The February 9, 1976 cover of Sports Illustrated froze a moment that changed Tennessee basketball forever. Bernard King and Ernie Grunfeld weren’t just winning games — they were transforming the sport. King played with raw power and fearless intent, a scorer who imposed his will, while Grunfeld brought grace, vision, and a scorer’s touch that made defenses choose wrong every time. Together, they became more than teammates. They were a movement. The Ernie and Bernie Show wasn’t just a hit — it was must-see basketball.

What made them unforgettable was how perfectly they balanced each other. You couldn’t stop one without awakening the other. King attacked the rim like it owed him something. Grunfeld punished hesitation with precision. Their chemistry lifted Tennessee onto the national stage and announced that the Volunteers belonged among college basketball’s elite at a moment when the game itself was exploding into the American consciousness.

For Mike Keith, those two players meant something even deeper. Long before he became the unmistakable Voice of the Vols, he was a kid watching Bernard and Ernie make Tennessee matter. On Past Our Prime, Mike reflects on seeing them play in Atlanta when the Omni first opened — how they looked like kings, on and off the court, and how that moment felt like personal validation. Tennessee was no longer just his team; it was a national treasure, and he was proud to share it with the world. Bernard King and Ernie Grunfeld didn’t just shape an era — they helped shape Mike Keith’s love for the Vols and the voice he would one day lend to their history.

It’s the Bernie and Ernie Show, decades later, meeting the man who carries their legacy forward every night. Mike Keith joins Past Our Prime — and it’s a conversation that still echoes through Knoxville. Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices