Welcome to this League uncut. Can you rule of twenty four hour NBA News. This's you, Chris Haynes. It's so time, work's time, It's so time. This League Uncut is underway and on fire.
This should be a good one.
Hey, everyone, welcome in to a special solo edition of this League Uncut. Mark Stein here with you with a special treat While Chris Haynes is in transit to his next glamorous assignment, I had the absolute tremendous privilege to visit with true NBA royalty, the legendary George Gervin, the Hall of Famer member of both the NBA's fiftieth and
seventy fifth Anniversary teams. Man year old Mark Stein is pinching himself right now because George Gervin was one of the true giants of the game when I began to be seduced and mesmerized by the NBA. We're talking mid to late nineteen seventies. George has a new book out Ice Why I Was Born to Score. It's from Triumph Books. He co wrote it with my former ESPN teammate Scoop Jackson, So the iceman. He joined me to talk about his motivation for doing the book. We got into the genesis
of his famed finger. Roll couldn't resist asking for his take on Victor Webbinyama as Victor Webbin Yama's regular season debut draws Near. Talked about how much of the modern NBA he consumes and other important historical stuff. I really think when you listen, you're going to be able to pick up the app solute joy in my voice. I can't help it. This is how I get when I talk to players from the nineteen seventies. I'm a kid again when I get to visit with these guys and
it's their basketball cards coming to life for me. And it really does bother me so much that the history of the game pre nineteen eighties has been so poorly preserved. And that's another reason why I love talking to players from this generation and telling their stories. I mean, we
talk about this in the interview as well. On the last day of the nineteen seventy seven to seventy eight season, which was really the first season that I was plugged into as a young fan where I really understood what was going on that season, George Gervin and David Thompson engaged in the greatest scoring race duel this league has ever seen. And for me, it's the first memory of something special and massive and this big national story that
I actually remember following. Had to do it all on radio at that time, but still I was tracking this, and I talk to George about that as well and kind of get the explanation from him which I'd never heard before. There's no footage of this. You can't go on YouTube and see anything of this incredible final day of the regular season where David Thompson throws down seventy three points and George Gervin answers with sixty three to win the scoring title. So we get into all that,
you guys can tell I'm absolutely giddy here. It is my visit with no further delay, my visit with the iceman, George Gervin. This everyone is an absolute treat. Nine year old me honestly cannot believe this is happening. The Mavericks.
They open the season Wednesday night at San Antonio. And when you think of the Spurs, especially if you live in this area, you think of Tim Duncan you think of Greg Pots the bitch of David Robinson, of Timmy and the Admiral together of Duncan, flanked by Tony Parker and Monti Ginobili. And now, of course you think about
Victor Wembinyama. But before all of them, before all of that, For someone like me who fell in love with the NBA in the nineteen seventies, the man synonymous with the San Antonio Spurs was number forty four, George Gervin, the iceman right there with Doctor J and Bob McAdoo, as the most feared scorer of his generation, and in no dispute, one of the most impossibly cool players we have ever seen in this league. He has a new book out ice Why I Was Born to Score, co authored with
my palace Scoop Jackson via Triumph Books. And it is a tremendous honor for me to say that the George Gervin joins me right now, mister Irvin, the heartiest of welcomes to you, sir ah.
What a what an introduction? Hey, how you doing? Good? Good to hear from you, mo man it is.
It is so good to be with you. And I just got the book the other day.
And you know you last played in an NBA game in nineteen eighty six. You played a few more seasons in Europe after that. But we're talking nearly forty years since NBA fans had a chance to watch you unleash the finger roll. So what what made you want to do a book now after all these years?
Well, I was approached, you know, I mean I never really considered doing one. But you know a couple of my buddies, Mark Thomas Shaw, who's been with Nike for for thirty forty years, and Charlie Roseen Fly, you know, who worked with the NBA for thirty forty years. They was helping me with my documentary. You know, I got a documentary also coming out later this year, and they say, uh, I, you know, let's think about doing a book also. So I disagreed and sat down with Scoop and kind of
went over some old memoirs. Man. So kind of why I just decided to do it.
I have to ask about the finger roll because it's it's rare when an NBA player becomes synonymous with a single shot. Obviously Kareem and the Skyhook. Everyone here in Dallas knows that Dirk Noavisky with the one legged fadeaway. But when if someone says finger roll to me, that is George Gervin's shot. Is that something you learned you're born with? Like, how did that shot evolve? And what age were you when that became like a trustable part of your offensive game.
Well, I'm in the pros. I mean, I didn't really do that in you know, high school or college. But you know, it's like everything else, I didn't have to reinvent the wheel. And if you think about it, Connie Hawkins had his own version of the Fanker roll, who was one of my guys. I looked up to Doctor j who you know obviously had his own version of the finger roll. And then wil Chamberlain, you know, had
his own version, you know, called the Dipper. So to be able to study them three gentlemen, and I emulated them, you know, that's when I started doing it. And you know, I just created my own version, you know, of what I saw with them three pros. And wow, like you say, I mean it became part of my game. So again when you say finger roll, yes, first thing, most people I ain't gonna say everybody, they say, oh wow, George Gervin, to be proud if fee you know, saw that gentleman,
you know person do a finger role. So I am two shot tshnomenas like you say, a hook shot and finger role. Now that's incredible to me because I never created it for that type of fame that it game, but it's a part of who I am and who I was as a player.
Well.
I love though that you paid homage to both Wilt and Connie Hawkins, because obviously I was I didn't get to see them in their prime, and it's just it's a great reminder that you know, there is so much history in this game that is forgotten. It's actually one of my big complaints. We don't we don't do a
good job in basketball of recognizing our history. So that's why that's why I'm so excited to talk to you today, because you know, I'm a child of the seventies and the eighties, so obviously I'm more familiar with you than getting see those guys. But it's great that you reminded the audience of what those two gentlemen were capable of as well. Do you like watching today's NBA?
I do? I mean think about it that I like it because I know I'm a part of the foundation, you know, the game or anything can't grow without a solid foundation. And again you talk about history. You know, I don't think that today's analysts talk enough about the history and the foundation that make this game what it is today. So yes, I enjoy watching it. I enjoy watching evolution. I think when Golden State wanted their first year from the outside, we saw the evolution of basketball change.
Because you think about it. When I played in the seventies and eighties, the game was played inside out. Not a game is being played outside in. So that aspect of what I'm seeing with my eyes is fun for me to be able to see the game change like that, and people still enjoy it, and I still enjoy it.
When you watch today's NBA, how often do you think to yourself, what would my career have been like had the three point shot been so accepted the way it is now. I mean, obviously you played five six years with a three pointer, but in those days still it was considered a bad shot and guys didn't shoot it.
It was a very it was. It was just taken a lot less than it is now.
Well, it's still a bad shot. I mean, probably one of the worst percentage shots in the game. For me, I like taking good shots. You know, if you do any history on me, in my game, I shot fifty one percent career, So that mean I took a lot of shots that I knew I could make. So that's how I looked at the game, you know. So I didn't take a lot of three point shots. But see, I'm from a league, the ABA that had the three punt shot, and they ingraded it in the NBA. So
I'm going we talked about history. I'm still proud to be a part of something that I'm a part of the foundation. So you know, for me, the three point shot is a good shot. I think they're gonna try to come up with a four point shot one day. These guys can shoot the ball so deep, but it's still entertainment. You know, the game is still entertaining, you know, to be able to see like Seth Curry shoot the
ball that deep, but Kevin Durant shoot the ball that deep. Lillard, you know now with Milwaukee can shoot it that deep. So you know, I'm excited to continue to watch the game, and I'm really excited about what we have down here this year to see the say five guy play.
I'm glad you set me up now, because that's exactly where I want to go next. Victor Wenbanyama, tell me you're early impressive of him, because as you mentioned, you know, you you have seen.
All the greats. You saw Wilt in his prime.
But I think it's safe to say with Victor webber Yama, we have never seen a man of this size move the way he does.
And do some of the things that he's doing on the floor.
You know, we get ready to see another evolution. We're getting ready to experience the game changing again with young men coming in like Victor. You know, he's special For me. I don't look at his size, but I do look at his side. But he played not like a guy that's steven five. I mean he played like a six y nine or six eight guy where he can handle the ball, he can pull up and shoot a jumper. He stretched over you and dunk. This is an exciting time for the NBA, see because you got that boy
in Oakland. I mean not Oakland, Okay, ce Chat right, Chat holder, who's another seven foot that can handle that can shoot it, that understand how to play. You got some more chihids coming in in college right now. That's seven foot that's starting to move like guards and and three like forwards and stuff. So we're getting ready to
see another evolution of the game changing. So I'm so proud that we have a Victor, and I'm real proud of him because you know, under the pops tootli, you know, Pop gonna help him understand his role, you know, not just off the floor but on the floor, you know. And I think that's gonna be a good advantage for Victor.
Luka Doncic and what you think about his game because obviously Wednesday, that's kind of the feature matchup, even though they're not going head to head positionally, two Europeans Victor wenman Yama, the Spurs rookie, and Luka Doncic, the MAVs superstar from Slovenia.
What do you see when you watch Luca greatness?
Luca could play. You know, my son who lives over in Stockholm Switeen, you know, had a chance to see him when he was young. And I don't know where Luca got drafted at, but my son kept saying, Dad, he should have been drafted higher because he can flat
out play. So I already had an introduction to him, you know, early on in his career, and he'd improved everybody wrong that didn't pick him way up there, you know, because he can he know how to play, he can score, He tough, you know, he loved a game and he want to win. And I think with Kyrie there, they're gonna present problems with a lot of teams this year. You know now that Kyrie then spent a year down or a half a year down there with him, I
think that that them two guys man gonna really be special. Man. So I'm a I'm a big fan of Luke. You know.
I look at this book cover and it's you know, it's the shot from you from the famed Nike poster. Anyone my age, we all love this poster of you sitting on the block of ice. And I mean, I can still picture my first George Gervin basketball card. You're dribbling with your left hand against Phil Shineer. I can see it. I can see it in my head.
You know.
One of the revelations in your book, you talked about how late in your career you had a chance to go to the Showtime Lakers. The Spurs basically came to you and said we can trade you to the Lakers, and you told the Spurs you didn't want to be traded to the Lakers. And you know how it is now in the modern era, all we do is talk about championships. If you don't have a championship, you know that that gets thrown in the player's face. But why
did you resist that? And all these years later, how do you feel about that decision?
I feel great about it, you know. You know, I didn't want to be with somebody that beat me. I wanted to beat them back, you know. And I had that opportunity to play with the Lakers. Jerry Bush called Androlo drozers at that time. They would give up three first round draft picks with Gerbin to play with Magic and them guys. And I said, I don't want to play with them. I want to beat them. You know. So I'm from an era that I don't join somebody to be strong. I felt what I had was good
enough to beat anybody. The team that was surrounded with me. I really felt we could beat the Lakers with artists and Mike Mitchell and you know, Johnny Moore than guys man. I thought we had a real and still felt we had a real good basketball team. On Stein. So I didn't want to go and you know, and leave my guys and and go and play with the Lakers just to win a championship. You know, I wanted to compete
against the Lakers. I wanted to beat the best. Now it never happened, but I still wanted to have that opportunity to do it. And that's why I decided to stay in San Antono. And I'm glad I did well.
You did, And like I said, we can talk about all those Spurs that I mentioned off the top, but no one is as synonymous with the San Antonio Spurs as you, George Gervin. It has been an absolute pleasure, sir, to speak with you on this show. I wish you all the success with your new book. Can't wait to see the new doc. I did think of one last thing I have to throw you if it's okay, because the scoring race with David Thompson in nineteen seventy eight.
For me, that's something I remember vividly as a young fan. It's one of my first NBA memories. You and David Thompson with the scoring race that went down to the final day of the season. Does it shock you like there's no TV footage of that anywhere. How crazy is that that, Like, you can't even you can't even watch what happened that day when you and the two of you just staged an absolute duo for the ages.
You know, you think, but then you know, you really wonder what happened, you know at that time. I mean it was for the scoring race, and David took it over early in that afternoon, So you know, it would have been nice if we did have some footage to show the opportunity that I had. I needed fifty nine and I end up getting sixty three in thirty three minutes. That it would have been nice to see. But as I did research, I found out that I think that
was the same time have a Check was retiring. So if that was the case, then I understand that because you know, I always appreciated his game and what he brought to the game, So you know, it was one of them unfortunate situations. Man. But when we have people like you that keep reminding folks that that was one of the greatest scoring race in the history of basketball, that's enough for me.
Well, you are absolutely right.
I was a Buffalo Braves fan and hav the check was finishing his career against the Buffalo Braves, so I guess that soaked up whatever attention there was. But it truly is a shame that you cannot even see a single bucket. David Thompson scores seventy three points to take the scoring lead. George Gervin answers with sixty three points to snatch it back. An incredible end to the seventy seven seventy eighteen and George, thanks again so much for joining me. This really means a lot to me.
Hey, I appreciate you, man, and I appreciate your love man, as you showed me all these years.
Okay, all right, everyone greatly appreciate you tuning in for this special solo interview edition of This League Uncut. Do not worry. Chris Haynes and I will be back together again very soon for an episode that sets the table for the season ahead, season number seventy eight for the NBA. Please remember, if you haven't already, please remember to rate, review, and subscribe to This League Uncut via Apple Podcasts or Spotify or wherever you get your pods. Thanks again for
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Circle locket Chris Hanes and Mark Stein