photo: detroitpslbasketball.com
Ice!
If you were a hoop connoisseur in the ’70s and ’80s, then you already know the deal. If not, and you find yourself posing the question “Who’s the Iceman?”, you’ve got a boatload of education that needs to come your way.
George Gervin, a.k.a. The Iceman, is Detroit’s greatest gift to the game. In a city that produced the likes of Chris Douglass-Roberts, Jalen Rose, Chris Webber, Spencer Haywood and street legend Curtis Jones, The Iceman is, far and above, Motown’s finest.
But in order to peep how the playground gave us George Gervin, and get the real-deal-holyfield that’s never appeared in print anywhere before, you have to get your hands on Bounce Magazine’s most recent, #16, the Detroit issue with Springs on the cover.
THE PLAYGROUND IS NOT THE PROBLEM. IT IS THE SOLUTION!
August 28th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Kenny Patt says:
My second favorite player growing up after B. King
August 28th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
ali says:
bernard king was my favorite as well. be on the lookout for a future installment of The Playground Gave Us Bernard King. I was a knick fan through and through, but that iceman poster was too ill to not have on the bedroom wall.
August 28th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
Kenny Patt says:
Good looking ali. I look forward to reading it.
August 29th, 2008 at 1:03 am
illest says:
word up with the bernard king playground gave us. looking at that pic vs the sonics wheres the playground gave us gus williams?
gervin was unbelievable. hes the only player (i believe) who played with doc and mike. (not including allstar games)
August 29th, 2008 at 8:47 am
ali says:
true indeed illest. ice came into pro ball with doc on the virginia squires and finished up in the nba with mike in ‘86, before killing it overseas. he definitely bridged the generations. he talks about playing with both of them in issue #16.
August 29th, 2008 at 9:43 am
illest says:
definitely a great issue. I did indeed read that. good work ali.
August 29th, 2008 at 10:37 am
funkalot says:
Ali,
Iceman was cold and seemingly played with effortless motion, while “twilling” dudes. His impact had my boy, who was a Celtic ballboy at the time, go home and spray paint his Nike’s Grey, to match the Spurs Unis, as he gave Havlicek and Cowens and easy 30+.
Illest,
You stole my thought about seeing the “Wizard” in the background of the “Iceman” photo and wondering when his piece was coming. I changed my number from 10 to 1 because of him. I think Norm Nixon still has an open 51a (child abuse charges) filed in LA, against Gus for the torture he inflicted.
August 29th, 2008 at 10:57 am
ali says:
funkalot and illest,
c’mon now fellas. you know i’m bringin’ the heat with the Gus Williams joint down the line.
August 29th, 2008 at 10:59 am
in2ball says:
Imagine they had league pass back then or dvr. Even for MJ or if you were from Chicago. Footage is priceless. Did yall do something on Llyod “Sweet Pea “Daniels. Pee Wee Kirkland and Boo Harvey yet. P.S. Asphalt Phenoms is my new video bible for now. Classic part 2. please
August 29th, 2008 at 11:57 am
illest says:
ali…i know the gus feature is soon. you know what time it is so no need for me to suggest.
in2ball….asphalt phenoms is dope. i cant even imagine league pass back then. im sure sweet pea will be soon. have you read swee pea and other playground legends?
August 29th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
ali says:
illest,
hope your bounce mag subscrition is current, cuz THE Pearl joint is coming in the next issue. straight FIRE!!!!!
in2ball,
the swea’ pea joint will be in the form of a future bounce magazine feature story. the others have not been done yet, but are in the rotation of things to get to.
August 29th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
illest says:
ali…the first issue i received was the most recent issue #16. so i definitely cant wait for 17. i still need to get 9-15. swee pea should be ill when it happens.
August 29th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
ali says:
Illest,
no doubt. he’s probably got THE most compelling story. Remember Tark’s quote - “When the book on guards is written, they’ll talk about Oscar Robertson, Magic, Jerry West and Lloyd Daniels.”
An unbelievable talent, who still made it to the pros, playing with about 20% of the ability he once had after the drug/alcohol abuse and bullets did their damage. it will definitely be ILL.
and when you get ahold of issues 9-15, your wife/family or whoever is going to be real mad at you because you’ll definitely be OD’ing.
August 29th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
illest says:
ali…..i know she will. she hates me already for me being a basketball junkie. im always looking for nbatv to show the vault or some hardwood classics game from anytime before 88.
its amazing that all that lloyd went through he still played in the league. and when i saw him in the league i had to watch.
August 30th, 2008 at 11:30 am
PFTB says:
Ali …Best Iceman interview EVER.I had different favorite players growing up.Liked Wilt,Kareem and Clyde in elementary and JHS,but Ice wss my man from’78 -till.He always made scoring look so easy and it look like he never sweated.funkalot and illlest yeah Gus is still the man.Ali make sure you ask Gus how many times he dropped 30+ on Lil bro.Ray when he came to the garden in the 70’s & 80’s.No matter how hard Ray tried(and believe me he WAS trying) Gus would bust that ass like he wasn’t even being guarded.Can’t wait to read the rest of the line up you have in store.Keep doing the the excellent work.Keep that same Q & A format.Its an easier read and it gives the impression the subject is actually talking to you.
August 30th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
ali says:
without a doubt PFTB. the iceman wasn’t just talking to me when i interviewed him. he’s talking to everybody in the bounce family that turns the pages and and digests what we’re giving. thanks for the compliment. we gonna keep bringing that heat and doing it different and better than anybody in the game. like my man bobitto told me from the jump off, “we don’t bite nobody’s ish, we doin’ our own thing!”
August 30th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
illest says:
definitely the best iceman interview…ray ray was ill too with the knicks but not as ill as gus. imagine gus playing in the nba today. he would average 30. and as noted in WYGT the way he had the laces in the back of his blazers was the illest. when he played for the bullets he did the same thing with his uptowns.
September 3rd, 2008 at 9:16 am
g says:
Ali- tough piece playboy,tough…. i had the iceman poster in my room thanks to my uncle who was a gervin head,right underneath my nerf hoop on the back of my closet door. but my lil cousin tore it trying to dunk,rackin’,frackin’ (you still owe me T if youre reading this!!!!) and a tough piece in the mag too on D-town. Did you peep the picture with steve smith and derrick coleman that doug smith was in it (right behind dc)? mizzou all american power forward,first round pick of the mavs back in 91′? slated to be the “next” karl malone…..i never knew he was from the d though…..
September 5th, 2008 at 9:53 am
illest says:
g…i noticed dougie smith in that pic too. i thought he was going to be decent in the league but he didnt do anything.
September 8th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
Dan the Man says:
Retro: Ice-Ice Baby !
September 10th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
ali says:
yeah, that’a a fat picture with doug smith, dc, steve smith and the other st. cecilia’s ballers. also pictured is Derrick Kearney, who balled with karl malone in college and was a tough dude coming from the D. He’s wearing the louisiana tech shirt. his son brandan kearney was the top freshmen in the state of michigan last year and did very well in the tough psal. he’s already been offered by michigan and michigan state, among a few others.
September 11th, 2008 at 1:00 am
Dan the Man says:
Ice vs. Pistol Pete in HORSE !
September 12th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
Dan the Man says:
Ice meets his match vs. Pistol Pete Maravich !
http://lsu.fandome.com/watch/91329/Horse_Anyone/