6. Chris Mullin Was Really, Really Awesome

I wasn’t going to buy Chris Ballard’s The Art of a Beautiful Game basketball book, but now he’s gone and forced my hand. With anecdotes like this:

“…Mullin is said to have sunk 194 consecutive jumpers during a workout. So pure is the stroke of such shooters that it is oblivious to all attempts at sabotage, both external, or internal. A journalist buddy of mine has a friend who used to work at a beach club on Long Island. He recalls once coming up on Mullin at the club, a few years after Mullin left St. John’s and before he quit drinking. It was late one summer night, almost dark, and the friend heard sounds coming from a nearby basketball court. Checking it out, he discovered Mullin, standing there by himself, taking swigs of beer with his right hand and launching one-handed three-pointers with his left, a partially completed six-pack at his side. Shot after shot sank through the net. Swig. Swish. Swig. Swish. Swig. Swish.”

Good God that’s badass.

Thanks to Ryan, our new night BOSS, and Waxin and Milkin. And Chris Ballard, of course.