1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:01,240 Speaker 1: Truth plus media. 2 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:06,440 Speaker 2: Are you ready for today's English lesson? 3 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:07,840 Speaker 3: Do you know what's scored. 4 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:12,360 Speaker 2: Two thousand points in eight consecutive seasons? Do you know 5 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:15,920 Speaker 2: what's scored the most points in the nineteen eighties? Who 6 00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 2: had one of the smoothest gum shots ever? It was 7 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 2: this guy, mister silky smooth, mister Nugget, Alex Skinglish. 8 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:26,480 Speaker 3: The theory is no secret. 9 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:28,760 Speaker 4: Hang looseen, let the players play. 10 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:30,840 Speaker 3: In our system. You get a lot of freedom. 11 00:00:31,160 --> 00:00:34,240 Speaker 5: So if you have ability, get to do whatever you want. 12 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:40,920 Speaker 4: English. Oh my heavens thirty five for Alex English. He 13 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:48,680 Speaker 4: makes it look so easy. What is up, everybody? Welcome 14 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 4: to you forgotten Seasons. I am your host, Dylan Dreyfuss. 15 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:54,960 Speaker 4: Today we're going to be going back to nineteen eighty 16 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 4: five and reliving the Denver Nugget season. With the leading 17 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:03,080 Speaker 4: score in Nuggets franchise history, the leading scorer, the eighties, 18 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:06,160 Speaker 4: eight time All Star, a Hall of Famer, the man 19 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 4: of unbalanced grace, Alex English. Alex scored twenty eight points 20 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:12,959 Speaker 4: per game this year and led the Nuggets to fifty 21 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 4: two wins. The team put up one hundred and twenty 22 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:19,520 Speaker 4: points per game, which was actually low for their standards. 23 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:22,600 Speaker 4: They made the Conference finals but lost to Magic and 24 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:26,200 Speaker 4: Kareem and the Lakers in five games. This was a 25 00:01:26,240 --> 00:01:29,840 Speaker 4: really good one. I'm excited to dive into the history 26 00:01:29,880 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 4: of an eighties team that isn't the Celtics and the Lakers, 27 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 4: because that seems to be the only two teams that 28 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:39,319 Speaker 4: get talked about from the decade now. But there's so 29 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:42,440 Speaker 4: much to learn. This Nuggets team was amazing. They were 30 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:47,760 Speaker 4: probably the most high powered offense in NBA history in 31 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 4: the decade. Alex and I talk about a lot. We 32 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:54,040 Speaker 4: go into what life was like as a player back then, 33 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 4: cigarette smoke filled commercial flights in between back to backs. 34 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 4: We talk about the small fords in the league, sort 35 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:04,800 Speaker 4: of the Golden Age with Larry Bird, Julius Irving, Dominique, 36 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:07,520 Speaker 4: George Gervin, and of course we get all into this 37 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:11,320 Speaker 4: Nuggets team, Fat Lever, Dannis so Oldugmo, and a lot more. 38 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:11,800 Speaker 3: So. 39 00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:15,480 Speaker 4: Enjoy Remember to subscribe, rate and review the podcast if 40 00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 4: you're enjoying it, and Forgotten Seasons with Alex English in 41 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 4: the nineteen eighty five Nuggets begins now. Welcome everybody to 42 00:02:23,960 --> 00:02:28,919 Speaker 4: Forgotten Seasons. Welcome to Alex English we have the leading 43 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 4: score of the eighties, the number twenty on the all 44 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:35,079 Speaker 4: time scoring list, eight time All Star leading score, and 45 00:02:35,160 --> 00:02:38,840 Speaker 4: Nuggets history. Our first Hall of Fame guest on Forgotten Seasons. 46 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:41,799 Speaker 4: So Alex welcome, thank you for coming in. And how 47 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 4: you doing. 48 00:02:42,880 --> 00:02:48,680 Speaker 5: I'm doing well, glad to be here, Glad that somebody 49 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:52,760 Speaker 5: is recording and recognizing those years. 50 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 4: So I want you to try and go back to 51 00:02:55,760 --> 00:02:58,360 Speaker 4: nineteen eighty four, nineteen eighty five in your mind, this 52 00:02:58,440 --> 00:02:59,679 Speaker 4: is going to be the season that we're going to 53 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 4: be really living today when you travel back, you know 54 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:06,160 Speaker 4: a little bit over thirty years, what is Denver in 55 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:08,760 Speaker 4: nineteen eighty five, Like, what is the energy like in 56 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 4: the city. 57 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 3: Well, the city back then was becoming a city. 58 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:20,600 Speaker 5: It was still a Midwestern kind of a cowboy type place. 59 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:23,480 Speaker 3: You know, the rodeo was one of the popular, most 60 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 3: popular things there. 61 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 5: But it was also a city, a big city emerging 62 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:30,760 Speaker 5: from all of that. 63 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:34,320 Speaker 4: And then for you, so one of the best scores 64 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:36,480 Speaker 4: of all time for the young people that might not 65 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 4: be too familiar with your game, how would you describe 66 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:42,600 Speaker 4: Alex English, a prime Alex English on the court? 67 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:48,720 Speaker 5: Well, it's hard hard to describe hard to describe for 68 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:52,360 Speaker 5: people to understand, but for me, you know, looking from 69 00:03:52,560 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 5: inside me, it was just a fun, loving, smooth flow 70 00:03:58,360 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 5: of a game. 71 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:00,160 Speaker 3: You know, I tried to. 72 00:04:01,680 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 5: I was like, I envisioned myself as an entertainer. I 73 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:10,480 Speaker 5: go dance route on the floor, and you know, I 74 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:13,200 Speaker 5: put that kind of effort into every game. Every game 75 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:16,960 Speaker 5: was like a new adventure for me. You know, I 76 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:19,679 Speaker 5: didn't just say it was it's just a blase blah, 77 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 5: you just gotta go play. For me, it was an 78 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:25,000 Speaker 5: adventure because every time I went out on the floor, 79 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:28,520 Speaker 5: it was going to be something new, something different, and 80 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:32,440 Speaker 5: you know, you can't it. There's no way to play 81 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:37,119 Speaker 5: a game the same way every time. So it was 82 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:40,360 Speaker 5: a lot of fun. I loved it, and it was 83 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 5: my art my. 84 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:45,960 Speaker 4: Art form that is that is amazing. And for those 85 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 4: who don't know, the Nuggets teams, led by Alex and 86 00:04:49,440 --> 00:04:52,239 Speaker 4: his coach Doug mow one of the most high powered 87 00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:56,080 Speaker 4: offenses in NBA history, probably the most high powered offense 88 00:04:57,200 --> 00:04:59,480 Speaker 4: this season. In nineteen eighty four, they averaged one hundred 89 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:02,400 Speaker 4: and twenty points per game, and in that stretch in 90 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:04,560 Speaker 4: the eighties, that was actually low for them. Believe it 91 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:08,119 Speaker 4: or not. So stemming from that offense was your coach, 92 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:11,800 Speaker 4: Doug Moo, a real interesting character in NBA history. He 93 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:15,679 Speaker 4: comes from an Aba background and he had this famous, 94 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:19,800 Speaker 4: heralded offense. He was on the record saying he didn't 95 00:05:19,839 --> 00:05:22,080 Speaker 4: like to draw up plays, he did not like to 96 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 4: watch a game film. So try and paint the picture 97 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 4: of who Doug mo was as a coach and as 98 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 4: a person. 99 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:35,560 Speaker 3: As a coach, he was. He was ky, not chaotic, 100 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:36,320 Speaker 3: you know. 101 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:38,520 Speaker 5: You know, people always said that we played in a 102 00:05:38,600 --> 00:05:42,839 Speaker 5: chaotic way, that we played organized chaos. 103 00:05:42,880 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 3: That was not the way we played. 104 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:47,560 Speaker 5: We were very organized and we had lots of rules 105 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:54,000 Speaker 5: in our offense. And Doug was a coach that as 106 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:58,440 Speaker 5: long as you could follow the rules of the offense 107 00:05:58,600 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 5: and played like he wanted us to play, he was okay. 108 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:06,839 Speaker 5: During the game, he was very frenzied and you'd be 109 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 5: like a different person. He would, you know, curse you out, 110 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:14,159 Speaker 5: he created, he'd call you. I don't know if he 111 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:17,159 Speaker 5: ever called anybody in MF but he would. 112 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 3: He would. 113 00:06:18,080 --> 00:06:23,800 Speaker 5: You know, he had a very colorful catalog of words. 114 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:27,479 Speaker 5: And you know, I, just like the other guys, I 115 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:30,320 Speaker 5: got a piece of it, just like they did. But 116 00:06:30,440 --> 00:06:33,920 Speaker 5: it was something we all understood that once the game 117 00:06:34,040 --> 00:06:37,000 Speaker 5: was over, he was going to go back to being 118 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:41,760 Speaker 5: Doug Mole, the coach who you enjoyed playing for. 119 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:49,200 Speaker 3: I think that what he gave us was an offense that. 120 00:06:49,360 --> 00:06:52,560 Speaker 5: Everybody felt good about it, and everybody if you had 121 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:56,480 Speaker 5: the opportunity, everybody got a chance to score. And in basketball, 122 00:06:56,520 --> 00:06:58,000 Speaker 5: everybody wants to score. 123 00:06:58,400 --> 00:06:59,479 Speaker 3: You know, the dirty work. 124 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:04,280 Speaker 5: The defense was something that defensive players did, and we 125 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:07,200 Speaker 5: had we had defensive players, and you know, we all 126 00:07:07,279 --> 00:07:13,320 Speaker 5: tried to play, you know, enough defense to allow us 127 00:07:13,400 --> 00:07:16,480 Speaker 5: to win basketball games. And in order to do that, 128 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:19,000 Speaker 5: we had to have some very good, very good defensive 129 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:22,880 Speaker 5: and we had that as well. My job was to score. 130 00:07:23,480 --> 00:07:25,960 Speaker 5: All of everybody on the team knew that we all 131 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:29,360 Speaker 5: had a job. My job was to score, and that's 132 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 5: what I did. 133 00:07:31,720 --> 00:07:34,040 Speaker 4: And what do you have to say? I read back 134 00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:37,720 Speaker 4: and read an article in an interview that Doug gave 135 00:07:37,760 --> 00:07:40,400 Speaker 4: in the eighties and he was talking, you know, the 136 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:43,080 Speaker 4: sentiment about you guys is that you're a great offensive team, 137 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:46,320 Speaker 4: but just as good as you are on offense, you're 138 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:48,640 Speaker 4: bad on defense. And he said that that was like, 139 00:07:48,720 --> 00:07:51,840 Speaker 4: you know, a load of crap because defense is measured, 140 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:55,840 Speaker 4: you know, in offense or defensive rating and offensive rating. 141 00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:58,320 Speaker 4: But at the pace you guys are playing at, obviously 142 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:01,080 Speaker 4: you're going to give up more points. Do you believe that? 143 00:08:01,200 --> 00:08:03,000 Speaker 4: You know, what do you have to say to that 144 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:06,760 Speaker 4: sentiment that you guys weren't weren't a good defensive team? 145 00:08:07,480 --> 00:08:08,360 Speaker 3: I agree with Doug. 146 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:12,760 Speaker 5: We were. We were. We heard people say, you know, 147 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:16,480 Speaker 5: they're not good defenders. Well, we're not good defenders. How 148 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:19,040 Speaker 5: do we win basketball games? How do we lead the 149 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:23,760 Speaker 5: league in score? In uh, in defensive steels? How do 150 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:27,720 Speaker 5: we lead one of the top leaders in shop blocking? 151 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:30,760 Speaker 5: You know, we had all the components of good defense, 152 00:08:31,280 --> 00:08:35,040 Speaker 5: and like I said earlier, it came from the players. 153 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:36,280 Speaker 3: The individual players that. 154 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:39,720 Speaker 5: We had that were good defenders like t R Donn, 155 00:08:39,880 --> 00:08:43,920 Speaker 5: Fat Lever, Calvin Nat, Wayne Cooper, And I considered myself 156 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:47,000 Speaker 5: a pretty decent defender. You know when when a guy 157 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:49,120 Speaker 5: posted me up, you know I had a way to 158 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:51,400 Speaker 5: you know, to get around. 159 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 3: And make steals. 160 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:56,040 Speaker 5: If you look at the statistics other than scoring, you know, 161 00:08:56,120 --> 00:08:58,840 Speaker 5: we were one of the leaders in those stats as well. 162 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:01,679 Speaker 5: We always had some there was you know, two or 163 00:09:01,720 --> 00:09:04,959 Speaker 5: three guys were among the leaders and steel we always 164 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:06,800 Speaker 5: had a guy that was one of the shot block 165 00:09:07,320 --> 00:09:11,880 Speaker 5: shot block leaders like Wayne Cooper and every none in 166 00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:14,040 Speaker 5: Leo Rasmussen. 167 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:17,000 Speaker 3: So we had people that did those things. 168 00:09:17,320 --> 00:09:20,120 Speaker 4: So then getting into the season at hand nineteen eighty 169 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:23,560 Speaker 4: four eighty five, something big happens in the offseason heading 170 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:27,720 Speaker 4: into this year, Keky Vandaway, who was another prolific scorer. 171 00:09:28,080 --> 00:09:30,040 Speaker 4: I think he averaged like thirty points a game in 172 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:33,480 Speaker 4: eighty three eighty four, he gets traded leading up to 173 00:09:33,480 --> 00:09:37,280 Speaker 4: this season for Wayne Cooper, tr done and Fat Lever. 174 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:41,040 Speaker 4: Do you remember what like how that went down and 175 00:09:41,160 --> 00:09:42,880 Speaker 4: just what you were feeling. I mean, it's one of 176 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:45,600 Speaker 4: the best scorers in the league that now is gone. 177 00:09:45,679 --> 00:09:47,800 Speaker 4: So what was that all like And why do you 178 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:49,880 Speaker 4: think the front office made that move? 179 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:54,480 Speaker 5: Well, obviously they made the defense because made that move 180 00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:57,440 Speaker 5: because they got three good players for a very good player, 181 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:02,400 Speaker 5: and those three players were very instrumental in contributing to 182 00:10:02,520 --> 00:10:03,720 Speaker 5: our success. 183 00:10:03,360 --> 00:10:06,840 Speaker 3: The next eight to nine years. 184 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:09,480 Speaker 5: Wayne Cooper was one of the leaders in shot blocking, 185 00:10:10,679 --> 00:10:14,240 Speaker 5: Calvinet was one of the toughest defenders that you could 186 00:10:14,240 --> 00:10:18,160 Speaker 5: find and a scorer, and bet Leeber was just you know, 187 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:22,280 Speaker 5: the beginning of the triple double guy. After Oscar Robinson, 188 00:10:22,559 --> 00:10:24,960 Speaker 5: Bett Leeber was one of those guys that you could 189 00:10:25,040 --> 00:10:28,600 Speaker 5: expect a triple double every night, if not every other night. 190 00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:31,720 Speaker 3: So that was. 191 00:10:31,720 --> 00:10:36,480 Speaker 5: An easy one for Pete Babcock to make Kiki good friend, 192 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:39,800 Speaker 5: good scorer, not a great defender. 193 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:44,319 Speaker 3: We got three good defenders for one great offensive. 194 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:46,560 Speaker 4: Player and it works. I mean, you guys win fourteen 195 00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:49,880 Speaker 4: more games at this season at hand. So just to 196 00:10:49,880 --> 00:10:52,040 Speaker 4: get in a little bit to sort of the rest 197 00:10:52,040 --> 00:10:54,079 Speaker 4: of the roster, something we do on the show is 198 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:56,120 Speaker 4: I'm going to name you the player, and I want 199 00:10:56,120 --> 00:10:58,120 Speaker 4: you to just say, like the first word or phrase 200 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:01,480 Speaker 4: or story that comes to mind just going down the roster. 201 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:03,920 Speaker 4: Let's start with Fat lever or point guard. 202 00:11:04,679 --> 00:11:08,560 Speaker 5: One of the best ever. You know he uh, he 203 00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:12,160 Speaker 5: was a defender. He was a rebounder. I mean I 204 00:11:12,160 --> 00:11:14,880 Speaker 5: think he led the team in rebounding a year or two. 205 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:19,000 Speaker 5: He was a great passer, He was NonStop on the floor. 206 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:23,360 Speaker 5: Perfect perfect point guard for the offensive we played because 207 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:27,079 Speaker 5: he would cut hard. He didn't look to score all 208 00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:31,079 Speaker 5: the time, but could score. And a great defender could 209 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:33,120 Speaker 5: get a great job on a lot of the opposition. 210 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:37,080 Speaker 4: Point guard mm fat is a it's a sort of 211 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:39,360 Speaker 4: a marvel to go back at his stat page, look 212 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:42,360 Speaker 4: at what he was doing. Yeah, and then Dan Issel 213 00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:45,120 Speaker 4: this was his last year in the league. 214 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:48,479 Speaker 5: Well, then Dan gave us then was like the beginning 215 00:11:48,559 --> 00:11:51,800 Speaker 5: of that big that could shoot from the outside and 216 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:55,880 Speaker 5: score threes and was for the for the threat uh 217 00:11:56,960 --> 00:12:00,760 Speaker 5: outside as well as inside. I can remember him, you know, 218 00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:03,240 Speaker 5: getting Kareem on the outside and giving him a punk 219 00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:05,480 Speaker 5: bake and driving to the basket on him and if 220 00:12:05,720 --> 00:12:08,400 Speaker 5: Kareem didn't come out, he would shoot the jump shot 221 00:12:08,480 --> 00:12:09,920 Speaker 5: and Dan would make the jump shot. 222 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:13,800 Speaker 3: So he was a load for you know, the opposition. 223 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:18,640 Speaker 4: A complete legend to say the least. And then Calvin 224 00:12:18,720 --> 00:12:20,640 Speaker 4: nat twenty three points per game this year. 225 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:25,360 Speaker 5: Calvin Knett was just brutal, you know, he was you 226 00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:28,679 Speaker 5: he was a physical specimen. We used to call him 227 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:31,439 Speaker 5: the bull because he was like, you know, a bull 228 00:12:31,559 --> 00:12:35,719 Speaker 5: in a China closet. He goes berserk and tears everything up. 229 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:39,920 Speaker 5: But he was controlled, you know. He always played the toughest. 230 00:12:40,440 --> 00:12:45,160 Speaker 5: The toughest forward are the toughest perimeter guy. 231 00:12:45,520 --> 00:12:46,560 Speaker 3: And usually it was a. 232 00:12:46,480 --> 00:12:48,840 Speaker 5: Forward back then when I played, because the three position 233 00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:51,960 Speaker 5: every night was just you know, one of the best. 234 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:55,480 Speaker 5: You know, you look at the the top fifty, you 235 00:12:55,480 --> 00:12:57,880 Speaker 5: look at all the famous A lot of them came 236 00:12:57,920 --> 00:13:00,480 Speaker 5: from that that era and a lot of the game 237 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:03,560 Speaker 5: from that position, and Calvin Nett was the one that 238 00:13:03,720 --> 00:13:04,440 Speaker 5: guarded them. 239 00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:07,559 Speaker 3: I ended up playing like a you. 240 00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:10,240 Speaker 5: Know, a bigger guy, but I didn't mind him playing 241 00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:12,560 Speaker 5: the tough guy. 242 00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:15,480 Speaker 4: Well, that actually leads into the next question. So I 243 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:16,960 Speaker 4: was going to say, I mean, you go back to 244 00:13:17,679 --> 00:13:20,880 Speaker 4: the mid eighties and the small forward, position yourself at 245 00:13:20,880 --> 00:13:23,079 Speaker 4: the top of the list, but it's Larry Bird, it's 246 00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:26,840 Speaker 4: Julia Serving, it's Dominique, Adrian Dantley, the list can sort 247 00:13:26,840 --> 00:13:29,800 Speaker 4: of go on. And I know that, you know, you 248 00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:34,440 Speaker 4: were never a guy that loved and wanted the spotlight. 249 00:13:34,800 --> 00:13:36,679 Speaker 4: But back in that time, you know, you're putting up 250 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:40,480 Speaker 4: pretty much twenty eight thirty a game for almost a decade, 251 00:13:40,520 --> 00:13:44,120 Speaker 4: but there isn't the same spotlight or attention that's on 252 00:13:44,160 --> 00:13:47,920 Speaker 4: you versus a doctor j or Larry Bird. Did that 253 00:13:47,920 --> 00:13:48,600 Speaker 4: ever bother you? 254 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:51,360 Speaker 3: It didn't bother me. 255 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:56,520 Speaker 5: During that time, but later on because I felt like, 256 00:13:57,720 --> 00:13:59,440 Speaker 5: you know, for the work that I put in, I 257 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:01,880 Speaker 5: didn't get the credit you know when they named the 258 00:14:01,920 --> 00:14:05,720 Speaker 5: first Top fifty. You know, I was just a little 259 00:14:05,720 --> 00:14:09,800 Speaker 5: disappointed because I felt, you know, if I had led 260 00:14:09,880 --> 00:14:13,320 Speaker 5: the decade and scoring, why wouldn't there not be a 261 00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:16,800 Speaker 5: position for me on the greatest So but I got 262 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:19,480 Speaker 5: over that because that very same year I got elected 263 00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:22,920 Speaker 5: to the Hall of Fame. It bothered me a little, 264 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:29,160 Speaker 5: but not until after my career. I thought I had 265 00:14:29,160 --> 00:14:31,440 Speaker 5: a great career and I'm happy with it. 266 00:14:33,040 --> 00:14:35,040 Speaker 3: The only thing missing was a championship. 267 00:14:35,760 --> 00:14:39,640 Speaker 4: Yes, well, we'll get into sort of the unfolding of 268 00:14:39,640 --> 00:14:42,240 Speaker 4: that later, and just to stick on sort of around 269 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:44,680 Speaker 4: the league for you personally, who were the guys that 270 00:14:44,760 --> 00:14:47,320 Speaker 4: you looked forward to matching up against the most. 271 00:14:49,720 --> 00:14:54,640 Speaker 5: Matching up against playing against? I tell you the people 272 00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:55,520 Speaker 5: that I didn't. 273 00:14:55,360 --> 00:14:56,360 Speaker 3: Enjoy playing against. 274 00:14:56,440 --> 00:14:57,280 Speaker 4: Okay, I like that. 275 00:14:57,360 --> 00:15:01,520 Speaker 5: I didn't like playing against people like Dennis Rodman. 276 00:15:01,560 --> 00:15:09,240 Speaker 3: Okay, uh, Mark I Guarni, uh John John Johnson, Seattle, 277 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:12,480 Speaker 3: Rodney mccraye. These were the guys and. 278 00:15:12,440 --> 00:15:15,280 Speaker 5: They were put on me the top defenders during that era, 279 00:15:16,040 --> 00:15:18,240 Speaker 5: and you know, it was a lot more work when 280 00:15:18,240 --> 00:15:19,360 Speaker 5: I had to play against him. 281 00:15:19,600 --> 00:15:20,600 Speaker 3: My job was. 282 00:15:20,560 --> 00:15:24,640 Speaker 5: To move on the floor, always moving, you know, getting 283 00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:28,080 Speaker 5: opportunities that you know, a guy is too tired to guard. 284 00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:33,080 Speaker 5: And when I had to play against a guy like 285 00:15:33,160 --> 00:15:35,520 Speaker 5: Dennis Robert, he I could not run him. I couldn't 286 00:15:35,520 --> 00:15:38,960 Speaker 5: get away from him. So he played the best defense 287 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:41,440 Speaker 5: on me because there was no way to get away 288 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:44,320 Speaker 5: from him. And he was a good shot blocker, good defender, 289 00:15:44,440 --> 00:15:46,200 Speaker 5: and you know he would keep you off the glass. 290 00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:50,280 Speaker 3: So a defender like that was more difficult for me. 291 00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:53,920 Speaker 5: But a guy like Rydaney McCray, I would, I would, 292 00:15:53,960 --> 00:15:55,960 Speaker 5: I would work those guys. And you know a lot 293 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:59,160 Speaker 5: of teams liked putting a taller guy on me because 294 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:00,840 Speaker 5: they said he's open up. 295 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:03,000 Speaker 3: Maybe a taller guy can block a shot. 296 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:06,160 Speaker 5: But I had worked on my shot well enough to 297 00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:09,160 Speaker 5: keep a you know, keep that from happening often. 298 00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:13,120 Speaker 3: But the other thing was that I was very. 299 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:18,840 Speaker 5: Much into off rhythm shooting, you know, shooting where the 300 00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:21,520 Speaker 5: guy is still playing defense and I'm already up in 301 00:16:21,640 --> 00:16:24,760 Speaker 5: my offensive offensive shot. Uh. 302 00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:26,560 Speaker 3: That way, I could get a lot of shots. 303 00:16:26,640 --> 00:16:31,280 Speaker 4: All I think I read that somebody describe your game 304 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:34,640 Speaker 4: as like an off balance grace You don't think of 305 00:16:34,800 --> 00:16:37,360 Speaker 4: graceful as being off balance, but that's what it was. 306 00:16:38,240 --> 00:16:39,280 Speaker 3: Well, I learned. 307 00:16:39,360 --> 00:16:41,200 Speaker 5: I learned that from a guy by the name of 308 00:16:41,280 --> 00:16:47,920 Speaker 5: Bob Andrew, who was my mentors believe and and uh, 309 00:16:48,560 --> 00:16:50,480 Speaker 5: you know who was going into the Hall of Fame 310 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:51,040 Speaker 5: this year. 311 00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:52,480 Speaker 3: It should have been in the Hall of Fame. 312 00:16:52,520 --> 00:16:55,600 Speaker 5: But he was a guy that I when I first 313 00:16:55,640 --> 00:16:58,640 Speaker 5: got to Milwaukee, I sat on the bench and I 314 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:02,600 Speaker 5: watched him and he every night there were knights that 315 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:06,399 Speaker 5: he would have Julius Irving guarding him, George McGinnis. He 316 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:08,679 Speaker 5: would give him numbers and then on the other end 317 00:17:08,720 --> 00:17:10,520 Speaker 5: he would lock them up. He was a great defender 318 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:13,399 Speaker 5: as well. So I learned from one of the greatest 319 00:17:13,400 --> 00:17:16,879 Speaker 5: small forwards that I feel ever and that was like 320 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:19,560 Speaker 5: an offbeat offensive pattern. 321 00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:26,240 Speaker 4: Was there ever anything in your mind or people out 322 00:17:26,280 --> 00:17:28,800 Speaker 4: there saying that you should shoot threes? 323 00:17:30,800 --> 00:17:30,879 Speaker 3: Not? 324 00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:34,080 Speaker 5: Back then, it wasn't a shot that people were, you know, 325 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:37,760 Speaker 5: used to seeing a lot. It's only it's only in 326 00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:41,520 Speaker 5: the last decade that the three point shot became like 327 00:17:42,080 --> 00:17:45,840 Speaker 5: as important as it is today. When I was playing, 328 00:17:45,920 --> 00:17:51,840 Speaker 5: we had specialists, Michael Adams, Mike Evans, they were the 329 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:55,080 Speaker 5: specialists that shot the three. And you know, my game 330 00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:58,560 Speaker 5: was it was an inside game, mid range. 331 00:17:59,240 --> 00:18:02,919 Speaker 4: Yeah, complete the mid Range Master. There's actually an Instagram 332 00:18:02,920 --> 00:18:05,720 Speaker 4: page out there called mid Range twos and you are 333 00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:09,400 Speaker 4: the profile picture for that. So we got to send 334 00:18:09,440 --> 00:18:09,719 Speaker 4: you that. 335 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:10,840 Speaker 3: Okay. 336 00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:13,399 Speaker 4: So then getting into the season, you guys win fifty 337 00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:17,280 Speaker 4: two games, it's a fourteen win improvement. Talk about just 338 00:18:17,280 --> 00:18:19,200 Speaker 4: like what the energy is like in the locker room 339 00:18:19,280 --> 00:18:22,000 Speaker 4: with the team that year, uh, sort of climbing that 340 00:18:22,080 --> 00:18:25,480 Speaker 4: ladder and making that leap from you know, not a 341 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:28,000 Speaker 4: good team to now you're, you know, a fifty win team. 342 00:18:28,040 --> 00:18:28,840 Speaker 4: You win your division. 343 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:33,960 Speaker 5: Well, if I can remember correctly, that year, we had 344 00:18:34,160 --> 00:18:38,120 Speaker 5: a training camp at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, 345 00:18:38,480 --> 00:18:43,119 Speaker 5: and it was a special, a special training camp. Everybody 346 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:47,399 Speaker 5: came in in shape, everybody had been there a while, 347 00:18:48,359 --> 00:18:50,960 Speaker 5: and we were you know, we had had a good 348 00:18:51,080 --> 00:18:55,600 Speaker 5: year of the year before, so we were we were ready. 349 00:18:55,920 --> 00:18:59,399 Speaker 5: I mean, we had we were all together and you know, 350 00:18:59,520 --> 00:19:07,000 Speaker 5: and I felt like we had leaders that were leading. 351 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:07,439 Speaker 3: You know. 352 00:19:07,480 --> 00:19:09,800 Speaker 5: It wasn't just you know, the pressure put on me 353 00:19:09,880 --> 00:19:12,040 Speaker 5: to be the leader because I was the leading scorer. 354 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:15,280 Speaker 5: We had other guys that led, and we were a team. 355 00:19:15,400 --> 00:19:18,000 Speaker 5: We did things together. We went on the road, We 356 00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:20,359 Speaker 5: had group of guys that would go hang out together, 357 00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:24,000 Speaker 5: we go to the movies, we go have dinner, and 358 00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:29,000 Speaker 5: that's something that I think was very important that we 359 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:31,800 Speaker 5: were to get together as we were and we cared 360 00:19:31,840 --> 00:19:32,520 Speaker 5: about each other. 361 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:36,160 Speaker 4: What was life on the road like in the eighties. 362 00:19:36,480 --> 00:19:39,400 Speaker 4: I mean, I don't know, like, you know, you hear 363 00:19:39,440 --> 00:19:41,480 Speaker 4: about the days in the ABA and you know you're 364 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:43,240 Speaker 4: taking buses. I don't think it was like that, but 365 00:19:43,880 --> 00:19:47,879 Speaker 4: it probably wasn't like it is now where where the 366 00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:51,320 Speaker 4: teams are fine private and you know, the rich Carlton. 367 00:19:51,359 --> 00:19:53,120 Speaker 4: What was life on the on the road back then? 368 00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:56,240 Speaker 5: Like, well, the first part of my career, you know, 369 00:19:56,400 --> 00:19:59,720 Speaker 5: first couple of years, you know, NBA was you would 370 00:19:59,720 --> 00:20:03,480 Speaker 5: play to play five to five games in seven days. 371 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:07,680 Speaker 3: So you had back to back to back, and. 372 00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:10,800 Speaker 5: I guess through the Players Association they kind of eliminated 373 00:20:10,880 --> 00:20:15,440 Speaker 5: that style, but we still had back to back. They 374 00:20:15,440 --> 00:20:17,800 Speaker 5: had too often then back to back, so we played 375 00:20:17,840 --> 00:20:21,240 Speaker 5: a lot of games and the most difficult part of 376 00:20:21,280 --> 00:20:25,240 Speaker 5: that was having to get up in one city after 377 00:20:25,280 --> 00:20:28,040 Speaker 5: a game at five in the morning to catch a 378 00:20:28,119 --> 00:20:31,600 Speaker 5: seven o'clock flight and get to the next city and 379 00:20:31,640 --> 00:20:32,920 Speaker 5: having to play that night. 380 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:35,280 Speaker 3: That was a lot of wear and tear. 381 00:20:35,800 --> 00:20:40,040 Speaker 5: And the other thing was flying on airplane. Back then, 382 00:20:40,040 --> 00:20:42,720 Speaker 5: people would smoke cigarette. They could smoke at first class, 383 00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:45,719 Speaker 5: they could smoke in the plane, so we had to 384 00:20:46,080 --> 00:20:48,679 Speaker 5: had to deal with that. Then you get to another city. 385 00:20:49,119 --> 00:20:52,960 Speaker 5: They didn't have the they didn't have the first class meals, 386 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:57,680 Speaker 5: and you know, they didn't have people giving you scouting 387 00:20:57,760 --> 00:21:00,840 Speaker 5: reports like they do now. So it was a lot 388 00:21:00,960 --> 00:21:03,440 Speaker 5: of a lot of stress on the body as well 389 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:04,040 Speaker 5: as the mind. 390 00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:09,320 Speaker 4: Was there ever, private planes never was that just the 391 00:21:09,400 --> 00:21:11,199 Speaker 4: Denver thing because it was a small market, Like did 392 00:21:11,200 --> 00:21:13,000 Speaker 4: the Celtics and the Lakers have them? Or was that 393 00:21:13,119 --> 00:21:14,440 Speaker 4: just the whole league? 394 00:21:14,600 --> 00:21:16,920 Speaker 3: That was the whole league. Nobody had a private plane. 395 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:20,240 Speaker 5: Everybody had to ride and well we got to ride 396 00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:24,480 Speaker 5: first class m but everybody couldn't get in first class 397 00:21:24,520 --> 00:21:26,800 Speaker 5: because you know it usually about ten c so rookie. 398 00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:27,640 Speaker 3: Dad to sit in the back. 399 00:21:28,560 --> 00:21:31,960 Speaker 5: You know, it went on seniority, so you you might 400 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:34,920 Speaker 5: be in the bag dealing with whatever, no leg room 401 00:21:35,119 --> 00:21:35,760 Speaker 5: and being. 402 00:21:35,600 --> 00:21:40,520 Speaker 4: Cramped, not like it is now. So then so fifty 403 00:21:40,560 --> 00:21:43,720 Speaker 4: two wins, you guys go into the playoffs and the 404 00:21:43,760 --> 00:21:49,760 Speaker 4: first round is against Adrian Dantley, another guy mid range assassin. Uh, 405 00:21:50,200 --> 00:21:52,800 Speaker 4: one of the best scores ever. Can you sort of 406 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:55,480 Speaker 4: try and educate the people a little bit about the 407 00:21:55,520 --> 00:21:56,840 Speaker 4: greatness of Adrian Danty. 408 00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:02,520 Speaker 1: Yes, Adrian Danly was a he was only six or 409 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:07,120 Speaker 1: six five small forward, had a big butt, very strong 410 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:10,520 Speaker 1: little body, very talented. 411 00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:14,160 Speaker 5: He you know, he had a he had a habit 412 00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:16,720 Speaker 5: of just massage in the ball, rubbing it when he's 413 00:22:16,720 --> 00:22:18,960 Speaker 5: at the free throw line, like he was in love 414 00:22:19,000 --> 00:22:22,080 Speaker 5: with it. But his game was, you know, he could 415 00:22:22,119 --> 00:22:24,640 Speaker 5: get to the outside and make a jump shot. 416 00:22:24,720 --> 00:22:27,639 Speaker 3: He was a good shooter, but his game was mainly 417 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:29,040 Speaker 3: driving to the. 418 00:22:28,920 --> 00:22:33,760 Speaker 5: Basket and getting a mid range shot or posting up 419 00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:38,160 Speaker 5: and working inside. He and Marco Wire, you know, two 420 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:41,840 Speaker 5: of the best small forwards in that era, were very 421 00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:44,359 Speaker 5: similar and that they had the big lowbody. They the 422 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:48,160 Speaker 5: very strong lowbody that helped him make post ups inside. 423 00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:50,920 Speaker 5: But they were very good shooting it from the outside 424 00:22:50,920 --> 00:22:53,080 Speaker 5: as well, So you had to you had to get 425 00:22:53,160 --> 00:22:53,640 Speaker 5: up on him. 426 00:22:54,280 --> 00:22:56,840 Speaker 4: I apologize, actually got the order mixed up. Jazz was 427 00:22:56,880 --> 00:22:58,920 Speaker 4: the second round, but you beat them in five. The 428 00:22:58,960 --> 00:23:04,320 Speaker 4: first round was actually the Spurs and George Gervin the 429 00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:09,239 Speaker 4: Nuggets in the Spurs are both ABA originating teams, Uh, 430 00:23:09,359 --> 00:23:11,280 Speaker 4: the Spurs, like you guys also like to score a 431 00:23:11,320 --> 00:23:14,399 Speaker 4: lot of points. We talked a little bit about you 432 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:18,000 Speaker 4: know this before the recording, but was there like, uh, 433 00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:19,680 Speaker 4: you know, I know you didn't play in the ABA, 434 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:21,840 Speaker 4: but you must have been familiar and had a lot 435 00:23:21,880 --> 00:23:24,399 Speaker 4: of friends that played there. Could you feel sort of 436 00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:27,000 Speaker 4: the ABA mentality a little bit with your team and 437 00:23:27,040 --> 00:23:30,240 Speaker 4: maybe the Spurs, especially with Gervin, a guy that was 438 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:33,000 Speaker 4: an ABA star, and your coach Doug Mo who had 439 00:23:33,040 --> 00:23:34,320 Speaker 4: spent a lot of time in that league. 440 00:23:35,800 --> 00:23:38,320 Speaker 3: Not really, I didn't. I didn't really watch the A 441 00:23:38,480 --> 00:23:40,280 Speaker 3: B A when I was growing up. 442 00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:42,480 Speaker 5: I was more NBA because the only game they would 443 00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:45,600 Speaker 5: tell about to be, you know, the Celtics in the 444 00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:49,240 Speaker 5: seventy six is when Russell and Will playing against each other. 445 00:23:50,000 --> 00:23:52,720 Speaker 3: So I wasn't as familiar with the A B A. 446 00:23:52,920 --> 00:23:54,879 Speaker 5: I knew that they did a lot of scoring, and 447 00:23:54,920 --> 00:23:58,880 Speaker 5: they had a stright ball, and they had very colorful uniforms. 448 00:23:59,480 --> 00:24:06,639 Speaker 5: But uh, playing against playing against those playing against the Spurs, 449 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:08,840 Speaker 5: we knew, we always knew it was gonna be a 450 00:24:08,920 --> 00:24:09,720 Speaker 5: high scoring game. 451 00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:12,080 Speaker 3: And those guys, they knew Doug. 452 00:24:12,000 --> 00:24:15,560 Speaker 5: The offense because Duck came from there and came to us, 453 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:22,480 Speaker 5: so they they were very similar, but we were different 454 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:26,600 Speaker 5: in that our players were different. They had a lot 455 00:24:26,640 --> 00:24:30,560 Speaker 5: of players that had already been established that were older 456 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:38,800 Speaker 5: uh Silas, uh Gervin, Billy Parks over then. But we 457 00:24:38,840 --> 00:24:43,800 Speaker 5: were a lot quicker, and we had Fat Lever. But 458 00:24:43,840 --> 00:24:47,240 Speaker 5: then then they had Mike Gaale, who's who's tough back then, 459 00:24:47,359 --> 00:24:50,240 Speaker 5: But we were We were the younger crew. We were 460 00:24:49,800 --> 00:24:54,760 Speaker 5: the new boys, and we knew it was gonna be 461 00:24:54,800 --> 00:24:57,440 Speaker 5: a tough game, but we we worked hard and it 462 00:24:57,520 --> 00:25:00,240 Speaker 5: was I think one of the things that helped does 463 00:25:00,359 --> 00:25:04,200 Speaker 5: when we made artists feel more work and we had 464 00:25:04,240 --> 00:25:06,480 Speaker 5: you know, like I said, we had two tough defenders 465 00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:09,080 Speaker 5: at the point guard at the point in the big 466 00:25:09,119 --> 00:25:10,720 Speaker 5: guard where they got a lot of a lot of 467 00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:14,159 Speaker 5: the story. And then Mike Mitchell and I kind of 468 00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:16,120 Speaker 5: know about each were both scored. 469 00:25:17,560 --> 00:25:20,640 Speaker 3: So it was the point guards and the big guy 470 00:25:20,720 --> 00:25:21,200 Speaker 3: in the middle. 471 00:25:22,160 --> 00:25:25,800 Speaker 5: And you know, Dan had an edge one artists because 472 00:25:25,800 --> 00:25:27,680 Speaker 5: he could take him outside. But then we had Wayne 473 00:25:27,720 --> 00:25:29,360 Speaker 5: Cooper with a shot blocker as well. 474 00:25:29,880 --> 00:25:32,560 Speaker 4: So you take care of the spurs and the the jazz, 475 00:25:32,840 --> 00:25:36,280 Speaker 4: and then who's waiting in the Western Conference Finals. But 476 00:25:36,600 --> 00:25:39,960 Speaker 4: Magic Johnson and Kareem Yes at the end. Today, I've 477 00:25:40,040 --> 00:25:41,720 Speaker 4: talked to a few people and like, when you look 478 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:44,480 Speaker 4: back at the eighties, it's it's unfortunate, but it's like 479 00:25:44,600 --> 00:25:48,080 Speaker 4: it's the Celtics and the Lakers and that's it. I mean, 480 00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:52,760 Speaker 4: they just completely dominated that decade from a championships perspective. 481 00:25:53,359 --> 00:25:56,119 Speaker 4: I read that. I think it was two years after this, 482 00:25:56,320 --> 00:25:58,480 Speaker 4: you guys played the Lakers in the first round I 483 00:25:58,520 --> 00:26:01,800 Speaker 4: think eighty six eighty seven, and Doug mow was basically 484 00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:03,600 Speaker 4: like to the press, like we're not going to win, 485 00:26:03,920 --> 00:26:05,879 Speaker 4: like this is you know, we're not going to beat him. 486 00:26:05,920 --> 00:26:08,480 Speaker 4: And I don't think pat Riley really liked that. But 487 00:26:09,280 --> 00:26:11,200 Speaker 4: I mean this year was different. You guys, you know, 488 00:26:11,320 --> 00:26:13,640 Speaker 4: were a lot better, I think than you were two 489 00:26:13,760 --> 00:26:17,360 Speaker 4: years from then. But what is just like the mindset 490 00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:20,480 Speaker 4: and the conversation, like when you know, you win those 491 00:26:20,520 --> 00:26:25,200 Speaker 4: two playoff series and you're rewarded with Magic and Kareem, 492 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:26,919 Speaker 4: we we. 493 00:26:27,119 --> 00:26:30,760 Speaker 5: Felt like that year was our year. You know, we 494 00:26:30,880 --> 00:26:33,280 Speaker 5: felt like we could beat anybody. And I know during 495 00:26:33,320 --> 00:26:36,040 Speaker 5: the regular season we might have split the you know, 496 00:26:36,359 --> 00:26:38,040 Speaker 5: the wins with the Lakers. 497 00:26:37,920 --> 00:26:38,840 Speaker 3: May have been to too. 498 00:26:39,280 --> 00:26:42,160 Speaker 5: I'm not sure, but we knew we could beat them, 499 00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:47,399 Speaker 5: and we knew that they were a little afraid of us, 500 00:26:47,520 --> 00:26:50,040 Speaker 5: a leary of us because of the way we played. 501 00:26:51,080 --> 00:26:54,080 Speaker 5: They were they were a fast paced offense, but we 502 00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:57,000 Speaker 5: were the Krim day La Krim when it came to 503 00:26:57,160 --> 00:27:01,439 Speaker 5: fast based offense and you know, having to work against us. 504 00:27:02,200 --> 00:27:05,320 Speaker 5: I don't think they looked forward to it, but it's 505 00:27:05,359 --> 00:27:08,480 Speaker 5: playoff basketball that you were getting ready, you prepared for it. 506 00:27:09,160 --> 00:27:13,719 Speaker 3: We go to the Lakers and like expected, they were, 507 00:27:13,800 --> 00:27:15,240 Speaker 3: you know, everybody was feeling. 508 00:27:14,920 --> 00:27:17,399 Speaker 5: Each other out, like too heavyweight pokers, throwing punches in 509 00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:20,760 Speaker 5: the first round, kneel each other out, and they got 510 00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:21,639 Speaker 5: the best of us. 511 00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:24,320 Speaker 3: They kind of just whipped us good. I don't know 512 00:27:24,440 --> 00:27:25,280 Speaker 3: what the score was. 513 00:27:25,880 --> 00:27:29,520 Speaker 5: But the next game we knew what we had to do. 514 00:27:30,119 --> 00:27:32,600 Speaker 5: And the next game we beat them in the forum. 515 00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:34,800 Speaker 5: They did not expect that they. 516 00:27:36,840 --> 00:27:38,560 Speaker 3: And by twenty two in the Forum. 517 00:27:39,600 --> 00:27:42,359 Speaker 5: And then we go back to Denver and you know, 518 00:27:42,520 --> 00:27:45,520 Speaker 5: it's like the two big heavyweights in the in the 519 00:27:45,680 --> 00:27:49,640 Speaker 5: in the ring again. And unfortunately in that first half, 520 00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:54,080 Speaker 5: as I was rebounding the ball, trying to rebound the 521 00:27:54,119 --> 00:27:58,560 Speaker 5: ball and Karee came down with his elbows out like this, 522 00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:01,520 Speaker 5: and he gets the ball and he does this, and 523 00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:04,360 Speaker 5: I put my hands up and he catches me right 524 00:28:04,440 --> 00:28:08,159 Speaker 5: in the right in the joint of my thumb and 525 00:28:08,680 --> 00:28:09,760 Speaker 5: broke the joint. 526 00:28:12,040 --> 00:28:14,280 Speaker 3: And you know, I go back down to the court 527 00:28:14,280 --> 00:28:15,840 Speaker 3: and I'm like, hey, this is that feel right? 528 00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:16,600 Speaker 5: You know? 529 00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:18,800 Speaker 3: My my thinger was dingling? And then I come back 530 00:28:18,880 --> 00:28:19,320 Speaker 3: up the court. 531 00:28:19,600 --> 00:28:21,639 Speaker 5: They throw the ball to me and I try to dribble, 532 00:28:22,440 --> 00:28:25,119 Speaker 5: but it didn't work, so I had to get a 533 00:28:25,200 --> 00:28:29,240 Speaker 5: time out and they determined it was broken. And that 534 00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:33,840 Speaker 5: was the series for us, because, like I said, each 535 00:28:33,880 --> 00:28:37,160 Speaker 5: one of my players, of our players knew their role 536 00:28:37,359 --> 00:28:38,560 Speaker 5: and we had a role to play. 537 00:28:39,160 --> 00:28:41,800 Speaker 3: My role was to give twenty. 538 00:28:41,640 --> 00:28:45,040 Speaker 5: Plus points a night as a as a teammate to 539 00:28:45,160 --> 00:28:46,480 Speaker 5: make my team successful. 540 00:28:46,600 --> 00:28:49,280 Speaker 3: And that's you know, that's that's. 541 00:28:49,120 --> 00:28:51,160 Speaker 5: The big thing to not have. And in fact, Lever 542 00:28:51,320 --> 00:28:54,160 Speaker 5: got injured as well as well as Calvinet, so. 543 00:28:56,680 --> 00:29:00,720 Speaker 3: It was tough for us. Injuries always can derail playoffs. 544 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:03,960 Speaker 4: I mean, it's so rare that a team makes it 545 00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:07,920 Speaker 4: through an entire postseason without an injury, and often those 546 00:29:07,960 --> 00:29:10,720 Speaker 4: are the teams that ended up winning because they get lucky, 547 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:14,560 Speaker 4: That's right. Something that that I always think is interesting 548 00:29:14,720 --> 00:29:16,800 Speaker 4: is that Kareem, you know, he's thirty seven years old, 549 00:29:16,840 --> 00:29:19,720 Speaker 4: but he's still you know, doing his thing and dominating. 550 00:29:21,640 --> 00:29:24,480 Speaker 4: How was just like Kareem sort of like as the 551 00:29:24,560 --> 00:29:28,400 Speaker 4: old guy you think of like a Lebron now sort 552 00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:30,840 Speaker 4: of able to use his strength and his IQ to 553 00:29:31,760 --> 00:29:34,760 Speaker 4: remain at the top of the game. But Kareem was 554 00:29:34,760 --> 00:29:36,840 Speaker 4: another guy that sort of had a similar career arc 555 00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:40,600 Speaker 4: and just like his longevity was crazy. What made Kareem 556 00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:43,520 Speaker 4: at thirty seven still so effective, Well, to. 557 00:29:43,600 --> 00:29:45,880 Speaker 3: Me, Kareem is the greatest of all time. 558 00:29:47,520 --> 00:29:50,440 Speaker 5: He and Bill Russell, and I think what made Kareem 559 00:29:50,720 --> 00:29:54,040 Speaker 5: so great was his determination on the floor and his 560 00:29:54,200 --> 00:29:59,160 Speaker 5: ability and his will to win. I think also that 561 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:03,760 Speaker 5: Green took pride in taking care of his body and 562 00:30:03,960 --> 00:30:07,040 Speaker 5: being ready to play. And the number one thing that 563 00:30:07,280 --> 00:30:12,440 Speaker 5: made him Kareem for that unstoppable jump book that he had, 564 00:30:12,800 --> 00:30:15,720 Speaker 5: his hoop was is not I haven't seen that shot 565 00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:20,320 Speaker 5: anywhere in the league in the past ten to fifteen years, 566 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:25,080 Speaker 5: and he was so consistent with that, and just his 567 00:30:25,280 --> 00:30:28,400 Speaker 5: present and his ability to just get up and down 568 00:30:28,520 --> 00:30:30,000 Speaker 5: the floor just made him. 569 00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:34,000 Speaker 4: You know me the greatest, and then his his point 570 00:30:34,040 --> 00:30:38,520 Speaker 4: guard is running mate Magic Johnson, more of the superstar 571 00:30:38,760 --> 00:30:43,840 Speaker 4: celebrity persona. What were your thoughts on the outside as 572 00:30:43,920 --> 00:30:48,400 Speaker 4: you observed sort of Magic come up and solidify himself 573 00:30:48,440 --> 00:30:52,880 Speaker 4: as just like a player that hadn't really been seen 574 00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:54,400 Speaker 4: in the NBA. 575 00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:56,560 Speaker 5: Yeah, he was. 576 00:30:56,880 --> 00:30:59,760 Speaker 3: He was an unusual player, being six' nine bowl, AN 577 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:00,600 Speaker 3: i could see the. 578 00:31:00,640 --> 00:31:06,000 Speaker 5: Floor dictated his, offense and could play probably every position 579 00:31:06,160 --> 00:31:08,800 Speaker 5: on the. Floor and then he had this this this 580 00:31:09,480 --> 00:31:14,960 Speaker 5: personality that was just exuberant and you, know he got his, 581 00:31:15,080 --> 00:31:17,600 Speaker 5: Players he loved his. Players he got them all into the. 582 00:31:17,680 --> 00:31:22,240 Speaker 5: Game another guy on that team that was tough With James, 583 00:31:22,280 --> 00:31:26,640 Speaker 5: worthy that's the guy that you, know he's the unspoken, 584 00:31:26,760 --> 00:31:31,200 Speaker 5: guy that unspoken talent that you, know people don't realize 585 00:31:32,080 --> 00:31:36,080 Speaker 5: was so important because he was six six, nine six 586 00:31:36,200 --> 00:31:39,880 Speaker 5: ten and he could, move he could, Run he run the, 587 00:31:39,960 --> 00:31:41,200 Speaker 5: floor he could, handle he. 588 00:31:41,320 --> 00:31:43,400 Speaker 3: Shoot so that's the guy THAT. 589 00:31:43,480 --> 00:31:45,880 Speaker 6: I had to, guard and it was. Tough he, was you, 590 00:31:45,960 --> 00:31:50,280 Speaker 6: know he was tough every night so had but Having 591 00:31:50,440 --> 00:31:54,160 Speaker 6: magic there made all the difference in the. World you, 592 00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:56,080 Speaker 6: know he was the big six nine. Guard he had 593 00:31:56,280 --> 00:32:01,480 Speaker 6: little small guards who are normally pointing like Barn, Scott Norm, 594 00:32:01,600 --> 00:32:03,959 Speaker 6: knicks they were the guys that were in the shooting, 595 00:32:04,040 --> 00:32:06,680 Speaker 6: guy but he was he was just the. 596 00:32:06,840 --> 00:32:14,280 Speaker 5: Talent lebron similar talent To. Magic magic was just a 597 00:32:14,320 --> 00:32:17,200 Speaker 5: little different. Though you, know you remember the series When 598 00:32:17,240 --> 00:32:21,200 Speaker 5: Magic green got hurt And magic the center. Position you, know, 599 00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:25,600 Speaker 5: yeah they won the championship that. Year you, know so 600 00:32:26,600 --> 00:32:29,520 Speaker 5: we were playing against one of the best ever squads 601 00:32:29,800 --> 00:32:33,200 Speaker 5: in THE nba, history and we were on verge of upsetting, 602 00:32:33,320 --> 00:32:35,320 Speaker 5: him but it wasn't meant to. 603 00:32:35,400 --> 00:32:38,800 Speaker 4: Be that's how it. Works you go back IN nba 604 00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:42,640 Speaker 4: history and you, know there's The bowls in the, nineties 605 00:32:42,680 --> 00:32:45,560 Speaker 4: The lakers And celtics in the, eighties and all those 606 00:32:45,680 --> 00:32:49,640 Speaker 4: teams like Your nuggets. Teams, uh there's there's many more of, 607 00:32:49,720 --> 00:32:52,479 Speaker 4: them but and people view them as like a failure 608 00:32:52,520 --> 00:32:54,280 Speaker 4: because they didn't win a. Championship but then you go 609 00:32:54,440 --> 00:32:58,120 Speaker 4: back and you, realize not that many groups won, championships 610 00:32:58,160 --> 00:33:01,120 Speaker 4: but those are not the the only groups IN nba 611 00:33:01,240 --> 00:33:04,320 Speaker 4: history that deserve to be talked. About there's there's a. 612 00:33:04,440 --> 00:33:08,320 Speaker 4: Number so that season sort of concludes and you guys 613 00:33:08,440 --> 00:33:12,360 Speaker 4: losing five and you don't go back to the conference 614 00:33:12,440 --> 00:33:15,240 Speaker 4: finals in you, know the rest of your time In. 615 00:33:15,320 --> 00:33:21,400 Speaker 4: DENVER i, guess just like, why what what stopped you 616 00:33:21,480 --> 00:33:23,640 Speaker 4: guys from being able to be in that position. AGAIN 617 00:33:25,720 --> 00:33:26,840 Speaker 4: i think the next. 618 00:33:26,760 --> 00:33:30,920 Speaker 3: Year we probably had. Injuries injuries was a thing that 619 00:33:31,560 --> 00:33:32,280 Speaker 3: bothered us the. 620 00:33:32,440 --> 00:33:37,400 Speaker 5: Most you, Know Wayne, Cooper Calvin, knatt Even Fat LEVER 621 00:33:38,360 --> 00:33:41,080 Speaker 5: i was pretty much injury. Free but most of the 622 00:33:41,160 --> 00:33:46,120 Speaker 5: time other than the broken, thumb brained ankle, here and you, 623 00:33:46,160 --> 00:33:50,040 Speaker 5: know just being able to. Retool you, know you have 624 00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:52,480 Speaker 5: to have people that are able to come in and 625 00:33:52,680 --> 00:33:56,240 Speaker 5: give you something every. Year you, know you've got a 626 00:33:56,280 --> 00:33:58,560 Speaker 5: great supporting cast out on the, move but you've got 627 00:33:58,640 --> 00:34:01,600 Speaker 5: to have a great supporting care on the bench as. 628 00:34:01,680 --> 00:34:03,600 Speaker 5: Well you, know you've got to have be able to 629 00:34:04,080 --> 00:34:06,200 Speaker 5: bring in people that are going to be able to 630 00:34:07,240 --> 00:34:10,799 Speaker 5: uh keep you in the game when you take one 631 00:34:10,840 --> 00:34:13,800 Speaker 5: of your start players. Out and we weren't able to do. 632 00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:16,000 Speaker 3: That the years. 633 00:34:16,080 --> 00:34:20,279 Speaker 5: Following if you think we got you, know we ended 634 00:34:20,320 --> 00:34:27,000 Speaker 5: up getting people Like James, Raid Rob, Williams Willie, White Howard. 635 00:34:27,160 --> 00:34:30,799 Speaker 5: Carter none of those guys. Contributed you, know they weren't 636 00:34:30,800 --> 00:34:33,040 Speaker 5: able to contribute in a in. 637 00:34:33,120 --> 00:34:35,960 Speaker 3: A big way to keep us at that. 638 00:34:36,160 --> 00:34:38,920 Speaker 4: Level if you could sort of play THE gm, role 639 00:34:38,960 --> 00:34:41,640 Speaker 4: the front office. Role it doesn't have it could be 640 00:34:41,680 --> 00:34:44,360 Speaker 4: a specific, Player but what are the the types of, 641 00:34:44,440 --> 00:34:46,640 Speaker 4: players whether it be you, know a shooting guard or 642 00:34:46,680 --> 00:34:50,919 Speaker 4: a defensive. Center what type of players do you think 643 00:34:51,800 --> 00:34:54,480 Speaker 4: would have been helpful and could have sort of gotten 644 00:34:54,560 --> 00:34:55,200 Speaker 4: you guys over that. 645 00:34:55,320 --> 00:34:58,879 Speaker 5: Hump, well we thought we thought a point guard would 646 00:34:58,920 --> 00:35:02,160 Speaker 5: be a guy that could be. Helpful i'm sure that's 647 00:35:02,200 --> 00:35:04,680 Speaker 5: why they, drafted you, know and most of those years 648 00:35:04,680 --> 00:35:10,759 Speaker 5: they were, guards but also if they were legitimate big. 649 00:35:10,920 --> 00:35:13,799 Speaker 5: Men and we ended up Getting Blair rathmusse and who 650 00:35:13,840 --> 00:35:14,279 Speaker 5: helped us a. 651 00:35:14,360 --> 00:35:17,040 Speaker 3: Lot but. 652 00:35:18,719 --> 00:35:20,480 Speaker 5: You, know we probably lost out on a couple of 653 00:35:20,560 --> 00:35:24,000 Speaker 5: guys that we probably could have gotten had the power. 654 00:35:24,120 --> 00:35:27,440 Speaker 5: Forward you, Know James, ray and you, Know James ray 655 00:35:27,600 --> 00:35:31,640 Speaker 5: was a great. Player unfortunately he got, injured and that 656 00:35:31,960 --> 00:35:33,920 Speaker 5: seemed to be the story with most of the guys we. 657 00:35:34,080 --> 00:35:37,320 Speaker 5: Drafted they ended up getting injured and you, know we 658 00:35:37,480 --> 00:35:40,279 Speaker 5: had nothing to show for their careers lasted maybe two 659 00:35:40,360 --> 00:35:41,160 Speaker 5: or three years. 660 00:35:42,120 --> 00:35:44,920 Speaker 3: After drafting, them and you, know in strong. Spots so. 661 00:35:46,640 --> 00:35:52,720 Speaker 5: We we didn't have really good draft seasons and we didn't. 662 00:35:52,840 --> 00:35:56,000 Speaker 5: Trade IF i can, recall, well we didn't trade to 663 00:35:56,120 --> 00:35:59,400 Speaker 5: get players that were going to make us better at. 664 00:36:00,040 --> 00:36:03,480 Speaker 5: IT i know we traded for wal To david at 665 00:36:03,520 --> 00:36:05,920 Speaker 5: the end of his, career and he was able to 666 00:36:05,920 --> 00:36:08,520 Speaker 5: give us a birth but you, know we were older. 667 00:36:08,600 --> 00:36:12,200 Speaker 4: Then we talked to a lot of players who sort 668 00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:14,680 Speaker 4: of have these seasons where on the they're on the 669 00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:17,680 Speaker 4: cusp of whether it's you, know making the finals or 670 00:36:17,680 --> 00:36:20,800 Speaker 4: winning a. CHAMPIONSHIP a lot of their sentiments is like 671 00:36:21,200 --> 00:36:23,200 Speaker 4: you you come, up you come so, close and then you, 672 00:36:23,320 --> 00:36:25,359 Speaker 4: lose and you sort of just in your mind, Think, 673 00:36:25,400 --> 00:36:27,719 Speaker 4: okay well we'll be back next. Year but as we've talked, 674 00:36:27,719 --> 00:36:33,640 Speaker 4: about there's, injuries there's, uh there's personnel. Changes did did 675 00:36:33,719 --> 00:36:36,120 Speaker 4: you do you sort of share any of that? Thinking you, 676 00:36:36,160 --> 00:36:38,320 Speaker 4: know back, then did you have similar? Feelings? 677 00:36:41,120 --> 00:36:43,920 Speaker 3: Uh, WELL i don't. Know that's a long time. 678 00:36:44,000 --> 00:36:49,839 Speaker 5: AGO i can't remember that far. Back other than a few. 679 00:36:49,960 --> 00:36:55,040 Speaker 5: Things you, KNOW i always enjoyed playing and felt like 680 00:36:55,200 --> 00:36:58,960 Speaker 5: my job was the. PLATE i felt, like you, know 681 00:36:59,080 --> 00:37:01,239 Speaker 5: the people in the front office it was their job 682 00:37:01,400 --> 00:37:03,799 Speaker 5: to be able to put the people on the floor 683 00:37:03,880 --> 00:37:04,080 Speaker 5: that we. 684 00:37:04,239 --> 00:37:05,560 Speaker 3: Needed and. 685 00:37:07,120 --> 00:37:09,600 Speaker 5: You, KNOW i guess they, tried you, know they did 686 00:37:10,280 --> 00:37:11,239 Speaker 5: what they felt they. 687 00:37:11,200 --> 00:37:13,600 Speaker 3: Needed to, do but it didn't. 688 00:37:13,600 --> 00:37:18,960 Speaker 5: HAPPEN i think nowadays they're more scientific in how, they you, 689 00:37:19,040 --> 00:37:21,480 Speaker 5: know find people to feel, spots they know what they. 690 00:37:21,600 --> 00:37:26,200 Speaker 3: Want it's more, technique tech savvy now in the front. 691 00:37:26,200 --> 00:37:31,120 Speaker 5: Office AND i don't always agree, with you, know the 692 00:37:31,239 --> 00:37:36,800 Speaker 5: statistical part of. It but when it comes to finding, 693 00:37:36,960 --> 00:37:39,800 Speaker 5: players you find a good, player but you also have 694 00:37:39,920 --> 00:37:42,800 Speaker 5: to be able to, measure you, know the, heart and 695 00:37:42,960 --> 00:37:46,120 Speaker 5: that's NOT i don't think there's A i don't think 696 00:37:46,120 --> 00:37:47,239 Speaker 5: there's a test out there for. 697 00:37:47,360 --> 00:37:51,400 Speaker 4: It they haven't figured out the. Analytics guys in the 698 00:37:51,480 --> 00:37:53,160 Speaker 4: back room haven't figured out for. 699 00:37:53,280 --> 00:37:55,680 Speaker 3: Heart, yeah they they haven't figured that out. 700 00:37:55,760 --> 00:37:58,719 Speaker 4: Yet so just sort of wrapping. UP i, know you 701 00:37:58,880 --> 00:38:01,359 Speaker 4: watch the, game you, know today we talked a little 702 00:38:01,400 --> 00:38:05,200 Speaker 4: bit about. It is there anybody that you, watch or 703 00:38:05,239 --> 00:38:07,560 Speaker 4: you've watched since you retired that reminds you a little 704 00:38:07,560 --> 00:38:07,719 Speaker 4: bit of? 705 00:38:07,800 --> 00:38:14,720 Speaker 3: Yourself if there are probably pieces of me in some, Players, oh. 706 00:38:16,360 --> 00:38:19,719 Speaker 5: That's the beauty of. Basketball there are no two players 707 00:38:19,920 --> 00:38:23,760 Speaker 5: that are the same other than you. KNOW i felt 708 00:38:24,280 --> 00:38:28,480 Speaker 5: Watching Kobe bryant And Michael. Jordan they had similar games 709 00:38:29,120 --> 00:38:33,319 Speaker 5: and they had similar mentalities on the. Floor but even 710 00:38:33,920 --> 00:38:38,640 Speaker 5: with those, two the game was, different but it's FOR i, 711 00:38:38,680 --> 00:38:44,480 Speaker 5: Mean i've not seen anybody replicate my jump. SHOT i 712 00:38:44,520 --> 00:38:47,239 Speaker 5: haven't seen anybody who Replicate Kareem's. 713 00:38:48,280 --> 00:38:48,600 Speaker 3: Scott. 714 00:38:48,680 --> 00:38:54,319 Speaker 5: Hook you, know it's basketball is just a funny. Game 715 00:38:54,400 --> 00:38:57,960 Speaker 5: it's none of this's no two. Individuals they may have 716 00:38:58,239 --> 00:39:03,600 Speaker 5: similar parts of, IT i think, maybe you, know And 717 00:39:04,239 --> 00:39:09,000 Speaker 5: i've been Watching Chris, middleton who's Off South. Carolina he's 718 00:39:09,080 --> 00:39:12,719 Speaker 5: got a mentality maybe that's similar to mine as far as, 719 00:39:13,120 --> 00:39:15,920 Speaker 5: okay let me go to the next thing that didn't, 720 00:39:15,960 --> 00:39:17,360 Speaker 5: work let me do my. 721 00:39:17,560 --> 00:39:23,560 Speaker 3: Job And Kevin, durant for what he does on the, 722 00:39:23,640 --> 00:39:26,279 Speaker 3: floor he's a. Scorer he can. 723 00:39:26,400 --> 00:39:29,120 Speaker 5: Score you, know he's just a guy that we know 724 00:39:29,440 --> 00:39:33,160 Speaker 5: that it's gonna go in the basket and you, know 725 00:39:33,280 --> 00:39:37,480 Speaker 5: wherever he's on the. Floor my game not similar to, 726 00:39:37,560 --> 00:39:41,560 Speaker 5: his but maybe in a sense THAT i KNEW i 727 00:39:41,680 --> 00:39:47,200 Speaker 5: could score and that my shot made that. Possible SO 728 00:39:47,560 --> 00:39:51,400 Speaker 5: i worked on that, shot you, know making it so 729 00:39:51,640 --> 00:39:55,320 Speaker 5: that you, know it was consistent and even though it 730 00:39:55,400 --> 00:39:58,680 Speaker 5: seemed like an impossible shot to other, people it was 731 00:39:58,840 --> 00:39:59,319 Speaker 5: just very. 732 00:39:59,440 --> 00:40:02,080 Speaker 3: Natural, well you ever. 733 00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:04,680 Speaker 4: Get your wingspan measured because you're released. 734 00:40:04,560 --> 00:40:06,840 Speaker 3: Never they you, know back then WHEN i was WHEN. 735 00:40:06,719 --> 00:40:07,440 Speaker 5: I was coming. 736 00:40:07,480 --> 00:40:08,440 Speaker 3: Out they didn't do all that. 737 00:40:08,600 --> 00:40:12,200 Speaker 5: Stuff they because they didn't have all the statistics in 738 00:40:12,360 --> 00:40:16,960 Speaker 5: The Wayne wayne span measurement and footsign all. 739 00:40:17,080 --> 00:40:19,600 Speaker 3: That it just so we drafted. You we need you 740 00:40:19,680 --> 00:40:22,279 Speaker 3: to come play for. Us come play, basketball that's. 741 00:40:22,320 --> 00:40:24,600 Speaker 4: What and you gotta flight tomorrow at five. 742 00:40:24,640 --> 00:40:27,399 Speaker 5: Am, yeah you got a flight to bar at five, 743 00:40:27,480 --> 00:40:29,520 Speaker 5: am and then you play a, game and then you 744 00:40:29,600 --> 00:40:31,560 Speaker 5: gotta get up at four the next morning and go 745 00:40:31,680 --> 00:40:32,439 Speaker 5: play another. Game. 746 00:40:33,040 --> 00:40:34,960 Speaker 4: YEAH i mean there's a lot of people today love 747 00:40:35,080 --> 00:40:38,520 Speaker 4: to sort of talk down on the competition in the, 748 00:40:38,600 --> 00:40:41,640 Speaker 4: eighties BUT i think they don't realize how good the 749 00:40:41,680 --> 00:40:42,440 Speaker 4: players now have. 750 00:40:42,600 --> 00:40:46,640 Speaker 3: It, yeah they don't realize, that and they haven't they 751 00:40:46,719 --> 00:40:48,719 Speaker 3: don't really know the. Game they haven't studied the. 752 00:40:48,800 --> 00:40:52,960 Speaker 5: Game that the decade of the eighties produced some of 753 00:40:53,040 --> 00:40:56,239 Speaker 5: the best basketball players that ever came into THE. 754 00:40:56,360 --> 00:40:59,280 Speaker 3: Nba AND i sat down and marveled. 755 00:40:59,320 --> 00:41:02,279 Speaker 5: That you, know the guys THAT i played, AGAINST i, 756 00:41:02,320 --> 00:41:04,839 Speaker 5: MEAN i mean they Were knights THAT i, Mean i'd 757 00:41:04,920 --> 00:41:08,239 Speaker 5: be Playing Larry. Birds, uh and then the next NIGHT 758 00:41:08,320 --> 00:41:11,480 Speaker 5: i have to go Guard Dominique, wilkins two totally different. 759 00:41:11,520 --> 00:41:14,600 Speaker 5: Players and then following that, Up i'm gonna have to 760 00:41:14,640 --> 00:41:17,279 Speaker 5: come and Guard Mark. Leguire you, know it was more 761 00:41:17,320 --> 00:41:19,120 Speaker 5: of a big booty postuff. 762 00:41:19,200 --> 00:41:22,520 Speaker 3: Guy so and then and then the next NIGHT i 763 00:41:22,600 --> 00:41:25,680 Speaker 3: might have to go and Play Jane. Body you. 764 00:41:25,800 --> 00:41:29,200 Speaker 7: Know it was it was just it was a beautiful. 765 00:41:29,280 --> 00:41:34,960 Speaker 7: Game and there was a lot of a lot of 766 00:41:35,280 --> 00:41:37,080 Speaker 7: a lot of talent in the decade of The. 767 00:41:37,120 --> 00:41:40,560 Speaker 4: Ages so it certainly. Was and we're very grateful to 768 00:41:40,719 --> 00:41:43,359 Speaker 4: have one of the top talents of the, decade the leading. 769 00:41:43,440 --> 00:41:47,120 Speaker 4: Scorer this was an amazing, Conversation, alex thank you for 770 00:41:47,239 --> 00:41:52,759 Speaker 4: joining us and you, well my, Friend, okay thank you very. Much, 771 00:41:55,160 --> 00:41:57,120 Speaker 4: well that was a pleasure being able to talk with 772 00:41:57,560 --> 00:42:00,600 Speaker 4: The hall Of, famer the leading scorer of the, Eighties Alex. 773 00:42:00,640 --> 00:42:03,640 Speaker 4: ENGLISH i really enjoyed that. ONE i hope you guys 774 00:42:03,719 --> 00:42:06,719 Speaker 4: appreciate and like learning, about you, know teams from the 775 00:42:06,800 --> 00:42:09,640 Speaker 4: eighties stuff that isn't you, know from the two. THOUSANDS 776 00:42:09,960 --> 00:42:12,799 Speaker 4: i think it's Important and if you like, it shoot 777 00:42:12,840 --> 00:42:15,600 Speaker 4: me A dm On instagram let us know if you're liking, 778 00:42:15,640 --> 00:42:18,719 Speaker 4: it any other. THOUGHTS i remember to review and rate 779 00:42:18,840 --> 00:42:21,400 Speaker 4: the podcast if you. Can if you're enjoying, it you 780 00:42:21,480 --> 00:42:24,160 Speaker 4: can find More Forgotten seasons On instagram And twitter and 781 00:42:24,440 --> 00:42:27,200 Speaker 4: be sure to visit truthplus media dot com for more 782 00:42:27,280 --> 00:42:30,920 Speaker 4: stories FROM nba history and until next. Time we will 783 00:42:30,920 --> 00:42:34,120 Speaker 4: be back with More forgotten seasons very. Soon thanks, guys