WEBVTT - Larry Costello, a Link Between Two Philadelphia Franchises

0:00:00.680 --> 0:00:04.160
<v Speaker 1>Welcome to del Riser and then to go sur Prid

0:00:04.280 --> 0:00:07.160
<v Speaker 1>has really been created to some drulling shops a gun. Tonight,

0:00:07.640 --> 0:00:15.360
<v Speaker 1>this is the Sixers History Podcast hosted by Pro Hoops

0:00:15.360 --> 0:00:23.079
<v Speaker 1>Histories Curtis Harris, Going up but at basket Now slide

0:00:23.079 --> 0:00:28.000
<v Speaker 1>back into time Sixers STYT with today's episode. Welcome back,

0:00:28.040 --> 0:00:31.720
<v Speaker 1>everyone to another episode of the Sixers History Pod with

0:00:31.880 --> 0:00:36.200
<v Speaker 1>your host Curtis Harris. And today we're discussing the career

0:00:36.760 --> 0:00:40.720
<v Speaker 1>of the late Larry Costello, who played for the Philadelphia

0:00:40.760 --> 0:00:46.239
<v Speaker 1>seventy Sixers, the Syracuse Nationals, and the Philadelphia Warriors. And

0:00:46.320 --> 0:00:49.000
<v Speaker 1>we're going to discuss Costello's playing career as well as

0:00:49.000 --> 0:00:52.840
<v Speaker 1>his coaching career with Tim Roy, who is the current

0:00:52.960 --> 0:00:56.240
<v Speaker 1>radio play by play announcer for the Golden State Warriors

0:00:56.440 --> 0:00:58.640
<v Speaker 1>and has actually help that job now for I think

0:00:58.680 --> 0:01:02.480
<v Speaker 1>twenty two years. So Tim's got that down pat and

0:01:02.760 --> 0:01:05.039
<v Speaker 1>he's a great talker as you'll hear in the pod,

0:01:05.880 --> 0:01:08.480
<v Speaker 1>and really just really loves basketball history. So I was

0:01:08.520 --> 0:01:11.000
<v Speaker 1>really happy to get him on for this podcast. But

0:01:11.080 --> 0:01:13.759
<v Speaker 1>as Tim will explain in just a moment, he came

0:01:13.800 --> 0:01:17.200
<v Speaker 1>to know Larry Costello back in the nineteen eighties when

0:01:17.240 --> 0:01:20.520
<v Speaker 1>Tim was working in Utica, New York, and Costello was

0:01:20.560 --> 0:01:23.640
<v Speaker 1>the coach of Utica College at that point. So through

0:01:23.760 --> 0:01:27.240
<v Speaker 1>his time knowing Costello from that point forward, Tim got

0:01:27.240 --> 0:01:28.960
<v Speaker 1>to know a lot about him. And we'll talk about

0:01:29.040 --> 0:01:31.800
<v Speaker 1>Larry's career as a player with the as I mentioned

0:01:31.840 --> 0:01:34.760
<v Speaker 1>the Nats, Warriors and seventy six Ers, where he was

0:01:34.800 --> 0:01:37.679
<v Speaker 1>a six time All Star during his playing career and

0:01:38.000 --> 0:01:39.720
<v Speaker 1>was a member of the title team we had here

0:01:39.720 --> 0:01:43.080
<v Speaker 1>in Philly back in nineteen sixty seven. And then after

0:01:43.120 --> 0:01:47.039
<v Speaker 1>his playing career was finished, Costello eventually coached in college

0:01:47.640 --> 0:01:50.120
<v Speaker 1>bad about a decade long stint as coach of the

0:01:50.160 --> 0:01:53.480
<v Speaker 1>Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA and took the Bucks from

0:01:53.520 --> 0:01:57.080
<v Speaker 1>expansion team in nineteen sixty nine to NBA champions by

0:01:57.200 --> 0:02:01.520
<v Speaker 1>nineteen seventy one. So this is a great conversation with Tim.

0:02:01.880 --> 0:02:05.480
<v Speaker 1>As I said, he loves basketball history, really loves Larry Costello,

0:02:06.000 --> 0:02:07.560
<v Speaker 1>so he was really pumped to come on and talk

0:02:07.560 --> 0:02:10.440
<v Speaker 1>about talk about his friend, really and all that he

0:02:10.520 --> 0:02:12.800
<v Speaker 1>learned from Costello and helped share his career and his

0:02:12.960 --> 0:02:17.600
<v Speaker 1>accomplishments with you all. So we'll start the podcast off

0:02:17.639 --> 0:02:20.200
<v Speaker 1>with Tim telling us just how he ran across Costello

0:02:20.280 --> 0:02:21.800
<v Speaker 1>for the first time back in the eighties, and then

0:02:21.880 --> 0:02:25.120
<v Speaker 1>we'll just go from there. Learn more about the career

0:02:25.160 --> 0:02:29.480
<v Speaker 1>of All Star NBA champion coaching player Larry Costello. I

0:02:29.520 --> 0:02:33.679
<v Speaker 1>had gone to a small school in up state in

0:02:33.720 --> 0:02:36.760
<v Speaker 1>New York called Jutica College, and it was a small

0:02:36.800 --> 0:02:39.480
<v Speaker 1>Division three school. I was much more I went. I

0:02:39.600 --> 0:02:42.440
<v Speaker 1>visited Syracuse and Boston University because I wanted to be

0:02:42.480 --> 0:02:44.600
<v Speaker 1>a sportscaster. So I knew it's why I wanted to

0:02:44.639 --> 0:02:48.880
<v Speaker 1>do since I was a little kid. And so I

0:02:48.919 --> 0:02:53.799
<v Speaker 1>went up there and and you know, those schools were

0:02:53.800 --> 0:02:56.040
<v Speaker 1>way too big for me. So the guy at Syracy said, hey,

0:02:56.280 --> 0:02:59.000
<v Speaker 1>you're way back home, stop off in Utica and check

0:02:59.040 --> 0:03:01.519
<v Speaker 1>it out. They got a brand new radio station. It's

0:03:01.560 --> 0:03:05.079
<v Speaker 1>a smaller school, maybe more your style and the whole bit.

0:03:05.400 --> 0:03:09.679
<v Speaker 1>So I went there, enjoyed it. Got a job with

0:03:09.760 --> 0:03:11.720
<v Speaker 1>the local radio station, Treum when I was at the

0:03:11.800 --> 0:03:14.959
<v Speaker 1>end of my sophomore year, and Rise we started that year.

0:03:15.360 --> 0:03:18.640
<v Speaker 1>Larry Costello got hired to be the head basketball coach

0:03:18.680 --> 0:03:21.840
<v Speaker 1>and helped take the program to Division one. The school

0:03:21.880 --> 0:03:25.959
<v Speaker 1>president was an old friend of Larry's and he wanted

0:03:25.960 --> 0:03:28.160
<v Speaker 1>to take the program to Division one. So we called Larry,

0:03:28.360 --> 0:03:30.080
<v Speaker 1>can you help me do this? Larry said, sure, I

0:03:30.080 --> 0:03:32.840
<v Speaker 1>got nothing going on. So he came up and was

0:03:32.880 --> 0:03:35.800
<v Speaker 1>the head coach there from nineteen well in the Division

0:03:35.840 --> 0:03:39.960
<v Speaker 1>one in nineteen eighty one through nineteen eighty seven. And

0:03:39.960 --> 0:03:41.720
<v Speaker 1>and so that's how I met him. I did his

0:03:41.800 --> 0:03:45.760
<v Speaker 1>games and broadcasts games on a local commercial station, and

0:03:47.360 --> 0:03:51.480
<v Speaker 1>you know, learned a ton of basketball just listening to

0:03:51.560 --> 0:03:54.560
<v Speaker 1>him talk and you know, having him point out different

0:03:54.560 --> 0:03:58.040
<v Speaker 1>things to me. And I learned a lot about offensive basketball.

0:03:58.040 --> 0:04:00.200
<v Speaker 1>I learned that there's there's a million ways to get

0:04:00.280 --> 0:04:03.200
<v Speaker 1>somebody a wide open shot. And I learned about how

0:04:03.240 --> 0:04:07.440
<v Speaker 1>to use you know, play as misdirection. You know, how

0:04:07.480 --> 0:04:09.760
<v Speaker 1>it looks like it's gonna be that they want to

0:04:09.760 --> 0:04:11.960
<v Speaker 1>do one thing, but you end up getting another thing.

0:04:12.080 --> 0:04:17.719
<v Speaker 1>And and so uh. He was a real task master

0:04:18.200 --> 0:04:22.039
<v Speaker 1>master with his team. But he really understood offensive basketball

0:04:22.040 --> 0:04:25.320
<v Speaker 1>in a way that that not many people could. And

0:04:25.360 --> 0:04:28.320
<v Speaker 1>I think in a lot of ways. Though his record

0:04:28.400 --> 0:04:31.520
<v Speaker 1>isn't great when he was in college, I think if

0:04:31.520 --> 0:04:35.000
<v Speaker 1>he saw the talent there and saw what he was

0:04:35.080 --> 0:04:38.000
<v Speaker 1>able to do in certain games to keep that talent,

0:04:38.520 --> 0:04:41.440
<v Speaker 1>you know, against a vastly securitior opponent in the game.

0:04:42.480 --> 0:04:45.560
<v Speaker 1>And um so to me, he was remarkable. He was.

0:04:46.400 --> 0:04:50.239
<v Speaker 1>I think he was a little underrated as a coach

0:04:50.320 --> 0:04:52.159
<v Speaker 1>because he was a you know, he was a he

0:04:52.200 --> 0:04:54.480
<v Speaker 1>was a tough guy. You know, you didn't give him

0:04:54.520 --> 0:04:57.279
<v Speaker 1>any any lip or anything like that. He he was

0:04:57.400 --> 0:04:59.640
<v Speaker 1>you know, he was old school and you know from

0:04:59.640 --> 0:05:02.760
<v Speaker 1>his hair cut all the way down yep, and you know,

0:05:02.920 --> 0:05:06.800
<v Speaker 1>you know, and so so uh you know he And

0:05:07.120 --> 0:05:08.840
<v Speaker 1>but I think if you go back and I think

0:05:08.880 --> 0:05:10.440
<v Speaker 1>of a lot of players who played for him in

0:05:10.440 --> 0:05:14.320
<v Speaker 1>the NBA, I think now with their you know years

0:05:14.360 --> 0:05:17.360
<v Speaker 1>and looking back, I think they probably appreciate it more

0:05:18.000 --> 0:05:20.960
<v Speaker 1>because of the fact that that he was constantly devising

0:05:21.000 --> 0:05:23.880
<v Speaker 1>ways to help get them, you know, better shots and

0:05:23.920 --> 0:05:27.880
<v Speaker 1>to make them a better team. So, after recalling Larry's

0:05:27.920 --> 0:05:31.560
<v Speaker 1>coaching career, I asked him about, you know, what stories

0:05:31.600 --> 0:05:34.840
<v Speaker 1>did Larry share about his playing days. I got some

0:05:34.880 --> 0:05:38.640
<v Speaker 1>good stuff, starting with, uh, you know, the sixty seven

0:05:38.760 --> 0:05:42.640
<v Speaker 1>seventy six ers Costello's time with the championship team, but

0:05:42.760 --> 0:05:46.800
<v Speaker 1>also how Larry got into pro basketball and really did

0:05:46.839 --> 0:05:48.800
<v Speaker 1>some just some you know, interesting fun stories from the

0:05:48.800 --> 0:05:50.840
<v Speaker 1>fifties and sixties. You're not gonna get any more to

0:05:50.839 --> 0:05:53.520
<v Speaker 1>the NBA because things have changed so much. Uh. It's

0:05:53.560 --> 0:05:56.040
<v Speaker 1>not good, it's not bad. It's just different, different kinds

0:05:56.040 --> 0:05:59.719
<v Speaker 1>of stories, different kind of style. He never initiated it.

0:05:59.800 --> 0:06:02.760
<v Speaker 1>I had to try to prod him. And it might

0:06:02.800 --> 0:06:06.000
<v Speaker 1>have been, you know, late night after a game over

0:06:06.560 --> 0:06:12.000
<v Speaker 1>a frosty multi beverage um that uh, he might you know,

0:06:12.680 --> 0:06:15.599
<v Speaker 1>start if I asked him questions, he would he more

0:06:15.680 --> 0:06:18.240
<v Speaker 1>than not, he would answer them. And so when I

0:06:18.240 --> 0:06:21.440
<v Speaker 1>asked her about that team, he said that Alexander had

0:06:21.480 --> 0:06:23.560
<v Speaker 1>called him and said, hey, I wanted to come back.

0:06:23.560 --> 0:06:26.520
<v Speaker 1>I needed to come back a little veteran guard this team.

0:06:26.560 --> 0:06:29.080
<v Speaker 1>And so he, you know, he showed up. And Larry

0:06:29.160 --> 0:06:31.640
<v Speaker 1>was always fanatical about being in shape and about being

0:06:31.680 --> 0:06:34.680
<v Speaker 1>ready and and so he was ready to go, even

0:06:34.680 --> 0:06:39.359
<v Speaker 1>though he had had some injuries throughout his career. And

0:06:38.600 --> 0:06:42.159
<v Speaker 1>uh and and he said he loved he loved flavor

0:06:42.160 --> 0:06:44.800
<v Speaker 1>Alexander because Anna was kind of like he was. Alexandon

0:06:44.839 --> 0:06:49.320
<v Speaker 1>was a former marine and again another guy. I think

0:06:49.360 --> 0:06:52.680
<v Speaker 1>that history doesn't give enough run. I think he was

0:06:52.720 --> 0:06:56.719
<v Speaker 1>an unbelievable coach. Here the history of the Warriors, the

0:06:56.800 --> 0:06:59.760
<v Speaker 1>two Warrior teams that got to the finals before seventy

0:06:59.760 --> 0:07:02.719
<v Speaker 1>five were both coached by Alex Hammer. I mean, and

0:07:02.839 --> 0:07:04.480
<v Speaker 1>it was you know, they brought him back and they

0:07:04.520 --> 0:07:09.760
<v Speaker 1>got to the finals. So anyway, so Larry started to

0:07:09.840 --> 0:07:15.440
<v Speaker 1>that team, and I remember one time I asked him,

0:07:15.480 --> 0:07:16.840
<v Speaker 1>I said, I said, I know you got hurt. He

0:07:17.000 --> 0:07:19.360
<v Speaker 1>what happened because so I tore him achilles tendor. I thought, wow,

0:07:19.680 --> 0:07:23.000
<v Speaker 1>because I got back in time for the playoffs. He

0:07:23.080 --> 0:07:25.440
<v Speaker 1>tore his achilles tended in the middle of the season

0:07:25.760 --> 0:07:28.440
<v Speaker 1>and returned for the playoffs. They didn't play a lot,

0:07:28.560 --> 0:07:31.360
<v Speaker 1>might you Okay, probably was now nowhere close to the

0:07:31.400 --> 0:07:35.880
<v Speaker 1>one hundred percent, But when he got hurt, their record

0:07:36.120 --> 0:07:42.200
<v Speaker 1>was forty four and four. Yep, think about that. Forty

0:07:42.280 --> 0:07:47.400
<v Speaker 1>four and four. I mean, uh yeah, that team was loaded.

0:07:47.560 --> 0:07:50.040
<v Speaker 1>And I think he was proud to be a part

0:07:50.040 --> 0:07:52.200
<v Speaker 1>of that team. And I think if you had pushed

0:07:52.280 --> 0:07:55.560
<v Speaker 1>him at the time, he h he was proud to

0:07:56.080 --> 0:07:58.080
<v Speaker 1>be on a team that a lot of people for

0:07:58.120 --> 0:08:00.440
<v Speaker 1>the longest time said was you know, the best team

0:08:00.480 --> 0:08:03.600
<v Speaker 1>to the best individual one year team to play in

0:08:03.640 --> 0:08:05.560
<v Speaker 1>the NBA. That's how people looked at it for a

0:08:05.600 --> 0:08:12.960
<v Speaker 1>long long time. He was drafted by the Warriors, and uh,

0:08:13.720 --> 0:08:16.920
<v Speaker 1>but you know, I think, I think under some parental pressure,

0:08:16.960 --> 0:08:19.520
<v Speaker 1>he wasn't sure he wanted to be a pro basketball player.

0:08:20.040 --> 0:08:23.480
<v Speaker 1>So his mom and wanted to go to some sort

0:08:23.520 --> 0:08:24.960
<v Speaker 1>of a you know, get some sort of a trade

0:08:25.000 --> 0:08:26.840
<v Speaker 1>here at college. So he went up to dental school

0:08:27.520 --> 0:08:30.200
<v Speaker 1>and he was this is after Naggurate. So he's hanging

0:08:30.240 --> 0:08:33.199
<v Speaker 1>out and he goes, I was going to dental school.

0:08:33.240 --> 0:08:35.760
<v Speaker 1>He goes, but I kept finding myself in the gym.

0:08:37.720 --> 0:08:41.640
<v Speaker 1>I kept finding myself playing basketball and taking shots and practicing,

0:08:41.640 --> 0:08:44.120
<v Speaker 1>and he goes. And so you know, finally he got

0:08:44.120 --> 0:08:45.920
<v Speaker 1>he called up at a Gali because he still want

0:08:45.960 --> 0:08:49.720
<v Speaker 1>me because the camp had already started, and so galis, yeah, sure,

0:08:49.760 --> 0:08:53.080
<v Speaker 1>get out, get down here. So he reported the Philadelphia

0:08:53.080 --> 0:08:55.440
<v Speaker 1>with the Warriors and started his career. Ended up being

0:08:55.440 --> 0:08:58.640
<v Speaker 1>trade to Syracuse, which is why he had such a

0:08:58.720 --> 0:09:01.400
<v Speaker 1>network of friends up there, because he played with the

0:09:01.480 --> 0:09:04.920
<v Speaker 1>Nationals for a long time. And uh, and I remember

0:09:05.000 --> 0:09:08.079
<v Speaker 1>Jean Shoe telling me once that, you know, a lot

0:09:08.120 --> 0:09:10.880
<v Speaker 1>of times, you know, the teams back then in the

0:09:10.880 --> 0:09:16.079
<v Speaker 1>fifties would travel by train, and so uh, sometimes he goes.

0:09:16.080 --> 0:09:18.520
<v Speaker 1>Occasionally we would be like, you know, waiting for the

0:09:18.559 --> 0:09:21.280
<v Speaker 1>other team to home team to get there, and if

0:09:21.320 --> 0:09:24.080
<v Speaker 1>Syracuse had played like Fort Wayne or somebody the night before,

0:09:24.880 --> 0:09:27.040
<v Speaker 1>he says, the train would come in and the players

0:09:27.120 --> 0:09:29.719
<v Speaker 1>would get there about five o'clock and he goes and

0:09:29.920 --> 0:09:31.959
<v Speaker 1>because I looked at Larry, goes one night and here

0:09:31.960 --> 0:09:34.440
<v Speaker 1>comes Larry. He looks like he's having about two hours sleep,

0:09:34.480 --> 0:09:37.040
<v Speaker 1>and he's, you know, basically dragging his bag of locker

0:09:37.080 --> 0:09:38.880
<v Speaker 1>room as, oh, I've got this to night because he

0:09:38.920 --> 0:09:41.280
<v Speaker 1>just sees the tip with up because Larry's running me,

0:09:41.400 --> 0:09:44.720
<v Speaker 1>ragging all of us going. So it was at an act.

0:09:45.200 --> 0:09:47.920
<v Speaker 1>Did he just look tired, you know? Or you know,

0:09:48.040 --> 0:09:52.200
<v Speaker 1>did he just turn I so, uh yeah. So he

0:09:52.200 --> 0:09:55.600
<v Speaker 1>he had a thing and I remember there was I

0:09:55.679 --> 0:09:59.240
<v Speaker 1>think this might have been with Syracuse that he scored

0:09:59.480 --> 0:10:04.160
<v Speaker 1>I think thirty consecutive points without a miss. He had

0:10:04.200 --> 0:10:06.120
<v Speaker 1>a night where he got really hot, he said, and

0:10:06.800 --> 0:10:10.080
<v Speaker 1>didn't miss and just kept scoring and scoring and scoring.

0:10:10.080 --> 0:10:11.960
<v Speaker 1>He was always a great foul shooter, so that they

0:10:12.000 --> 0:10:14.679
<v Speaker 1>foul him. It was usually two points, because I think

0:10:14.679 --> 0:10:16.480
<v Speaker 1>he led the league two or three times at three

0:10:16.520 --> 0:10:19.080
<v Speaker 1>throw percentage. But one night he just couldn't miss, and

0:10:19.160 --> 0:10:21.040
<v Speaker 1>he was one of the last guys early to suit

0:10:21.120 --> 0:10:24.480
<v Speaker 1>the shoot the kind of set shot that they shot

0:10:24.520 --> 0:10:27.120
<v Speaker 1>in the early days. He had that going. But he

0:10:27.160 --> 0:10:29.000
<v Speaker 1>was so quick that he could pump pick you on

0:10:29.040 --> 0:10:31.439
<v Speaker 1>that and get it get around you. He was always quick.

0:10:31.960 --> 0:10:34.640
<v Speaker 1>But yeah, those were He talked a little bit about

0:10:34.679 --> 0:10:38.160
<v Speaker 1>the travel and about how you know, guys were you know,

0:10:38.240 --> 0:10:40.880
<v Speaker 1>the game was a lot tougher back then, and you know,

0:10:40.960 --> 0:10:43.360
<v Speaker 1>he says, guys would knock you down, the referee look

0:10:43.400 --> 0:10:49.320
<v Speaker 1>hit you and say we'll get up. So so they

0:10:49.320 --> 0:10:53.800
<v Speaker 1>had to play a different style game back then. So

0:10:53.880 --> 0:10:57.280
<v Speaker 1>despite all he accomplished, Larry was still a little reticent

0:10:57.400 --> 0:11:00.200
<v Speaker 1>to have his college players know that he was an

0:11:00.280 --> 0:11:04.080
<v Speaker 1>NBA All Star. So Tim talked about why Larry was

0:11:04.080 --> 0:11:07.720
<v Speaker 1>so hesitant to reveal his All Star status. Six times

0:11:07.760 --> 0:11:11.000
<v Speaker 1>he was an NBA All Star. Did also here Tim

0:11:11.080 --> 0:11:15.720
<v Speaker 1>recall some stories from other Hall of famers discussing what

0:11:15.880 --> 0:11:20.160
<v Speaker 1>respect they had for Larry as a player. Well, he didn't.

0:11:20.200 --> 0:11:22.520
<v Speaker 1>He didn't really mention the All Star games too much.

0:11:22.840 --> 0:11:24.719
<v Speaker 1>Like I said, he was very really hard to get

0:11:24.760 --> 0:11:27.640
<v Speaker 1>in to talk about, you know, his days in the NBA.

0:11:27.679 --> 0:11:32.360
<v Speaker 1>He um, he really I think, you know, once he

0:11:32.520 --> 0:11:35.640
<v Speaker 1>got the job there, I think he wanted the players

0:11:35.880 --> 0:11:39.480
<v Speaker 1>at the college level to really focus in on him

0:11:39.520 --> 0:11:41.920
<v Speaker 1>as their coach and not as his former NBA guy.

0:11:41.960 --> 0:11:44.319
<v Speaker 1>I mean, like I said, usually if I got him

0:11:44.040 --> 0:11:46.839
<v Speaker 1>in a moment where we were alone and there was

0:11:46.920 --> 0:11:49.560
<v Speaker 1>no you know, maybe one or two other people around,

0:11:49.640 --> 0:11:51.959
<v Speaker 1>and he would he would chat with us about that.

0:11:52.040 --> 0:11:55.439
<v Speaker 1>But I do know that, uh, you know, when I

0:11:55.600 --> 0:11:57.880
<v Speaker 1>when the All Star thing came up. I remember one

0:11:57.920 --> 0:12:01.200
<v Speaker 1>conversation we had and you know, one of the guys

0:12:01.200 --> 0:12:03.120
<v Speaker 1>that was one of the assistant coaches, I didn't know

0:12:03.160 --> 0:12:05.079
<v Speaker 1>he made the All Star Game that that much. And

0:12:05.400 --> 0:12:07.679
<v Speaker 1>he was, yeah, well, you know, because I had a

0:12:07.720 --> 0:12:09.640
<v Speaker 1>few years while I was you know, doing it doing

0:12:09.640 --> 0:12:12.120
<v Speaker 1>it right. And so I mean he was he was

0:12:12.160 --> 0:12:14.000
<v Speaker 1>a really steady player, and like I said, he was

0:12:14.120 --> 0:12:18.200
<v Speaker 1>very quick. He was a tenacious defender and a very

0:12:18.440 --> 0:12:21.840
<v Speaker 1>very good shooter. But but he could do you know,

0:12:21.880 --> 0:12:25.920
<v Speaker 1>a variety of other things. I think he is numbers

0:12:26.280 --> 0:12:29.520
<v Speaker 1>on the rebounding and assist if I remember, and you

0:12:29.520 --> 0:12:31.880
<v Speaker 1>get the page up, they're kind of tailed off. And

0:12:32.240 --> 0:12:34.679
<v Speaker 1>you know, in his latter years and I think the

0:12:34.720 --> 0:12:36.360
<v Speaker 1>injuries started to take a little bit of their toll.

0:12:36.440 --> 0:12:38.960
<v Speaker 1>But but when he was healthy, he was a pretty

0:12:39.000 --> 0:12:42.560
<v Speaker 1>solid rebounder and assist guy, and so to me, he

0:12:42.600 --> 0:12:44.760
<v Speaker 1>was kind of like an all around player. And then

0:12:44.760 --> 0:12:47.160
<v Speaker 1>if you go back to his college days, he was

0:12:47.240 --> 0:12:52.360
<v Speaker 1>a very good college player and part of this college

0:12:52.679 --> 0:12:56.880
<v Speaker 1>um tree, if you will, a legendary coach named Taps

0:12:56.920 --> 0:13:00.480
<v Speaker 1>Gallagher started and coming out of that school. Cool at

0:13:00.480 --> 0:13:03.560
<v Speaker 1>the time were three guys who ended up being NBA

0:13:03.600 --> 0:13:08.640
<v Speaker 1>and ABA head coaches, Frank Layton, Larry Costello and hughby

0:13:08.679 --> 0:13:13.800
<v Speaker 1>Brown and um and I remember, you know, won't get

0:13:13.840 --> 0:13:15.880
<v Speaker 1>to the coaching part yet, but but to me, I

0:13:15.920 --> 0:13:19.200
<v Speaker 1>remember talking to Tom Heinson about Larry Costello one time

0:13:19.240 --> 0:13:21.040
<v Speaker 1>on my talk show and when I was working in

0:13:21.120 --> 0:13:24.000
<v Speaker 1>upstate New York, and he went out of his way

0:13:24.040 --> 0:13:26.280
<v Speaker 1>to give him praise as far as the talented player.

0:13:26.320 --> 0:13:28.760
<v Speaker 1>He says, people don't know how good that guy was.

0:13:29.000 --> 0:13:31.360
<v Speaker 1>And he goes, but he said he wouldn't you know,

0:13:31.400 --> 0:13:33.560
<v Speaker 1>he would have been a guy that that you know,

0:13:33.640 --> 0:13:35.840
<v Speaker 1>he felt would have fitted in on the Celtics because

0:13:36.240 --> 0:13:38.679
<v Speaker 1>he would do things that you know, he could have scored.

0:13:38.760 --> 0:13:40.440
<v Speaker 1>He goes, he goes, twenty and nine if he wanted

0:13:40.520 --> 0:13:42.760
<v Speaker 1>every night, but he would make plays for other guys

0:13:42.760 --> 0:13:44.760
<v Speaker 1>to try to help the team win. He goes he

0:13:44.840 --> 0:13:47.680
<v Speaker 1>was all about trying to not only beat you physically,

0:13:47.720 --> 0:13:51.160
<v Speaker 1>but beat you in in terms of the game. The

0:13:51.320 --> 0:13:54.920
<v Speaker 1>respect that Oscar had for Larry was great enough. So

0:13:55.080 --> 0:13:57.600
<v Speaker 1>Larry called him to come up and speak at his

0:13:57.640 --> 0:14:01.760
<v Speaker 1>basketball camping up State New York, and Oscar came. Now,

0:14:01.920 --> 0:14:04.160
<v Speaker 1>you know, Oscar doesn't do you know, a lot. You know,

0:14:04.200 --> 0:14:05.920
<v Speaker 1>you don't see him on the banquet circuit and he's

0:14:05.960 --> 0:14:08.280
<v Speaker 1>not doing a lot of that stuff. But but he

0:14:08.320 --> 0:14:10.920
<v Speaker 1>flew into you know, Judica, New York, which is out

0:14:10.960 --> 0:14:13.640
<v Speaker 1>a very big place, and showed up and I'm sure

0:14:13.720 --> 0:14:16.000
<v Speaker 1>Larry compensated him, but it couldn't have been that much.

0:14:16.720 --> 0:14:19.160
<v Speaker 1>Uh and and so, But that he came out of

0:14:19.200 --> 0:14:21.240
<v Speaker 1>respect for Larry and the fact that he played against

0:14:21.320 --> 0:14:24.080
<v Speaker 1>him and uh and was coached by him, and they

0:14:24.080 --> 0:14:26.680
<v Speaker 1>want a championship together. That he came up and he

0:14:26.840 --> 0:14:28.800
<v Speaker 1>you know, he did did my talk show, he did

0:14:28.840 --> 0:14:31.280
<v Speaker 1>the local TV and I spoke to the campers, and

0:14:32.200 --> 0:14:36.200
<v Speaker 1>you know, he was you know, he was very respectful

0:14:36.200 --> 0:14:40.880
<v Speaker 1>of Larry, and I appreciated him. Well. Here at six

0:14:40.960 --> 0:14:43.440
<v Speaker 1>or History, we never missed an opportunity to try to

0:14:43.480 --> 0:14:47.240
<v Speaker 1>get some Wood Chamberlain stories. And fortunately for us, Larry

0:14:47.240 --> 0:14:51.280
<v Speaker 1>Costello played with and against World Chamberlain, so we got

0:14:51.320 --> 0:14:55.840
<v Speaker 1>some Wood Chamberlain stories. I basically I remember him telling

0:14:55.840 --> 0:14:57.600
<v Speaker 1>me that Wilt could do whatever he wanted to do

0:14:57.680 --> 0:15:00.600
<v Speaker 1>on the floor, and almost any given time he said that,

0:15:00.680 --> 0:15:02.880
<v Speaker 1>you know, Russell would Russell would give him problems like

0:15:02.960 --> 0:15:06.400
<v Speaker 1>Russell gave everybody problems. But but for the most part,

0:15:06.440 --> 0:15:08.960
<v Speaker 1>he said, says, Will could do whatever he wanted. And

0:15:09.600 --> 0:15:13.360
<v Speaker 1>he pointed to that year where you know, Will let

0:15:13.400 --> 0:15:16.560
<v Speaker 1>the league and assists where he said, look, you know

0:15:16.600 --> 0:15:18.640
<v Speaker 1>he went out and said I'm gonna legal league and

0:15:18.640 --> 0:15:23.840
<v Speaker 1>assists and went out and just did it and helped

0:15:23.880 --> 0:15:25.760
<v Speaker 1>the team because that's what they you know, they asked

0:15:25.840 --> 0:15:28.400
<v Speaker 1>Hoxham asked him to do that, and you know he

0:15:28.440 --> 0:15:30.640
<v Speaker 1>went out and average around and eight assist at night

0:15:30.720 --> 0:15:32.920
<v Speaker 1>and they became a much better team than they won.

0:15:33.120 --> 0:15:35.360
<v Speaker 1>And then he says, we'll put his mind to do it.

0:15:35.520 --> 0:15:37.880
<v Speaker 1>And when he you know, when he did that, he

0:15:37.960 --> 0:15:43.440
<v Speaker 1>says he was remarkable and he'd also, uh, he said,

0:15:43.480 --> 0:15:49.120
<v Speaker 1>Will physically could have been a real, you know, nasty

0:15:49.120 --> 0:15:50.920
<v Speaker 1>guy to a lot of players if he wanted to.

0:15:51.440 --> 0:15:53.320
<v Speaker 1>He says that he says he saw will get his

0:15:53.400 --> 0:15:56.040
<v Speaker 1>shot blocked at the rim a couple of times by guys.

0:15:56.120 --> 0:15:58.440
<v Speaker 1>I mean not going to mention names because I think

0:15:58.440 --> 0:16:01.480
<v Speaker 1>they're still alive, but uh, and then we'll go down

0:16:01.520 --> 0:16:03.800
<v Speaker 1>the floor the other way and said, you know, I

0:16:03.880 --> 0:16:06.360
<v Speaker 1>let you block that dunk because I would have broken

0:16:06.400 --> 0:16:09.840
<v Speaker 1>your wrist by fall. True, and so next time think

0:16:09.880 --> 0:16:15.920
<v Speaker 1>about that. You know, I'm paraphrasing. I'm not sure that

0:16:16.000 --> 0:16:20.200
<v Speaker 1>was the exact language. Yeah, it's a little more culporful

0:16:20.240 --> 0:16:22.600
<v Speaker 1>than that. But uh. But but he says, I, I

0:16:22.680 --> 0:16:24.160
<v Speaker 1>know he did a couple of times because he didn't

0:16:24.160 --> 0:16:26.240
<v Speaker 1>want to hurt the guy, you know, and so he

0:16:26.360 --> 0:16:28.160
<v Speaker 1>let him block a shot. And then but he would

0:16:28.200 --> 0:16:30.480
<v Speaker 1>let him know that I let you block that shot

0:16:30.520 --> 0:16:32.040
<v Speaker 1>because I didn't want to break your arm. You're not

0:16:32.080 --> 0:16:35.320
<v Speaker 1>kind of like, oh okay, he said one of the guys.

0:16:35.640 --> 0:16:38.000
<v Speaker 1>Uh said, well, well he goes looks like it was

0:16:38.160 --> 0:16:43.600
<v Speaker 1>thanks Pisa, you want walked away and was like, oh

0:16:44.040 --> 0:16:48.760
<v Speaker 1>so yeah. He he was really impressed with Wilton and

0:16:48.160 --> 0:16:52.200
<v Speaker 1>m and uh and like it. Like like I said,

0:16:52.240 --> 0:16:54.320
<v Speaker 1>I said, he enjoyed playing with him, you know, in

0:16:54.400 --> 0:16:56.560
<v Speaker 1>the back end of his career, that the last couple

0:16:56.560 --> 0:17:00.280
<v Speaker 1>of years because he loved the fact that that Alex

0:17:00.320 --> 0:17:03.040
<v Speaker 1>Hannum and Wills had a great understanding and it just

0:17:03.160 --> 0:17:05.480
<v Speaker 1>made that team, you know, as devastating as it was.

0:17:06.800 --> 0:17:10.199
<v Speaker 1>So as always here is Sixers history. When we have

0:17:10.320 --> 0:17:13.840
<v Speaker 1>someone recalling an old friend, an old teammate, an old coach,

0:17:14.640 --> 0:17:18.320
<v Speaker 1>we'd like to give that person an opportunity to summarize

0:17:18.400 --> 0:17:22.680
<v Speaker 1>the influence, the impact, what meaning that person held for them.

0:17:23.400 --> 0:17:26.960
<v Speaker 1>So here's Tim Roy providing for us his thoughts, his

0:17:27.080 --> 0:17:30.879
<v Speaker 1>final summary, his final account of Larry Costello what he

0:17:30.960 --> 0:17:34.760
<v Speaker 1>meant to him as a player, friend, basketball coach. Well,

0:17:34.800 --> 0:17:38.000
<v Speaker 1>you don't the one other anecdote I'd love to get

0:17:38.040 --> 0:17:41.280
<v Speaker 1>in if I can, Yeah, sure it is. I spoke

0:17:41.320 --> 0:17:43.879
<v Speaker 1>to Hugh by Brown a few years ago when the

0:17:43.960 --> 0:17:46.119
<v Speaker 1>Lawyers were in the finals, and I did an interview

0:17:46.119 --> 0:17:49.000
<v Speaker 1>with him about the ABA and about you know, all

0:17:49.000 --> 0:17:52.159
<v Speaker 1>the great times and stories they had, and then I

0:17:52.240 --> 0:17:54.200
<v Speaker 1>finished it with a question about Larry. I said, look,

0:17:54.240 --> 0:17:57.120
<v Speaker 1>you know I worked with Larry, and he went on

0:17:57.320 --> 0:18:00.919
<v Speaker 1>about you know, just how you know Larry, you know,

0:18:01.000 --> 0:18:03.119
<v Speaker 1>let him have that job and gave him a chance.

0:18:03.160 --> 0:18:05.479
<v Speaker 1>He goes without Larry hiring me in Milwaukee to be

0:18:05.520 --> 0:18:07.520
<v Speaker 1>his assistant, I would not have the career that I have,

0:18:08.160 --> 0:18:11.200
<v Speaker 1>you know, it says he He hired me and and

0:18:11.200 --> 0:18:13.440
<v Speaker 1>and trusted me, and he goes and I learned so

0:18:13.520 --> 0:18:18.080
<v Speaker 1>much about coaching basketball, about you know, coaching men, about

0:18:18.200 --> 0:18:21.320
<v Speaker 1>dealing with you know, other teams and opposition and scouting

0:18:21.440 --> 0:18:23.320
<v Speaker 1>because they were he said, they were one of the

0:18:23.400 --> 0:18:26.439
<v Speaker 1>first teams to really start filming and looking at film

0:18:26.480 --> 0:18:29.880
<v Speaker 1>and things like that, and and um and so he said,

0:18:29.920 --> 0:18:31.240
<v Speaker 1>in that way, he was kind of a little bit

0:18:31.240 --> 0:18:33.560
<v Speaker 1>of ahead of ahead of the rest of the league.

0:18:33.920 --> 0:18:36.879
<v Speaker 1>And uh and he said he just you know, it

0:18:36.960 --> 0:18:39.280
<v Speaker 1>allowed hit him to grow to be the coach that

0:18:39.359 --> 0:18:42.679
<v Speaker 1>he became. Um So, so that's one thing that you know,

0:18:42.760 --> 0:18:45.639
<v Speaker 1>Larry was also you know giving back and doing some

0:18:45.720 --> 0:18:48.919
<v Speaker 1>different you know things to help other guys you know,

0:18:49.040 --> 0:18:52.680
<v Speaker 1>follow his bath. But for Larry, he was a gregacious guy,

0:18:52.760 --> 0:18:56.399
<v Speaker 1>a tough guy. Um Uh. He was a guy that

0:18:56.520 --> 0:19:00.840
<v Speaker 1>that was was hard nosed, but he did have he

0:19:00.920 --> 0:19:04.399
<v Speaker 1>did have a compassionate side. And he was always willing

0:19:04.520 --> 0:19:07.680
<v Speaker 1>to uh to listen to a good story. And I

0:19:07.720 --> 0:19:12.240
<v Speaker 1>think personally and no talking ill of any of the

0:19:12.280 --> 0:19:14.240
<v Speaker 1>folks that have gotten in the last few years. But

0:19:14.320 --> 0:19:16.240
<v Speaker 1>I think when you look at his since it is

0:19:16.280 --> 0:19:19.200
<v Speaker 1>a basketball Hall of Fame and not just an NBA

0:19:19.320 --> 0:19:21.520
<v Speaker 1>Hall of Fame, I think if you look at his

0:19:21.560 --> 0:19:24.680
<v Speaker 1>body of work as a college player, as a pro

0:19:24.720 --> 0:19:27.560
<v Speaker 1>player as you mentioned, six time All Star, and as

0:19:27.600 --> 0:19:30.919
<v Speaker 1>a coach, even though his coaching career was not long,

0:19:31.400 --> 0:19:33.520
<v Speaker 1>but he did have you know, his record with the

0:19:33.600 --> 0:19:37.920
<v Speaker 1>Bucks was unbelievable, and you know, I think I think

0:19:37.960 --> 0:19:39.960
<v Speaker 1>when you add all that up, I think, and I

0:19:40.000 --> 0:19:41.879
<v Speaker 1>know he's been nominating the past, but I think he

0:19:41.920 --> 0:19:44.679
<v Speaker 1>deserves another look. I think he you know, if you

0:19:44.720 --> 0:19:47.600
<v Speaker 1>look at some of the clateria that has been used

0:19:47.600 --> 0:19:50.359
<v Speaker 1>to get some players in there, I think, and we

0:19:50.400 --> 0:19:52.760
<v Speaker 1>can kick a look at him as a whole. I

0:19:52.800 --> 0:19:58.080
<v Speaker 1>think he did a lot of fastball. All right. That

0:19:58.119 --> 0:20:03.040
<v Speaker 1>concludes another episode the Sixers History the podcast. I'd like

0:20:03.080 --> 0:20:05.400
<v Speaker 1>to thank Tim Roy, who was a busy, busy man,

0:20:05.560 --> 0:20:07.399
<v Speaker 1>for taking time out of his schedule to talk with

0:20:07.520 --> 0:20:11.680
<v Speaker 1>us about Larry Costello, who is, when you get down

0:20:11.720 --> 0:20:15.679
<v Speaker 1>to it, one of the best point guards in franchise history.

0:20:16.160 --> 0:20:18.000
<v Speaker 1>So I'm very appreciative we were able to get someone

0:20:18.040 --> 0:20:21.360
<v Speaker 1>who knew Larry was able to speak about him as

0:20:21.359 --> 0:20:23.520
<v Speaker 1>a player, a coach, and really also as a person

0:20:23.880 --> 0:20:25.960
<v Speaker 1>so we can learn as much about him as possible.

0:20:26.359 --> 0:20:29.080
<v Speaker 1>So thanks to y'all for listening. See a background here

0:20:29.359 --> 0:20:29.880
<v Speaker 1>real soon