 Classic SI photo by James Drake |
The Ultimate Winner
Bill Russell is best known as a member of the Boston Celtics, but he first made his mark in his hometown of Oakland and then with the University of San Francisco. He led the Dons to 55 straight wins and back-to-back NCAA titles, culminating his amateur career with a gold medal at the 1956 Olympics. He then won 11 titles in 13 seasons in Boston.
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GREATEST ATHLETES |
Joe DiMaggio, San Francisco
Record 56-game hitting streak in 1941; three-time MVP played on eight World Series champions with Yankees; career .325 hitter.
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Jackie Robinson, Pasadena
UCLA football star; changed baseball -- and the nation -- in 1947 as first black in majors; MVP with Dodgers in '49.
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Bill Russell, Oakland
Led San Francisco to NCAA titles in 1955 and '56; defensive force and anchor of Celtics dynasty of '60s; five-time MVP.
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FLASHBACK |
1975: What a Wiz of a Win It Was
Led by Richard Washington's 28 points, UCLA defeated Kentucky 92-85 to give John Wooden a wonderful retirement gift -- his 10th NCAA title
Monday night in the San Diego Sports Arena college basketball went off to meet the Wizard of Westwood for the last time. Having arrived in California 27 years ago as something of a scarecrow, John Wooden went out like a most uncowardly lion.
FULL STORY
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SI COVERS |
Orel Surgery
Dodgers right-hander Orel Hershiser had a season for the ages in 1988, closing the regular season with a major-league-record 59 consecutive scoreless innings, then recording three wins and a save in the playoffs as Los Angeles won the World Series. Hershiser was named Sportsman of the Year.
Click here to see a gallery of every Dodgers cover
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THE SI POLL: Northern California |
Who do Californians root for? SI asked the Golden State residents to weigh in* on sports.
Favorite major league baseball team
San Francisco Giants | 46% |
Oakland Athletics | 16% |
Los Angeles Dodgers | 9% |
Favorite NFL team
San Francisco 49ers | 50% |
Oakland Raiders | 10% |
Green Bay Packers | 4% |
No favorite | 11% |
Favorite NBA team
Sacramento Kings | 30% |
Los Angeles Lakers | 16% |
Golden State Warriors | 9% |
No favorite | 30% |
Favorite NHL team
San Jose Sharks | 45% |
Los Angeles Kings | 4% |
No favorite | 37% |
Favorite pro team
San Francisco 49ers | 23% |
San Francisco Giants | 20% |
Sacramento Kings | 11% |
Oakland Athletics | 7% |
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Favorite college
Stanford | 16% |
Cal | 14% |
Fresno State | 6% |
Greatest athlete who ever lived in or played for a team in your state
Joe Montana | 36% |
Barry Bonds | 12% |
Willie Mays | 10% |
Jerry Rice | 9% |
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 4% |
State's biggest rivaly
Dodgers-Giants | 27% |
Cal-Stanford | 20% |
Kings-Lakers | 19% |
49ers-Raiders | 18% |
UCLA-USC | 7% |
Sports figure you would most like to have dinner with
Joe Montana | 15% |
Barry Bonds | 4% |
Michael Jordan | 4% |
Steve Young | 4% |
John Madden | 4% |
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State's biggest rival
Texas | 22% |
New York | 18% |
Arizona | 8% |
Favorite announcer
John Madden | 36% |
Vin Scully | 8% |
More a fan of college or pro sports?
Favorite sport to play
Cycling | 15% |
Golf | 13% |
Hiking | 13% |
Baseball/softball | 11% |
Basketball | 11% |
Swimming | 11% |
Favorite sports to watch on TV*
Football | 82% |
Winter Olympics | 60% |
Summer Olympics | 55% |
Baseball | 52% |
Basketball | 37% |
Ice Skating | 31% |
*Multiple responses allowed. | |
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THE SI POLL: Southern California |
Who do Californians root for? SI asked the Golden State residents to weigh in* on sports.
Favorite major league baseball team
Los Angeles Dodgers | 28% |
Anaheim Angels | 18% |
San Diego Padres | 8% |
Favorite NFL team
San Diego Chargers | 11% |
San Francisco 49ers | 11% |
Oakland Raiders | 9% |
No favorite | 20% |
Favorite NBA team
Los Angeles Lakers | 56% |
Los Angeles Clippers | 5% |
Sacramento Kings | 4% |
No favorite | 22% |
Favorite NHL team
Anaheim Mighty Ducks | 22% |
Los Angeles Kings | 16% |
No favorite | 44% |
Favorite pro team
Los Angeles Lakers | 22% |
Los Angeles Dodgers | 8% |
San Francisco 49ers | 6% |
Anaheim Angels | 6% |
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Favorite college
UCLA | 25% |
USC | 24% |
Notre Dame | 4% |
Greatest athlete who ever lived in or played for a team in your state
Magic Johnson | 12% |
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | 9% |
Joe Montana | 8% |
Wayne Gretzky | 7% |
Jackie Robinson | 4% |
State's biggest rivaly
UCLA-USC | 39% |
Kings-Lakers | 20% |
Dodgers-Giants | 13% |
Chargers-Raiders | 9% |
Angels-Dodgers | 4% |
Sports figure you would most like to have dinner with
Shaquille O'Neal | 4% |
Joe Montana | 4% |
John Wooden | 3% |
Wayne Gretzky | 3% |
Tiger Woods | 3% |
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State's biggest rival
New York | 23% |
Texas | 14% |
Arizona | 10% |
Favorite announcer
Vin Scully | 37% |
John Madden | 16% |
More a fan of college or pro sports?
Favorite sport to play
Swimming | 11% |
Lifting weights | 10% |
Basketball | 9% |
Hiking | 9% |
Running/jogging | 9% |
Golf | 8% |
Favorite sports to watch on TV*
Football | 68% |
Basketball | 51% |
Summer Olympics | 49% |
Baseball | 49% |
Winter Olympics | 44% |
Ice skating | 22% |
*Multiple responses allowed. | |
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*Harris Interactive online poll, of 812 California residents (411 from the north, 401 from the south) who identified themselves as sports fans. Margin of error +/- 5%.
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Sports Illustrated's 50th Anniversary |
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STATITUDES |
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11 Number of NCAA basketball titles won by UCLA.
88 Consecutive games won by UCLA basketball team, an NCAA record.
33 Consecutive games won by Lakers, a professional sports record.
9 Consecutive years Stanford has won the 10-year-old Directors' Cup for overall athletic excellence.
9,349 Yards passing at Stanford for John Elway, second in school history.
2,325 Points scored at UCLA by Lew Alcindor, second in school history.
5 Number of laterals on winning kickoff return in 1982 Stanford-Cal football game.
13 Years Raiders played in Los Angeles before returning to Oakland in 1995.
Oct. 8, 1957 Date Dodgers announced move from Brooklyn to Los Angeles, beginning westward expansion of professional sports.
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ENEMY OF THE STATE |
Al Davis
Californians agree on whom they hate most: the man who moved his Raiders from Oakland to L.A. and back, griping all the way. Northern Californians chose as their most detested opponents the New York Yankees (19%), the Raiders (13%) and the Dallas Cowboys (11%). Southern Californians selected the Raiders (25%), the Yankees (18%) and the Sacramento Kings (7%).
NORTH
Al Davis | 37% |
George Steinbrenner | 15% |
Shaquille O'Neal | 8% |
SOUTH
Al Davis | 36% |
George Steinbrenner | 10% |
Georgia Frontiere | 6% |
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FAST FACTS |
Admission to statehood: Sept. 9, 1850 (31st state)
Area: 163,707 square miles
Bird: California valley quail
Capital: Sacramento
Economy: Agriculture -- Vegetables, fruits and nuts, dairy products, cattle, nursery stock, grapes. Industry -- Electronic components and equipment, aerospace, film production, food processing, petroleum, computers and computer software, tourism.
Flower: California poppy (Eschscholtzia californica)
Nickname: Golden State
Population: 33,871,648 (1st)
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Pro sports teams: Anaheim Angels, Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Galaxy, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Kings, Los Angeles Sparks, Oakland A's, Oakland Raiders, Sacramento Kings, Sacramento Monarchs, San Diego Chargers, San Diego Padres, San Diego Spirit, San Francisco 49ers, San Francisco Giants, San Jose CyberRays, San Jose Earthquakes, San Jose Sharks
Major college programs: Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo Mustangs, Cal State-Fullerton Titans, Cal State-Northridge Matadors, California Golden Bears, Fresno State Bulldogs, Long Beach State 49ers, Loyola Marymount Lions, Pacific Tigers, Sacramento State Hornets, San Diego Toreros, San Diego State Aztecs, San Francisco Dons, San Jose State Spartans, Santa Clara Broncos, Southern California Trojans, Stanford Cardinal, UC Irvine Anteaters, UCLA Bruins, UC Riverside Highlanders, UC Santa Barbara Gauchos
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