Basketball History 101

Continuing from last week's episode of BBH.101, Moses Malone is one of the greatest players in basketball history. Today, we discuss his professional career as "The Chairman of the Boards." The NBA/ABA merger moved him into the NBA, and he is one of only eight players to win 3 or more MVPs in that league. When he finally retired in 1995 after 21 total years of pro ball, he was the last active member of the former ABA.

CREDITS

Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice

Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher

MUSIC

"" by

"Horizons" by Roa

SPORTS HISTORY NETWORK

sportshistorynetwork.com

sportshistorynetwork.com/podcasts/basketball-history-101/

FACEBOOK

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BUSINESS CONTACT

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Moses Malone was the first basketball player to enter the professional ranks directly from high school. The NBA required him to be four years removed from high school, but the ABA had no such regulations. Although that league had never recruited someone his age before, neither had anyone that young ever been as good.

CREDITS

Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice

Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher

MUSIC

"Disco Funk" by Jam Morgan

"Horizons" by Roa

SPORTS HISTORY NETWORK

sportshistorynetwork.com

sportshistorynetwork.com/podcasts/basketball-history-101/

FACEBOOK

m.facebook.com/Basketball-History-101-103801581493027/

BUSINESS CONTACT

[email protected]

Renowned as the strongest amateur team of all time, the USA's 1960 Olympic basketball team went undefeated for the whole tournament, bringing home the gold and winning their games by an average of 42 points. That edition of the team, led by Oscar Robertson and Jerry West, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010.

CREDITS

Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice

Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher

MUSIC

"Bushwick Tarantella" by Kevin MacLeod

"Horizons" by Roa

SPORTS HISTORY NETWORK

sportshistorynetwork.com

sportshistorynetwork.com/podcasts/basketball-history-101/

FACEBOOK

m.facebook.com/Basketball-History-101-103801581493027/

BUSINESS CONTACT

[email protected]

Thanksgiving Day, 1924. The recently-established tradition of the University of Pittsburgh Panthers football team hosting the Pennsylvania State Nittany Lions on the afternoon of the national autumnal holiday continues.

Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer is sent to cover the Pitt-Penn State “Keystone Classic” of 1924; in so doing, he discovers a throughline of the football-on-Thanksgiving tradition going back to 1621 (okay, actually, that’s going back to 1869) and reminds us that high-level football games on Thanksgiving are nearly as old as the official Thanksgiving holiday itself.  

Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer is an audio drama podcast from Number 80 Productions and the Sports History Network.

Thanksgiving and Football (or maybe Vice Versa) script & story by Os Davis.

Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer stars Doug Fye, Ilona Fye, and Eric Bodwell. Thanksgiving and Football (or maybe Vice Versa) co-stars, in order of appearance, Caedmon Holland, Forrest Hartl and Wayne Brett.

Additional direction by Eric Bodwell. Sound recording and primary editing by Don McIver.

The theme song of Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer is “the Dayton Triangles Rag” and was arranged and performed by Bruce Smith. 

Other tracks in this episode include

•  “Jazz Club” by Kriss (available through fair-use agreement via FreeMusicArchive.org);

•  “Litany of the Street” by Silverman Sound Studios;

•  “Bimini Bay” (1921) by the Benson Orchestra of Chicago; and

•  “Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer (Outro)” by David Liso of Dynamo Stairs.

Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer is produced by Os Davis and Darin Hayes. Series concept by Darrin Hayes.

Stay tuned for more episodes of Orville Mulligan: Sports Writer – coming soon!

On today's edition of BBH.101, Rick visits the Rucker, Harlem's playground basketball tournament that gave birth to streetball. While it featured mostly amateur players, it also managed to attract even NBA All-Stars like Wilt Chamberlain, Allen Iverson, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant. This is the story of the tournament's creation and its current impact on today's NBA.

CREDITS

Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice

Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher

MUSIC

"This or That" by Reks

"Horizons" by Roa

SPORTS HISTORY NETWORK

sportshistorynetwork.com

sportshistorynetwork.com/podcasts/basketball-history-101/

FACEBOOK

m.facebook.com/Basketball-History-101-103801581493027/

BUSINESS CONTACT

[email protected]

Elgin Baylor’s was undoubtedly one of the greatest players of all time, but his legacy in basketball history is complicated. He once averaged 38 points per game for the entire 1962 season, but that was the same year that fellow Laker Wilt Chamberlain averaged 50. Baylor's own greatness was overshadowed by his teammate. And despite his personal achievements, he never won a championship and lost the Finals eight times. Yet as soon as he retired in 1971, the Lakers immediately set the North American pro sports record for a winstreak with 33 straight victories before winning the NBA championship that very season. Was all of that pure luck, or was Baylor's absence a real blessing to the team? The man flew high, both metaphorically and literally, but the legacy he left behind is one of controversy.

CREDITS

Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice

Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher

MUSIC

"This or That" by Reks

"Horizons" by Roa

SPORTS HISTORY NETWORK

sportshistorynetwork.com

sportshistorynetwork.com/podcasts/basketball-history-101/

FACEBOOK

m.facebook.com/Basketball-History-101-103801581493027/

BUSINESS CONTACT

[email protected]

Elgin Baylor was undoubtedly one of the greatest players of all time. He is the third-greatest scorer ever in terms of points per game. Not only that, but his entrance to the NBA revolutionized the game forever. He was the first person to really use his incredible jumping ability to create a deadly advantage, turning an otherwise horizontal sport into a vertical one as well. He could stay in the air for what seemed like forever, and players like Dr. J, Kobe Bryant, and even Michael Jordan have copied this part of their game from him. Without Elgin Baylor, we might never have seen the greatness of a lot of the players that have come since his time.

CREDITS

Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice

Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher

MUSIC

"This or That" by Reks

"Horizons" by Roa

SPORTS HISTORY NETWORK

sportshistorynetwork.com

sportshistorynetwork.com/podcasts/basketball-history-101/

FACEBOOK

m.facebook.com/Basketball-History-101-103801581493027/

BUSINESS CONTACT

[email protected]

In 1970, Oscar Robertson sued the NBA in order to win free agency for all the players in the league. Prior to the lawsuit, a player was stuck with one team for his entire career and was not allowed to leave, even if his contract was over. This rule changed the financial landscape for players in all American sports, even beyond the NBA.

CREDITS

Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice

Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher

MUSIC

"70s Disco Funk" by Jam Morgan

"Horizons" by Roa

SPORTS HISTORY NETWORK

sportshistorynetwork.com

sportshistorynetwork.com/podcasts/basketball-history-101/

FACEBOOK

m.facebook.com/Basketball-History-101-103801581493027/

BUSINESS CONTACT

[email protected]

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.

HIGHLIGHTED SHOW - MINNESOTA SPORTS HISTORY SHOW

Each episode explores the rich history of Minnesota sports and considers its impact on the current cultural zeitgeist. The Minnesota Sports History Show strives to entertain as well as inform, tickle the sense of nostalgia, and share the joy and hardships of triumph and heartbreak. Episodes will range from musings about the Dome Dog era to interviews with athletes and sports personalities.

Learn more about the show on the Sports History Network.

Mentioned in this episode:

Sports History Network Theme Song

This theme song was produced by Ron "Tyke" Oliver of Music Meets Sportz

Back in the early days of basketball, there was a center jump after every made basket. The problem? This resulted in a terribly slow and boring game. So today, Rick unpacks the story of how that rule was changed and how it led immediately to higher scoring, both in college and in the professionals. This single rule change is what launched the game from its humble origins into a wildly popular attraction.

CREDITS

Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice

Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher

MUSIC

"The Stars and Stripes Forever" by John Philip Sousa

"Horizons" by Roa

SPORTS HISTORY NETWORK

sportshistorynetwork.com

sportshistorynetwork.com/podcasts/basketball-history-101/

FACEBOOK

m.facebook.com/Basketball-History-101-103801581493027/

BUSINESS CONTACT

[email protected]