So Likely “Coin Flip For Lew/Kareem” Redux 51 Years Later

After the Milwaukee Bucks, a team getting its road paved in a bid for a title 50 years later, KO’d the Hawks’ 5 point tease, (113-102) as 4 plus point(s) faves, to take a (2-1) semis lead vs the upstart Atlanta Hawks , it is so likely the NBA final series will match the two franchises (the Bucks and Phoenix Suns), that “coin tossed” for the great Lew Alcindor/Kareem Abdul Jabbar, some 51 years ago.

The Bucks won the coin flip and the greatness of the then Lew Alcindor (he became Kareem Abdul Jabbar in his third pro season) manifested as the Bucks added the great, but declining, Oscar Robertson a year later and titled in Lew/Kareem’s second season, 50 years ago in 1971. The Suns are (0-2) in final round play, the Bucks are (1-1).

Here is an “only me” note: The Hawks are now (0-5) as the Atlanta Hawks in Sunday “semis” games, the baseball Atlanta Braves are (1-9) in such games.

The Hawks, now (1-14) in semis tilts, lost one Sunday tilt to the Lakers in ’69, two in ’70 and one to the Cavs in ’15. All three teams that “semi’d” the Hawks, lost in the subsequent NBA final.

Baseball’s Atlanta Braves lost Sunday semis/NLCS games to the Mets in ’69, a glorious day game, and in a crazy 15 inning game 30 years later in ’99, the Cards in ’82 and ’96 the Pirates in ’91 and ’92, the Phils in ’93, Marlins in ’97 and Dodgers last year. They won a Sunday tilt vs the Padres in the ’98 NLCS.

The football Falcons are (2-2) in semis/NFC title tilts, each of course on a Sunday, (only the NFC title tilt in the strike marred ’82 “Pig” season was not on a Sunday, the other 103 such NFC or AFC title tilts were).