NBA History Conversations: Basketball Record

NBA Creative Director (former), Gameplan Creative CEO and Sports Design Trendsetter, Tom O'Grady.

During the 1980s, Tom worked as an ad agency art director on the McDonald’s business. Simultaneously, McDonald’s began to devote resources to sports marketing. This was the perfect opportunity for Tom – he combined his love of sports with his passion for design. He met and worked with Michael Jordan on the memorable Large fries for “Small Fries” ad campaign and also contributed design work to the inaugural McDonald’s Open later that same year (1987).

Judy Shoemaker was the agency account director that Tom worked with on the McDonald’s Open project. In 1988, she accepted the role of Vice President, Marketing, with NBA Properties. Two years later, Judy began to recruit Tom to join her at the NBA. Commissioner David Stern named Tom O’Grady the league’s first Creative Director in 1990. Tom discusses the process that led him to leave Chicago and take up residence in New York.

Tom was tasked with the creative direction for The Dream Team (1992 Olympic Games). He shares inside stories on how the now-iconic photos were created during the 1992 NBA season.

Tom was responsible for the rebrand of the Phoenix Suns (1993 season). He met with then-team president, Jerry Colangelo, and the Suns’ ownership group. We do a deep dive on the creative process. That same season, Phoenix celebrated its silver anniversary (25th season) in the NBA, Charles Barkley joined the team and the Suns met Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the 1993 NBA Finals.

1995 was a big year for the NBA and Tom. He oversaw the launch of the NBA.com website and was also vital in the Atlanta Hawks’ new logo – a hawk in flight, its claws clutching a basketball. Further, two expansion teams – the Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies – were set to enter the league for the 1996 season. Tom was responsible for the brand identity creation of the franchises.

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

- December 5 through December 18, 1987

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

Notable:

- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar‘s streak of 787 straight double-figure scoring games ends

- Larry Jordan (Michael’s brother) drafted by the IBA’s Chicago Express

- Ralph Sampson traded from Houston to Golden State for Joe Barry Carroll

Links discussed:

* Chicago versus Houston - Rockets trade Sampson after this game

* Michael Jordan's heroics force overtime versus Detroit


This episode continues our coverage of the 1987-88 NBA season. If you enjoy the content, please share it with your friends! For context, here’s our 13-episode series (#NB87), exploring Michael Jordan’s third season in the NBA.

Tune in to hear this and plenty more, as we uncover some hidden gems from the NBA’s golden era.

People mentioned include Doug Collins, Kevin Johnson, Muggsy Bogues, Bob Cousy, Benoit Benjamin, Charles Barkley, Calvin Murphy, Bo Jackson, Chris Mullin, Martin Nessley and Bob Ryan.

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Brothers, Sean and Brad Malone, are co-directors and producers of Wild About ’88 – The Rise of Arizona Basketball.

In 1988, Sean and Brad caught basketball fever. As fate would have it, the Arizona Wildcats were firing on all cylinders, advancing to the Final Four of the 1988 NCAA Tournament. Tucson loved their Wildcats and the city relished in its team’s dominant 35-3 season. Arizona’s roster featured six players who would make the NBA – Sean Elliott, Steve Kerr, Jud Buechler, Tom Tolbert, the late Sean Rooks (redshirt) and Anthony Cook.

We discuss the brothers’ respective love for the Wildcats and how they went from being super fans of the Cats, to producing a film that documents a season for the ages.

Sean and Brad talk to the brilliance of the program’s “unlikely and fantastic rise under former head coach, Lute Olson”. They detail the importance of Steve Kerr’s captaincy of the 1988 Wildcats, plus, the unique circumstances behind Kerr still being a member of the team. Further, we cover the legendary Sean Elliott’s signing with Arizona and the vital role played by ‘The Gumbies’ – the Wildcats’ lesser-known, yet equally important players.

We also chat about the impressive list of interviewees who are involved in the film and how Sean and Brad managed to contact them and arrange conversations that form the documentary’s backbone.

Listen to our conversation and you’ll clearly identify with Sean and Brad’s positive approach and dedication to their forthcoming documentary. They have literally spent hundreds of hours researching and planning the film. Follow the brothers’ blog to keep up to date on the film’s status. Add your support (financially, or, via connections) here.

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NCAA great, 12-year NBA veteran and 1988 All-Star, Xavier McDaniel.

The X-Man joins the show for a wide-ranging discussion about his life in basketball. Few players in NBA history were as physical as McDaniel. However, there's much more to Xavier's bow than simply being an enforcer. He was the first-ever player (1985) to lead the NCAA [Division I] in scoring and rebounding in the same season. His name is littered throughout the record books at Wichita State, where he played four seasons with the Shockers. As a senior, he was named First-team All-American.

The Seattle SuperSonics drafted Xavier with the fourth pick in the 1985 NBA Draft. He played all 82 games as a rookie and was second to (future teammate and great friend) Patrick Ewing in Rookie of the Year voting.

Xavier talks about his six seasons in Seattle. He discusses the impact that Maurice Lucas had on his game, speaks candidly about his role in the 1988 NBA All-Star Game and talks fondly of Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton. We discuss his trade to the Phoenix Suns and how he became a member of the New York Knicks.

Xavier's addition to the Knicks made New York instant contenders for the NBA title. In 1992, the Knicks extended the Chicago Bulls to seven games in the second round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs. We discuss the series in-depth and Xavier expresses his thoughts on the series as only he can.

McDaniel joined the Boston Celtics in the wake of Larry Bird's retirement. He played for three seasons in Boston. We discuss his memories of that time, how the Celtics tried to adjust to life without Bird, the soon-to-be retirement of Kevin McHale and the tragic loss of Reggie Lewis.

Xavier headed overseas to play a season in Greece (1996), before returning to the NBA to close out his career as a member of the New Jersey Nets. He talks about his retirement from basketball, some of the great honors he's received and much more, in a conversation that clearly demonstrates Xavier McDaniel's passion for basketball. This is without doubt, one of the most-enjoyable conversations I've had to date.

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Indiana Pacers staffer (Media Relations / Publications: 1991-2007), MaryKay Hruskocy.

Though a native of Whiting, IN, MaryKay grew up a fan of Chicago sports. As the Bulls were celebrating their 1991 NBA Championship at Grant Park, MaryKay was driving to Indianapolis to commence her career in media relations for the Indiana Pacers.

Our conversation covers behind-the-scenes memories from MaryKay’s tenure with the team. This includes, arguably, the biggest one-day sporting event of the 1990s. Two words: “I’m back”. She discusses the frenzy surrounding Michael Jordan’s NBA return in 1995; detailing how the Pacers managed the news and went into overdrive to prepare Market Square Arena - in less than 24 hours - for a game that suddenly held as much importance as the NBA Finals.

Hruskocy details how she created the Pacers' team newsletter, distributed by fax to approximately 3,000 loyal subscribers. MarkyKay discusses how she was tasked with putting together Indiana's media guides in-house and shares a fantastic story about her creative use of technology that allowed a prominent member of the roster to be 'present' for the official team photo (2005).

We also talk about MaryKay's push to have (Pacers) ABA greats, Mel Daniels and Roger Brown, enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame. All this and more in a wide-ranging, engaging discussion about the history of the Indiana Pacers.

Links discussed (include):

* Chicago celebrates the 1991 NBA Champion Bulls

* Great Scott! (1994 NBA Playoffs)

* "I'm back" (March, 1995)

* Rik gives Orlando the Smits (1995 NBA Playoffs)

* Photo manipulation (2005 Pacers)

* Mel Daniels (enshrined in 2012)

* Roger Brown (enshrined in 2013)

People mentioned include: Larry Bird, David Benner, Artis Gilmore, Byron Scott, Dale Davis, Rik Smits, Reggie Theus, Rick Fox, Reggie Miller, Travis Best, Erik Spoelstra and Joe Maddon.

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Washington Mystics Head Coach and General Manager, Mike Thibault. Our wide-ranging conversation examines a multitude of great topics. Thibault's (pronounced Tee-bo) coaching career began in the 1970s. Before the decade ended, he was scouting for the L.A. Lakers and contributed to the team’s 1980 and 1982 NBA championships.

We discuss Mike's move to Chicago, where he was an assistant coach for the Bulls for four seasons (1983 through 1986). He scouted the top-three picks - Olajuwon, Bowie and Jordan - in the iconic 1984 NBA Draft. Mike details Chicago’s approach to that draft and the behind-the-scenes decision making that led to Michael Jordan's selection. Plus, you’ll hear just how close the Bulls came to selecting a future Hall of Famer in the 1985 draft.

After a year at the helm of the inaugural World Basketball League's (WBL) Calgary 88's, Mike took over another first-year franchise. This time, the Continental Basketball Association's (CBA) Omaha Racers. From 1989 through 1997, he steered the Racers to eight-straight playoff appearances - winning the CBA title in 1993.

In 1998, Mike returned to the NBA. He was a scout for George Karl in Seattle, before joining Karl - as his assistant coach - in Milwaukee (through 2002).

2003 would be a turning point in Mike's career. He became head coach of the (WNBA's) Connecticut Sun. He led the team for 10 seasons; twice making the finals (2004 and 2005). Further, Mike was named Coach of the Year in 2006 and 2008.

In late 2012, Thibault took over as head coach of the Washington Mystics. In the two seasons prior, the team went 11-57. He led the franchise to postseason play in each of the first-three seasons. In 2018, the Mystics made it to the finals - the first time in franchise history.

Mike reflects on his memories of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He was assistant coach on Team USA's gold-medal winning women's team.

People mentioned include Jerry West, Pat Riley, Charles Oakley, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon, Pete Newell, Rod Thorn, Jerry Krause, Bob McAdoo, Elena Delle Donne, Karl Malone and Kevin Gamble.

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My friend, Mike Fraler, host of Forgotten Maverick (now Mavs Archives) invited me on his show.

We discuss how our podcasts came to be and reminisce about our love of NBA history. I also discuss my 1994 and 1995 trips to the USA, and how luck wasn’t on my side – both times I visited the States, Michael Jordan was in the midst of his first retirement. Fancy some NBA trivia? Listen in and test your knowledge against mine.

As the name of Mike's podcast cleverly suggests, he chats with Dallas Mavericks players of years gone by. Mike’s twin brother, Jeff, has his own NBA-history podcast: Forgotten Lakers, Are you sensing a theme? If you enjoy my podcast, you’ll certainly enjoy Mike's and Jeff’s.

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

- November 21 through December 4, 1987

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

Notable:
- Petur Gudmundsson – career-high 21 points

- Mark McNamara – career-high 22 rebounds

- Franklin Edwards – career-high 16 assists

Links discussed:

* Travelin’ Bulls (Higher Ground)

* Jordan jabs Jazz: “Was he big enough?”

This episode continues our coverage of the 1987-88 NBA season. If you enjoy the content, please share it with your friends! For context, here’s our 13-episode series (#NB87), exploring Michael Jordan’s third season in the NBA.

Tune in to hear this and plenty more, as we uncover some hidden gems from the NBA’s golden era.

People mentioned include Horace Grant, Mark Jackson, Xavier McDaniel, Fat Lever, Adrian Dantley, Wes Matthews, Clyde Drexler, Manute Bol, Muggsy Bogues, Walt Frazier, Tellis Frank and Bob Ryan.

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Four-time NBA All-Star, All-NBA (1993) and Dream Team II (1994) member, Mark Price.

Mark Price rose to basketball prominence from humble beginnings. He starred at Enid High School in Oklahoma, breaking many records; serendipitously, equaling feats set by his famous father Denny, decades earlier.

After high school, Mark played four years with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. To this day, his name is littered throughout the record books. As a freshman, he led the ACC in scoring (20.3 ppg) – an outstanding achievement, given the depth of talent in the conference. Prior to his sophomore campaign, he was a member of Team USA’s gold-medal winning squad at the 1983 Pan-American Games in Venezuela. Mark, and fellow teammate, John Salley, were named team co-captains as sophomores. As a junior, Mark led his team to a 27-8 record. Tech won the ACC Championship, Price was named Tournament MVP and also won (1985) ACC Player of the Year. Georgia Tech advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, before finally bowing out to the Patrick Ewing-led Georgetown Hoyas. Mark left Georgia Tech as the only player in school history to lead the team in scoring all four seasons.

Mark was selected by the Dallas Mavericks in the 1986 NBA Draft, before being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. We discuss how the Cavaliers franchise went from ‘cadavers’ to contenders in just two seasons. Mark breaks down each season in Cleveland and we touch on memorable moments from throughout his fantastic tenure with the Cavaliers, culminating with the team’s run to the 1992 NBA Eastern Conference Finals, where they met the Chicago Bulls – one of Mark’s five post-season series’ versus Chicago. Mark also talks about his trade from Cleveland to the Golden State Warriors and his season with the Washington Bullets where he was teammates with his brother, Brent. Mark’s last season was with the Orlando Magic.

This is a contender for my favourite episode of the show yet.

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The one and only "Mr. Stats" (NBA on NBC) - Elliott Kalb - author of Who’s Better, Who’s Best in Basketball?

Elliott is a multiple Sports Emmy-winning producer, writer and television personality. He has worked in sports television for more than 35 years, including more than two decades with NBC, where he was known as “Mr. Stats”.

In the 1990s through early-2000s, Elliott didn’t often appear on camera, however, he was a vital cog in the mighty NBA on NBC machine. We cover a wide variety of topics and he shares plenty of great stories about his life and the experiences he’s had with a who’s who of talent for more than 30 years.

He discusses his most-memorable games from his 12-year run with the NBA on NBC. Elliott also chats about his love for the 1972 L.A. Lakers and how, almost 20 years later, he ended up alongside Pat Riley - a member of that famed squad - a recent addition to the NBA on NBC team.

Links discussed:

* Magic Johnson's awesome ending to the 1992 NBA All-Star Game

* Michael Jordan: "I'm back"

* Dennis Rodman's unannounced trip to the broadcast table

People mentioned include Willis Reed, Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O'Neal, Sean Elliott, David Robinson, Bill Russell, Isiah Thomas, Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Scottie Pippen, Bob Costas, Ahmad Rashad, Mike Fratello and Bob Lanier.

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