Classic NBA in color -- retouching the greatest stars in hoops history

Basketball is great. Basketball is golden. However, for many years classic images of the ABA and the NBA were solely seen in black and white. To redress that shortcoming, we have gone and recreated yesteryear by retouching the stars of the black and white era in color. Some of these photos are classic, some historic and some just cool — and now they are also colorful — but enough of the context. On with the pictures.

Ladies and Gentleman, Classic NBA in color.

Perhaps the most iconic image in basketball history is that of Wilt Chamberlain after scoring 100 points. Here is what Wilt would have looked like in color.

Has there a been better rivalry in NBA history than Larry Bird and his Celtics versus Magic Johnson and his Lakers? I doubt it. Here is Magic grabbing a rebound over Larry Legend and looking to run the floor.

George Gervin, a true swingman, never let not winning a championship get in the way of a decorated career racking up multiple scoring titles, multiple all-star appearances and many All-NBA First Team awards.

Julius Erving pioneered the above-the-rim style of play which is popular today, but he was more than just a dunker. Dr J also has an NBA ring and an NBA MVP award to his name. This polished shot of Dr J looks more like a transition screen from NBA 2Ksomething but I can’t recall the Indiana Pacers being a classic team in the game.

Fred Brown goes under the radar as far as NBA greats go, but Brown was an NBA All-Star and NBA Champion. The Seattle SuperSonics have retired his number 32 jersey. Here Brown takes it hard to the hoop against the Phoenix Suns.

The game has seen many great bigs. Before Shaq, Howard, Olajuwon, Yao, and Ewing there was Bill Russell. The legend garnered just a lazy 11 rings and 5 league MVP awards. Russell has plenty of reasons to smile.

Willis Reed is a man with a long list of NBA accomplishments but none greater than having Whoopi Goldberg wear his jersey in the movie Eddie. Here Willis looks for a way to get past ‘Wilt the Stilt’.

Bill Walton. With a career marred by injury Bill found himself sitting on the sidelines quite a bit. Maybe it was there here found his knack for colorful commentary?

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Artis Gilmore. This hard working big man found himself manning up against the other great bigs of the league, but that didn’t stop him from being a multiple All-star, multiple Defensive First Team award winner and even winning an ABA championship.

But perhaps the greatest image ever seen in the NBA is that of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar mid skyhook. With a career highlight and awards list as long as Kareem is tall, it is no wonder the man then known as Lew Alcindor found himself encased in an exhibit in the movie Baseketball. That skyhook was beautiful.