RealGM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9y-lyI4FAc

Lafayette "Fat" Lever was a 6 ft 3 in guard. He was considered one of the NBA's best point guards in the late 1980s while playing for the Denver Nuggets. Despite his size he regularly led the Nuggets in rebounding. In his prime (from 1987 to 1990) he averaged 18.9 points, 8.9 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game. He is one of only three players in NBA history to record 15 plus points, rebounds and assists in a single playoff game (the others being Jason Kidd and Wilt Chamberlain). Among Lever's career achievements were making two NBA All-Star teams, an All-NBA Second Team in 1987, and an All-Defensive Second Team in 1988.

Never heard of this guy before until now... Wow at those rebounding numbers. How does a PG even get to average anything close to 9 rebounds a game? That's ridiculous. Did those Denver teams have no good rebounding bigs or something? His rebounding numbers outside of those 4 years where he's averaging 9 rebounds aren't nearly as NB2K'y.

Delete thread please, something went wrong with the video remaker.

@ John Stockton: TBH I never heard of him too, I find that game and couldn't believe when I saw his averages.

Fat Lever like Alex English are great players that many have never heard of outside of hardcore basketball fans, and of course ling time Nuggets fans. Lever was one hell of a player in Denver, and deserves every mention he gets for his play in Denver.

JohnStockton wrote:Never heard of this guy before until now... Wow at those rebounding numbers. How does a PG even get to average anything close to 9 rebounds a game? That's ridiculous. Did those Denver teams have no good rebounding bigs or something? His rebounding numbers outside of those 4 years where he's averaging 9 rebounds aren't nearly as NB2K'y.

that denver was a high scoring up and down team that played zero defense, so there was a lot of shots taken and therefore a lot of rebounds to be had

Fat Lever has been the Sacramento Kings' radio broadcaster for some time now.

Great PG, but was shadowed by the likes of Magic and such.

Def one of my favorites of what might be called "The Great Unknowns".

Try this video:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86E5-KyfAbQ[/youtube]

Recaps some of what you'd said in post.

Kawhi Leonard numbers.

TheMidnightSun wrote:

JohnStockton wrote:Never heard of this guy before until now... Wow at those rebounding numbers. How does a PG even get to average anything close to 9 rebounds a game? That's ridiculous. Did those Denver teams have no good rebounding bigs or something? His rebounding numbers outside of those 4 years where he's averaging 9 rebounds aren't nearly as NB2K'y.

that denver was a high scoring up and down team that played zero defense, so there was a lot of shots taken and therefore a lot of rebounds to be had

TRB% accounts for pace, his rebounding still was one of the best ever for a guard during those 4 years, if not the best:

http://www.basketball-reference.com/pla ... by=trb_pct

To answer his question though, Denver's bigs at the time were only decent rebounders by the numbers and it looks like they played a lot of small ball with only one big when you do the math with minutes.

JohnStockton wrote:Never heard of this guy before until now...

BOOOOOOOOOOOO

AND -1 for you

Nashty89 wrote:@ John Stockton: TBH I never heard of him too,

and a BOOOO for you too.

here you go fellas...

fat lever vs jordan, thanks to lamarmatic - 31pts, 16reb, 12ast, 9stl

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgDPFlbd3no[/youtube]

looks like that video earlier is just using clips from lamar's video i just posted. (which he made for me, thanks lamar, you rock).

TheMidnightSun wrote:

JohnStockton wrote:Never heard of this guy before until now... Wow at those rebounding numbers. How does a PG even get to average anything close to 9 rebounds a game? That's ridiculous. Did those Denver teams have no good rebounding bigs or something? His rebounding numbers outside of those 4 years where he's averaging 9 rebounds aren't nearly as NB2K'y.

that denver was a high scoring up and down team that played zero defense, so there was a lot of shots taken and therefore a lot of rebounds to be had

not entirely true that the played no defense. they just played a different style of defense. they wanted the keep the pace frantic and and force the other team to run. they pressed and trapped a lot with their guards with led to a lot of steals and of course fast breaks. this kept the pace fast and allowed the nuggets to feast on teams struggling to keep up at the altitude.

fat lever was a helluva a great defender. he had lightning quick hands as well as an equally quick first step, which allowed him to rack up steals and rebounds. pretty much any loose ball was his. he was a solid passer who ran the break well and had a very nice mid-range game complete with a variety of floaters and runners.

fatlever wrote:

JohnStockton wrote:Never heard of this guy before until now...

BOOOOOOOOOOOO

AND -1 for you

You're not THE Fat Lever, are you?

EArl wrote:Great PG, but was shadowed by the likes of Magic and such.

Great? Mmm. Too strong an adjective. The 80s Nuggs played a grotesquely fast offensive pace under Doug Moe and Lever was a very competent stat filler, but so was Rod Strickland. They exist, but it doesn't make them great players. A player who certainly talented in some ways? Yeah. Maybe one of the final AS Game substitute selections on a given year? Yeah.

He wasn't unknown outside of hardcore fans, either, as claimed above. He made at least one ASG. I saw a piece of one recently where he was out there as an early sub alongside Magic and most of the EAST's starters. He looked noticeably out of place at that point in the game and Magic was passing him the ball at midcourt so Fat could have some time on camera initiating plays.

I remember him when Portland drafted him. Early on it was easy to see he was something special. Was part of the Kiki Vandeweghe trade. If I recall correctly bad knees is what slowed him down.

Fat's rebounding talent was no joke. He probably wouldn't average 9 rebounds a game in this era, but he could probably get 6 or 7 per game if he played in his prime today.

"I gots a fat lever too"

- Oden