The Top 15 NBA Basketball Players of All Time

15. Charles Barkley- 18th all time in career points, 16th in rebounds, and 18th in steals. Barkley won two gold medals as part of the NBA Dream Team. Was voted League NBA in 1993. Retired in 2000 as one of four NBA players to have 20,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, and 4,000 assists. Barkley was voted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 2006.

14. Moses Malone- 6th all time in points, 5th in rebounds, and 21st in blocks. Malone was a three time MVP and won the NBA Finals and Finals MVP in 1983 as part of the Philladelphia 76ers.

13. John Stockton- 1st all time in assists and steals. Won two gold medals as part of the NBA Dream Team. Inducted into Hall of Fame in 2009.

12. Hakeem Olajuwan- 8th all time in points, 11th in rebounds, 8th in steals, and 1st in blocked shots. Olajuwon won two NBA Finals with the Houston Rockets and is the only player to win MVP, Defensive MVP, and NBA Finals MVP all in one year when he did it in the 1992-1994 season. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008.

11. Earvin "Magic" Johnson- 4th all time in assists and 15th all time in steals. Magic won 5 NBA Finals with the Lakers including one his rookie season when he also was the Finals MVP. Is the NBA all time leader in assists per game with 11.8 Was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002.

10. LeBRON James- Won MVP in 2009. Has made All-Star team in every season except his rookie season. Became youngest player in NBA history to score 40 points in a game, 1,000 career points, and 10,000 career points.

9. Shaquille O'Neal- is 5th all time in points, 15th in rebounds, and 7th in blocks. Has won four NBA Finals and one MVP.

8. Karl Malone- 2nd all time in points and 6th in rebounds. Won two MVPs. Known as one of the greates power forwards to ever play the game.

7. Kobe Bryant- 17th all time in points and 27th in steals. Since his second year in the league Bryant has started in every All-Star game. Won MVP in 2008 and has won two NBA finals and possibly a third as he has brought the Lakers back to the Finals this year. Is one of the clutchest players to ever play the game.

6. Oscar Robertson- 9th all time in points and 5th in assists. Is only player in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire season. Won the NBA Finals in 1970-1971 and has won one NBA MVP. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006.

5. Larry Bird- 24th all time in points. Won three straight NBA MVP awards. Also won three NBA Finals and two NBA FINALS MVPs. Red Aurebach refers to Bird as the best player to ever play the game. Bird was elected to Hall of Fame in 1998.

4. Wilt Chamberlain- 4th all tim in points, and 1st in rebounds. He is the only player in NBA history to average more than 40 and 50 points in a season. Chamberlain has the NBA record for most points in a game with 100 and also most rebounds in a game with 55. He won four League MVPs. Was elected to Hall of Fame in 1976.

3. Bill Russell- 2nd all time in rebounds. Won a record 11 NBA Championships. Also won five NBA MVPs. Elected to Hall of Fame in 2007. In 2009, the NBA announced that the NBA Finals MVP would be named the Bill Russel NBA FInals Most Valuable Player in honor of Russell.

2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar- 1st all time in points, 3rd in rebounds, and 3rd in blocks. Abdul-Jabbar won six MVPs and six NBA finals, two in which he was also Finals MVP. Jabbar was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007.

1. Michael Jordan- 3rd all time in points and 2nd in steals. Won two olympic gold medals as part of the dream team. Won six NBA Championships and six NBA Finals MVPs. Won league MVP five times. Ranked #1 by ESPN Sportscentury's Top 100 Athletes of the 20th century. The most clutch player to ever play the game. LINK: Youtube

Water tower overlooking Target Field honors Killebrew

The historic water tower on top of the Wyman-Partridge building across the street from Target Field has a new, killer look. A banner featuring Harmon Killebrew’s No. 3 will be wrapped around the tower for the next five weeks, coming down on July 4th. LINK

Harmon Killebrew honored in funeral service

PEORIA, Ariz. -- It was a large gathering. Hundreds of people from across the country packed into a massive church near Harmon Killebrew's Scottsdale, Arizona, home to pay their final respects to the slugger. Killebrew passed away Tuesday after a difficult battle with esophageal cancer.

Pall bearers included current Twins Ron Gardenhire and Justin Morneau as well as former teammates Frank Quilici and Tony Oliva.

"Dad, I feel it's a privilege to call you dad. I will miss you greatly," Killebrew's daughter Shawn Bair said.

One of Harmon's grandchildren, his son-in-law and his oldest son also spoke.

Watch the funeral service: part one, part two, part three

It was a celebration of Harmon's life off the baseball field. He will be fondly remembered for the way he treated everyone equally and with the greatest respect. It is, perhaps, his legacy.

"Like he always told us, keep swinging," Harmon's son Cam said.

Former teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven spoke on behalf of the Minnesota Twins and Major League Baseball. He recalled the conversation he had with his buddy the day before he passed. Killebrew was concerned.

"You know what he was concerned about? The Twins were oh and eight," Blyleven said.

Hammerin' Harmon hit 573 home runs in his storied career. Blyleven asked the crowd to help celebrate his 574th.

"He wants to hear the roar of the crowd," Blyleven said before leading a long, respectful and heart-warming ovation. "We should all leave here knowing he touched our lives," Blyleven concluded.

Following the funeral current Twins Joe Nathan and Michael Cuddyer told reporters that Harmon left his mark on them, calling him a model to follow as an athlete and as a person. The Twins would leave after the service to get ready for a night game in Phoenix against the Diamondbacks.

"We all left the church this morning with a good feeling in our hearts that we're going to see him again. I think my good friend upstairs just needed another power hitter," former teammate and baseball legend Rod Carew said.

A private burial is scheduled Monday in Killebrew's hometown of Payette, Idaho

LINK

Painting with baseballs - Mcguire

Goodbye Art. LINK: Youtube

Sparky Anderson Links: Local and national writers share their stories about the legendary manager

>Jerry Green has a great column where he recounts a number of stories including when Sparky Anderson placed a silent wager with slugger Kirk Gibson right before he hit a home run in the 1984 World Series. [DN]

>Just like when Ernie Harwell passed back in May, you're going to get a lot of columns talking about what a nice guy Anderson was. There might not be a better one than Jason Erardi's for the Cincinnati Enquirer. [CE]

>Before the 2000 season, Atlanta Braves pitcher John Rocker was making headlines with rants laced with homophobia and racism. Looking to counter the attention Rocker was getting, the Sporting News' Dave Kindred wrote about baseball's polar opposite; Sparky Anderson. [SN]

>Here is a great quote from Drew Sharp's column: In a sport that’s grown scripted and bland, Sparky was that prism that transformed conformity into vibrant color. [DFP]

>Joe Lapointe wonders how much Pete Rose's gambling scandal impacted Anderson's emotional state toward the end of his managerial career. [FH]

>Hal McCoy tells comical stories about Anderson, including a night where he intentionally gave opposite answers to the same question just minutes apart. [MJ]

>If you're looking for a statistical look at Anderson's career, ESPN has you covered. [ESPN]

>Jo-Anne Barnas recounts a 2006 interview she had with Sparky in his hometown of Thousand Oaks. She shares many of the small philosophical nuggets Sparky said during the interview that didn't make her original story. A great read if you have the time. [DFP]

>Former MLive.com beat reporter Danny Knobler writes: He understood how to run a clubhouse, just as much as he understood how to run a baseball game. There are managers who are brilliant strategists and managers who are great at dealing with people, but Sparky was both. [CBS Sports}

>Sports Illustrated has a wonderful photo gallery. Sparky always looked older than he was, but it's fascinating how much he appeared to age between the 1959-69. [SI]

>Another Hal McCoy column where he tells some of the same stories, but shares how Sparky admitted to treating star players differently. "Yes, I treat the stars differently, give them more space and more freedom. They’ve earned it – guys like Johnny Bench, Pete Rose, Joe Morgan and Tony Perez. Anybody else has to earn it. When they accomplish what those guys have accomplished then they’ll get the same respect." [FSO]

>Related topics: Sparky Anderson

More on Sparky Anderson: LINK 1, LINK 2

Yogi Berra: Steinbrenner Was Very Generous

Hall of Famer Yogi Berra says the late George Steinbrenner was a 'very generous, caring, passionate man' and he will miss him very much. Berra says he and the longtime Yankees owner had their differences but became great friends in recent years. (July 13). LONK: Youtube

Steinbrenner Remembered As Benevolent Boss

New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner is being remembered across the nation Tuesday as more than just a fiery, hand-on owner with deep pockets. (July 13). LINK: Youtube

Mauer: 'Love Putting on a Twins Uniform'

Reigning AL Most Valuable Player Joe Mauer made his eight-year, $184 million contract extension with the Twins official Monday. The St. Paul, Minnesota native is a three-time batting champion. (March 22). LINK: Youtube

Major League Baseball Players Who Have Hit 3 Home Runs in a Game 4 Times

Photo of Babe Ruth signed "Yours truly, Babe Ruth"

Three hundred and thirty-two major league baseball players have hit 3 home runs in a game since 1922. But only 15 of those players have managed to hit 3 home runs in a game 4 different times in their careers.

Some of the biggest names ever to play baseball are on this list like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Ernie Banks. The list also includes three of the biggest steroid cheats in baseball Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa.

Of the 15 players on the list 4 managed to hit 3 home runs in a game 5 times while 2 other players hit 3 home runs in a game an amazing 6 times though one of the two is one of the steroid cheats.

Link, Via: Neatorama

Football or baseball

George Carlin. LINK: Youtube

College Baseball Player Found Dead in Calif.

A Cal State Long Beach baseball player who disappeared over the weekend has been found dead in a creek near where he was last seen walking his girlfriend's dog. (Dec. 15). LINK: Youtube

This is really sad. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family.

Animation: pitcher Dock Ellis's no-hitter while on LSD

He was the baseball player who in 1970 pitched a no-hitter for the Pittsburgh Pirates while tripping balls on LSD. Ellis died last year. In his honor, James Blagden and Chris Isenberg animated Ellis's retelling of his acid adventure on the mound. "Dock Ellis's Legendary LSD No-Hitter animation" (Dangerous Minds),

Sadly, the great Dock Ellis died last December at 63. A year before, radio producers Donnell Alexander and Neille Ilel, had recorded an interview with Ellis in which the former Pirate right hander gave a moment by moment account of June 12, 1970, the day he no-hit the San Diego Padres. Alexander and Ilels original four minute piece appeared March 29, 2008 on NPRs Weekend America. When we stumbled across that piece this past June, Blagden and Isenberg were inspired to create a short animated film around the original audio. LINK, Via: Youtube

They have posted before about Dock Ellis.

Babe Ruth Like You’ve Never Seen Him Before

Joe Porciello, right, a producer at MLB Network film archives and Frank Caputo, the video library manager, looking at archival baseball footage.


The latest Babe Ruth film, unseen publicly until now, is part of a 90-second clip shot from the first-base stands at Yankee Stadium. There is no sound. But there are sweeping views of the park. And there is Ruth, obvious by his shape and waddle.

He is shown in right field, hands on his knees, glove on his right hand. To a casual fan, it appears unremarkable. But it represents the archive’s only game action of Ruth playing in the outfield — where he spent more than 2,200 games — other than a between-innings game of catch.

Nick Trotta, baseball’s manager of library licensing, took a look at the newly arrived Ruth clip first. He realized it was something he had not seen before. When others saw it, it was “wow, wow, wow,” Mr. Trotta said.

LINK, with video at that link.

Unbreakable Baseball Records

Rickey Henderson's career stolen base mark, for example? OK, so maybe he was selfish, and full of himself, and not the greatest team player. But once that guy was on the base paths, he could disrupt a game like no one since Jackie Robinson. His record is probably safe. LINK, Via: Life

Who's on First? Typography

Abbott and Costello's "Who's on First?" routine using typography only.
LINK: Youtube