Blake Griffin's tomahawk dunk sets off a list of NBA's all-time most exciting players Mark Heisler's list of NBA's most exciting players starts with Elgin Baylor. By Mark Heisler, Los Angeles Times, 11/28, NBA Coast to Coast Blake Griffin, the coming out party... If everyone knew he was special, he made it official in his 44-point breakout against the New York Knicks, featuring his tomahawk-dunk-with-signature-hesitation-after-cocking-it-behind-his-ear over 7-foot-1 Timofey Mozgov. Saying it all, Amare Stoudemire took off his goggles to shoot free throws moments later, paused after making his first, looked over at Griffin and nodded. As compliments go, it was the NBA version of Wayne Campbell's "We're not worthy!" A YouTube video of the dunk and the nod got 2.1 million hits in a week ( http://www.youtube.co m/watch?v=cqs0zf_tj2c. Welcome to Clippers Showtime, long may it last/as long as it lasts. Thanks for the memories 1 / 5
Great is proven over time. Exciting just is. Here's my list of the most exciting players: Elgin Baylor: Royalty in a basketball uniform. He wasn't just Julius Erving before Julius Erving, but the superstar the other superstars looked up to. Oscar Robertson: In his first four seasons, when he averaged 30-11-10, he looked like a superhero in the comics. Jerry West: The great whose game dripped soul. With his skinny frame, face masks and huge thigh wraps, he looked as if he were playing for every underdog in the world. Earl Monroe: No leaper, played on the floor but left everyone wondering where he went with his whirling dervish moves. Erving: As Louis Armstrong said, "If you have to ask what jazz is, you'll never know." Dave Cowens: Griffin before Griffin. 2 / 5
Bill Walton: A 6-11 kamikaze/walking clinic on center play. It was as if his body couldn't contain so much desire and broke down trying. An inspiration still, rising to all challenges with his exuberance undiminished. Doug Collins: A 6-6 Walton. A personal favorite since I covered him. Before stress fractures got him, literally ran out of his sneakers, making cuts so violent he tore the tops off. Magic Johnson: Joy in a basketball uniform. Where he went, excitement followed. Larry Bird: All-time talking-talk, walking-walk legend. See: Atlanta bench guys, who've been going back and forth with him while he scores 60, fall all over each other as he hits a last unbelievable 25-footer (. Hakeem Olajuwon: A 6-9 Earl the Pearl. Michael Jordan: Hops, movie star looks and the fundamentally soundest uber-athlete to that point and this. Charles Barkley: National treasure as living reminder it's just a game. 3 / 5
If a rhino jumped off a trampoline, handled the ball like a guard, did standup comedy like Bob Hope and had as much fun as a kid at Disneyland, he'd be Charlie. Dominique Wilkins: Jumpers on which he might have pogoed three feet off the ground were as amazing as his dunks. Reggie Miller: Maniac/gunslinger. See: choke sign to Spike Lee. With Ray Allen closing in, Reggie could keep his three-point record by taking Boston General Manager Danny Ainge's annual offer to return. Kobe Bryant: Audacity in a basketball uniform. If they factored in degree of difficulty, Kobe would have 100,000 points. Steve Nash: Larry Legend at 6-1. Chris Paul: New, improved Nash. Manu Ginobili: Argentine Kobe. I saw him take a pass in the 2003 Finals, whirl around to find a fallen Net at his feet and go 4 / 5
behind his back on the dribble while jumping over him, in about half a second. I know, I left off your fave, but I'm out of room. 5 / 5