A Personally Autographed Standing Above the Crowd book makes The Perfect Christmas Gift!

The Perfect Christmas Gift!!!

Order you own personally autographed copy of Standing Above the Crowd www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com in time for the holidays.  Only $19.95 and autographed by yours truly, James Donaldson; author, business entrepreneur, professional speaker and former NBA All-Star.

What better way to start the New Year out than with an inspiring, uplifting, motivating book on life, personal goals and being the best you can be… no matter what your circumstances.

It’ll make a great gift for those around you who might benefit from a little “Get – Up – And – Go” boost in their lives.

Standing Above the Crowd is also available in ebook format on www.amazon.com

 Happy Holidays!

James Donaldson

Countdown to the NBA Season with my personal experiences of playing against the NBA's All-Time 50 Greatest Players - Moses Malone

THE 50 GREATEST PLAYERS IN NBA HISTORY

One of the most frequently asked questions that I encounter besides “how tall are you?” is either “who is the greatest player you’ve ever played against?” or “who is the toughest player you’ve ever played against?”  Depending on who's asking the question and their knowledge of basketball, I typically give a couple of different responses.  There's a big difference between “the greatest” and “the toughest.”

The game of basketball has been around for a long time now and it has evolved over the years from when Dr. James Naismith first tied a peach basket to an old barn post and the players were shooting two-hand set shots, to today where the game is played on a global scale with some of the finest athletes in the world.  There were great players back in the beginning of the game, just as there are great players now.  I don't know if it's ever totally fair to compare players from one era with players of another.  Periodically you see sports aficionados coming up with hypothetical computerized scenarios of, say, the great Green Bay Packers of the Sixties versus the New England Patriots of the new millennium.  It's impossible to really say who the best players are or which team would come out on top.  But it's a fun exercise and it creates a lot of heated conversation among the fanatics and all of us.

I was lucky to play during perhaps the greatest era of NBA basketball.  My NBA career spanned two decades essentially, 1980 – 1996.  Some of the greatest NBA players ever to play the game played during those years.  I remember as a rookie in 1980 marveling at the incredible Dr. J. and I’ve also been able to witness the new era of NBA basketball that was brought to us by Ervin “Magic” Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan.

All in all, I was privileged to play against over thirty of the all-time fifty greatest NBA players.  I'm going to go through the whole list and share my thoughts with you in regards to either actually playing against them or watching them while I was still a youngster.  They are listed in alphabetical order, and if you want to find the actual numerical order in which they are listed by the NBA, you can check out their website at NBA.com

 

Moses Malone

The types of centers that gave me the most difficulty were the ones who were a little bit smaller than I was, just as strong, and super-quick. That was Moses Malone.  On top of that, he was an extremely hard worker who never seemed to tire!  Moses would go down in my book as the most difficult player for my position to play against over the years.  He would just keep coming at you every single minute of the game and could play real solid defense on the other end (a trait that he doesn't get much recognition for).  I knew going into a game playing against Moses Malone it was going to be a long night, no matter who came out on top.

The game that I remember most was when I was with the Seattle SuperSonics and we played against his Houston Rockets in the playoffs. This was during my second or third year, but I was in the starting lineup most nights and playing a lot of minutes in the rotation just about every night.  Jack Sikma was the starting center and I was the backup center.  Moses wore out both Jack and me to the tune of 38 points and 32 rebounds!  Every NBA player has a game he can remember in which his opponent just went off on him and there was absolutely nothing he could do.  That playoff game back in 1983 was that game for me (and I'm sure for Jack too).

 

The Perfect Christmas Gift!!!

Order you own personally autographed copy of Standing Above the Crowd www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com in time for the holidays.  Only $19.95 and autographed by yours truly, James Donaldson; author, business entrepreneur, professional speaker and former NBA All-Star. 

What better way to start the New Year out than with an inspiring, uplifting, motivating book on life, personal goals and being the best you can be… no matter what your circumstances.

It’ll make a great gift for those around you who might benefit from a little “Get – Up – And – Go” boost in their lives.

Standing Above the Crowd is also available in ebook format on www.amazon.com 

 

Happy Holidays!

James Donaldson

 

Countdown to the NBA Season with my personal experiences of playing against the NBA's All-Time 50 Greatest Players - Karl "The Mailman" Malone

THE 50 GREATEST PLAYERS IN NBA HISTORY

One of the most frequently asked questions that I encounter besides “how tall are you?” is either “who is the greatest player you’ve ever played against?” or “who is the toughest player you’ve ever played against?”  Depending on who's asking the question and their knowledge of basketball, I typically give a couple of different responses.  There's a big difference between “the greatest” and “the toughest.”

The game of basketball has been around for a long time now and it has evolved over the years from when Dr. James Naismith first tied a peach basket to an old barn post and the players were shooting two-hand set shots, to today where the game is played on a global scale with some of the finest athletes in the world.  There were great players back in the beginning of the game, just as there are great players now.  I don't know if it's ever totally fair to compare players from one era with players of another.  Periodically you see sports aficionados coming up with hypothetical computerized scenarios of, say, the great Green Bay Packers of the Sixties versus the New England Patriots of the new millennium.  It's impossible to really say who the best players are or which team would come out on top.  But it's a fun exercise and it creates a lot of heated conversation among the fanatics and all of us.

I was lucky to play during perhaps the greatest era of NBA basketball.  My NBA career spanned two decades essentially, 1980 – 1996.  Some of the greatest NBA players ever to play the game played during those years.  I remember as a rookie in 1980 marveling at the incredible Dr. J. and I’ve also been able to witness the new era of NBA basketball that was brought to us by Ervin “Magic” Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan.

All in all, I was privileged to play against over thirty of the all-time fifty greatest NBA players.  I'm going to go through the whole list and share my thoughts with you in regards to either actually playing against them or watching them while I was still a youngster.  They are listed in alphabetical order, and if you want to find the actual numerical order in which they are listed by the NBA, you can check out their website at NBA.com

 

Karl Malone

In my book, Karl “The Mailman” Malone has to go down as one of the hardest-working, most talent-laden superstars who continued to work on and improve his game every year he was in the league.  As a rookie from Louisiana Tech, Karl was a very good player, but perhaps more of an athlete than an overall basketball player.  He could run and jump with the best of them, even at 6’9” and about 260 pounds. He kept working on his game until he got to a point where he was an excellent foul shooter (his first couple of years in the league his foul shooting was very limited) and could pull up and hit a mid-range jumper from anywhere on the floor.  He had blazing speed that would leave all of the other big men in the dust and could finish off his layups with thunderous tomahawk dunks (many times with his non-layup hand placed behind the back of his head as he posed for the flurry of flashbulbs that would go off while he was in mid-air finishing one of his dunks).

Consistency was the name of the game for Karl Malone.  You could always count on him for his 20 points and 10 rebounds night after night, year after year.  You don't end up as the second-leading scorer in NBA history by just showing up; you have to work at it and be consistent.

I had many opportunities to play against the Karl Malone-led Utah Jazz over the years and I would do my best to make sure that Karl wouldn’t take over the inside of the paint and dominate a game.

My last NBA stop was with the Utah Jazz where I was honored to be Karl’s teammate.  He kept the bar set really high for all of his teammates as we would hit the weight room before and after practice and he didn't take too kindly to our not pushing ourselves as hard as we could.  Karl was definitely one of those guys I wouldn't hesitate to go to battle with to take on any situation that confronted us.

The Perfect Christmas Gift!!!

Order you own personally autographed copy of Standing Above the Crowd www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com in time for the holidays.  Only $19.95 and autographed by yours truly, James Donaldson; author, business entrepreneur, professional speaker and former NBA All-Star. 

What better way to start the New Year out than with an inspiring, uplifting, motivating book on life, personal goals and being the best you can be… no matter what your circumstances.

It’ll make a great gift for those around you who might benefit from a little “Get – Up – And – Go” boost in their lives.

Standing Above the Crowd is also available in ebook format on www.amazon.com 

 

Happy Holidays!

James Donaldson

 

Countdown to the NBA Season with my personal experiences of playing against the NBA's All-Time 50 Greatest Players - Michael Jordan

THE 50 GREATEST PLAYERS IN NBA HISTORY

One of the most frequently asked questions that I encounter besides “how tall are you?” is either “who is the greatest player you’ve ever played against?” or “who is the toughest player you’ve ever played against?”  Depending on who's asking the question and their knowledge of basketball, I typically give a couple of different responses.  There's a big difference between “the greatest” and “the toughest.”

The game of basketball has been around for a long time now and it has evolved over the years from when Dr. James Naismith first tied a peach basket to an old barn post and the players were shooting two-hand set shots, to today where the game is played on a global scale with some of the finest athletes in the world.  There were great players back in the beginning of the game, just as there are great players now.  I don't know if it's ever totally fair to compare players from one era with players of another.  Periodically you see sports aficionados coming up with hypothetical computerized scenarios of, say, the great Green Bay Packers of the Sixties versus the New England Patriots of the new millennium.  It's impossible to really say who the best players are or which team would come out on top.  But it's a fun exercise and it creates a lot of heated conversation among the fanatics and all of us.

I was lucky to play during perhaps the greatest era of NBA basketball.  My NBA career spanned two decades essentially, 1980 – 1996.  Some of the greatest NBA players ever to play the game played during those years.  I remember as a rookie in 1980 marveling at the incredible Dr. J. and I’ve also been able to witness the new era of NBA basketball that was brought to us by Ervin “Magic” Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan.

All in all, I was privileged to play against over thirty of the all-time fifty greatest NBA players.  I'm going to go through the whole list and share my thoughts with you in regards to either actually playing against them or watching them while I was still a youngster.  They are listed in alphabetical order, and if you want to find the actual numerical order in which they are listed by the NBA, you can check out their website at NBA.com

 

 

Michael Jordan

It seemed like year after year throughout the Eighties, another great player was coming into the NBA to elevate the game to an even higher level.  It started with Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, and then a whole flood of great players such as Ewing, Olajuwon, Barkley, Malone and Stockton, Dominique, and more.  Even with those household names, one stood out more than the rest – Michael Jordan.

Michael was flat-out pure talent when he came into the league with a dazzling array of jump shots, drives to the basket, and fantastic dunks that we hadn't seen the likes of since a young Dr. J.

Michael's early years were ones where he was an unstoppable machine and evoked fear in every team in the league.  I always felt bad for the “2 guards (shooting guards) who were assigned to guard him on the teams I played with as we prepared to play against the Chicago Bulls.  Our whole game plan was structured to try to stop Michael Jordan, or at least slow him down.

Michael was the best talent in the league, but when he started winning championships, he became the best all-around player too.  He had a way of making his teammates (very average teammates in many cases) much better than they actually were as they would get into position to either be decoys, or legitimate threats once he got the ball to them.

There were a lot of great players around during that era, but none commanded the total team respect more so than Michael Jordan did.  When I lay everything out side by side by side (championships, scoring titles, and overall statistics), Michael Jordan has to go down as the greatest NBA player ever.

 

 

The Perfect Christmas Gift!!!

Order you own personally autographed copy of Standing Above the Crowd www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com in time for the holidays.  Only $19.95 and autographed by yours truly, James Donaldson; author, business entrepreneur, professional speaker and former NBA All-Star. 

What better way to start the New Year out than with an inspiring, uplifting, motivating book on life, personal goals and being the best you can be… no matter what your circumstances.

It’ll make a great gift for those around you who might benefit from a little “Get – Up – And – Go” boost in their lives.

Standing Above the Crowd is also available in ebook format on www.amazon.com 

 

Happy Holidays!

James Donaldson

 

Countdown to the NBA Season with my personal experiences of playing against the NBA's All-Time 50 Greatest Players -

THE 50 GREATEST PLAYERS IN NBA HISTORY

One of the most frequently asked questions that I encounter besides “how tall are you?” is either “who is the greatest player you’ve ever played against?” or “who is the toughest player you’ve ever played against?”  Depending on who's asking the question and their knowledge of basketball, I typically give a couple of different responses.  There's a big difference between “the greatest” and “the toughest.”

The game of basketball has been around for a long time now and it has evolved over the years from when Dr. James Naismith first tied a peach basket to an old barn post and the players were shooting two-hand set shots, to today where the game is played on a global scale with some of the finest athletes in the world.  There were great players back in the beginning of the game, just as there are great players now.  I don't know if it's ever totally fair to compare players from one era with players of another.  Periodically you see sports aficionados coming up with hypothetical computerized scenarios of, say, the great Green Bay Packers of the Sixties versus the New England Patriots of the new millennium.  It's impossible to really say who the best players are or which team would come out on top.  But it's a fun exercise and it creates a lot of heated conversation among the fanatics and all of us.

I was lucky to play during perhaps the greatest era of NBA basketball.  My NBA career spanned two decades essentially, 1980 – 1996.  Some of the greatest NBA players ever to play the game played during those years.  I remember as a rookie in 1980 marveling at the incredible Dr. J. and I’ve also been able to witness the new era of NBA basketball that was brought to us by Ervin “Magic” Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan.

All in all, I was privileged to play against over thirty of the all-time fifty greatest NBA players.  I'm going to go through the whole list and share my thoughts with you in regards to either actually playing against them or watching them while I was still a youngster.  They are listed in alphabetical order, and if you want to find the actual numerical order in which they are listed by the NBA, you can check out their website at NBA.com

 

Ervin Johnson

I first remember playing against Ervin “Magic” Johnson in 1979 at the Far West Classic basketball tournament in Portland, Oregon.  I remember him being so exuberant, full of energy and excitement even back then as a freshman.  He had a way of getting his teammates all caught up in the excitement of playing a game that's “supposed to be fun.”  

Never has there been a player who brought as much fun to the game and had as much talent and fan appeal as Magic Johnson.  With his effervescent smile and magnificent ball handling and passing skills, he was “Mr. Showtime.”  He was usually the difference maker out there on the court when his team went against yours.  On any given night, he was capable of putting up a “triple double,” but I truly believe he derived much more pleasure helping his teammates to be better than they ever thought they could be… and he played against  pretty darned good players!

Magic was all about “Winning” and having fun as he would say.  He was a tremendous leader on the court and getting his players where he wanted them to be most effective and to enhance their odds of winning.  I think people forget how truly talented Magic Johnson was because he played with so many incredibly talented players throughout his career.  His Showtime Lakers teams of the Eighties were some of the most star-studded teams ever to grace the NBA. 

Just look at the awesome lineup they were able to put on the floor throughout that decade with Jabbar, Worthy, Scott, Cooper, Nixon and others!  As always, I had my hands full with Jabbar and I think Magic would “rub it in” from time to time by calling the play that was set for Jabbar “fist down.”  I used to just cringe and say “here we go again” as Jabbar would get himself into position and Magic would dribble on over and dump it down into the post for Jabbar to do his thing.  Whether Jabbar scored or not, that play alone had a way of tying our defense into knots and putting us back on our heels.

You gotta take your hat off to Magic Johnson because he goes down in the history books not only as one of the all-time greats (top five in my book), but also the greatest at making his teammates better… and having a whole heck of a lot of fun doing it.

The Perfect Christmas Gift!!!

Order you own personally autographed copy of Standing Above the Crowd www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com in time for the holidays.  Only $19.95 and autographed by yours truly, James Donaldson; author, business entrepreneur, professional speaker and former NBA All-Star. 

What better way to start the New Year out than with an inspiring, uplifting, motivating book on life, personal goals and being the best you can be… no matter what your circumstances.

It’ll make a great gift for those around you who might benefit from a little “Get – Up – And – Go” boost in their lives.

Standing Above the Crowd is also available in ebook format on www.amazon.com 

 

Happy Holidays!

James Donaldson

 

The Post Game Plan Radio Interview featuring James Donaldson of Standing Above the Crowd

I had a great time doing an interview earlier this week (December 6th 2011) with Aly Somani.

Check it out as we talk about "Llife After Professional Sports" and my new book, Standing Above the Crowd.

Here's the link: http://thepostgameplan.com/2011/12/06/james-donaldson-author-entrepreneur-motivational-speaker-and-nbrpa-board-member/

The Perfect Christmas Gift!!!

Order you own personally autographed copy of Standing Above the Crowd www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com in time for the holidays.  Only $19.95 and autographed by yours truly, James Donaldson; author, business entrepreneur, professional speaker and former NBA All-Star. 

What better way to start the New Year out than with an inspiring, uplifting, motivating book on life, personal goals and being the best you can be… no matter what your circumstances.

It’ll make a great gift for those around you who might benefit from a little “Get – Up – And – Go” boost in their lives.

Standing Above the Crowd is also available in ebook format on www.amazon.com 

 

Happy Holidays!

James Donaldson

 

 

Countdown to the NBA Season with my personal experiences of playing against the NBA's All-Time 50 Greatest Players -

THE 50 GREATEST PLAYERS IN NBA HISTORY

One of the most frequently asked questions that I encounter besides “how tall are you?” is either “who is the greatest player you’ve ever played against?” or “who is the toughest player you’ve ever played against?”  Depending on who's asking the question and their knowledge of basketball, I typically give a couple of different responses.  There's a big difference between “the greatest” and “the toughest.”

The game of basketball has been around for a long time now and it has evolved over the years from when Dr. James Naismith first tied a peach basket to an old barn post and the players were shooting two-hand set shots, to today where the game is played on a global scale with some of the finest athletes in the world.  There were great players back in the beginning of the game, just as there are great players now.  I don't know if it's ever totally fair to compare players from one era with players of another.  Periodically you see sports aficionados coming up with hypothetical computerized scenarios of, say, the great Green Bay Packers of the Sixties versus the New England Patriots of the new millennium.  It's impossible to really say who the best players are or which team would come out on top.  But it's a fun exercise and it creates a lot of heated conversation among the fanatics and all of us.

I was lucky to play during perhaps the greatest era of NBA basketball.  My NBA career spanned two decades essentially, 1980 – 1996.  Some of the greatest NBA players ever to play the game played during those years.  I remember as a rookie in 1980 marveling at the incredible Dr. J. and I’ve also been able to witness the new era of NBA basketball that was brought to us by Ervin “Magic” Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan.

All in all, I was privileged to play against over thirty of the all-time fifty greatest NBA players.  I'm going to go through the whole list and share my thoughts with you in regards to either actually playing against them or watching them while I was still a youngster.  They are listed in alphabetical order, and if you want to find the actual numerical order in which they are listed by the NBA, you can check out their website at NBA.com

 

Elvin Hayes

I was fortunate to play against Elvin “Big E” Hayes throughout the early part of my career, or perhaps I should say fortunately I only had to play against Elvin “Big E” Hayes the early part of my career.  I came into the NBA in 1980 and Elvin retired in 1983, so I only had to play against him a couple of times a year, first when he was with the Houston Rockets and I was with the Seattle Supersonics , and later at the end of his career.

Elvin was a forerunner of the big guys who played center. He could do a lot of different things on the basketball court.  Elvin played the four position (power forward), but he was so versatile and interchangeable that he could move around on the basketball court wherever he needed to be effective.  Plus he played alongside Wes Unseld, who at 6’7” compared to Elvin's 6’10”, was able to hold down the center position in the paint as well as any of the top centers of the day.

I tell the story often of how Elvin Hayes, and his bookend counterpart, Wes Unseld, gave me my first real introduction into life in the NBA.  We were playing a game in Seattle against the Washington Bullets my rookie year   I swear to this day that I saw both Elvin and Wes communicating on how “one was going to take me high, and the other was going to take me low” and on the very next play that's just what happened.  I went up for a rebound and before I knew it my body had leveled out about six feet up in the air with Wes taking out my legs underneath and Elvin pushing me over from up top.  I hit the ground with a tremendous thud that left me black and blue for weeks.  It seemed to happen in slow motion and in the time that it took me to hit the ground, the thought that went through me was I can either tuck my tail and run back to the bench looking for sympathy, or I can pick myself up, dust myself off, and hang in there with the big boys.  I chose the latter and I'm glad I did because I feel that was a defining moment in my young career.  Not only did I hit the ground with a tremendous thud, neither Elvin nor Wes even offered a hand to help me up off the ground.  That was cold!  But that was life in the NBA, especially for a young upstart like me.

The Perfect Christmas Gift!!!

Order you own personally autographed copy of Standing Above the Crowd www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com in time for the holidays.  Only $19.95 and autographed by yours truly, James Donaldson; author, business entrepreneur, professional speaker and former NBA All-Star. 

What better way to start the New Year out than with an inspiring, uplifting, motivating book on life, personal goals and being the best you can be… no matter what your circumstances.

It’ll make a great gift for those around you who might benefit from a little “Get – Up – And – Go” boost in their lives.

Standing Above the Crowd is also available in ebook format on www.amazon.com 

 

Happy Holidays!

James Donaldson

 

Countdown to the NBA Season with my personal experiences of playing against the NBA's All-Time 50 Greatest Players - George "Iceman" Gervin

THE 50 GREATEST PLAYERS IN NBA HISTORY

One of the most frequently asked questions that I encounter besides “how tall are you?” is either “who is the greatest player you’ve ever played against?” or “who is the toughest player you’ve ever played against?”  Depending on who's asking the question and their knowledge of basketball, I typically give a couple of different responses.  There's a big difference between “the greatest” and “the toughest.”

The game of basketball has been around for a long time now and it has evolved over the years from when Dr. James Naismith first tied a peach basket to an old barn post and the players were shooting two-hand set shots, to today where the game is played on a global scale with some of the finest athletes in the world.  There were great players back in the beginning of the game, just as there are great players now.  I don't know if it's ever totally fair to compare players from one era with players of another.  Periodically you see sports aficionados coming up with hypothetical computerized scenarios of, say, the great Green Bay Packers of the Sixties versus the New England Patriots of the new millennium.  It's impossible to really say who the best players are or which team would come out on top.  But it's a fun exercise and it creates a lot of heated conversation among the fanatics and all of us.

I was lucky to play during perhaps the greatest era of NBA basketball.  My NBA career spanned two decades essentially, 1980 – 1996.  Some of the greatest NBA players ever to play the game played during those years.  I remember as a rookie in 1980 marveling at the incredible Dr. J. and I’ve also been able to witness the new era of NBA basketball that was brought to us by Ervin “Magic” Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan.

All in all, I was privileged to play against over thirty of the all-time fifty greatest NBA players.  I'm going to go through the whole list and share my thoughts with you in regards to either actually playing against them or watching them while I was still a youngster.  They are listed in alphabetical order, and if you want to find the actual numerical order in which they are listed by the NBA, you can check out their website at NBA.com

 

George Gervin

 

George “Ice” Gervin was a marvel to watch on the basketball court.  So smooth with every movement, he would tantalize you into watching him so that you didn't dare over-commit yourself to try to stop one move, because he would come right back with another one on you.  He had a variety of great shots that were virtually unstoppable, including a mid-range jump shot from about every angle on the court, bank shots from just about every angle (he would actually call out “bank” as he shot the ball), and, of course, as everyone knows, “George could finger roll”.  

They called him “Ice” because of his ultra-cool demeanor on the court.  I remember an awesome poster at the time in which George was sitting on huge cubes of ice that were fashioned as a throne, bedecked in a robe and crown, and a basketball in hand.  It was one of the best posters of the day and all the guys thought it was so cool.

Gervin played for the San Antonio Spurs throughout the majority of his career.  The Spurs were always one of my most favorite teams to play against because not only did they have Gervin but they also had one of my favorite point guards in James Silas, and the biggest, strongest player in the league that I had to go up against -- Artis “A–Train” Gilmore.  I wasn't privy to all the locker room chemistry that may or may not have been there with these opponents, but they always seemed to be a team that had fun on the basketball court and we matched up against them pretty well.  

The Perfect Christmas Gift!!!

Order you own personally autographed copy of Standing Above the Crowd www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com in time for the holidays.  Only $19.95 and autographed by yours truly, James Donaldson; author, business entrepreneur, professional speaker and former NBA All-Star. 

What better way to start the New Year out than with an inspiring, uplifting, motivating book on life, personal goals and being the best you can be… no matter what your circumstances.

It’ll make a great gift for those around you who might benefit from a little “Get – Up – And – Go” boost in their lives.

Standing Above the Crowd is also available in ebook format on www.amazon.com 

 

Happy Holidays!

James Donaldson

 

Thanks to Shawn O'Donnell's for Hosting the Standing Above the Crowd Book Signing Event

We all had a wonderful time at the Standing Above the Crowd book signing event at Shawn O'Donnell's Irish and American Bar & Grill in Mill Creek/South Everett on 128th St. SE & I-5.

A great time had by all!

SuperSonic great, Shawn Kemp came by to entertain the crowds and take photos with us.  

Thanks Shawn Kemp and Shawn O'Donnell and everyone who came by to join us!!!

 

The Perfect Christmas Gift!!!

Order you own personally autographed copy of Standing Above the Crowd www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com in time for the holidays.  Only $19.95 and autographed by yours truly, James Donaldson; author, business entrepreneur, professional speaker and former NBA All-Star. 

What better way to start the New Year out than with an inspiring, uplifting, motivating book on life, personal goals and being the best you can be… no matter what your circumstances.

It’ll make a great gift for those around you who might benefit from a little “Get – Up – And – Go” boost in their lives.

Standing Above the Crowd is also available in ebook format on www.amazon.com 

 

Happy Holidays!

James Donaldson

Thanks to Shawn O'Donnell's for Hosting the Standing Above the Crowd Book Signing Event

We all had a wonderful time at the Standing Above the Crowd book signing event at Shawn O'Donnell's Irish and American Bar & Grill in Mill Creek/South Everett on 128th St. SE & I-5.

A great time had by all!

SuperSonic great, Shawn Kemp came by to entertain the crowds and take photos with us.  

Thanks Shawn Kemp and Shawn O'Donnell and everyone who came by to join us!!!

 

The Perfect Christmas Gift!!!

Order you own personally autographed copy of Standing Above the Crowd www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com in time for the holidays.  Only $19.95 and autographed by yours truly, James Donaldson; author, business entrepreneur, professional speaker and former NBA All-Star. 

What better way to start the New Year out than with an inspiring, uplifting, motivating book on life, personal goals and being the best you can be… no matter what your circumstances.

It’ll make a great gift for those around you who might benefit from a little “Get – Up – And – Go” boost in their lives.

Standing Above the Crowd is also available in ebook format on www.amazon.com 

 

Happy Holidays!

James Donaldson

Untitled

THE 50 GREATEST PLAYERS IN NBA HISTORY

One of the most frequently asked questions that I encounter besides “how tall are you?” is either “who is the greatest player you’ve ever played against?” or “who is the toughest player you’ve ever played against?”  Depending on who's asking the question and their knowledge of basketball, I typically give a couple of different responses.  There's a big difference between “the greatest” and “the toughest.”

The game of basketball has been around for a long time now and it has evolved over the years from when Dr. James Naismith first tied a peach basket to an old barn post and the players were shooting two-hand set shots, to today where the game is played on a global scale with some of the finest athletes in the world.  There were great players back in the beginning of the game, just as there are great players now.  I don't know if it's ever totally fair to compare players from one era with players of another.  Periodically you see sports aficionados coming up with hypothetical computerized scenarios of, say, the great Green Bay Packers of the Sixties versus the New England Patriots of the new millennium.  It's impossible to really say who the best players are or which team would come out on top.  But it's a fun exercise and it creates a lot of heated conversation among the fanatics and all of us.

I was lucky to play during perhaps the greatest era of NBA basketball.  My NBA career spanned two decades essentially, 1980 – 1996.  Some of the greatest NBA players ever to play the game played during those years.  I remember as a rookie in 1980 marveling at the incredible Dr. J. and I’ve also been able to witness the new era of NBA basketball that was brought to us by Ervin “Magic” Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan.

All in all, I was privileged to play against over thirty of the all-time fifty greatest NBA players.  I'm going to go through the whole list and share my thoughts with you in regards to either actually playing against them or watching them while I was still a youngster.  They are listed in alphabetical order, and if you want to find the actual numerical order in which they are listed by the NBA, you can check out their website at NBA.com

 

 

Patrick Ewing

There's a very short list of players who played with the tenacity that Patrick Ewing played with throughout his entire career.  There have been those players who played hard and ferocious because they were trying to make up for lack of talent, but Patrick had tremendous talent and yet he still played with a fire and determination that inspired the rest of his team.

Patrick doesn't get nearly the recognition and respect due him for almost single-handedly carrying a New York Knicks team that was routinely overmatched in the talent department in all the key positions, except at center.  He became even more of a force to be reckoned with when he was coached by Pat Riley, who had a way of bringing out the best in all his players… or you just weren’t going to play, no matter how good you thought you were.

I was fortunate to be a teammate of Patrick Ewing for a short time during the 1991 - 92 season after I was traded to the New York Knicks from the Dallas Mavericks.  I got to see for myself up close and personal the preparation, determination, leadership, and consistency that Patrick brought to his team.  Patrick is one of the classic examples of an all-time great falling just short of an NBA championship ring, and it just goes to show you that sometimes it's the luck of the draw and that this is still a team game even when you have one of the top five players of his era.  

I mention from time to time throughout the book those players whom I would welcome into “the foxhole” if we had to fight our way out of any situation in the heat of battle.  Patrick Ewing tops the list!

 

The Perfect Christmas Gift!!!

Order you own personally autographed copy of Standing Above the Crowd www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com in time for the holidays.  Only $19.95 and autographed by yours truly, James Donaldson; author, business entrepreneur, professional speaker and former NBA All-Star. 

What better way to start the New Year out than with an inspiring, uplifting, motivating book on life, personal goals and being the best you can be… no matter what your circumstances.

It’ll make a great gift for those around you who might benefit from a little “Get – Up – And – Go” boost in their lives.

Standing Above the Crowd is also available in ebook format on www.amazon.com 

 

Happy Holidays!

James Donaldson

 

Countdown to the NBA Season with my personal experiences of playing against the NBA's All-Time 50 Greatest Players - Julius "Dr. J" Erving

THE 50 GREATEST PLAYERS IN NBA HISTORY

One of the most frequently asked questions that I encounter besides “how tall are you?” is either “who is the greatest player you’ve ever played against?” or “who is the toughest player you’ve ever played against?”  Depending on who's asking the question and their knowledge of basketball, I typically give a couple of different responses.  There's a big difference between “the greatest” and “the toughest.”

The game of basketball has been around for a long time now and it has evolved over the years from when Dr. James Naismith first tied a peach basket to an old barn post and the players were shooting two-hand set shots, to today where the game is played on a global scale with some of the finest athletes in the world.  There were great players back in the beginning of the game, just as there are great players now.  I don't know if it's ever totally fair to compare players from one era with players of another.  Periodically you see sports aficionados coming up with hypothetical computerized scenarios of, say, the great Green Bay Packers of the Sixties versus the New England Patriots of the new millennium.  It's impossible to really say who the best players are or which team would come out on top.  But it's a fun exercise and it creates a lot of heated conversation among the fanatics and all of us.

I was lucky to play during perhaps the greatest era of NBA basketball.  My NBA career spanned two decades essentially, 1980 – 1996.  Some of the greatest NBA players ever to play the game played during those years.  I remember as a rookie in 1980 marveling at the incredible Dr. J. and I’ve also been able to witness the new era of NBA basketball that was brought to us by Ervin “Magic” Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan.

All in all, I was privileged to play against over thirty of the all-time fifty greatest NBA players.  I'm going to go through the whole list and share my thoughts with you in regards to either actually playing against them or watching them while I was still a youngster.  They are listed in alphabetical order, and if you want to find the actual numerical order in which they are listed by the NBA, you can check out their website at NBA.com

 

Julius Erving

Ah… where do you start with Julius “Dr. J.” Erving?  You start right at the top of the list, that's where you start!

Dr. J. was one of those iconic players that us kids growing up in the early Seventies would just marvel at whenever we got a chance to catch a glimpse of him on TV.  Back then, Dr. J. was playing for the American Basketball Association (ABA), and until there was serious talk about a possible ABA / NBA merger, for the most part he was a mythical and mystical basketball marvel doing fabulous things in the ABA that many of the guys in the NBA only dreamed of.

Not only do I put Dr. J. up there as one of my all-time favorite players, but I also list him as one of the true greats of the game.  Someone who carried the heavy mantle of representing the ABA and all their glorious players and trying to elevate that league to a place where up until then the NBA claimed sole supremacy.

I remember seeing Dr. J. in person for the first time as a rookie in 1980 when the team I was with at the time, the Seattle SuperSonics, was on a road trip, and we pulled into the hotel in Milwaukee to prepare for our game against the Bucks a night or two later.  Dr. J. and his team, the Philadelphia 76ers, werechecking out of the hotel just as we were checking in.  I remember being in almost a state of playful giddiness along with a couple of other rookies on the team at the time, Vinnie Johnson and James Bailey, as we were all excited to see Dr. J. and the Philadelphia 76ers… up close and in person!

Dr. J. seems to be in a class all by himself and he had a way of standing out in every crowd that he was in – whether he was on the court or walking through a hotel lobby.  He was one of the few guys in the league that I really wanted to pattern my demeanor and personality after in his very professional approach to the game, on and off the court.

 

The Perfect Christmas Gift!!!

Order you own personally autographed copy of Standing Above the Crowd www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com in time for the holidays.  Only $19.95 and autographed by yours truly, James Donaldson; author, business entrepreneur, professional speaker and former NBA All-Star. 

What better way to start the New Year out than with an inspiring, uplifting, motivating book on life, personal goals and being the best you can be… no matter what your circumstances.

It’ll make a great gift for those around you who might benefit from a little “Get – Up – And – Go” boost in their lives.

Standing Above the Crowd is also available in ebook format on www.amazon.com 

 

Happy Holidays!

James Donaldson

 

Countdown to the NBA Season with my personal experiences of playing against the NBA's All-Time 50 Greatest Players - Clyde Drexler

THE 50 GREATEST PLAYERS IN NBA HISTORY

One of the most frequently asked questions that I encounter besides “how tall are you?” is either “who is the greatest player you’ve ever played against?” or “who is the toughest player you’ve ever played against?”  Depending on who's asking the question and their knowledge of basketball, I typically give a couple of different responses.  There's a big difference between “the greatest” and “the toughest.”

The game of basketball has been around for a long time now and it has evolved over the years from when Dr. James Naismith first tied a peach basket to an old barn post and the players were shooting two-hand set shots, to today where the game is played on a global scale with some of the finest athletes in the world.  There were great players back in the beginning of the game, just as there are great players now.  I don't know if it's ever totally fair to compare players from one era with players of another.  Periodically you see sports aficionados coming up with hypothetical computerized scenarios of, say, the great Green Bay Packers of the Sixties versus the New England Patriots of the new millennium.  It's impossible to really say who the best players are or which team would come out on top.  But it's a fun exercise and it creates a lot of heated conversation among the fanatics and all of us.

I was lucky to play during perhaps the greatest era of NBA basketball.  My NBA career spanned two decades essentially, 1980 – 1996.  Some of the greatest NBA players ever to play the game played during those years.  I remember as a rookie in 1980 marveling at the incredible Dr. J. and I’ve also been able to witness the new era of NBA basketball that was brought to us by Ervin “Magic” Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan.

All in all, I was privileged to play against over thirty of the all-time fifty greatest NBA players.  I'm going to go through the whole list and share my thoughts with you in regards to either actually playing against them or watching them while I was still a youngster.  They are listed in alphabetical order, and if you want to find the actual numerical order in which they are listed by the NBA, you can check out their website at NBA.com

 

Clyde Drexler

As a fan of basketball, you have to love Clyde “The Glide” Drexler.  He was one of those “silent assassins.”  He went about his job on the court with such smoothness and efficiency that sometimes you wouldn't realize how dominating his performance was.

Clyde was one of the pure class gentlemen of the league, yet at the same time a ferocious competitor.  The Dallas Mavericks team I played on in the late Eighties versus his Portland Trailblazer team those same years turned in some outstanding performances and games.  I’d have my hands full guarding the Portland big guys in the lane, and Clyde would be right in there battling with all of us for rebounds and involved in physical plays in the paint.  You don't see that too often from your superstar guys who typically are the most talented players on the court and can get away with not getting their nose bloodied.

Like a lot of great players of this era, Clyde would be talked about as an all-time great in every basketball conversation if it wasn't for the faces of the NBA at the time, à la Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Dr. J, and Michael Jordan.

The Perfect Christmas Gift!!!

Order you own personally autographed copy of Standing Above the Crowd www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com in time for the holidays.  Only $19.95 and autographed by yours truly, James Donaldson; author, business entrepreneur, professional speaker and former NBA All-Star. 

What better way to start the New Year out than with an inspiring, uplifting, motivating book on life, personal goals and being the best you can be… no matter what your circumstances.

It’ll make a great gift for those around you who might benefit from a little “Get – Up – And – Go” boost in their lives.

Standing Above the Crowd is also available in ebook format on www.amazon.com 

 

Happy Holidays!

James Donaldson

 

Countdown to the NBA Season with my personal experiences of playing against the NBA's All-Time 50 Greatest Players - Dave Cowens

THE 50 GREATEST PLAYERS IN NBA HISTORY

One of the most frequently asked questions that I encounter besides “how tall are you?” is either “who is the greatest player you’ve ever played against?” or “who is the toughest player you’ve ever played against?”  Depending on who's asking the question and their knowledge of basketball, I typically give a couple of different responses.  There's a big difference between “the greatest” and “the toughest.”

The game of basketball has been around for a long time now and it has evolved over the years from when Dr. James Naismith first tied a peach basket to an old barn post and the players were shooting two-hand set shots, to today where the game is played on a global scale with some of the finest athletes in the world.  There were great players back in the beginning of the game, just as there are great players now.  I don't know if it's ever totally fair to compare players from one era with players of another.  Periodically you see sports aficionados coming up with hypothetical computerized scenarios of, say, the great Green Bay Packers of the Sixties versus the New England Patriots of the new millennium.  It's impossible to really say who the best players are or which team would come out on top.  But it's a fun exercise and it creates a lot of heated conversation among the fanatics and all of us.

I was lucky to play during perhaps the greatest era of NBA basketball.  My NBA career spanned two decades essentially, 1980 – 1996.  Some of the greatest NBA players ever to play the game played during those years.  I remember as a rookie in 1980 marveling at the incredible Dr. J. and I’ve also been able to witness the new era of NBA basketball that was brought to us by Ervin “Magic” Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan.

All in all, I was privileged to play against over thirty of the all-time fifty greatest NBA players.  I'm going to go through the whole list and share my thoughts with you in regards to either actually playing against them or watching them while I was still a youngster.  They are listed in alphabetical order, and if you want to find the actual numerical order in which they are listed by the NBA, you can check out their website at NBA.com

 

Dave Cowens

Dave Cowens was always one of my favorite Boston Celtics throughout the years.  That was probably because of a number of things that I saw in him and his game that I really connected to.  He wasn't the most talented player on the court, and he wasn't the biggest and strongest guy either.  But he had as much determination and intensity to make up for whatever shortcomings he had, through pure hustle and an all-out passion for the game.  There are some great NBA highlight reel videos that show Dave Cowens chasing down loose balls and sliding twenty or thirty feet across the court in order to do so.  You just don't see that many guys playing that way!

One of the other things I remember about Dave Cowens was that he seemed to be a consummate team player.  He didn't care how many points he scored or how many rebounds he had, but he seemed to give everything he had every time he was on the court.  And another thing, he wasn't afraid to get up into his teammates’ faces (if he felt they weren’t giving it their all) and I never ever saw him back down from anybody else.  Those are the kind of guys you want to go to war with any day of the week!

The Perfect Christmas Gift!!!

Order you own personally autographed copy of Standing Above the Crowd www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com in time for the holidays.  Only $19.95 and autographed by yours truly, James Donaldson; author, business entrepreneur, professional speaker and former NBA All-Star. 

What better way to start the New Year out than with an inspiring, uplifting, motivating book on life, personal goals and being the best you can be… no matter what your circumstances.

It’ll make a great gift for those around you who might benefit from a little “Get – Up – And – Go” boost in their lives.

Standing Above the Crowd is also available in ebook format on www.amazon.com 

Happy Holidays!

James Donaldson

 

 

Countdown to the NBA Season with my personal experiences of playing against the NBA's All-Time 50 Greatest Players - Larry Bird

THE 50 GREATEST PLAYERS IN NBA HISTORY

One of the most frequently asked questions that I encounter besides “how tall are you?” is either “who is the greatest player you’ve ever played against?” or “who is the toughest player you’ve ever played against?”  Depending on who's asking the question and their knowledge of basketball, I typically give a couple of different responses.  There's a big difference between “the greatest” and “the toughest.”

The game of basketball has been around for a long time now and it has evolved over the years from when Dr. James Naismith first tied a peach basket to an old barn post and the players were shooting two-hand set shots, to today where the game is played on a global scale with some of the finest athletes in the world.  There were great players back in the beginning of the game, just as there are great players now.  I don't know if it's ever totally fair to compare players from one era with players of another.  Periodically you see sports aficionados coming up with hypothetical computerized scenarios of, say, the great Green Bay Packers of the Sixties versus the New England Patriots of the new millennium.  It's impossible to really say who the best players are or which team would come out on top.  But it's a fun exercise and it creates a lot of heated conversation among the fanatics and all of us.

I was lucky to play during perhaps the greatest era of NBA basketball.  My NBA career spanned two decades essentially, 1980 – 1996.  Some of the greatest NBA players ever to play the game played during those years.  I remember as a rookie in 1980 marveling at the incredible Dr. J. and I’ve also been able to witness the new era of NBA basketball that was brought to us by Ervin “Magic” Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan.

All in all, I was privileged to play against over thirty of the all-time fifty greatest NBA players.  I'm going to go through the whole list and share my thoughts with you in regards to either actually playing against them or watching them while I was still a youngster.  They are listed in alphabetical order, and if you want to find the actual numerical order in which they are listed by the NBA, you can check out their website at NBA.com

 

Larry Bird

Larry was the “real deal” as far as guys coming into the league and being as great in the NBA (Boston Celtics) as he was in college (Indiana State).  He played hard every night and commanded the respect of everyone on the floor.  I admired his tenacity and his “guts” in trash talking and backing it up every time.

I remember when Larry came to play the Dallas Mavericks on his through-Texas swing of games against Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, and he lit all three teams up by averaging over forty points a game.  He tagged fifty on us!

 

 

The Perfect Christmas Gift!!!

Order you own personally autographed copy of Standing Above the Crowd www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com in time for the holidays.  Only $19.95 and autographed by yours truly, James Donaldson; author, business entrepreneur, professional speaker and former NBA All-Star. 

What better way to start the New Year out than with an inspiring, uplifting, motivating book on life, personal goals and being the best you can be… no matter what your circumstances.

It’ll make a great gift for those around you who might benefit from a little “Get – Up – And – Go” boost in their lives.

Standing Above the Crowd is also available in ebook format on www.amazon.com 

 

Happy Holidays!

James Donaldson

 

Countdown to the NBA Season with my personal experiences of playing against the NBA's All-Time 50 Greatest Players - Rick Barry

THE 50 GREATEST PLAYERS IN NBA HISTORY

One of the most frequently asked questions that I encounter besides “how tall are you?” is either “who is the greatest player you’ve ever played against?” or “who is the toughest player you’ve ever played against?”  Depending on who's asking the question and their knowledge of basketball, I typically give a couple of different responses.  There's a big difference between “the greatest” and “the toughest.”

The game of basketball has been around for a long time now and it has evolved over the years from when Dr. James Naismith first tied a peach basket to an old barn post and the players were shooting two-hand set shots, to today where the game is played on a global scale with some of the finest athletes in the world.  There were great players back in the beginning of the game, just as there are great players now.  I don't know if it's ever totally fair to compare players from one era with players of another.  Periodically you see sports aficionados coming up with hypothetical computerized scenarios of, say, the great Green Bay Packers of the Sixties versus the New England Patriots of the new millennium.  It's impossible to really say who the best players are or which team would come out on top.  But it's a fun exercise and it creates a lot of heated conversation among the fanatics and all of us.

I was lucky to play during perhaps the greatest era of NBA basketball.  My NBA career spanned two decades essentially, 1980 – 1996.  Some of the greatest NBA players ever to play the game played during those years.  I remember as a rookie in 1980 marveling at the incredible Dr. J. and I’ve also been able to witness the new era of NBA basketball that was brought to us by Ervin “Magic” Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan.

All in all, I was privileged to play against over thirty of the all-time fifty greatest NBA players.  I'm going to go through the whole list and share my thoughts with you in regards to either actually playing against them or watching them while I was still a youngster.  They are listed in alphabetical order, and if you want to find the actual numerical order in which they are listed by the NBA, you can check out their website at NBA.com

Rick Barry

I played against Rick Barry right at the end of his career and even then he was an amazing player as far as being able to shoot and score from just about anywhere and anytime on the court.  One of my “big man” coaches in Dallas, Clifford Ray, was a teammate with Rick on the 1975 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors and he would tell me great stories of how Rick could just take over games and “will” them to victory time and time again. 

Rick was a phenomenal shooter from the foul line too, and guess what! He shot underhanded at over an amazing 90 percent!

The Perfect Christmas Gift!!!

Order you own personally autographed copy of Standing Above the Crowd www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com in time for the holidays.  Only $19.95 and autographed by yours truly, James Donaldson; author, business entrepreneur, professional speaker and former NBA All-Star. 

What better way to start the New Year out than with an inspiring, uplifting, motivating book on life, personal goals and being the best you can be… no matter what your circumstances.

It’ll make a great gift for those around you who might benefit from a little “Get – Up – And – Go” boost in their lives.

Standing Above the Crowd is also available in ebook format on www.amazon.com 

Happy Holidays!

James Donaldson