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

Send Adam a text message.High School All-American, NCAA great and NBA All-Star, Jeff Ruland. Jeff discusses his early sporting life and the major growth-spurt that coincided with his decision to focus on basketball. He was named High School All-American in the same class as Magic Johnson and was heavily recruited across the country. We chat about his decision to remain in New York and commit to Iona College, led by future luminary, Jim Valvano.Jeff opens up about the 1980 NBA Draft and why he opted to head overseas and play in Spain, before commencing his rookie season in 1982. We talk about Jeff's excellent first three full seasons, that resulted in NBA All-Star selections in 1984 and 1985. Jeff recalls Michael Jordan's debut game in the NBA and the rude awakening that MJ would receive on his first dunk attempt in Chicago Stadium.We chat about the impact of the Showtime Lakers and Boston's Big Three, plus, the onset of injury issues that began to halt Jeff's career. We also talk about one

Send Adam a text message.Adam and Todd discuss Michael Jordan's record-breaking Playoff game - April 20th, 1986 - MJ scored 63 points in the Chicago Bulls' double-overtime loss to the Boston Celtics.We discuss all the key aspects of the game. We talk about the CBS broadcast and its commentary team of Dick Stockton, Tom Heinsohn and Pat O'Brien. We chat about the contrasting nature of Boston and Chicago's respective seasons, leading into their first-round Playoffs meeting. We talk about each team's roster and our memories and opinions on this incredible match-up - arguably one of the top 10 NBA games ever played.As per usual, the conversation is scattered with humor and plenty of insight. Todd also updates us on the status of his forthcoming book on the late, great, Drazen Petrovic. A must-listen, for die-hard NBA fans, regardless of the team you support.Support: Buy Adam a coffee | Amazon: USA / Australia | Audible | PayPalListen: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | OvercastF

Send Adam a text message.NCAA All-American, All-Star and five-time NBA Champion, Bill Cartwright. Bill discusses his early years, growing up in California and playing baseball - his first sporting love. He became a highly-recruited basketballer, but chose to remain in his home state, developing into a standout at the University of San Francisco. We also chat about Bill's first memories of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. In his senior season, Cartwright was named 1st Team All-American.Bill talks about the 1979 NBA Draft and his (very) underrated rookie season - where he was named an All-Star and All-Rookie 1st Team selection. He recalls some of the all-time greats he played with and against, including Earl 'The Pearl' Monroe, Darryl Dawkins, Julius Erving, Dave Cowens and many others. We learn about Bill's career in New York, the legendary coaches he played for and the interesting details behind his trade to the Chicago Bulls.We chat about The Jordan Rules and its impact on the Bulls' un

Send Adam a text message.Illinois Fighting Illini great and NBA star, Kendall Gill. He talks about growing up in the city of Chicago - where he played baseball and took up boxing - before his family moved to the suburbs and he started playing basketball. Kendall starred at Rich Central High School and played four seasons at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He was named 3rd Team All-American, his senior season.We chat about Kendall's memories of the 1990 NBA Draft, where the Charlotte Hornets selected him with the fifth overall pick - he was named All-Rookie 1st Team, in 1991. We discuss his three seasons in Charlotte and his involvement in the 1991 All-Star Weekend.Kendall talks about his trade from Charlotte to Seattle, where he played two seasons on one of the most exciting and up-tempo franchises of the 1990s. He discusses his trade back to Charlotte - where he played a further 36 games - before learning the shock news that he was traded to New Jersey. Kendall played six seasons with th

Send Adam a text message.NBA Sixth Man of the Year, Illinois great, TV analyst and author, Eddie Johnson. The timing of this episode is perfect. Eddie was recently honored, in a half-time ceremony, at Illinois, commemorating the 35th anniversary of his game-winning jumper, against Magic Johnson and the Michigan State Spartans.We learn about Eddie's early sporting career and how he first became involved with basketball. He chats fondly of his playing days at Westinghouse High School, where he first appeared on the national radar. We discuss his great college career, where he was a four-year star at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Eddie talks about his return to Illinois, just last week, as mentioned above. We also touch on his collegiate link to future NBA star, Derek Harper.We cover Eddie's memories of 1981 NBA Draft day and the motivating factors that ensured his place within NBA history. Eddie chats candidly about his professional career, where he was a scoring machine with the Kan

Send Adam a text message.Marquette star and seven-year NBA veteran, Jim McIlvaine. In part two of this special double-episode, I welcome back Marquette great and NBA veteran, Jim McIlvaine. If you missed part one, we discussed Jim’s college career in-depth, where he was a stand-out at Marquette. He talked about his selection in the 1994 NBA Draft and first three NBA seasons – including, a completely open and honest assessment of his free agent move from the Washington Bullets to the Seattle SuperSonics, in 1996.This episode features part two of our chat - we continue discussing Jim’s playing days with Seattle, his relationship with George Karl and the coaching staff, plus, more great stories from on and off the court. Jim talks about his career-ending injury whilst a member of the New Jersey Nets.We also talk about some of the radio and TV commentators he admires, and chat about his current role as a broadcaster at the university where he starred; Marquette. Towards the end of our mega-chat, Jim shares a wond

Send Adam a text message.Marquette star and NBA veteran, Jim McIlvaine. In a first for the podcast, this conversation will be released in two installments. Our chat was almost two hours, in length – I’m pretty sure that Jim’s wife had the authorities on speed dial, ready to report him missing – however, all’s well that ends well – Jim returned to normality at its conclusion and I couldn’t be happier with the finished episode.In part one, we discuss Jim’s early years playing basketball and learn a great deal about his college career, where he was a stand-out at Marquette. This includes a funny story about Marquette’s early 1990s exhibition series that touched down here in Australia, then onto New Zealand and Fiji – complete with a near international incident. Also, if you’re a fan of the great documentary, Hoop Dreams, you won’t want to miss this chat.We talk about the 1994 NBA Draft and Jim’s two seasons in Washington, playing for the Bullets. He openly-discusses his free-agent move to Seattle – a contract wi

Send Adam a text message.Adam and Aaron discuss the 1988 NBA All-Star Game - one of the greatest ever. Michael Jordan scored 40 points, en route to Most Valuable Player honors. We devote an entire episode to our favorite All-Star Game, ever.We cover a multitude of topics, including how and when we first watched this game - plus, its ongoing effect on our NBA-fandom. We talk about the CBS television coverage, pre-game player introductions and national anthem; Adam freely admits to choking up, before the game even commenced. We chat about the vast array of (future) Hall of Fame players, who competed in this game.We break down Pat O'Brien's, 'At the Half' (TV segment), featuring a great story about then-coach of the Utah Jazz - and, regular funny-man - Frank Layden. There's even brief discussion of the Legends Game, Three-Point Shootout and Slam-Dunk Competition. Controversy reigns supreme, when we answer a listener-submitted question. All this aside, we dissect the game's key momen

Send Adam a text message.Adam and Aaron discuss the 1994 NBA season - the first, following Michael Jordan's shock-retirement (October 1993). The in-depth conversation covers the entire season.We talk about great games and memorable moments, including David Robinson's all-time highest-scoring performance, that ousted Shaquille O'Neal, for the individual scoring title in The Admiral's regular-season finale. We chat about the NBA's only 60-win team - the Seattle SuperSonics - who, were ultimately stunned by the upstart Denver Nuggets in the first-round of the NBA Playoffs. We cover all the major award winners and reminisce about some of the notable retirees, including, three former-Bad Boys of the Detroit Pistons.We delve into Scottie Pippen's ascent as Chicago's franchise player, plus, the incredible second-round Playoffs match-up between arch rivals, the Chicago Bulls and New York Knicks. We also discuss other pivotal moments from the post-season – culminating with Olajuwon v

Send Adam a text message.Adam and Aaron discuss Michael Jordan's all-time highest scoring game. MJ scored 69 points in the Chicago Bulls' win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.We break down all key aspects of the game. We discuss TNT's broadcast, the commentary team of Bob Neal and Doug Collins and the Cleveland newspaper article that possibly led to Michael Jordan's explosive, all-around excellence. We dissect important moments throughout the contest and offer our opinions on relevant players from each roster. Winston Bennett fan? This podcast episode is made for you.We also touch on the 1990 NBA season as a whole, plus, talk about how each of the two teams fared in the Playoffs. As per usual, the conversation is scattered with humor and plenty of insight. A must-listen, for die-hard NBA fans, regardless of the team you support.Support: Buy Adam a coffee | Amazon: USA / Australia | Audible | PayPalListen: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | OvercastFollow: Instagram | Twitter | YouTub

Send Adam a text message.Three-time NBL Champion, four-time Australian Olympian and NBA player, Mark Bradtke. Mark talks about his entry into competitive basketball and we discuss his quick rise into Australia's basketball elite. We chat about his time at the Australian Institute of Sport and later, playing for the Adelaide 36ers, in Australia's NBL.We talk about Mark's decision to move interstate, to play for the Melbourne Tigers - joining forces with Andrew Gaze and Lanard Copeland - helping the team win its first NBL title, in 1993. Recently, the Tigers celebrated the 20th Anniversary of that victory and Mark talks about the reunion and special bond he shares with those players and personnel.We cover Mark's outstanding Olympic career, where he represented Australia on four occasions. Mark talks about his opportunities to attend NBA training camps, plus, his 1997 season on the Philadelphia 76ers roster. He is open and honest about his time in the NBA and offers wonderful insight into the

Send Adam a text message.Professional photographer (formerly, 23 years with the Boston Celtics), Steve Lipofsky. Steve has been a professional photographer in excess of 25 years. We talk about his entry into photography as a youngster, the early years spent honing his skills, plus, his wide-ranging experiences, including, working with former and current Presidents (Clinton and Obama).Steve's work has appeared in numerous publications worldwide, including Sports Illustrated and TIME - we talk about those opportunities, too. It's also interesting to learn about Steve's technical skills; he opens up about the pros and cons of pre-digital photography and the challenges of taking memorable photos.We discuss Steve's 23-year tenure as the official Boston Celtics photographer, starting (full-time) in 1982. He was also official photographer for the newly-crowned, 2013 World Series Champion, Boston Red Sox.There's also plenty of discussion about Boston's 'Big Three'; Larry Bird,

Send Adam a text message.High School All-American, University of North Carolina star and NBA veteran, Joe Wolf. We discuss EuroBasket 2013, where Joe was an assistant coach to Mike Fratello, steering Ukraine to a sensational 6th place finish; earning the team a guaranteed spot in the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Joe talks about his amazing high school basketball career, where he was (2005) named Wisconsin's greatest ever player. He discusses his career at North Carolina, playing alongside greats of game, including Michael Jordan, Sam Perkins, Brad Daugherty and Kenny Smith. We also learn Joe's whereabouts, on the day he was drafted into the NBA, in 1987. We break down his 11-year NBA career, his years coaching in the CBA and NBA D-League and five seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks; culminating last season, as the lead assistant to Scott Skiles.Thanks again, to former guest on this podcast, Bob Hill – he was pivotal is helping make this conversation come to fruition. Many thanks, Bob.Support: Buy Adam a coffee

Send Adam a text message.NBA Coach of the Year, TV Broadcaster and The Czar of the Telestrator, Mike Fratello. We discuss EuroBasket 2013, where Mike coached Ukraine to a fantastic 6th place finish; securing the team a spot in the 2014 FIBA World Cup. We then revisit Mike's high school years, where he was a star athlete. He talks about his foray into coaching and the opportunities that would lead him all the way to the NBA. We talk about his intrinsic links to Hall of Fame legend, Hubie Brown.Mike opens up on the re-building process that led the Hawks' to four-consecutive 50-win seasons. We chat about his 1986 Coach of the Year season and he tells a fascinating story about how he helped motivate Dominique Wilkins, to reach even greater heights (literally and figuratively) as a player. We talk about the 1988 NBA All-Star Game, where he coached the Eastern Conference squad to victory.Mike discusses his entry to the world of TV broadcasting, the origin of his classic nickname and relationship with the

Send Adam a text message.New York City royalty, NCAA legend and NBA All-Star, Kenny Anderson. We talk about his childhood, playing basketball and how he handled the intense media spotlight in HS and college. He chats about his key role with Team USA, between his freshman and sophomore seasons at Georgia Tech. We delve into his NBA career, including the 1991 Draft, held in his native New York. Kenny talks about European legend and former teammate, Drazen Petrovic. We discuss his battles against Michael Jordan and Kenny provides The Answer, to a fan-submitted question.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.Widely-respected Australian broadcaster, journalist and news-breaker, Bill Woods. Adam and Todd discuss the origin of the NBA (early 1990s) on Australian (commercial) TV - further, Bill's key involvement as host of weekly, hoops-related programs, during basketball's golden age of popularity. Bill talks fondly of his co-hosting memories with Steve Carfino, plus, his memorable interviews with NBA superstars, including Michael Jordan, on the set of Space Jam, in 1995. This wide-ranging conversation covers plenty of topics, including great stories about Shaquille O'Neal, the Phoenix Suns Gorilla and Australian hoop heroes, Shane Heal and Andrew Gaze.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 ex

Send Adam a text message.Adam and Reece discuss the 1995 NBA Draft - one of the strongest 1990s draft classes in terms of player longevity. We break down the top 10 picks, notable players selected and all-things in between. Plus, yet another defenseless, possible guest is likely added to the list that will never chat with Adam.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.Two-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year, All-Star and basketball great, Ricky Pierce. We discuss Ricky's early years and when he first fell in love with the game of basketball. He chats about his great collegiate career and the many future links to players from his 1982 NBA Draft class. We talk about his battles against Michael Jordan's Bulls and rise to becoming one of the most elite sixth-men ever. You'll also learn that Ricky is a published author and in 2012, completed his degree (BA in Kinesiology) at Rice University.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 Todd discuss the life of Reggie Lewis. July 27, 2013, marks the 20th anniversary of his shocking death. We talk about a life lost far too soon, plus, his lasting impact on and off the basketball court.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 recap the 1991 NBA season. Our conversation covers the whole season - we discuss best / worst team records, all major award winners and notable retirees. We also focus on the 1991 NBA All-Star Weekend; Dee Brown's 'Blind Dunk' and Craig Hodges' amazing 3-point shooting. We chat random stats, fake player nicknames (incredibly, back by unpopular demand) and of course, the 1991 Playoffs - culminating with Jordan v Magic in the 1991 NBA Finals.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]