Michael Jordan era (and prior) NBA history - In all Airness

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Welcome writer Jack Danilewicz to the show. We discuss his 2019 book The Greatest Upset Never Seen: Virginia, Chaminade, and the Game That Changed College Basketball. Future Hall of Famer 7’4” Ralph Sampson and his Virginia Cavaliers – the #1-ranked team in the nation – flew to Hawaii for a game that neither school would ever forget.

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Welcome writer Jake Uitti to the show. He co-authored a newly-released book with NBA and European star, Michael Ray Richardson. Jake also released books with Muggsy Bogues and Earl Cureton. Next year, he has two more NBA memoirs set for release, which we also discuss in this conversation.

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Part two of our 1994 NBA Finals rundown. We continue discussing the battle between the New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets. In part one, we covered through Game 4 of the series. Now, it’s essentially a best two-of-three scenario. As with part one, this episode contains added audio snippets for greater context. Thanks again, Jarrod Prosser, for a great conversation.

Basketball Reference is Adam&...

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Let's welcome long-time broadcaster, Jim Brinson, to the show. We dive into Jim's journey through radio and TV over the years. A highlight of our chat is Jim's experience covering Michael Jordan’s NBA regular-season debut on October 26, 1984. Jim has some fantastic stories to share. One involves the legendary Wes Unseld (RIP) and Danny Ainge, while the other takes us to a hilarious moment dur...

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Part one of our discussion of the 1994 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and Houston Rockets. We dissect the history between Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon, comment on the 1994 regular season and much more. The episode features audio snippets to add even greater context. Thanks to a new friend of the show, Jarrod Prosser, for a great conversation.

Basketball Reference is Adam's primary...

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Part two of my extended conversation with Rich Rinaldi. We now focus on Rico's - he shares the origins of his nickname - professional career. Rich offers fascinating insights into the ups and downs of his NBA and ABA tenure.

Aged just 26 and his hoops life at a crossroads, Rinaldi traded the hardwood for a chalkboard. He worked as a physical education teacher before an offer to play basketball...

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Welcome Rich Rinaldi to the show. Part one of our extended conversation about his life. We recorded this on Rich’s 75th birthday (an added treat). A wide-ranging discussion and perfect example of why I love creating my podcast. We talk baseball - Rich’s first sporting love - and what led to his switch to basketball at age 14.

Rinaldi became a hoops standout in high school and a star in college, ami...

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My recap of the final stop on the No Bull Tour (Sydney). Australian legend, Luc Longley, invited his former Chicago Bulls teammates, Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant, to our friendly shores. The show was even better than I could have imagined.

For greater context, I created this YouTube video to accompany the audio. It features a wide range of photos spanning the players' careers. There's ...

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Let's welcome the legendary Tom Chambers to the show. A massive thanks to our mutual friend, Jeff Wells. Jeff was my guest on episode 128. We detailed his campaign for Tom to enter the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. We also spoke at length about Jeff’s awesome YouTube channel, TC24, devoted to the life of Tommy C. Without Jeff, today’s episode would simply not be possible. I strongly encourage you t...

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On November 2nd, 2023, six-time NBA All-Star Walter Davis died of natural causes while visiting family in Charlotte. Today, I welcome back Adam Beechen - a great friend of the show. We discuss Walter’s life on-and-off the basketball court.

Amidst his innumerable accomplishments, Davis was certainly no stranger to adversity. Despite battling substance abuse for the majority of his Phoenix Suns tenur...

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Reggie Lewis tragically passed away 30 years ago (1993) at the age of just 27. This is an updated re-release of episode 27 with my great mate, Todd Spehr. We recorded our chat ten years ago to mark the 20th anniversary of Lewis' sudden passing.

I’ve added numerous audio clips for greater context, edited our original conversation and improved its sound quality. We discussed the life and times o...

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The legendary Beef Brothers (Rick Mahorn and Jeff Ruland) return for episode six.

01:49 2023 NBA Draft Lottery - Wemby to San Antonio Spurs
06:21 Ralph Sampson (and Bill Walton) - similarities to Victor?
07:16 Manute Bol was how old when he joined NBA?! Chuck Nevitt mention!
08:37 Bill Garnett ('82 Draft - pick #4) and Jeff Ruland have beef!
09:09 Rick offers Jeff tissues to ge...

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Let's welcome Bill Willoughby to the show. There are many more strings to his bow – as you’ll hear in my introduction - however, Bill rose to national awareness during the 1981 NBA Playoffs, by virtue of his excellent defense against the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Willoughby is one of only a few to ever reject The Captain’s iconic skyhook. A topic we certainly cover in this refreshingly open and ho...

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The legendary Beef Brothers (Rick Mahorn and Jeff Ruland) return for episode five.

01:12 2023 NBA Awards thus far
03:23 Rick Mahorn nominated for Washington Wizards President?!
05:12 Players who find a great fit on the right team
06:23 Kyrie conundrum
06:37 Jeff and Rick's role on 1980s Bullets
08:55 2023 Playoffs - 76ers, Nuggets and Suns advance to round two
09:47 Tra...

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Watch Adam's TV debut. Or, listen to this audio and learn how his adventure went. Can he justify his self-proclaimed title of Michael Jordan / NBA-history obsessive?!

I recently made my first - and perhaps last - appearance on television. I was a contestant on Australia's top-rated game show, Hard Quiz. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation's on-demand TV streaming service, ABC ivi...

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The legendary Beef Brothers (Rick Mahorn and Jeff Ruland) return for episode four.

00:50 NBA reg-season recap (best records, league leaders)
01:18 NBA MVP picks for 2023 season
02:41 League parity
04:03 Did Suns win Durant trade?
04:52 Will Kyrie and Luca remain a duo, win a title?
06:28 Dwane Casey's replacement as Pistons coach
07:17 Josh's Giddey nether regions ...

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The legendary Beef Brothers (Rick Mahorn and Jeff Ruland) return for episode three.

- NBA season thru Mar 1, 2023
- All-Star Game fixes?
- Rick's trade from the Washington Bullets to Detroit Pistons (1985)
- Jeff's 1984 All-Star Game memories
- Listener-submitted questions

Please note that Rick was absent from part of this recording (when Jeff recalls his ASG memo...

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The legendary Beef Brothers (Rick Mahorn and Jeff Ruland) return for episode two.

- NBA season thru Dec 11, 2022
- Rick and Jeff's iconic Beef Brothers photo shoot
- Paul Silas' recent passing (3x NBA Champ)
- Manute Bol memories (2x Block Champ)

Watch conversations online - episodes live on the Beef Brothers' YouTube channel. Though there's no (full) video ...

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The debut episode of a new series featuring the legendary Beef Brothers, Rick Mahorn and Jeff Ruland.

Our goal is to regularly release episodes of 45 minutes or less. Rick and Jeff share their opinions on today's NBA, before we go back in time to explore the wonders of NBA history. The Washington Bullets' Beef Brothers were arguably the NBA's most-fearsome duo from 1982 through 1985....