Common Denominator

"Played for the NBA's St. Louis Hawks in 1964/65 (Bob Pettit's last season) and with Rick Barry on the 74/75 Golden State Warriors."

That would be Jeff Mullins and Bill Bridges (Who just passed away last September). Mullins and Bridges would see Pettit average just 11.5 points per game against Baltimore in the 1965 playoffs. Bridges fared a little better, being good enough for 13.0 ppg. Mullins did little, however. He played less than six minutes per game, averaging just 4.0 ppg and 3.0 rpg. The Bullets won the series over the Hawks, three to one.

Mullins and Bridges took a different times to meet up with Barry. Mullins was on San Francisco (As they were called) in 1966/67. They made it all the way to the finals. Now, normally that meant facing the Boston Celtics (Who'd beaten the Warriors in the '64 finals). But now, Wilt Chamberlain and his Philadelphia 76ers had beaten the Celtics in just five games in the Eastern Conference Finals. Long before it was MJ and his Bulls vs. Isiah and his Pistons, it was always Wilt vs. Bill (Russell). Russell's team's had Chamberlain's number. But not in '67.

However, the 76ers still had to beat the Warriors. Rick Barry and Nate Thurmond were ready for Wilt and his great team. Having swept the Los Angeles Lakers (Who failed to win an NBA crown in the 1960s despite six trips to the finals) and taken six to dispose of St. Louis, they too had a chance. Just in case Wilt and co. thought they'd seen the last of the tough times, it was San Francisco with a surprising win in game three. The 76ers had taken the first two contests at home, then looked to have it in the bag when they against beat the Warriors, right there in San Fran, 122-108. Barry had 43 points. Mullins 14. However, Jeff fouled out. The Warriors then stunned 'em in game five in enemy territory, before the 76ers finally wrapped it up with a close 125-122 win in the sixth game.

In 1971/72, the Warriors became the Golden State Warriors. In a very competitive decade, it didn't matter what your name was (Individual or team), there we no easy playoff matchups. And things weren't about to get any easier for them in 1974/75. In September of '74, before the start of the NBA season, Nate Thurmond was traded to the Chicago Bulls for Clifford Ray. But as a team, it was the Warriors that could trade baskets with anyone.

They won only 48 games that year, but it only seemed to make them tougher when it all counted. They beat the Seattle Supersonics in six, got past the tough Bulls in seven, then came up against the Washington Bullets. It turned out to be Barry easy.

Rick averaged 29.5 points per game in the series. And 5.0 assist per game. It was a dominating performance that stats can't even explain. Mullins averaged 8.0 ppg. But it was Bridges that didn't do much. He barely played and averaged just 1.0 ppg. When he walked off the court on May 25th, 1975, his career was over. Mullins played one more year before hangin' 'em up. Ironically, they went out winners against the very team that had ended Bob Pettit's career ten years earlier. Golden State, meanwhile, would have to wait. Until 2014/15, to be exact, to win again.


References

Sports Reference LLC. Basketball-Reference.com - Basketball Statistics and History. http://www.basketball-reference.com/. 26 Apr. 2016