The Feets Rating System

Nat ‘Feets’ Broudy was the timekeeper at Madison Square Garden from the formation of the NBA until the 1980s, and one of its unsung pioneers. His stopwatch made it into the Naismith Hall.

For years, Feets published weekly ratings of NBA players in Basketball magazine and everyone, particularly the players, followed them chapter and verse.

Each player was rated in five categories: driving, shooting, playmaking, defense, and foul-shooting. Players were given up to four points in each category. The only stats Feets used were the foul-shooting percentages. Everything else was subjective.

The only player ever to get a perfect twenty was Oscar Robertson. Elgin Baylor once got 19.5. The most interesting thing about the system was the categories. These are what Feets thought that players should be judged on, in other words, the most important aspects of the game: and no one disagreed. Tellingly, for shooting, he didn’t use any statistics, points or percentages, under the theory that, if a player missed six shots in a row, but hit the winning shot with the clock running out, the stats clearly didn’t tell the story.

Spike, I remember those ratings clearly. I believe Jerry west's best was a 19.5 as he lost half a point on defense.

My personal interest was ensuring that no Celtic ever got close to a perfect score. To me, that would have indicated the lack of the specialty/role player philosophy that characterized Red's teams. Just as I never wanted a Celtic to be the league's leading scorer. And I'm still getting my wish on that one. (Assists were a different matter.)

Sam

I remember them, too, Sam. As I recall, most Celtics were grouped in the middle, rarely near the top or bottom. There were many multi-dimensional players in the league those days and apparently they were competitive about where they stood in Feets's ratings (bad pun intended).

The categories are what captivate me. Driving is right up there with defense. Playmaking, sure, keep that one, but foul-shooting? What an antiquated idea.

Does anyone remember what particular weekly basketball magazine that Nat Broudy had his rating published in? Do you know where I could either find the original magazines with his ratings or someone that would be able to send me some scans? Thanks! Jason Blaze

So good to read a post from the past by our Sam.

somhoops wrote:Does anyone remember what particular weekly basketball magazine that Nat Broudy had his rating published in? Do you know where I could either find the original magazines with his ratings or someone that would be able to send me some scans? Thanks! Jason Blaze

Hi Jason, welcome to the board!

Hope someone can help you with this.


bob


.

Thanks, Bob!

I own a "Complete Sports Basketball" magazine. It appears to be a 1962-63 preseason magazine as the stats are from the 1961-62 season.

Wondering, when did Nat Broudy first started having his ratings published?

somhoops wrote:Thanks, Bob!

I own a "Complete Sports Basketball" magazine. It appears to be a 1962-63 preseason magazine as the stats are from the 1961-62 season.

Wondering, when did Nat Broudy first started having his ratings published?

somhoops

I owned every Street and Smith college basketball magazine from about 1960 until about 2000 - threw them all away when I moved - huge, huge mistake on my part. So valuable now as a time capsule in an era of electronic forums.

swish

I do not recall ever being aware of Nat Broudy - but back in those early years Pro ball played second fiddle to the college game.

swish

swish wrote:I owned every Street and Smith college basketball magazine from about 1960 until about 2000 - threw them all away when I moved - huge, huge mistake on my part. So valuable now as a time capsule in an era of electronic forums.swish

That is too bad that those magazines got tosses. I bet there is someone that would have gladly loved to have them to learn more about college basketball during those 40 years. While you can find all kinds of stats on players both past and current, you just cannot find the commentary on teams and players anymore that is contained in those old magazines.

It really would be nice to have an archive of old basketball magazines on the internet. A library can purchase a book or magazine and countless people can read through the book or magazine even if it is one that cannot be checked out and carried out. It sure would be nice to have an "online library" of sorts to read through old books and magazines to learn more about basketball and its players and teams of seasons past. I have been reading through The Sporting News from the 1950's to the early 1960's and it has been a joy learning more about the players from that era. Sure, everyone has heard of Russell and Wilt or the other big named players, but it is the less known players that are also interesting to learn. Just learned tonight about Maurice (Mo) Stokes....never hard of him before. He was injured in the last game of the 1957-58 regular season and after playing the first game of the playoffs he became ill, suffered a seizure, and became permanently paralyzed. Found a movie on his life on youtube (Maurie 1973) that I plan to watch.

I found and bought a 1961-62 Complete Sports Basketball preseason magazine (1960-61 stats) and I am hoping that it contains the ratings from Nats Broudy.

Jason

somhoops wrote:

swish wrote:I owned every Street and Smith college basketball magazine from about 1960 until about 2000 - threw them all away when I moved - huge, huge mistake on my part. So valuable now as a time capsule in an era of electronic forums.swish

That is too bad that those magazines got tosses. I bet there is someone that would have gladly loved to have them to learn more about college basketball during those 40 years. While you can find all kinds of stats on players both past and current, you just cannot find the commentary on teams and players anymore that is contained in those old magazines.

It really would be nice to have an archive of old basketball magazines on the internet. A library can purchase a book or magazine and countless people can read through the book or magazine even if it is one that cannot be checked out and carried out. It sure would be nice to have an "online library" of sorts to read through old books and magazines to learn more about basketball and its players and teams of seasons past. I have been reading through The Sporting News from the 1950's to the early 1960's and it has been a joy learning more about the players from that era. Sure, everyone has heard of Russell and Wilt or the other big named players, but it is the less known players that are also interesting to learn. Just learned tonight about Maurice (Mo) Stokes....never hard of him before. He was injured in the last game of the 1957-58 regular season and after playing the first game of the playoffs he became ill, suffered a seizure, and became permanently paralyzed. Found a movie on his life on youtube (Maurie 1973) that I plan to watch.

I found and bought a 1961-62 Complete Sports Basketball preseason magazine (1960-61 stats) and I am hoping that it contains the ratings from Nats Broudy.

Jason

Below is a New Times account ( with pictures ) of the 1946 NIT FINAL - Kentucky Wildcats vs Univ of Rhode Island Rams - the earliest college game that I can recall listening to - a little college basketball history that was quite an event in the Rhode Island area some 73 years ago.

http://www.bigbluehistory.net/bb/statistics/Games/19460320RhodeIsland.html

swish

Thanks for sharing, switsh! Sounds like a game that had fans on the edge of their seats for the entire game. Good stuff!

Jason