Basketball History 101

On today's episode of Basketball History 101, we profile one of the NBA’s 50 greatest players: Paul Arizin. He was one of the NBA’s early stars and one of only four players in NBA history to make the All-Star Game in every season he played! CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher MUSIC "Happy Days" by Chuck Sims "Horizons" by Roa SPORTS...

This week, Rick covers Bob Davies, the most forgotten player in basketball history. Despite deserving to be added to the list of the top 50 basketball players of all time, his name is nowhere to be found on said lists. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher MUSIC "Swing Time" by Music By Pedro "Horizons" by Roa SPORTS HISTORY NETWORK s...

The Kentucky Colonels were one of the most successful ABA teams, winning the ABA Championship in 1975. Yet, just one year later they were excluded from the ABA/NBA merger. This is their story. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher MUSIC "Disco Funk" by Jam Morgan "Horizons" by Roa SPORTS HISTORY NETWORK sportshistorynetwork.com sports...

In this episode we explore the life of James Naismith, the inventor of basketball. Rick will share about his early life and how he came to be in a position to create a brand new game. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher MUSIC "The Stars and Stripes Forever" by John Philip Sousa "Horizons" by Roa SPORTS HISTORY NETWORK sportshistoryn...

Today, we cover the history of the three-point line and how it got its start in the early 1960s. Abe Saperstein, owner of the Harlem Globetrotters, introduced it into mainstream basketball through his own startup league, the ABL. REFERENCES Larry Bird winning the 1988 Three-Point Contest: https://youtu.be/MrE_NeoQQEY CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, pro...

The breakup of Yugoslavia as a nation had a major impact on the national basketball team, which was the best team in the world at the time. They had won two European Championships and the Basketball World Cup. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher MUSIC "At Sunrise" by the Osipov State Russian Folk Orchestra, Vera Nikolaevna Gorodovsk...

Friendship and sacrifice is at the heart of today’s story. Maurice Stokes and Jack Twyman developed a bond few ever get to experience. Their story is an inspiration. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher MUSIC "60's and 70's Rock" by Hyde "Horizons" by Roa SPORTS HISTORY NETWORK sportshistorynetwork.com sportshistorynetwork.com/podcas...

Kutsher’s Hotel and Country Club was the place where some of the best basketball in the country was played during the summer months. NBA All-Stars would regularly travel to upstate New York to get together and play at this mountain resort. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher MUSIC "Happy Days" by Chuck Sims "Horizons" by Roa SPORTS...

This bonus episode covers a shot from Game 1 of the 1952 NBA Finals where the referees failed to see a shot go in. Therefore, the basket was not counted in the official score. If the referees had seen the shot go in, it could have changed the outcome of the entire series. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher MUSIC "Happy Days" by Chu...

Although in the 1960s he was considered to be at the same level as Sam Jones, Jerry West, and Oscar Robertson, Hal Greer is a relatively unknown figure in basketball history. His story, however, greatly deserves to be told. This is it. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher MUSIC "Take Care" by Julian Avila "Horizons" by Roa SPORTS HIS...

The 1936 Olympics were the first one with basketball as a full medal sport. The American team travelled to Adolph Hitler’s Nazi Germany to compete for the gold medal. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher MUSIC "Panzerlied" by Oberleutnant Kurt Wiehle "Horizons" by Roa SPORTS HISTORY NETWORK sportshistorynetwork.com sportshistorynetwo...

The NBA had its first merger after only three seasons, but this merger with the NBL was crucial to their future success. Without this event, there is a chance that the NBA as we know it today never exists. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher MUSIC "Happy Days" by Chuck Sims Horizons" by Roa SPORTS HISTORY NETWORK sportshistorynetwor...

Little Milan High School defeated much larger Muncie Central High School for the 1954 Indiana State Championship. This is the game that inspired the movie "Hoosiers." REFERENCES The real game on YouTube: https://youtu.be/7Y4ne4vSCrc CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher MUSIC "Happy Days" by Chuck Sims "Horizons" by Roa SPORTS HISTORY...

Bevo Francis scored over 100 points in a college game, TWICE! He became a national sensation. But, after just two years of college basketball, he all but disappeared. This is his story. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher MUSIC "Swing Time" by Music By Pedro "Horizons" by Roa SPORTS HISTORY NETWORK sportshistorynetwork.com sportshis...

Don Barksdale was a true pioneer of basketball. He was the first black player to be a college All-American, the first to play basketball at the Olympics, and the first to make an NBA All-Star Game. And aside from basketball, he found such success as an entrepreneur and club owner that most of his friends never realized he played professional ball. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and...

Today we bring you the almost unbelievable story of how nobody wanted to draft Bob Cousy in the 1950 NBA draft. The Blackhawks drafted him but traded him immediately to the Stags. The Stags were considering trading him again when they went out of business. Then he was reassigned to the Celtics. The rest is history. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, produ...

Today we focus on the significant rule changes from basketball’s second 50 years. Hear how the game developed during the second half of the 1900s, from 1944 to 1994. If you want to hear about the the first 50 years of rule changes, go check out Episode 20. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher MUSIC "Horizons" by Roa SPORTS HISTORY NE...

Today we share the story of the first time that Magic Johnson and Larry Bird played together as teammates on Team USA in 1978. In that tournament, they played against Cuba, Yugoslavia, and the Soviet Union. This experience would lay the foundation for their later friendship. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher MUSIC "Disco Funk" by...

Today, Rick explains how the blocked shot came to be. He covers this defensive technique from the very beginning of the game until today. Until the 1950s, goal tending was perfectly legal. Once it was outlawed, however, the block developed as a way to stop the shot while the ball was still on its way up. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and pu...

For this story we place our spotlight on Chuck Connors, one of the original Boston Celtics. His basketball career was short lived, so he switched to playing Major League Baseball for the Dodgers and Cubs. After just a few seasons, however, he left professional sports to go to Hollywood. Landing the lead role in one of the most successful TV shows of the 1950s, The Rifleman, Connors' story is one f...

We finish our story on Adolph Rupp as we discuss allegations of racism. This issue came to a head in 1966 at the NCAA championship game when Rupp’s all-white Kentucky squad faced Texas Western University's all-black starting lineup. To hear the beginning of Rupp's story, go check out Part 1 from last week! CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and...

Today we bring you the story of Coach Adolph Rupp from the University of Kentucky. He proved himself as a coach time and again by winning four NCAA championships. Part 2 is out now. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher MUSIC "Swing Time" by Music By Pedro "Horizons" by Roa SPORTS HISTORY NETWORK sportshistorynetwork.com sportshistory...

Today, Rick shares the story of the biggest upset in college basketball history. Tiny Chaminade University took on the top ranked team in the nation, the University of Virginia, and won. This is a classic David-and-Goliath story, where the underdog takes the crown. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher MUSIC "Rock You" by RockSounds "...

Today we tell the story of The Washington Generals, the opponent of The Harlem Globetrotters. They have lost over 17,000 games to the Globetrotters over nearly 70 years. We will share with you how they got started and what keeps them going. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher MUSIC "Happy Days" by Chuck Sims "Horizons" by Roa SPORTS...

Today, we are shining a light on the support staff that contribute significantly to basketball history. The focus is Gary Vitti, who was the Head Trainer for the Los Angeles Lakers for 32 years and contributed to 8 NBA Championships. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher MUSIC "Rock You" by RockSounds "Horizons" by Roa SPORTS HISTORY...