Over And Back: Stories About Nba History

We take a look at multiple-time NBA All-Stars who were big deals in their day but have been somewhat forgotten or overlooked with the passage of time in the latest episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast.Co-hosts Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch first discuss some of elite superstars of their day: Larry Foust, an 8-time all-star who led the Fort Wayne Pistons to back-to-back NBA Finals in 1955 and 1956 and has the highest Basketball Reference probability score for someone who is not in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame; Alonzo Mourning, who was among top best centers in the NBA for the Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat before a kidney ailment limited him in the second half of his career; Harry "The Horse" Gallatin, an iron man and rebounding savant for the New York Knicks that went to three straight NBA Finals from 1951-53; Amar'e Stoudemire, an elite offensive force who helped make the 2000s "Seven Seconds or Less" Phoenix Suns go before injuries caught up to him with the Knicks; a

An interview with Julius Erving about his legacy in popularizing All-Star Weekend, what impresses Dr. J about a dunk, what the ABA means to him, who he most enjoyed playing against, comparing his 1976 Finals performance to LeBron James, expectations he faced moving on to the NBA after the merger, toughest playoff battles, adjusting to playing with other superstars, how the 76ers evolved during his years there, his retirement tour and much more! Topics discussed include: How Erving feels about being a major reason NBA All-Star Weekend is such a huge event, what aspects of a dunk impress one of greatest dunkers ever, what people should remember about the ABA, top ABA forwards he measured himself against, comparing his 1976 ABA Finals performance to LeBron James' 2017 NBA Finals (in which both players led their teams in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks). how the legacy of the ABA is alive in the NBA today, how he approached playing with other superstars (like George McGinnis, Moses Malone and Cha

We discuss the short-lived Women's Professional Basketball League and the pioneers of women's pro basketball, including Karen Logan, Molly Bolin, Ann Meyers and Nancy Lieberman, in the return of Over and Back's Basketball Mysteries of the 1970s series.Karra Porter, author of “Mad Seasons: The Story of the First Women's Professional Basketball League, 1978-1981,” joins the show with Jason Mann to talk about how she became interested in the story of the WBL, the rise of women's college basketball in the 1970s, the importance of the U.S. women's team earning silver at the 1976 Olympics, how many women had to develop skills independently with the lack of organized girls programs and how the WBL was formed by Bill Byrne.We discuss Logan's role in popularizing women's basketball and beating Jerry West in H-O-R-S-E on national TV, Bolin's amazing shooting displays, Meyers signing a contract with the Indiana Pacers and the reaction from both the NBA and WBL, Lieberman's spectac

We look at players who are having historically great or statistically uncommon seasons so far in 2016-17 in the latest episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast.Kris Fenrich of The Step Back joins Jason Mann to discuss the NBA’s statistical outliers, big men like Brook Lopez and Marc Gasol shooting 3s at an unprecedented rate, the explosion of triple-doubles from Russell Westbrook and others, Westbrook setting records for usage and box-score plus-minus, James Harden's 50-point triple-doubles, Nikola Jokic and DeMarcus Cousins having some of the best passing seasons for a center, Isaiah Thomas with a nearly unprecedented blend of usage and efficiency, and how Kawhi Leonard is reminiscent of John Havlicek.We also discuss large boosts in players with high Player Efficiency Ratings and averaging more than 25 points per game, Kevin Durant scoring a lot while taking fewer shots, Giannis Antetokounmpo with almost unheard of statistic versatility, Anthony Davis' overlooked awesome season, players with

Curtis Harris of Pro Hoops History joins us again to discuss the 1967 Philadelphia 76ers, the record-setting team that ended the Boston Celtics' 8-year championship streak, on the latest episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast.We talk about Curtis' project with the 76ers called Spirit of the Champion (http://www.nba.com/sixers/spiritofthechampion), commemorating the 68-win championship team that is on the short list of greatest teams in pro basketball history, and what it was like to attend the team's 50th anniversary dinner. We look at how the team fits at a key juncture in NBA history, when the ABA and expansion began to dramatically change the sport. We discuss how the franchise transitioned from the Syracuse Nationals in the early 1960s, how established stars like Hal Greer and Chet Walker adjusted to Wilt Chamberlain joining the team in 1965, the brutal playoff losses to the Celtics (including "Havlicek stole the ball" in 1965), what in Chamberlain's game changed in 1967,

Rarely have players as great as Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins been stuck on such bad teams. We take a look at how other comparable players fared early on in their careers in the latest episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast.We look how this season's New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings compare to other teams that struggled despite having an amazing superstar, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Los Angeles Lakers in 1976 and Charles Barkley's Philadelphia 76ers in 1988. We also discuss players in the same class as Davis and Cousins and how they fared in their first seven seasons, from players who were part of dynasties (George Mikan, Larry Bird, Julius Erving and Tim Duncan), who won a championship (Abdul-Jabbar, Bob Pettit and Dan Issel), who made the Finals (Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O'Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon and Moses Malone), and who made it deep into the playoffs but failed to make a Finals (David Robinson, Karl Malone and Alonzo Mourning).We also compare Cousins and Davis

NBA coaching legend George Karl talks about his 40-year career in the NBA and his new book "Furious George" in the latest episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast.Karl talks about his playing career in the late 1970s with the San Antonio Spurs, being a tough defender while guarding George Gervin, getting into a fight with Pete Maravich, what he learned in short 1980s coaching stints with Cleveland and Golden State, early-round playoff disappointments with Seattle, being part of some of the most memorable teams in Sonics history with Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp and reaching the NBA Finals in 1996 vs. the Chicago Bulls.He also discusses why Milwaukee with Ray Allen and Sam Cassell was unable to duplicate its Eastern Conference Finals run, the challenges of coaching Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson in Denver, how the Nuggets thrived with Chauncey Billups, his fight against cancer, the Carmelo trade, why his last Denver team was his favorite, and coaching DeMarcus Cousins in Sacramento.George Karl

We look back at all the No. 1 overall picks in the NBA draft in the past 50 years and how their careers went in the latest episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast, hosted by Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch.We discuss Anthony Bennett's recent release from the Brooklyn Nets and how he looks like the latest No. 1 overall pick to be a complete bust, how there are a wide range of outcomes for No. 1 overall picks, from some of the greatest players of all-time (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan and LeBron James) to the biggest disappointments (LaRue Martin, Pervis Ellison, Michael Olowokandi, Kwame Brown, Andrea Bargnani and Greg Oden).We also talk about what is fair to expect from a No. 1 overall pick, a run of mid-1970s players who ran into injury or drug issues (Doug Collins, Bill Walton, David Thompson and John Lucas), an impressive crop of 1980s big men for five straight drafts (Ralph Sampson, Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, Brad Daugherty and David Robinson), players who w

We look at how bad things really got for the NBA in the late 1970s and early 1980s as the league suffered from financial issues, image problems, drug use and a downtown in popularity in the latest edition of Over and Back's Basketball Mysteries of the 1970s.We’ve all heard that the NBA really struggled with financial issues, drug use gone rampant, bad TV ratings, and a perception of aloof players. Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch dig into how bad the problems really were before Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan helped the NBA turnaround in the mid-1980s.We look at the numbers for attendance and TV ratings from the late 1970s through the mid-1980s, major NBA players who battled drug issues (including Spencer Haywood, Bernard King, John Lucas, David Thompson, John Drew, Micheal Ray Richardson and Marques Johnson), NBA teams who reported financial problems, NBA reducing roster spots, huge contracts for Bill Walton and Magic Johnson, bad owners like Ted Stepien and Donald Sterling joining the league, a

We look at how the Spurs, Nets, Nuggets, and Pacers adjusted to life in the NBA after being part of the 1976 NBA-ABA merger in the latest edition of Over and Back's Basketball Mysteries of the 1970s.Adam Johnson of Basketball Pantheon joins the show to discuss how the former ABA teams were at an initial competitive disadvantage because of the terms of the merger, how 1977 was the first season with a fully balanced NBA schedule, how the Nuggets with David Thompson and Dan Issel had come off an ABA Finals run in 1976 and were a strong NBA Finals contender, a forgotten classic Nuggets-Bucks playoff series in 1978, how Thompson's drug problems eventually caught up with him, how the Spurs were initially successful in San Antonio, how the Spurs became contenders in the late '70s but fell short in two consecutive series vs. the Bullets, how the Pacers were forced to rebuild in the late '70s after being an ABA dynasty, Indiana's puzzling series of trades where they would lose out on future superst

We watch and offer real-time commentary on Michael Jordan's 63-point performance vs. Larry Bird's Boston Celtics in the 1986 playoffs in the latest episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA podcast.We are joined by Curtis Harris of Pro Hoops History and Reinis Lacis of The Handle podcast to discuss the awesomeness of the Celtics and where they rate among the greatest teams, Bird's beautiful perm, a bloody Kevin McHale, the lack of towel hygiene in 1986 NBA, Bill Walton's magical season, the Bulls' dysfunction and drug issues, Jordan coming back from injury and feuding with Jerry Reinsdorf and Jerry Krause, why Orlando Woolridge didn't work well as Jordan's running mate, George Gervin scoring 0 points in his final NBA game, Gene Banks' hustle, the annoying Danny Ainge, and thoughts on Robert Parish, Dennis Johnson, Jerry Sichting, Scott Wedman, Rick Carlisle, Kyle Macy, Sidney Green, Mike Smrek, K.C. Jones, Stan Albeck and more.For the most enjoyable experience, we recommend you

This is the first edition of Hoop Quiz, a new NBA trivia game show that pits two challengers in a battle for trivial supremacy.It's David Ramil (@dramil13), co-host of the Locked on Heat podcast, taking on Philip Rossman-Reich (@philrsquared), editor of Orlando Magic Daily and host of Locked on Magic. Before we get to the trivia, we discuss what's been enjoyable about the Heat and Magic this year, Derrick Williams at a crossroads in his career, how NBA big men are evolving in the pace-and-space era, and why the Heat and Magic have really never had a notable rivalry outside of Florida.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We look how the ABA-NBA merger came about and how the ABA teams paid dearly to get into the NBA in the latest episode of Over and Back's Basketball Mysteries of the 1970s. We are joined by basketball historian Adam Criblez (@AdamCriblez) to look at the chaotic final 1975-76 season for the ABA with teams folding and the schedule having to be constantly reworked, how the original 1950 NBL-BAA merger that formed the NBA affected this one, prior close calls to a merger and why they didn't work out, how there were many massive obstacles to overcome to make a merger happen, how there was little buzz about a merger coming heading into the NBA owners' meetings, how St. Louis Spirits owners Ozzie and Daniel Silna ended up with the greatest deal in sports history, and how Kentucky Colonels owner John Y. Brown ended up sitting pretty as well.We also discuss how a night of drinking between Nets owner Roy Boe and Knicks owner Mike Burke may have turned the tide in the merger talks, who actually deserves the cr

We discuss Klay Thompson's 60 points in 29 minutes and look at some other fun facts about 60-point games in NBA history in the latest episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast.We are joined by Chris Barnewell of The Step Back and At The Hive to talk about Thompson's impressive feat, his lack of time of possession compared to other 60-point games, how his off-ball skills and shooting help his team while having Kevin Durant and Steph Curry to draw attention helps him, and other huge scoring outbursts from Kobe Bryant, George Gervin, Karl Malone, Wilt Chamberlain, Gilbert Arenas, J.R. Smith, Larry Bird and more.We also go through some trivia about the 66 games in which a player has scored 60 or more points, how Wilt Chamberlain has accounted for more than half of them, and look at some of the names who have scored 60, including Michael Jordan, Elgin Baylor, Tracy McGrady, Allen Iverson, Shaquille O'Neal, Jerry West, Pete Maravich, LeBron James, and Carmelo Anthony, and those who perhaps surpri

DWe look at the NBA players of the past who inspired rule changes large and small in the latest episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA podcast.Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch discuss how 1930s pro basketball star Leroy Edwards inspired the 3-second rule, how the 1950s NBA dealt with superstar George Mikan and his Minneapolis Lakers dynasty by widening the paint, how Syracuse Nationals owner Danny Biasone's 24-second clock revolutionized the game, how the league tried to limit Wilt Chamberlain by further widening the lane and banning offensive interference, how backboard-destroyer Darryl Dawkins forced the NBA to switch to breakaway rims, how Charles Barkley and Mark Jackson inspired the five-second backdown rule, how the NBA tried to limit isolations because of Michael Jordan's late 1980s scoring dominance, how New York Knicks journeyman Trent Tucker change the way games are finished, and how Shaquille O'Neal's fierce dunks forced a change in basket reinforcement.We also discuss the illegal def

With Russell Westbrook averaging a triple-double later in the season than any player since Oscar Robertson, we look into the history of the triple-double stat in the latest episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast.Jason and Rich talk about how impressive Westbrook’s feat is especially for a 6-foot-3 guard, why Westbrook shouldn’t be used to disparage Oscar Robertson and vice versa, how LeBron James is also quietly coming close to a triple-double season, how not all triple-doubles are created equal, how the term triple-double wasn’t well known until the mid-1980s, what other players have come closest to averaging a triple-double for a season, which players have the most triple-doubles in their career, and other fun triple-double trivia.We also look at other well-rounded seasons from players like Wilt Chamberlain, John Havlicek, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Scottie Pippen, Grant Hill, James Harden and others. Plus we dig into the most impressive triple-doubles ever, some oddball triple-doubles, and funny

We look at how the ABA and NBA finally came together in the latest edition of Over and Back's Basketball Mysteries of the 1970s.This is the final part of our discussion of the off-court battles between the ABA and NBA with Reinis Lacis of The Handle podcast (LamarMatic.com). We talk about ABA MVP George McGinnis flirting with the New York Knicks and how he finally made his way to the Philadelphia 76ers, Dave DeBusschere becoming ABA commissioner, the Atlanta Hawks losing out on No. 1 and No. 3 overall picks David Thompson and Marvin Webster to the ABA’s Denver Nuggets, the Nuggets and the Nets applying to NBA membership and nearly tearing the ABA apart, ABA teams beginning to fold during the season in 1975, an NBA undergraduate draft of ABA players including Moses Malone, the Oscar Robertson lawsuit being settled and clearing the way for free agency and a merger, and much more.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

NoWe look at some of the incredible stories of bidding wars between the ABA and NBA in the latest edition of Over and Back's Basketball Mysteries of the 1970s.This is part three of our discussion of the off-court battles between the ABA and NBA with Reinis Lacis of The Handle podcast (LamarMatic.com). We talk about Bob McAdoo signing a secret contract while still in college and an ABA owner and NBA owner secretly conspiring to sell and destroy it, the NBA raiding several ABA players during the season including Charlie Scott, how John Brisker’s move to the NBA forced a delay in the draft, why the ABA didn’t get much money from the multi-colored ball, wishy washy NBA commissioner Walter Kennedy vs. bold-thinking ABA commissioner Mike Storen, Wilt Chamberlain signing with the ABA, how the ABA tried to woo Bill Walton and give him his own franchise, the ABA’s plans to put more teams in the Northeast, Jim Chones becoming the only player to jump leagues without a lawsuit, and much more.Advertising Inquiries: ht

We look at how Spencer Haywood changed the world of basketball and paved the way for underclassmen to join the pros in the latest edition of Over and Back's Basketball Mysteries of the 1970s.We are joined once again by Reinis Lacis of The Handle podcast to discuss Haywood signing with the ABA as a sophomore, then breaking the NBA's ban of underclassmen, the many lawsuits that followed, the "three-front war" he was forced to fight and the toil that Haywood was under as he played for the Sonics while his case was in court. We also talk about the infamous Dolgoff Plan of deferred payments and how it changed the business of basketball, the rise of unscrupulous agents, NBA referees jumping to the ABA, the first serious NBA and ABA merger talks, how much salaries rose compared to franchise values, the ABA begin to win the talent battle out of colleges by signing Julius Erving, Artis Gilmore and George McGinnis, an NBA-ABA merger derailed and what it might have looked like, the Oscar Robertson lawsui

We discuss the formation of the ABA in 1967 and how it battled with the NBA for talent and in the courtroom in the late 1960s in the latest edition of Over and Back's Basketball Mysteries of the 1970s.Jason Mann is joined by Reinis Lacis (@lamarmatic) of The Handle Podcast to talk about how the ABA first got together, how the immediate goal was a merger with the NBA, George Mikan's role in giving the league credibility, the establishment of the 3-pointer and red, white and blue ball, the ABA finding talent through banned players like Connie Hawkins, how the ABA found it hard to entice NBA players to jump leagues, Rick Barry becoming the first major NBA star to jump over, the ABA filing an antitrust lawsuit against the NBA, Hawkins moving on to the NBA, Dave Bing and Lou Hudson signing with the ABA but running into legal entanglements, how the ABA and NBA did in luring college stars in the late 1960s, and the initial merger talks between the two leagues.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/bran