Thurl Talk

In this week's episode, we remember and honor the late, great former Utah Jazz legend, Mark Eaton. We're joined by some of his former teammates as well as a few of his opponents to remember his impact on the game, how some of his greatest traits translated into life after basketball, and some of our fondest memories of the big fella'.

Our list of today's guests include:

Adrian Dantley (NBA Hall of Famer, Utah Jazz 1979-86)
Eddie Johnson (Phoenix Suns analyst, 17-year NBA veteran)
Bobby Hansen ('92 NBA champion, Utah Jazz 1983-90, Iowa Hawkeyes radio commentator)
Darrell Griffith (Utah Jazz 1980-91)
John Stockton (NBA Hall of Famer, Utah Jazz 1984-03)

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In this week's episode, Thurl Bailey is joined by Walter Bond (Business Coach/Keynote  Speaker/Trainer/former NBA Player) to talk about growing up in Chicago in an "education first" household, why education was so important to Walter's parents, and the moment he realized he needed to choose between baseball and basketball.

Then he opens up about coming up with the concept for his book, "Swim!", the symbiotic relationship between the suckerfish and the shark, and how focus and mentorship are so impactful in the business world.

Walter also talks about why leadership and culture can be such a game-changing value within a company.

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Thurl Bailey is joined by Dereck Whittenburg (NC State - Associate AD, CEO of Dereck Whittenburg Productions) to talk about how NC State was always his first choice when contemplating which college he wanted to play for, his introduction to coach Jim Valvano, and why Jimmy V wasn't immediately accepted by his peers because he wasn't a "traditional" coach.

Dereck then talks about his inspiration behind pushing for and eventually executive producing the 30 for 30 doc, "SURVIVE AND ADVANCE" detailing NC State's 1983 title run.

He also explains why he gravitated towards coaching and ultimately decided to commit to being an assistant and head coach throughout the years.

We also dive into the statistics behind DI-DIII athletes that believe that they might go on to play professional sports, why many college athletes need to understand that there are so many successful opportunities outside of professional sports, and why it's important to empower others when they're on their own journey.

Lastly, Dereck talks about his decision to go back to NC State and why he is so passionate about helping others.

You can learn more about Dereck and the work he's doing helping others by visiting his website: https://www.dereckwhittenburg.com/

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Thurl Bailey is joined by Georges Niang (Utah Jazz - Forward | #31) to talk about learning from the loss to the Denver Nuggets in game 7 of the NBA playoffs, the pros and cons of playing without fans in the building, and how to get through shooting slumps.

Georges also talks about the importance of understanding your role, trusting your teammates, and the impact the players have had on social justice in the bubble.

Then we dive into Georges growing up in Massachusetts, the strong relationship he has with both of his parents, how perseverance led him to the NBA, and why he wished he would have dreamt bigger than just making it to the NBA.

Georges also opens up about how important work ethic is, overcoming challenges while coming up through college, his podcast, "Drive and Dish", and his passion for broadcasting.

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Thurl Bailey is joined by Stedman Graham (Author, Educator, & Entrepreneur) to talk about life during the pandemic, the importance of having a routine, and working on yourself during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Then we talk about the social unrest in society today, getting rid of the labels that hold us back, and ways to leverage your branding in the confines of today's era.

Stedman also takes us back to growing up in Whitesboro, New Jersey, why he was so angry during his childhood, his search for equality, and how he was able to get out of his small town with the help of basketball. He also talks about how his relationship with Oprah helped taught him how to think more clearly.

Stedman also talks about why you need to be betting on yourself immediately to adapt to the 21st century and why you need to find what you're passionate about to keep up with all of the changes that are taking place today.

To learn more about Stedman Graham or buy his latest book, you can visit: www.stedmangraham.com

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Thurl Bailey is joined by David Locke (Radio play-by-play voice of the Utah Jazz, creator of the Locked on Podcast Network) to talk about how COVID-19 has changed his daily life, predicting the NBA's return, and the importance of laying the groundwork for next year's season.

We also dive into how the major sports are all handling the pandemic differently, why David believes that the live in-person experience will be reserved for specific people, and how revenue will bounce back quicker than we realize.

David also explains why the Utah Jazz are ahead of the curve in relation to other teams coming back, how the team is going to have to adapt without Bojan Bogdanović, and a potential shift in the team's dynamic.

Later, David explains the challenges he faced after following "Hot Rod" Hundley, finding his own voice, and how he had to shut off social media to focus due to the criticism he received. 

Lastly, we talk about the importance of working on your craft and what it means to be a professional broadcaster in the NBA.

You can learn more about David by visiting https://www.lockedonjazz.net/.

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Thurl Bailey is joined by Alema Harrington (Former BYU RB, host of the Utah Jazz Game Night on AT&T SportsNet) to talk about living through the COVID-19 pandemic, the announcement of Rudy Gobert testing positive for the virus, and how Alema has been able to use tools that he's learned in addiction recovery to stay balanced during the pandemic.

We also dive into Alema's childhood growing up in Hawaii with his twin brother and how it shaped his life. Then we talk about his experience growing up playing football and moving to Utah to play football for BYU.

Alema also talks about the feelings he had when he would struggle during his time playing football at BYU and how he was introduced to alcohol and pain killers after getting injured. 

Lastly, Alema touches on his rock bottom and how he has been able to use his recovery to help others who are struggling with their own substance abuse disorders.

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Thurl Bailey is joined by Isiah Thomas (2x Champion, 12x All-Star, 1989-900 Finals MVP, Hall of Famer, NBATV host) to talk about how the current state of our society is reminiscent of the civil unrest that took place in the 1960s and how we still have so much more work to do.

We also dive into 'The Last Dance' to talk about Isiah's experience playing against the 1990s Bulls and what it was like to see the behind-the-scenes issues that the Bulls went through during their historic run. He also explains how he was shocked by Michael Jordan's feelings towards him and the Detroit Pistons during the '90s.

Then Isiah recalls what it was like growing up on the west side of Chicago with six brothers and two sisters and how he learned the values of the game at an early age. Furthermore, Isiah recalls how excelling as a player helped him become a better team player, committing to Indiana University, and the differences between the modern game to the '80s & '90s.

Lastly, we talk about Isiah's biggest accomplishments in basketball and life.

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Thurl Bailey is joined by Anthony Robles (ESPN/PAC-12 wrestling analyst, 2011 NCAA wrestling champion, 2x ESPY award winner, NIKE athlete, and author) to talk about the struggles he faced growing up without his right leg, being treated differently as a child, and the importance of having a great support system growing up.

Then Anthony talks about how a push-up contest led him to find his competitive drive and how his cousin helped him find a passion for wrestling. We also talk about the challenges he faced once Anthony committed to a life of wrestling, how he had to innovate to adapt to the sport, and the misconceptions he faced once he started to win.

We then discuss Anthony's book, Unstoppable: From Underdog to Undefeated - How I Became a Champion, the film that is being produced about his life, and the message of being unstoppable.

Lastly, we talk about the racial injustices that are taking place throughout the world and how it offers the opportunity to embrace each other, to have empathy for one another, and how we can be better as a country.

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Thurl Bailey is joined by Saul Bailey (retired Lt.) to talk about his experiences of dealing with discrimination at a young age and how it shaped him as a young man, as well as the importance of helping your community and how it ultimately led to him to becoming a police officer.

We also dive into how being exposed to all levels of diversity at a young age helped Saul have a better understanding of those around him that aided him throughout his entire career.

Lastly, we touch on how to fix relations between police and our communities but how to look deeper into the rifts that have been causing systematic issues all throughout history and how we can always do better.

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