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tmrr * 9 ! ^ ClltOTl S I team. ha? v m m ms By Bob Dudek d Gamecock Staff Writer ^ Bill Walton's selection as Most 41 Valuable Player in the National b Basketball Association is a victory v for "team" basketball. v In the new age of gorilla dunks, l ur\_ Tl_ If uiic uii uiic cuiucats, tuiu L?r. J 8, Bill Walton stands out as a team player. The former UCLA ailAmerican hustles on both ends of the floor, leading his team not only in scoring and rebounds, but also in assists and blocked shots. Walton's statistics are not breath-taking, but respectable. In 58 games last season, Walton averaged 18.9 points and 13.2 rebounds per game. Quite a comedown from Kareem Abdul Jabbar's 27 and 28 point scoring averages when he was making winning the MVP an annual event. I SCORING AVERAGES do not win games, however. The 1977 playoff series between Portland and Los Angeles is a good example. For Los Angeles to have won the series, Jabbar needed an outcfon/lmit notvtA a..L.2?U I0MU1UUI5 game CVC1 y nielli, WHICH he didn't. Portland, on the other hand, did not need superstar performances from Bill Walton, only consistent ones. Although Walton was out scored h by Jabbar, he remained the s $ dominant force in the series bv h | blocking shots, rebounding and L dishing out assists. As a result, v I Portland took Los Angeles four f straight games. r Hie 1977 championship series j between Philadelphia and Por- i i tland is also an example of the m importance of team play. The c m series saw Philadelphia's in- t I a to ^?^?_mmaamtrnmrnmrnmmhmm | THIS IS THE END! CHECKMATE EAST CLOSING FOREVER . . ENTIRE QUALITY MEN'S CLOTHING INVE INCLUDING NEW SHIPMENTS I MUST BE SACRIFICED! j CHECKMATE EAST bUINb lOFBU! THIS IS \ O NONONSFNtF X i! NO-GIMMICK SALEI \ H EVERYTHING / D MUST BE SOLD / F TO BARE WALLS / R 2 PC & 3 PC VESTED ^ SUITS Reg. to $165 SPORT COATS^i SLACKS Reg. to $25. /CK, IIP) CHECK! ^ I DISTINCTIVE MEN'S CLOTH ; award / iketball < ividual superstars: Dr. J, George p< Icginnis. Darrvl Dawkins. and ci All World" Lloyd Free defeated a] y the upstart Trailblazers. The ir ictors were a lesser known, but m fell disciplined unit. TTie key to Portland's fortunes ai "George McGinnis has st P< spent so many years as an intimidating th superstar that he has jjj never had time to learn much about the game he plays." In the case ta of Bill Walton, it's just ^ J c< the opposite. He is an *r intimidating snnprstar c< " r because he took the ^ time to learn the game 0 he plays. 2* "{ ias always been, and will m eemingly continue to be, the si tealth of Bill Walton. With Walton til n the lineup last year, Portland h< vas 50-10; without him they did a ree-fall. If Walton returns healthy ji ipyf vonr Knth montollw oi?#l >v<?v J | MVUI I1IV1IVU11J OIIU liJ physically, Portland could again to >e awesome. pi The mental health of Bill Walton pi toes not begin and end on the to >asketball court, however. A si NTORY UR FAMOUS BRANDS INCLUDED IN SALE . LUBMAN PURITAN MARC PIERCE HAM ISA CAREER CLUB?TAILORS BENCH BOAST AKS ASHER EDELWEISS SKIWEAR OR MEN LADIES 8. CHILDREN EDUCED BEYOND BELIEF $2990 $4990 $7990 *?? SlAQO l4fl g. TU JOY.YD ' | 7 J7 $990$1290$1590 MATE EAST INO (acrow from Vet* Ho*p.) HOURS ? /W )OOStS concept f X Volleyball, one ways to pass a i alitical science major while in ternoon, is enjoyed allege, Walton has at times students everywh iluded to the possibility that he competitors froi lay give up basketball for the Michigan Unive ai-auiB U1 me. Roger Williams C WALTON'S FRIENDSHIP with Participants 1,1 th< Lithor Jack Scott points out the weiser Super Sta Dlitical activism he had while a Championship, udent at UCLA is still an imjrtant force in his life today. I Before the NBA draft his senior I ear, the often aloof Walton irPflfpripH nnt tn nlou i# ? w J/i?J M I1UI rafted by a team on the West >ast. His rookie year became a lur because of injuries. He still lade news by getting fans and t ' " jortswriters upset over his long air, which was tied back in a pony lil while playing. MM*1 The next three years have seen IWIUl ralton take his place as the top EM* 111 ;nter in the NBA. 1977 gave the ; IWHI ailblazers a championship. Last IMJM I jason gave Bill Walton the > HffiD I* jveted Most Valuable Player MAT! DEI ward. Time will undoubtedly ffivp L ralton a place somewhere in the I >mpany of Bill Russell, Wilt I u hamberlin, Oscar Robinson and I _ her NBA greats. M4"A1 In an article in Newsweek (May I*I\?A I I, 1978), Pete Axthelm said, STAR1 George McGinnis has spent so 6 . .. *VT .. ' FOR INFORM any years as an intimidating iperstar that he has never had 25 me to learn much about the game Outside i plays. Centers In Mail In the case of Bill Walton, it's ist the opposite. He is an in midating superstar because he ok the time to learn the game he ft M d ays. With the increasing em- W0WI lasis on individual flair, it's good see a team player is still condered most valuable. . ^ JjllL At H* l\tf/ RiDUl REDU . . JHTfVWK iANbAUtL 1 m ^Wm ^ RONTON PARK RESILIO , ER HEAD TENNIS WEAR j f ?| 190 T^s^/ / : 7 _ / ??V?'* 7 Come in / (, 'fj *? / . .i / whl1 ? I #*r LANDMARK SQ. I Pf F SUMTER HIGHWAY | JL IJk 774-4204 I ^ on. Wed, a. Sat. 10-'* ^ Th.S, fcrl. 10 a | PREPARE FOR: MDAMSATCR r-fiREOCATVAT IMIIECFMGFLI JTAL BOARDS ? 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