Fun with H-O-R-S-E and One-on-One

The NBA announced that it will be adding a competitive game of H-O-R-S-E to its lineup of All Star Game festivities in Phoenix next week. I think this is a welcome addition to the otherwise stale weekend.

This shootout competition, for whatever reason, harkens back to the "Dr. J vs. Larry Bird Go One on One" video game that was as simple as it was addictive. This game featured the timeless one-on-one basketball battle of two classic NBA stars, brought to your home entertainment system. I remember playing this game on my Atari 7800 for hours at a time. Now granted the H-0-R-S-E battle is a little different than one on one, but hopefully the live All Star version is just as fun to watch!

Now for the one-on-one vintage Sixers matchups I'd like to see in a game of H-O-R-S-E:

Charles Barkley vs. Clarence Weatherspoon
-"Baby Barkley" vs. the "Real Barkley"

Scott Williams vs. Sharone Wright
-Battle of the Let Downs

Derrick Coleman vs. Glenn Robinson
-Battle of the Free Agent Frauds

Manute Bol vs. Shawn Bradley
-Fifteen Feet of Fame

Greg Grant vs. Speedy Claxton
-Mini-Me Squared

Bring Back the Thunder!; Honoring Darryl Dawkins

Over the years the 76ers have had their fair share of great and exciting players. Coming to mind are Allen Iverson, Dr. J, Charles Barkley, and, what the hell, we'll throw in Manute Bol. But one of my favorite players to watch on highlight reels is Darryl "Chocolate Thunder" Dawkins, who ran ball in Philly from 1976, when he was drafted out of high school, until he was traded to NJ in 1982.

This 6' 11", 251 lb. hulk of a man played a vintage power game, with crushing dunks, authoritative blocked shots, and hard fouls to anybody who came into the lane. (In fact he has the record for the most personal fouls in a season with 386 in 81 games, or 4.76 per game.) But he also had a flair for fun, gamesmanship, and marketing by giving his dunks humorous names like the "In Your Face Disgrace" dunk, the "Earthquaker Shaker", and my personal favorite, "The Chocolate-Thunder-Flying, Robizine-Crying, Teeth-Shaking, Glass-Breaking, Rump Roasting, Bun-Toasting, Wham-Bam-Glass-Breaker-I-Am-Jam". This last dunk name was initiated upon his breaking two backboards within 23 days, the first in Kansas City, the second at the Spectrum. His glass shattering ability actually resulted in a backboard-design change featuring a collapsible rim so that long delays after a broken backboard were a thing of the past.

To honor Mr. Dawkins, I scoured around the internet for some highlights for your enjoyment. Grab some popcorn, settle in, and enjoy the Thunder...

• Video from YouTube: Two and half minutes of dunks, blocked shots, and racy rap music
• Quick, humorous anecdote about a sponsorship decision
  
• Hilarious and honest interview from SI

Take THAT to the hole, dear reader.