Send Adam a text message. Pete Babcock is a man deeply woven into the fabric of NBA history. Pete shares the innovative path he took to break into the league, starting as a volunteer scout and rising through the ranks as a regional scout, assistant coach, director of player personnel, VP of basketball operations, general manager, team president, and even minority owner. We explore Pete’s passion for Black history and humanitarian work, and reflect on a remarkable 42-year career that culminated i...
Aug 06, 2025•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 144
Send Adam a text message. The 1995 season opener will likely never be forgotten. A pregame fireworks display triggered a fire-prevention mechanism that dumped 12,000 gallons of water inside the Alamodome. Would Golden State make a big splash in San Antonio? Support: Buy Adam a coffee | Amazon: USA / Australia | Audible | PayPal Listen: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast Follow: Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Facebook Subscribe (free): NBA-history newsletter [as an Amazon Asso...
Feb 02, 2025•7 min
Send Adam a text message. Welcome writer Jack Danilewicz to the show. We discuss his 2019 book The Greatest Upset Never Seen: Virginia, Chaminade, and the Game That Changed College Basketball . Future Hall of Famer 7’4” Ralph Sampson and his Virginia Cavaliers – the #1-ranked team in the nation – flew to Hawaii for a game that neither school would ever forget. Support: Buy Adam a coffee | Amazon: USA / Australia | Audible | PayPal Listen: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast Fol...
Dec 06, 2024•37 min•Ep. 143
Send Adam a text message. Welcome writer Jake Uitti to the show. He co-authored a newly-released book with NBA and European star, Michael Ray Richardson . Jake also released books with Muggsy Bogues and Earl Cureton . Next year, he has two more NBA memoirs set for release, which we also discuss in this conversation. Support: Buy Adam a coffee | Amazon: USA / Australia | Audible | PayPal Listen: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Overcast Follow: Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Facebook...
Nov 29, 2024•38 min•Ep. 142
Send Adam a text message. Part two of our 1994 NBA Finals rundown. We continue discussing the battle between the New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets. In part one, we covered through Game 4 of the series. Now, it’s essentially a best two-of-three scenario. As with part one, this episode contains added audio snippets for greater context. Thanks again, Jarrod Prosser , for a great conversation. Basketball Reference is Adam's primary source for research. He is a brand ambassador. Enter promo cod...
Nov 09, 2024•41 min•Ep. 141
Send Adam a text message. Let's welcome long-time broadcaster, Jim Brinson , to the show. We dive into Jim's journey through radio and TV over the years. A highlight of our chat is Jim's experience covering Michael Jordan’s NBA regular-season debut on October 26, 1984. Jim has some fantastic stories to share. One involves the legendary Wes Unseld (RIP) and Danny Ainge, while the other takes us to a hilarious moment during Jim’s unforgettable visit to Wilt Chamberlain’s (RIP) bathroom. You won’t ...
Nov 02, 2024•34 min•Ep. 140
Send Adam a text message. Part one of our discussion of the 1994 NBA Finals between the New York Knicks and Houston Rockets. We dissect the history between Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon, comment on the 1994 regular season and much more. The episode features audio snippets to add even greater context. Thanks to a new friend of the show, Jarrod Prosser , for a great conversation. Basketball Reference is Adam's primary source for research. He is a brand ambassador. Enter promo code 𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗔...
Oct 26, 2024•53 min•Ep. 139
Send Adam a text message. Part two of my extended conversation with Rich Rinaldi. We now focus on Rico's - he shares the origins of his nickname - professional career. Rich offers fascinating insights into the ups and downs of his NBA and ABA tenure. Aged just 26 and his hoops life at a crossroads, Rinaldi traded the hardwood for a chalkboard. He worked as a physical education teacher before an offer to play basketball overseas rejuvenated his life. Rico's talents flourished in Europe. After an ...
Oct 06, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 138
Send Adam a text message. Welcome Rich Rinaldi to the show. Part one of our extended conversation about his life. We recorded this on Rich’s 75th birthday (an added treat). A wide-ranging discussion and perfect example of why I love creating my podcast. We talk baseball - Rich’s first sporting love - and what led to his switch to basketball at age 14. Rinaldi became a hoops standout in high school and a star in college, amid the real possibility of being drafted for military service in the Vietn...
Sep 01, 2024•49 min•Ep. 137
Send Adam a text message. My recap of the final stop on the No Bull Tour (Sydney). Australian legend, Luc Longley, invited his former Chicago Bulls teammates, Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant, to our friendly shores. The show was even better than I could have imagined. For greater context, I created this YouTube video to accompany the audio. It features a wide range of photos spanning the players' careers. There's also brief footage from the end of the show, when we were able to record video of t...
May 12, 2024•21 min•Ep. 136
Send Adam a text message. Let's welcome the legendary Tom Chambers to the show. A massive thanks to our mutual friend, Jeff Wells . Jeff was my guest on episode 128 . We detailed his campaign for Tom to enter the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame . We also spoke at length about Jeff’s awesome YouTube channel, TC24 , devoted to the life of Tommy C. Without Jeff, today’s episode would simply not be possible. I strongly encourage you to subscribe to TC24 – it features a wealth of excellent clips and...
Feb 07, 2024•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 135
Send Adam a text message. On November 2nd, 2023, six-time NBA All-Star Walter Davis died of natural causes while visiting family in Charlotte. Today, I welcome back Adam Beechen - a great friend of the show. We discuss Walter’s life on-and-off the basketball court. Amidst his innumerable accomplishments, Davis was certainly no stranger to adversity. Despite battling substance abuse for the majority of his Phoenix Suns tenure, Walter averaged 20-or-more points per season in six of his 11 campaign...
Nov 22, 2023•41 min•Ep. 134
Send Adam a text message. Reggie Lewis tragically passed away 30 years ago (1993) at the age of just 27. This is an updated re-release of episode 27 with my great mate, Todd Spehr . We recorded our chat ten years ago to mark the 20th anniversary of Lewis' sudden passing. I’ve added numerous audio clips for greater context, edited our original conversation and improved its sound quality. We discussed the life and times of Reggie - from his days at Dunbar High School, to his tenure at Northeastern...
Aug 06, 2023•31 min•Ep. 133
Send Adam a text message. The legendary Beef Brothers ( Rick Mahorn and Jeff Ruland ) return for episode six. 01:49 2023 NBA Draft Lottery - Wemby to San Antonio Spurs 06:21 Ralph Sampson (and Bill Walton) - similarities to Victor? 07:16 Manute Bol was how old when he joined NBA?! Chuck Nevitt mention! 08:37 Bill Garnett ('82 Draft - pick #4) and Jeff Ruland have beef! 09:09 Rick offers Jeff tissues to get over the incident! 09:33 Ja Morant brandishing a weapon (again) on social media 13:27 Lake...
May 23, 2023•29 min•Ep. 6
Send Adam a text message. Let's welcome Bill Willoughby to the show. There are many more strings to his bow – as you’ll hear in my introduction - however, Bill rose to national awareness during the 1981 NBA Playoffs, by virtue of his excellent defense against the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Willoughby is one of only a few to ever reject The Captain’s iconic skyhook. A topic we certainly cover in this refreshingly open and honest conversation. Support: Buy Adam a coffee | Amazon: USA / Austral...
May 17, 2023•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 132
Send Adam a text message. The legendary Beef Brothers ( Rick Mahorn and Jeff Ruland ) return for episode five. 01:12 2023 NBA Awards thus far 03:23 Rick Mahorn nominated for Washington Wizards President?! 05:12 Players who find a great fit on the right team 06:23 Kyrie conundrum 06:37 Jeff and Rick's role on 1980s Bullets 08:55 2023 Playoffs - 76ers, Nuggets and Suns advance to round two 09:47 Trae Young shocks Boston (Game 5) 10:30 Celtics vs 76ers / Heat vs Knicks (round two preview) 11:50 Hea...
Apr 28, 2023•34 min•Ep. 5
Send Adam a text message. Watch Adam's TV debut. Or, listen to this audio and learn how his adventure went. Can he justify his self-proclaimed title of Michael Jordan / NBA-history obsessive?! I recently made my first - and perhaps last - appearance on television. I was a contestant on Australia's top-rated game show, Hard Quiz. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation's on-demand TV streaming service, ABC iview, describes Hard Quiz thusly: "Not satisfied with winning the 2022 AACTA Award for Bes...
Apr 26, 2023•35 min•Ep. 131
Send Adam a text message. The legendary Beef Brothers ( Rick Mahorn and Jeff Ruland ) return for episode four. 00:50 NBA reg-season recap (best records, league leaders) 01:18 NBA MVP picks for 2023 season 02:41 League parity 04:03 Did Suns win Durant trade? 04:52 Will Kyrie and Luca remain a duo, win a title? 06:28 Dwane Casey's replacement as Pistons coach 07:17 Josh's Giddey nether regions / Beef Brothers inflicting pain 08:13 Fashion sense (or lack thereof) in today's NBA 09:47 2023 Play-in T...
Apr 18, 2023•31 min
Send Adam a text message. The legendary Beef Brothers ( Rick Mahorn and Jeff Ruland ) return for episode three. - NBA season thru Mar 1, 2023 - All-Star Game fixes? - Rick's trade from the Washington Bullets to Detroit Pistons (1985) - Jeff's 1984 All-Star Game memories - Listener-submitted questions Please note that Rick was absent from part of this recording (when Jeff recalls his ASG memories and responds to listener feedback). Watch conversations online - episodes live on the Beef Brothers' ...
Mar 21, 2023•40 min
Send Adam a text message. The legendary Beef Brothers ( Rick Mahorn and Jeff Ruland ) return for episode two. - NBA season thru Dec 11, 2022 - Rick and Jeff's iconic Beef Brothers photo shoot - Paul Silas' recent passing (3x NBA Champ) - Manute Bol memories (2x Block Champ) Watch conversations online - episodes live on the Beef Brothers' YouTube channel . Though there's no (full) video of episode two, select clips will be added soon. We encourage your interaction - ask questions or add comments ...
Dec 26, 2022•39 min
Send Adam a text message. The debut episode of a new series featuring the legendary Beef Brothers , Rick Mahorn and Jeff Ruland . Our goal is to regularly release episodes of 45 minutes or less. Rick and Jeff share their opinions on today's NBA, before we go back in time to explore the wonders of NBA history. The Washington Bullets' Beef Brothers were arguably the NBA's most-fearsome duo from 1982 through 1985. They teamed with Greg Ballard (RIP) to form an imposing front-line. Select episodes m...
Oct 30, 2022•34 min
Send Adam a text message. A sliding doors moment from the 1993 NBA Playoffs would have significantly impacted the course of NBA history. Though I’m not normally a fan of what-if scenarios, let’s entertain one. Specifically, an examination of Game 5 of the 1993 Eastern Conference Finals (Knicks v Bulls). Behind the Game - this episode details the would-be ramifications on NBA history had the Knicks held on to win the ECF and advance to the 1993 Finals. People mentioned include Charles Smith, Scot...
Jul 20, 2022•13 min
Send Adam a text message. We journey back to 1989 and discuss a key matchup between Central Division rivals, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons. Let's welcome a new friend to the show – Ryan Van Dusen – an archivist and curator of Detroit Pistons and NBA-history content at-large. Over 80,000 fans already subscribe to Ryan's YouTube channel . It’s the final week of the 1989 NBA regular season. This contest had significant implications on postseason play. For added context, we cover a few...
May 02, 2022•57 min•Ep. 130
Send Adam a text message. Brian Burnsed is a contributing writer for Sports Illustrated . We do a deep dive into the process behind his brilliant – yet sobering - profile of 12-year NBA veteran, Shawn Bradley . Existing fans of my show will likely know that I’ve been a big fan of Shawn Bradley since 1994 . I briefly elaborate on my fandom during this chat, however, we largely cover how Brian’s profile came to be, his process throughout, its impact on him and of course, how Shawn’s terrible accid...
Jan 22, 2022•30 min•Ep. 129
Send Adam a text message. Jeff Wells is a Tom Chambers superfan. This is a super-fun conversation about Jeff’s excellent YouTube channel – TC24 – devoted to showcasing Tom’s fantastic career and advocating his worthiness for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. You’ll soon realise Jeff’s importance in relation to Tom Chambers being named a first-time nominee and candidate for the Hoop Hall’s Class of 2022 . Our conversation covers the origin story of Jeff’s NBA fandom and the unique de...
Jan 08, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 128
Send Adam a text message. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame recently announced the list of eligible candidates for the Class of 2022, including high-profile first-time nominee, Tom Chambers. Behind the Game - this episode details one of the NBA’s all-time greatest slam dunks. Learn why Tom Chambers and Mark Jackson are forever linked in NBA history. New York Knicks @ Phoenix Suns [01-27-1989] | Game highlights People mentioned include Jerry Colangelo , Eddie Johnson, Jeff Hornacek, K...
Dec 23, 2021•9 min
Send Adam a text message. Hey, it's Adam here. A quick podcast update for you as we near the end of 2021. It's official. My recent conversation with the great Jerry Colangelo was episode number 200 overall. It was the 127th edition of 'In all Airness'. The remaining episodes are a combination of detailed season-recaps, short-form stories and a few podcast updates. My great mate Aaron Stehn has featured regularly throughout the history of the show. We released a 30-episode series called #NB85 (de...
Dec 02, 2021•4 min
Send Adam a text message. Let's welcome ‘The Godfather of Arizona Sports’, Jerry Colangelo. Jerry’s contributions to professional sports are immeasurable. In this conversation, we focus primarily on his incredible basketball journey. Jerry discusses his high school, college and semi-pro career, before detailing how he became involved with the birth of Chicago’s NBA franchise in 1966. He recalls how the Bulls nickname came to be and what it was like to be a day-one employee. We cover his move to ...
Nov 11, 2021•56 min•Ep. 127
Send Adam a text message. Joanne worked with Reebok for over 15 years. Her family has links to the Boston Celtics dating back nearly five decades. Joanne details what it was like to grow up within the confines of the Boston Garden and the unique relationships she has developed with the franchise and its players throughout her lifetime. Our conversation covers a wide range of Joanne’s amazing experiences working with Reebok. She joined the team in the mid-1980s and talks about the development of ...
Oct 28, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 126
Send Adam a text message. I’m excited to welcome Basketball Hall of Fame legend, Dave Cowens. The first NBA Most Valuable Player to appear on the podcast. In this fun, insightful and wide-ranging conversation, Dave discusses his days at Newport Catholic HS and run-ins with the assistant principal, who also doubled as his basketball coach. Dave details his recruitment to Florida State University – where he was a four-year standout with the Seminoles. Dave recounts an intriguing letter he wrote to...
Oct 07, 2021•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 125
