Countdown to Rio: HoopsHD interviews 2000 Olympian Tim Hardaway

Posted on August 4, 2016 by Jon Teitel

Our final Olympic memory comes from Tim Hardaway, who 1st gained national prominence at the University of Texas at El Paso while playing for Hall of Fame coach Don Haskins.  Armed with a killer crossover known as the “UTEP 2-step”, he led his team to a pair of NCAA tourneys and won the 1989 Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award as the best college player in the nation 6′ or shorter.  After being selected 14th overall by Golden State in the 1989 NBA Draft, he partnered with Chris Mullin/Mitch Richmond to form “Run TMC” and was named to 5 All-Star teams from 1991-1998.  He had back-to-back seasons of 20+ PPG /10+ APG in 1992/1993 and remains in the top-25 all-time with 7000+ AST/1500+ 3PM.  In the summer of 2000 he was a part of team USA at the Olympics in Sydney.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Tim about winning a gold medal and playing for the legendary Don Haskins.

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You played for Hall of Fame coach Don Haskins at UTEP, where you became known for your devastating crossover dribble (dubbed the “UTEP 2-step”): what made Haskins such a great coach, and how did you come up with your signature move? Haskins was great because he understood ballplayers and what it took to win. He was hard-nosed but fair and helped a lot of us out with life outside of basketball. I developed the 2-step as a sophomore after seeing another guy do a similar move on TV. I could not do the same exact move he did so I just came up with my own.

Take me through the 1987 NCAA tourney:
Chris Blocker made a jumper with 1 second left in regulation en route to a 7-PT OT win over Arizona in Tucson (Sean Elliott scored 26 PTS in defeat): where does that shot rank among the most clutch that you have ever seen, and how big of a home-court advantage did the Wildcats have that night? At that time it was probably the greatest shot that I had ever been a part of, especially in a big game like that where it is win-or-go-home. Chris almost won it by making a shot at the end of regulation but the refs said that his foot was on the line. We did not care about where we played because we had to play anyway, but a lot of people thought it was unfair for the Cats to be playing at home so that was the last time something disturbing like that happened.

You had 6 AST in a 2-PT loss to Iowa (Roy Marble scored 28 PTS in the win): where does that rank among the most devastating losses of your career? Back then it was very devastating. We should have won but turned the ball over too many times and did not make enough shots.

What are your memories of the 1989 NCAA tourney (you had 31 PTS/9 AST in a win over LSU, then scored 20 PTS in a loss to Indiana)? I wanted to play against Chris Jackson (33 PTS) because he was getting more ink than I was.  I wanted to show everyone that I was the best PG so I was fired up when I found out that we would be playing LSU. We lost to the Hoosiers in Indianapolis because we did not make enough shots as a team. If we put our minds to it we could play with anyone in the country.

In 1989 you were named WAC POY and also won the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award as the best college player 6’ or under: what did it mean to you to win such outstanding honors, and did you consider your size to be an advantage or disadvantage? Winning awards like that just showed that my teammates/coach had confidence in me. We had a lot of great players in the conference back then (Fennis Dembo/Eric Leckner/Michael Smith) so it was a great tribute to win that award. I did not even know that I was a finalist for the Naismith until our PR guy told me about it but it was also a great honor. I did not think my size was good or bad either way: I just utilized it to the best of my ability. When I faced taller guys I just played the game the way I had been taught by my dad/coaches.

In the summer of 1989 you were drafted 14th overall by Golden State (3 spots ahead of Shawn Kemp): did you see that as a validation of your college career, or the realization of a lifelong dream of reaching the NBA, or other? I did not realize that I could make it in the NBA until my senior year at UTEP. I used to play in Chicago against guys like Isiah Thomas/Terry Cummings as well as a bunch of other good guys who did not make it. If it were not for them I would not have made it.

You reached 5,000 PTS/2,500 AST in 262 games (faster than any player except for Oscar Robertson): how were you able to make such a smooth transition from college to the NBA, and did you think that you were on your way to a Hall of Fame career? I never thought that I would have a Hall of Fame career, but playing against guys like Doc Rivers/Michael Jordan in the summer helped me improve a lot. Coach Don Nelson threw me into the fire and I just took it from there. It also helped that my teammates like Chris Mullin/Mitch Richmond made shots when I passed it to them!

In Game 5 of the 1991 Western Conference Semifinals you had 27 PTS/20 AST while playing 51 minutes in a 5-PT OT loss to the Lakers (becoming the only player to ever have 20+ PTS/20+ AST in a playoff game): how exhausted were you by the end of that game, and do you think that anyone will ever match your record? I was very, very exhausted. We had a chance to win in both regulation and OT but some guy named Magic Johnson took over and had a triple-double (28 PTS/14 REB/12 AST). Some good young PG might be able to do it.

In December 1991 you set an NBA record by going 0-17 from the field in a 4-PT OT win at Minnesota (you did have 13 AST and made both your FT): were you just ice-cold that night, and what impact (if any) did it have on your confidence? It had no impact on my confidence: I was just missing shots that night, even open layups. The visitors’ locker room in Minnesota was painted yellow because it was supposed to make you relax, and I was relaxed. I was glad we won the game, which is all I remember.

You are the only player to ever have 20+ PTS/10+ AST/8+ STL in a playoff game…and you did it twice (28 PTS/14 AST/8 STL in a 1-PT win at the Lakers in Game 2 of the 1991 Western Conference Semifinals and 27 PTS/11 AST/8 STL in a 3-PT loss at Seattle in Game 4 of the 1992 Western Conference 1st round): how were you able to balance your scoring/passing/defense? I had a job to do to put my team in a position to win. If the shot presented itself I took the shot, and if the pass presented itself I made the pass. I had quick hands/feet on defense, which put me in a position to make steals. I just tried to win by any means necessary.

In the 1992 All-Star game you received the 2nd-most votes at the guard spot, but stepped aside so that Magic Johnson could come out of retirement and start for the West: why did you decide to do this, and what did it mean to Magic? It meant the world to Magic: even after being diagnosed with HIV he was still able to play well. A great player like Magic should have been able to go out on his own terms, but it did not happen that way. When the opportunity presented itself I told him that he could start: if he were still active the fans would have voted him a starter anyway. When he was named MVP it was just icing on the cake.

In 1992 you became the 8th player in NBA history to average 20+ PTS/10+ AST in a season (Oscar Robertson/Chris Paul/Magic Johnson/Tiny Archibald/Kevin Johnson/Isiah Thomas/Michael Adams), and you are 1 of a handful players with 7000+ AST/1500+ 3PM (along with superstars like Jason Kidd/Steve Nash): what is the key to being a great PG, and do you consider yourself to be 1 of the best PGs ever? I will let other people judge me however they want to: it is not for me to say. Averaging 20 PPG/10 APG takes a lot of hard work: your teammates have to have confidence in you as well as in themselves.

You had terrible luck when it came to international basketball (you tore your ACL before the 1994 World Championship, then missed the 1998 World Championship due to the NBA lockout) before winning a gold medal at the 2000 Olympics: what did it mean to you to win the gold? It was absolutely beautiful: I would not change it for anything in the world. It was great for my colleagues to vote me onto the Olympic team.

In March 1997 you scored a career-high 45 PTS in a 3-PT OT win at Washington: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? We had a back-to-back series against Washington and had lost to them the night before after blowing a 20-PT lead. Coach Pat Riley was upset so I just came into the next game and took the initiative from start to finish. I made a last-second shot in OT to help win the game, which was great for me: if I had scored 45 PTS and we had lost then I would not have been happy..

You scored a playoff career-high 38 PTS (including 18 in the 3rd quarter) in a win over the Knicks in Game 7 of the 1997 Eastern Conference Semifinals to become 1 of the few teams in NBA history to ever come back from a 3-1 deficit to win a best-of-7 playoff series: how were you able to play your best when it mattered the most, and what was the feeling like in your locker room afterwards? The locker room was amazing. We were all into the game so when Alonzo Mourning got into foul trouble late we were looking around to see who would step up. I had done this millions of times dating back to high school so I just put the team on my shoulders and made stuff happen. When you are in the zone your teammates just try to feed you the ball.

Your father Donald is a playground basketball legend in Chicago, and your son Tim Jr. is now in the NBA: who is the best athlete in the family? My dad was great because he just went out and played the game the way it was supposed to be played. He was a 6’3” forward but just used his strength to beat people up and take the game to his opponents. You have to play with a lot of heart, which is something I got from my dad. The sky is the limit for my son but he still has a long way to go: I try not to look ahead until it is time to do so. He already did something I never did: he was a starter as a freshman (at Michigan) and played 30 minutes/game. He worked his way in and took off quicker than both he and I thought he would. I tell him not to rest on his laurels or read any of the clippings so that he stays focused.

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Countdown to Rio: HoopsHD interviews 1984 Olympian Leon Wood

Posted on July 31, 2016 by Jon Teitel

Next up on our list of Olympic memories is Leon Wood, who loves the sport so much that after retiring as a player he became an NBA referee.  After scoring 42+ PPG as a high school senior, he demonstrated his versatility by leading the nation in AST as a junior at Cal State Fullerton.  After being selected 10th overall by the 76ers in the 1984 NBA Draft he stayed on the West Coast and won a gold medal with team USA at the Olympics in Los Angeles.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Leon about winning a gold medal and becoming a ref.

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As a senior at St. Monica High School you averaged 42.1 PPG and set a California high school scoring record with 2693 PTS: how were you able to be so dominant, and what is the secret to being a great scorer? My mom went to UCLA so I would take the bus over to Pauley Pavilion in the summer and play against older college/pro players. When I was in 9th grade I got to play against Gus Williams/Paul Westphal/Marques Johnson so going into the school year against my peers I had a lot of confidence. The older guys would slack off me so I got to develop my outside shot.

In 1983 you led the nation with 319 AST at Cal State Fullerton: what is the key to being a great PG? When I transferred from Arizona my coach asked me what my aspirations were. I told him that I wanted to play at the next level and he said I would have to become a PG, which was hard for me to hear after being a scorer for most of my career. However, when you have good players around you who can score, it really allows you to enjoy playing PG.

What are your memories of the 1983 NIT (you had 24 PTS/10 AST in a 4-PT loss to ASU)? I was really looking forward to playing in the postseason as our team got better and better, especially with the chance to go up against my AAU teammate Byron Scott. It was a very close game but they just had a little too much firepower for us.

At the 1983 Pan Am Games you won a gold medal as part of team USA: how were you able to overcome the losses of a couple of great players (Chris Mullin was out after fracturing his foot and Michael Cage had to leave early due to an illness in his family)? It was difficult for me because my own foot injury kept me from trying out but they still named me to the squad. Our toughest game was against Brazil and Oscar Schmidt (the greatest scoring forward I have ever seen) and we only won by a few points. Luckily we had some other great players like Mark Price/Wayman Tisdale/Sam Perkins. Oscar was about 6’8” and could get his shot off very quickly so we put Michael Jordan on him and just tried to lock down everyone else.

In 1984 you won a gold medal as a member of team USA: was it extra-special to play in front of your hometown fans in LA, and where does that team rank among the best that you have ever seen? It was very special: I had to try out along with 80 other guys and Coach Bobby Knight said he would push me to the limit. Each time they announced the cuts they did so in alphabetical order so I had to wait until the very end to see if they would call my name, which was very nerve-racking! We had a 10-game tour against the NBA All-Stars (Magic/Bird/Isiah/etc.) and went 10-0, so we had a lot of confidence going into the Olympics.

After getting drafted by Philadelphia in 1984 you sued the NBA regarding its salary cap and draft provisions, but a judge denied your motion for a preliminary injunction: why did you decide to sue, and why did the judge fail to rule in your favor? My agent knows more about it than I do. The 76ers had 3 1st round picks that year and it was unfair that each of us were forced to sign a minimum deal in order to remain below the salary cap. It was just a procedure to force the team’s hand.

In Game 1 of the 1986 Eastern Conference 1st round you scored 5 PTS and Dudley Bradley capped an 18-0 run by the Bullets in the final 4 minutes by banking in a 25-footer at the buzzer in a 1-PT win on the road at Philly: how on earth were you able to make such an incredible comeback, and were you out for revenge against the team that had traded you away only a few months earlier? Philly traded me to Washington and I set new career-highs in scoring during each of my 1st 5 games with my new team. I was the 1st player to wear a headband before the commissioner said I could not wear it! After Gene Shue was fired as head coach, our new coach Kevin Loughery went with the veteran guys and we went on a roll and ended up making the playoffs. Dudley’s shot was amazing.

In Game 7 of the 1988 Eastern Conference semifinals your Atlanta teammate Dominique Wilkins scored a game-high 47 PTS, but Larry Bird scored 20 PTS in the 4th quarter to give the Celtics a 2-PT win to clinch the series: what are your memories of that legendary 2-man duel? Dominique went nuts in Game 6 (35 PTS/10 REB) even though Larry had a hell of a game (23 PTS/11 REB in a 2-PT win), so we went into Game 7 just thinking that if we could win at home we could make the conference finals. I see replays of it on TV every so often. Dominique gave it his all to keep us in the game but Larry just matched him in an old-fashioned shootout: it is rare to have 2 guys involved who played the same position and guarded each other most of the game.

You finished in the top-10 in 3P% twice during your career: what is the secret for making shots from behind the arc? I had been making long shots since grammar school even though we did not have a 3-PT line back then. I always felt comfortable shooting from distance but looking back I would have spent more time working on my mid-range game. It is hard to make them if you come into the game off the bench, but I felt just as good as anybody after I got warmed up.

After retiring you became 1 of a handful of ex-NBA players to become an NBA referee: why did you decide to become a ref, and how do you like it? Some guys kind of talked me into doing that after playing overseas in the Philippines: they thought that since I was an ex-player (like Bernie Fryer) I would make a good ref. I signed up to do it for 1 season at the high school level: I found that I liked it but thought it was too slow. The next year the NBA invited me to work some summer league games: it was kind of funny to end up officiating games involving some of my former teammates! After getting hired/having to make calls and then watch Michael Jordan laugh at me was tough: I was not sure if he was making fun of me or not. Now I feel comfortable because the guys from my 1st few years as a ref have retired, but guys like Byron/Doc Rivers went on to become coaches. Most players go into coaching but the ref gig just fell into my lap.

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The Brodeur Rule: HoopsHD interviews Penn recruit AJ Brodeur

Posted on July 27, 2016 by Jon Teitel

Penn has had only had 1 winning season in the past decade so they are in dire need of some good recruits to help restore the program to its past glory. 1 of those incoming freshmen who hopes to make the Quaker alumni proud is AJ Brodeur out of Northfield Mount Hermon School. He committed to Penn after his junior year, then finished his senior year by winning a conference title. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with AJ about why he chose Penn and what he knows about Coach Steve Donahue.

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You received offers from schools like GW/Notre Dame: why did you choose Penn? As the recruiting process started to wind down I began looking closer into each school and concluded that the Ivy League was where I wanted to end up. I narrowed it down to Harvard/Penn/Yale and then took visits to all 3 schools. I chose Penn because of all that it had to offer: location, facilities, city, etc. Coach Donahue just finished his 1st year there and I really bought into his vision and what he is doing. I felt that he could help me become who I wanted to be as a player/person.

Coach Donahue 1st offered you scholarship when he was at BC: how have you bonded with him over the past few years and what makes him such a good coach? A lot of my high school’s own offense was taken from him, so knowing how the system works and seeing that it also works at the college level definitely makes me feel comfortable. He has kept in contact with me and some of my teammates: it has been a good process.

You committed last July: why did you make your decision so early in the recruiting process? My thought process was to commit before my senior year of high school. I had more information than I needed and felt like I was ready to make my decision. It would not have made sense to me to be playing as if I was uncommitted and still wanted to be recruited: I did not want to waste anyone’s time.

You played PF at Northfield Mount Hermon School: what position are you most comfortable at, and what position do you think will be your best fit in college? I feel very comfortable playing the 4 or 5. I played in the post a lot growing up with my back to the basket, but I started to face up more and extend my shooting range during high school. I expect to play the 4 in college but want to play wherever the coach sees fit.

You were team captain as a senior: what is the key to being a good leader? You need good communication skills and have to set a good example: if 1 of these factors is not your strong point then the other 1 can still help. You have to mean business and get things done the right way.

In April you helped lead your team to a NEPSAC Class AAA championship with a 10-PT win over St. Thomas More: what did it mean to you to win a title? I cannot remember the last time I felt prouder: that meant everything to me. We were not expected to do as well this year as we had over the 2 previous years and a lot of people felt that we were past our prime. It was 1 of the greatest experiences that I have ever had.

Penn already has 2 Northfield Mount Hermon alums already on the roster (Jackson Donahue/Colin McManus): are you guys just developing a pipeline from Gill to Philly? That would be nice: I would love to have more NMH guys come to Penn! We are known for sending more basketball players to the Ivy League than any other conference in the country. It is the perfect style of basketball for the Ivy League.

What will it be like to face your former NMH teammate Ian Sistare (who signed with Dartmouth) twice a year? It will be fun to play against him. Ian is the hardest working guy who I have ever met: on the court, off the court, out of season, etc. He makes all of the effort plays.

You also played volleyball in high school: are we going to see you as a 2-sport athlete for the Quakers? I wish! Penn men’s volleyball is a club team but if they were a varsity team then I would seriously consider it. I only started playing volleyball in high school, but being 6’8” definitely helped. The skill set translates directly over to basketball (vertical leap/lateral movement) so it is a good off-season workout.

Your mother played college basketball at North Adams State: who is the best athlete in family? She was a good athlete who also did a little track. We will see if I can pass her at some point over the next 4 years: I have my work cut out for me!

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Beamer, Benz, or Betley: HoopsHD interviews Penn recruit Ryan Betley

Posted on July 23, 2016 by Jon Teitel

Penn has had only had 1 winning season in the past decade so they are in dire need of some good recruits to help restore the program to its past glory.  1 of those incoming freshmen who hopes to make the Quaker alumni proud is Ryan Betley out of Downingtown West High School.  He committed to Penn after his junior year, then finished his senior year by breaking his school’s record for career scoring.  HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Ryan about why he chose Penn and what he knows about Coach Steve Donahue. 

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On Twitter you are listed as “Metta World Peace”: what made you choose that name? I was just hanging out with some friends and we were thinking about funny Twitter names: he was a tough guy on the court.

You were known for being a shooter at Downingtown West High School: what position did you play in high school, and what position do you think will be your best fit in college? I played SG in high school so I think that will be my best fit. I am 6’5” and can shoot, which allows me to be versatile on defense.

You finished your high school career with 1333 PTS, passing Eddie Barton as the all-time leading scorer in school history: what is the secret to being a great scorer, and do you think that anyone will ever break your record? I think that someone will eventually break my record. You have to be able to shoot the 3: it is an easy way to get a lot of points. It also helps if you can get to the rim and make free throws.

You were a 2-time team captain: what is the key to being a good leader? You need to be vocal in the locker room and competitive on the court. I tried to push my teammates to be better.

You received scholarship offers from several Ivy/Patriot schools: what made you pick Penn? It has great history and a great education: I want to study business and you cannot beat Wharton. I can also see myself fitting into their offense very well.

You announced that you were going to Penn in July of 2015: why did you make your decision so early in the recruiting process? I just wanted to trust my gut. I had liked Penn for a while and did not want to miss out by having someone commit before me. After evaluating some other schools I figured that my best option was to go to Penn.

What do you know about Coach Steve Donahue? I know that he is a Philly-area guy. I also know a lot of people who know him so he is a familiar face around here. He took Cornell to the Sweet 16 and coached at BC after starting his career as a JV coach at Penn.

Last month Coach Donahue announced the rest of your freshman class (AJ Brodeur/Devon Goodman/Ray Jerome/Zack Kaminsky/Jakub Mijakowski): which of them do you know the most about, and how much pressure is there on your class to turn things around for a program that has only had 1 winning season in the past decade? I played AAU ball with Devon so I am closest to him, but a couple of weeks ago I was on campus and got to see most of the other guys: the only 1 I have not met yet is Jakub. We got to hang out for a week, which was nice. I do not think there is pressure on our class: our whole team wants to win and we just want to make the team better and return to that winning tradition that the older alums are used to seeing.

You also played golf in high school: are we going to see you as a 2-sport athlete for the Quakers? I will be a 1-sport athlete.

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The Hoops HD Report: July Session

Posted on July 22, 2016 by David Griggs

Despite it being the offseason, it’s been a rather busy couple of weeks in college basketball, and Chad and the panel go over all of the news and notes.  They begin by discussing the HB2 laws in North Carolina, and how it has already had an impact on college hoops with Albany not being permitted to play at Duke as they were originally scheduled to do.  They discuss whether or not the measure is appropriate considering Duke was so outspoken against the HB2 laws.  The Big Twelve athletic directors appeared to table expansion, but the Big Twelve presidents have decided to go ahead with it.  They discuss that along with some of the possible candidates.  They also delve into the recent allegations of abuse coming out of George Washington and look at what some of the long term consequences of that could be.  Last but not least, David Griggs is running for president!!  All that, and much more….

 

For all you radio lovers, below is an mp3 version of the show….

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Nate the Great: HoopsHD remembers the life of Hall of Famer Nate Thurmond

Posted on July 17, 2016 by Jon Teitel

We have already lost so many amazing people in 2016 to violence, disease, and old age, and July is being no kinder with the news that Hall of Famer Nate Thurmond passed away yesterday at the age of 74 after battling leukemia. At Bowling Green he became the only player in MAC history to ever lead the conference in rebounding for 3 consecutive seasons, then continued to prove his rebounding prowess by grabbing 42 in a game against the Pistons in 1965. Rather than just a big guy who hit the boards, he demonstrated his endurance by playing all 63 minutes of a 3-OT game in 1969, then showed off a little of everything in 1974 by becoming the 1st player in NBA history to officially record a quadruple-double. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Thurmond a few years ago, and is proud to share this never-before-published interview below. We send our condolences to his family/friends as we salute 1 of the best players in the history of the sport.

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1 of your Akron Central High School teammates was fellow future Hall of Famer Gus Johnson: how dominant was your team back in the day? Gus was a tremendous player even back then: he was a lot better than I was. 1 year we went into the Ohio state playoffs 1with an undefeated record and played a school called Liberty. They pressed us all game long and we did not have a good scheme to get the ball upcourt, which was our downfall in the only loss of our season.

What are your memories of the 1962 NCAA tourney as a player at Bowling Green (you had 21 PTS/14 REB in a 1-PT loss to Butler)? I do not have a lot of memories but I recall that Butler was an even smaller school than us so were kind of shocked by them. When it is 1-and-done in the tourney if you have an off night and the other team is on then they can pull off the upset, which is kind of what happened.

What are your memories of the 1963 NCAA tourney (you had 16 PTS/20 REB in a 5-PT win over Notre Dame)? That was an eye-opener for me because Notre Dame was a much bigger school. When you play against a team from a good conference they play much rougher so there were not as many fouls called that night. It was a credit to our coach.

You were a 3-time 1st-team all-conference pick and an All-American in 1963: what did it mean to you to win such outstanding honors? It just meant that my career was progressing as an individual, but you cannot get all of those accolades unless your team is successful so it was validation on both of those points. It also showed that I had been practicing hard and that it was paying off. I played with some great players, including Butch Komives/Elijah Chapman.

You remain the only player in MAC history to lead the conference in REB for 3 consecutive seasons: did you realize at the time how prolific a player you were, and do you think that anyone will ever break your record? I had worked hard on my game and began to have some success. I hope the record is not broken…but as I get older it does not matter that much to me!

In February 1965 you set a regular-season record that still stands with 18 REB in 1 quarter vs. Baltimore, and in November 1965 you had a career-high 42 REB in a game vs. Detroit (becoming the only players besides Bill Russell/Wilt Chamberlain to ever have more than 40 REB in a game): what was your secret for being a great rebounder? You have to have the “desire to be a center”. 1 of your jobs is to rebound the ball, otherwise you do not get to go back on offense. You also need to understand little things like the way the ball bounces off the rim, how to get position, etc., all of which I learned from my high school coach.

In Game 6 of the 1967 Finals you scored 12 PTS in a 3-PT loss at home to Philly: where does that 76ers team (who won a then-record 68 regular season games) rank among the greatest teams that you ever saw? There is no question that they were a really good team but we still could have beaten them in that series. Rick Barry never let me forget the time that we ran a pick-and-roll and instead of passing to him and I ended up taking a shot that was blocked by Wilt. I will say to my dying day that it was goaltending but the refs did not call it that way. I could kind of negate what Wilt was doing, which left us in a 4-on-4. By “negate” I am not saying that I could stop him, but I could at least bring down his output.

In February 1969 you set a record that stood for over a decade by playing all 63 minutes of a 3-OT 5-PT win over the Lakers: how on earth were you able to play the whole game without taking a rest? I was the kind of guy who once I started the season and had 10-15 games under my belt I was in shape and could play a whole game. I perfected the art of learning when I could take a breather. Occasionally I would not go as hard on the offensive boards as a I could have but I would do my thing on the defensive boards. When I was playing with Wilt I remember that he played almost every minute of the entire season and that is the mentality I looked to have. After Wilt left our team had no money left for a good backup center so I did not look to go to the bench.

After being traded to Chicago in September 1974 you had 22 PTS/14 REB/13 AST/career-high 12 BLK in your Bulls’ debut (a 5-PT OT win over Atlanta), becoming the 1st player in NBA history to officially record a quadruple-double: how big a deal was it at the time, and were you worried that you had raised the bar too high for your new fans? At the time nobody knew: if my recollection was right it was not even discovered until 2-3 days later! I was trying to prove to the Warriors that they had made a mistake by trading me after I spent 11 years with them. I did raise the bar too high because I was not used to that offense: standing at the foul line and feeding our forwards was not the best use of my talents.

You were named to the All-Defensive team 5 times in a 6-year span from 1969-1974: what was your secret for being a great defender? In high school our coach evaluated us by how we played man-to-man defense: if I scored 20 PTS but my opposing center outscored me then I was a liability to our team. I was not always the highest scorer out there but very seldom did I let my opponent outscore me. My senior year I remember playing in a pro-am game against Bill Russell, who said that it is demoralizing to your opponent if you can score on him and he cannot score on you.

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