WEBVTT - TOM's Talks | Jim Lynam 0:00:00.320 --> 0:00:03.640 This podcast is part of the seventy Sixers podcast network 0:00:04.000 --> 0:00:08.600 search seventy Sixers podcast Wherever you get your pots. Hi. 0:00:08.760 --> 0:00:11.840 This is Tom mcginners. Over the course of twenty five 0:00:11.920 --> 0:00:14.720 years of calling seventy six Ers games on the radio 0:00:14.840 --> 0:00:18.600 here in Philadelphia, I've met hundreds of people. It's one 0:00:18.640 --> 0:00:22.200 of my favorite things about the job. Philadelphia may be 0:00:22.280 --> 0:00:25.520 hard to beat as the best basketball city in America. 0:00:26.040 --> 0:00:28.600 One guy who would know and who's pretty much seen 0:00:28.680 --> 0:00:31.920 it all is Jimmy Linum. A great high school player, 0:00:32.360 --> 0:00:35.440 MVP at Saint Joseph's on its basketball team in the 0:00:35.440 --> 0:00:39.440 early nineteen sixties, a successful coach at his alma mater, 0:00:39.920 --> 0:00:43.560 seventy six Ers head coach and general manager, many years 0:00:43.600 --> 0:00:46.960 as an NBA assistant coach, and now the insightful and 0:00:47.040 --> 0:00:51.560 passionate commentator on NBC Sports Philadelphia's pre and postgame live 0:00:51.640 --> 0:00:55.000 coverage of the seventy Sixers. I recently spoke with Philly 0:00:55.080 --> 0:00:59.360 basketball legend coach Jim Lynam coach. Thank you so much. 0:00:59.360 --> 0:01:01.360 How's it going? And I know you're hunkering down here 0:01:01.440 --> 0:01:05.919 during this hiatus. How you've been pretty well? Tom? Thanks? 0:01:06.680 --> 0:01:11.120 You know, like everybody else, we're in very unusual times, 0:01:11.480 --> 0:01:14.440 so you make the best be able to see the 0:01:14.480 --> 0:01:19.520 grand kids from Afar every now and then, Yes, from Afar. 0:01:19.640 --> 0:01:26.880 You know, basically somebody drops something off, but more through 0:01:27.480 --> 0:01:32.640 through zoom or right. We've all become accustomed to this 0:01:32.720 --> 0:01:36.319 new technology and zoom has been real integral to do 0:01:36.400 --> 0:01:39.759 everything basically in terms of meetings and conversations with family 0:01:40.160 --> 0:01:43.080 and work. And I know you just recently did one gym. 0:01:43.120 --> 0:01:45.400 You work for NBC Sports Philadelphia in the pre and 0:01:45.440 --> 0:01:48.800 postgame Live and have been a tremendous analyst at this 0:01:49.320 --> 0:01:51.520 point of your career. But you've done everything and we're 0:01:51.520 --> 0:01:53.480 going to touch on that a little bit. But they 0:01:53.520 --> 0:01:56.160 reached out to you to talk about the Last Dance, 0:01:56.240 --> 0:01:59.360 the current series on ESPN about Michael Jordan, and I 0:01:59.400 --> 0:02:02.200 know you're six teams faced him and you did a 0:02:02.200 --> 0:02:04.600 great job describing that look in that game that you 0:02:04.640 --> 0:02:07.720 guys wanted the spectrum. But have you enjoyed the series 0:02:07.720 --> 0:02:10.080 and looking back and watching Jordan in one of his 0:02:10.200 --> 0:02:15.240 final performances in Chicago. Yeah, my wife and I look forward. 0:02:15.360 --> 0:02:19.320 We saw the two episodes last night. Yeah, it brings 0:02:19.320 --> 0:02:22.480 back obviously a lot of memories, but I think they 0:02:22.520 --> 0:02:26.600 were in and of themselves. They were They were pretty 0:02:26.600 --> 0:02:30.120 special times. I mean, you had a front row seat 0:02:30.160 --> 0:02:34.440 to not just Michael arguably if he's not the greatest, 0:02:34.480 --> 0:02:37.680 he's right there with whoever one would deem to be 0:02:37.720 --> 0:02:40.680 the best player to ever play in the NBA. But 0:02:40.800 --> 0:02:43.280 the circumstances surrounding it. You know, it was a great 0:02:43.360 --> 0:02:47.520 theater as well as great basketball, right, And you've been 0:02:47.520 --> 0:02:49.400 a part of so many stops and so much great 0:02:49.400 --> 0:02:51.400 basketball throughout your career. As I said, I'm going to 0:02:51.440 --> 0:02:54.840 take you all the way back to your days at 0:02:54.880 --> 0:02:58.040 West Catholic High School playing with Herb McGee and your 0:02:58.080 --> 0:03:00.280 team was one of the great high school basketball teams 0:03:00.280 --> 0:03:04.760 in Philadelphias, had lifetime relationships with like coach McGee. What 0:03:04.760 --> 0:03:06.760 do you remember about that time and what should we 0:03:06.800 --> 0:03:11.919 know about your high school efforts at West Catholic? Well, 0:03:12.800 --> 0:03:16.000 Herb and I played together a Jim Boyle I was 0:03:16.080 --> 0:03:20.240 on that team, who was a dear friend you know, 0:03:20.320 --> 0:03:24.600 for both Herbs and mine the rest of our lives 0:03:24.639 --> 0:03:27.600 we passed away. I guess it's over ten years ago now. 0:03:28.720 --> 0:03:32.080 Another prominent player was Albanny mc john beck, whose brother 0:03:32.440 --> 0:03:36.560 played for the Philadelphia A Warders, Ernie Becke, it's a 0:03:36.640 --> 0:03:40.720 great ten player in the NBA player So we had 0:03:42.080 --> 0:03:45.760 we were, i'd say, the beneficiaries of great tradition when 0:03:45.760 --> 0:03:47.440 we were growing up, you know, West Catholic and won 0:03:47.440 --> 0:03:50.800 a lot of Catholic League titles over the years. I 0:03:50.840 --> 0:03:53.920 knew a lot of those older players from the various 0:03:53.920 --> 0:03:59.000 neighborhoods around Southwest Philly. You know, they were always out 0:03:59.520 --> 0:04:04.280 are been to mentoring us. So it was like just 0:04:04.320 --> 0:04:07.680 a good fortune to be able to continue a tradition, 0:04:07.680 --> 0:04:10.040 to be a part of something that you know, as 0:04:10.040 --> 0:04:15.120 a young kid growing up, really relished. And then you 0:04:15.200 --> 0:04:18.600 go to Saint Joe's. You play three years on the varsity, 0:04:18.680 --> 0:04:21.839 your final season you're the MVP, You make it to 0:04:21.920 --> 0:04:25.120 the final four, you end up third. You played a 0:04:25.120 --> 0:04:29.240 four overtime game with Utah. What was that like? I know, 0:04:29.320 --> 0:04:31.960 the NCAA tournament may not be you know what it 0:04:32.160 --> 0:04:34.760 was it is now back then, but still a pretty 0:04:34.800 --> 0:04:39.880 neat achievement. Only thirty two teams, if the recollection serves 0:04:39.920 --> 0:04:43.039 me correctly, But that was a real good team. It 0:04:43.080 --> 0:04:48.919 was my sophomore year at Saint Joe And actually the 0:04:50.440 --> 0:04:54.080 while they don't have the consolation game anymore. Maybe because 0:04:54.080 --> 0:04:57.120 of that game. Bobby Knight was getting ready as a 0:04:57.160 --> 0:05:00.760 player to play his Ohio State team was going to 0:05:00.920 --> 0:05:05.719 play Cincinnati for the national title game. And I remember 0:05:06.080 --> 0:05:08.520 during our game, you know, them coming onto the court 0:05:08.560 --> 0:05:12.200 like three different times requesting their sweatsuits, and they were 0:05:12.200 --> 0:05:15.719 sitting under the basket area only to go back, you 0:05:15.760 --> 0:05:18.799 know each time that there's going to be another overtime. 0:05:18.839 --> 0:05:22.800 You can see the expression on their faces. So it 0:05:22.960 --> 0:05:25.880 was somewhat anticlimatic, but you know, for us to get 0:05:25.880 --> 0:05:29.680 to the final four was a big deal. The only 0:05:29.680 --> 0:05:32.240 reason I say that because then I T was prominent 0:05:32.279 --> 0:05:35.520 at that time too, correct, no question. Yeah, I'd say 0:05:35.560 --> 0:05:39.680 the two probably rival one another as to the you know, 0:05:39.720 --> 0:05:42.760 the biggest achievement, although I do think the NCAA probably 0:05:43.400 --> 0:05:46.520 still had an edge at that time, right, I mean, 0:05:46.520 --> 0:05:48.520 to get to the final four, that's awesome. That must 0:05:48.520 --> 0:05:51.080 have been a great experience. And John Halichick, as you mentioned, 0:05:51.080 --> 0:05:53.080 those buck guys getting ready to come out. Honda was 0:05:53.120 --> 0:05:57.000 on that team, correct, Jerry Lucas was, Larry Siegfried. You know, 0:05:57.040 --> 0:05:59.279 they had a cast of guys who were going to 0:05:59.320 --> 0:06:02.520 go for one and the great NBA players, but they 0:06:02.520 --> 0:06:05.800 didn't win. They lost the championship to Cincinnati, you know, 0:06:05.960 --> 0:06:08.680 which was a really a brutal lost to them. You know, 0:06:08.720 --> 0:06:11.600 an ind State team, right, and it was Oscar had 0:06:11.640 --> 0:06:16.039 just finished playing. So you know, teams were like, we're 0:06:16.040 --> 0:06:18.920 looking forward to get in Cincinnati without Oscar. Well guess 0:06:18.920 --> 0:06:22.280 what they got them, they said, but they weren't able 0:06:22.320 --> 0:06:25.920 to take them down, right. So then you get into coaching, 0:06:26.400 --> 0:06:30.200 and you coach at Fairfield and American University. Two years 0:06:30.240 --> 0:06:33.080 at Fairfield and I believe five years at American University, 0:06:33.480 --> 0:06:35.200 and then you come back and you get to Saint 0:06:35.279 --> 0:06:39.240 Joseph's job, and everybody here in Philadelphia remembers the big 0:06:39.320 --> 0:06:42.920 upset against the Paul that was at Dayton. The year 0:06:43.080 --> 0:06:47.760 was nineteen eighty one. You knock off Ray Meyer and 0:06:48.000 --> 0:06:51.400 Mark Aguire and Tony cost and Brian work are on 0:06:51.520 --> 0:06:53.880 your team. What do you recollect and what are some 0:06:53.920 --> 0:06:57.400 of your memories about that number one? I would say 0:06:57.440 --> 0:07:00.920 that we had a very good team. You know, I 0:07:01.040 --> 0:07:04.440 still to this day see a lot of those players. 0:07:04.520 --> 0:07:09.400 John Smith, Jeff Clark, You mentioned Tony Costner, Brian Warwick. 0:07:10.960 --> 0:07:13.720 Ronnie McFarland was a freshman on that team from Roman 0:07:13.760 --> 0:07:15.960 cast like, so we had a lot of very very 0:07:15.960 --> 0:07:18.080 good players and it was, you know, going to be 0:07:18.080 --> 0:07:22.000 a good team for a number of years. But yeah, 0:07:22.040 --> 0:07:25.960 it DePaul was the number one team, number one seed 0:07:25.960 --> 0:07:29.320 in the tournament. And ironically LaSalle had played them a 0:07:29.360 --> 0:07:33.680 game in Philly back then during the Big five pay 0:07:33.800 --> 0:07:38.040 Day we played doubleheaders and we played first half of 0:07:38.080 --> 0:07:40.520 that double head or Lasal playing the Taul in the second. 0:07:40.960 --> 0:07:44.160 So our guys had seen the Paul firsthand. And let's say, 0:07:44.200 --> 0:07:47.640 I really my brother was at the back court a 0:07:47.680 --> 0:07:51.080 govery good player, or LaSalle being high school teammate that 0:07:51.600 --> 0:07:54.640 was on a golf scholarship, Greg Webster, and they gave 0:07:54.720 --> 0:07:57.440 De Paul all they could handle. Short of winning the game, 0:07:57.520 --> 0:08:02.000 I think they lost three. So that kind of we had. 0:08:02.560 --> 0:08:07.600 Winning our first game against Greyton, we kind of tapped 0:08:07.600 --> 0:08:12.160 into that Sam was good enough to play three point 0:08:12.160 --> 0:08:14.480 that we thought we had a shot. So you make 0:08:14.560 --> 0:08:18.680 it to the Mid East Regional and it was in Bloomington, Indiana. 0:08:19.360 --> 0:08:21.440 And I told you this before, but I actually went 0:08:21.520 --> 0:08:24.440 to those games. We met briefly in the hotel. I 0:08:24.440 --> 0:08:26.400 can understand why you wouldn't remember that, but I did 0:08:26.440 --> 0:08:29.200 have a long conversation with Jean Barto because he was 0:08:29.240 --> 0:08:32.559 the coach of UAB Alabama, Birmingham, Indiana of course, who 0:08:32.559 --> 0:08:34.280 would go on to the Spectrum and win an eighty 0:08:34.280 --> 0:08:38.280 one national championship, and Boston College and they were coached 0:08:38.280 --> 0:08:41.080 by doctor Tom Davis. And if I remember, that was 0:08:41.120 --> 0:08:47.480 your first game, and right you played BC. Yeah, we 0:08:48.840 --> 0:08:52.000 BBC really was not a very good game, to be 0:08:52.040 --> 0:08:55.199 honest with you, Well, what was the deal? Because I 0:08:55.800 --> 0:08:57.679 was a college basketball player at the time, and a 0:08:57.720 --> 0:09:00.480 bunch of us and the older guys from the outside 0:09:00.480 --> 0:09:04.199 of Chicago, these brothers would always get tickets and we 0:09:04.200 --> 0:09:06.480 were thinking that Paul would be in there. Wake Forrest 0:09:06.600 --> 0:09:09.040 was really good. I think Kentucky and Indiana were like 0:09:09.080 --> 0:09:13.240 holy man. The ticket coach was twelve dollars and fifty cents. 0:09:13.280 --> 0:09:16.920 Of course I still have the receipt or whatever the ticket. 0:09:16.960 --> 0:09:20.400 But Doctor Tom was a huge bounce pass guy. I 0:09:20.480 --> 0:09:25.360 remember counting like twenty five bounce passes a possession, didn't 0:09:25.360 --> 0:09:28.000 he do? What was the deal with that? Yeah? It 0:09:28.200 --> 0:09:31.520 was a good friend and he had a unique style 0:09:31.600 --> 0:09:34.400 of play. What they did. They he played very fast, 0:09:34.800 --> 0:09:36.920 like you'd run the ball down the floor usually had 0:09:36.960 --> 0:09:40.199 a really good guard jump badly. Yeah, they have been 0:09:40.240 --> 0:09:44.720 on that team, but he had guards Michael Adams small, 0:09:44.760 --> 0:09:46.480 but they were they were good enough to play in 0:09:46.520 --> 0:09:49.440 the NBA. And what they would do they would rush 0:09:49.480 --> 0:09:51.640 the ball down the court trying to get an early shot, 0:09:51.679 --> 0:09:55.000 but if they didn't no shot clock back in those days, 0:09:55.000 --> 0:09:56.800 they would back it out and as you said, they 0:09:56.800 --> 0:10:00.240 would pass the ball incessantly, you know, time after time 0:10:00.360 --> 0:10:04.240 to try to get an optimal shooting opportunity. So the 0:10:04.280 --> 0:10:07.080 game was it was one of the weirdest games I 0:10:07.160 --> 0:10:09.240 ever was involved in. To be honest with you, I 0:10:09.280 --> 0:10:11.600 had no idea, but I'd be talking to like one 0:10:11.600 --> 0:10:14.160 of my assistants on one side and one on the other, 0:10:14.200 --> 0:10:17.280 getting two different versions, and I was as confused as 0:10:17.320 --> 0:10:19.160 they were, like we in good shape or we like 0:10:19.640 --> 0:10:22.720 big trouble. As it turned down, we made a couple 0:10:22.720 --> 0:10:24.560 of plays down the stretch at to win the game 0:10:25.320 --> 0:10:28.679 to get a chance to go against Indiana to go 0:10:28.760 --> 0:10:31.640 to the Final four back here in Philly at the Spectrum, right, 0:10:32.600 --> 0:10:35.679 but as State would have it back in those days 0:10:36.240 --> 0:10:38.920 in Indiana again, they were a great team. Isaiah Thomas, 0:10:39.360 --> 0:10:42.000 I'm not sure matter where we played them, right, but 0:10:42.120 --> 0:10:44.720 I would like to have a shot on anywhere other 0:10:44.800 --> 0:10:48.080 than their own court right now. Absolutely, what an advantage 0:10:48.080 --> 0:10:50.839 for them. And I ended up setting for the first 0:10:50.880 --> 0:10:53.839 games when they played u AB right behind the bench. 0:10:53.920 --> 0:10:56.240 People get confused, like when you see as Family Hall, 0:10:56.920 --> 0:10:59.240 it looks real small, but it obviously goes way up. 0:10:59.240 --> 0:11:01.320 But I was sitting there right behind Bobby Knight, which 0:11:01.360 --> 0:11:05.360 was unbelievable. And Isaiah against Alabama Birmingham had like a game. 0:11:05.360 --> 0:11:07.319 They were saying, you could put it in a cornerstone, 0:11:07.640 --> 0:11:09.720 tap into it fifty years from now and you know 0:11:09.760 --> 0:11:12.360 it would still hold up. And you played him in 0:11:12.400 --> 0:11:16.360 that game which you described a little bit. But what 0:11:16.400 --> 0:11:19.040 do you remember about that game against Indiana in their building, 0:11:19.080 --> 0:11:22.240 an assembly hall. Yeah, it wasn't much of a game, 0:11:22.280 --> 0:11:25.160 to be honest. Again, they had a number of the 0:11:25.400 --> 0:11:28.520 NBA talent, Randy Whitman I think was on that team 0:11:28.520 --> 0:11:35.240 with Isaiah, and the combination of Night, who obviously was 0:11:35.320 --> 0:11:39.200 one of the premier coaches, great players, and the home 0:11:39.200 --> 0:11:43.600 board advantage for us to we had to be able 0:11:43.600 --> 0:11:45.839 to stay close to teams like that have a chance 0:11:45.920 --> 0:11:48.719 in the game, and we simply weren't able to do 0:11:48.880 --> 0:11:52.760 it when they played the and you know this just share, 0:11:53.640 --> 0:11:56.360 but when they ended up playing that national championship game 0:11:56.400 --> 0:11:58.600 the following week, it was a Monday night, and that 0:11:58.720 --> 0:12:01.600 was the day that President ray And had been shot. 0:12:01.880 --> 0:12:04.600 And by this time, again college basketball players, we were 0:12:04.640 --> 0:12:07.840 back on campus, and there was some speculation that they 0:12:07.880 --> 0:12:10.760 weren't going to play the game, and being big hoop 0:12:10.800 --> 0:12:13.760 hads were like, you gotta play the game, and eventually 0:12:13.760 --> 0:12:18.880 they did, and Indiana one that championship pretty handily, if 0:12:18.880 --> 0:12:21.400 I remember, against a pretty good North Carolina team that 0:12:21.480 --> 0:12:23.640 was really a one of the Bobby Ifel, one of 0:12:23.640 --> 0:12:27.360 Bobby knights better teams. So then you end up matriculating 0:12:27.640 --> 0:12:30.160 to the NBA. You were an assistant in Portland, you 0:12:30.200 --> 0:12:33.920 had that year in Los Angeles with the Clippers and 0:12:33.960 --> 0:12:37.200 that was their first year in Los Angeles, is that correct? Coach? 0:12:37.559 --> 0:12:41.200 And yeah, when I went to the NBA, Jack Ramsey, 0:12:41.240 --> 0:12:44.199 you know really who was my mentor from the get go, 0:12:45.720 --> 0:12:47.960 coached me at Saint Joe's and then giving me a 0:12:48.040 --> 0:12:56.080 coaching opportunity that really started me in the profession. But yeah, 0:12:56.120 --> 0:12:58.480 I was the coach of the Clippers actually for when 0:12:58.520 --> 0:13:00.680 I got the Clipper job that were in San Diego, 0:13:01.200 --> 0:13:06.320 hop Sterling, it is inimitable style. He moved the team 0:13:07.400 --> 0:13:10.800 under cover of darkness, literally one night, moving Vans game 0:13:10.800 --> 0:13:15.400 onto the San Diego Sports Arena. Whatever they had, they 0:13:15.960 --> 0:13:19.000 packed it up and boomed they went north. So yeah, 0:13:19.080 --> 0:13:21.360 the second year, right, I was a coach up in 0:13:21.400 --> 0:13:24.160 that the Clippers in those same right, coach, Just going 0:13:24.160 --> 0:13:27.000 back to doctor Jack Ramsey, because again, you're an icon 0:13:27.080 --> 0:13:31.360 in fully basketball, so as your friend Jim O'Brien one 0:13:31.400 --> 0:13:34.520 of our assistant coaches with the Sixers, and obviously doctor 0:13:34.600 --> 0:13:37.839 Jack was his father in law. And you know with 0:13:37.880 --> 0:13:40.240 doctor Jack hollin those Miami he games for years and 0:13:40.280 --> 0:13:44.440 then ESPN Radio. What a man. I mean you mentioned 0:13:44.440 --> 0:13:48.280 he's your mentor. I mean, just an incredible person. To 0:13:48.400 --> 0:13:52.480 talk about doctor Jack Ramsey for a second, Well, yeah, 0:13:52.520 --> 0:13:57.040 he was really not just a terrific basketball coach obviously, 0:13:57.080 --> 0:14:00.240 but he was a special guy. He was I think 0:14:00.240 --> 0:14:03.200 it's fair to say, Tom, you'd have to go pretty 0:14:03.200 --> 0:14:06.720 far and wide to find someone who was as universally 0:14:06.760 --> 0:14:12.000 respected both in and out of profession than Jack Ramsey. 0:14:12.280 --> 0:14:16.840 He just he was down to earth, a normal person. 0:14:17.679 --> 0:14:21.600 He was an educator, you know PhD. He actually taught 0:14:21.640 --> 0:14:23.720 me a couple of classes when I was a student 0:14:23.720 --> 0:14:29.440 at Saint Johs. But just what impressed me the most 0:14:29.480 --> 0:14:32.400 I think about him is the way he bent about 0:14:32.440 --> 0:14:35.880 what he did. You know, it was never about him. 0:14:35.880 --> 0:14:38.440 He loved the game, He had tremendous respect for it, 0:14:39.040 --> 0:14:42.680 and he was just a great teacher. Anything he could 0:14:42.760 --> 0:14:48.640 do to impart, like thought, help whatever to the next person, 0:14:48.800 --> 0:14:52.000 you know, be a player coach. He was always at 0:14:52.000 --> 0:14:54.240 the front of the line to do so. More with 0:14:54.400 --> 0:14:57.840 Jim wind him coming up. In this time of social distancing, 0:14:58.040 --> 0:15:02.080 Nova Care Rehabilitation is offering physical therapy from the comfort 0:15:02.120 --> 0:15:05.200 and safety of your home. Through their new tell a 0:15:05.280 --> 0:15:09.960 Rehab program, Novacare will virtually bring their services to you 0:15:10.440 --> 0:15:13.600 so you may heal, build strength, and get back to 0:15:13.640 --> 0:15:16.760 the things you love. Tell a Rehab let you easily 0:15:16.800 --> 0:15:20.560 connect with one of Novocare's licensed therapists through web based 0:15:20.600 --> 0:15:25.000 technology that is Hippo compliant. For more information, visit novacare 0:15:25.200 --> 0:15:28.520 dot com. Now back to my chat with Jim Linum. 0:15:28.800 --> 0:15:30.560 Maybe this is a good spot and I want to 0:15:30.560 --> 0:15:32.800 get into your time with the Sixerson as a GM 0:15:32.800 --> 0:15:34.960 and your work now and working with d every now 0:15:34.960 --> 0:15:39.720 and then. But Philly basketball to somebody that's not from here, 0:15:40.840 --> 0:15:43.960 how would you describe it? Because to me it's every 0:15:44.080 --> 0:15:50.080 level of basketball from Cyo, your high school obviously, the colleges, 0:15:50.200 --> 0:15:54.800 the pro game, the Polestra women's basketball. How would you 0:15:54.800 --> 0:15:58.160 describe Philly basketball to somebody not from here? I always stay, 0:15:58.200 --> 0:16:00.400 I go A to Z is what I say. If 0:16:00.400 --> 0:16:01.880 you want to talk. I mean, there's obviously a lot 0:16:01.880 --> 0:16:04.720 of great cities that have a lot of great programs 0:16:04.720 --> 0:16:07.720 and great players. But if you want the history of 0:16:07.800 --> 0:16:09.680 the game and you want to go all the way back, 0:16:10.560 --> 0:16:14.360 Philadelphia is pretty tough to beat in my opinion. I mean, 0:16:14.440 --> 0:16:18.760 Will Chamberlain is from Philadelphia. The list of great referees 0:16:18.920 --> 0:16:21.160 in the history of the NBA, the number of them 0:16:21.400 --> 0:16:27.000 that are from Philadelphia staggering. The great coaches, the Big Five, 0:16:27.120 --> 0:16:30.080 and I was never want to say like that Big 0:16:30.120 --> 0:16:33.480 Five is better than this league or better than that league. 0:16:33.520 --> 0:16:35.160 You know, it wasn't really a league. It was kind 0:16:35.160 --> 0:16:39.080 of a you know, an informal like group of teams. 0:16:39.680 --> 0:16:41.880 But it was unique in a sense that nowhere in 0:16:41.920 --> 0:16:44.960 America could you have something like that. Played all my 0:16:45.040 --> 0:16:49.280 home games on Penn's home court as the coach of 0:16:49.360 --> 0:16:51.920 Saint Joe's. Now, you know, we didn't have the like 0:16:51.960 --> 0:16:57.800 an arena like assembly hall out there in Indiana. But 0:16:57.920 --> 0:16:59.720 I just think that when you look at it from 0:16:59.720 --> 0:17:01.960 a lot of different perspectives, and you look at the 0:17:02.040 --> 0:17:05.840 number of great players, look at the number of outstanding coaches, 0:17:05.880 --> 0:17:10.800 outstanding referees, as you said, from whatever level of basketball 0:17:10.840 --> 0:17:13.560 you want to describe. You know, I'll just pick one. 0:17:13.640 --> 0:17:16.520 You know, like the great Roman Cathway teams over the years, 0:17:16.520 --> 0:17:20.840 and Speedy Marris, you know who coached just on the 0:17:20.880 --> 0:17:24.200 collegiate level, but the scholastic level, you know, a career 0:17:24.240 --> 0:17:28.159 that spanned fifty plus years. I mean, yes, Kr McGee is, 0:17:28.200 --> 0:17:31.080 you know, my closest friend. But the fact is, I 0:17:31.119 --> 0:17:32.719 know he's when it's all said and done, he has 0:17:32.720 --> 0:17:34.560 a chance it's going to be out of here. In 0:17:34.600 --> 0:17:37.560 Mike Kolschowski, you know, with the greatest number of wins 0:17:37.640 --> 0:17:41.439 in the history of the sport level at one school. 0:17:41.680 --> 0:17:44.359 You know, he went to Style and when we left 0:17:44.520 --> 0:17:49.560 high school in what nineteen fifty nine, four fifty nine, 0:17:49.600 --> 0:17:52.320 he never left. He stayed at one school and coach 0:17:52.359 --> 0:17:55.119 that he played it and coach at that school. So 0:17:55.119 --> 0:17:57.040 I think when you, you know, you put it all together, 0:17:57.320 --> 0:18:01.560 a school like Villanova winning three national champions right, I 0:18:01.560 --> 0:18:04.640 mean that this is a you know, I have great 0:18:04.720 --> 0:18:06.960 respect for villain Ovis, so I say it in that 0:18:07.680 --> 0:18:11.159 in the was complementary terms. But please, this is not 0:18:11.200 --> 0:18:14.760 the University of Texas or Hamel or you know, some 0:18:14.920 --> 0:18:21.840 massive physical plant, you know, Catholic School element Philadelphia main line. 0:18:21.920 --> 0:18:23.840 So I think when you put it all together, you know, 0:18:25.359 --> 0:18:29.679 it's an incredible story of basketball success. And you know this, 0:18:30.280 --> 0:18:33.240 But like when I meet a man said, a doctor 0:18:33.800 --> 0:18:36.239 and a guy like of your age, and you know, 0:18:36.400 --> 0:18:38.440 he finds out that I'm in the NBA or whatever, 0:18:39.320 --> 0:18:43.360 he goes, yeah, but he kind of waxes nostalgic, gets 0:18:43.400 --> 0:18:45.639 a little misty eyed, and he thinks of those games 0:18:45.640 --> 0:18:48.520 in the Plestra. Like it's kind of like, I like 0:18:48.720 --> 0:18:51.800 basketball when basketball was basketball, And he's talking about going 0:18:51.840 --> 0:18:55.000 to those games at the Palestra, and that captures the 0:18:55.640 --> 0:18:59.000 essence of what they remember about Philadelphia. Basketball kind of 0:18:59.359 --> 0:19:02.720 encapsulates what you're talking about. It had a very local 0:19:02.760 --> 0:19:04.760 flavor to it. You know, a lot of the teams 0:19:05.000 --> 0:19:09.640 recruited from the city and you know the suburban areas. 0:19:10.440 --> 0:19:12.880 So yeah, I think that that the people really did 0:19:12.920 --> 0:19:15.720 identify with it. Now, again, keep in mind, there were 0:19:15.720 --> 0:19:19.800 two teams playing doubleheaders, so you know, the big schools 0:19:19.800 --> 0:19:21.960 with Scott the table. You know, it's a place only 0:19:22.000 --> 0:19:24.280 seats nine thousand, and you guys need two schools to 0:19:24.320 --> 0:19:28.400 sell it out. But it became kind of almost mystic 0:19:28.400 --> 0:19:31.000 in a sense, you know that in terms of little 0:19:31.040 --> 0:19:34.560 loyalty and the way that the game's kind of displayed 0:19:34.600 --> 0:19:39.000 and unfolded, you know, the signs and the just the 0:19:39.880 --> 0:19:43.560 enthusiasm with respect to one team, you know, trying to 0:19:43.560 --> 0:19:46.000 outdo the other. The fans were very very much a 0:19:46.040 --> 0:19:51.640 part of it because kind of integral experience, not just 0:19:51.800 --> 0:19:53.960 playing on the court, but what went on in the 0:19:54.000 --> 0:19:58.000 stands as well. What speaking of enthusiasm, and I'm going 0:19:58.040 --> 0:20:00.280 to get into your time as the Sixers head coach 0:20:00.280 --> 0:20:02.960 and with Berkley and and like that and one you 0:20:03.040 --> 0:20:04.719 told me a fun story one time. We'll get back 0:20:04.720 --> 0:20:07.520 to that in a sect. But where does your passion 0:20:07.760 --> 0:20:12.000 and enthusiasm Because you're you're really unique, I mean, and 0:20:12.240 --> 0:20:15.959 different people. It manifests itself in different ways. But like 0:20:16.040 --> 0:20:17.960 the one story that I you know, I could tell 0:20:18.000 --> 0:20:20.159 a million But when we were in the playoffs, is 0:20:20.240 --> 0:20:23.160 six has played Detroit and we were at the Palace 0:20:23.840 --> 0:20:26.080 and they at that time they had Rashid. It would 0:20:26.080 --> 0:20:29.840 have been after their national, their NBA championship, and you 0:20:29.880 --> 0:20:31.919 were helping Maurice Cheeks coach the team and you were 0:20:32.000 --> 0:20:34.520 walking us through the shoot around the players, the team, 0:20:34.640 --> 0:20:37.040 but you were talking about sheet He on the baseline. 0:20:37.080 --> 0:20:39.560 You took your wallet on your back pocket and you 0:20:39.640 --> 0:20:43.199 was like, o't bet my entire wallet. Just that fiery style, 0:20:43.280 --> 0:20:47.080 that passion is just emanates. Where does that come from? 0:20:47.119 --> 0:20:50.320 Where do you where do you get that drive? I 0:20:50.400 --> 0:20:53.480 don't wait how to answer that. To be honest with 0:20:53.560 --> 0:20:58.560 you that you know, just as a as a young 0:20:58.640 --> 0:21:03.680 kid growing up, uh, you know, we played very competitively 0:21:04.480 --> 0:21:09.360 a lot or whether it was on the corner literally 0:21:09.400 --> 0:21:13.360 on the corner basket, you know, up on a telephone call. 0:21:13.720 --> 0:21:16.080 That's where it started for me. And then as you 0:21:16.160 --> 0:21:19.240 got older, you know, you got to the schoollyards, but 0:21:19.320 --> 0:21:22.399 it was always very competitive. I tell the story that 0:21:23.240 --> 0:21:26.000 when I was a young kid and Wilton was growing up, 0:21:26.400 --> 0:21:28.560 I used to take the bus up right across the 0:21:28.680 --> 0:21:32.040 ook high schools a playground called Tustin Playground. It's still 0:21:32.080 --> 0:21:35.440 there today, and you would have to get there early. 0:21:35.640 --> 0:21:38.560 I was. I was like, I would have to sit 0:21:38.640 --> 0:21:41.320 all day to get in the game at Tustin Playground literally, 0:21:41.520 --> 0:21:44.520 but I would watch and when you would come into 0:21:44.560 --> 0:21:48.399 Tustin Playground, the phrase was what's the number? And that 0:21:48.440 --> 0:21:51.600 meant like, how many games do I have to wait? Verse? Twelve? 0:21:51.680 --> 0:21:54.680 I mean, and there's twelve eleven groups ahead of you, dude, 0:21:54.720 --> 0:21:57.119 before you're going to get your shot to play. And 0:21:57.240 --> 0:21:59.520 Chamberlain would play in those games on an occasion. I 0:21:59.560 --> 0:22:03.800 would watch. Obviously he would rarely lose, and but when 0:22:03.800 --> 0:22:07.639 Will Chamberlain lost at Tuston Playground, he was done. He 0:22:07.640 --> 0:22:10.600 had to ask what was the number? That was Will Chamberlin. 0:22:11.200 --> 0:22:15.000 So it was a very very competitive environment. You know, 0:22:15.040 --> 0:22:18.760 there wasn't the rankings and you know the fluff I 0:22:18.800 --> 0:22:21.119 caught that there is out there today, you know, as 0:22:21.160 --> 0:22:22.560 the A three and a half star, as the A 0:22:22.640 --> 0:22:25.119 four and a half star. It was about you know, 0:22:25.240 --> 0:22:28.320 going going to the court, throwing the ball up and 0:22:28.400 --> 0:22:30.760 starting to play. And we figured we knew who could 0:22:30.800 --> 0:22:34.439 play and who couldn't. So I guess the seeds of 0:22:34.480 --> 0:22:38.640 whatever you're referring to in terms of competitiveness, they were 0:22:38.640 --> 0:22:40.520 playing it early in my life. If you were going 0:22:40.560 --> 0:22:42.560 to be good, you had to show it, and you 0:22:42.600 --> 0:22:44.320 had to kind of climb your way up the ladder. 0:22:44.760 --> 0:22:46.960 And I remember as a young guy like I saying 0:22:47.000 --> 0:22:49.000 to me, well, you're you know you can, You're good here, 0:22:49.119 --> 0:22:52.240