Quote:
Originally Posted by bigfanNY
Bob Kurland with the Phillips 66'ers in 1951. 1948 and 1952 gold medalist. Member of the inaugural class of the Basketball Hall of Fame. Quite possibly the greatest player of the first half of the 20th century.
Gonna call BS to that statment. Being a top player in the AAU is not being a top Basketball player. Even in the first half of the 20th century. Miken vs Kurland Miken 3-2 with one of Kurland's wins coming in a game Miken fouled out in the 1st half. Kurklands Ncaa titles Going forward Miken played against top talent in the ABL BAA and NBA. So not even the best big man. Fulks Lapchick Hickey Gates Cooper. All of them great Professional Basketball players. And remember when Kurkland was winning the NCAA The NIT was the top tournament.
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Check your math. First half of the 20th century ended in 1950. By then Kurland had won back to back NCAA's (1945-46), 3 AAU Championships (1947, 1948, 1950) Olympic gold medal (1948), 2 time NCAA Final Four most outstanding player, Helms Foundation and Sporting News Player of the Year (1946) and retired in 1952. You know squat about the AAU. It was just as important back then and drew a lot of talent. Read up on the National Industrial League. Guaranteed players a career with a corporation and allowed them to play basketball. Mikan and Kurland were probably equal. Don't make excuses for Mikan fouling out of a game vs Kurland. Perhaps he was outplayed. Chuck Cooper did not graduate from college until 1950. Fulks was an above average player. Horrible shooter who bricked a lot in a short career.