YouTube Gold: Jerry Lucas

When you watch video of players from previous decades sometimes you look and think there’s no way that guy could play today.

Then you see guys like Wilt Chamberlain or KC Jones and you can see that they’d be able to handle today’s game without too much trouble.

John Havlicek too. He’d just run everyone to death and score when they got tired.

Then there’s Jerry Lucas.

An Ohio State legend, Lucas looks like a guy who could thrive in today’s game. First, he had a three point shot before there was a three point line. Secondly, he’s clearly very sound fundamentally. He also rebounds well and he has a really nice touch on some of his interior shots.

He’d have to learn the things they didn't teach forwards then, like ball handling, which is spotty, and playing the entire court.

But when you watch this guy, and how quick he is and how fast his reads and reactions are, it seems obvious that he could do it today too.

By the way, Lucas was also noted for his remarkable memory. He eventually wrote books about how one could improve theirs.