NBA History Conversations: Basketball Record

Two-time Junior College All-American, Missouri star and NBA Champion, Clay Johnson.

Clay discusses his childhood love of multiple sports - including three years playing soccer (football) - where he developed skills that he would use to his advantage, on a basketball court. His journey to the NBA almost didn't happen. Following high school, Clay contemplated a career as a plumber, before being convinced to attend junior college, where he became a two-time All-American at Penn Valley Community College. He still ranks (see pages 26 & 58) Top 10 for 'Rebounds in a Season' and 'Rebounds in a Career'. Atop these lofty achievements, he's also a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA Region XVI) Hall of Fame.

Johnson was recruited to the University of Missouri, by Coach Norm Stewart. As a junior, Clay scored a career-high 39 points, in a game against Colorado. In his senior season, he was a team captain, hitting a game-winning jump shot, to advance Mizzou to the second round of the Big Eight Postseason Tournament. Remarkably, with a losing record (14-15), the team (also featuring Larry Drew) qualified for the 1978 NCAA Tournament. In his final game as a Tiger, Clay torched Utah for 30 points.

We talk about the 1978 NBA Draft, where Clay was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the fifth round. Clay recalls his experiences playing in the Summer Pro League and some NBA preseason games. He was waived by Portland, before the regular season commenced.

Clay took his considerable skills to the Western Basketball Association and Continental Basketball Association, where he displayed his talents for a few seasons - primarily with the Billings Volcanos - determined to make his way back into the NBA.

In August of 1981, Clay signed as a free agent with the Los Angeles Lakers. He had to wait until April of 1982, to make his NBA debut - as fate would have it - against Portland, the team that first drafted him, back in 1978.

We chat about Jeff Pearlman's excellent book, Showtime, where Clay is quoted on his dislike of (Lakers) Coach Paul Westhead. He contrasts that, with the high esteem he holds for Coach Pat Riley, who Johnson played under, during his two seasons with the Lakers. Clay was a member of the Lakers' 1982 NBA Championship squad. We talk about his experiences on that team and playing alongside (future) Hall of Famers, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson and James Worthy.

Clay's last NBA season was 1984, as a member of the Seattle SuperSonics. We talk about his transition to the CBA and much more.

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Adam & Aaron celebrate the 30th anniversary of Michael Jordan's (1984) arrival in the National Basketball Association. This episode covers:

- 1985 NBA Playoffs - Conference Finals (May 11 through 22)
- 1985 NBA Draft Lottery - "The Patrick Ewing Sweepstakes"
- Insightful minutiae, all but lost to the annals of basketball history

In this episode, we discuss numerous happenings from the 1984-85 NBA season. This time, the Conference Finals and 1985 NBA Draft Lottery.

East: Boston Celtics v Philadelphia 76ers
West: L.A. Lakers v Denver Nuggets

This episode continues our coverage of the 1984-85 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!

People mentioned include Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Dave DeBusschere, Fat Lever, Byron Scott, James Worthy, Moses Malone, Maurice Cheeks, Calvin Natt, Julius Erving, Charles Barkley, Alex English, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dan Issel & Mark Aguirre.

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Atlantic 10 Legend (George Washington) and 11-year NBA veteran, Mike Brown.

Mike discusses his multi-sport childhood and his decision to focus on basketball. His path to the NBA began at Clifford J. Scott High School. We chat about his tremendous tenure at George Washington University, where he starred academically (Criminal Justice) and athletically. Mike led the Colonials in scoring and rebounding, in each of his four seasons with the team. Between his junior and senior seasons, he participated in the 1984 US Olympic Trials at Indiana University. He shares his memories of those famous trials. We also talk about Mike's relationship with Patrick Ewing, who played for the Georgetown Hoyas, just miles away from the George Washington campus.

We talk about the 1985 NBA Draft, one of the most talent-laden in the history of the game. The Chicago Bulls selected Mike in the third round (69th-pick overall). Following a season overseas (Italy), Brown returned to the Bulls, and played the 1987 and 1988 seasons with the team, alongside Michael Jordan and (a young) Scottie Pippen.

I also asked Mike about his memories of this famous move - he didn't disappoint.

In June of 1988, the expansion Charlotte Hornets, selected Mike in the Expansion Draft, trading him to the Utah Jazz, for Kelly Tripucka.

The next five years of Mike's career (1989-1993), were spent in Utah. The Jazz advanced to the Western Conference Finals in 1992, and we talk about the opportunities that opened for Mike, both on and off the court. He talks fondly about his time with the franchise and being teammates with John Stockton and Karl Malone. We also discuss the 1992 Olympic Games, where Mike traveled to Barcelona to watch four of his teammates (Jordan, Pippen, Stockton & Malone) win the gold medal for Team USA.

After the 1993 season, Mike was traded to Minnesota, in exchange for Felton Spencer. He talks about the adjustment of leaving a winning culture in Utah, to a franchise that was still searching for its identity. The last few seasons of Mike's career, were with the Philadelphia 76ers and Phoenix Suns. He also returned overseas for a second stint in Europe.

Mike also reflects on some of the great coaches he played for, including Doug Collins, Frank Layden and Jerry Sloan, to name a few.

Since his playing career ended, Mike has been involved in coaching at various levels, and is currently working for the NBA, in a player-development role. We round out the conversation, talking about Mike's (Las Vegas) radio show, The Embracing Project and finally, his gold-medal success at the World Masters Games, here in Australia.

We didn't get to cover this, however, it's very cool and definitely worth a look. Mike is clearly a fan of vintage cars. You can follow Mike on Twitter.

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Adam, Aaron and Todd discuss a classic double-overtime game featuring Michael Jordan and Larry Bird - March 31st, 1991 - the Celtics take on the visiting Bulls, at Boston Garden.

We discuss all the key aspects of the game. We talk about the NBC broadcast and its commentary team of Marv Albert, Mike Fratello and Ahmad Rashad. We chat about the great regular season that each team was enjoying, as the Playoffs approached. We talk about each team’s roster and our memories and opinions on this exciting match-up.

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: Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant, John Paxson, Reggie Lewis, Robert Parish, Kevin McHale, Brian Shaw, Kevin Gamble, Dee Brown, Ed Pinckney, Stojko Vrankovic & Cliff Levingston.

Statistics mentioned, are often courtesy of Basketball-Reference.

Watch the Google Hangout - recorded live on August 20, 2015 - or, should you prefer the audio-only version (via your podcast app of choice), you'll hear an edited version of the conversation.

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Adam & Aaron celebrate the 30th anniversary of Michael Jordan's (1984) arrival in the National Basketball Association. This episode covers:

- 1985 NBA Playoffs - Round 2 (April 27 through May 10)
- Insightful minutiae, all but lost to the annals of basketball history

In this episode, we discuss numerous happenings from the 1984-85 NBA season. Whilst the Chicago Bulls were eliminated in the first round, we continue our coverage of the playoffs. This time, the conference semifinals.

East: Philadelphia 76ers v Milwaukee Bucks | Boston Celtics v Detroit Pistons
West: L.A. Lakers v Portland Trail Blazers | Denver Nuggets v Utah Jazz

The episode also includes a great conversation that Aaron had with ESPN Chicago's Marc Silverman (of Waddle & Silvy). Recorded in-person in Chicago (February, 2015). Marc discusses his memories of growing up in Chicago, attending Bulls games - pre-Jordan and beyond. Thank you, Silvy, for indulging us.

This episode continues our coverage of the 1984-85 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!

People mentioned include Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Terry Cummings, Paul Pressey, Magic Johnson, Darrell Griffith, Sidney Moncrief, Fat Lever, Alex English, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Mark Eaton, Thurl Bailey, Michael Cooper, Don Nelson & Rod Thorn.

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Adam and Aaron discuss Dominique Wilkins' first-game back in Atlanta, as an opposition player. Nique dropped 36 points on his former team, as the L.A. Clippers defeated the Atlanta Hawks by three points. This game took place just four weeks after the Hawks' blockbuster trade, that sent Dominique to the Clippers, in exchange for two-time NBA All-Star, Danny Manning.

We discuss all the key aspects of the game. We talk about the SportSouth broadcast and its commentary team of Tim Brando and Mike Glenn. Bob Weiss is overlooked in this story-line. He was now coaching the Clippers, however, had just spent the previous three seasons, with the Hawks. We chat about the commentary team's mention of an alleged rivalry between former teammates, Kevin Willis (1992 NBA All-Star) and The Human Highlight Film. We talk about each team's roster and our memories and opinions on this memorable match-up - arguably a forgotten gem of the 1994 NBA season.

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: Ron Harper, Mark Jackson, Mookie Blaylock, Stacey Augmon, Bo Outlaw, Harold Ellis, Duane Ferrell, Jon Koncak, John Williams and Elmore Spencer.

Thanks to Paul Vido of the Downtown team, for the Danny Manning photo (see show notes).

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Adam & Aaron celebrate the 30th anniversary of Michael Jordan's (1984) arrival in the National Basketball Association. This episode covers:

- 1985 NBA Playoffs - Round 1 (April 15 through 28)
- Insightful minutiae, all but lost to the annals of basketball history

In this episode, we discuss numerous happenings from the 1984-85 NBA season. The Chicago Bulls took on the Milwaukee Bucks - Jordan's first foray into the postseason. The Bucks prevailed, winning in four games (3-1). We also cover each and every series, across both conferences.

East: Boston Celtics v Cleveland Cavaliers | Philadelphia 76ers v Washington Bullets | Detroit Pistons v New Jersey Nets

West: L.A. Lakers v Phoenix Suns | Denver Nuggets v San Antonio Spurs | Houston Rockets v Utah Jazz | Dallas Mavericks v Portland Trail Blazers

People mentioned include Michael Jordan, Terry Cummings, Paul Pressey, Sidney Moncrief, Fat Lever, Alex English, Rolando Blackman, Mark Eaton, Hakeem Olajuwon, Sidney Green, Thurl Bailey, Billy Paultz, Audie Norris, Lewis Lloyd & Charles Pittman.

We also refer to this classic, fifth and deciding game, from the Western Conference. The visiting Utah Jazz, stun the Houston Rockets - a franchise-defining victory.

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Adam & Aaron celebrate the 30th anniversary of Michael Jordan's (1984) arrival in the National Basketball Association. This episode covers:

- NBA regular season - March 25 through April 14, 1985

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

In this episode, we discuss numerous happenings from the 1984-85 NBA season. The Chicago Bulls finished the regular season, with ten games in nineteen days – four wins and six losses.

We chat about Bernard King's arthroscopic - a week later, reconstructive - knee surgery and its implications on his career. Then, cover the changing hierarchy of the Bulls' franchise - particularly the arrival of Jerry Krause, coupled with the departure of Rod Thorn. We also talk about the NBA's best-performing players - including Dave Corzine's season-high 23 points - milestones reached - Moses Malone surpassing 10,000 career rebounds, Stan Albeck registering his 300th win as coach, John Bagley (team; Cleveland) & Isiah Thomas' (league) records for assists in a single season - and much more.

This episode continues our coverage of the 1984-85 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!

The most prominent players mentioned in this episode, include: Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Calvin Natt, David Greenwood, Derek Smith, Dan Issel, Bill Laimbeer, Hakeem Olajuwon & Micheal Ray Richardson.

Chicago Bulls games discussed:

85-03-26 - Box Score: Indiana Pacers @ Chicago Bulls

85-03-28 - Box Score: Chicago Bulls @ Cleveland Cavaliers

85-03-30 - Box Score: Philadelphia 76ers @ Chicago Bulls

85-04-02 - Box Score: New Jersey Nets @ Chicago Bulls

85-04-03 - Box Score: Chicago Bulls @ Washington Bullets

85-04-05 - Box Score: Chicago Bulls @ Philadelphia 76ers

85-04-06 - Box Score: Chicago Bulls @ Atlanta Hawks

85-04-08 - Box Score: Chicago Bulls @ Indiana Pacers

85-04-12 - Box Score: Atlanta Hawks @ Chicago Bulls

85-04-13 - Box Score: Chicago Bulls @ New Jersey Nets

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NBA All-Star, 11-year veteran & Slam Dunk Champion, Cedric Ceballos.

Prior to delving into Cedric's on-court prowess, we talk about his love for music and the famous album, 'Basketball's Best Kept Secret', featuring Dana Barros and many others.

Little-known fact: Cedric was a ball-boy at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Ceballos went on to star at Ventura College, before playing his junior and senior seasons at Cal State Fullerton - where he was scouted by Jerry West - averaging better than 22 points & 10 rebounds per game.

Cedric discusses the 1990 NBA Draft, and his flurry of emotions, waiting to hear his name called. He was selected 48th overall, by the Phoenix Suns. Ced talks about his transition from college, and learning the game from veterans like Tom Chambers, Eddie Johnson & Dan Majerle.

Our conversation also uncovers fascinating details behind Dee Brown's victory - punctuated by his memorable, pumping-up of the Reebok shoes, and 'Blind Dunk' - in the 1991 Slam Dunk Competition.

Cedric won the 1992 contest, finishing with his famous 'Hocus Pocus' jam, dedicated to Magic Johnson. Few people know, that Cedric & Dee competed in a college dunk contest, at the Orlando All-Star Classic. 25 years later, prepare to hear the inside story that will change most of what you know about the history of the NBA's 1991 Dunk Contest.

We break down the 1993 season. Paul Westphal was named as coach, the Suns traded for Charles Barkley and Cedric led the league in field-goal percentage (57.6). Phoenix steamrolled the league, en route to 62 wins and the number-one seed in the Playoffs. The Suns survived their first-round series against the upstart Lakers, with an overtime victory in the fifth and deciding game.

Injury hit Cedric at the worst possible time. He broke his foot during the 1993 Western Conference Finals; missing the NBA Finals against Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and the Chicago Bulls. He talks about the emotions of supporting his team from the sidelines.

We cover Cedric's trade (September, 1994) from Phoenix to the L.A. Lakers, where he enjoyed NBA-career highs in scoring, rebounds and assists. Ceballos was named an All-Star, however, an incident with Dikembe Mutombo, days prior to the 1995 All-Star Game, led to Cedric missing the game due to injury. In a cruel twist of fate, Mutombo would receive his second All-Star nod.

Magic Johnson returned to the NBA during the 1996 season. Cedric talks about co-captaining the Lakers with Nick Van Exel, the impact of Magic's return and how it felt to miss the opportunity to challenge for a title, playing alongside one of the all-time greats.

Cedric appeared in the iconic movie, Space Jam. We talk about his memories of the experience and the effect it continues to have on his life. He also opens up about playing basketball inside The Jordan Dome - the purpose-built workout facility, constructed for Jordan's use, during downtime around the filming of the movie. All this and much more in our great conversation.

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Temple University Hall of Famer, NBA & European veteran, Terence Stansbury.

We discuss the unique origin of Terence’s high school basketball career. He mentions some of the players he admired, including Julius Erving, Walt Frazier, Pete Maravich, Wilt Chamberlain and Joe Bryant.

Terence starred at Temple, leading his Owls to the 1984 NCAA Tournament. At that Tourney, he hit a game-winning buzzer-beater, to defeat the might of St. John’s, led by Chris Mullin, Bill Wennington & Mark Jackson. That victory setup the last game of Terence’s college career, against Michael Jordan and the North Carolina Tar Heels. We discuss both games – the latter, Stansbury more than held his own, against Jordan.

Stansbury trialed for Team USA’s 1983 Pan-American Games squad, then, in 1984, was one of the select group, invited to participate in Team USA’s Olympic Trials. Terence details great moments from both experiences, including his first (in person) meeting with Charles Barkley and rooming with another future Hall of Famer, John Stockton.

We chat about the famous 1984 NBA Draft, where the Dallas Mavericks selected Terence with the 15th overall pick. We cover his brief, yet intriguing, tenure with the Mavs, before the trade that sent him to the Indiana Pacers, where he played two of his three NBA seasons.

One of the Google searches that I did, whilst researching Terence’s career, led to this photo of Paul Mokeski. As luck would have it, there’s a classic story behind this, that began with a foul, and ended, many years later, close to five thousand miles away.

Terence remembers former teammate, Dwayne McClain, a guy with links to my home country of Australia. They were teammates during the 1986 NBA season. The ‘D-Train’ was a standout at Villanova University, later, starring in the National Basketball League.

It’s impossible to chat with Terence Stansbury and not talk about his three-consecutive, third-place finishes in the Slam Dunk Competition (1985 | 1986 | 1987). I ask Terence about the origin of his famous ‘Statue of Liberty 360′ jam and the involvement of his family and friends, in the 1985 and 1986 contests, particularly.

We also discuss the circumstances behind Terence’s trade to Seattle. After the 1987 season, Terence briefly played in the Continental Basketball Association, before being presented with an opportunity to play in Europe (early 1988). From there, he played at the highest level, traveling to places such as Holland, Belgium, France – where he’s a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame – Israel and Greece.

We round out the conversation by covering Terence’s current-day involvement with basketball.

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