Sunday, August 14, 2011

2011 Basketball Hall Of Fame: Could Chris Mullin Succeed In Today's NBA?

Chris Mullin



Chris Mullin



Chris Mullin



Chris Mullin



Chris Mullin



In recent weeks leading up to his enshrinement, media has honored Chris Mullin glowingly when tracing his archive of hoops stardom. Work-ethic, not athleticism, are what media, quoting his teammates and former coaches, set Mullin aside from his contemporaries. In some ways, these comments could be construed as an indirect slap in the face to the current state of the NBA where potential, defined by out-of-this-world athleticism, continues to matter more than solid fundamentals (this is not an apologia for Mike Dunleavy Jr.).

To Danny Savitzky, contributor to Grantland, Mullin is an "endangered species," a kind of player that has been wiped out by the evolution of hoops athleticism. We often say there will never be another Michael Jordan or a Magic Johnson. But is it possible to say there will never be another Chris Mullin?