1980s
Nancy Leonard revealed why the Pacers passed up on Larry Bird in the 1978 NBA Draft: "We totally gave him away"
Nancy Leonard was convinced that the Indiana Pacers would pick Larry Bird. She watched him play and described him as perfect. However, the financial constraints prompted the board members to select Rick Robey.
"Done correctly, almost impossible to stop" — the step-back innovator talks about the genesis of his imitated move
Before it was called the stepback jumper, it was called the "Kiki Move," and it came out of necessity.
When Michael Jordan trash-talked the entire UNC dorm: "He'd call each room to let them know, 'Come to the gym'"
Coming back to UNC for summer pick-ups as a rising NBA superstar was a lot different than being one of the college guys admiring the pros on the other side. Jordan knew it, hence why he went out of his way to announce his first return to the UNC campus.
Kenny Smith on Michael Jordan dominating UNC pick-up games -- "I want them MFs to know I'm never leaving the court"
Kenny "The Jet" Smith shares a story about legendary UNC pick-ups and how Michael Jordan used to dominate them
Larry Bird once challenged a reporter to a free throw shooting competition using just his left hand and won $160 off of him
Dan Shaugnessy foolishly believed he could beat Bird in a free-throw shooting competition because Bird was only using one hand, but he ended up losing quite badly.
George Karl will never forget a playoff game when Chris Mullin "knocked the s**t out" of a Utah Jazz fan
Karl once participated in a scuffle between the Warriors and the Jazz in a playoff game which resulted in a fan getting knocked out by Mullin
"Where's your dad?" - when hecklers trash-talked Steve Kerr four years after his father's assassination
Steve Kerr gave the performance of his life to shut up the spineless hecklers.
The greatest point guard you never heard of, meet Eun Jung Lee Ok
Eun Jung Lee Ok's game was so phenomenal she was compared to Magic Johnson and Pete Maravich.
"You better ask for a double team, bruh" -- John Salley on the time he was tasked with guarding Larry Bird 1-on-1
One jumper later, Salley realized Chuck Daly and the Pistons might need to change their defensive approach on Bird
John Salley on the Bill Laimbeer vs. Larry Bird fight: "He hit him very legal"
Most people agree that Bill Laimbeer was the one who initiated the brawl with Larry Bird. But John Salley, Bill's former teammate, sees the incident differently.
The only guy Michael Jordan used to fear on the court wasn't even a basketball player
A former teammate is sure MJ feared this guy everytime he showed up.
"You're a rookie. You don't know aynthing" -- Clyde Drexler learned the hard way not to talk trash to Larry Bird
Larry Bird gave Clyde Drexler his welcome to the NBA moment
VIDEO: Rare footage of a 1986 Independence Day pick-up game between Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins in St.Louis
While making an appearance for the Independence Day weekend in St.Louis back in 1986, two young NBA superstars Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins came out and gave the fans memorable moments showcasing their skillset
The skill Magic Johnson and Larry Bird possessed that changed the NBA for good
Both Magic and Larry set the footprint for the next generation's superstars with this particular skill
"Michael read that comment" -- Ron Harper prompted Michael Jordan's 55-point game vs. the Cavaliers
On this date, Michael Jordan became the first player in NBA history with two consecutive 50-point playoff games. It turns out, Ron Harper had something to do with it.
Why Clyde Drexler’s most memorable moment of his career was “getting to college and becoming a college student"
"Clyde the Glide" is now one of the most famous players in NBA history, but without a solid foundation during his time with Houston in college, would his career have gone the same way?
“Everybody wants to be like Julius Erving” How Julius Erving inspired Dominique Wilkins’ dunking prowess
Julius Erving inspired a generation of basketball players by revolutionizing the slam dunk in the NBA. One of those players, Dominique Wilkins, ended up taking dunking to the next level
“His pipes froze” - Michael Jordan may be cheap, but at least he's consistent about it
A little detail showing MJ was always careful when it comes to spending.
How Magic Johnson missed out on $5.2 billion: "It kills me every single time I think about that"
Choosing Converse's cash over Nike's stocks might be the biggest mistake of Magic Johnson's life
The biggest difference between Doug Collins and Phil Jackson and how it affected Michael Jordan
One of Jerry Krause's brightest and riskiest moves was believing in Phil Jackson and replacing Collins with the Zen Master.
How Larry Bird shut up Cedric Maxwell in his first practice with the Boston Celtics
Cedric Maxwell recalls Larry Bird's first practice with the Boston Celtics when he showed he was special
“Magic Johnson should have been Michael Jordan before Michael Jordan” — MJ opens up about his early feud with Magic
From Jealousy of shoe deals to the Freezout, Magic and Jordan always had a vendetta from the very beginning.
How Michael Jordan showed more class than the entire Detroit Pistons team
“We shook their hands when they beat us. There’s a certain respect to the game that we paid to them. That’s sportsmanship, no matter how much it hurts, and believe me, it f**** hurt."
"All that bulls*it Red Auerbach did" to sabotage the Lakers during the 1984 NBA Finals against the Celtics
The 1984 NBA Finals started long before the series tip-off. The Lakers came to Boston worried about facing Larry Bird, but their greater concern should've been the Celtics mystique, or, as Michael Cooper described it, "all that bullsh*t Red Auerbach did."
James Worthy says guarding Michael Jordan was easier than guarding Larry Bird
"Big Game James" admitted he had sleepless nights before playing Larry.
The L.A. Lakers had a chance of getting Dominique Wilkins and James Worthy in 1982 NBA draft but they blew it
Dominique Wilkins shares what happened when he almost got picked up by the Lakers in the 1982 NBA Draft
