1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:07,320 Speaker 1: Man, Man, right there is flying, ain't he. 2 00:00:07,600 --> 00:00:07,840 Speaker 2: Docu? 3 00:00:07,840 --> 00:00:09,280 Speaker 3: You remember kind of watched it as you got on 4 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:11,640 Speaker 3: on the pic right there. Yeah, that's a rolex. That's 5 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:12,240 Speaker 3: a roly. 6 00:00:12,160 --> 00:00:16,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, that should be a rolex. He's playing them before cool. 7 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:18,400 Speaker 2: That was in my third year. 8 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:19,160 Speaker 4: What was the shade? 9 00:00:19,160 --> 00:00:19,920 Speaker 5: You remember the shades? 10 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 2: Cardier? 11 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:21,960 Speaker 5: Cardier? 12 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:28,080 Speaker 2: I got a shaves upstairs. I still got him, that's 13 00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:28,520 Speaker 2: all right? 14 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:33,680 Speaker 6: Yeah, h. 15 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:38,920 Speaker 2: Mm hmmm. 16 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:49,280 Speaker 7: Mm hmm. 17 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 1: Welcome back all the smoke LA All Star twenty twenty six. 18 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 2: Bro. 19 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 5: I really like your outfit today. 20 00:00:55,160 --> 00:00:55,279 Speaker 2: Bro. 21 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:57,200 Speaker 5: Thanks, I'm a fan of that. I like it. I 22 00:00:57,240 --> 00:00:57,840 Speaker 5: appreciate you. 23 00:00:57,920 --> 00:00:59,959 Speaker 1: We got some sponsors in the building today that made 24 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:02,880 Speaker 1: this happened. This episode is presented by money Line. We 25 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:04,720 Speaker 1: haven't heard that, man, They're back. 26 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:06,480 Speaker 5: Huh. Welcome back money Line. 27 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:09,560 Speaker 1: Download the app and moneyline dot com to learn more 28 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:14,119 Speaker 1: money Line, Make money Easy, and obviously shout out our 29 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:17,600 Speaker 1: favorite one of our favorite sponsors, Draft Kings, in the 30 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:18,800 Speaker 1: building made it out here. 31 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:21,040 Speaker 5: Good to see everybody. Jack. 32 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:22,760 Speaker 1: We were working on this one for a minute, or 33 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:25,679 Speaker 1: at least I have. I've been on him constantly. Every 34 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 1: time I see him, we'll talk and then come on 35 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 1: doc one day. You gotta just come sit down with us, 36 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 1: and he's finally here. Man, four time MVP, two time 37 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:36,840 Speaker 1: ABA Champ, one time NBA Champ. You know, we grew 38 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:40,680 Speaker 1: up idolizing MJ. MJ grew up idolizing this man. Welcome 39 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:41,640 Speaker 1: to the show, doctor J. 40 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:48,400 Speaker 2: Thank you, thank you. Happy to be here, man, good 41 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:50,600 Speaker 2: to be here, Good to see you. 42 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:54,280 Speaker 5: I appreciate that. Thank you very much. 43 00:01:57,080 --> 00:02:00,320 Speaker 1: New documentary out right now, Soul Power, The Let of 44 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:02,840 Speaker 1: the A B A is out now on Prime. Actually 45 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 1: primes in the building to shout out Prime, We're gonna 46 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:07,600 Speaker 1: talk A B A N B A. 47 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:11,120 Speaker 5: And just life. I like that, Let's get to it. 48 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:11,680 Speaker 2: I like that. 49 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 1: Ralph Sampson was passionate about how you should be the logo. 50 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:17,960 Speaker 1: Take a look at this clip and you. 51 00:02:17,919 --> 00:02:20,520 Speaker 6: Guys probably agree that the most psychonic. They always say 52 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 6: who's the goat? I don't think to go to somebody 53 00:02:23,639 --> 00:02:26,800 Speaker 6: that is somebody that plays it. But they transition the 54 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 6: game that everybody wanted to be like who is that 55 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:33,040 Speaker 6: Doctor Jay? 56 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:36,079 Speaker 2: I want to be like doctor Jay. Mike wanted to 57 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:36,799 Speaker 2: be like doctor J. 58 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:40,920 Speaker 6: Everybody wanted to be like jeous And you can go 59 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:43,639 Speaker 6: back to any film you want to and see who 60 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 6: dunking on somebody in traffic to Jewis. So the league 61 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:50,520 Speaker 6: should change the logo the. 62 00:02:50,520 --> 00:02:54,080 Speaker 3: Julius I would I would love that he got he 63 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:56,440 Speaker 3: got a sick logo, he got a crazy sick logo. 64 00:02:57,160 --> 00:03:01,160 Speaker 6: But everybody, I mean, the league was bad. Julius played 65 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 6: with the Virginia Squires. I used to go watch you 66 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:05,960 Speaker 6: can see it on TV and watch in Virginia. 67 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 2: But he was the bad boy. 68 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:10,360 Speaker 1: In a day and age where unfortunately, homage is not 69 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:12,600 Speaker 1: paid enough. I feel like, I feel like there's not 70 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:16,080 Speaker 1: a ton of respect for what came before these days. 71 00:03:16,080 --> 00:03:19,680 Speaker 1: But when you hear something like that from up here, what. 72 00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:20,440 Speaker 5: Does that mean to you? 73 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:24,920 Speaker 2: Well, I think it's a great compliment. I think it's 74 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 2: kind of unfortunate that every time you try to get 75 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:32,240 Speaker 2: somebody to rise to another level to be recognized, somebody 76 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 2: gotta go. So you know, this would involve Jerry West 77 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:39,480 Speaker 2: not being there anymore. That's probably the only complicated thing 78 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 2: about that. Otherwise, you know, you have two guys up 79 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 2: then you can have two logos or what have you. 80 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:48,080 Speaker 2: I mean, I would be for it, because you know, 81 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:52,640 Speaker 2: I'm well into my seventies and you know, We're losing 82 00:03:52,680 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 2: guys every year in mass and you know, the respect 83 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:02,840 Speaker 2: aspect of it though, Yeah, has recognized me, and you know, 84 00:04:02,920 --> 00:04:10,320 Speaker 2: I'm the Slam Dunk Champions logo or person a record, 85 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 2: and there's probably some other smaller things along the way. 86 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:18,159 Speaker 2: So this logo thing, I think it was generous of Ralph, 87 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:23,719 Speaker 2: very thoughtful. Probably not gonna happen because of what I 88 00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 2: said the first time. You know, if somebody comes like, 89 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:28,960 Speaker 2: somebody gotta go. And you know Bill Russell, who was 90 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:31,920 Speaker 2: one of my heroes and role models, you know he 91 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:34,680 Speaker 2: said I he said, I keep it a circle of 92 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:39,119 Speaker 2: about fifty and if I add somebody, somebody got to go. Yeah. 93 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 2: You know, so he stated that way back when, and 94 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:44,360 Speaker 2: it really applies to now. 95 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:48,560 Speaker 1: You were once considered the face of the league, and 96 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:51,680 Speaker 1: I feel like this league is in a transition of 97 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:54,240 Speaker 1: the Lebron's and KT's and stuff kind of moving on 98 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 1: and the younger generation coming through. Do you think that 99 00:04:57,120 --> 00:05:00,000 Speaker 1: is important to have a face or are you comfortable 100 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:02,039 Speaker 1: with a handful of guys kind of leading the charge. 101 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:06,120 Speaker 2: I think when when I was the face, as you say, 102 00:05:06,800 --> 00:05:10,240 Speaker 2: I wasn't really thinking about that or or playing to that. 103 00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 2: You know, I was just the best. I was doing 104 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:17,480 Speaker 2: the best of being myself, you know, being the person 105 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:20,919 Speaker 2: that my mom raised and that my and I was 106 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:25,599 Speaker 2: representing my community, representing my family. So the league and 107 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:28,120 Speaker 2: being the face of the league was very secondary. You know, 108 00:05:28,160 --> 00:05:30,400 Speaker 2: I didn't. I didn't. I didn't think about that. You know, 109 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:36,039 Speaker 2: I wasn't trying to act. So when you fast forward 110 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:38,919 Speaker 2: and you come to now, you know, I think a 111 00:05:38,960 --> 00:05:41,480 Speaker 2: group of players is the is the way to go. 112 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:44,960 Speaker 2: The fact that we have, you know, the majority of 113 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:48,679 Speaker 2: our best twenty five players coming from places around the world. 114 00:05:49,680 --> 00:05:52,680 Speaker 2: You know, I don't think you should identify one and say, well, 115 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:54,880 Speaker 2: this guy is the face of the league. He's carrying it, 116 00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:57,800 Speaker 2: because there is no one guy carrying it. 117 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 1: RH agree. I'm gonna read a quote from Rick Berry. 118 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 1: People say to me, I couldn't play with these guys today, 119 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 1: I said, and I say, you must be on drugs. 120 00:06:07,279 --> 00:06:08,960 Speaker 5: You understand how much better I would be. 121 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 1: If I were playing today, no strength training coach, no trainers, 122 00:06:13,360 --> 00:06:16,360 Speaker 1: no dietitians. Obviously there's always comparison some areas, and we're 123 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:20,320 Speaker 1: not going to compare players, but obviously playing styles are 124 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:21,200 Speaker 1: much different. 125 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:23,599 Speaker 5: How do you think your game would have held up today. 126 00:06:25,839 --> 00:06:31,039 Speaker 2: I agree with Rick, you know, I mean, you can't 127 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:33,800 Speaker 2: play unless you're confident in yourself. And it's not to 128 00:06:33,839 --> 00:06:38,280 Speaker 2: put down others, but you know, self belief is paramount, 129 00:06:38,560 --> 00:06:42,800 Speaker 2: you know, for you to just have a chance. So 130 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:45,720 Speaker 2: if I was out there today, and you know, my 131 00:06:45,760 --> 00:06:49,240 Speaker 2: nephew always reminds me when certain things happen in certain games, 132 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:54,400 Speaker 2: particularly when the ABA is not recognized, you know, and 133 00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:56,800 Speaker 2: they's not saying this guy the youngest to do this 134 00:06:57,080 --> 00:06:59,720 Speaker 2: and the first to do this or whatever. And I said, well, 135 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:01,760 Speaker 2: you know, if you go back to some of those 136 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:05,120 Speaker 2: ABA stats, I mean that that last Finals, I mean, 137 00:07:05,839 --> 00:07:08,760 Speaker 2: you know, I was amped up, and you know I 138 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:11,640 Speaker 2: started the game with forty well, started the series with 139 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:15,080 Speaker 2: forty five, came back the second game had forty eight, 140 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:17,679 Speaker 2: you know, and then we kind of won going away 141 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:20,080 Speaker 2: with the dem Nuggets and you know, they were the 142 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:21,880 Speaker 2: best team in the league. They had beaten US, you know, 143 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:26,800 Speaker 2: multiple times. So do you go by statistics or you 144 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:30,280 Speaker 2: just go by you know, how you feel afterwards. And 145 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:34,360 Speaker 2: the statistics are legitimate because you know a lot of 146 00:07:34,400 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 2: people in their job or non job depends on on 147 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:43,600 Speaker 2: their stats. So the stats that were posted those years, 148 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:47,760 Speaker 2: those those first five years or whatever. All of them 149 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:51,360 Speaker 2: got duplicated the next eleven years in the NBA. But 150 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:54,760 Speaker 2: you know, some of them are gone forever unless they 151 00:07:54,800 --> 00:07:57,760 Speaker 2: get resurrected. And you know, hopefully Soelth Soul Power would 152 00:07:57,800 --> 00:07:58,360 Speaker 2: do some of that. 153 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:01,040 Speaker 5: Yeah, I have a question. If you play today, would 154 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:02,600 Speaker 5: you rock the fro or braids? 155 00:08:03,520 --> 00:08:11,760 Speaker 2: It's got that's a good good because I don't know 156 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:15,160 Speaker 2: what braids feel like. You can tell you pulling on 157 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:18,680 Speaker 2: your scout braids? Matter of peer pressure or is that 158 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 2: just personal preference? 159 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:20,760 Speaker 5: I think personal pressure. 160 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:24,000 Speaker 3: Some some people want to be like others, but something 161 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:26,640 Speaker 3: some people's personal preference. Yeah, some people. A lot of 162 00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:28,400 Speaker 3: people are following it because a lot of people doing it. 163 00:08:28,440 --> 00:08:29,360 Speaker 3: But some people just do it. 164 00:08:29,640 --> 00:08:32,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, well what about your crew? They say, Man, you 165 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:34,640 Speaker 2: know you gotta throw we all got braids, you gotta 166 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:35,200 Speaker 2: come around. 167 00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:37,199 Speaker 3: Well, that's that's how a lot of my friends are. 168 00:08:37,240 --> 00:08:40,559 Speaker 3: We all got braid, we get braids. 169 00:08:42,240 --> 00:08:42,880 Speaker 5: Yeah, I gotta. 170 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:44,800 Speaker 1: I got a quick question though, because we're gonna get 171 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:46,240 Speaker 1: a little later. But I want to know, like off 172 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 1: seasons now or so, and I have kids and it's 173 00:08:49,520 --> 00:08:51,560 Speaker 1: a year round thing. Now for kids, which I which 174 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:54,840 Speaker 1: I definitely don't like, but obviously professional too. It's so 175 00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:58,800 Speaker 1: regimented with strength training, your dyet. This is even in 176 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:01,640 Speaker 1: the off season. What were your off seasons like? 177 00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:07,240 Speaker 2: Unless I was injured, I was not in the weight room. 178 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:11,000 Speaker 2: I went in the weight room even during the season. 179 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:14,360 Speaker 2: It was just for rehab, you know. So I never 180 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:17,120 Speaker 2: wanted to try to get muscle bound. And you know, 181 00:09:17,280 --> 00:09:20,040 Speaker 2: my a lot of my game was finesse and quickness 182 00:09:20,760 --> 00:09:25,440 Speaker 2: and flexibility. So I always tried to stay flexible. And 183 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:29,920 Speaker 2: you know, if I did weight, it was lightweight, fast reps. 184 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:34,760 Speaker 2: So so that's different than you know, what you see 185 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:36,720 Speaker 2: a lot of people do and what you see and 186 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:39,760 Speaker 2: what you know some trainers try to have their players do. 187 00:09:40,559 --> 00:09:48,400 Speaker 2: But yeah, would it be different today, You know, maybe 188 00:09:48,440 --> 00:09:52,400 Speaker 2: you'd have to keep with whatever the pattern is. You know, 189 00:09:52,440 --> 00:09:55,240 Speaker 2: I mean look at Lebron's longevity, and you know a 190 00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:57,680 Speaker 2: lot of that is like Rick Barry said, you know, 191 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:00,440 Speaker 2: these these all these things that are available. You know, 192 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:02,680 Speaker 2: I saw it one time, you spending five million dollars 193 00:10:02,720 --> 00:10:05,480 Speaker 2: just on this health and wellness in the off season 194 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:08,439 Speaker 2: or whatever. We ain't have five million to spend and 195 00:10:08,600 --> 00:10:09,319 Speaker 2: just imagine. 196 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:11,200 Speaker 3: You can get shots in your knees every summer and 197 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:13,160 Speaker 3: bring your knees to feeling brand new before the season. 198 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:16,320 Speaker 1: Yes, they doing that. Now, were you guys playing pick up? 199 00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:18,520 Speaker 1: Would you just relax for a few months and put 200 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:21,240 Speaker 1: the ball down? Where'd you run the beats Hills? 201 00:10:21,280 --> 00:10:23,280 Speaker 2: Like? What kind of hell I did? I did? I 202 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:28,800 Speaker 2: did five years of prom pro Summer league, So I did. 203 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:32,320 Speaker 2: I did the Ruggle League from age twenty one to 204 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:36,880 Speaker 2: twenty five, and then twenty six. You know, I have 205 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:39,640 Speaker 2: those knee braces on, and I was feeling it with 206 00:10:39,679 --> 00:10:42,640 Speaker 2: the ten nighters, and I said, I can't go out 207 00:10:42,679 --> 00:10:44,839 Speaker 2: in the concrete anymore. Much as I love to be 208 00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:48,200 Speaker 2: out there, I love to be, you know, playing for free. 209 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:53,319 Speaker 2: And you know, mistakes really didn't get registered anywhere. People 210 00:10:53,360 --> 00:10:55,679 Speaker 2: sitting at the court side their feet on the court, 211 00:10:55,800 --> 00:10:57,760 Speaker 2: you know, and they just they're just looking and it 212 00:10:57,960 --> 00:11:00,960 Speaker 2: just gave you energy that you know, I mean, you 213 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:02,760 Speaker 2: don't know where it came from the guy. It had 214 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:06,360 Speaker 2: to come from them, uh. And it was uniquely different 215 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:10,240 Speaker 2: than you know, playing a structured game like we did 216 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:13,280 Speaker 2: in college or even with our pro teams or whatever. 217 00:11:13,440 --> 00:11:17,839 Speaker 2: That freelance piece and I think, you know, you probably 218 00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:23,280 Speaker 2: only played freelance so long because you know, coach got 219 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:26,960 Speaker 2: to have his say so so fortunately, uh, you know, 220 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:29,360 Speaker 2: I had pretty good coaches who you know, gave me 221 00:11:30,120 --> 00:11:32,360 Speaker 2: a little bit of room to operate, as they say, 222 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:34,720 Speaker 2: especially in my first five years. 223 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:36,960 Speaker 4: Shout out to old Regimel. I saw him last night. 224 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:38,360 Speaker 4: He ran up on me too. 225 00:11:38,679 --> 00:11:41,080 Speaker 3: He thought we were starting on him for the Kaitlyn 226 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:44,160 Speaker 3: take on our show that day. I told him, I say, Reggie, though, 227 00:11:44,679 --> 00:11:47,439 Speaker 3: you gotta admit everybody in the world thought she was 228 00:11:47,480 --> 00:11:49,400 Speaker 3: going to say a better player than Peyton Pritchett. I'm 229 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:52,679 Speaker 3: just sorry, bro, you know, I just I wouldn't know. 230 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:55,199 Speaker 1: I hadn't even seen it was funny to me until 231 00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:57,240 Speaker 1: we shot the segment. I hadn't I didn't know Kaitlyn 232 00:11:57,240 --> 00:11:59,000 Speaker 1: Clark was right next to him and the next way 233 00:11:59,080 --> 00:12:00,839 Speaker 1: she went to a booble face when he said it, 234 00:12:00,960 --> 00:12:02,600 Speaker 1: like yes, yes, yes. 235 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:04,920 Speaker 3: Shout out to og for coming up with this game 236 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:07,960 Speaker 3: factor fiction. We're gonna do factor fiction with the ABA 237 00:12:08,080 --> 00:12:12,600 Speaker 3: versus the NBA. All right, Og Factor Fiction, you, along 238 00:12:12,679 --> 00:12:15,439 Speaker 3: with the rest of the A B A Birth, the 239 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:18,480 Speaker 3: Tunnel Fit Walk, you know, all the players stopping the 240 00:12:18,480 --> 00:12:19,360 Speaker 3: tunnels with their fist. 241 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:21,719 Speaker 4: Now get pictures. Didn't y'all start that back in the day? 242 00:12:22,120 --> 00:12:28,960 Speaker 2: Clearly, man, clearly, clearly. I don't know how those people 243 00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:31,800 Speaker 2: got back there, yeah, but they were always back there 244 00:12:32,040 --> 00:12:35,599 Speaker 2: in pregame, post game or whatever. I mean, you know, 245 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:39,240 Speaker 2: after we showered and got cleaned up, when we came out, 246 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:42,160 Speaker 2: and tunnel had all kinds of people, you know, I mean, 247 00:12:42,400 --> 00:12:45,199 Speaker 2: loved ones were there, but then there was there was 248 00:12:45,280 --> 00:12:48,000 Speaker 2: other people. They followed us all the way to the car. Yeah, 249 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:49,960 Speaker 2: you know, some people wanted to get in the car 250 00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:54,440 Speaker 2: with you were going tonight. We ain't going nowhere. 251 00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:58,120 Speaker 4: Everybody like that though, everybody what's stepping out first? 252 00:12:58,240 --> 00:12:58,400 Speaker 1: Like that? 253 00:12:58,520 --> 00:12:58,679 Speaker 4: Though? 254 00:12:59,400 --> 00:13:04,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, that wasn't even in the tunnel. That's natural outside 255 00:13:04,520 --> 00:13:06,720 Speaker 2: the building. I was trying to find my way. 256 00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:11,040 Speaker 3: In fact of fiction, the NBA was a dying, boring 257 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:13,320 Speaker 3: spot sport before the ABA merger. 258 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:15,920 Speaker 2: I don't know if it was dying, but it was boring, 259 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 2: uh to some aspect. I watched Old Gingela a lot, 260 00:13:21,080 --> 00:13:24,319 Speaker 2: you know, and he he was still and what I 261 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:27,400 Speaker 2: saw in Alginbela, I was like, oh man, I need 262 00:13:27,480 --> 00:13:30,640 Speaker 2: to play like that. I mean, I just hoped, and 263 00:13:30,760 --> 00:13:33,840 Speaker 2: I was probably twelve years old, and I was saying, 264 00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:36,960 Speaker 2: look at this guy man left right going through the battle, 265 00:13:37,080 --> 00:13:40,719 Speaker 2: changing hands and grabbing rebounds and taking it down and 266 00:13:41,040 --> 00:13:43,680 Speaker 2: setting people up and whatever. And he had that little 267 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:47,240 Speaker 2: little thing that he did whatever, because I thought it 268 00:13:47,320 --> 00:13:51,600 Speaker 2: was the nerve whatever. But I said, he faking people. 269 00:13:51,720 --> 00:13:55,720 Speaker 2: What's going on now? He can't help that. Don't don't. 270 00:13:55,840 --> 00:14:01,480 Speaker 2: Don't talk about that. Yeah, but uh yeah, so brown 271 00:14:01,559 --> 00:14:05,120 Speaker 2: Ball League called it the brown Ball League. It was, 272 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:09,079 Speaker 2: it was. It was the best in the world reportedly, 273 00:14:10,160 --> 00:14:12,800 Speaker 2: and uh so I didn't have any any hang ups 274 00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:15,559 Speaker 2: about talking to the A B A and you know, 275 00:14:15,760 --> 00:14:19,200 Speaker 2: learning about the A B A because uh it clearly 276 00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:22,760 Speaker 2: was definitely a more exciting adventure NBA. 277 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:27,479 Speaker 4: Yeah. Fact to fiction, the ABA was the first integrated 278 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:30,120 Speaker 4: workplace in the country percentage wise. 279 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:33,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, there were there were other places that were integrated, 280 00:14:34,240 --> 00:14:36,680 Speaker 2: but the ABA was more than fifty percent. 281 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:40,680 Speaker 4: Fact to fiction. Red Auerbuck hated the ABA. 282 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:45,680 Speaker 2: That's a fact. That's a fact. And you know it 283 00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:48,480 Speaker 2: was so funny man, when I when I when I 284 00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:53,000 Speaker 2: first met him, since I went to UMAs and I 285 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:55,000 Speaker 2: was right down the road, I was ninety miles down 286 00:14:55,080 --> 00:14:56,960 Speaker 2: the road. Well, well, I went to college and you 287 00:14:57,040 --> 00:14:59,880 Speaker 2: know I had two good varsity seasons and a fresh 288 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:03,680 Speaker 2: season that was that was pretty good. And all he 289 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:06,720 Speaker 2: said to me was, you should have been a Celtic. 290 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:09,600 Speaker 2: The whole time he said you could have been a Sealthic. 291 00:15:09,680 --> 00:15:12,560 Speaker 2: He said, you got a great game or anything, blah 292 00:15:12,560 --> 00:15:15,720 Speaker 2: blah blah, with nothing complimentary or whatever, just that you 293 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:18,960 Speaker 2: should have been a Celtic because because they had regional 294 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:25,560 Speaker 2: draft privileges in six Yeah. Yeah, yeah, you had first refusal, 295 00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:30,800 Speaker 2: almost first take on the ones in your area, college 296 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:32,680 Speaker 2: in your area. That's the way it used to be. 297 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:35,320 Speaker 2: That was a fact. That's crazy. That was a fact. 298 00:15:35,640 --> 00:15:40,080 Speaker 5: Yeah, interesting factor. Fiction. Darnelle Hillman taught you how to 299 00:15:40,160 --> 00:15:40,960 Speaker 5: style your afro. 300 00:15:42,320 --> 00:15:48,720 Speaker 2: Fact what Tipsy give you? Fact. Donald had the baddest 301 00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:55,440 Speaker 2: afro ever, even even Hollywood didn't have an afro as 302 00:15:55,440 --> 00:15:59,000 Speaker 2: good as his. And he could jump and he could fly. 303 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:04,360 Speaker 2: Know so, I mean he wasn't my Elginbala yeah or whatever. 304 00:16:04,520 --> 00:16:06,360 Speaker 2: But we hung out a lot, and you know, we 305 00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:09,200 Speaker 2: had a lot of meals together and he he actually, 306 00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:12,120 Speaker 2: you know, took me through the whole thing with the 307 00:16:12,600 --> 00:16:17,360 Speaker 2: with the cake uh the cake knife, not the cake knife. 308 00:16:17,400 --> 00:16:19,720 Speaker 2: It was the one thing with proms on it and 309 00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:22,160 Speaker 2: you slice cake with it. You know what that is 310 00:16:22,760 --> 00:16:23,440 Speaker 2: what they call it. 311 00:16:24,440 --> 00:16:25,320 Speaker 5: I don't know the name of it. 312 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:29,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, So everybody had the afro picks, but he had 313 00:16:29,680 --> 00:16:32,400 Speaker 2: the cake thing, cake thing. Man, he could take it 314 00:16:32,480 --> 00:16:32,920 Speaker 2: out like that. 315 00:16:33,680 --> 00:16:34,120 Speaker 5: You got. 316 00:16:35,560 --> 00:16:38,040 Speaker 2: Out of the comb out of that cake thing was 317 00:16:38,080 --> 00:16:41,360 Speaker 2: a black but not the black comb. No, this was 318 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:44,080 Speaker 2: this was silver. I feel like they made the calm afterwards. 319 00:16:44,560 --> 00:16:46,800 Speaker 2: Probably the cake. 320 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:48,640 Speaker 5: The cake dag, we'll find it. 321 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:52,120 Speaker 2: No women, the women don't know either, and it's not 322 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:54,840 Speaker 2: happen any the cake. 323 00:16:54,920 --> 00:16:55,640 Speaker 4: Oh that's hard. 324 00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:01,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, but it was a fact, man, Yeah, fact of fiction. 325 00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:04,960 Speaker 3: The NBA didn't let players grow afros in the seventies, 326 00:17:05,680 --> 00:17:06,960 Speaker 3: early early seventies. 327 00:17:07,080 --> 00:17:11,440 Speaker 2: In the seventies. You know, when I got to the NBA, 328 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:15,640 Speaker 2: I had my fro for maybe a season or two, 329 00:17:15,960 --> 00:17:20,479 Speaker 2: and then I personally start cutting my hair. So now 330 00:17:20,520 --> 00:17:23,320 Speaker 2: I start wearing suits. I don't. It wasn't it wasn't enforced, 331 00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:24,680 Speaker 2: you know, there was rew enforcement. 332 00:17:25,240 --> 00:17:28,359 Speaker 4: Fact to fiction. There was a fight almost every night 333 00:17:28,440 --> 00:17:28,919 Speaker 4: in the ABA. 334 00:17:31,560 --> 00:17:33,280 Speaker 2: Well it was either a fight or there was a 335 00:17:33,359 --> 00:17:39,400 Speaker 2: story about it. But I would have to say violence 336 00:17:39,600 --> 00:17:42,440 Speaker 2: was there, and you know, the assumption was the same 337 00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:47,280 Speaker 2: thing was going on in the NBA. Why there was 338 00:17:48,080 --> 00:17:51,840 Speaker 2: such violence, it was because you know, they let it go, 339 00:17:52,880 --> 00:17:58,200 Speaker 2: you know, and they weren't stopping play and holding it 340 00:17:58,359 --> 00:18:03,199 Speaker 2: up and reviewing it and and issuing penalties. And uh, 341 00:18:03,359 --> 00:18:06,920 Speaker 2: the very players, very few players got fined. Uh the 342 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:09,199 Speaker 2: way you get fined in the NBA if you got 343 00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:12,560 Speaker 2: into a fight. And then there was some guys, man, 344 00:18:13,520 --> 00:18:16,960 Speaker 2: they were just looking for trouble. I was just looking 345 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:21,080 Speaker 2: for trouble, man. These were jobs and somebody saying I'm 346 00:18:21,119 --> 00:18:25,600 Speaker 2: gonna get there by hook or crook. And really, you 347 00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:29,600 Speaker 2: think during the season there were fights during the training camps. 348 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:36,280 Speaker 2: That's when my first year, uh with the Virginia Squires, 349 00:18:36,840 --> 00:18:39,479 Speaker 2: I was in a scrimmage and uh, I just come 350 00:18:39,600 --> 00:18:42,200 Speaker 2: off the summer playing in the rugby league, right, So 351 00:18:42,320 --> 00:18:46,080 Speaker 2: I was, you know, feeling my oats whatever, talking on 352 00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:50,000 Speaker 2: a lot of people. And Uh, I couldn't dunk in college, 353 00:18:50,240 --> 00:18:53,560 Speaker 2: so chains came off. I was dunking in the rugby league. 354 00:18:54,119 --> 00:18:56,560 Speaker 2: I got to Virginia, we got the training camp. We 355 00:18:56,680 --> 00:19:02,560 Speaker 2: were in Richmond, I believe, and uh, the first five 356 00:19:02,640 --> 00:19:08,200 Speaker 2: minutes the trainer he told the coach to take me 357 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:13,159 Speaker 2: out the game, and when I got off to the sideline, 358 00:19:14,440 --> 00:19:20,719 Speaker 2: they said, I'm taking you out because these guys are 359 00:19:20,760 --> 00:19:24,360 Speaker 2: trying to hurt you. You know. So he was protecting 360 00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:28,200 Speaker 2: the property and the training camp if he had free 361 00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:30,760 Speaker 2: agents there. We had some guys came in off the street, 362 00:19:30,920 --> 00:19:33,399 Speaker 2: you know, we had the guys who were drafted. Willie 363 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:39,119 Speaker 2: Soljiern and I were drafted, so we uh so. So 364 00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:41,639 Speaker 2: they were really trying to protect so they knew what 365 00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:45,639 Speaker 2: was going on, and that was a real experience. It 366 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:46,639 Speaker 2: was like hockey back then. 367 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:48,200 Speaker 3: We're gonna keep one girl dude on the teams, just 368 00:19:48,280 --> 00:19:50,200 Speaker 3: sent him out there and just clean up. Yeah, it 369 00:19:50,320 --> 00:19:55,080 Speaker 3: just hurt somebody, the enforce her, right, yep. What do 370 00:19:55,200 --> 00:19:57,960 Speaker 3: you hope that people take away from this new documentary 371 00:19:58,200 --> 00:19:58,879 Speaker 3: about the ABA. 372 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:05,080 Speaker 2: I think I think there should be maybe a benefit. 373 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:09,920 Speaker 2: First and foremost in my mind is, you know, the 374 00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:13,840 Speaker 2: guys who didn't make the cut, so to speak, because 375 00:20:13,840 --> 00:20:19,440 Speaker 2: they had they had a draft, a dispersement draft of 376 00:20:19,640 --> 00:20:22,480 Speaker 2: the players who were not on the teams that went in. 377 00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:25,400 Speaker 2: So four teams went in, three teams didn't. So there's 378 00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:33,400 Speaker 2: thirty six players who were on rosters and suddenly overnight 379 00:20:34,480 --> 00:20:40,480 Speaker 2: they're unemployed. Half of those guys got picked up in 380 00:20:40,560 --> 00:20:44,120 Speaker 2: the dispersal draft and the other health they were left 381 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:46,920 Speaker 2: defense for themselves. And there were issues that were not 382 00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:53,560 Speaker 2: resolved with the agreement in terms of pension and other 383 00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:56,400 Speaker 2: medical benefits and so on and so for long term 384 00:20:56,480 --> 00:21:01,639 Speaker 2: and short term. So it was really fair. Plus the 385 00:21:01,800 --> 00:21:04,920 Speaker 2: ABA franchises had to pay to get in, you know, 386 00:21:05,359 --> 00:21:09,080 Speaker 2: and it was already a league that was struggling financially 387 00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:11,760 Speaker 2: because you know, with some of the teams, you know, 388 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:14,520 Speaker 2: players were complaining about checks bouncing and so on and 389 00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:20,280 Speaker 2: so forth. So it wasn't the best deal. But I 390 00:21:20,359 --> 00:21:22,920 Speaker 2: think it was pressured by the Nets and the Nuggets 391 00:21:23,359 --> 00:21:27,120 Speaker 2: because they applied for membership into the NBA and they said, 392 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:30,040 Speaker 2: screw everybody else, We're gonna We're gonna go in. We 393 00:21:30,160 --> 00:21:34,440 Speaker 2: gotta we gotta survive. And as it turned out, ownership 394 00:21:35,080 --> 00:21:39,240 Speaker 2: changed hands with those franchises too. And I think the 395 00:21:39,320 --> 00:21:42,600 Speaker 2: Nets have kind of been plagued throughout the history of 396 00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:45,240 Speaker 2: the merger because they haven't had a team. They've had 397 00:21:45,280 --> 00:21:48,440 Speaker 2: teams go to finals, but not uh not not get 398 00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:52,760 Speaker 2: the chip. And San Antonio has flourished and I don't 399 00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:58,240 Speaker 2: think Indiana's want a championship either, but uh or Utah. 400 00:21:59,359 --> 00:22:01,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, I was blessed to be able to play in 401 00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:04,000 Speaker 3: the Rutger. You know what I'm saying, your time was 402 00:22:04,080 --> 00:22:06,280 Speaker 3: the essence was the creation. Look at this picture and 403 00:22:06,280 --> 00:22:06,680 Speaker 3: tell them. 404 00:22:06,600 --> 00:22:07,360 Speaker 2: What you unbelieve. 405 00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:09,040 Speaker 1: Let's people at the top of the building right there. 406 00:22:09,160 --> 00:22:10,840 Speaker 1: Take us back to this moment right here with the 407 00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:12,480 Speaker 1: r What kind of shoes were you playing in? 408 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:14,800 Speaker 5: That was definitely converse. 409 00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:15,840 Speaker 4: That's definitely converse. 410 00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:17,240 Speaker 2: That's converse, yeah man. 411 00:22:17,280 --> 00:22:18,240 Speaker 4: And that's some good tube. 412 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:20,280 Speaker 2: I ain't have no knee braces on. 413 00:22:21,960 --> 00:22:22,560 Speaker 5: Young days. 414 00:22:22,960 --> 00:22:26,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, so that'd be first or second year. And the 415 00:22:26,680 --> 00:22:29,240 Speaker 2: dies out people made it happen. I mean, look at 416 00:22:29,280 --> 00:22:32,879 Speaker 2: those people on top of buildings. Crazy and there's a 417 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:36,440 Speaker 2: train station in the back. There's trees, people in the 418 00:22:36,520 --> 00:22:41,760 Speaker 2: trees and were playing on the pavement. So that's raw, 419 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:44,200 Speaker 2: you know, up and down on the pavement. If you 420 00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:46,720 Speaker 2: if you can't go on pavement, don't step out there. 421 00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:53,520 Speaker 4: And no insoles in the shoes, but that was like 422 00:22:53,640 --> 00:22:54,399 Speaker 4: three pair of socks. 423 00:22:54,800 --> 00:22:59,400 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, yeah, so they want to ton of outside 424 00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:01,560 Speaker 1: of yourself. As far as other pros playing there at 425 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:03,439 Speaker 1: the time. Were there many pros or were you one 426 00:23:03,480 --> 00:23:03,840 Speaker 1: of the few? 427 00:23:04,520 --> 00:23:06,879 Speaker 2: I was. I was the rookie on the block. 428 00:23:07,359 --> 00:23:10,479 Speaker 5: You know, Connie Hawkins was out there, Okay, so there 429 00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:11,399 Speaker 5: were more pros out there. 430 00:23:12,720 --> 00:23:16,480 Speaker 2: Let's see the guys from the Knicks and the guys 431 00:23:16,680 --> 00:23:19,400 Speaker 2: I played on the team that predominantly had guys from 432 00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:23,680 Speaker 2: the Nets. So I had Billy Paulps and Billy and 433 00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:30,320 Speaker 2: Alie Taylor and jumping Johnny Green, you know, played during 434 00:23:30,359 --> 00:23:32,399 Speaker 2: that time. And he was a guy who lived in 435 00:23:32,520 --> 00:23:36,320 Speaker 2: my town that I lived in Long Island, Roosevelt. So 436 00:23:36,400 --> 00:23:38,760 Speaker 2: I used to walk past his house because he was 437 00:23:38,800 --> 00:23:40,920 Speaker 2: playing with the Knicks. So that was that was a 438 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:43,000 Speaker 2: big deal. You know, I'm the guy in your neighborhood 439 00:23:43,040 --> 00:23:45,800 Speaker 2: playing for the playing for the New York Knicks and 440 00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:51,840 Speaker 2: the so he was he was in the Rutger. Well 441 00:23:52,119 --> 00:23:54,840 Speaker 2: those guys who aren't playing in the NBA. Yeah, Pa 442 00:23:55,119 --> 00:24:00,679 Speaker 2: pee Wee Kirkland and Earl Manigold and uh uh. They 443 00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:06,480 Speaker 2: had who's this guy from from Marquette and they called 444 00:24:06,560 --> 00:24:14,639 Speaker 2: him the helicopter. You just go up and hover and 445 00:24:14,800 --> 00:24:19,240 Speaker 2: he stayed there block your shot, Herman, the helicopter knowings, 446 00:24:19,320 --> 00:24:26,440 Speaker 2: that's what they call the handle and he can't get 447 00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:27,360 Speaker 2: to wherever you wanted to get. 448 00:24:27,359 --> 00:24:29,320 Speaker 5: He was short though, right he was. 449 00:24:30,119 --> 00:24:32,240 Speaker 2: He wasn't he was big. And you know it's funny. 450 00:24:32,320 --> 00:24:34,840 Speaker 2: We were leaving the hotel, man Muggsy Bogues came around 451 00:24:34,920 --> 00:24:40,240 Speaker 2: the corner. Hey, Doc, what's up? Damn five six? 452 00:24:40,520 --> 00:24:42,800 Speaker 4: Come on, yeah, five five doing? 453 00:24:42,880 --> 00:24:45,480 Speaker 2: He was doing, Yeah, he was doing the do Yeah. 454 00:24:46,480 --> 00:24:49,240 Speaker 2: But so there were a lot of pros, and it 455 00:24:49,359 --> 00:24:52,920 Speaker 2: was a pro summer league. So you know the guys 456 00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:57,920 Speaker 2: Walt Frasier and Earl you know, Earl Monroe, they would 457 00:24:57,960 --> 00:25:03,159 Speaker 2: show up and it was once a week in the summer, 458 00:25:04,160 --> 00:25:07,879 Speaker 2: and maybe it was ten weeks, ten weeks. So Charlie 459 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:10,680 Speaker 2: Scott introduced me to the league because he, you know, 460 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:14,800 Speaker 2: came out of college a year before me and his 461 00:25:14,920 --> 00:25:17,920 Speaker 2: team drafted me. And he was a star of the team. 462 00:25:18,040 --> 00:25:21,440 Speaker 2: And you know, it was the Charlie Scott Show, and 463 00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:24,719 Speaker 2: then it was uh, then it was Doc and Charlie 464 00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:28,840 Speaker 2: and Doc, uh great Scott, Charlie, the Great Scott, Julius, 465 00:25:28,920 --> 00:25:31,159 Speaker 2: doctor j Irving. You know, so I got I got 466 00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:34,639 Speaker 2: co billing with Charlie and we were rolling. Man. We 467 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:37,200 Speaker 2: had we had a great season. He averaged like thirty three, 468 00:25:37,400 --> 00:25:40,760 Speaker 2: average twenty eight. And we were all offense. You know. 469 00:25:40,760 --> 00:25:46,120 Speaker 2: It wasn't nobody playing no defense. It was all off hey. 470 00:25:46,480 --> 00:25:50,639 Speaker 2: And then uh, April came, we got down to the 471 00:25:50,680 --> 00:25:54,840 Speaker 2: home stretch and Charlie rolled out. Man, he went and 472 00:25:54,920 --> 00:25:58,119 Speaker 2: signed with the Phoenix Sunshow. Really, you know, and I 473 00:25:58,280 --> 00:26:03,440 Speaker 2: was like, oh, is this our works? And then he 474 00:26:03,600 --> 00:26:07,880 Speaker 2: never came back, never came back. But I still see 475 00:26:07,960 --> 00:26:10,320 Speaker 2: him today. Man. I was like, Charlie, you baulted on us. 476 00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:13,160 Speaker 2: You got me all hooked. 477 00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:16,399 Speaker 4: Into you know, money reasons. 478 00:26:16,440 --> 00:26:18,320 Speaker 2: But you know what you know who replaced him? 479 00:26:18,880 --> 00:26:23,720 Speaker 4: George gerbon Oh yeah, yeah, oh yeah you can when. 480 00:26:24,720 --> 00:26:28,680 Speaker 2: George gerbin Man, George could scored as much as Chili, 481 00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:30,720 Speaker 2: but he did it in a different way. Yeah, he 482 00:26:30,840 --> 00:26:33,160 Speaker 2: did it in a different way. So having those two 483 00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:36,080 Speaker 2: guys as teammates, well, I was young, I was only 484 00:26:36,119 --> 00:26:37,120 Speaker 2: twenty one, twenty two. 485 00:26:37,320 --> 00:26:37,760 Speaker 5: I got to know. 486 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:39,320 Speaker 4: I can see some of that footage you and Ice 487 00:26:39,400 --> 00:26:40,639 Speaker 4: on the court together on the same thing. 488 00:26:40,800 --> 00:26:42,200 Speaker 5: Yeah, I gotta go watch some of that. 489 00:26:42,320 --> 00:26:44,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, that would be great, Yeah, that would be great. 490 00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:47,320 Speaker 1: Drafted to the ABA by the Virginia Squires. Is it 491 00:26:47,440 --> 00:26:49,440 Speaker 1: fair to say that Spencer Hay would kind of clear 492 00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:51,960 Speaker 1: the path for you to come out of college. 493 00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:52,160 Speaker 5: A year early. 494 00:26:52,320 --> 00:26:58,320 Speaker 2: Absolutely, absolutely, And the story is told and Spencer's story 495 00:26:58,480 --> 00:27:03,719 Speaker 2: is told and soul power. But yeah, what he did, 496 00:27:03,840 --> 00:27:07,520 Speaker 2: I mean, you know, left school after one year and 497 00:27:08,359 --> 00:27:13,040 Speaker 2: just realized his family situation. He needed to do something 498 00:27:13,080 --> 00:27:15,800 Speaker 2: about it, you know, I mean his mother was you know, 499 00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:21,000 Speaker 2: down south picking cotton and with a bad back and 500 00:27:21,119 --> 00:27:22,800 Speaker 2: all that. So he said, I got to do something. 501 00:27:23,040 --> 00:27:27,320 Speaker 2: I need to start making money. And you know, history 502 00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:30,080 Speaker 2: is an amazing story, but he's the one who opened 503 00:27:30,119 --> 00:27:31,320 Speaker 2: the door. Clearly. 504 00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:34,479 Speaker 1: What did that first ABA check mean to you? At 505 00:27:34,520 --> 00:27:36,280 Speaker 1: the time you're making about one hundred and twenty five 506 00:27:36,359 --> 00:27:39,520 Speaker 1: thousand a year, What did that first check mean? And 507 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:41,080 Speaker 1: what was your first all right? 508 00:27:41,400 --> 00:27:45,479 Speaker 2: Actually I was very disappointed. I was very disappointed because 509 00:27:46,040 --> 00:27:49,680 Speaker 2: my contract said four years, five hundred thousand dollars half 510 00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:55,000 Speaker 2: million dollars one twenty five a year, payable over seven years. 511 00:27:56,840 --> 00:27:58,840 Speaker 2: So now we got the seven year thing in there, 512 00:27:59,359 --> 00:28:01,720 Speaker 2: so we got so we got so that that makes 513 00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:05,840 Speaker 2: it seventy one. So now seventy thousand a year, and 514 00:28:07,280 --> 00:28:13,000 Speaker 2: we had an advance of ten thousand, so I had 515 00:28:13,040 --> 00:28:17,040 Speaker 2: some money in my pocket I signed. So when I 516 00:28:17,080 --> 00:28:20,280 Speaker 2: got that first check, the ten thousand was taken back. 517 00:28:21,920 --> 00:28:25,480 Speaker 2: So my check was about ten thousand dollars, you know, 518 00:28:26,440 --> 00:28:30,800 Speaker 2: And I mean it was more than one than I had. 519 00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:37,280 Speaker 2: But it was kind of like a wake up call, Okay, 520 00:28:38,160 --> 00:28:39,560 Speaker 2: this is this is big business. 521 00:28:39,680 --> 00:28:40,280 Speaker 5: And they chopped. 522 00:28:41,200 --> 00:28:43,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, they chopped. They chopped that up. Man, they chopped 523 00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:46,440 Speaker 2: that up. So I was looking at I, you know, 524 00:28:46,640 --> 00:28:48,880 Speaker 2: ordered the car and was doing some things and trying 525 00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:51,800 Speaker 2: to upgrade the family stuff. And I got this check. Man, 526 00:28:51,880 --> 00:28:58,160 Speaker 2: I was like looking at it, like this check nowhere 527 00:28:58,280 --> 00:29:01,840 Speaker 2: there seventy one. Uh. And I don't even think it 528 00:29:01,920 --> 00:29:03,560 Speaker 2: was ten, man, it was probably like eight. 529 00:29:03,760 --> 00:29:05,720 Speaker 5: What was what was the first car you got? What 530 00:29:05,880 --> 00:29:06,480 Speaker 5: was the Cadillac? 531 00:29:06,760 --> 00:29:10,320 Speaker 1: I had a car in college, Okay, so yeah, and 532 00:29:10,440 --> 00:29:12,080 Speaker 1: il before and I was even thought of. 533 00:29:12,560 --> 00:29:15,840 Speaker 2: So I had uncle. That uncle was my father's brother 534 00:29:16,800 --> 00:29:20,960 Speaker 2: and uh, and he gave me like a sixty two Chevy. 535 00:29:22,440 --> 00:29:25,320 Speaker 2: And I got out of high school sixty eight, so 536 00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:29,520 Speaker 2: six years old, and he had put the car together. 537 00:29:29,680 --> 00:29:31,760 Speaker 4: You was cleaned around that time. You was rocking good 538 00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:32,200 Speaker 4: run the. 539 00:29:32,280 --> 00:29:35,560 Speaker 2: Time he put the car together. Only problem with this 540 00:29:35,720 --> 00:29:38,680 Speaker 2: car was when I made right turns, the home would 541 00:29:38,680 --> 00:29:44,840 Speaker 2: blow so people people was waving at me all the time. 542 00:29:45,520 --> 00:29:51,720 Speaker 2: I was waving back. I ride around Embers, Massachusetts, waving 543 00:29:51,800 --> 00:29:56,080 Speaker 2: at everybody every time I made her turn. So we 544 00:29:56,240 --> 00:29:59,600 Speaker 2: used to laugh about it. And uh, when I when 545 00:29:59,640 --> 00:30:02,600 Speaker 2: I find he signed, I had, you know, kind of 546 00:30:02,680 --> 00:30:05,880 Speaker 2: falling in love with a little sports car. I'm going 547 00:30:05,920 --> 00:30:07,600 Speaker 2: to get a little sports car. But I took three 548 00:30:07,680 --> 00:30:11,280 Speaker 2: of my friends, so we ended up with a Mark three. 549 00:30:12,720 --> 00:30:16,960 Speaker 2: There ain't no way near a little sports car, oh man, 550 00:30:17,120 --> 00:30:19,360 Speaker 2: I said, I ain't never taking friends and go buy 551 00:30:19,400 --> 00:30:21,840 Speaker 2: a car and talk because you know they were sitting 552 00:30:21,840 --> 00:30:23,920 Speaker 2: in the back. Man, it's kind of tight back here. 553 00:30:24,720 --> 00:30:27,640 Speaker 2: We need more room all this. And I'm still friends 554 00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:30,560 Speaker 2: with those guys right now. But I don't take it 555 00:30:30,640 --> 00:30:32,240 Speaker 2: when I go to buying, I ain't do it. I 556 00:30:32,360 --> 00:30:32,800 Speaker 2: can't do it. 557 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:33,600 Speaker 4: I ain't do it. 558 00:30:34,760 --> 00:30:36,880 Speaker 1: You once said your best three years as a pro 559 00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:39,800 Speaker 1: was seventy four, seventy five, seventy six, all in the 560 00:30:39,960 --> 00:30:41,360 Speaker 1: NBA with the New York Nets. 561 00:30:41,480 --> 00:30:43,640 Speaker 5: What was it about that time and where do you 562 00:30:43,680 --> 00:30:45,000 Speaker 5: feel your game was at that time? 563 00:30:45,240 --> 00:30:49,719 Speaker 2: You know, I always kind of looked like looked at 564 00:30:49,800 --> 00:30:54,120 Speaker 2: this thing like I was in lou Al Cinder's shadow, 565 00:30:55,080 --> 00:30:56,760 Speaker 2: you know, because we both came out of New York. 566 00:30:56,840 --> 00:30:58,200 Speaker 2: He came out a couple of years ahead of me, 567 00:30:59,080 --> 00:31:00,760 Speaker 2: and he was, you know, from the city and I 568 00:31:00,840 --> 00:31:04,360 Speaker 2: was from the suburbs and whatever, but just in comparisons. 569 00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:07,920 Speaker 2: So I always, you know, looked at his accomplishments in 570 00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:12,760 Speaker 2: college and you know, being the best player in the game, 571 00:31:13,720 --> 00:31:16,400 Speaker 2: high school, college, whatever. So that that was the bar. 572 00:31:16,720 --> 00:31:19,080 Speaker 2: That's where the bar was. You know, everybody else was 573 00:31:19,920 --> 00:31:25,200 Speaker 2: maybe reachable, but he was not reachable, and not in 574 00:31:25,280 --> 00:31:28,520 Speaker 2: the exact terms. So there was a lot of gratification. 575 00:31:28,800 --> 00:31:33,600 Speaker 2: You know, when we swept the Lakers in eighty three, 576 00:31:33,920 --> 00:31:39,160 Speaker 2: it was like man relief. You know, I ain't in 577 00:31:39,240 --> 00:31:43,520 Speaker 2: that shadow no more, thanks to Moses and others. So 578 00:31:43,920 --> 00:31:47,680 Speaker 2: seventy four or five and six, and I was co 579 00:31:47,960 --> 00:31:51,960 Speaker 2: MVP one year with George McInnis and the other two years. 580 00:31:52,040 --> 00:31:55,880 Speaker 2: I was MVP in seventy four seventy six and had 581 00:31:55,920 --> 00:31:58,360 Speaker 2: to give him his his props. And there was a 582 00:31:58,520 --> 00:32:01,440 Speaker 2: reason why too talk about that a little later, maybe, 583 00:32:04,560 --> 00:32:10,200 Speaker 2: I think with Kevin Lockery and you know, even though 584 00:32:10,240 --> 00:32:14,480 Speaker 2: all of my coaches were former players, you know, he 585 00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:21,040 Speaker 2: was a guard and guards are supposed to be coaches 586 00:32:21,080 --> 00:32:25,040 Speaker 2: on the floor or whatever. So he was true to 587 00:32:25,200 --> 00:32:29,040 Speaker 2: form in that regard where when he came off the floor, 588 00:32:29,120 --> 00:32:33,080 Speaker 2: he was already to coach. He didn't need, he didn't 589 00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:37,200 Speaker 2: need this break in period. And in all fairness to 590 00:32:37,240 --> 00:32:39,840 Speaker 2: Billy Cunningham, he needed a break in period, and he 591 00:32:39,920 --> 00:32:42,280 Speaker 2: had Chuck Daly right there, so he had a good 592 00:32:42,320 --> 00:32:44,280 Speaker 2: break in period. But it took three or four years 593 00:32:45,240 --> 00:32:48,640 Speaker 2: and then he got it. And when he got it, 594 00:32:48,720 --> 00:32:53,040 Speaker 2: he owned it. But Lockery owned it right from day one. 595 00:32:54,120 --> 00:32:56,959 Speaker 2: And you know when I got traded to the nets, 596 00:32:59,640 --> 00:33:05,880 Speaker 2: every was in position for you know, me to go 597 00:33:06,160 --> 00:33:12,680 Speaker 2: from good to great. And the greatness came from uh 598 00:33:14,560 --> 00:33:22,920 Speaker 2: the coach basically saying, look after first quarters, well maybe 599 00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:27,680 Speaker 2: at halftime, he come over. He says, we got this 600 00:33:27,840 --> 00:33:33,720 Speaker 2: game plan and we've gone through this multiple times and 601 00:33:33,840 --> 00:33:39,240 Speaker 2: it ain't working. So you need to do some stuff 602 00:33:39,280 --> 00:33:42,520 Speaker 2: out there. You need to do some stuff out there 603 00:33:43,600 --> 00:33:45,720 Speaker 2: to make us look like we know what we're doing. 604 00:33:47,560 --> 00:33:50,640 Speaker 2: And why did he say that? So we had we 605 00:33:50,800 --> 00:33:56,040 Speaker 2: had isolation plays, we played up tempo, and on the 606 00:33:56,160 --> 00:33:59,960 Speaker 2: defensive end, you know there was there was just free 607 00:34:00,160 --> 00:34:03,440 Speaker 2: them where I knew if even if I made a mistake, 608 00:34:03,960 --> 00:34:06,840 Speaker 2: I wouldn't gonna get yanked out of the game. And 609 00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:10,440 Speaker 2: you know when you when you have that, and you 610 00:34:10,560 --> 00:34:12,800 Speaker 2: guys have had that at one place or another or 611 00:34:12,800 --> 00:34:18,320 Speaker 2: another or whatever, it's just like ski's the limits. Anything. 612 00:34:18,440 --> 00:34:23,000 Speaker 2: Anything could happen, you know, you and Iceman always talks about. Man, 613 00:34:23,120 --> 00:34:24,839 Speaker 2: we came to town. We were putting on a show 614 00:34:25,440 --> 00:34:28,320 Speaker 2: and it was it was like that putting putting on 615 00:34:28,400 --> 00:34:34,800 Speaker 2: a show and you know, not being micro managed and 616 00:34:35,400 --> 00:34:38,879 Speaker 2: and not worried about anything because you know, mistakes happen. 617 00:34:39,320 --> 00:34:42,439 Speaker 2: The game is all about making mistakes, and who makes 618 00:34:42,480 --> 00:34:46,640 Speaker 2: the less mistakes sometimes is the one that prevails or whatever. 619 00:34:46,760 --> 00:34:48,520 Speaker 2: But you're going to make mistakes. And if you don't 620 00:34:48,560 --> 00:34:53,279 Speaker 2: try stuff, trying to play the perfect game, uh, you 621 00:34:53,360 --> 00:34:57,000 Speaker 2: know that's not gonna work. So so I think those 622 00:34:57,280 --> 00:35:01,640 Speaker 2: those three years, the first year, uh, our chemistry, we 623 00:35:01,800 --> 00:35:04,239 Speaker 2: just came together and you know, we we won that. 624 00:35:04,400 --> 00:35:10,040 Speaker 2: We won that championship against Utah. We played well against 625 00:35:10,080 --> 00:35:16,239 Speaker 2: every team in the league. Second year we played played well. 626 00:35:17,480 --> 00:35:20,239 Speaker 2: I think we had best record, we at home court advantage, 627 00:35:21,800 --> 00:35:28,799 Speaker 2: and but there was a fatigue factor because we had 628 00:35:28,840 --> 00:35:33,800 Speaker 2: played through the finals. The previous year, and at the 629 00:35:33,920 --> 00:35:35,840 Speaker 2: end of the season, you know, we're still grinding it 630 00:35:35,960 --> 00:35:40,000 Speaker 2: out and whatever, and you know, playing everybody's for the 631 00:35:40,360 --> 00:35:44,840 Speaker 2: starting lineers, playing long minutes and what have you. In 632 00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:48,080 Speaker 2: that first round, man Saint Louis took us out. We 633 00:35:48,160 --> 00:35:52,680 Speaker 2: had beaten the mic eleven times this season and we 634 00:35:52,800 --> 00:35:59,839 Speaker 2: were gassed. We were gassed, and Lockery said, okay, next 635 00:36:01,800 --> 00:36:06,600 Speaker 2: last month of the season, you could leave town. You 636 00:36:06,640 --> 00:36:10,400 Speaker 2: could just stay home. Whatever. I'm not playing in the 637 00:36:10,440 --> 00:36:13,640 Speaker 2: fourth quarter. See whatever you're gonna do, you better doing 638 00:36:13,680 --> 00:36:17,040 Speaker 2: three quarters. So I was trying to do it in 639 00:36:17,120 --> 00:36:19,960 Speaker 2: three quarters. And I had like a twenty nine point 640 00:36:20,040 --> 00:36:25,000 Speaker 2: scoring averaging with twenty eight seven twenty six. But that 641 00:36:25,200 --> 00:36:29,280 Speaker 2: wasn't the deal. The deal was getting the rest before 642 00:36:29,360 --> 00:36:33,200 Speaker 2: the seasons, before the playoffs started. And then that last year, 643 00:36:33,800 --> 00:36:36,520 Speaker 2: you know, Denver was a better team, but you know 644 00:36:36,680 --> 00:36:39,839 Speaker 2: we we were a better playoff team, and we were 645 00:36:39,960 --> 00:36:43,279 Speaker 2: and we were ready and we had rested players, particularly me, 646 00:36:44,200 --> 00:36:47,200 Speaker 2: And I remember that like it was yesterday because I 647 00:36:47,360 --> 00:36:52,600 Speaker 2: wasn't happy about not playing the fourth quarter. Yep, yep. 648 00:36:52,680 --> 00:36:54,400 Speaker 2: You had the stat but you had to throw the 649 00:36:54,440 --> 00:36:57,200 Speaker 2: stats away. You know, it's not about the stats. Now 650 00:36:57,440 --> 00:36:59,839 Speaker 2: and he was right. It was right. 651 00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:03,320 Speaker 1: Helped two questions before we go on, what was the 652 00:37:03,400 --> 00:37:06,319 Speaker 1: chemistry like when George Gervin came, was there? 653 00:37:06,760 --> 00:37:08,040 Speaker 4: Who who was? 654 00:37:08,440 --> 00:37:10,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, Yeah, that's funny. 655 00:37:10,400 --> 00:37:13,880 Speaker 4: Y'a'm ready because y'all the too coolest cat you come across. 656 00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:17,759 Speaker 2: Yeah, when George came, I went to UH I went 657 00:37:17,840 --> 00:37:19,440 Speaker 2: down to the arena because they I knew they were 658 00:37:19,440 --> 00:37:22,239 Speaker 2: bringing them in. And all I knew was he was 659 00:37:22,280 --> 00:37:24,279 Speaker 2: a bad man. He was from Detroit and went to 660 00:37:24,320 --> 00:37:28,439 Speaker 2: Eastern Michigan and he got a little trouble, he got 661 00:37:29,840 --> 00:37:33,000 Speaker 2: booted from the team, so on and so forth or whatever. 662 00:37:33,160 --> 00:37:36,040 Speaker 2: So I didn't know whether it was badass guy, good 663 00:37:36,160 --> 00:37:39,800 Speaker 2: guy whatever, you know. And he came in and he 664 00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:45,960 Speaker 2: was like, you know, six seven one sixty something whatever. 665 00:37:47,239 --> 00:37:48,920 Speaker 2: I was like, look at this dude, man. And then 666 00:37:49,480 --> 00:37:53,759 Speaker 2: he started shooting because they had him shooting around the 667 00:37:53,880 --> 00:37:57,600 Speaker 2: perimeter the three point line, shooting for his contract. 668 00:37:58,160 --> 00:37:59,080 Speaker 5: Really he was. 669 00:37:59,480 --> 00:38:03,160 Speaker 2: He was flip it up there so easy. I was like, damn, 670 00:38:03,800 --> 00:38:06,440 Speaker 2: it's bad bad right here right. And his boy was 671 00:38:06,480 --> 00:38:10,400 Speaker 2: with him, who was always with him, this guy. So 672 00:38:10,920 --> 00:38:14,080 Speaker 2: so he gets signed on the team and they want 673 00:38:14,120 --> 00:38:17,200 Speaker 2: to I'll be Yankee wanted to bring him off the bench. 674 00:38:18,800 --> 00:38:21,279 Speaker 2: So he bought him off the bench and George, you know, 675 00:38:21,400 --> 00:38:25,480 Speaker 2: I was scoring like thirty. George was going like fifteen. 676 00:38:25,600 --> 00:38:28,040 Speaker 2: But it was easy fifteen because he's just coming off 677 00:38:28,080 --> 00:38:31,120 Speaker 2: the bench and he was content with that. He was 678 00:38:31,200 --> 00:38:38,360 Speaker 2: just happy to be employed and be a squire. So 679 00:38:39,640 --> 00:38:46,080 Speaker 2: as a way of bonding, I like to because this 680 00:38:46,200 --> 00:38:49,520 Speaker 2: happened to me. Ray Scott did it with me. Where 681 00:38:49,800 --> 00:38:52,919 Speaker 2: after practice he said, you stay and do some extra 682 00:38:53,040 --> 00:38:56,040 Speaker 2: work with me. So Ray Scott did that with me. 683 00:38:56,200 --> 00:38:59,760 Speaker 2: So I said, I used to do that with George. Everybody. 684 00:39:00,320 --> 00:39:03,319 Speaker 2: We'd be in there playing one on one and uh, 685 00:39:03,920 --> 00:39:07,000 Speaker 2: you know, we we developed a bond, you know during 686 00:39:07,080 --> 00:39:07,520 Speaker 2: that time. 687 00:39:08,560 --> 00:39:13,760 Speaker 5: And what were those games like that? One? 688 00:39:14,280 --> 00:39:20,759 Speaker 2: So I think one on one physically, uh, you know, 689 00:39:20,840 --> 00:39:23,680 Speaker 2: he could outshoot me. There's a new question because my 690 00:39:23,760 --> 00:39:26,600 Speaker 2: game wasn't just shooting, you know, taking it to the 691 00:39:26,760 --> 00:39:29,480 Speaker 2: rack by by by a gay get way off you 692 00:39:29,640 --> 00:39:32,160 Speaker 2: you know, shoot it. I think I probably won most 693 00:39:32,200 --> 00:39:34,239 Speaker 2: of the games, I would have to say in equivocally 694 00:39:34,280 --> 00:39:37,040 Speaker 2: because I was a little more experienced and I could 695 00:39:37,040 --> 00:39:40,759 Speaker 2: be more physical than him. But I can see how 696 00:39:40,840 --> 00:39:43,400 Speaker 2: good he was. I can see how good he was, 697 00:39:43,520 --> 00:39:48,239 Speaker 2: and and you know, and I honored that because we 698 00:39:48,719 --> 00:39:52,560 Speaker 2: only played together half a season. I don't even think 699 00:39:52,600 --> 00:39:54,719 Speaker 2: it was a half season, because he came in the 700 00:39:54,800 --> 00:39:57,440 Speaker 2: midpoint and then he played the rest of that season, 701 00:39:58,480 --> 00:40:01,640 Speaker 2: and then the next year I was gone. It was 702 00:40:01,760 --> 00:40:06,320 Speaker 2: his team. It was his team, and he was his 703 00:40:06,480 --> 00:40:10,680 Speaker 2: team till he got traded to San Antonio. But the 704 00:40:10,840 --> 00:40:13,680 Speaker 2: experience that we had together, we've we've held on to 705 00:40:13,800 --> 00:40:16,279 Speaker 2: that all these years, you know, even with the Big 706 00:40:16,320 --> 00:40:20,080 Speaker 2: Three stuff. We were down there now and you know, 707 00:40:20,200 --> 00:40:22,960 Speaker 2: we got stories to tell. Anybody asked, we got some 708 00:40:23,040 --> 00:40:26,640 Speaker 2: stuff to tell them from our Virginia Squire's days. 709 00:40:27,040 --> 00:40:29,839 Speaker 1: How did you as an individual look at the NBA 710 00:40:30,600 --> 00:40:32,960 Speaker 1: as you're thriving in the ABA? What was kind of 711 00:40:33,040 --> 00:40:34,759 Speaker 1: like what did you guy, what was the perception of 712 00:40:34,800 --> 00:40:37,000 Speaker 1: them or what was the their perception of the ABA? 713 00:40:37,400 --> 00:40:40,000 Speaker 2: I thought the NBA and planning in the NBA was 714 00:40:40,200 --> 00:40:44,200 Speaker 2: in eventuality. Uh, you know, it was going to happen, 715 00:40:45,160 --> 00:40:51,800 Speaker 2: and we weren't dying to get over there, but the 716 00:40:51,920 --> 00:40:55,719 Speaker 2: reports were. And we had friends, you know, like my 717 00:40:56,080 --> 00:41:00,440 Speaker 2: my my agent was a guy named Erwin Wiener, so, uh, 718 00:41:01,200 --> 00:41:07,880 Speaker 2: you know, Wiener and Fraser Sports Enterprises. So Clyde was 719 00:41:08,800 --> 00:41:13,200 Speaker 2: part owner, part owner of the business. So my NBA 720 00:41:13,360 --> 00:41:17,960 Speaker 2: connection was basically through Clyde Fraser. And you know, Clyde 721 00:41:18,040 --> 00:41:21,400 Speaker 2: used to take me shopping, you know, want me to 722 00:41:21,440 --> 00:41:22,960 Speaker 2: get into stuff that he was wearing. 723 00:41:23,280 --> 00:41:24,160 Speaker 4: I'm glad you didn't. 724 00:41:24,360 --> 00:41:31,400 Speaker 2: I was like Clyde. I was like, Clyde, I'm not 725 00:41:31,480 --> 00:41:38,160 Speaker 2: gonna wear that. Clyde would come you know, he had furs, Kyle, 726 00:41:38,360 --> 00:41:42,799 Speaker 2: whatever he held, he would find this stuff. And uh 727 00:41:43,239 --> 00:41:44,840 Speaker 2: so we used to laugh about it because you know, 728 00:41:44,920 --> 00:41:48,960 Speaker 2: he's from Atlanta, but you know New York. He driving 729 00:41:49,000 --> 00:41:52,160 Speaker 2: the rolls and Clyde was Clyde. There was only one Clyde, 730 00:41:53,000 --> 00:41:56,800 Speaker 2: one Clyde Fraser. So so so that was an experience 731 00:41:56,920 --> 00:41:59,399 Speaker 2: and that was how close I got to the NBA 732 00:41:59,600 --> 00:42:03,799 Speaker 2: through him and through experiences with him, and I knew 733 00:42:03,840 --> 00:42:07,879 Speaker 2: that there would eventually that there would be one league. 734 00:42:07,960 --> 00:42:12,320 Speaker 2: Now actually the agent who set up the meeting for 735 00:42:12,480 --> 00:42:17,799 Speaker 2: me to go and explore the opportunity, business opportunity while 736 00:42:17,800 --> 00:42:20,600 Speaker 2: I was a junior and I finished my junior year, 737 00:42:21,560 --> 00:42:25,759 Speaker 2: I made like third team All Americans during that time. 738 00:42:26,600 --> 00:42:30,840 Speaker 2: And we had a meeting in Philadelphia and it was 739 00:42:30,840 --> 00:42:33,839 Speaker 2: supposed to be exploratory. So I called my high school coach, 740 00:42:34,040 --> 00:42:39,880 Speaker 2: so he came from Long Island. And who else was there? 741 00:42:40,200 --> 00:42:43,640 Speaker 2: Two guys from the Squires, Johnny Kerr, Johnny Red Kerr 742 00:42:44,360 --> 00:42:49,239 Speaker 2: and alb Yankee who was the coach. So we had 743 00:42:49,239 --> 00:42:52,680 Speaker 2: a hotel. It was in a motel, and we spent 744 00:42:52,840 --> 00:42:55,360 Speaker 2: a whole afternoon in there talking about the a's and 745 00:42:55,480 --> 00:42:59,000 Speaker 2: b's of what's going on. And my takeaway was that 746 00:42:59,360 --> 00:43:04,239 Speaker 2: the leagues were gonna merge within two years. They said 747 00:43:04,280 --> 00:43:07,520 Speaker 2: two years from that point. So this is nineteen seventy one, 748 00:43:08,760 --> 00:43:12,279 Speaker 2: so they said by nineteen seventy three it was gonna 749 00:43:12,280 --> 00:43:14,920 Speaker 2: be a merging the two leagues. And the guy, the 750 00:43:15,000 --> 00:43:18,439 Speaker 2: agent who was in there, he was he was continuously 751 00:43:18,719 --> 00:43:24,279 Speaker 2: insistent on that, and Wilt and Russell had just had 752 00:43:24,400 --> 00:43:29,480 Speaker 2: that contract situation where you know, Wilt had signed for 753 00:43:29,560 --> 00:43:34,000 Speaker 2: one hundred thousand a year and Russell said, I want 754 00:43:34,040 --> 00:43:37,919 Speaker 2: one hundred and one dollar because I'm the MVP, because 755 00:43:37,960 --> 00:43:40,080 Speaker 2: he was the MVP of league. So you know, this 756 00:43:40,280 --> 00:43:43,080 Speaker 2: was all this was already in the universe and newspapers 757 00:43:43,160 --> 00:43:45,320 Speaker 2: or whatever, and then these guys start coming in and 758 00:43:45,400 --> 00:43:49,000 Speaker 2: talking about one twenty five. I was like, and they said, 759 00:43:49,239 --> 00:43:51,120 Speaker 2: I said, what's that gonna look like in two years? 760 00:43:51,640 --> 00:43:54,160 Speaker 2: And they said, oh, it's gonna be about thirty you know, 761 00:43:54,360 --> 00:43:58,520 Speaker 2: maybe thirty maybe maybe less. Twelve thousand dollars signing bonus 762 00:43:58,640 --> 00:44:04,080 Speaker 2: and twenty thousand compensation. So I called my mom and 763 00:44:05,480 --> 00:44:08,480 Speaker 2: I said, I'm in a situation. Said, I'm not at 764 00:44:08,520 --> 00:44:14,080 Speaker 2: school right now. I'm in Philly and this pro basketball 765 00:44:14,160 --> 00:44:17,640 Speaker 2: team wants me to sign with them. Who are they? 766 00:44:18,560 --> 00:44:22,719 Speaker 2: The Virginia Squires. Who are they? I said, I don't know, 767 00:44:22,880 --> 00:44:27,759 Speaker 2: but I think they got money. So so my mom, 768 00:44:28,000 --> 00:44:32,239 Speaker 2: my father, my stepfather worked for the sanitation apartment, and 769 00:44:32,360 --> 00:44:35,520 Speaker 2: my mom had a hasslon and they were bringing in 770 00:44:35,600 --> 00:44:40,359 Speaker 2: about fifteen thousand, the two of them, and they were 771 00:44:40,400 --> 00:44:44,719 Speaker 2: working hard. They were working hard, and I told them 772 00:44:44,760 --> 00:44:48,400 Speaker 2: the numbers. She was saying, well, you went to college 773 00:44:48,440 --> 00:44:51,640 Speaker 2: to graduate, so if you do anything, you just promised 774 00:44:51,680 --> 00:44:55,120 Speaker 2: me you go graduate. That was the green light because 775 00:44:55,200 --> 00:44:57,279 Speaker 2: I said I could work under graduation. I could be 776 00:44:57,360 --> 00:45:01,520 Speaker 2: a part time student, and now became a full time athlete. 777 00:45:02,440 --> 00:45:07,000 Speaker 2: So the next day we signed, We signed, and all 778 00:45:07,080 --> 00:45:09,640 Speaker 2: that other stuff began to happen. We made it. 779 00:45:10,160 --> 00:45:13,320 Speaker 3: Yeah, yes, after the mergery land in Philly with the 780 00:45:13,400 --> 00:45:15,640 Speaker 3: seventy six. This is a crazy story. They said the 781 00:45:15,680 --> 00:45:18,160 Speaker 3: Knicks could have had you, but they decided to take 782 00:45:18,200 --> 00:45:19,320 Speaker 3: three million dollars in cashes. 783 00:45:19,360 --> 00:45:19,759 Speaker 5: That's true. 784 00:45:19,960 --> 00:45:26,760 Speaker 2: They took the money from the Nets because the Nets 785 00:45:26,800 --> 00:45:30,480 Speaker 2: were invading on their territory. After the merger had happened, 786 00:45:31,120 --> 00:45:35,200 Speaker 2: Nets were in their territory, so the NBA created a 787 00:45:36,080 --> 00:45:41,080 Speaker 2: territorial invasion clause or whatever, and you know, Nets had 788 00:45:41,080 --> 00:45:43,960 Speaker 2: to pay them. So the Nets had to get something 789 00:45:44,160 --> 00:45:48,320 Speaker 2: for me. So they got six million dollars from the 790 00:45:48,400 --> 00:45:54,240 Speaker 2: sixers and then my contract was six million dollars. 791 00:45:54,719 --> 00:45:57,120 Speaker 4: So no, so no Knicks. Would you like to be there? 792 00:45:57,160 --> 00:45:58,080 Speaker 4: Would you love to be there? 793 00:45:58,160 --> 00:45:58,279 Speaker 3: Oh? 794 00:45:58,320 --> 00:46:00,920 Speaker 2: The Knicks would have been great. I mean, uh, I 795 00:46:00,960 --> 00:46:06,800 Speaker 2: can stay in the same house over in Nassau County 796 00:46:06,840 --> 00:46:12,239 Speaker 2: and Upper Brookville and you know, started my family. So yeah, 797 00:46:12,320 --> 00:46:15,880 Speaker 2: that would have been ideal. Uh would have been a 798 00:46:15,920 --> 00:46:19,959 Speaker 2: whole different story, I think family. Yeah, the Knicks would 799 00:46:19,960 --> 00:46:23,239 Speaker 2: have been a different story. Milwaukee would have been a 800 00:46:23,280 --> 00:46:30,839 Speaker 2: different story. Playing with Kareem. Yeah, with Kareem, Yeah, he came. Uh, 801 00:46:31,120 --> 00:46:33,600 Speaker 2: he joined him for one year and they won the championship, 802 00:46:34,360 --> 00:46:36,960 Speaker 2: and then the Hawks would have been different because I 803 00:46:37,080 --> 00:46:38,799 Speaker 2: signed a contract with the Hawks. 804 00:46:39,560 --> 00:46:39,640 Speaker 3: So. 805 00:46:41,160 --> 00:46:44,160 Speaker 2: I never signed with the Knicks or the Milwaukee Bucks. 806 00:46:44,560 --> 00:46:46,360 Speaker 2: But I did sign with the Hawks, I signed with 807 00:46:46,400 --> 00:46:48,880 Speaker 2: the Squires, signed with the Nets, and that side with 808 00:46:48,960 --> 00:46:52,799 Speaker 2: the Sixes, So I had four different contracts during my career. 809 00:46:52,920 --> 00:46:55,440 Speaker 3: I was blessed to be able to learn a lot 810 00:46:55,520 --> 00:46:57,640 Speaker 3: from him, and coming up in Houston, he used to 811 00:46:57,680 --> 00:47:00,440 Speaker 3: always come even when he wasn't playing his way out 812 00:47:00,480 --> 00:47:02,520 Speaker 3: the NBA, he was coming by and playing pick up 813 00:47:02,560 --> 00:47:05,960 Speaker 3: with his mostam alone. Oh yeah, I was grace to 814 00:47:06,040 --> 00:47:08,200 Speaker 3: know him. You tell me some stories about him, which 815 00:47:08,200 --> 00:47:11,000 Speaker 3: I our relationship was like, yeah, somebody. 816 00:47:11,320 --> 00:47:15,239 Speaker 2: We had a great relationship. It's so funny because when 817 00:47:15,320 --> 00:47:19,600 Speaker 2: he got introduced to pro basketball, I was on the 818 00:47:19,680 --> 00:47:23,160 Speaker 2: Nets and when the first time he came into New 819 00:47:23,239 --> 00:47:27,440 Speaker 2: York and they asked me to introduce him, you know. 820 00:47:28,760 --> 00:47:30,800 Speaker 2: So you know, I just stood up, got the microphone 821 00:47:30,840 --> 00:47:34,720 Speaker 2: and just start talking. And I think I said something 822 00:47:34,760 --> 00:47:38,120 Speaker 2: to the fact of, you know, all right, you know 823 00:47:38,239 --> 00:47:41,399 Speaker 2: now that you had pro basketball, you know you've been 824 00:47:41,480 --> 00:47:44,120 Speaker 2: you've been swimming in the water with these little fish 825 00:47:44,719 --> 00:47:48,279 Speaker 2: dominating them. Now the fish are bigger, you know, are 826 00:47:48,320 --> 00:47:50,480 Speaker 2: you ready to jump into the pond, something corny like 827 00:47:50,560 --> 00:47:55,359 Speaker 2: that or whatever, and you know how moves were already. Man, 828 00:47:55,560 --> 00:47:59,640 Speaker 2: I'm ready, just give me the ball. In that day, 829 00:47:59,680 --> 00:48:02,040 Speaker 2: I think he had twenty something rebounds. You know, we 830 00:48:02,600 --> 00:48:07,120 Speaker 2: played them and he was with Utah nineteen years old, 831 00:48:08,920 --> 00:48:11,319 Speaker 2: and I didn't know that down the road we would 832 00:48:11,360 --> 00:48:14,480 Speaker 2: be teammates. But when we got the opportunity to get 833 00:48:14,560 --> 00:48:22,399 Speaker 2: him in Philadelphia, as you know, our record was going 834 00:48:22,480 --> 00:48:26,399 Speaker 2: to the finals three times in six years and coming 835 00:48:26,440 --> 00:48:33,240 Speaker 2: away empty handed. And went to the finals with Daryl Dawkins, Calwell, Jones, 836 00:48:33,360 --> 00:48:38,560 Speaker 2: Harvey Ketchings, and our thing always seemed to be getting 837 00:48:38,600 --> 00:48:45,359 Speaker 2: out rebounded, and just our inside interior defense wasn't that great, 838 00:48:45,440 --> 00:48:48,720 Speaker 2: even though Carwell and Harvey were pretty good defensive players. 839 00:48:49,960 --> 00:48:53,960 Speaker 2: So when we got the opportunity to get Moses because 840 00:48:53,960 --> 00:48:57,239 Speaker 2: he was disgruntled, it just changed everything. And I think 841 00:48:57,320 --> 00:49:00,479 Speaker 2: from day one, and Verice Cheeks says it best. He said, 842 00:49:00,520 --> 00:49:05,200 Speaker 2: from day one in practice, he said, I knew we 843 00:49:05,280 --> 00:49:09,880 Speaker 2: were gonna win the championship just the first practice because 844 00:49:09,960 --> 00:49:12,600 Speaker 2: this man, when he showed up for practice, he was 845 00:49:12,680 --> 00:49:16,160 Speaker 2: already sweating, you know, because some guys take a long 846 00:49:16,239 --> 00:49:18,800 Speaker 2: time to get warmed up. And all that kind of stuff. 847 00:49:19,600 --> 00:49:22,040 Speaker 2: Moses was drenched. I didn't want to get near him, 848 00:49:23,840 --> 00:49:26,600 Speaker 2: and we used to laugh about that. Yeah, he came 849 00:49:26,760 --> 00:49:31,960 Speaker 2: and he established himself and the city fell in love 850 00:49:32,000 --> 00:49:35,960 Speaker 2: with him because of his work ethic that you know, 851 00:49:36,120 --> 00:49:40,240 Speaker 2: not his talent, And the talent was like hidden behind 852 00:49:40,360 --> 00:49:42,840 Speaker 2: his work ethic, because he can get on that baseline. 853 00:49:42,840 --> 00:49:45,120 Speaker 2: He could hit the jump shot, he made his free throws, 854 00:49:45,239 --> 00:49:50,880 Speaker 2: you know, close to free throw shooter, and and you 855 00:49:51,000 --> 00:49:54,640 Speaker 2: know he hit you on the fly outlet passes and 856 00:49:55,120 --> 00:49:59,759 Speaker 2: go along or whatever. So he did, he did all 857 00:49:59,840 --> 00:50:02,600 Speaker 2: in everything, and he was he was all and everything 858 00:50:02,680 --> 00:50:06,000 Speaker 2: to us because we had all the pieces. He had 859 00:50:06,040 --> 00:50:09,360 Speaker 2: all the pieces, you know, me and Bobby Jones playing forwards. 860 00:50:09,560 --> 00:50:14,239 Speaker 2: We had Mark Irony and then Cheeks and Tony's you know, 861 00:50:14,600 --> 00:50:22,840 Speaker 2: yeah cheeks and Tony Man cheeks. Uh, why are you 862 00:50:22,880 --> 00:50:25,440 Speaker 2: looking at him like that's your guy too? 863 00:50:25,640 --> 00:50:30,040 Speaker 1: No, all, I liked him as a player. I didn't 864 00:50:30,080 --> 00:50:33,120 Speaker 1: like him as a coach. Charles Markley once said that 865 00:50:33,200 --> 00:50:35,480 Speaker 1: Moses Malone kind of helped save him. I said he 866 00:50:35,560 --> 00:50:37,879 Speaker 1: was fatten out of shape, and Charles took that the heart. 867 00:50:37,920 --> 00:50:39,200 Speaker 1: What do you remember about the young Charles? 868 00:50:39,480 --> 00:50:44,400 Speaker 2: I kept seeing his upside and uh, he was he 869 00:50:44,560 --> 00:50:47,320 Speaker 2: was hard headed. He had something to say about everything. 870 00:50:49,000 --> 00:50:53,120 Speaker 2: And if he didn't play is as good as he 871 00:50:53,239 --> 00:50:56,160 Speaker 2: can and as well as he was capable of playing 872 00:50:57,080 --> 00:50:59,560 Speaker 2: or whatever. Then some of the things he did wouldn't 873 00:50:59,560 --> 00:51:04,120 Speaker 2: be tolerant rated, but they were tolerated because you know, 874 00:51:04,360 --> 00:51:08,000 Speaker 2: he was exceptional man. He can you know, he could rebound. 875 00:51:08,080 --> 00:51:11,800 Speaker 2: It take a coast to coast make plays and for 876 00:51:12,000 --> 00:51:15,640 Speaker 2: his height, the rebound, the way that he did, you know, 877 00:51:15,960 --> 00:51:18,840 Speaker 2: it was incredible, it was incredible. It was It was 878 00:51:19,040 --> 00:51:23,359 Speaker 2: kind of disruptive because we had won the championship before 879 00:51:23,400 --> 00:51:27,000 Speaker 2: the year before he got there, and then the year 880 00:51:27,040 --> 00:51:29,560 Speaker 2: that he got there, we had to make room for him. 881 00:51:30,560 --> 00:51:36,080 Speaker 2: And he almost killed Marker Ivroni because Ivarni was playing, 882 00:51:36,320 --> 00:51:40,440 Speaker 2: you know before, and child was like, that's my spot 883 00:51:40,560 --> 00:51:44,600 Speaker 2: right there. This is going back to violence in the 884 00:51:44,680 --> 00:51:49,200 Speaker 2: game because the next man up be a you man. 885 00:51:49,440 --> 00:51:52,359 Speaker 2: He he get irony at his back. He backed them 886 00:51:52,400 --> 00:51:53,719 Speaker 2: all the way out to the top of the key. 887 00:51:55,040 --> 00:52:02,800 Speaker 2: And then uh, and with Moses, you know, Moses stayed 888 00:52:02,840 --> 00:52:07,200 Speaker 2: on him. Moses used to ride him because Mos always 889 00:52:07,239 --> 00:52:12,160 Speaker 2: in shape. And you know, funny, you wouldn't see Moses training. 890 00:52:12,440 --> 00:52:14,480 Speaker 2: I don't know where he trained at. He was always 891 00:52:14,480 --> 00:52:17,160 Speaker 2: I never seen him no weights, I never seen him 892 00:52:17,239 --> 00:52:20,000 Speaker 2: running and you know, but he was definitely training. 893 00:52:20,080 --> 00:52:21,960 Speaker 5: He was always something in shape. 894 00:52:22,280 --> 00:52:24,520 Speaker 2: And you, like you said, you don't when him come in. 895 00:52:25,040 --> 00:52:25,719 Speaker 2: You never seen him. 896 00:52:25,960 --> 00:52:29,120 Speaker 4: He was in his late forties, early fifties. 897 00:52:29,280 --> 00:52:31,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, still playing up, running up and down the court, 898 00:52:31,719 --> 00:52:34,200 Speaker 3: you know, working Tim Duncan, I work, even David Robbinson. 899 00:52:34,200 --> 00:52:36,239 Speaker 3: He was working a lot of those guys out. He 900 00:52:36,280 --> 00:52:38,839 Speaker 3: worked came out and Kevin Cato. Yeah, he was still 901 00:52:38,840 --> 00:52:40,560 Speaker 3: playing with us around the time I was a teenager. 902 00:52:40,640 --> 00:52:42,360 Speaker 3: He was still getting up and down the court. But 903 00:52:42,480 --> 00:52:44,680 Speaker 3: the biggest thing that, like you said, we was getting 904 00:52:44,719 --> 00:52:47,040 Speaker 3: from him was he was teaching while he was playing. 905 00:52:47,400 --> 00:52:49,279 Speaker 3: He was teaching all of us, you know, how to 906 00:52:49,640 --> 00:52:51,960 Speaker 3: and how to be professional too. Yeah, yeah, I missed Moses. 907 00:52:52,120 --> 00:52:54,719 Speaker 2: Yeah you know what his line was, he said, what 908 00:52:54,800 --> 00:52:59,680 Speaker 2: you're going to do with uh? This is Doctor Jay's team. 909 00:53:01,120 --> 00:53:03,759 Speaker 2: He said, well, maybe it's doc show, but maybe it 910 00:53:03,760 --> 00:53:08,799 Speaker 2: to be a better show with me. He used to talk. 911 00:53:08,920 --> 00:53:12,080 Speaker 2: He always come up with these Yeah. 912 00:53:12,320 --> 00:53:14,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, I know we're a little short on time, but 913 00:53:14,440 --> 00:53:16,120 Speaker 1: I definitely want to get through this little part right here, 914 00:53:16,200 --> 00:53:19,400 Speaker 1: Larry Bird. Yeah, ultimately, you guys pushed each other to 915 00:53:19,480 --> 00:53:22,320 Speaker 1: the max. You guys have the infamous fight in Philly. 916 00:53:22,560 --> 00:53:24,760 Speaker 1: You guys are throwing them, You're choking them, He's swinging. 917 00:53:25,560 --> 00:53:27,880 Speaker 1: What was what was it like competing against him? 918 00:53:28,120 --> 00:53:32,520 Speaker 2: Well, the competition against Larry, I mean started with Havlichick 919 00:53:32,719 --> 00:53:41,800 Speaker 2: Cowen's Jojo White, and the probably with Will and Bill Russell, 920 00:53:43,120 --> 00:53:47,680 Speaker 2: Philly versus Boston. The history in Boston Philly, the rivalry, 921 00:53:47,800 --> 00:53:50,680 Speaker 2: I mean, I was I didn't you know, I went 922 00:53:50,719 --> 00:53:53,040 Speaker 2: to school in Massachusetts, so I didn't hate the Boston 923 00:53:53,080 --> 00:53:56,839 Speaker 2: tell when I was in Massachusetts. But once I went 924 00:53:56,880 --> 00:54:01,600 Speaker 2: to Philadelphia via Virginia, New York York and then in Philadelphia, 925 00:54:02,640 --> 00:54:07,239 Speaker 2: then it's like, Okay, we can't like these guys. And 926 00:54:07,600 --> 00:54:10,000 Speaker 2: Quinn Buckner was on their team, and Quinn and I 927 00:54:10,080 --> 00:54:14,240 Speaker 2: were cool. We were boys and whatever. So that started 928 00:54:15,960 --> 00:54:18,960 Speaker 2: and way before Berg got there, way before Berg got there. 929 00:54:19,040 --> 00:54:22,680 Speaker 2: I mean, it was with haveing chicken and teams they had. 930 00:54:24,280 --> 00:54:27,400 Speaker 2: We didn't like them. The year they won the championship, 931 00:54:27,480 --> 00:54:31,200 Speaker 2: we knocked them out in the first round, and and 932 00:54:31,360 --> 00:54:33,879 Speaker 2: there was just a rivalry. Man, there was a love 933 00:54:33,920 --> 00:54:38,120 Speaker 2: hate rivalry with with with Boston and Philadelphia. So I 934 00:54:38,200 --> 00:54:44,040 Speaker 2: think because the cities were competitive in all sports across 935 00:54:44,080 --> 00:54:46,400 Speaker 2: the board, we had to just join the club. We 936 00:54:46,480 --> 00:54:48,040 Speaker 2: had just join the club, and they felt the same 937 00:54:48,040 --> 00:54:51,000 Speaker 2: way about us, right, And the irony of that is, 938 00:54:51,920 --> 00:54:53,600 Speaker 2: you know, Larry and I did stuff together. 939 00:54:54,040 --> 00:54:56,160 Speaker 5: Yeah. Right, We're looking at a video game cover right here? 940 00:54:56,239 --> 00:54:57,359 Speaker 5: Was this before or after the fight? 941 00:54:57,960 --> 00:54:58,320 Speaker 2: This was? 942 00:54:58,920 --> 00:55:01,000 Speaker 5: That was before it was kind of ripped up too. 943 00:55:01,360 --> 00:55:04,640 Speaker 2: That was before man, that was that was the video 944 00:55:05,239 --> 00:55:06,920 Speaker 2: still out there in the universe somewhere. 945 00:55:08,719 --> 00:55:10,440 Speaker 5: Licensing deal with was it? 946 00:55:10,680 --> 00:55:10,879 Speaker 2: Yeah? 947 00:55:11,360 --> 00:55:12,480 Speaker 4: Did you get stocked. 948 00:55:13,800 --> 00:55:17,120 Speaker 2: Sports? Did you get some spots? Got fifteen thousand shares? 949 00:55:17,520 --> 00:55:17,680 Speaker 4: Oh? 950 00:55:17,880 --> 00:55:18,120 Speaker 5: Nice? 951 00:55:18,239 --> 00:55:19,000 Speaker 2: Yeah? 952 00:55:20,239 --> 00:55:20,600 Speaker 5: Sports? 953 00:55:21,400 --> 00:55:24,960 Speaker 2: And uh, we did converse together, and me and him 954 00:55:25,000 --> 00:55:28,160 Speaker 2: and Magic, three of us were first three converse guys. 955 00:55:28,200 --> 00:55:31,480 Speaker 2: Well I was there first and then UH signed them. 956 00:55:31,760 --> 00:55:33,560 Speaker 2: So it was a rivalry. 957 00:55:33,960 --> 00:55:34,040 Speaker 3: Uh. 958 00:55:34,920 --> 00:55:38,640 Speaker 2: You know the fight incident. You know, I generally don't 959 00:55:38,800 --> 00:55:40,480 Speaker 2: have too much to say about it because you don't 960 00:55:40,480 --> 00:55:41,760 Speaker 2: want to dignify. 961 00:55:42,120 --> 00:55:44,120 Speaker 5: You know, a bad event and competitiveness. 962 00:55:44,200 --> 00:55:46,920 Speaker 2: That happened, and yeah, that happened in the blink of 963 00:55:47,000 --> 00:55:50,400 Speaker 2: an eye, and then it got carried all over the 964 00:55:50,560 --> 00:55:53,560 Speaker 2: universe because people coming up to me, can you sign 965 00:55:53,600 --> 00:55:55,160 Speaker 2: this picture? And I'm looking at a picture. 966 00:55:56,040 --> 00:55:58,920 Speaker 7: Hold his neck? He hold my neck. If I had 967 00:55:58,960 --> 00:56:04,279 Speaker 7: to fight side of this ship was Larry Bird? Yeah, 968 00:56:05,719 --> 00:56:06,200 Speaker 7: Lar Bird. 969 00:56:07,280 --> 00:56:10,600 Speaker 1: The next two guys, Magic Johnson spoke on how you 970 00:56:10,719 --> 00:56:13,560 Speaker 1: were a huge mentor in him picking him up from 971 00:56:13,600 --> 00:56:16,080 Speaker 1: the airport, and a few years later you're battling against 972 00:56:16,120 --> 00:56:18,640 Speaker 1: them in the finals. And then also not a few 973 00:56:18,760 --> 00:56:23,800 Speaker 1: years a few months months later, talk about what what 974 00:56:23,880 --> 00:56:25,560 Speaker 1: did you see in a young rookie year? What did 975 00:56:25,560 --> 00:56:27,760 Speaker 1: you see in a young Magic the total package? 976 00:56:28,480 --> 00:56:30,000 Speaker 2: If you could say that, I be I didn't know 977 00:56:30,080 --> 00:56:32,560 Speaker 2: in college he was as good as he was and 978 00:56:32,880 --> 00:56:36,239 Speaker 2: uh uh you know, they had won the whole thing. 979 00:56:37,400 --> 00:56:40,640 Speaker 2: Uh so he got a lot of publicity and uh 980 00:56:41,040 --> 00:56:46,840 Speaker 2: ironically there were a couple other tall guards in the league, 981 00:56:47,719 --> 00:56:49,480 Speaker 2: but none who could do the things that he did. 982 00:56:49,840 --> 00:56:53,200 Speaker 2: And and you know, he just he carved his own way. 983 00:56:53,280 --> 00:56:58,440 Speaker 2: And I think, uh, the first coach he had, they 984 00:56:58,520 --> 00:57:03,080 Speaker 2: fired him, didn't they. Yeah, Yeah, so here we go, 985 00:57:03,840 --> 00:57:07,040 Speaker 2: you know, with the coaching situation playing the role that 986 00:57:07,200 --> 00:57:10,399 Speaker 2: it did, because you know, my first two coaches, I'll 987 00:57:10,400 --> 00:57:12,960 Speaker 2: be Yankee and then Kevin Lucker made all the difference 988 00:57:13,000 --> 00:57:15,480 Speaker 2: in the world in terms of change coming off and 989 00:57:16,200 --> 00:57:18,720 Speaker 2: you know, getting out and being able to be free 990 00:57:19,160 --> 00:57:22,720 Speaker 2: running isolations for you and stuff like that. So so 991 00:57:22,920 --> 00:57:26,800 Speaker 2: there was a there was a shift with first coach 992 00:57:26,880 --> 00:57:31,080 Speaker 2: being fired, next coach, and he's a he's a coach 993 00:57:31,160 --> 00:57:35,520 Speaker 2: on the floor anyway or whatever. So sometimes its just 994 00:57:35,600 --> 00:57:39,040 Speaker 2: somebody being a good listener makes makes a difference. And 995 00:57:40,480 --> 00:57:44,880 Speaker 2: then when you got Kareem back there or right, I 996 00:57:45,080 --> 00:57:48,080 Speaker 2: just I just say, man, this this is kind of 997 00:57:48,160 --> 00:57:51,400 Speaker 2: ideal because I think Kareem is responsible for putting eight 998 00:57:51,520 --> 00:57:54,160 Speaker 2: or ten players in the Hall of Fame, you know, 999 00:57:54,920 --> 00:58:00,440 Speaker 2: and Magic can take some of that credit. But you 1000 00:58:00,520 --> 00:58:04,000 Speaker 2: know that that combination was tough it' stuff. We chased them. 1001 00:58:04,200 --> 00:58:07,960 Speaker 2: We chased them three times and took a while to 1002 00:58:08,040 --> 00:58:08,400 Speaker 2: catch him. 1003 00:58:08,600 --> 00:58:10,840 Speaker 1: Got them on, We got them, got him once. Yeah, 1004 00:58:11,080 --> 00:58:14,440 Speaker 1: a nice one too. Mjson record saying you're his idol. 1005 00:58:14,760 --> 00:58:17,960 Speaker 1: Some say he obviously admired your game, but also off 1006 00:58:18,000 --> 00:58:19,919 Speaker 1: the court, the business blueprint, because you were a first 1007 00:58:19,960 --> 00:58:22,800 Speaker 1: to do a lot of the branding partnerships of EA 1008 00:58:23,040 --> 00:58:26,080 Speaker 1: Converse the business side of basketball as well. Did you 1009 00:58:26,160 --> 00:58:27,120 Speaker 1: kind of see that from Afar? 1010 00:58:27,560 --> 00:58:30,800 Speaker 2: Absolutely? You know, I think it's a necessity because the 1011 00:58:30,880 --> 00:58:34,720 Speaker 2: sports temporary. You can only play so long. And I 1012 00:58:34,800 --> 00:58:38,560 Speaker 2: wish I knew then what I know now, right, you know, 1013 00:58:39,280 --> 00:58:41,960 Speaker 2: I might have played a short period of time. You 1014 00:58:42,080 --> 00:58:44,160 Speaker 2: have to build more in the business sector, just in 1015 00:58:44,320 --> 00:58:49,479 Speaker 2: terms of preparation for life or generational lea, setting things 1016 00:58:49,600 --> 00:58:54,760 Speaker 2: up for family and kids, grandkids, great grandkids or what 1017 00:58:54,920 --> 00:58:59,000 Speaker 2: have you. Yeah, I look at that, and you know, 1018 00:59:00,200 --> 00:59:04,440 Speaker 2: all you do is never enough, because the universe is 1019 00:59:04,520 --> 00:59:09,120 Speaker 2: so big and there's so many opportunities out there, and 1020 00:59:10,600 --> 00:59:13,400 Speaker 2: you know, it's it's like rolling the dice sometime. I mean, 1021 00:59:13,480 --> 00:59:16,160 Speaker 2: we had some winners and we had some losers, and 1022 00:59:16,800 --> 00:59:18,880 Speaker 2: you know, we tend to talk about the winners and 1023 00:59:19,000 --> 00:59:22,920 Speaker 2: rebel and the joy of the winning. But just like 1024 00:59:23,040 --> 00:59:26,320 Speaker 2: in sports man, those those defeats, they hurt and they 1025 00:59:26,400 --> 00:59:29,520 Speaker 2: took their toe, you know, so everybody has them. 1026 00:59:29,720 --> 00:59:29,919 Speaker 5: Yeah. 1027 00:59:30,080 --> 00:59:32,960 Speaker 1: This segment is presented by stock x, a trusted source 1028 00:59:33,520 --> 00:59:36,080 Speaker 1: for the most coveted drops. In nineteen seventy six, you 1029 00:59:36,200 --> 00:59:39,040 Speaker 1: signed a deal with Converse, the first professional basketball player 1030 00:59:39,080 --> 00:59:41,400 Speaker 1: to officially endorse a signature sneaker. 1031 00:59:41,560 --> 00:59:43,160 Speaker 5: How did that deal come about? 1032 00:59:43,440 --> 00:59:45,520 Speaker 2: I was playing in the Ruggle League. A guy who 1033 00:59:45,720 --> 00:59:49,440 Speaker 2: worked for the newspaper in Harlem. I forgot what the 1034 00:59:49,520 --> 00:59:51,800 Speaker 2: name of the newspaper was, but it's probably still there. 1035 00:59:52,160 --> 00:59:55,480 Speaker 2: He approached me and said, I want to introduce you to, 1036 00:59:55,960 --> 01:00:01,000 Speaker 2: you know, some people from Converse, and I was I 1037 01:00:01,240 --> 01:00:06,880 Speaker 2: was wearing a shoe called Chimme Old C H E 1038 01:00:07,000 --> 01:00:09,640 Speaker 2: M O L D. And that was a company open 1039 01:00:09,720 --> 01:00:13,160 Speaker 2: Queens and I was wearing their shoes. 1040 01:00:13,320 --> 01:00:15,240 Speaker 5: That sounds like they hurt your feet? Did they were? 1041 01:00:16,200 --> 01:00:19,360 Speaker 2: They were? They were okay, because you know when you 1042 01:00:19,560 --> 01:00:24,040 Speaker 2: when you in that era, you just played period, just played. Man. 1043 01:00:24,560 --> 01:00:28,120 Speaker 2: It wasn't about wasn't about complaining, wasn't about it wasn't 1044 01:00:28,160 --> 01:00:29,000 Speaker 2: about complaining. 1045 01:00:29,920 --> 01:00:35,760 Speaker 5: Don't go that far you might not be here. 1046 01:00:41,320 --> 01:00:45,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, So that first year came about through just being 1047 01:00:45,200 --> 01:00:47,520 Speaker 2: approached and playing in the rout League, being sent out there, 1048 01:00:47,600 --> 01:00:50,440 Speaker 2: and I don't even remember the economics associated with it, 1049 01:00:50,560 --> 01:00:53,000 Speaker 2: but it was, you know, it was very special and 1050 01:00:53,320 --> 01:00:56,360 Speaker 2: and I think it came about, I'm going to reconden 1051 01:00:56,440 --> 01:01:01,120 Speaker 2: saying this because of doing p s as you know, 1052 01:01:01,480 --> 01:01:05,600 Speaker 2: I mean, I did I did PSAs, you know, Mother's 1053 01:01:05,720 --> 01:01:11,120 Speaker 2: March against Cancer and Salvation Army and I did PSAs 1054 01:01:11,240 --> 01:01:17,120 Speaker 2: for those entities, and I thought wall street or businesses 1055 01:01:17,680 --> 01:01:20,000 Speaker 2: saw that and said he'd be a good pitch math 1056 01:01:20,080 --> 01:01:22,800 Speaker 2: for us, right, you know, so that was the path 1057 01:01:23,440 --> 01:01:26,320 Speaker 2: way to that. And I've advised many young people, man, 1058 01:01:27,000 --> 01:01:30,200 Speaker 2: do the free stuff, you know, the paget page stuff 1059 01:01:30,240 --> 01:01:31,240 Speaker 2: will come back around. 1060 01:01:31,080 --> 01:01:34,800 Speaker 1: Will come around. Yeah, yeah, real quick. The dunk contests, 1061 01:01:35,840 --> 01:01:39,360 Speaker 1: uh you know, the free throw line, the hair. I mean, 1062 01:01:39,440 --> 01:01:43,000 Speaker 1: you inspired so many and today the dunk contest always 1063 01:01:43,000 --> 01:01:44,360 Speaker 1: doesn't live up to what it used to. But what 1064 01:01:44,520 --> 01:01:46,560 Speaker 1: was it about that first dunk contest you got into 1065 01:01:46,720 --> 01:01:49,680 Speaker 1: and and how the aura of that still lives today. 1066 01:01:50,080 --> 01:01:52,439 Speaker 2: I think it's amazing that it does live the way 1067 01:01:52,720 --> 01:01:56,920 Speaker 2: that it does today. And uh, I was sneaking recently 1068 01:01:58,120 --> 01:02:00,560 Speaker 2: because uh, you know, Larry King and was in the 1069 01:02:00,880 --> 01:02:07,040 Speaker 2: Marvin Barnes and artist Gilmore, David Thompson and uh George 1070 01:02:07,080 --> 01:02:11,320 Speaker 2: Gervin and myself. So that crew right there. This is 1071 01:02:11,360 --> 01:02:14,520 Speaker 2: the term, yeah you got any hitters. And the other 1072 01:02:14,640 --> 01:02:20,480 Speaker 2: already is that this dunk contest filled in the halftime 1073 01:02:20,560 --> 01:02:27,320 Speaker 2: of the game. So so the economics because it was 1074 01:02:27,440 --> 01:02:30,280 Speaker 2: the Denver Nuggets plays the rest of the A B 1075 01:02:30,440 --> 01:02:32,400 Speaker 2: A kind of like some of the stuff they do now. 1076 01:02:33,160 --> 01:02:35,680 Speaker 2: So we had the A BA All Stars, and then 1077 01:02:35,720 --> 01:02:37,800 Speaker 2: we had the Denver Nuggets because they were first place, 1078 01:02:38,120 --> 01:02:39,840 Speaker 2: they had the best recond league and it was their 1079 01:02:39,880 --> 01:02:45,919 Speaker 2: home court, right, so I think they wanted to put 1080 01:02:47,480 --> 01:02:50,280 Speaker 2: a rock band or something in there at halftime. 1081 01:02:50,560 --> 01:02:54,280 Speaker 5: And the deal kept falling through, so they said, I 1082 01:02:54,360 --> 01:02:54,800 Speaker 5: know we do. 1083 01:02:54,880 --> 01:02:56,240 Speaker 2: We have a slam dunk contest. 1084 01:02:56,720 --> 01:02:57,480 Speaker 5: That's how it came about. 1085 01:02:58,240 --> 01:03:01,360 Speaker 2: This is the actual, the actual, the real deal. And 1086 01:03:01,440 --> 01:03:04,560 Speaker 2: they let it and we signed up for it to 1087 01:03:04,720 --> 01:03:08,040 Speaker 2: do it, I mean almost on the spot, right and 1088 01:03:08,560 --> 01:03:12,280 Speaker 2: and suddenly, uh, we're we're in the middle of it, 1089 01:03:12,320 --> 01:03:14,760 Speaker 2: and the crowd is loving it. Oh man, I love 1090 01:03:14,880 --> 01:03:18,680 Speaker 2: this whatever. I'm damn David Thompson, you know, you got 1091 01:03:18,800 --> 01:03:23,280 Speaker 2: some hops. He's gonna do some stuff here and uh 1092 01:03:24,480 --> 01:03:30,280 Speaker 2: and they didn't have any uh substitute dunks if you 1093 01:03:30,440 --> 01:03:34,680 Speaker 2: miss so, like what happened to me and Larry Nance 1094 01:03:34,840 --> 01:03:38,120 Speaker 2: when we win the finals in the first NBA uh 1095 01:03:38,280 --> 01:03:42,280 Speaker 2: slam dunk contest. I missed one. That was it that 1096 01:03:42,400 --> 01:03:44,680 Speaker 2: open the door for Larry you know, because he was 1097 01:03:44,760 --> 01:03:47,680 Speaker 2: doing the same dunk all over and over and over 1098 01:03:47,760 --> 01:03:51,400 Speaker 2: that when they looked like whatever the human helicopter. Yeah, 1099 01:03:52,440 --> 01:03:57,040 Speaker 2: So David missed one and that was like the break 1100 01:03:57,160 --> 01:04:00,200 Speaker 2: I went last dunked it from the foul line, one 1101 01:04:00,200 --> 01:04:03,080 Speaker 2: of the first slam dunk contests. So down, and then 1102 01:04:03,120 --> 01:04:06,320 Speaker 2: you know, I do think about historically the way they 1103 01:04:06,480 --> 01:04:10,120 Speaker 2: look at it now and they look at me, could 1104 01:04:10,160 --> 01:04:14,000 Speaker 2: have been David right there and what he missed? 1105 01:04:15,120 --> 01:04:17,040 Speaker 1: Quick hitters. First thing to kind of mind. Let us 1106 01:04:17,120 --> 01:04:19,600 Speaker 1: know one album you can listen to with no skips 1107 01:04:20,080 --> 01:04:21,120 Speaker 1: that man. 1108 01:04:21,040 --> 01:04:24,880 Speaker 2: Marvin Gay, come on, come on, going on? What's going on? 1109 01:04:25,280 --> 01:04:27,360 Speaker 4: Five dinner? Guess dead or alive? 1110 01:04:27,600 --> 01:04:29,200 Speaker 5: You plus five plus five? 1111 01:04:29,480 --> 01:04:32,680 Speaker 2: Then I guess all right, Let's take Martin Luther King Jr. 1112 01:04:33,920 --> 01:04:41,360 Speaker 2: Put him in there, Jesus Christ, and do I like, 1113 01:04:41,920 --> 01:04:47,240 Speaker 2: put Michael Jordan in there and talk to him at would? Yeah? 1114 01:04:47,280 --> 01:04:49,200 Speaker 2: I want to. I want to be on his mind. 1115 01:04:54,600 --> 01:04:56,320 Speaker 5: And that's three. 1116 01:04:57,040 --> 01:05:02,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's three. Bill Russell, nice, yeah, nice legend. Be 1117 01:05:02,840 --> 01:05:05,360 Speaker 2: good to do that again. I know I had a 1118 01:05:05,400 --> 01:05:09,720 Speaker 2: lot of dinners with him. Man, he showed me so much. 1119 01:05:10,880 --> 01:05:11,800 Speaker 2: They showed me so much. 1120 01:05:12,080 --> 01:05:15,840 Speaker 5: Who's saving that last seat for rushing me? Oh? Your team, 1121 01:05:16,280 --> 01:05:17,680 Speaker 5: your team said you gotta get on the road. 1122 01:05:17,760 --> 01:05:21,680 Speaker 2: So we don't want to make nobody mad. We can. 1123 01:05:23,320 --> 01:05:25,400 Speaker 5: We can still have another thirty week. You skipped the 1124 01:05:25,440 --> 01:05:26,480 Speaker 5: whole page and stuff. 1125 01:05:26,200 --> 01:05:27,720 Speaker 2: We want to ask save that seat. 1126 01:05:28,080 --> 01:05:29,200 Speaker 5: Okay, I like that. 1127 01:05:29,720 --> 01:05:31,840 Speaker 1: Well, Doc, thank you for your time. We appreciate you. 1128 01:05:32,320 --> 01:05:34,680 Speaker 1: You know what you meant to the sport on and 1129 01:05:34,880 --> 01:05:37,120 Speaker 1: off the court. You know still stands tall today. And 1130 01:05:37,240 --> 01:05:39,120 Speaker 1: and thank you for finding some time to come through 1131 01:05:39,160 --> 01:05:40,280 Speaker 1: and hang out with us for a little bit. 1132 01:05:40,320 --> 01:05:40,480 Speaker 2: Man. 1133 01:05:40,800 --> 01:05:43,720 Speaker 3: And let me say, the last seven years been on 1134 01:05:43,920 --> 01:05:46,120 Speaker 3: for me, you know, to be able to work with 1135 01:05:46,200 --> 01:05:48,320 Speaker 3: you every year, build a relationship, feel like a little 1136 01:05:48,320 --> 01:05:50,520 Speaker 3: brother to you now. So I'm just honest to have 1137 01:05:50,560 --> 01:05:52,600 Speaker 3: a relationship I have and I appreciate you coming all right, 1138 01:05:52,640 --> 01:05:53,440 Speaker 3: little brother, sir. 1139 01:05:53,640 --> 01:05:57,080 Speaker 1: And he's got his big seventy sixth birthday this year, right, Yes, 1140 01:05:57,960 --> 01:06:01,000 Speaker 1: six birthday, Man's special man, so happy early birth. 1141 01:06:01,840 --> 01:06:02,480 Speaker 2: Have summoned me. 1142 01:06:02,680 --> 01:06:04,840 Speaker 5: There you go next week, summon. 1143 01:06:04,680 --> 01:06:07,080 Speaker 1: Me congratulations man, and I'll be out at your golf 1144 01:06:07,120 --> 01:06:08,240 Speaker 1: tournament later in the summer. 1145 01:06:08,720 --> 01:06:16,640 Speaker 5: You good to see you, Jay, you m hm. 1146 01:06:20,800 --> 01:06:32,120 Speaker 2: Mm hmmm, hm mm hmmm.