1990s
Reggie Miller on who he hated facing on the bad boy Pistons — “He had a crazy look in his eye all the time”
There’s a reason why Miller's most feared Pistons player was dubbed as the “Baddest Bad Boy of them all.”
Jud Buechler on if Michael Jordan could fare in today's three-point era: "A very easy adjustment for him"
Based on a former teammate's prediction, it wouldn't be an issue for MJ
Tim Hardaway reveals Manute Bol asked for $500k before letting go of Warriors jersey #10: 'Give me your whole contract'
Hoping he could convince Bol to hand him his favorite number for a certain amount of dollars, Hardaway reached out to his 7-foot-7 teammate, but to no avail
"Arvydas could qualify for a handicapped parking spot" - Why Arvydas Sabonis never reached his full potential in the NBA
A complicated situation, series of injuries and a newly-found love in a foreign country were all factors why the NBA never saw the best version of Arvydas Sabonis
Terrell Brandon on being hyped as the best point guard in the 90s: "It's a little embarrassing"
In 1997, Sports Illustrated hailed Terrell Brandon as the best point guard in the NBA. However, "Tee Bee" just laughed and downplayed it all
"Coming into the paint would've not been very wise for Michael!" -- Wilt Chamberlain thinks Michael Jordan would not have been as good in his era
Wilt seemed to think MJ didn't have enough height or weight to fly over the big men of the 60s'.
Chuck Daly on what made Scottie Pippen the best player on the original 'Dream Team'
Daly was pleasantly surprised when he witnessed firsthand what made Pippen such a versatile and unique player
When Larry Bird came back from the dead and resurrected the Celtics against the Pacers
Larry Bird proved he's one tough player after playing through a potentially career-ending injury and a bad fall and willed the Boston Celtics to win a playoff series.
Shaquille O'Neal recalls when Wilt Chamberlain didn't want to acknowledge him in Los Angeles: "There was a little tension. You could feel it"
Shaq remembers a scene from a restaurant in L.A. in which he saw Wilt Chamberlain but they never spoke and he remembers there was a certain tension between them
Michael Jordan's trainer Tim Grover on why he never wanted to team up with other great NBA players
Jordan's personal trainer Tim Grover witnessed firsthand what made Jordan special and why he never considered joining other great players on the same team
Isiah Thomas once thought a Pistons draft prospect would become his successor: 'I took it home and told my wife, You’ve got to see this'
In the 1993 NBA Draft, the Pistons were hoping Lindsey Hunter could become Isiah Thomas' understudy. Thomas acknowledged it but Hunter never really lived up to the hype
Michael Jordan loved McDonald’s so much he always ordered the same item as his pre-workout meal
MJ's love for McDonalds went so far the fast-food company had an exclusive McJordan meal sold only in Chicago
"I ratted him out" — Samuel L. Jackson admits to getting Reggie Miller ejected for a chewing gum incident
Samuel L. Jackson narrates "sticky situation" involving Reggie Miller and the referee.
“F**k Phil Jackson” — when Jerry West ate his words and offered the 'Zen Master' the Lakers coaching job
If you think winning titles together building around Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant helped their relationship, you are wrong. Jerry West explained why.
Isiah Thomas once raved about Pistons draft prospect touted to become his successor: 'I took it home and told my wife, You’ve got to see this'
In the 1993 NBA Draft, the Pistons were hoping Lindsey Hunter could become Isiah Thomas' understudy. Thomas acknowledged it but Hunter never really lived up to the hype
Robert Horry names three Houston Rockets players who helped him become an "all-around" player
Robert Horry absorbed everything he could possibly learn from his first teammates and coaches in the league
“We would come back at night and play 1-on-1” — Steve Nash on living Dirk Nowitzki
Steve Nash still vividly remembers how he and Dirk Nowitzki would help each other work on their game as Mavs teammates, and housemates.
Nick Wright calls Michael Jordan's switch-hands layup basic -- "We don't have to mythologize everything about him"
"It has been absolutely forced down our throats for 30 years as if this is one of the greatest moments in NBA history. It flatly is not," Nick Wright said. The same goes for another MJ iconic play, according to the Fox Sports NBA analyst.
Jalen Rose reveals 2 am rookie duties - “A veteran might need some adult situations to help them get through the night.”
Jalen Rose revealed the chores Dikembe Mutombo asked him to do no matter the time of day.
Klay Thompson recalls the time he met prime Michael Jordan — “I don’t think I said a word”
Little did Klay Thompson know at that time that he was going to eventually pattern his game after Michael Jordan
New Lakers assistant coach Rasheed Wallace gave Kobe Bryant his “Welcome to the NBA” moment
Bryant recalled how Wallace gave him his Welcome to the NBA moment. Ironically, Wallace will now lead the Lakers from the bench as an assistant coach next season.
When Michael Jordan almost played in the Spanish ACB league to get golf lessons from Severiano Ballesteros
Prying away Michael Jordan from retirement wasn't easy. But it almost worked for Adecco Estudiantes Madrid.
Grant Hill opens up on his rumored trade to the Lakers for Kobe Bryant — ”It could've been the case”
One of the biggest what-ifs in NBA history.
"You guys got a million years to get one”-Kevin Garnett recalls advice from Charles Barkley after his first playoff series loss
Barkley let Garnett know after he swept him out of the playoffs that you have to go through stretches of losing in order to be able to reach the top of the mountain in the NBA.
Lamar Odom sought Kobe Bryant's advice if he should skip college and go pro
Kobe Bryant had just finished his first year in the league when Lamar Odom approached him for advice.
How Ime Udoka and Damon Stoudamire’s struggling days growing up made the Boston Celtics the toughest team in the NBA
Ime Udoka learned to play tough in a Midnight League (12 am to 3 am) created by Damon Stoudamire's father.
Reggie Miller on why he hated guarding Drazen Petrovic: "Drove me absolutely mad with his antics"
Reggie Miller shared how good Drazen Petrovic was and his trash-talking skills that Miller couldn't do anything about.
”Don't feed him, he doesn't deserve to eat” — When Michael Jordan starved Horace Grant
It all started because Horace Grant couldn't keep his mouth shut
Don Nelson once paid his players $100 every time they provoked Shaquille O’Neal into a foul
Don Nelson’s goal was to always get the big man in foul trouble so he would spend a ton of time on the bench. We could say this was the reverse Hack-a-Shaq.
"He wants the ball from me, he better get it off the glass!"-Gilbert Arenas once waived off Michael Jordan at his camp
A young "Agent 0" showed no fear of MJ.
That time when the New Jersey Nets shared showers with truckers
Compared to how teams operate these days, this is a pretty bizarre experience.
When David Stern threatened to kick Dennis Rodman out of the league for having too many tattoos
Rodman's reaction tells you everything you need to know about The Worm.
Kenny Anderson on his legacy — “Young kids don’t know me too well, but their parents do”
Kenny Anderson doesn't feel the need to explain that he was once one of the best point guards in the game.
That time Phil Jackson made the Chicago Bulls watch “The Wizard of Oz” in practice to send a message
You gotta respect the Zen Master's innovative methods to get his team's head in the game.
"I think that pissed Michael off" -- Penny Hardaway on what prompted the Bulls' 72-win season
Penny Hardaway explains why the Bulls' loss to the Magic in 1995 set the stage for the one of the greatest regular seasons runs we've ever seen
Tim Legler recalls witnessing 15-year-old Kobe Bryant doing 'pretty ridiculous athletic stuff' against Eddie Jones
A teenage Kobe Bryant displayed his ferocious competitiveness during a pick-up game against Eddie Jones who was one of the most notable Lakers stars in the 90s before they drafted Kobe
"I bet you my bags come out first" -- how Michael Jordan swindled the rest of the Bulls at an airport
Considering his net worth hovered around nine figures at the time, it’s safe to say Michael Jordan didn’t need the extra cash. But he couldn't miss out on an opportunity for an easy score.
Kenny Smith shares who was the only guy that could irritate Michael Jordan
"'If you score, I'm going to fight you!' Michael scored again, and he actually swung!"
B.J. Armstrong explains why we actually “didn’t see the best of Michael Jordan"
6 titles, 6 finals MVPs, and 5 MVPs - all without proper sleep is proof that Michael Jordan is not human.
Jeff Van Gundy crashed his car thinking about Grant Hill
OK, so Van Gundy isn't the best of drivers. But this mostly servers as a reminder to everyone who forgot - Grant Hill was a problem.
Dennis Rodman recalls the time when he almost signed with Miami Heat: 'Pat got too much pride'
After winning his last NBA championship with the Chicago Bulls, Dennis Rodman's off-court issues gradually affected his NBA career. He almost got a second chance with the Miami Heat but Pat Riley didn't take the risk.
Shaquille O'Neal admits he initially didn't like Karl Malone because he thought Malone was a sellout: "Country brothers are different from city brothers"
Shaquille O'Neal admits he initially didn't like Karl Malone because he thought he was a sellout. Soon he realized he was wrong after he spent more time with Malone when they were teammates on the Dream Team II squad
How Michael Jordan used Jumbotron games to scam the Bulls security guard: "He beat the guy out of $4,100"
Scottie Pippen and Steve Kerr verified the story during their interview with then-ESPN's Rachel Nichols
That time the Detroit Pistons called the CEO of a transportation company to replace an injured Isiah Thomas
At the end of the 1990/91 season and an injury Isiah Thomas suffered, the Detroit Pistons called up a retired Gerald Henderson to replace Thomas.
How practicing Zen helped Phil Jackson deal with Dennis Rodman
If there's a guy who's gonna test your Zen, it's definately Dennis The Menace.
Patrick Ewing on leaving the New York Knicks: "That’s something I shouldn't have done"
Patrick Ewing should have been a New York Knick lifer. However, fate had other plans. He offers his side on the trade request that shocked the world in 2000.
Julius Erving didn't think Michael Jordan should make a comeback in ‘95: "I just don't see it"
Julius Erving's relationship with Michael Jordan could be summed up in the statements he released after MJ was rumored to make a comeback after playing baseball briefly.
John Starks reveals he almost recreated ‘The Dunk’: "The hops weren’t there"
New York Knicks legend John Starks detailed how he almost repeated the iconic dunk he did on Michael Jordan and the Bulls against the Indiana Pacers.
“If I could trade it to stay the course that I was on, I probably would.” - Dennis Hopson would swap his '91 ring for more playing time
99% of players would take the deal that Dennis Hopson got, but to him, it's all about the game.
"Who is Michael Jordan" -- writer of Chicago Bulls' intro song didn't know about MJ
Despite becoming an integral part of the Bulls dynasty, Alan Parsons, writer of Chicago Bulls' legendary intro song "Sirius," never heard of Michael Jordan