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Column: Ode to the Big Man

Scoring from beyond the arc is glamorous.

It’s a shot that requires incredible accuracy. The prolonged moment of anticipation as the ball floats toward the basket creates a collective breath among spectators.

There is also the appeal of earning three whole points for only one shot — something made possible only after 1979.

Three-pointers are glamorous, but three-pointers don’t win championships.

Rebounding wins championships.

Defense wins championships.

Free throws win championships.

And the little things that don’t show up on the stats sheet — those things win championships.

The thrill-factor that comes with scoring — and, largely, the guard position — can be blamed for the near extinction of a staple of basketball from an older time: the center.