And football and boxing and other
I call this page big deal because virtually every NBA champion has had a dominating front man or front court. I will show how each team has had this winning formula. The NBA as we know it today started in 46/47. The NBA started keeping track of rebounds in 50/51 and the lakers were led to the championship in 48/49 by Mikan so i will use this as my starting point as very few stats were kept before this. So lets begin evaluating the importance of the bigs to winning it all.
48/49 Minneapolis Lakers - George Mikan. The most dominating big man and player of this era. He led the league in FG, FT, Pts and Win share, 1st team all NBA
49/50 Minneapolis Lakers - George Mikan. Led league in even more than previous year including pts. 1st team all NBA
50/51 Rochester Royals - Arnie Risen. Risen 4th in league with 12.0 boards a game and Coleman was 10th with 8.7.
51/52 Minneapolis Lakers - George Mikan. Led league in rebounds and efficiency. 2nd in scoring. Led def wins and Vern Mikkelson was 9th with 10.3 boards game.
52/53 Minneapolis Lakers - George Mikan. Led league rebounds, efficiency and win share. 1st team all NBA. Vern added 9.3 boards per.
53/54 Minneapolis Lakers - George Mikan. Led league in efficiency and def win share. 2nd in boards. 1st team all NBA all 5 champ years. 14.4 boards and vern added 8.5 per.
54/55 Syracuse - Dolph Schayes. Led def wins. 4th in boards and efficiency. Lloyd added 7.7 boards in addition to schayes 12.3 per.
55/56 Philadelphia - Neil Johnston. Led win share. 2nd in efficiency and added 12.5 boards per. Gola added 9.1 boards and Grawbowski 8.9 per.
56/57 Celtics - Bill Russell. Led league with 19.6 boards per as rookie. 5th in FG %. Loscutoff added 10.4 boards and Heinsohn 9.8 per
57/58 St Louis Hawks - Bob Pettit. Led efficiency and 2nd in boards at 17.4 per. Third scoring at 24.6 pts. 1st team all NBA. Cliff Hagan added 10.1 board per.
58/59 Celtics - Bill Russell. Led rebounds 23 per and def win share. led boards by 6.6 per game. 2nd in FG %. Yes. 1st team all NBA
59/60 Celtics - Bill Russell 24 boards per. Led def win share. 2nd team all NBA
60/61 Celtics - Bill Russell. MVP. 16.9 pts, 23.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists. Led def win
61/62 Celtics - Bill Russell. 2nd straight league MVP. Led def win. 18.9 pts, 23.6 boards and 4.5 assist.
62/63 Celtics - Bill Russell. 3rd straight MVP. Led def win. 16.8 pts, 23.6 boards and 4.5 assist.
63/64 Celtics - Bill Russell. Led rebounds 24.7 and def win share.
64/65 Celtics - Bill Russell. Russell MVP. 1st team all NBA. 14.1 pts, 24.1 boards and 5.3 assist. Led def win.
65/66 Celtics - Bill Russell. 2nd boards, led def win 2nd team all NBA
66/67 Philadelphia - Wilt. League MVP. 24.1 pts, 24.2 boards, 7.8 assist. Led FG % with .683, boards and efficiency. 1st team all NBA.
67/68 Celtics - Russell. 3rd boards and 2nd def win. 2nd team all NBA.
68/69 Celtics - Russell. 3rd boards and 2nd def win.
69/70 Knicks - Willis Reed. League MVP. 1st team all NBA. Led def win. 21.7 pts and 13.9 boards.
70/71 Bucks - Kareem. League MVP. 1st team all NBA. Led pts, eff, and wins. 31.7 pts and 16 boards per.
71/72 Lakers - Wilt. Led rebounds, effeciency and def win. FG% .649 and 19.2 boards. 1st team all D.
72/73 Knicks - Lucas, Reed and Debusschere. DeB 10.2 rebound per and reed 8.5 boards. Debusschere 1st team all NBA
73/74 Celtics - Silas and Cowens. Cowens 3rd boards at 15.7 and Silas 12th at 11.2.
74/75 Warriors - Cliff Ray 10.6 rebound per and wilkes 8.2.
75/76 Boston - Silas and Cowens. 1 and 2 off rebounds. Cowens 2nd rebounds at 16 per and Silas 4th at 12.7 per. Cowens 1st team D.
76/77 Portland - Walton. Led rebounds at 14.4. Led blocks 3.2 game. 3rd eff and 2nd def rating Maurice Lucas added 11,4 boards per. Walton 1st team all D.
77/78 Bullets - Hayes and Unseld. Hayes 13.3 boards 4th and Unselds 11.9 boards.
78/79 Seattle - Jack Sikma and Silas. Sikma 12.4 boards and led def win
79/80 Lakers - Kareem. MVP, 1st team all NBA, 1st team D. Led blks and win share. 24.8 pts, 10.8 boards and 4.5 assist.
80/81 Boston - Bird, Parish, Mchale. Bird 1st team NBA. Bird 1st def win, Parish 2nd d rating. Bird 4th boards 10.9 Parish 13th at 9.5 per
81/82 Lakers - Kareem and Magic. Magic 9.6 rebound 11th and kareem 8.7 boards. cooper 1st team D. Magic 2nd team all NBA
82/83 76ers - Moses. MVP and 1st team all NBA. Led rebound, off and def win, FT. 24.5 pts, 15.3 rebound 1.3 blk.
83/84 Boston - Bird MVP. 1st team all NBA, 2nd team D. Bird 24.2 pts 10.1 boards and 6.6 assist. Mchale .556 FG % and Parish.
84/85 Lakers - Kareem and Magic, Worthy. Johnson 4th eff and kareem 5th. FG Kareem.599, Worthy.572 Magic .569 Scott .539 Magic 1st team all NBA Kareem 2nd team all NBA
85/86 Boston - Bird MVP, 1st team all NBA, Mchale 1st team D. Bird 25.8pts, 9.8 rebound and 6.8 assist. Bird led eff and def win. Mchale .574% FG and Parish .549%.
86/87 Lakers - Magic MVP, 1st team NBA. 23.9 pts, 6.3 boards and 12.2 assist. Kareem .567% FG Worthy .539% Green .538%.
87/88 Lakers - Kareem, Magic, Worthy, Rambis and Green. Magic 1st team NBA. Green 8.7 boards.
88/89 Detroit - Laimbeer, Rodman, Salley Mahorn and Edwards. Rodman led .595 FG%. Laimbeer 9.6 and Rodman 9.4 boards per. Rodman 1st team D.
89/90 Detroit - Rodman, Laimbeer and Salley. Rodman 9.7 board and Laimbeer 9.6 per. Rodman 1st team D.
90/91 Bulls - Jordan MVP, 1st team NBA and D. Horace Grant 8.4 boards per, Pippen 7.3 boards, Jordan 6 and Cartwright 6.2
91/92 Bulls - Jordan MVP, 1st team NBA and D. Horace 10 rebound per and .538% FG.
92/93 Bulls - Jordan MVP, 1st team NBA and D. Horace 9.5 boards
93/94 Houston - Olajuwon MVP, 1st team NBA and D. Olajuwon 27.3 pt, 11.9 boards, 3.7 block. 2nd blk and D rating. Thorpe 10.6 rebound
94/95 Houston - Olajuwon 27.8 pts, 10.8 boards, 3.4 blks. 3rd blks.
CONTINUED ON BIG DEAL2