The List of Greatness - 1957

Here's the second round of inductees into the List. Keep in mind we're doing two a year until the players catch up with years. (This will bring us to four players in eleven years.) The players with the highest scores through 1957 not yet inducted get the nod.



1. Bob Cousy - 199.1
Position: Guard
Height: 6'1"
Draft: 1950 - 3rd Pick
Experience: 7 years
Teams: Boston Celtics - 1951-1957 (#14)
46.4 Win Shares, 0.488 MVP Award Shares (1 MVP - 1957), 6 All-NBA 1st Team Selections, 7 All-Star Selections, 1 Championship (1957 Celtics), 1.2 Championship Win Shares, 3 Conference Finals Losses (1953 Celtics, 1954 Celtics, 1955 Celtics), 1.4 Conference Finals Win Shares


2. Neil Johnston - 191.0
Position: Center

Height: 6'8"

Experience: 6 years

Teams: Philadelphia Warriors - 1952-1957 (#6)

80.0 Win Shares, 4 All-NBA 1st Team Selections, 1 All-NBA 2nd Team Selection, 5 All-Star Selections, 1 Championship (1956 Warriors), 1.6 Championship Win Shares

And the rest of the top ten:

3. Vern Mikkelsen - 174.7
Position: Forward-Center
Height: 6'7"
Draft: 1949 - territorial selection
Experience: 8 years
Teams: Minneapolis Lakers - 1950-1957 (#19)
54.2 Win Shares, 4 All-NBA 2nd Team Selections, 6 All-Star Selections, 4 Championships (1950 Lakers, 1952 Lakers, 1953 Lakers, 1954 Lakers), 4.8 Championship Win Shares, 3 Conference Finals Losses (1951 Lakers, 1955 Lakers, 1957 Lakers), 1.0 Conference Finals Win Shares


4. Ed Macauley - 166.2
Position: Center-Forward

Height: 6'8"

Draft: 1949 - territorial selection

Experience: 8 years

Teams: St. Louis Bombers - 1950 (#50), Boston Celtics - 1951-1956 (#22), St. Louis Hawks - 1957 (#50)

67.9 Win Shares, 3 All-NBA 1st Team Selections, 1 All-NBA 2nd Team Selection, 7 All-Star Selections, 1 Finals Loss (1957 Hawks), 0.8 Finals Win Shares, 3 Conference Finals Losses (1953 Celtics, 1954 Celtics, 1955 Celtics), 1.7 Conference Finals Win Shares

5. Paul Arizin - 150.6
Position: Forward-Guard

Height: 6'4"

Draft: 1950 - territorial selection

Experience: 5 years

Teams: Philadelphia Warriors - 1951-1952, 1955-1957 (#11)

49.2 Win Shares, 0.377 MVP Award Shares, 3 All-NBA 1st Team Selections, 5 All-Star Selections, 1 Championship (1956 Warriors), 2.2 Championship Win Shares

6. Bill Sharman - 145.5
Position: Guard

Height: 6'1"

Draft: 1950 - 2nd round

Experience: 7 years

Teams: Washington Capitols - 1951 (#10), Boston Celtics - 1952-1957 (#21)

51.4 Win Shares, 0.025 MVP Award Shares, 2 All-NBA 1st Team Selections, 2 All-NBA 2nd Team Selections, 5 All-Star Selections, 1 Championship (1957 Celtics), 1.3 Championship Win Shares, 3 Conference Finals Losses (1953 Celtics, 1954 Celtics, 1955 Celtics), 2.2 Conference Finals Win Shares

7. Jim Pollard - 126.0
Position: Forward-Center

Height: 6'4"

Experience: 7 years (retired 2 years)

Teams: Minneapolis Lakers 1949-1955 (#17)

18.2 Win Shares, 2 All-NBA 1st Team Selections, 2 All-NBA 2nd Team Selections, 4 All-Star Selections, 5 Championships (1949 Lakers, 1950 Lakers, 1952 Lakers, 1953 Lakers, 1954 Lakers), 3.7 Championship Win Shares, 2 Conference Finals Losses (1951 Lakers, 1955 Lakers), 0.3 Conference Finals Win Shares

8. Slater Martin - 125.4
Position: Guard

Height: 5'10"

Experience: 8 years

Teams: Minneapolis Lakers - 1950-1956 (#22), New York Knicks - 1957 (#7), St. Louis Hawks - 1957 (#22)

33.9 Win Shares, 3 All-NBA 2nd Team Selections, 5 All-Star Selections, 4 Championships (1950 Lakers, 1952 Lakers, 1953 Lakers, 1954 Lakers), 3.3 Championship Win Shares, 1 Finals Loss (1957 Hawks), 0.5 Finals Win Shares, 1 Conference Finals Loss (1951 Lakers), 0.4 Conference Finals Win Shares

9. Harry Gallatin - 124.9
Position: Forward-Center

Height: 6'6"

Experience: 9 years

Teams: New York Knicks - 1949-1957 (#11)

53.6 Win Shares, 0.012 MVP Award Shares, 1 All-NBA 1st Team Selection, 1 All-NBA 2nd Team Selection, 7 All-Star Selections, 3 Finals Losses (1951 Knicks, 1952 Knicks, 1953 Knicks), 2.2 Finals Win Shares, 2 Conference Finals Losses (1949 Knicks, 1950 Knicks), 0.0 Conference Finals Win Shares

10. Bob Pettit - 122.8
Position: Forward-Center

Height: 6'9"

Draft: 1954 -2nd pick

Experience: 3 years

Teams: Milwaukee Hawks - 1955, St. Louis Hawks - 1956-1957 (#9)

36.1 Win Shares, 0.667 MVP Award Shares (1 MVP - 1956), 3 All-NBA 1st Team Selections, 3 All-Star Selections, 1 Finals Loss (1957 Hawks), 1.7 Finals Win Shares, 1 Conference Finals Loss (1956 Hawks), 0.6 Conference Finals Win Shares

Here's the 11 Greatest Players Ever after 11 NBA seasons:
(* - active the previous year)
1. Dolph Schayes - 252.0*
2. George Mikan - 232.2
3. Bob Cousy - 199.1*
4. Neil Johnston - 191.0*
5. Vern Mikkelsen - 174.7*
6. Ed Macauley - 166.2*
7. Paul Arizin - 150.6*
8. Bill Sharman - 145.5*
9. Jim Pollard - 126.0
10. Slater Martin - 125.4*
11. Harry Gallatin - 124.9*


The next tier:
12. Bob Pettit - 122.8*
13. Larry Foust - 122.7*
14. Bob Davies - 118.5
15. Bobby Wanzer - 99.5
16. Paul Seymour - 82.3*
17. Andy Phillip - 76.7*
18. Carl Braun - 76.6*
19. Max Zaslofsky - 75.8
20. George Yardley - 74.0*
21. Dick McGuire - 72.3*
22. Arnie Risen - 69.9*


Now for the final feature of these posts. Since I'm not updating their totals in the "top ten" above as their career progresses, once a member of the List of Greatness retires, I'll post his final accomplishments. Here's the first:


George Mikan - 232.2
Position: Center
Height: 6'10"
Experience: 7 years
Teams: Minneapolis Lakers - 1949-54, 1956 (#99)
43.2 Win Shares, 6 All-NBA 1st Team Selections, 4 All-Star Selections, 5 Championships (1949 Lakers, 1950 Lakers, 1952 Lakers, 1953 Lakers, 1954 Lakers), 7.9 Championship Win Shares, 1 Conference Finals Loss (1951 Lakers), 0.0 Conference Finals Win Shares