NBA History - Michael Jordan-era & more [In all Airness]

Let's welcome iconic Boston Globe columnist and Basketball Hall of Famer, Bob Ryan. His excellent book, ‘Scribe: My Life in Sports’ (2014), will be the framework of our multi-part conversation. In this first instalment, we cover Bob’s early life in New Jersey - his parents’ influence on his love of sports, the first column he released as an 11-year old, his transition to grade school and on to Boston College where he’d first meet recently-retired NBA star, Bob Cousy - and a few years hence...

Danny Manning has a storied career in basketball. We cover lots of topics, including his formative years of watching and learning the game, his family’s move to Kansas where he starred in college and ultimately was selected first-overall pick of the 1988 NBA Draft. Danny describes his terrifying transition of moving from Kansas to Los Angeles to begin his new life as the L.A. Clippers' number-one draft pick. We discuss his tenure with the Clippers, his back-to-back All-Star selections...

Hey, it’s Adam here. A quick podcast update for you as we near the end of 2020 – a year like no other in our living history. I have a couple of great guest interviews scheduled over the next few weeks and there are plenty of topic-based episodes in the works, too. This includes – all going to plan – the resumption of our #NB88 series – hello to my co-host and great mate Aaron, if you’re listening. Thanks as always for your continued support. To the super fans out there – I won’t single...

Andrew Goldberg's mission? To collect each-and-every ticket from Michael Jordan's NBA career - regular-season, postseason and All-Star games included. You’ll be surprised at the unique, delightful ways Andrew has obtained some of the tickets in his collection. He also shares a great story about his brief encounter with Michael Jordan during the 1993 NBA Finals. Sign-up for Adam's FREE monthly newsletter - receive exclusive details on upcoming podcast episodes and future guests to appear...

Alfred 'Butch' Beard was named Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball in 1965. He paints a picture of life in 1960s Kentucky - the civil rights movement and his exposure to racism. Butch starred at the University of Louisville and is a member of their Athletics Hall of Fame. Butch was named an NBA All-Star in 1972 and played a key role in helping the Golden State Warriors secure their first NBA title in 1975. After retiring as a player, Butch was an assistant coach with the Knicks (1979-1982) and Nets...

Jeff Turner was a standout - on-and-off the court - at Vanderbilt University. Before turning pro, he had played internationally and won a gold medal at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. This is a fun, insightful chat about Jeff’s life in basketball. We do a deep dive on his NBA career. You'll also learn how Jeff became an original member of the Orlando Magic - a team he enjoys strong links to today. Sign-up for Adam's FREE monthly newsletter - receive exclusive details on upcoming...

Steve Johnson starred at Oregon State University and was selected by the Kansas City Kings with the seventh-overall pick in the 1981 NBA Draft. He was named an All-Star in 1988. This is an enlightening chat about Steve’s unique rise from high school to the NBA. He truly took a path that very few pro players ever have. Johnson is a great storyteller and the conversation features numerous laughs, plus, a fantastic story about Steve, Michael Jordan and Lake Shore Drive, Chicago. Steve entered...

Eldridge Recasner is a member of the Washington Huskies' Hall of Fame. His rise from college to the NBA is filled with plenty of twists and turns. We discuss the unique path that led to him enjoying an eight-year run at the highest level with teams such as the Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks. I had the pleasure of meeting Eldridge earlier this year in Chicago during NBA All-Star Weekend. Sign-up for Adam's FREE monthly newsletter - receive exclusive details on upcoming podcast episodes...

Jeff Sanders is the first of numerous former players - that I had the pleasure of meeting in Chicago (All-Star Weekend 2020) - to guest on the podcast. Sanders was one of the Chicago Bulls' three first-round picks in the 1989 NBA Draft. The other two? Stacey King and B.J. Armstrong. Jeff shares fond memories of his time running with Michael Jordan and the Bulls. Jeff is a member of Georgia Southern University's Hall of Fame. He is one of the school's all-time greats. This is a fun chat...

Andrew Bernstein and Nathaniel Butler - Senior NBA Photographers - detail iconic photos from their respective careers behind the lens. This is the audio of our Zoom recording from May, 2020. Watch the video of our conversation on YouTube - including each of the iconic photos that Andy and Nat discuss herein. We cover Michael Jordan’s final shot – and the moments thereafter – from the 1998 Finals, Magic Johnson’s "Junior Junior Sky Hook" at Boston Garden from the 1987 Finals, Jordan’s...

Detlef Schrempf was a large part of the first wave of European-born players to make their mark in the NBA. He is a three-time NBA All-Star, back-to-back Sixth Man of the Year and two-time Olympian. We discuss his formative years in Germany and the foreign-exchange program that would change his life forever. We cover his standout tenure at the University of Washington, the ups-and-downs of his early-pro career with the Dallas Mavericks and the 1989 trade to the Indiana Pacers that ultimately...

Legendary sportswriter, Jack McCallum, discusses a wide range of hoops-related topics. We begin with his eight-part podcast series, The Dream Team Tapes. We cover its origin story and Jack's original audio recordings with superstars such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Jack shares great insights from his books - Golden Days (the remarkable through line between Jerry West and the history of the NBA), Seven Seconds or Less (his season on the bench with the 2006 Phoenix Suns)...

My guest is long-time Birmingham Barons Radio Broadcaster, Curt Bloom. This is a special episode as it’s the first devoted purely to Michael Jordan’s baseball career. This conversation was recorded after episode eight of the The Last Dance had aired. Curt talks about first hearing the news that MJ could be headed to Alabama, how Jordan adjusted to life as a Minor League player, his interactions – and later, a special one-on-one interview - with Michael and more. Plus, Curt gave me the...

My special guest is three-time NBA Champion of the Chicago Bulls, Bill Wennington. Bill was the first guest to appear on my podcast way back in 2012. A big thanks to another great friend of the show, Steve Kashul, for helping me reconnect with Bill. This conversation was recorded after episode four of the The Last Dance aired. We discuss numerous topics including the Bulls’ preseason trip to France in 1997, Bill’s relationship with (GM) Jerry Krause, some Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman...

Regular co-host, Aaron, joins me to recap episode three of The Last Dance docuseries. Continue to keep an eye on my podcast feed - more bonus shows are on the way! Sign-up for Adam's FREE monthly newsletter - receive exclusive details on upcoming podcast episodes and future guests to appear on the show. I appreciate all feedback and welcome ratings and reviews of my show via your podcast app of choice. Follow: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google...

Marc Grossman - the Bulls' Head Statistician since 1977 - discusses the creative ways that Chicago's stats team maximized Michael Jordan’s playing time in 1986, when MJ had a (so-called) ‘seven-minute per half’ restriction as he recovered from a broken foot. Steve Kashul - Anchor and Host of Bulls Basketball on SportsChannel and Fox Sports Net Chicago (1991-97) / Bulls Radio Host (1997-2019) - chats about his appearance in episode two of The Last Dance. More generally, Marc and Steve each...

We're back. Aaron joins me to recap episode two of The Last Dance docuseries. Check out my podcast feed - I've now released the first in a series of The Last Dance bonus shows, with two great guests who can personally relate to series: Marc Grossman - Head Statistician of the Bulls since 1977 (still working for the franchise today). Steve Kashul – for most of the 1990s, Anchor and Host of Chicago Bulls Basketball on SportsChannel and Fox Sports Net Chicago. He then transitioned to the...

It's here. Aaron joins me to recap episode one of ESPN's 10-part documentary series, The Last Dance. Its focus is Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls’ 1998 season. After the recap, I'm joined by 1998 NBA Champion, Scott Burrell. In episode one, Scott features in a memorable exchange with teammates Ron Harper and Michael Jordan at the 1997 McDonald’s Open in France. We cover that, Scott’s memories of his championship season with the Bulls and more. Sign-up for Adam's FREE monthly...

Let's welcome Nate Bellamy Jr. and Nigel Miguel back to the show. They joined me on episode 75 to discuss Space Jam’s 20th anniversary. Prior to that, Nigel was my guest for episode 68. I encourage you to check out those great episodes, too. Today, we’re chatting about ESPN's highly anticipated, 10-part documentary series, The Last Dance. Its focus is Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls’ 1998 season. For the context of this podcast chat, Nigel’s relationship with MJ goes way back to 1981...

Pueblo High School legend, Arizona State University Hall of Famer and two-time NBA All-Star, Lafayette 'Fat' Lever. Fat discusses his storied career and offers plenty of great insight into his fantastic on-court exploits. Near the end of the conversation, I mention Chicago, as it pertains to 2020 NBA All-Star Weekend (Feb 15-16). There’s a strong possibility that I’ll have an opportunity to meet with Fat - and other retired players - as my wife (Lisa) and I will be holidaying in the USA at...