Today we bring you a very special episode with the legendary writer and journalist Jack McCallum. Joining the staff of Sports Illustrated in 1981, Jack has witnessed the political and social changes in America through the prism of basketball for decades and was honoured by the Basketball Hall Of Fame for his work in 2005. McCallum is perhaps best known for his coverage of the first team of professionals ever to take part in the Olympic basketball tournament in 1992. He is credited with coining the name “The Dream Team”. In this one of a kind episode he speaks to Jarlath about his career in the game and how the union of superstars Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Larry Bird changed basketball and the wider world forever. Jack McCallum’s book The Dream Team is available in all good independent books stores and his podcast “The Dream Team Tapes” is an absolute must for anyone who wants to know even more.

To hear every episode in full and to gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 500 Irishman Abroad episodes that are not available on iTunes for just the price of a pint every month visit www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad  

Supplementary research provided by John Meagher.

Our charity partner is jigsawonline.ie. In these tricky times, Jigsaw provides a range of resources, advice and care for your people to help them strengthen their mental health and the skills needed to navigate life. Please visit their website and consider making a donation.

For updates on future episodes and live shows follow @jarlath on Twitter, visit www.jigser.com or email the show directly on [email protected].

Disclaimer: All materials contained within this podcast are copyright protected. Third party reuse and/or quotation in whole or in part is prohibited unless direct credit and/or hyperlink to the Irishman Abroad podcast is clearly and accurately provided.

Today, we are proud to bring you a little taster of Season 2 of An Irishman Abroad: Inside Basketball with the director of the greatest basketball movie ever made. Today Jarlath is joined by Oscar nominated writer/director Ron Shelton, the creative genius and white man behind White Men Can't Jump.

In never before heard detail, Ron tells the story behind the making of the film, finding the title before the script and the challenge of finding the cast and getting it made.

From the hilarious stories of working closely with Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson to being at the inception of the 'yo momma' jokes. Jarlath gets to hear everything including the suggestion Donald Trump forced upon him, filming the infamous hook shot scene, Jeopardy, Gloria, Sizzler, auditions, bets on set, wardrobe decisions, rebuilding Venice Beach, Nation Of Islam protection, NBA talent on set, the Netflix series, the remake and the studio exec Ron took on in front of the entire crew.

Whether you’re a basketball fan or not, this is a conversation with one of the most influential characters in global basketball culture you will love. And it’s exclusive to Patrons months before it will be released to anyone else.

To access this episode in full and to hear all of our episodes in full each week, visit www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad and sign up for just the price of a pint every month. In return, you will gain full access to our entire archive of all of the podcasts we have ever released including - An Irishman In America, Men Behaving Better and An Irishman Behind Bars. If you come over and join in the first two weeks of August 2020, you will be given something very special as an additional thanks that won't disappoint.

Supplementary research provided by John Meagher.

Our charity partner is jigsawonline.ie. In these tricky times, Jigsaw provides a range of resources, advice and care for your people to help them strengthen their mental health and the skills needed to navigate life. Please visit their website and consider making a donation.

For updates on future episodes and live shows follow @jarlath on Twitter, visit www.jigser.com or email the show directly on [email protected].

Disclaimer: All materials contained within this podcast are copyright protected. Third party reuse and/or quotation in whole or in part is prohibited unless direct credit and/or hyperlink to the Irishman Abroad podcast is clearly and accurately provided.

In the final episode of this first series of Inside Basketball, we bring you Sam Smith - the man behind the most controversial basketball book of all time The Jordan Rules.

In this rare long-form conversation with the author, Sam speaks about his long term friendship with Phil Jackson and how he was so deeply embedded in the legendary Chicago Bulls team that players spoke to him on the record.

Sam explains what it was like to be on the road with the Bulls and how Jordan was so competitive that he had to have the last word in their conversations. Sam opens up about the truly shocking circumstances which followed for him after the release of The Jordan Rules and the one line that MJ can't escape.

To hear the full extended cut of this interview where Sam details how he got Derrick Rose to open up more than anyone has ever done about his life in their book I'll Show You, the truth behind how Michael Jordan was not poisoned by a pizza, his starting 5, memorabilia and much more, become a patron of An Irishman Abroad for just the price of a pint on www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad. You will also gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 250 Irishman Abroad episodes that are not available on iTunes.

Supplementary research provided by John Meagher.  

You can also gain access to the entire Irishman Abroad archive of episodes through our iPhone and Android Apps. Download the Irishman Abroad Android or iPhone apps for free using the links below.

https://apps.apple.com/ie/app/an-irishman-abroad-by-jarlath-regan/id1101165812

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=irishman.jarlath.com.anirishmanabroad&hl=en_IE

Our charity partner is jigsawonline.ie. In these tricky times, Jigsaw provides a range of resources, advice and care for your people to help them strengthen their mental health and the skills needed to navigate life. Please visit their website and consider making a donation.

For updates on future episodes and live shows follow @jarlath on Twitter, visit www.jigser.com or email the show directly on [email protected].

Disclaimer: All materials contained within this podcast are copyright protected. Third party reuse and/or quotation in whole or in part is prohibited unless direct credit and/or hyperlink to the Irishman Abroad podcast is clearly and accurately provided.

This week, Irish International player Paul Cummins joins Jarlath to discuss his journey through college and pro basketball and how he enables today's Irish ballers to travel the same path. 

Paul tells his incredible story of leaving Ireland to play at Ravenscroft High School in North Carolina before playing at a powerhouse prep school alongside future NBA players in South Kent and then D 1 Lafayette College in Pennsylvania.

Paul talks about the challenge of loneliness when first leaving his family for America, how it felt to play alongside Dorell Wright and the bad decision he made around an injury which ultimately cost him dearly.

To hear the full extended cut of this interview where Paul speaks about playing opposite Stephen Curry, the success stories of his Sports Dream Academy, how he changed his game from a driving game to a shooting game and much more, become a patron of An Irishman Abroad for just the price of a pint on www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad. You will also gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 250 Irishman Abroad episodes that are not available on iTunes.

For more information on Paul and his Sports Dream Academy, visit the links below:

http://sda.ie/ 

https://twitter.com/sda_info

You can also gain access to the entire Irishman Abroad archive of episodes through our iPhone and Android Apps. Download the Irishman Abroad Android or iPhone apps for free using the links below.

https://apps.apple.com/ie/app/an-irishman-abroad-by-jarlath-regan/id1101165812

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=irishman.jarlath.com.anirishmanabroad&hl=en_IE

Our charity partner is jigsawonline.ie. In these tricky times, Jigsaw provides a range of resources, advice and care for your people to help them strengthen their mental health and the skills needed to navigate life. Please visit their website and consider making a donation.

For updates on future episodes and live shows follow @jarlath on Twitter, visit www.jigser.com or email the show directly on [email protected].

Disclaimer: All materials contained within this podcast are copyright protected. Third party reuse and/or quotation in whole or in part is prohibited unless direct credit and/or hyperlink to the Irishman Abroad podcast is clearly and accurately provided.

In this latest instalment of Inside Basketball, Jarlath is joined by Tralee Warriors legend Kieran Donaghy. Kieran is also the proud holder of four All Ireland medals, eight Senior Championship medals and three National League titles with the Kerry Senior Football Team and, as a result, he is in the perfect position to provide a fascinating insight into Irish amateur sport.

Kieran details how he fell in love with basketball and how he juggled playing both basketball and gaelic football at a high level. In a fascinating discussion, Kieran also offers his thoughts on the resurgence of basketball in Ireland and how it can be made to appeal to families across the country.

From his ridiculous story of playing in a court Miami with the Kerry Senior Football team to what he loves about the unquantifiable nature of basketball, why athletes who play multiple sports make less mistakes and much more, this conversation offers a rare insight into the world of Irish basketball.

To hear extended cuts of our interviews, with no ads, become a patron of An Irishman Abroad for just the price of a pint on www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad. You will also gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 250 Irishman Abroad episodes that are not available on iTunes.

You can also gain access to the entire Irishman Abroad archive of episodes through our iPhone and Android Apps. Download the Irishman Abroad Android or iPhone apps for free using the links below.

https://apps.apple.com/ie/app/an-irishman-abroad-by-jarlath-regan/id1101165812

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=irishman.jarlath.com.anirishmanabroad&hl=en_IE

Our charity partner is jigsawonline.ie. In these tricky times, Jigsaw provides a range of resources, advice and care for your people to help them strengthen their mental health and the skills needed to navigate life. Please visit their website and consider making a donation.

For updates on future episodes and live shows follow @jarlath on Twitter, visit www.jigser.com or email the show directly on [email protected].

Disclaimer: All materials contained within this podcast are copyright protected. Third party reuse and/or quotation in whole or in part is prohibited unless direct credit and/or hyperlink to the Irishman Abroad podcast is clearly and accurately provided.

As the mindfulness coach to Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, George Mumford has undoubtedly been one of the most influential brains within the NBA of all time. In this rare and fascinating discussion, George opens up about his life, career and working alongside some of the greatest sporting talents of all time.

George explains how Kobe and Shaq used to call him their 'secret weapon', how the devastation that he suffered when his own career was cut short by injury helped him work alongside the Chicago Bulls and the challenges he faced working with the attention span of the professional player.

From how he rebuilt MJ's leadership skills to his seemingly strange (yet powerful) advice to Kobe and the role mindfulness can play in grief and much more, this is a truly gripping conversation with one of the most sought after mindfulness coaches in the game.

To hear extended cuts of our interviews, with no ads, become a patron of An Irishman Abroad for just the price of a pint on www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad. You will also gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 250 Irishman Abroad episodes that are not available on iTunes.

You can also gain access to the entire Irishman Abroad archive of episodes through our iPhone and Android Apps. Download the Irishman Abroad Android or iPhone apps for free using the links below.

https://apps.apple.com/ie/app/an-irishman-abroad-by-jarlath-regan/id1101165812

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=irishman.jarlath.com.anirishmanabroad&hl=en_IE

Our charity partner is jigsawonline.ie. In these tricky times, Jigsaw provides a range of resources, advice and care for your people to help them strengthen their mental health and the skills needed to navigate life. Please visit their website and consider making a donation.

For updates on future episodes and live shows follow @jarlath on Twitter, visit www.jigser.com or email the show directly on [email protected].

Disclaimer: All materials contained within this podcast are copyright protected. Third party reuse and/or quotation in whole or in part is prohibited unless direct credit and/or hyperlink to the Irishman Abroad podcast is clearly and accurately provided.

Susan Moran is the greatest Irish female basketball player of all time. As the only Irish woman to have ever played in the WNBA, Susan's journey from Tullamore to Philadelphia is an inspiring tale.

Susan tells Jarlath how she realised basketball was a particular skill of her's and how she was scouted by Reggie Grennan which saw her getting a life-changing scholarship to St. Joseph's in Philadelphia.

Susan also tells the incredible story of not getting drafted, the brutal training camp in New York which followed and why the WNBA is the best in the game.

To hear the full, extended cut, of this interview with no ads, in which Susan discusses the art of recruiting players, her thoughts on NCAA players not being paid, The Last Dance and Ireland's relationship with basketball, become a patron of An Irishman Abroad for just the price of a pint on www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad. You will also gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 250 Irishman Abroad episodes that are not available on iTunes.

You can also gain access to the entire Irishman Abroad archive of episodes through our iPhone and Android Apps. Download the Irishman Abroad Android or iPhone apps for free using the links below.

https://apps.apple.com/ie/app/an-irishman-abroad-by-jarlath-regan/id1101165812

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=irishman.jarlath.com.anirishmanabroad&hl=en_IE

Our charity partner is jigsawonline.ie. In these tricky times, Jigsaw provides a range of resources, advice and care for your people to help them strengthen their mental health and the skills needed to navigate life. Please visit their website and consider making a donation.

For updates on future episodes and live shows follow @jarlath on Twitter, visit www.jigser.com or email the show directly on [email protected].

Disclaimer: All materials contained within this podcast are copyright protected. Third party reuse and/or quotation in whole or in part is prohibited unless direct credit and/or hyperlink to the Irishman Abroad podcast is clearly and accurately provided.

Roland Lazenby is, without a doubt, a true legend NBA writing. From his incredible work in 'Michael Jordan: The Life' to 'Kobe Bryant: Showboat,' Roland has truly lived a career inside the NBA.

In this episode Roland exclusively reveals what disappointed him about The Last Dance, the sad reason why Michael Jordan hates him and the backlash he received for writing about the 'low behaviours' of Phil Jackson which saw him being stopped from reporting on the LA Lakers.

From the crushing load of writing the MJ and Kobe biographies which broke down his health and spirit to how PR management has changed the reporting of the NBA and much more, this is a rare conversation with one of the most knowledgeable writers working inside the basketball business.

Sign up to our Patreon feed on www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad to get the full extended cut of this incredible interview where Roland details the dark side of American history and it's relationship with the game. By becoming a premium member of the Irishman Abroad Podcast Network, you will also gain access to our entire archive of over 250 episodes that are available nowhere else.

Our charity partner is jigsawonline.ie. In these tricky times, Jigsaw provides a range of resources, advice and care for your people to help them strengthen their mental health and the skills needed to navigate life. Please visit their website and consider making a donation.

For updates on future episodes and live shows follow @jarlath on Twitter, visit www.jigser.com or email the show directly on [email protected].

Disclaimer: All materials contained within this podcast are copyright protected. Third party reuse and/or quotation in whole or in part is prohibited unless direct credit and/or hyperlink to the Irishman Abroad podcast is clearly and accurately provided.

Who better to start the series than the only Irish born player ever to play in the NBA - Pat Burke. Pat Burke’s life in basketball is one of the untold stories of the game. He wasn’t raised to play. He didn’t discover the game until he hit a massive growth spurt at 16. He didn’t fall in love with it immediately but when his family moved to Florida, the planets aligned and he met the right coach who set him on the path to playing for clubs like Panathinaikos, Real Madrid and of course the Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns. 

Pat Burke has seen every angle of the game from playing college ball at Auburn, tasting the bitter disappointment of going undrafted, going the unconventional route to the pros, winning at the highest level of Eurobasket, defending MJ, and establishing his own hoops academy after his playing days ended. This is an Irish basketball hall of famer who can give an insight into life inside basketball like nobody else. 

To hear each episode in its full length every week, become a patron of An Irishman Abroad for just the price of a pint on www.patreon.com/irishmanabroad. You will also gain access to the entire back-catalogue of over 250 Irishman Abroad episodes that are not available on iTunes.   

You can also gain access to the entire Irishman Abroad archive of episodes through our iPhone and Android Apps. Download the Irishman Abroad Android or iPhone apps for free using the links below.

https://apps.apple.com/ie/app/an-irishman-abroad-by-jarlath-regan/id1101165812

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=irishman.jarlath.com.anirishmanabroad&hl=en_IE

Our charity partner is jigsawonline.ie. In these tricky times, Jigsaw provides a range of resources, advice and care for your people to help them strengthen their mental health and the skills needed to navigate life. Please visit their website and consider making a donation.

For updates on future episodes and live shows follow @jarlath on Twitter, visit www.jigser.com or email the show directly on [email protected].

Disclaimer: All materials contained within this podcast are copyright protected. Third party reuse and/or quotation in whole or in part is prohibited unless direct credit and/or hyperlink to the Irishman Abroad podcast is clearly and accurately provided.

I’m Jarlath Regan comedian, writer and the Irishman behind the Irishman Abroad Podcast Network and I’m also absolutely obsessed with basketball.

Irishman Inside Basketball is a new series coming to this feed starting on May 18th that looks at some of the most interesting characters, stories and facets of the game and of course their connection back to Ireland. Guests will include the only Irishman ever to play in the NBA Pat Burke, former Kerry Gaelic football and basketball legend Kieran Donaghy, sports psychologist to Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan - George Mumford and author of the definitive Kobe and MJ biographies Roland Lazenby.

To hear gain early access to episodes and to hear all my interviews including 250 unavailable anywhere else head over to patreon.com/irishmanabroad now and for the price of a pint of Guinness you can join our team.

Click the subscribe button here and now to get episode one automatically to your phone when it arrives on May 18th.