The prince of midair: World B. Free.
With former Dub and one-time high-riser Larry Hughes suiting up for a go a championship with the Cavs, it’s time to remember another prolific former Cavalier and Warrior with street-ball tendencies, World B. Free. Born Lloyd Free, he was a spectacular guard who possessed a near-mythical 44-inch vertical. Coming to the Dubs after a salary dispute with the then San Diego Clippers, he filled the post-Rick Barry void in shooting volume with considerable, well, shooting volume. He was a volume shooter before the term existed. But he was effective.
Sometime after the SI cover (above) was shot, he also made the previously unprecedented move of legally changing his name from Lloyd to “World.” But don’t be confused. This was not done because he had some global ambition beyond shooting the ball like, hella times per game. Indeed, he had been nicknamed World as a youngster because he was “All-World” as a baller, not because he particularly wanted to save the planet or anything.
His style was unique to be sure, and it was one that more than one of us made misguided attempts to imitate on the playground. Raining jumpers released well behind his head, elbows akimbo, and with legs awkwardly splayed, was not—as it turned out—the best way to square one’s shoulders to the basket. Oh well. More and a video after the jump.
Needless to say, an individual so profoundly unusual as to change his name to World also rocked a unique look. Yes, he had a beard, but his signature look rendered the beard an afterthought. He was fond of the previously unthinkable pairing of mutton chop sideburns with a male-pattern-baldness receding dome line. Think George Jefferson meets the Mod Squad.
Free was a ray of hope in that first season, averaging 24.1 points per game—good for ninth in the league—and leading the Dubs to a 39-43 record. Unfortunately, this would leave them (say it with me now) just one game short of a playoff berth. Somehow, Bernard King also managed to touch the ball often enough that year to score 22 points a game for the Dubs. With King exchanged for man about town Michael Ray Richardson the next year, Free was again the team’s leading scorer. Somehow, they even managed to improve to 45-37. But, being the Warriors, they would again get shut out of the playoffs by (say it with me now!) one flippin’ game.
Oh well, the Western Conference was stacked back then and so on. And so it was that, with more heartbreak on the horizon, the Dubs traded World B. Free to Cleveland just a few games into the 82-83 season. Now he works the youth-education beat in Philadelphia, where he broke into the league, and owns some corner stores and video joints if reports are to be believed. Just the same, take a moment to remember a flamboyant era for Dubfans and one helluva player. It didn’t end the way we wanted, but that 44-inch vert and those crazy jumpers—straight Drano, fool!—are forever etched in my memory.
Daniel Turman
PS. As a special bonus, here’s a little (poorly edited) vid honoring World and other Brownsville ballers back in his native Boogie Down.