NBA History Conversations: Basketball Record

Adam & Aaron celebrate the 30th anniversary of Michael Jordan's second season in the National Basketball Association. This episode covers:

- NBA regular season - January 23 through February 6, 1986

- Insightful minutiae, all but lost to the annals of basketball history

In this episode, we discuss numerous happenings from the next 15-day block of the 1985-86 NBA season. The Chicago Bulls played eight games in this span – two wins and six losses.

The Michael Jordan-less Chicago Bulls were struggling to keep its head above water. Could they weather the storm, prior to the on-court return of the franchise cornerstone? The Bulls had some great individual performers - the talented (rookie) Charles Oakley; the sporadic brilliance of (troubled) Quintin Dailey; and ageing star, George Gervin, to name a few - yet couldn't string together more than three-consecutive wins since Jordan injured himself in just the third game of the season.

In other NBA news, the Los Angeles Clippers had their first win - since moving from San Diego - over the cross-town Los Angeles Lakers. On the topic of historical achievements, Manute Bol recorded an astonishing (equal career-high) 15 blocks, in his Washington Bullets' win versus the Atlanta Hawks.

Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics continued to steamroll opponents, en route to a 13-game winning streak; remarkably, it wouldn't be the longest such streak the team enjoyed during this season. Tune in to hear this and plenty more, as we uncover some hidden gems from the NBA's golden era.

This episode continues our coverage of the 1985-86 NBA season. We encourage your interaction. Feel free to suggest specific games, moments and events from within the season, for us to cover in future episodes of the series. Thanks for taking the time to listen to the show. If you enjoy the content, please share it with your friends!

Others mentioned in this episode, include: Kiki VanDeWeghe, Charles Oakley, Alex English, Kelly Tripucka, Patrick Ewing, David Thirdkill, Charles Barkley, Kyle Macy & Keith Lee.

Chicago Bulls games discussed:

86-01-25 - Phoenix Suns @ Chicago Bulls

86-01-27 - Chicago Bulls @ Dallas Mavericks

86-01-28 - Chicago Bulls @ New York Knicks

86-01-30 - Boston Celtics @ Chicago Bulls

86-02-01 - Houston Rockets @ Chicago Bulls

86-02-02 - Chicago Bulls @ Indiana Pacers

86-02-04 - Detroit Pistons @ Chicago Bulls

86-02-06 - Chicago Bulls @ Milwaukee Bucks

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Adam & Aaron celebrate the 30th anniversary of Michael Jordan's second season in the National Basketball Association. This episode covers:

- NBA regular season - January 8 through 22, 1986

- Insightful minutiae, all but lost to the annals of basketball history

In this episode, we discuss numerous happenings from the next 15-day block of the 1985-86 NBA season. The Chicago Bulls played six games in this span – one win and five losses.

We chat about the Bulls' continued struggle to remain competitive, in the absence of (still injured) Michael Jordan. Conversely, the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers - led by superstars, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson - seemed headed for a would-be rematch of the previous season's NBA Finals.

In other NBA news, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar became the first player to surpass 34,000 career points. Meanwhile, the rivalry between Jawann Oldham and Manute Bol, led to a frightening brawl at Chicago Stadium. That fracas offset another (video) tidbit that was highlighted on (NBA Entertainment's) Awesome Endings.

This episode continues our coverage of the 1985-86 NBA season. We encourage your interaction. Feel free to suggest specific games, moments and events from within the season, for us to cover in future episodes of the series. Thanks for taking the time to listen to the show. If you enjoy the content, please share it with your friends!

Others mentioned in this episode, include: Darwin Cook, LaSalle Thompson, Calvin Natt, Marques Johnson, Purvis Short, Charles Oakley, Kyle Macy, Otis Birdsong & Herb Williams.

Chicago Bulls games discussed:

86-01-11 - Los Angeles Clippers @ Chicago Bulls

86-01-14 - Washington Bullets @ Chicago Bulls

86-01-15 - Chicago Bulls @ Detroit Pistons

86-01-17 - Philadelphia 76ers @ Chicago Bulls

86-01-19 - Chicago Bulls @ Washington Bullets

86-01-20 - Los Angeles Lakers @ Chicago Bulls

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Adam and Adam discuss the evolution of the Phoenix Suns. From the franchise's 1968-69 inception, through to the 1993 NBA Finals.

We cover a wide range of topics. You'll soon learn why Adam is a true Phoenix Suns ‘Super Fan’. When he was a young boy, the Suns were Phoenix's only professional sports team. We chat about the 1976 season and the Suns' improbable first trip to the NBA Finals. That 1976 team was lovingly referred to as the 'Sunderella Suns'. Earlier this year, Tom Leander released a fantastic documentary - of the same name - devoted to the 40th anniversary of that iconic squad [Part I | Part II].

Our main topic of discussion, focuses on how the Suns franchise was rebuilt from the ground-up, throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s, culminating with their 1993 NBA Finals appearance. We cover some of the off-court issues that plagued the team during the 1980s, then discuss the tragic death of promising Suns center, Nick Vanos. Plus, Adam has a great story about the 1988 NBA Draft and the aftermath of the Suns selecting Dan Majerle. It wouldn't be a conversation about the Phoenix Suns, if we didn't chat about Tom Chambers' insane jam over Mark Jackson.

In November, 1990, Adam sat next to photographers, near the basket support at Memorial Coliseum, to watch the visiting Chicago Bulls - who went on to win the 1991 NBA Finals - take on the Phoenix Suns. He talks about his unique view and memories of that game. The Suns continued to strengthen their roster and all the pieces fell into place, when they traded for Charles Barkley, not long after the 1992 NBA Finals. We talk about the 1993 post-season. Phoenix narrowly escaped a first-round humiliation to the eighth-seeded Los Angeles Lakers. Paul Westphal boldly predicted the Suns would win in five games, which they did. We then discuss the 1993 NBA Finals and how the Suns worked their way back into the series, after losing their first two (home) games at America West Arena.

As per usual, the conversation is scattered with humor and plenty of insight. A must-listen, for die-hard NBA fans, regardless of the team you support.

The most prominent players mentioned in this episode, include: Curtis Perry, Kevin Johnson, Alvan Adams, Michael Jordan, Larry Nance, Tim Perry, Cedric Ceballos, Mike D'Antoni and Steve Nash.

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Kansas State legend and four-time NBA All-Star, Rolando Blackman. As a young boy, Rolando moved from Panama to New York. We discuss his successful transition to a new country and how he managed to learn - then master - a second language, all from just the age of eight.

To this point, Rolando's sporting love was football (soccer). After two years of struggling to find others who shared his love of the game, he began to take an interest in basketball, courtesy of his soon-to-be mentor, Ted Gustus. What followed was a transformation from "a kid who couldn't play...a kid who was throwing the ball away", to being named one of the city's top high-school players. Perseverance, passion and focus was paramount. Three times (seventh, eighth and ninth grade) Blackman was cut from his high-school team, before making his breakthrough and fast becoming one of the state's finest players.

We chat about Rolando's decision to attend Kansas State University. He had upwards of 200 offers from schools across the country. For three of his four college seasons, Rolando was teammates with friend of the show, Ed Nealy. As a junior, the Wildcats made it to the NCAA Tournament, before bowing out (second round) with a two-point loss to eventual champions, the Louisville Cardinals. Individually, Blackman had a fantastic season, being named Big 8 (now Big 12) Player of the Year and 3rd-Team All-American.

Following his junior season, Rolando was invited to the Olympic trials (May, 1980) in Kentucky. Upwards of 50 nations - USA included - boycotted the (July) Games, protesting the Soviet's invasion of Afghanistan. Whilst researching for my conversation with Rolando, I discovered that (his) Team USA participated in exhibition games - dubbed the 'Gold Medal Series' - against teams of NBA stars, culminating in a match-up against the 1976, gold medal-winning U.S. Olympians. Rolando reflects on the trials, the exhibitions that followed and the moment he realized he was one of the nation's elite players.

As a senior at Kansas State, Rolando's buzzer-beating, second-round heroics, helped advance his Wildcats, deep into the NCAA Tournament - ultimately making a trip to the 1981 Elite Eight. It's widely agreed that his game-winner versus Oregon State - along with U.S. Reed and John Smith's same-day buzzer beaters - solidified the term, 'March Madness'.

We discuss the 1981 Draft. Rolando was a first-round selection. He shares a fantastic draft-day story about fellow-1980 Olympian and future (Dallas) teammate, Mark Aguirre.

Rolando joined the expansion Dallas Mavericks, after just their first season in the NBA. They went 15-67 before he entered the scene. The team improved markedly in his first-two seasons with the Mavericks. He talks about the transition from being a college standout, to steering a fledgling team in the NBA, plus much more.

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Adam andJeffdiscuss Chicago's must-win Game 7, to clinch the Eastern Conference andmake a sixth trip to the NBA Finals - May 31st, 1998 - the Bullstake on the visiting Pacers, at the United Center.

We cover all the key aspects of thegame. We discuss the NBC broadcast and its commentary team of BobCostas, Doug Collins, Isiah Thomas, Ahmad Rashad and Jim Gray. Wechat about Indiana's rookie coach, the iconic Larry Bird, and hisdrive to give the Pacers their first-ever trip to the NBA Finals.Conversely, Phil Jackson dubbed this 1998 season, The Last Dance.Something had to give. We talk about each team’s roster and ourmemories and opinions on this do-or-die match-up.

As per usual, the conversation isscattered with humor and plenty of insight. A must-listen, fordie-hard NBA fans, regardless of the team you support.

The most prominent playersmentioned in this episode, include: Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen,Reggie Miller, Luc Longley, Mark Jackson, Toni Kukoc, Rik Smits,Steve Kerr, Dennis Rodman, Ron Harper, Travis Best, Chris Mullin,Jud Buechler and Jalen Rose.

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Adam & Aaron celebrate the 30th anniversary of Michael Jordan's second season in the National Basketball Association. This episode covers:

- NBA regular season - December 24, 1985, through January 7, 1986

- Insightful minutiae, all but lost to the annals of basketball history

In this episode, we discuss numerous happenings from the next 15-day block of the 1985-86 NBA season. The Chicago Bulls played six games in this span – three wins and three losses.

Legendary Philadelphia 76ers Public Address Announcer, Dave Zinkoff, passed away on Christmas Day. Julius Erving remained in Philadelphia to attend the funeral. We discuss his touching eulogy that honored his great friend.

We chat about Michael Jordan's plaster cast - it was removed, just after Christmas, allowing him to increase his rehabilitation efforts. Newspapers suggested his on-court return would likely be February 1, 1986. However, Jordan's first game back wouldn't be until March 15.

In other NBA news, future Hall of Famer, Jamaal Wilkes, announced his retirement. George Gervin, praising the skills of opponent, Darryl Dawkins, quoted a line from a Memorex advertisement, popular in its day. This led to some interesting podcast follow-up, surrounding the history of the famous ad.

This episode continues our coverage of the 1985-86 NBA season. We encourage your interaction. Feel free to suggest specific games, moments and events from within the season, for us to cover in future episodes of the series. Thanks for taking the time to listen to the show. If you enjoy the content, please share it with your friends!

Others mentioned in this episode, include: Alvin Robertson, Hakeem Olajuwon, Purvis Short, Dominique Wilkins, Tony Campbell, Sleepy Floyd, Herb Williams, Bob Thornton, Mike Smrek & John Havlicek.

Chicago Bulls games discussed:

85-12-26 - New York Knicks @ Chicago Bulls

85-12-28 - Indiana Pacers @ Chicago Bulls

85-12-30 - Chicago Bulls @ Cleveland Cavaliers

86-01-02 - Detroit Pistons @ Chicago Bulls

86-01-04 - Atlanta Hawks @ Chicago Bulls

86-01-07 - New Jersey Nets @ Chicago Bulls

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High School All-American, NIT Champion, Film Producer & Actor, Nigel Miguel. As a child, Nigel moved from Central America to California. We talk about his role models as a youngster, before transitioning into his high-school career, where, as a senior, he led his team to a 19-5 record, en route to winning the Del Rey League Championship. He was named a 1981 McDonald’s All-American, in the famous class that included Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing and Chris Mullin. He discusses the tremendous opportunities that afforded him, including a crucial role in the USA’s gold-medal win at the 1981 Albert Schweitzer Tournament (often referred to as the Mini-Basketball World Cup, or Junior Olympics).

Nigel played four seasons at UCLA. As a freshman, he was teammates with future Utah Jazz great – and friend of the show – Mark Eaton. In his sophomore season, Nigel’s Bruins made it the NCAA Tournament. He talks about the joy of making it to the tournament, coupled with the disappointment of a first-game exit.

In his junior and senior years, Nigel paired with all-time great, Reggie Miller. Prior to his last season with the team, Walt Hazzard – a player on John Wooden’s first NCAA Championship team – took the helm as UCLA coach. We discuss his lasting impact on Nigel and the team.. Miguel ended his Bruins career in style, scoring an equal game-high, 18 points, as UCLA won the 1985 NIT Championship, at the famed Madison Square Garden.

We talk about the lead-up to the 1985 NBA Draft, including team interviews that Nigel undertook, and, his one-on-one workout with the legendary Jerry West, on the court at the Great Western Forum.

After being the last player cut from the New Jersey Nets’ training camp, Nigel signed with Wisconsin’s new CBA franchise, the La Crosse Catbirds. He talks about his fondness for that season, where he was named to the league’s All-Rookie team, averaging more than 17 points per game. Miguel was runner-up to future NBA All-Star, Michael Adams, for Rookie of the Year. The Catbirds made it to the 1986 CBA Championship series, before losing out to (former podcast guest) Ed Nealy and his Tampa Bay Thrillers.

Continued interest from the New Jersey Nets (and L.A. Lakers), led to Nigel’s return to (Nets) training camp, in anticipation of a roster spot for the 1986-87 NBA season. He talks about the seemingly-innocuous ‘tweak’ of his ankle, during a lead-up game. That quickly led to an inner-monologue: “My foot is on the ground…but I don’t feel anything”. He’d fractured his heel bone and damaged his Achilles tendon.

NBA veteran, Buck Williams, helped Nigel put his injury into context – offering suggestions on how to overcome the disappointment of having his professional career, seemingly reach an abrupt end.

We also cover Nigel's extensive career in entertainment - commercials, television, movies and more. A fun conversation.

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Adam & Aaron celebrate the 30th anniversary of Michael Jordan's second season in the National Basketball Association. This episode covers:

- NBA regular season - December 9 through 23, 1985

- Insightful minutiae, all but lost to the annals of basketball history

In this episode, we discuss numerous happenings from the next 15-day block of the 1985-86 NBA season. The Chicago Bulls played seven games in this span – three wins and four losses.

Around the league, the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers continued their fantastic starts to the season. We chat about a (possible) 'cast-breaking ceremony', to check whether Michael Jordan's broken foot had healed. However, this news only plays the role of 'supporting cast', in an episode where Manute Bol stands tall...very tall. In the absence of Jeff Ruland (broken ankle), Bol's first-career start resulted in 18 points, 12 blocks and nine rebounds.

We also talk about the reasoning behind Jordan's decision to (mostly) not travel with his team. The Chicago Tribune reported that teammates were voicing their disappointment in MJ's 'lack of moral support' - he even declined the request (to attend games) of Bulls' GM, Jerry Krause.

The Dallas Mavericks' Mark Aguirre, was suspended by his team, after refusing Coach Dick Motta's request to re-enter a game, in Atlanta. Motta took exception to Mark helping his friend, Dominique Wilkins, to his feet, after the pair collided, earlier in the game.

Further, we discuss some milestones. It was a great span for the San Antonio Spurs. Alvin Robertson was named the NBA's Player of the Week, notching a career-high 41 points against the Denver Nuggets. In that same game, Artis Gilmore eclipsed 23,000 career points (ABA and NBA).

This episode continues our coverage of the 1985-86 NBA season. We encourage your interaction. Feel free to suggest specific games, moments and events from within the season, for us to cover in future episodes of the series. Thanks for taking the time to listen to the show. If you enjoy the content, please share it with your friends!

Others mentioned in this episode, include: Sidney Green, Melvin Turpin, Hot Rod Hundley, Jawann Oldham, Mark Eaton, Fat Lever, Rolando Blackman & Doug Moe.

Chicago Bulls games discussed:

85-12-10 - San Antonio Spurs @ Chicago Bulls

85-12-12 - Philadelphia 76ers @ Chicago Bulls

85-12-14 - Sacramento Kings @ Chicago Bulls

85-12-15 - Chicago Bulls @ Boston Celtics

85-12-17 - Boston Celtics @ Chicago Bulls

85-12-19 - Washington Bullets @ Chicago Bulls

85-12-21 - Utah

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Adam & Aaron celebrate the 30th anniversary of Michael Jordan's second season in the National Basketball Association. This episode covers:

- NBA regular season - November 24 through December 8, 1985

- Insightful minutiae, all but lost to the annals of basketball history

In this episode, we discuss numerous happenings from the next 15-day block of the 1985-86 NBA season. The Chicago Bulls played nine games (all on the road) in this span – two wins and seven losses. 18 of the Bulls' first 24 games, were away from home.

We chat about the increased productivity of Chicago's Quintin Dailey. His scoring ability was needed more than ever, with Michael Jordan still on the sidelines. Never short of a post-game quote, Dailey had choice words about the Washington Bullets' Darren Daye, after an incident with the Bulls' John Paxson.

We also talk about the Boston Celtics' tremendous early-season form. The team's nine-game win streak was broken by the visiting Portland Trail Blazers - it would be the Celtics' sole regular-season loss at home.

Stan Albeck (Chicago coach) extraordinarily asked permission from his regular starters, to have his four former-Spurs players, in the starting lineup, for the Bulls' game at San Antonio. It worked beautifully, with each of the ex-Spurs having good performances.

Further, we discuss some scoring milestones. The Denver Nuggets' Alex English racked up 15,000 career points, whilst the Cleveland Cavaliers' World B. Free, surpassed 16,000 for his career.

This episode continues our coverage of the 1985-86 NBA season. We encourage your interaction. Feel free to suggest specific games, moments and events from within the season, for us to cover in future episodes of the series. Thanks for taking the time to listen to the show. If you enjoy the content, please share it with your friends!

Others mentioned in this episode, include: George Gervin, Fat Lever, Terence Stansbury, Adrian Dantley, Mel Turpin, Jawann Oldham, Herb Williams, Maurice Lucas & Jeff Ruland.

Chicago Bulls games discussed:

85-11-24 - Chicago Bulls @ Washington Bullets

85-11-26 - Chicago Bulls @ Denver Nuggets

85-11-27 - Chicago Bulls @ Utah Jazz

85-11-29 - Chicago Bulls @ Portland Trail Blazers

85-12-01 - Chicago Bulls @ Los Angeles Lakers

85-12-03 - Chicago Bulls @ Sacramento Kings

85-12-04 - Chicago Bulls @ Phoenix Suns

85-12-06 - Chicago Bulls @ San Antonio Spurs

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Hey, it’s Adam here. A quick note to advise you that I’ll be away on holidays for the next three-plus weeks. As I type this, it’s late at night - here in Australia - January 31st, 2016.

My podcast will return to its relatively-normal release schedule, in late February, 2016. My goal is for fortnightly episodes at worst, weekly, at best. Most likely – reading this - you already subscribe to my show. Thanks so much for continuing to listen and supporting my passion. I have plenty of great guests lined up as the year progresses. Numerous topic-based episodes, too. Further, we’ll continue our special #NB86 series.

In the event that you are not yet subscribed to the show, you can do so, in a number of ways.

Subscribe: iTunes | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | Player FM | Tune In | RSS |

As a podcast subscriber, you’ll automatically receive new episodes as they are released.

I welcome your interaction – feel free to e-mail me: [email protected]. I’m always happy to discuss our mutual love of NBA history.

Have a great 2016 and I look forward to releasing plenty of new and exciting content for you, as the year goes on. All the best and thanks once more for being a listener of the show.

I appreciate all feedback, FB Page 'Likes' and iTunes ratings / reviews.

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