Nba History [unofficial] | Michael Jordan-era And More (in All Airness)

Send Adam a text message.High school great, University of Texas at San Antonio star, NBA player and European standout, Derrick Gervin.Derrick Gervin is a Detroit native. He starred at Martin Luther King High School in his home state of Michigan. Twice, he was named to Detroit's All-Public School League first team. Following high school, Gervin moved cross country to play at a college where his jersey is one of just two to have ever been retired to the rafters - the University of Texas at San Antonio.Coincidentally, as Derrick continued to hone his skills at college, his older brother - future Hall of Famer, George Gervin (The Iceman) - was lighting up the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs.Leaving college after his junior season, Derrick was selected in the 1985 NBA Draft, before eventually travelling overseas to star in Europe. He would return to the USA and achieve his dream of playing in the NBA. We cover this and much more in a wide-ranging conversation.Derrick is a great story teller and shares some fan

Send Adam a text message.Remembering Michael Jordan's iconic 1989 moment. This episode covers:- Jordan's heroics in Round 1 of the 1989 NBA PlayoffsBehind the Game. The inside story - from MJ's defender, Craig Ehlo - on the moments that culminated with Michael Jordan's amazing, series-clinching jump shot to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers.People mentioned include Larry Nance, Brad Daugherty, Ron Harper, Lenny Wilkens, Bernie Lincicome, Sam Smith, Mark Price, Bill Cartwright, Sam Vincent, Cheryl Raye-Stout and Peter Gee.Support: Buy Adam a coffee | Amazon: USA / Australia | Audible | PayPalListen: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | OvercastFollow: Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | FacebookSubscribe (free): NBA-history newsletter[as an Amazon Associate, Adam earns from qualifying purchases - you'll be supporting his podcast at no extra cost]

Send Adam a text message.Adam and Aaron dissect Michael Jordan’s comeback game at Indiana - March 19th, 1995 - the Pacers hosted the visiting Bulls, at Market Square Arena.We discuss the circumstances behind Jordan's return, uncover great tidbits that preceded this much-hyped match-up and of course, offer an in-depth recap of the game itself. We chat about Michael's post-game presser, too.In the podcast archives, you’ll find numerous guest episodes that add even deeper context to this conversation. Bill Wennington, Luc Longley and Corie Blount played for the Chicago Bulls in this game. Legendary reporter, Peter Vecsey, and the great Mr. Stats, Elliott Kalb, were part of the NBA on NBC broadcast. Chicago broadcasting veteran, Cheryl Raye-Stout – who first broke the news of Jordan’s 1995 comeback - is also a previous guest. Last but not least, MaryKay Hruskocy, who worked in Media Relations for the Pacers, also recently appeared on the show and shared her memories of the 24 hours of hysteria that led

Send Adam a text message.Michael Jordan isn't immune to hi-jinks. This episode covers:- Jordan's role in a few (1980s) April Fools' Day pranksBehind the Game. Learn of three instances where Michael Jordan was involved in April Fools' Day stunts. We begin with Laney High School (1981), then move to the University of North Carolina (1982) and conclude with the Chicago Bulls (1987) of the NBA.People mentioned include James Worthy, Ralph Sampson and Pat Benkowski.Support: Buy Adam a coffee | Amazon: USA / Australia | Audible | PayPalListen: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | OvercastFollow: Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | FacebookSubscribe (free): NBA-history newsletter[as an Amazon Associate, Adam earns from qualifying purchases - you'll be supporting his podcast at no extra cost]

Send Adam a text message.NBA Creative Director (former), Gameplan Creative CEO and Sports Design Trendsetter, Tom O'Grady.During the 1980s, Tom worked as an ad agency art director on the McDonald’s business. Simultaneously, McDonald’s began to devote resources to sports marketing. This was the perfect opportunity for Tom – he combined his love of sports with his passion for design. He met and worked with Michael Jordan on the memorable Large fries for “Small Fries” ad campaign and also contributed design work to the inaugural McDonald’s Open later that same year (1987).Judy Shoemaker was the agency account director that Tom worked with on the McDonald’s Open project. In 1988, she accepted the role of Vice President, Marketing, with NBA Properties. Two years later, Judy began to recruit Tom to join her at the NBA. Commissioner David Stern named Tom O’Grady the league’s first Creative Director in 1990. Tom discusses the process that led him to leave Chicago and take up residence in New York.Tom was tasked

Send Adam a text message.Adam & Aaron celebrate the 30th anniversary of Michael Jordan's fourth season in the National Basketball Association. This episode covers:- December 5 through December 18, 1987- Insightful minutiae, all but lost to the annals of basketball historyNotable:- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar‘s streak of 787 straight double-figure scoring games ends- Larry Jordan (Michael’s brother) drafted by the IBA’s Chicago Express- Ralph Sampson traded from Houston to Golden State for Joe Barry CarrollLinks discussed:* Chicago versus Houston - Rockets trade Sampson after this game* Michael Jordan's heroics force overtime versus DetroitThis episode continues our coverage of the 1987-88 NBA season. If you enjoy the content, please share it with your friends! For context, here’s our 13-episode series (#NB87), exploring Michael Jordan’s third season in the NBA.Tune in to hear this and plenty more, as we uncover some hidden gems from the NBA’s golden era.People mentioned include Doug Collins, Kevin Johns

Send Adam a text message.Brothers, Sean and Brad Malone, are co-directors and producers of Wild About ’88 – The Rise of Arizona Basketball.In 1988, Sean and Brad caught basketball fever. As fate would have it, the Arizona Wildcats were firing on all cylinders, advancing to the Final Four of the 1988 NCAA Tournament. Tucson loved their Wildcats and the city relished in its team’s dominant 35-3 season. Arizona’s roster featured six players who would make the NBA – Sean Elliott, Steve Kerr, Jud Buechler, Tom Tolbert, the late Sean Rooks (redshirt) and Anthony Cook.We discuss the brothers’ respective love for the Wildcats and how they went from being super fans of the Cats, to producing a film that documents a season for the ages.Sean and Brad talk to the brilliance of the program’s “unlikely and fantastic rise under former head coach, Lute Olson”. They detail the importance of Steve Kerr’s captaincy of the 1988 Wildcats, plus, the unique circumstances behind Kerr still being a member of the team. Further, we cov

Send Adam a text message.NCAA great, 12-year NBA veteran and 1988 All-Star, Xavier McDaniel.The X-Man joins the show for a wide-ranging discussion about his life in basketball. Few players in NBA history were as physical as McDaniel. However, there's much more to Xavier's bow than simply being an enforcer. He was the first-ever player (1985) to lead the NCAA [Division I] in scoring and rebounding in the same season. His name is littered throughout the record books at Wichita State, where he played four seasons with the Shockers. As a senior, he was named First-team All-American.The Seattle SuperSonics drafted Xavier with the fourth pick in the 1985 NBA Draft. He played all 82 games as a rookie and was second to (future teammate and great friend) Patrick Ewing in Rookie of the Year voting.Xavier talks about his six seasons in Seattle. He discusses the impact that Maurice Lucas had on his game, speaks candidly about his role in the 1988 NBA All-Star Game and talks fondly of Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton.

Send Adam a text message.Indiana Pacers staffer (Media Relations / Publications: 1991-2007), MaryKay Hruskocy.Though a native of Whiting, IN, MaryKay grew up a fan of Chicago sports. As the Bulls were celebrating their 1991 NBA Championship at Grant Park, MaryKay was driving to Indianapolis to commence her career in media relations for the Indiana Pacers.Our conversation covers behind-the-scenes memories from MaryKay’s tenure with the team. This includes, arguably, the biggest one-day sporting event of the 1990s. Two words: “I’m back”. She discusses the frenzy surrounding Michael Jordan’s NBA return in 1995; detailing how the Pacers managed the news and went into overdrive to prepare Market Square Arena - in less than 24 hours - for a game that suddenly held as much importance as the NBA Finals.Hruskocy details how she created the Pacers' team newsletter, distributed by fax to approximately 3,000 loyal subscribers. MarkyKay discusses how she was tasked with putting together Indiana's media guides in

Send Adam a text message.Washington Mystics Head Coach and General Manager, Mike Thibault. Our wide-ranging conversation examines a multitude of great topics. Thibault's (pronounced Tee-bo) coaching career began in the 1970s. Before the decade ended, he was scouting for the L.A. Lakers and contributed to the team’s 1980 and 1982 NBA championships.We discuss Mike's move to Chicago, where he was an assistant coach for the Bulls for four seasons (1983 through 1986). He scouted the top-three picks - Olajuwon, Bowie and Jordan - in the iconic 1984 NBA Draft. Mike details Chicago’s approach to that draft and the behind-the-scenes decision making that led to Michael Jordan's selection. Plus, you’ll hear just how close the Bulls came to selecting a future Hall of Famer in the 1985 draft.After a year at the helm of the inaugural World Basketball League's (WBL) Calgary 88's, Mike took over another first-year franchise. This time, the Continental Basketball Association's (CBA) Omaha Racers.

Send Adam a text message.My friend, Mike Fraler, host of Forgotten Maverick (now Mavs Archives) invited me on his show.We discuss how our podcasts came to be and reminisce about our love of NBA history. I also discuss my 1994 and 1995 trips to the USA, and how luck wasn’t on my side – both times I visited the States, Michael Jordan was in the midst of his first retirement. Fancy some NBA trivia? Listen in and test your knowledge against mine.As the name of Mike's podcast cleverly suggests, he chats with Dallas Mavericks players of years gone by. Mike’s twin brother, Jeff, has his own NBA-history podcast: Forgotten Lakers, Are you sensing a theme? If you enjoy my podcast, you’ll certainly enjoy Mike's and Jeff’s.Support: Buy Adam a coffee | Amazon: USA / Australia | Audible | PayPalListen: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | OvercastFollow: Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | FacebookSubscribe (free): NBA-history newsletter[as an Amazon Associate, Adam earns from qualifying purchases - you'

Send Adam a text message.Adam & Aaron celebrate the 30th anniversary of Michael Jordan's fourth season in the National Basketball Association. This episode covers:- November 21 through December 4, 1987- Insightful minutiae, all but lost to the annals of basketball historyNotable:- Petur Gudmundsson – career-high 21 points- Mark McNamara – career-high 22 rebounds- Franklin Edwards – career-high 16 assistsLinks discussed:* Travelin’ Bulls (Higher Ground)* Jordan jabs Jazz: “Was he big enough?”This episode continues our coverage of the 1987-88 NBA season. If you enjoy the content, please share it with your friends! For context, here’s our 13-episode series (#NB87), exploring Michael Jordan’s third season in the NBA.Tune in to hear this and plenty more, as we uncover some hidden gems from the NBA’s golden era.People mentioned include Horace Grant, Mark Jackson, Xavier McDaniel, Fat Lever, Adrian Dantley, Wes Matthews, Clyde Drexler, Manute Bol, Muggsy Bogues, Walt Frazier, Tellis Frank and Bob Ryan.Suppo

Send Adam a text message.Four-time NBA All-Star, All-NBA (1993) and Dream Team II (1994) member, Mark Price.Mark Price rose to basketball prominence from humble beginnings. He starred at Enid High School in Oklahoma, breaking many records; serendipitously, equaling feats set by his famous father Denny, decades earlier.After high school, Mark played four years with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. To this day, his name is littered throughout the record books. As a freshman, he led the ACC in scoring (20.3 ppg) – an outstanding achievement, given the depth of talent in the conference. Prior to his sophomore campaign, he was a member of Team USA’s gold-medal winning squad at the 1983 Pan-American Games in Venezuela. Mark, and fellow teammate, John Salley, were named team co-captains as sophomores. As a junior, Mark led his team to a 27-8 record. Tech won the ACC Championship, Price was named Tournament MVP and also won (1985) ACC Player of the Year. Georgia Tech advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament

Send Adam a text message.The one and only "Mr. Stats" (NBA on NBC) - Elliott Kalb - author of Who’s Better, Who’s Best in Basketball?Elliott is a multiple Sports Emmy-winning producer, writer and television personality. He has worked in sports television for more than 35 years, including more than two decades with NBC, where he was known as “Mr. Stats”.In the 1990s through early-2000s, Elliott didn’t often appear on camera, however, he was a vital cog in the mighty NBA on NBC machine. We cover a wide variety of topics and he shares plenty of great stories about his life and the experiences he’s had with a who’s who of talent for more than 30 years.He discusses his most-memorable games from his 12-year run with the NBA on NBC. Elliott also chats about his love for the 1972 L.A. Lakers and how, almost 20 years later, he ended up alongside Pat Riley - a member of that famed squad - a recent addition to the NBA on NBC team.Links discussed:* Magic Johnson's awesome ending to the 1992 NBA All-Star Ga

Send Adam a text message.Adam & Aaron celebrate the 30th anniversary of Michael Jordan's fourth season in the National Basketball Association. This episode covers:- November 7 through November 20, 1987- Insightful minutiae, all but lost to the annals of basketball historyNotable:- Larry Bird opens the season with an amazing performance at Washington- Artis Gilmore returns to Chicago (last played for the Bulls in 1982 season)- Chicago wins its 500th game in franchise history- Darren's day(e). Bird-less Celtics, down 28, beat Knicks at the buzzer- The Chicago Bulls' home-sellout streak commencedLinks discussed:* Philadelphia 76ers @ Chicago Bulls (season-opener)* Bird's buzzer-beater buries Bullets* Reggie Miller, Chuck Person pace IndianaThis episode continues our coverage of the 1987-88 NBA season. If you enjoy the content, please share it with your friends! For context, here’s our 13-episode series (#NB87), exploring Michael Jordan’s third season in the NBA.Tune in to hear this and pl

Send Adam a text message.Adam & Aaron celebrate the 30th anniversary of Michael Jordan's fourth season in the National Basketball Association. This episode covers:- 1987 NBA Hall of Fame Game - Bulls versus Lakers- The origin story of Michael Jordan's 'Come Fly with Me' dunk- Insightful minutiae, all but lost to the annals of basketball historyLinks discussed:* Chicago Bulls v L.A. Lakers – Hall of Fame Game (87-88 preseason)* 1988 Bulls Luncheon – Jordan, Pippen & Oakley All-Star presserThis episode continues our coverage of the 1987-88 NBA season. If you enjoy the content, please share it with your friends! For context, here’s our 13-episode series (#NB87), exploring Michael Jordan’s third season in the NBA.Tune in to hear this and plenty more, as we uncover some hidden gems from the NBA’s golden era.People mentioned include Doug Collins, Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Dave Corzine, Mike Smrek, Scott(tie) Pippen, Horace Grant, Tony White, A.C. Green, Charles Oakley and Jeff Lamp.S

Send Adam a text message.Adam & Aaron celebrate the 30th anniversary of Michael Jordan's fourth season in the National Basketball Association. This episode covers:- Off-season news, notes and quotes- 1987 NBA Draft- Chicago Bulls 1987-88 training camp and preseason games- Insightful minutiae, all but lost to the annals of basketball historyWe’re back with a new series (#NB88). Following a brief visit to April of 1987, we head to early-to-mid June, discussing a wide array of interesting topics and happenings from the NBA’s off-season.We cover the 1987 NBA Draft and the Bulls’ draft-day dealings that secured Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant – foundation players who would team with Michael Jordan and John Paxson to form the nucleus of the franchise’s future success.We’re also joined by special guest, Joyce Szymanski, who was in the unique position of working (media relations) for the Seattle SuperSonics on 1987 NBA Draft day. Shortly after, she began work with the Chicago Bulls. Joyce shares her 1987 mem

Send Adam a text message.Adam & Aaron celebrate the 30th anniversary of Michael Jordan's third season in the National Basketball Association. This episode covers:- Playoffs through 1987 NBA Finals (April 23 through June 14)- Insightful minutiae, all but lost to the annals of basketball historyThe ultimate episode of #NB87. Notable milestones:- Magic Johnson - named Most Valuable Player / Finals MVP- Chuck Person - named Rookie of the Year- Ricky Pierce - named Sixth Man of the Year- Michael Cooper - named Defensive Player of the Year- Dale Ellis - named Most Improved Player- Mike Schuler - named Coach of the YearLinks discussed:* Magic Johnson's 77'8" buzzer-beater (WCQF G1)* Warriors @ Jazz - mayhem erupts as game ends (WCQF G2)* Sleepy wakes Warriors, drops 51 points on Lakers (WCSF G4)* Laimbeer clips Bird's wings (ECF G3)* Larry Legend steals victory from the jaws of defeat (ECF G5)* Kill Bill (Laimbeer)? Parish the thought (ECF G5)* Doubting Thomas? Isiah on his Larry Bird co

Send Adam a text message.Adam and Aaron celebrate the 30th anniversary of Michael Jordan's third season in the National Basketball Association. This episode covers:- NBA regular season – March 31 through April 19, 1987- Insightful minutiae, all but lost to the annals of basketball historyNotable milestones:- Trent Tucker - career-high 34 points-John Salley - career-high 28 points- Kenny Walker - career-high 26 points- John Paxson - career-high 14 assists- Nick Vanos - career-high 13 reboundsLinks discussed:* Jordan throws down some classic dunks versus the Bullets* Phoenix Suns tribute - honoring Nick Vanos* MJ ties his season-high scoring mark of 61 pointsThis episode continues our coverage of the 1986-87 NBA season. We encourage your interaction. Feel free to suggest specific games, moments and events from within the season, for us to cover in future episodes of the series. Thanks for taking the time to listen to the show. If you enjoy the content, please share it with your friends!Tune in to hear this

Send Adam a text message.(Former) Senior Vice President and Executive Producer of NBA Entertainment, Don Sperling.Don Sperling has a remarkable filmography that you’re almost certainly familiar with. Titles including Michael Jordan: Come Fly with Me, NBA Awesome Endings, Michael Jordan’s Playground, NBA Superstars and Michael Jordan: Air Time, are just a handful of his iconic releases.Sperling was Senior Vice President and Executive Producer of NBA Entertainment, NBA TV and NBA.com for 15 years. Don discusses his early life, the opportunities that presented themselves and how he moved from his native New York, to Atlanta, prior to being contacted by soon-to-be NBA Commissioner, David Stern, regarding the establishment of NBA Entertainment. Don discusses its formation and amazing growth, plus, offers fascinating specifics on some iconic moments from Come Fly with Me. He recounts some amazing stories about travelling with The Dream Team in 1992, particularly, a wonderful 48-hour span he’ll never forget - chroni