Jul 1, 2012

7/01/2012 02:37:00 PM
He is only 1 of 3 players to ever record 15 points, 15 off the glass, and 15 helpers in a playoff game the others being J-Kidd and the late great Wilt 20K. He ran an Offense if you scouted it you would have said they are playing Shirts and Skins. Fat was only 6-2 and 170 El Bees soakin' wet but after every game looking at the Stat Sheet he was everywhere but in the DNP Ledger for the game. Comparing him today he was a Poor Mans Rondo for the Green Team... Fat that good and impacted games in the Logo on that level..

The Guard that as a walking Double-Double and on some nights a Triple-Double walking...Lafayette "FAT" Lever was. Drafted by the Rip City Blazers in 1982 and only played their for 2 years Fat Lever made his mark for 6 Full Season in Denver for the Nuggets in McNichols Sports Arena. Those outrageous Unis (pics of 1984-85 Denver Nuggets at MitchellandNess.com) they wore when Fat ran the most sophisticated Offense (at least if you talk to then Nuggets Coach Doug Moe) called Doug Moe's Organized Chaos.

Organized Chaos now would be a mix of Read and React sprinkled in with 2-Man Iso's and Pick and Rolls. It is where Algebra Trigonometry 2 meets Calculus.....kinda sorta. Fat dominated the game and his impact was on the Defensive End and the Distribution of the Orange. Having only played 12 Seasons and cut off by Knee Injuries Fat was a 2x All Star and 2x All Defense all under Doug Moe and the Nuggets.

Fat Lever's Sidekicks if you want to call them that were NBA Hall of Fame Small Forward Alex English and UCLA's Ki Ki Vandeweghe. He also had Two of the Best NBA Defenders playing with him as well at the Guard Spot in Fighting Irish Alum Bill Hanzlik and Roll Tide's T.R. Dunn. Fat was centered around a Talented Bunch and considering they had those Defensive Stoppers they couldn't stop anyone on most nights because English and Vandeweghe along with Center Danny Schayes (Son of Syracuse Nationals and Sixers Great Dolph Schayes) were to busy running Organized Chaos and filling the Cup up.

Thinking Fat Lever was a Stat Sheet Stuffer (thanks CBS College Basketball Announcer and pacers TV Color Man Clark Kellogg) he had 43 Career Triple-Doubles and that is #6 on the All-Time List 16 behind Larry Legend and 11 ahead of that Scrub King James...who won't have a chance of passing Fat Lever. Players under Fat on the Triple-Double List...Grant Hill, Air Jordan, Clyde the Gylde Drexler, Walt Clyde Frazier, C-Webb, and Sir Charles Barkley.

LaFayette "FAT" Lever Career Numbers at a glance:

10,433 Points
4,696 Helpers
1,666 Thefts

It won't get him in Springfield, Mass but the Players that played against him will tell you the Complete Guard on both ends of the NBA Hardwood....LaFayette "FAT" Lever.

Note: Numbers from NBA.com




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