Sports Legends of the Carolinas

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a NASCAR hall of famer who has made his own indelible mark in the family business. Earnhardt — or simply “Dale Junior,” as his fans call him — is the son of legendary racer Dale Earnhardt Sr., who won seven NASCAR Cup titles before dying in a last-lap crash at the Daytona 500 in 2001.

Now 47 years old, Earnhardt Jr. and I spoke at his race shop in Mooresville. And on Part 2 of our conversation, Earnhardt Jr. discusses his sudden retirement from racing after multiple concussions; getting to know his father differently through the stories told on his Dale Jr. Download podcast; and how he’ll never be able to convince his daughters of the celebrity he used to be.

Sports Legends of the Carolinas is hosted by Scott Fowler. It's produced by Jeff Siner and Kata Stevens. McClatchy's director of audio is Davin Coburn. For lots more on the show, visit https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sportslegends .

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Dale Earnhardt Jr., our latest interview subject for The Observer’s new “Sports Legends of the Carolinas” project, is a NASCAR hall of famer who has made his own indelible mark in the family business. Earnhardt — or simply “Dale Junior,” as his fans call him — is the son of legendary racer Dale Earnhardt Sr., who won seven NASCAR Cup titles before dying in a last-lap crash at the Daytona 500 in 2001.

Now 47 years old, Earnhardt Jr. is retired from full-time Cup racing but stays involved in the sport as a well-known TV broadcaster and team owner. He and I spoke at his race shop in Mooresville, and on Part 1 of our conversation, Earnhardt Jr. reflects on the most meaningful mementos he's collected from his family’s three generations of racing; the frightening freedom that came after his father’s sudden death; and why he believes he failed to fulfill his own potential as a driver.

Part 2 of our conversation is available exclusively for subscribers on Apple Podcasts.

Sports Legends of the Carolinas is hosted by Scott Fowler. It's produced by Jeff Siner and Kata Stevens. McClatchy's director of audio is Davin Coburn. For lots more on the show, visit https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sportslegends .

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Muggsy Bogues remains the shortest player ever to play in the NBA at 5-foot-3. Bogues stayed in the league for 14 years, most notably as the point guard for the exciting Charlotte Hornets teams of the 1990s that also starred Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning and Dell Curry. At age 57, he still lives in the Charlotte area today.

In Part 2 of our conversation, we discussed Bogues playing himself in the movie Space Jam; his watching dumbstruck as Latrell Sprewell choked coach P.J. Carlesimo; and Bogues gives us the inside scoop on what Steph Curry was like as a child.

Sports Legends of the Carolinas is hosted by Scott Fowler. It's produced by Jeff Siner and Kata Stevens. McClatchy's director of audio is Davin Coburn. For lots more on the show, visit https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sportslegends .

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Muggsy Bogues remains the shortest player ever to play in the NBA, at 5-foot-3. Bogues stayed in the league for 14 years, most notably as the point guard for the exciting Charlotte Hornets teams of the 1990s that also starred Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning and Dell Curry. At age 57, he still lives in the Charlotte area today.

We sat down in Bogues’ home, inside a memorabilia room full of keepsakes from his career. In Part 1 of our conversation, we discussed Bogues’ experience being shot as a child; the neighborhood recreation center Bogues says changed his life; and the former star’s insistence that he really could dunk. 

Part 2 of our conversation is available exclusively for subscribers on Apple Podcasts.

Sports Legends of the Carolinas is hosted by Scott Fowler. It's produced by Jeff Siner and Kata Stevens. McClatchy's director of audio is Davin Coburn. For lots more on the show, visit https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sportslegends .

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Over nearly 30 years at The Charlotte Observer, Scott Fowler has built an unparalleled rolodex of hardwood heroes, gridiron greats, hall-of-fame coaches, and sports media luminaries throughout the region. Now, thanks to access fans won’t get anywhere else, Fowler sits down with icons from the area — including Muggsy Bogues, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jay Bilas, and more — to hear the unfiltered, untold stories of their journeys to becoming Sports Legends of the Carolinas. Season 1 debuts Aug. 17.

New episodes coming weekly on Wednesdays, starting Aug. 17.

Sports Legends of the Carolinas is hosted by Scott Fowler. It's produced by Jeff Siner and Kata Stevens. McClatchy's director of audio is Davin Coburn. For lots more on the show, visit https://www.charlotteobserver.com/sportslegends .

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