APG, 38.2 FG%, 74.6 FT%
1958-59: 66 GP, 18.8 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 2.5 APG, 39.0 FG%, 79.8 FT%
1959-60: 75 GP, 21.7 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 2.3 APG, 42.3 FG%, 73.3 FT%
1960-61: 74 GP, 21.3 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 1.9 APG, 40.0 FG%, 76.7 FT%
1961-62: 79 GP, 22.1 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 2.1 APG, 42.9 FG%, 81.9 FT%
1962-63: 76 GP, 18.9 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.3 APG, 42.3 FG%, 83.5 FT%
1963-64: 76 GP, 16.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 2.4 APG, 39.8 FG%, 82.7 FT%
1964-65: 67 GP, 13.6 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, 38.3 FG%, 79.5 FT%

I've decided to tweak my site a bit. Now, the Blog and Profile pages will function under the "Player Profile" section, and I've added a page which will feature Youtube videos much like the three that are page one. Hopefully, they will add some flavor to the blandness. Thanks for your support.

Before he became known to many NBA fans as the central figure in the demise of the New York Knicks as a premier franchise, Isiah Thomas was considered among the finest (if not the best) little man in league history. Today's profile reflects upon that legacy.

Isiah Thomas was born in Chicago, Illinois on April 30th, 1961. He was the youngest of nine children, and in his youth, he frequently played pick-up ball with fellow future NBA stars Earvin "Magic" Johnson and Mark Aguirre. Thomas went on to star at St. Jospeh's High School before deciding to attend Indiana University. After his freshman season, he was selected to the Olympic team, only to stay home due to the Olympic boycott of 1980. In his second year, he led the Hoosiers to the NCAA title, defeating North Carolina. After the game, he declared for the NBA Draft, and was selected #2 (ironically, behind Aguirre) by the Detroit Pistons.

Thomas made an immediate impact, helping the Pistons improve from 21 wins the year before to 39 in his rookie year, as he averaged 17 PPG and 7.8 APG, though the Rookie of the Year award went to New Jersey's Buck Williams. Thomas led the Pistons to the playoffs in his third year, and in 1984-85, he had his best statistical season, with 21.2 PPG and a career high 13.9 APG (which led the NBA). Thomas also won two All-Star Game MVPs (1984 and 1986) during his peak stats years, but despite this, the Pistons won just one playoff series from 1984-86.

By 1987, the Pistons changed their philosophy, turning from primarily a high-scoring team to the "Bad Boys", a physical and defense-oriented team. The Pistons reached the conference finals that year, only to see Thomas throw away a potential victory with a bad inbounds pass that Larry Bird picked off and led to the game winning layup by Dennis Johnson. Thomas and the team recovered, and the Pistons beat Boston the following year for the Eastern Conference title. They played the defending champion Lakers hard before losing in seven games, but not before Thomas put on one of the most amazing performances in NBA history, scoring 25 points in the third quarter of game 6. The Pistons eventually won two straight NBA titles the next two years, with Thomas winning Finals MVP in the second win in 1990.

Thomas eventually was derailed by injuries in the twilight of his career; he missed 34 games in 1990-91 and then tore his Achilles tendon in 1993-94. That was the end for the man called "Zeke", as he retired from the NBA that April. Although Thomas' later ventures usually failed miserably, his guts and determination as a player should not be forgotten. Isiah Thomas was the prototype for the players of today like Chris Paul, and he remains one of the first names off of people's lips when talking about all-time great Pistons.

Season-by-Season Stats Key: GP-games played, GS-games started, PPG-points per game, RPG-rebounds per game, APG-assists per game, FG%-field goal percentage, FT%-free throw percentage, 3P%-three point percentage

1981-82: 72 GP, 72 GS, 17.0 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 7.8 APG, 42.4 FG%, 70.4 FT%, 28.8 3P%
1982-83: 81 GP, 81 GS, 22.9 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 7.8 APG, 47.2 FG%, 71.0 FT%, 28.8 3P%
1983-84: 82 GP, 82 GS, 21.3 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 11.1 APG, 46.2 FG%, 73.3 FT%, 33.8 3P%
1984-85: 81 GP, 81 GS, 21.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 13.9 APG, 45.8 FG%, 80.9 FT%, 25.7 3P%
1985-86: 77 GP, 77 GS, 20.9 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 10.8 APG, 48.8 FG%, 79.0 FT%, 31.0 3P%
1986-87: 81 GP, 81 GS, 20.6 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 10.0 APG, 46.3 FG%, 76.8 FT%, 19.4 3P%
1987-88: 81 GP, 81 GS, 19.5 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 8.4 APG, 46.3 FG%, 77.4 FT%, 30.9 3P%
1988-89: 80 GP, 76 GS, 18.2 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 8.3 APG, 46.4 FG%, 81.8 FT%, 27.3 3P%
1989-90: 81 GP, 81 GS, 18.4 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 9.4 APG, 43.8 FG%, 77.5 FT%, 30.9 3P%
1990-91: 48 GP, 46 GS, 16.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 9.3 APG, 43.5 FG%, 78.2 FT%, 29.2 3P%
1991-92: 78 GP, 78 GS, 18.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 7.2 APG, 44.6 FG%, 77.2 FT%, 29.1 3P%
1992-93: 79 GP, 79 GS, 17.6 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 8.5 APG, 41.8 FG%, 73.7 FT%, 30.8 3P%
1993-94: 58 GP, 56 GS, 14.8 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 6.9 APG, 41.7 FG%, 70.2 FT%, 31.0 3P%