Part Three: The Revolution Televised - Tall Wingmen & Small Postmasters

As the game of basketball has changed, the level of play and the evolution of changes have been in great effect on the professional stage, particularly in the National Basketball Association. While size has traditionally been a barometer of measure in player positioning, skill levels have been heightened to levels so high that size alone cannot properly be the lone component in ascertaining where players best fit on the hardwood. Much of that guesswork and sense of great change in play takes place with players whose skills defy the traditional prototypes, particularly bigger players who play positions that are largely assumed by smaller players, and vice versa. Exemplifying this phenomenon are three players of exceptional ability and size--Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Scottie Pippen and Charles Barkley.

Magic Johnson, a career Los Angeles Laker in his 13 seasons of professional basketball, is known as being the best point guard in the history of professional basketball, more specifically in the NBA. It wasn't just his ability to lead a team to multiple championships or having a personality that lent itself to positively infectious basketball habits, it was his size that helped to critics and fans to see the game differently. While considered a "guard/forward" early as an L.A. Laker, it was clear that the 6'9" Johnson was a true point guard. As the tallest full-time point guard in professional basketball history (and actually an inch taller than his listed height), Johnson showed that the exceptional size of a player doesn't mean too terribly much when skill levels are also exceptional. As a Hall of Fame inductee, Johnson paved the way for many players who have shown great ability with considerable physical measurements, and that he flourished as a point guard only strengthened the idea of breaking the old school formula of "size = position".

Scott Pippen is another great example of such a player changing the look of the prototypical basketball player. Drafted in 1987 as a small forward as an eventual piece for the Chicago Bulls, Pippen was an all-tool player on his NAIA collegiate team, Central Arkansas; but in possessing an extraordinary wingspan, as well as world-class athleticism, Pippen transformed into the player whom some NBA historians call the first "swingman", a player now known that can play in the backcourt as a guard and on the wing as a frontcourt player, full-time during games. Though listed between 6'7" and 6'8" during his 17-year career with the Bulls, Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers, Pippen's former Bulls head coach Doug Collins (a former No. 1 overall draft selections in the 1970s) has mentioned that "Pip" was at least two to three inches taller than him (Collins being 6'7"), putting him possibly at 6'10", the height that the aforementioned Johnson was as a point guard in high school, college and the NBA. In Pippen's case, though he was definitely called a small forward and swingman, he spent much of his career also listed under the hybrid listing of guard/forward as well, and in fact, played point guard for 13 of his 17 NBA seasons as a Bull and Trail Blazer, while at times even seeing duty as a power forward in very particular cases as needed. In all, Pippen's wide range of skills allowed for him to play in both traditional and non-traditional roles on the court, which enabled him, in part, to win six NBA championships.

"Sir Charles" Barkley was an anomaly altogether. Weighing between 250 and 280 lbs. and standing at 6'4 1/2" (despite his 6'6" listed height), Barkley excelled as a Hall of Fame basketball player for his world-class skills in jumping, out-muscling opponents and rebounding the basketball. That he was also able to be a elite scorer close to the basket (where most players are bigger and taller) has been virtually undepicted by other comparable players. In the case of "The Round Mound of Rebound", his multi-fold skills in footwork, positioning and any-range shooting complimented his unorthodox speed and strength as a short power player. Others in his most comparable molds have had shortcomings in overall athleticism (Clarence Weatherspoon) or in scoring ability (Ben Wallace), but none have had an explosive package like Barkley. Even all-time great undersized forwards and centers like Elgin Baylor, Dave Cowens and Wes Unseld undersold in some other ways in comparison to the immortal Barkley (and the aforementioned three have been considered the best players at their position in various years of the NBA's existence).

Altogether, the ratio paradoxes of size to numbered positions (1 as point guard, 2 as shooting guard, 3 as small forward, etc.) are broken when hardwood revolutionaries such as Johnson, Pippen and Barkley are highlighted. From those paradoxes have come players who have revolutionized the game of basketball, and from their skill levels, have enabled themselves to be the best among many.