Hawks Playoff Game 2

I totally forgot the playoff game was last night, but no worries. So did the Hawks. Here's that team set I promised you. This is 1976-77 Topps Basketball, AKA those freakishly large cards that don't fit in any top loader or plastic sheet known to man. Let's compare a '76 card to a standard sized '71 card.


I told ya they were big! Topps treated their basketball sets like mad scientist experiments a lot of times. The three in one cards, the regional sets in '81 and these huge cards were almost like test issues. It's never been used again but this size card actually works pretty well, at least for a basketball set. The portraits are kind of creepy looking but the action shots look really good on these cards. Mike Sojourner shooting over Truck Robinson looks especially good. The funky block letters and the plummeting basketball design is pretty awesome as well. I think all the crazy lettering used by Topps in the '70s is the root of my lifelong love of oddball fonts. The backs are spectacular. Full pro and college stats, lots of room for a bio and a basketball rules cartoon at the bottom. good stuff and you don't have to squint to read it.

Here's the Hawks team set. At least I think it's a complete team set. Team checklists are hard to find for old basketball sets. You've got a full starting five and a bench player at least.

Tom Henderson was the Hawks' first pick in 1974. He played on the '72 Olympic team that got screwed by the refs.

Joe Meriweather only played one year for the Hawks and all he got was this crummy airbrushed jersey.

John Drew scored a ton of points for the Hawks, but they traded him in 1982 for some French guy.

The Hawks picked Mike Sojourner #10 overall in the 1974 draft, ahead of Jamaal Wilkes and Mo Lucas. Oops.
You already know about Lou. At least he's out of those horrible green uniforms.

Ken Charles is bored or stoned or both. He's from Trinidad and Tobego, isn't that interesting? He also has a painted uniform just like Joe.