On why one spends 27 years on an NBA beat—and why one retires from the gig. On the joys of Hakeem Olajuwon and Yao Ming and Steve Francis and Tracy McGrady. On the worst uniforms in NBA history. On a small Delaware gym and Ralph Sampson.

On what we, America's journalism professors, should be teaching in 2024. On how to respond to the anti-media onslaught. On the power of surprise classroom guests. On watching a classmate pee in a urinal and receiving an A for the experience.

On what it is to do a Barnes & Noble signing and have no one attend. On what it feels like to follow that up with a viral video shot by a store employee. On the highs and lows of self publishing.

On why he decided to write a book that delves into his life and career; on how a boxer knows when it's time to retire; on the strange phenomenon of people knowing about his highs and lows; on whether being an author is worth the trouble.

On working with Def Leppard and Gym Class Heroes and Ringo Starr and Carole King; on the birth—and death—of Bad Ronald; on how one fights to sustain a career in music.

On writing and deciding upon "The Basketball 100." On covering John Thompson's Hoyas and the crappy Washington Redskins. On his love of roundball and why journalism celebrity is nonsense.

On using TikTok to try and establish oneself in the writing universe. On the joy of creating Gods and breaking out metaphors. On writing through anxiety, the North Dakota winters and four children. On the efforts to try and find a literary agent.

On arriving at a newspaper in 1973 and remaining until (gasp) 2016. On the bliss of covering Marvelous Marvin Hagler. On visiting his father's grave after the Red Sox won the World Series. On arriving in the typewriter age of journalism and now being on social media.

On starting up a new sports media platform in 2024; on the reinvention of a veteran journalist; on the glory days of Sports Illustrated; on the misguided anger of a legendary Pittsburgh Penguin.

On the crazy religious cult that gobbled up NFL players. On Jerry Jones' weird tours of the Cowboys facility. On starting out as Peter King's assistant and working her way up. On the joy of dance.