It’s funny how things work out sometimes.

In 1996, the San Antonio Spurs were one of the worst teams in the NBA after their All-Star center David Robinson missed most of the season due to injuries.

The following year, the Spurs hit the jackpot after winning the No. 1 pick in the NBA lottery. With the pick, the selected highly touted Wake Forest power forward Tim Duncan and with David Robinson ready to return to action, the Spurs featured one of the best frontcourts in the entire league.

The pair was deemed the “Twin Towers” because each of them stood 7-foot tall and was a dominating presence in the post. Robinson and Duncan led the Spurs to the 1998 NBA Playoffs, but eventually lost in the second round to the Utah Jazz. Thanks to a monster first year, Duncan was named the 1998 NBA Rookie of the Year.

The following year, Duncan helped the San Antonio Spurs top the New York Knicks to win an NBA title during a strike-shortened season. In just his second year, Tim Duncan was not only a NBA champion, but also an NBA Finals MVP.

It would be the first of four NBA Finals championships Tim Duncan would win, as he and the Spurs repeated the feat in 2003, 2005 and 2007. Along with the 1999 NBA Finals, Duncan was Finals MVP in both 2003 and 2005, as well.

Tim Duncan was one of only four players to receive All-NBA First Team honors in each of his first eight seasons from 1998 to 2005. He was also the only player in NBA history to receive All-NBA and All-Defensive honors in his first nine seasons (1998-2006).

Duncan was named by the Association for Professional Basketball Research as one of the “100 Greatest Professional Basketball Players of the 20th Century” and was also named on of the Next 10 Greatest Players on the tenth anniversary of the release of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team by television network TNT.

Among all of the accomplishments he’s achieved on the court, Duncan continues to be a great humanitarian off the court as well. His Tim Duncan Foundation raised more than $350,000 to help fight breast and prostate cancer between the years of 2001 and 2002. He continues to be heavily involved in multiple charities.

When his playing career is finally finished, Tim Duncan will be known as one of the greatest power forwards of all time. He’s often referred to as one of the most fundamentally sound players in the NBA and also one of the classiest. He’s a future NBA legend.

Most sports legends have a legendary story to share. Most of these stories are embellishments of the original tale, but some are unexplainably true.

THE BLEACHER REPORT has complied some of these legendary stories for your amusement. Did Deion Sanders really run the fastest time at the NFL Combine? How many goals did Pele average during his career? How many reverse dunks did Earl “The Goat” Manigault pull off to win a $60 bet? Find out below.

Soccer

Pele

At the age of 17, the great Pele, established himself as the definition of Brazilian football, as he scored a hat trick in his first World Cup Tournament. During a time when the game was much more physical and bookings were much less frequent, its said that Pele put the ball in the net 1280 times in 1363 career fixtures with international and club teams. That’s nearly a goal per game!

Pele won a total of 32 titles during his career. Perhaps his most amazing feat was bringing soccer to a new level in America in the 70’s while playing for the Cosmos.

Baseball

Satchel Paige

Negro League pitcher Satchel Paige is best known for his long career and high salary.  While Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams were overseas fighting with the armed forces, Satchel was the highest paid athlete in America.

However, Satchel is a legend for intentionally walking loaded bases in the 1942 Negro World Series to face the most feared slugger of his time, Josh Gibson.

Paige went on to strike Gibson out in 3 pitches. Gonads, my friends, gonads!

And rumor has it, Page won 104 out of 105 games in 1934.

Josh Gibson

Now Josh Gibson’s story will make Paige’s tale even more unbelievable.
Josh Gibson was known at the time as “The Black Babe,” because of his home run power.  Sadahara Oh from Japan is known as the all-time baseball home-run leader with over 800. Behind him there’s Barry Bonds, Hank Aarons, Babe Ruth, and the list goes on.

There are no precise numbers, but Gibson was said to have hit 962 homers in his career, with 84 in 1936!
The first thing fans usually say to discredit Gibson’s accomplishments is, “He was playing in the Negro League.”  However, Paige played in both the Negro League and the majors.
During his MLB career, Paige had an era of 3.29. That’s not bad even by today’s standards.

Football

Deion “Prime-Time” Sanders

I think we all know how great of an athlete Deion was. He played pro baseball and football, excelling at both. In college he was also a track and field star, while being named an All-American three times in football.

But the Deion story most fans forget, that I love the most involves his 40 yard dash at the NFL Combine.
Legend has it, in 1989, Prime Time walked on to the field with nothing but a pair of gym shorts, flip-flops, a t-shirt and a gold chain. Sanders proceeded to slip off his sandals and run a 4.12 40 yard dash - barefoot!

Enough said!

There are many more sports legends that have redefined expectations.

Earl “The Goat” Manigault, a 6-foot-2 guard from Harlem, is known to have done 36 consecutive reverse dunks to win a $60 bet. He also set the record in New York City for most points scored by a junior high student with 57.

Manigault’s other accolades involve a double dunk, where he’d finish one dunk, grab the ball after it goes through the net while still in the air, only to slam it one more time before landing. His acrobatics were on display for money once again, when he leapt to the top of a backboard to snatch $20 someone had stuck to a piece of bubble gum.

It’s amazing what some sports legends can do. How about the NIKE commercial where Tiger Woods continuously bounces a golf ball off one of his clubs and then drives it into the distance?

Karl Malone was one of the best forwards to ever play in the NBA and it’s hard to find a more durable player, period.

Malone began his NBA career in 1985 when the Utah Jazz selected him with the 13th pick in the first round. That season, “The Mailman” was nominated to the NBA All-Rookie Team by averaging 14.9 points and 8.9 rebounds over 81 games.

“The Mailman” got his nickname because he always delivered in big games. In a May playoff game against the Los Angeles Lakers in 1997, Malone made 18 of 18 free throws, which broke the NBA record for most free throw attempts without a miss in a single postseason game. He also finished with 42 points.

When playing the Seattle Supersonics in an April 2000 postseason game, Karl Malone scored 50 points (franchise playoff record for the Utah Jazz) and grabbed 12 rebounds.

After signing with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2003 offseason, Malone became the oldest NBA player to ever post a triple-double when he totaled 10 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a regular season game against the San Antonio Spurs. He was 40 years old at the time.

Karl Malone was also one of the most durable players in NBA history. In 18 NBA seasons, “The Mailman” missed only 10 games – an astonishing feat for any player, especially when you consider how much stress the game of basketball is placed on your knees.

Not every player is willing to run up to congratulate Malone on his career success, however. Malone was often accused of “throwing” elbows during his playing days and even caused former Detroit Pistons’ guard Isiah Thomas to have 40-stitches above his left eye after an incident in 1991. He also inflicted injuries to current NBA star Steve Nash and former San Antonio Spurs’ great David Robinson, who was left unconscious on the court for nearly two minutes after catching one of Malone’s elbows. 

Many will also note that Malone wouldn’t have had the success he had if not for former Utah Jazz teammate John Stockton, one of the best guards to have ever played the game. Stockton was so effective at getting Malone the ball that often all that was required of “The Mailman” was to provide a slam-dunk.

But to say Malone wasn’t a great player because he had help would diminish all that he accomplished. He was simply one of the best forwards in NBA history and he also made Stockton better.

Karl Malone won two NBA MVP Awards (1997, 1999) and was a 13-time NBA All-Star. He was also an 11-time All-NBA First Team Selection and was a three-time NBA All-Defensive First Team Selection (1997-1999).

When his career was finished, Karl Malone record 36,928 points, 5,238 assists and 14,968 rebounds. The basketball legend was also nominated to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.

He might have been the smallest of the “Bad Boys”, but might have been the toughest, too.

The Detroit Pistons selected Isaiah Thomas with the second overall pick in the 1981 NBA Draft. He wasted no time getting acclimated to the league, making the NBA’s All-Rookie Team and starting at guard for the 1982 NBA All-Star team.

Thomas went on to play for the Detroit Pistons for 14 years from 1981 to 1994.During the span, he helped the Bad Boys from Motown win two titles (1989 and 1990), as well as earned the 1990 Finals MVP.

Isiah Thomas was a 12-time All-Star, was a two-time NBA All-Star Game MVO and was a three-time All-NBA First Team selection. Thomas was also selected to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996 and was honored into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000.

Thomas was known for his tenacity on the court. He often supplied his team with great toughness and heart, staples of the Detroit Pistons teams that Thomas played for throughout his career.

Isiah Thomas was often at his best when it mattered the most – in the playoffs. Against the New York Knicks in Game 5 of the 1984 playoffs, Thomas scored 16 points in the last minute and a half to play in regulation to send the game into overtime. Ultimately the Knicks hung on for the victory, but Thomas’s performance was one of the greatest in NBA history.

Thomas finished his career with 18,822 points, 9,061 assists and 1,861 steals. After his career, Thomas went on to coach the Indiana Pacers from 2000 to 2003. While he led the Pacers to the playoffs in all three seasons as coach, Thomas never got Indiana out of the first round and was eventually replaced by Rick Carlisle.

Isiah Thomas went on to coach the New York Knicks in 2006-07 and 2007-08 NBA Seasons, but failed to make the playoffs in each of those years. Due to a lack of continuity with his players and multiple controversial situations including a sexual harassment charge, Mike D’Antoni replaced Thomas as Knicks’ head coach.

Question: Who is perhaps the only player in NBA history arguably better than the great Michael Jordan?

Answer: Earvin “Magic” Johnson

Magic Johnson played for the Los Angeles Lakers during the franchise’s glory years from 1979 to 1991. During that span, Johnson helped the Lakers win five NBA Titles: 1980, 1982, 1985 and 1988. He was also a 12-time NBA All-Star, a three-time Finals MVP (1980, 1982, 1987) and a three-time league M.V.P. (1987, 1989, 1990).

Magic Johnson is often referred to as the prototype big point guard and was the only player in NBA history that could play all five positions effectively. Given his size, speed and athleticism, he not only could play all five positions, but dominate as well.

Johnson’s forte on the court was the fast break, where he excelled at getting the ball out of his hands and to his teammates for scoring opportunities. If his teammates were slowed up in transition, Johnson was outstanding at positioning himself under the basket for in-the-paint points.

Magic Johnson’s greatest effort came when he was just a rookie. At age 20, his Los Angeles Lakers took on Dr. J’s Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Finals. When Kareem Abdul-Jabbar went down with an injury in Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals, Johnson took over, scoring 42 points, grabbing 15 rebounds, as well as finishing with seven assists and three steals. It might have been the best individual Finals performance of all time.

Along with his many career achievements, Magic Johnson was also a two-time NBA All-Star Game MVP, was nominated to the 1980 NBA All-Rookie Team and was selected to the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. Johnson was also a nine-time All-NBA First Teamer and was a Second Team All-NBA Player in 1982.

The legend Johnson finished with 17,707 points, 6,559 rebounds and 10,141 assists in his career. If it weren’t for him being tested positive for the HIV virus during the 1991-1992 NBA Season, Johnson might have continued to add to his unbelievable career.

When the name Willie Mays gets brought up, most sane baseball fans associate the legendary outfielder with the San Francisco Giants. But at one point at the end of his career, Mays did play with the New York Mets.

SI.com did a unique feature in their Photo Gallery section in which they compiled a group of sports legends that quite didn’t look right wearing certain teams uniforms throughout their career.

The list makes you say, “Boy Michael Jordan looks weird in that Washington Wizards uniform.” Below is SI.com’s list.

Willie Mays
New York Mets, 1972-73
Mays led the Giants from 1951 through 1972, before being traded midseason to the Mets. In just a handful of at-bats, Mays had little impact on his new team.

Michael Jordan
Washington Wizards, 2001-03
Sure, he owned part of the team. But MJ just didn’t look right in a Wizards uniform and he failed to get his team to the playoffs.

Joe Namath
Los Angeles Rams, 1977
After 12 years with the Jets, Namath dragged his worn out knees to Los Angeles for one more shot at glory. He played in just four games, throwing three TDs and five INTs.

Bobby Orr
Chicago Blackhawks, 1976-79
After making his mark on NHL history in Boston, Orr joined the Blackhawks. He played just 26 games for Chicago.

Hank Aaron
Milwauke Brewers, 1975-76
After setting the all-time home run record with the Braves, Aaron spent two seasons in Milwaukee — the city in which he began his career with the Braves before they moved to Atlanta.

Patrick Ewing
Seattle Supersonics, 2000-01
Ewing spent one season with the Sonics and the next year in Orlando. He didn’t average double-digit scoring in either season.

Tony Dorsett
Denver Broncos, 1988
Dorsett followed up 11 seasons in Dallas with one forgettable season in Denver.

Babe Ruth
Boston Braves, 1935
After 15 years rewriting the record books in pinstripes, Ruth joined the Braves, who simply wanted him to boost attendance. Ruth had just 72 at-bats with the Braves.

Ray Bourque
Colorado Avalanche, 1999-2002
Actually Bourque did contribute to the Avalanche’s success, which included a Stanley Cup in 2001. But he just doesn’t look right out of the Bruins uniform he wore for 21 years.

Dominique Wilkins
Boston Celtics, 1994-95
‘Nique had 12 great seasons in Atlanta before bouncing around with the Clippers, Celtics, Spurs and Magic at the end of his career.

One of the finest all-around centers in the game of basketball has ever seen was Hakeem Olajuwon.

“The Dream” was born January 21, 1963 in Lagos, Nigeria. When he reached his playing days, Hakeem Olajuwon stood 7-feet tall and weighed 255 pounds. He was the prototypical NBA center.

Hakeem Olajuwon played alongside future Hall of Famer Clyde Drexler at the University of Houston. There, both Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler put on a clinic, leading Houston to three trips to the NCAA Final Four.

Hakeem Olajuwon went on to be drafted by the Houston Rockets with the first overall selection in the 1984 NBA Draft. That draft is so popular, because it was the same one that produced the likes of Charles Barley, John Stockton and one of the greatest basketball players in NBA history, the air man Michael Jordan.

Hakeem Olajuwon had a tremendous rookie year and was voted to the 1985 NBA All-Rookie Team. Other coaches, players and fans marveled at the way he not only dominated under the basket on the offensive end, but also was one of the best defenders on a yearly basis.

It was until the 1993-94 and 1994-95 NBA seasons where Hakeem Olajuwon became one of the greatest centers of his generation, however. He went on to dominate great centers like Patrick Ewing, Dikembe Mutombo, Shaquille O’Neal and in-state rival David Robinson of the San Antonio Spurs.

In one of the greatest NBA Finals in basketball history, Hakeem Olajuwon’s Rockets battled the New York Knicks in a seven-game grudge match.

With the Knicks up 3-2 in the best of seven series, Hakeem Olajuwon made one of the best plays in NBA Finals history, blocking New York guard John Starks’ shots as time expired and Houston defending an 86-84 lead. In Game 7 of the series, Hakeem Olajuwon, “The Dream”, scored a game-high 25 points and 10 rebounds, which helped boost the Rockets to NBA Finals Champions. It was the first sports championship in Houston since the Houston Oilers won the AFL championship in 1961.

Thanks to “The Dream”, the Rockets again won the NBA Finals in 1995. Not only is Hakeem Olajuwon a two-time NBA Champion, but he’s also a two-time NBA Finals MVP.

For his amazing career, Hakeem Olajuwon amassed 26,946 points, 13,747 rebounds and 3,830 blocked shots. In 1994, he became the only player in NBA history to have won MVP, Finals MVP and Defensive Player of the Year awards in the same season – a record that still stands today. Hakeem Olajuwon is also the NBA’s all-time leader in blocked shots and is also in the top ten for blocks, scoring, rebound, and steals. Hakeem  Olajuwon is the only player in NBA history placed in the top ten for all four categories.

Hakeem Olajuwon was a 12-time All-Star during his career and a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1993-1994). He was also a six-time All-NBA First Team Selection, a three-time All-NBA Second Team Selection and a five-time NBA All-Defensive First Team Selection.

While the NBA has certainly seen its fair share of great centers, Hakeem Olajuwon undoubtedly deserves mention with Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

“The Admiral” David Robinson was one of the greatest NBA centers of all time. His effort on the court could only exceeded by his hard work off the court in what he gave to charities in the San Antonio, Texas area. 

David Robinson was drafted with the first overall pick in the 1987 NBA Draft, but his career didn’t start until 1989 because he was enlisted in the Navy (hence the nickname, “The Admiral”). David Robinson played his entire 15 year career with one team: the San Antonio Spurs.  

Of his many accomplishments, David Robinson was a two-time NBA Champion with the Spurs (1999, 2003) and won league MVP honors in 1995. He was also a 10-time NBA All-Star and won the league’s Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1992. He won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in 1990 and was All-NBA First Team for the years 1991, ’92, ’95 and ’96. 

For his career, David Robinson scored 20,790 points, nabbed 10,497 rebounds and had 2,954 blocked shots. David Robinson’s career mark for rebounds and blocked shots are the most by any player in San Antonio Spurs history, and his career points number is second most behind only George Gervin’s 23,602.  

David Robinson also led the NBA in scoring with a 29.8 mark in the 1993-94 season and led the league in rebounding in the 1990-91 season with 13.0 rebounds per game. In the 1991-92 season, David Robinson led the league in blocked shots with 4.49 blocks per game. 

As previously noted, David Robinson’s charitable efforts also contribute to him being such a well-liked player. In 1991, he visited with fifth graders at Gates Elementary School in San Antonio and offered a $2,000 scholarship to every student that finished school and went to college. In 1998, he upped the award to $8,000 and to date, David Robinson’s family has donated more than $11 million to the school, which is believed to be the largest contribution ever made by a professional athlete. 

Some of the criticisms of David Robinson’s style of play was that he was “too soft” for the center position. Considering his accomplishments, that claim is laughable. While he might not have been as aggressive as other NBA centers, David Robinson was one of the best to play the game of basketball and one of the greatest San Antonio Spurs players of all time.

The NBA has scene it’s fair share of clutch performers over the years, but does it get any more clutch than Larry Bird?

Drafted sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in the 1978 NBA Draft, Larry Bird graced the Boston Garden for thirteen seasons as a small and power forward. He joined center Robert Parish and forward Kevin McHale to form one of the best trios of players in NBA history. The three of them went on to win three NBA Championships with the Boston Celtics in the 1980s (1981, 1984, 1986).

After being drafted, Larry Bird didn’t take much time getting acclimated to the NBA. He won the 1980 NBA Rookie of the Year Award and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team.

It was during his second season that Larry Bird provided one of his many memorable moments.

It was Game 7 of the 1981 Eastern Conference finals and the Boston Celtics were taking on the Philadelphia 76ers. Philadelphia had led the entire game, but inside the final minute, Boston had tied the contest at 89-89. Larry Bird then sank a mid-range bank shot with his left hand, which is a tough shot to execute under heavy defensive pressure. The shot put Boston up 91-89 and they eventually held on to beat the Sixers and head to its first NBA Finals since 1976.

Several years later in the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals, Larry Bird again provided the basketball world with a fantastic memory. While trailing 107-106 in Game 5 against the Detroit Pistons, Larry Bird stole an inbound pass intended for Bill Laimbeer. While falling out of bounds, Larry Bird found teammate Dennis Johnson with a pass and Johnson converted a 2-point layup with less than a second left on the clock. The Boston Celtics eventually held on and won in the series in seven games, yet again advancing them to another NBA Finals.

Larry Bird had numerous memorable moments throughout his career and as previously noted, is highly regarded as one of the most clutch players in NBA history. When asked one time about who he would want to take a shot with the game on the line, the great Michael Jordan undoubtedly responded, “Larry Bird.”

Larry Bird is highly regarded as one of the best players to ever don a Boston Celtics uniform and a true NBA legend. He won the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award three consecutive years from 1984 to 1986. He also was a two-time NBA Finals MVP (1984, 1986) and a nine-time All-NBA First Team Selection from 1980 to 1988.

Larry Bird was named to 12 All-Star Games and was also selected to the NBA’s 50^th Anniversary All-Time Team. He finished his career with 21,791 points, 5,695 assists and 1,556 steals. Larry Bird was also part of one of the best-known rivalries in basketball: Lakers vs. Celtics.

After he retired, Larry Bird went on to coach his hometown Indiana Pacers. In 1998, he won the NBA Coach of the Year after the Pacers finished with a 58-24 record and lost in the Eastern Conference Finals. Larry Bird again led the Pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals in 1999 and in 2000 they went on to lose in the NBA Finals. Larry Bird resigned as coach of the Indiana Pacers shortly after the 2000 season, but returned to the organization in 2003 as the team’s President of Basketball Operations.

“I wanna be like Mike!”

Perhaps the most recognizable name in all of sports is Michael Jordan. From unbelievable highlights on the court to commercials and movies off it, “MJ” is often considered the No. 1 sports legend of all-time. 

As the story goes, at 5’11, Jordan was deemed too short to play for his high school varsity team as a sophomore. But that following summer he grew four inches and his basketball career was born.

Following his high school career, Jordan received a scholarship to play for the University of North Carolina and was named ACC Freshman of the Year in 1981. He also made the game-winning jump shot in the 1982 NCAA Championship game against Georgetown. Jordan left UNC one year before his scheduled graduation date after winning the Wooden College Player of the Year awards in 1984.  

The Chicago Bulls selected Jordan with the third overall pick in the NBA draft after the Houston Rockets (Hakeem Olajuwon) and Portland Trail Blazers (Sam Bowie) passed on the former Tar Heel. In due time, the Trail Blazers selection of Bowie over Jordan is often viewed as the biggest blunder in NBA draft history.

One could fill an entire book with Jordan’s NBA accomplishments. Among some of the honors:  

• 14-time All-Star
• Rookie of the Year—1985
• Five-time MVP—1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998
• Six-time NBA Finals MVP—1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998
• Olympic Gold Medalist—1984, 1992
• Defensive Player of the Year—1988
• Nine-time All-Defensive First Team
• Seven-time The Sporting News MVP—1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1997, 1998
• 11-time All-NBA—10 times first team, 1 time second team
• Sports Illustrated “Sportsman of the Year”—1991
• Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996
• Two-time Slam Dunk Contest champion—1987, 1988

Select records

• Most NBA Finals MVP awards—6
• Highest single series scoring average NBA Finals—41.0 (1993)
• Most scoring titles—10
• Most All-Defensive First Teams—9
• Most consecutive games scoring in double figures—866
• Highest career scoring average—30.12
• Highest career scoring average playoffs—33.45

While players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird are considered some of the greatest to ever play the game of basketball, none hold a candle to Jordan’s NBA legacy. He’s often hailed as one of the greatest professional athletes in any sport and his trademark dunks still don the walls of many youngsters throughout America.