WEBVTT - TOM's Talks | Bill Wennington 0:00:00.320 --> 0:00:03.640 This podcast is part of the seventy Sixers podcast network 0:00:04.000 --> 0:00:08.719 search seventy sixers podcast wherever you get your pots. Hello, 0:00:08.760 --> 0:00:11.920 and welcome to another installment of Tom's Talks with me 0:00:12.119 --> 0:00:16.040 Tom McGinnis. With no live professional sports to watch on 0:00:16.120 --> 0:00:19.799 television right now, American sports fans have been tuning to 0:00:19.840 --> 0:00:23.959 the ten part ESPN series The Last Dance as You 0:00:24.040 --> 0:00:27.640 Know It chronicles the Chicago Bowls nineteen ninety eight NBA 0:00:27.840 --> 0:00:32.320 championship team, with a special focus on Michael Jordan. A 0:00:32.400 --> 0:00:34.520 teammate of Jordan's and a member of three of those 0:00:34.600 --> 0:00:39.879 Bowls title teams is Bill Wennington, a seven footer from Montreal, Canada. 0:00:40.240 --> 0:00:44.720 Bill had a fifteen year professional basketball career. He also 0:00:44.800 --> 0:00:48.239 played at Saint John's University during the nineteen eighties, the 0:00:48.360 --> 0:00:52.239 heyday of college basketball's Big East Conference, and he's a 0:00:52.280 --> 0:00:55.840 member of the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame. Here's my 0:00:56.000 --> 0:01:00.600 chat with Bill Wennington. Welcome back in another session of 0:01:00.680 --> 0:01:03.120 Tom's Talks, and today we are really happy to have 0:01:03.200 --> 0:01:06.480 Bill Wennington and he has been working around the clock 0:01:06.520 --> 0:01:09.720 all of a sudden with these interviews about The Last Dance. 0:01:10.160 --> 0:01:13.520 People are just loving this series. It's really one of 0:01:13.520 --> 0:01:17.039 the most talked about things in sports because it's so 0:01:17.160 --> 0:01:19.440 dramatic and it's Michael Jordan and that Bowls. That was 0:01:19.480 --> 0:01:22.640 a special time and you were part of it, so 0:01:22.720 --> 0:01:24.440 you must really enjoy it. I mean, it's not like 0:01:24.440 --> 0:01:26.760 you're the Buffalo Bills, where you're went over four of 0:01:26.840 --> 0:01:29.160 the vikings and football years ago with it may you 0:01:29.319 --> 0:01:31.640 won the championship, so you must be reveling a little 0:01:31.680 --> 0:01:34.479 bit in this as well. It is a lot of fun, 0:01:34.520 --> 0:01:36.959 and I think part of it also is the timing 0:01:37.000 --> 0:01:39.400 of it with obviously the COVID nineteen going on and 0:01:39.440 --> 0:01:41.680 there are no sports. There's just not a lot to 0:01:41.720 --> 0:01:47.120 watch sports wise on TV right now, and it definitely 0:01:47.120 --> 0:01:49.440 has been fun and I think I hope that it 0:01:50.480 --> 0:01:54.480 can quench the thirst for sports a little bit and 0:01:54.520 --> 0:01:58.440 also quench maybe a little bit of the goat conversation 0:01:58.560 --> 0:02:00.920 with who's the best. And of course, obviously I'm very 0:02:00.960 --> 0:02:05.040 biased with Mike with Michael, because I really believe he is. 0:02:05.160 --> 0:02:06.720 He's the best that I've seen, the best that I 0:02:06.840 --> 0:02:09.800 played against before I got to the Bulls, and then 0:02:09.800 --> 0:02:12.560 once I got to play with him, saw why he 0:02:12.680 --> 0:02:15.000 was that good. And it's been phenomenal for me great, 0:02:15.080 --> 0:02:17.720 great trip down memory Lane, Tom, I bet, and just 0:02:17.800 --> 0:02:20.160 to be able to watch it on national television with 0:02:20.320 --> 0:02:23.960 millions of people and see yourself with John Cusack or 0:02:24.120 --> 0:02:26.320 getting a cup of conky at MSG in the locker room, 0:02:26.320 --> 0:02:28.640 and those are the episodes last night and five and six. 0:02:29.160 --> 0:02:31.520 I mean, what a treat it must be to, like 0:02:31.600 --> 0:02:33.600 you say, a trip down in every land, you must 0:02:33.639 --> 0:02:37.400 get goosebumps every now and then a little bit. I 0:02:37.400 --> 0:02:39.440 don't know if I get quite goosebumps, but it is, 0:02:39.720 --> 0:02:41.520 it is. It is a lot of fun because you 0:02:41.520 --> 0:02:43.480 remember the good times we had and how hard we 0:02:43.520 --> 0:02:47.720 worked in practice to yet where we were in You've 0:02:47.720 --> 0:02:51.919 seen it in the episodes, especially the first four. Michael 0:02:52.040 --> 0:02:54.679 is a driving force and if you weren't pulling your weight, 0:02:54.720 --> 0:02:56.880 he was going to push you. And I liked that. 0:02:56.960 --> 0:02:59.800 I thrived in that atmosphere. I had coaches that did 0:02:59.840 --> 0:03:01.760 that to me in high school and obviously to Saint 0:03:01.840 --> 0:03:04.919 John's with the coach Conseca, and it was it was 0:03:05.040 --> 0:03:07.200 very good for me, so I understood exactly what he 0:03:07.280 --> 0:03:10.920 was doing, and obviously it worked real well for everyone 0:03:11.000 --> 0:03:14.919 because he won the three championships there with us. Well. 0:03:14.960 --> 0:03:19.040 He was so driven and you know, like had that edge. 0:03:19.360 --> 0:03:22.120 Will Purdue had an interesting comment after he won the 0:03:22.200 --> 0:03:24.880 ninety one championship, and I know that wasn't youwhere on 0:03:24.880 --> 0:03:27.480 those teams, but you know they saw Michael crying with 0:03:27.520 --> 0:03:31.680 the trophy and he's like, we never really saw that 0:03:31.760 --> 0:03:34.160 gear him in mote like that because we only saw 0:03:34.360 --> 0:03:37.680 the drive and the anger and the frustration. So I mean, 0:03:37.720 --> 0:03:40.720 obviously and everybody talks about Michael can be very down 0:03:40.720 --> 0:03:43.440 to earth, but you know, it just shows you that 0:03:43.480 --> 0:03:45.480 when he was in the gym, to your point, he 0:03:45.600 --> 0:03:47.840 was going to make sure everybody gave it one hundred 0:03:47.880 --> 0:03:50.120 percent and was executing and doing what they were for. 0:03:51.800 --> 0:03:55.320 You know, it was it was like an on off switch, 0:03:55.600 --> 0:03:58.160 and the switch was turned on in training camp actually 0:03:58.160 --> 0:03:59.920 for him before that, while he was training to get 0:04:00.000 --> 0:04:03.480 ready for training camp, and it wasn't turned off until 0:04:03.520 --> 0:04:06.960 the championship was won. And you didn't see it after. 0:04:07.560 --> 0:04:09.000 You got to see it a little bit if you 0:04:09.080 --> 0:04:11.360 hung out with him, where he was down on earth 0:04:11.520 --> 0:04:13.000 and just a great guy and fun to be around 0:04:13.000 --> 0:04:15.920 in a good teammate. But during the season he was 0:04:16.000 --> 0:04:18.360 pushing you. He's pushing everyone to be the best because 0:04:18.360 --> 0:04:21.360 he wanted to win. That there was no other goal 0:04:21.680 --> 0:04:23.800 or agenda that he had. It was just to win. 0:04:23.880 --> 0:04:25.719 And if you weren't doing your job or are enough 0:04:25.800 --> 0:04:28.000 to help him win, he had no use for you. 0:04:28.040 --> 0:04:29.880 And he was going to make your life visible. And 0:04:30.839 --> 0:04:34.880 I always liken it to a teacher in school, when 0:04:34.880 --> 0:04:37.000 they're pushing you and they're driving you, and all of 0:04:37.040 --> 0:04:39.120 a sudden, when they give up, they stopped talking, you 0:04:39.600 --> 0:04:42.840 stop stopped talking to you. And if that happens, you 0:04:42.920 --> 0:04:45.200 knew you were in trouble with Michael. But as long 0:04:45.200 --> 0:04:48.080 as he was pushing you and getting on you, you 0:04:48.160 --> 0:04:50.240 knew that you know, you still had purpose and he 0:04:50.320 --> 0:04:51.560 still thought that you could do it. You just had 0:04:51.600 --> 0:04:54.000 to push yourself a little harder to do it more consistently. 0:04:54.839 --> 0:04:58.279 So with yourself and coach Kerr, Steve Kerr, and Judd 0:04:58.320 --> 0:05:02.120 Buchler and Nabie Pats, you guys, you know, were on 0:05:02.240 --> 0:05:05.120 the same bus in that same world. But when you 0:05:05.240 --> 0:05:08.320 watched everything that went around at the hotel, leaving the 0:05:08.360 --> 0:05:12.680 arena and the whole what existed with people wanting to 0:05:12.720 --> 0:05:16.920 get to see and get around Michael Jordan, you must 0:05:16.920 --> 0:05:19.400 have just been looking out into the world and it's 0:05:19.440 --> 0:05:23.719 just an incredible like, wow, this is amazing. It really 0:05:23.800 --> 0:05:26.119 was amazing. There were just so many people that wanted 0:05:26.160 --> 0:05:27.960 to be around the bulls and just get a glimpse 0:05:28.000 --> 0:05:30.960 of Michael and what he was doing. One story I 0:05:31.080 --> 0:05:33.200 like to tell is we were in Utah and Thanksgiving 0:05:34.080 --> 0:05:37.160 and after our team dinner, and you know you've been 0:05:37.400 --> 0:05:39.560 away with the team. That team always has a nice 0:05:39.960 --> 0:05:41.880 spread put out, so you have a nice Thanksgiving dinner, 0:05:41.920 --> 0:05:45.000 you celebrated as a team. And after after the team, 0:05:45.120 --> 0:05:47.760 after the meal, we decided we all wanted to go 0:05:47.760 --> 0:05:49.039 to a movie, so we all went down to the 0:05:49.040 --> 0:05:51.039 movie theater I think you started. The movie started around 0:05:51.080 --> 0:05:53.320 five o'clock, which is an early show on Thanksgiving, so 0:05:53.360 --> 0:05:55.080 there weren't there was no one in the theater. We 0:05:55.080 --> 0:05:57.320 were seeing the first show of the day and it 0:05:57.360 --> 0:05:59.000 was epis. So we all walked in and there probably 0:05:59.000 --> 0:06:05.160 about of us, Michael, Scottie, Luke Lawley, Steve Kerr, Dicky Simpkins, 0:06:05.200 --> 0:06:08.720 Randy Brown, Tony Ku Kutch and I believe Steve Kerr 0:06:08.839 --> 0:06:11.960 was there, and uh Judd Busher was there. But it 0:06:12.040 --> 0:06:14.440 was almost like the whole team went pretty much everyone 0:06:14.600 --> 0:06:17.560 So we get the movie, a great movie. As we're leaving, 0:06:17.800 --> 0:06:21.960 the theater is now packed lines out out the door, 0:06:22.080 --> 0:06:24.280 not because we're there, but because the movies are in 0:06:24.400 --> 0:06:27.000 and everyone wants to come to the seven o'clock show. Well, 0:06:27.040 --> 0:06:29.719 when they see Michael walk out, I kid you not, 0:06:30.240 --> 0:06:33.760 the whole theater followed us back to the hotel. We're 0:06:33.800 --> 0:06:36.719 about four or five blocks from the hotel and everyone's 0:06:36.720 --> 0:06:39.480 following us, and Michael and Scotty had their security guards 0:06:39.480 --> 0:06:41.800 with This is about four four security guards, but it 0:06:41.920 --> 0:06:45.680 ended up Luke, myself and Tony we're keeping fans away 0:06:45.720 --> 0:06:48.719 from Michael and being extra security. By the way, Michael 0:06:48.720 --> 0:06:52.279 still hasn't paid me for that, um, but just to 0:06:52.360 --> 0:06:54.760 keep the fan Avantgela. It was crazy. They walked all 0:06:54.800 --> 0:06:56.600 the way back to the hotel with us hung out 0:06:56.640 --> 0:06:57.919 in front of the front door for a little bit 0:06:57.960 --> 0:07:00.400 see if Michael was coming back out, and then had 0:07:00.400 --> 0:07:02.800 to hurry back to go to the movie, which already 0:07:02.920 --> 0:07:05.080 was starting. And it related for the movie, but they 0:07:05.080 --> 0:07:07.040 were willing to miss the movie that they were going 0:07:07.080 --> 0:07:09.120 to go see just to follow and see if they 0:07:09.160 --> 0:07:11.800 get close to Michael. And it was like that everywhere 0:07:11.840 --> 0:07:15.160 we went. Unbelievable. What was it like to watch the 0:07:15.200 --> 0:07:17.400 performances and to be on the team and set the 0:07:17.440 --> 0:07:19.480 screens for him and given goes and run in the 0:07:19.480 --> 0:07:23.640 triangle and the incredible feats, not just in the playoffs, 0:07:23.680 --> 0:07:26.640 but to watch, as you say, the greatest player in 0:07:26.680 --> 0:07:30.080 the game in your opinion mine too, take to the 0:07:30.120 --> 0:07:32.720 court like that and achieve that greatness and score those 0:07:32.760 --> 0:07:36.600 points and drive you guys to victory. Well, I'm gonna 0:07:36.640 --> 0:07:42.000 ruffle your feathers a little bit. The advantage that we 0:07:42.080 --> 0:07:44.600 had is that we practice with Mike every day and 0:07:44.720 --> 0:07:47.760 Mike practice hard every day. So contrary to Alan Iverson, 0:07:47.920 --> 0:07:50.600 who really doesn't need to practice, nor does Michael Jordan 0:07:50.640 --> 0:07:54.160 need to practice, the problem is I need to practice 0:07:54.160 --> 0:07:56.920 with Michael Jordan because when he's on the floor, it's 0:07:56.920 --> 0:08:00.800 totally different. So in the games, it was another practice 0:08:01.000 --> 0:08:04.160 because we had done this in practice thousands of times 0:08:04.480 --> 0:08:07.480 and we've pushed ourselves in because of Michael, we practice hard, 0:08:07.560 --> 0:08:09.920 So it was really it really was a game in 0:08:09.960 --> 0:08:12.680 practice because the best part of being on that team 0:08:13.080 --> 0:08:16.360 was after practice and the Kibbots seeing that the guys 0:08:16.400 --> 0:08:19.720 had ripping each other, poking each other on who got 0:08:19.760 --> 0:08:22.160 burned in practice, who did well, who made a nice shot, 0:08:22.200 --> 0:08:25.200 who got dunked on, and all those things, and Michael's 0:08:25.200 --> 0:08:29.560 competitive spirit kept that going. So games it was just 0:08:29.600 --> 0:08:32.520 second nature to us because we'd gone through practice and 0:08:33.400 --> 0:08:36.720 which was very much like a game situation for us. 0:08:36.800 --> 0:08:40.040 But okay, been in the playoffs and the championships when 0:08:40.080 --> 0:08:42.640 he was pushing you over the hump, because it's not easy. 0:08:42.920 --> 0:08:46.280 Six championships, I mean, none of those games, and we 0:08:46.280 --> 0:08:49.360 all know playoff games are so hard to win, particularly 0:08:49.480 --> 0:08:53.040 on the road, and watching the swooping and the driving, 0:08:53.040 --> 0:08:56.480 and knowing that the magic Carpet ride was about you 0:08:56.480 --> 0:08:58.880 guys were going to get to your destination and just 0:08:58.920 --> 0:09:01.440 to look in high five your teammates, that had to 0:09:01.440 --> 0:09:03.640 be special. Way we have seene in practice. To watch 0:09:03.679 --> 0:09:06.559 it in front of twenty thousand people at the United 0:09:06.640 --> 0:09:08.960 Center on the road, that had to be extra special. 0:09:09.920 --> 0:09:13.720 It was very special. But what he did in games, 0:09:13.800 --> 0:09:15.760 what he was doing in practice every day. So I 0:09:15.800 --> 0:09:17.280 don't know if I wouldn't want to say, I'm n 0:09:17.520 --> 0:09:20.040 it was phenomenal to watch. It really was, because it's 0:09:20.080 --> 0:09:21.840 one thing to do it against us in practice, but 0:09:21.880 --> 0:09:24.160 when you're doing it against the best in the NBA 0:09:24.720 --> 0:09:28.640 in the playoffs is absolutely phenomenal. But but what is 0:09:28.679 --> 0:09:31.880 really special about him, it's just his competence and the understanding, 0:09:32.080 --> 0:09:34.480 the understanding that he had that he was not going 0:09:34.520 --> 0:09:37.040 to let us lose. There were several times where he 0:09:37.160 --> 0:09:40.000 getting in the playoffs he said, Okay, tough win, but 0:09:40.040 --> 0:09:42.280 don't worry about it. We're winning in the finals. We 0:09:42.400 --> 0:09:44.200 lost in Utah, We're coming back home and don't worry. 0:09:44.320 --> 0:09:46.440 We're gonna win the next game at home. It's done 0:09:46.600 --> 0:09:49.320 smoking a cigar and just a confidence. It kind of 0:09:49.320 --> 0:09:51.320 just spread through the whole team because we were a 0:09:51.360 --> 0:09:54.000 little oh boy, they got this one. We're in trouble. 0:09:54.360 --> 0:09:56.720 But we went back to Utah and won the game. 0:09:56.800 --> 0:10:01.360 So it was he did stuff like that all the time. 0:10:01.400 --> 0:10:03.240 Whenever you had a little bit of doubt, he just 0:10:03.280 --> 0:10:05.360 picked it up and turned up. Now we're not losing 0:10:05.400 --> 0:10:07.560 that we're going to go out and win. And how 0:10:07.600 --> 0:10:10.640 about Phil Jackson orchestrating all this and keeping you guys 0:10:10.640 --> 0:10:13.880 together and you know, with Michael being the superstar and 0:10:14.200 --> 0:10:17.200 bringing in that offense and all those things that helped 0:10:17.200 --> 0:10:20.400 you be a championship team. Phil's the best coach I 0:10:20.400 --> 0:10:22.559 ever played for. It, and he does something better than 0:10:22.720 --> 0:10:26.400 anyone else does. And Tom, you know, being around the 0:10:26.520 --> 0:10:29.760 NBA so long, a lot of coaches are good coaches, 0:10:29.800 --> 0:10:33.120 and it's not necessarily your offense and your extras and ohs, 0:10:33.200 --> 0:10:35.640 although that's very important, but it's how you relate to 0:10:35.679 --> 0:10:37.640 the players and how you get the players to buy 0:10:37.679 --> 0:10:41.480 into what you're doing. And Phil was absolutely the best 0:10:41.520 --> 0:10:44.360 at doing that. He had twelve egos on that team, 0:10:44.360 --> 0:10:46.920 and all twelve of those guys in college and high 0:10:46.920 --> 0:10:48.960 school were the elphas. They were the main guys on 0:10:49.000 --> 0:10:51.120 their team and play except for me because I played 0:10:51.360 --> 0:10:53.440 with Chris Mullen at Saint John, so I was I 0:10:53.520 --> 0:10:56.000 was used to being second fiddle. But other than that, 0:10:56.320 --> 0:10:57.959 but he still had to keep us happy and he 0:10:58.520 --> 0:11:02.680 had the ability to read your body and how you're 0:11:02.760 --> 0:11:06.320 acting to pull you up just when you had had enough. 0:11:06.360 --> 0:11:09.000 Because everyone wants to play more. There's no one that 0:11:09.200 --> 0:11:11.280 is happy playing five minutes a game. There's no one, 0:11:11.280 --> 0:11:14.640 and if you are, then maybe maybe that's probably why 0:11:14.640 --> 0:11:17.160 you're only playing five intesea But everyone wants to play more. 0:11:17.200 --> 0:11:20.040 And every time I was ready to sit go into 0:11:20.080 --> 0:11:23.920 his office. He met me the day before and just said, hey, 0:11:24.000 --> 0:11:26.000 hang in there, you're playing great, You're doing well. We 0:11:26.080 --> 0:11:29.560 got big games come up. Rick Smiths in Indiana, Patrick 0:11:29.600 --> 0:11:32.480 Ewing in New York, Alonso Morning in Miami. You've got 0:11:32.520 --> 0:11:34.160 three big games coming up in the next two weeks. 0:11:34.200 --> 0:11:36.679 You've got to be ready. You're doing well. Just hanging there, 0:11:36.760 --> 0:11:39.320 keep going. You got any questions, and just talk to you. 0:11:39.440 --> 0:11:41.440 And he understood that where a lot of coaches don't 0:11:41.440 --> 0:11:43.920 talk to you until there's a problem and it's and 0:11:43.960 --> 0:11:47.800 it's too hard to fix. But also he kept Michael 0:11:48.760 --> 0:11:51.720 and Scottie and Horace when Horace was here and Dennis 0:11:51.720 --> 0:11:54.680 when Dennis was here, happy and content playing. And you 0:11:54.720 --> 0:11:58.319 saw he'd let Dennis go to Vegas for for forty 0:11:58.360 --> 0:12:00.360 eight hours, which a little bit longer than forty hours, 0:12:00.360 --> 0:12:04.079 but he understood that he had to keep Dennis happy, 0:12:04.080 --> 0:12:06.240 and Dennis was a little bit different than the rest 0:12:06.240 --> 0:12:08.120 of us and need a little bit different line. So 0:12:08.440 --> 0:12:10.640 he let that happen and really managed it really well. 0:12:10.640 --> 0:12:13.480 And that's why he was the perfect coach at the 0:12:13.559 --> 0:12:16.400 right time for this team. Last thought on the last 0:12:16.480 --> 0:12:20.120 Dance and the Bulls, but three championships for you and 0:12:20.240 --> 0:12:23.319 that franchise and that team to be at the end 0:12:23.679 --> 0:12:27.040 in June, after one hundred some games, all the ups 0:12:27.040 --> 0:12:31.280 and downs, the thrill of victory from Bill Wennington. Let's 0:12:31.280 --> 0:12:37.640 say you it was phenomenal, and you're talking about the 0:12:37.720 --> 0:12:42.040 last one, you know what it was. Winning championships is phenomenal. 0:12:42.040 --> 0:12:44.000 When you reached a pinnacle of what you're trying to 0:12:44.040 --> 0:12:47.760 do and actually become the best at what you do 0:12:48.000 --> 0:12:50.480 is phenomenal. And albeit I was on the best team, 0:12:50.520 --> 0:12:53.040 part part of those championship was great, but that last 0:12:53.160 --> 0:12:56.480 dance was really special because we all knew it was 0:12:56.559 --> 0:13:00.280 over and Phil wasn't coming back, Michael wasn't coming back, 0:13:00.360 --> 0:13:02.240 and most likely the team would have been broken up, 0:13:02.240 --> 0:13:05.559 and it was, and Tim Floyd was already around. We 0:13:05.640 --> 0:13:09.280 had seen pitchers, seen him in the stands actually with 0:13:09.480 --> 0:13:13.480 Jerry Krauss, getting ready, getting ready to come in the 0:13:13.520 --> 0:13:17.400 following year. So to win that last one a goal 0:13:17.440 --> 0:13:20.520 that was set early in the season, like we always 0:13:20.520 --> 0:13:22.880 do early in training camp, they actually be four training 0:13:22.920 --> 0:13:26.440 camp started was absolutely fantastic because Phil made sure that 0:13:26.440 --> 0:13:29.320 we understood what was going on, and he actually even 0:13:29.320 --> 0:13:31.960 told us to look around and see what's happening on 0:13:32.000 --> 0:13:34.240 the outside because Normally, you're so focused, you got the 0:13:34.240 --> 0:13:36.000 blinders on. You just see the twelve guys in the 0:13:36.080 --> 0:13:37.840 coaches in front of you, and that's it. You don't 0:13:37.880 --> 0:13:41.480 want distraction. But Phil made sure that we paid attention 0:13:41.520 --> 0:13:42.960 to the fans that we could come to the game, 0:13:43.000 --> 0:13:47.120 paid attention to the arrivals at hotels where there's thousands 0:13:47.160 --> 0:13:48.840 of people waiting to see you at three o'clock in 0:13:48.880 --> 0:13:51.760 the morning. So it really was special because it put 0:13:51.800 --> 0:13:54.400 it all in a different perspective for us, just how 0:13:54.480 --> 0:13:56.880 much was going on around us and how much we 0:13:56.960 --> 0:14:01.319 affected the city of Chicago. And for you, it wasn't 0:14:01.360 --> 0:14:04.000 always that way. In nineteen eighty five, you were a 0:14:04.040 --> 0:14:07.080 first round draft pick at the Dallas Mavericks. This is 0:14:07.160 --> 0:14:10.679 Reunion Arena. Donald Carter is the owner of the Mavericks. 0:14:11.440 --> 0:14:13.959 I'm sure your career didn't start off like that, correct. 0:14:15.200 --> 0:14:17.600 I don't think very many careers start off like that 0:14:17.880 --> 0:14:20.520 where you're coming in, unless unless you like Jason Caffey 0:14:20.560 --> 0:14:24.000 and you get drafted in ninety six and you joined 0:14:24.000 --> 0:14:26.320 the Chicago polls and that's the way it starts off 0:14:26.360 --> 0:14:29.120 with No, like everyone else, I went to actually a 0:14:29.200 --> 0:14:31.400 very good team in Dallas in nineteen eighty eight, we 0:14:31.440 --> 0:14:33.840 went to the Western Conference Finals and lost in seven 0:14:33.880 --> 0:14:38.520 games to the Lakers. But this what happened in Chicago 0:14:38.560 --> 0:14:41.280 with the second three peat that I was on never happens, 0:14:41.280 --> 0:14:44.520 and it was really a special special event for all 0:14:44.520 --> 0:14:47.080 the players that were on the team in the city 0:14:47.120 --> 0:14:51.200 of Chicago. But the bonds that were made and created 0:14:51.400 --> 0:14:53.400 on that time is one of the best teams that 0:14:53.440 --> 0:14:56.520 I've been on, not just playing wise and winning wise, 0:14:56.560 --> 0:14:59.200 but people wise and just how well everyone got along. Yeah, 0:14:59.240 --> 0:15:01.360 it was hard. We've pushed ourselves. It was going to 0:15:01.440 --> 0:15:04.080 work every day and it was a job that we 0:15:04.120 --> 0:15:07.000 wanted to complete and finish. But the bonds are there 0:15:07.040 --> 0:15:10.360 and they're strong. When you see Steve Kerr in San 0:15:10.400 --> 0:15:13.680 Francisco or Judd Busler he's been with the Knicks, what's 0:15:13.720 --> 0:15:15.760 it like to reconnect with some of these guys, like 0:15:15.840 --> 0:15:18.080 you say, because these are bonds that will last a lifetime, 0:15:19.000 --> 0:15:21.080 it's always great And as you know, tell me, we 0:15:21.120 --> 0:15:25.400 have good friends that you went through battles with like that, 0:15:25.640 --> 0:15:28.960 it's like we haven't missed a day. Like I haven't 0:15:29.000 --> 0:15:33.320 seen Steve Kerr now since a little over a year ago, 0:15:33.320 --> 0:15:34.880 but every time he comes to the United Center where 0:15:34.920 --> 0:15:37.600 I go out to Golden State with with the Bulls, 0:15:37.920 --> 0:15:41.520 It's like we saw each other yesterday. Judd Busher is 0:15:41.560 --> 0:15:43.200 the same way. When you see them these guys, you 0:15:43.240 --> 0:15:44.600 don't get to see them a whole lot because they 0:15:44.640 --> 0:15:47.240 don't live in Chicago and I don't live well. Judd 0:15:47.320 --> 0:15:49.840 was up in New York and Steve San Francisco, but 0:15:50.200 --> 0:15:51.640 you don't get to see him a lot. But when 0:15:51.640 --> 0:15:53.800 you do, if the connection is there, the bond is there, 0:15:53.840 --> 0:15:55.320 it's great to see each other and you just start 0:15:55.360 --> 0:15:58.360 reliving great stories and also some news stories what's been 0:15:58.360 --> 0:16:00.800 going on since then, because we all when we're all here, 0:16:00.800 --> 0:16:02.600 we all had little kids. Now we all have adults, 0:16:03.240 --> 0:16:05.680 adult kids, and that's fun to catch up with those two. 0:16:06.080 --> 0:16:10.080 More of my conversation with Bill Wennington, including his thoughts 0:16:10.080 --> 0:16:13.040 on seventy six or Center, All Star, Joel and bead 0:16:13.640 --> 0:16:17.400 in a Moment. In this time of social distancing, Novacare 0:16:17.520 --> 0:16:21.480 Rehabilitation is offering physical therapy from the comfort and safety 0:16:21.600 --> 0:16:25.120 of your home. Through their new tell A Rehab program. 0:16:25.760 --> 0:16:29.640 Novacare will virtually bring their services to you so you 0:16:29.680 --> 0:16:32.920 may heal, build strength, and get back to the things 0:16:32.960 --> 0:16:36.200 you love tell a rehab let you easily connect with 0:16:36.200 --> 0:16:40.200 one of Novacare's licensed therapists through web based technology that 0:16:40.320 --> 0:16:45.080 is Hippo compliant. For more information, visit novacare dot com. 0:16:45.120 --> 0:16:48.640 Now back to my conversation with Bill Wennington. When you 0:16:48.680 --> 0:16:51.040 go back, let's talk about your days in the Big East, 0:16:51.080 --> 0:16:53.640 because the Big East has come back with Villanova and 0:16:53.720 --> 0:16:55.880 of course one of the best teams winning two championships 0:16:55.920 --> 0:16:58.040 in the NC Double as of the last four years. 0:16:58.040 --> 0:17:01.320 But you're maybe that was the of the Big East 0:17:01.440 --> 0:17:03.280 right there in the mid eighties with Chris Molan. You 0:17:03.280 --> 0:17:06.560 mentioned Lollie Carnistecca was your coach. A magical time in 0:17:06.600 --> 0:17:08.520 college basketball and you were right in the middle of 0:17:09.520 --> 0:17:12.280 that was fun, and honestly, that's really what prepared me 0:17:12.920 --> 0:17:17.000 to go to the NBA. And my first big exposure 0:17:17.040 --> 0:17:20.480 to the big stage playing in Madison Square Garden in 0:17:20.480 --> 0:17:22.800 the Big East Finals, playing against Patrick Ewing for four 0:17:22.880 --> 0:17:27.080 years really helped me develop and maybe I understand that 0:17:27.359 --> 0:17:30.040 how hard I had to work if I wanted to 0:17:30.080 --> 0:17:33.159 continue in a basketball career, and just a lot a 0:17:33.200 --> 0:17:35.480 lot of fun. And one of the stories I'd like 0:17:35.520 --> 0:17:37.040 to tell about the Big East it was. It wasn't 0:17:37.040 --> 0:17:39.479 even after eighty five when the Bulls went to the 0:17:39.480 --> 0:17:42.760 Final four in Villanova ended up beating Georgetown. It was 0:17:42.800 --> 0:17:45.800 eighty four where in Los Angeles and the Olympics, and 0:17:46.040 --> 0:17:48.639 I was with my team with Team Canada playing and 0:17:49.080 --> 0:17:52.480 we'd be walking around the streets in Los Angeles and 0:17:52.640 --> 0:17:54.800 people will be stopping me, going, Bill, Oh, how are 0:17:54.800 --> 0:17:56.520 you doing? Bill? What's going on? What are you doing? 0:17:56.840 --> 0:17:59.080 All my Canadian teammates we're looking at me. How does 0:17:59.119 --> 0:18:02.160 everybody know you? You live on the East Coast. It's 0:18:02.480 --> 0:18:06.520 four thousand miles away, right, It's like, dude, playing the 0:18:06.520 --> 0:18:08.119 Big Yeast. We're on the Big East Game of the 0:18:08.160 --> 0:18:11.080 Week every week, so they've all seen me on TV 0:18:11.520 --> 0:18:13.280 and it couldn't be. It was that big back then, 0:18:13.320 --> 0:18:15.840 the Big Yeast, And it was phenomenal playing great great teams, 0:18:16.160 --> 0:18:20.719 great players, Villanova, Eddie Pickney, Robie Massimino, great coach, John Thompson, 0:18:20.800 --> 0:18:23.520 great coach. Just a lot of fun to be part 0:18:23.520 --> 0:18:26.040 of that. You mentioned your high school coach. You went 0:18:26.080 --> 0:18:28.640 to school. You grew up in Montreal, but you went 0:18:28.680 --> 0:18:31.320 to school on Long Island. Is it the same Bob McKillop, 0:18:31.320 --> 0:18:34.960 who is Steph Curry's coach at Davidson. Absolutely say, Bob 0:18:35.080 --> 0:18:38.320 Hill just called me last month for my birthday. Still 0:18:38.359 --> 0:18:40.200 stay in touch with Bob. He's had a great career 0:18:40.200 --> 0:18:43.760 at Davidson, got that program back to what it was 0:18:43.800 --> 0:18:49.479 back in early seventies. And obviously Steph Curry's coach and 0:18:50.160 --> 0:18:53.000 just a great man, great coach, father figure, helped me 0:18:53.040 --> 0:18:55.480 growing up, helped me become the man that I am 0:18:55.520 --> 0:18:57.920 today with his teachings both on and off the court, 0:18:58.359 --> 0:19:00.480 and really strive to make me a better player. I 0:19:00.520 --> 0:19:03.600 owe him heckload of gratitude because he really helped me 0:19:03.600 --> 0:19:06.320 get where I am. You come from Montreal and now 0:19:06.359 --> 0:19:10.800 Canadian basketball with so many young talented players in the NBA, 0:19:10.880 --> 0:19:13.240 but not so much back then. You were kind of 0:19:13.800 --> 0:19:15.800 one of the first people that came down to the 0:19:15.880 --> 0:19:19.800 States and played and made a real good career of it, right. Yeah, 0:19:19.840 --> 0:19:21.679 I mean it was really hard to play basketball as 0:19:21.680 --> 0:19:24.439 a kid in Canada because there were no outdoor courts 0:19:25.160 --> 0:19:28.800 and there was no youth leagues. Now everyone thinks about 0:19:28.800 --> 0:19:32.440 youth league, guys don't play that much. The best players 0:19:32.440 --> 0:19:35.080 don't play that much outside anymore. They're playing in aus 0:19:35.160 --> 0:19:38.640 and Jim's practicing everything. But back then you practice outside 0:19:38.640 --> 0:19:41.520 and there were no ports outside to practice, and so 0:19:41.680 --> 0:19:45.280 I blount to a little YMCA league and played there 0:19:45.359 --> 0:19:48.760 and got to my first exposure to basketball in those 0:19:48.880 --> 0:19:51.919 leagues there. But really it was tough for guys to 0:19:51.960 --> 0:19:54.280 play and there it wasn't on TV because if the 0:19:54.320 --> 0:19:57.160 only thing was on TV back then was hockey and baseball. 0:19:57.160 --> 0:20:00.640