Over the course of a career that spanned 14 seasons, Tiny Archibald averaged almost 19 points and more than seven assists a game. Kevin Reece/NBAE/Getty Images

In a time before the 3-point shot, an intensely competitive 6-foot-1 point guard captured the NBA scoring title. He also led the league in assists the same year. That was 32 years ago and no NBA player since has equaled Nate Archibald's feat. Born and raised in the South Bronx's Patterson housing projects, "Tiny" became a six-time NBA All-Star, an NBA champion and a member of the Hall of Fame. An "old school" guy if there ever was one, Archibald lays out his blueprint for professional minor-league basketball, pays homage to Red Auerbach and explains why it's important to go back to give back.

SI.com: I read somewhere that you didn't like the name Tiny. Is that right?

Nate Archibald: Oh no, I got that name from my Dad. He was Big Tiny and I was Little Tiny. When I got older, I said, "Dad, can I just like leave out the 'Little' and keep the 'Tiny?'" He said, "Yeah, I can go with that."

SI.com: You are the only man to lead the NBA in both scoring and assists in a season (34.0 ppg, 11.4 apg in 1972-73). Will that ever happen again?

NA: There are a few guys, like Kobe Bryant, who are not point guards but point people. The ball has to go through Kobe; he's got possession. And to me, possession is the key. Shaq could do it, too. People say [Shaq] couldn't lead the league in assists. Well, Wilt Chamberlain did. I think that it can be done by any guy who has possession 80 percent of the time. I don't know if guys have to make up their mind to do it, because I never did. I didn't do it by design.

SI.com: Today, you're coaching the Long Beach Jam of the revived ABA. Along with the CBA, USBL and the NBDL there are four substantial alternative pro leagues based in the United States. What current void does minor league professional basketball fill?

NA: The minor leagues should be a farm system directly associated with current NBA teams. Just like baseball, a guy would get drafted out of high school and the NBA team would pay his salary. Why shouldn't the NBA work like that? NBA teams are making a lot of money. You're talking Direct TV, international rights -- it's a lot of money. A single, overall NBA top-down minor league system would be better than all these different minor leagues moving teams from city to city each year. The NBDL was trying to do that, but there's no linkage to the NBA teams. So everybody is a free agent.

SI.com: It seems like a large part of the equation are the many high school basketball players drafted into the NBA who are not ready to make that jump socially, let alone athletically. Do you see these minor leagues as life training as well as basketball training?

NA: Somewhat. I think that the minor league system has to be stronger for guys to leave school early. Right now NBA teams are signing young kids to a lot of money, and you just can't pay a teenager a million dollars for five-month job. What other work environment in the U.S. does that?