Basketball History 101

Our focus today is on Allen Iverson’s deadly crossover. Rick will share the story of where Iverson learned the move and how he used it to score against Michael Jordan in an iconic play. REFERENCES Highlight of Iverson crossing Jordan up: https://youtu.be/zJMi5lvQqq8 CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher MUSIC "Rap Beat" by MaverickMye...

Today, we shine our spotlight on the Philadelphia SPHAs, one of the great teams from basketball’s first 50 years. They dominated their local Philadelphia leagues and the barnstorming circuit of the 1930s and 1940s. That team, while under a different name, still plays to this day. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher MUSIC "Mediterran...

Today, Basketball History 101 is putting the spotlight on Nate Thurmond, one of the most underrated superstars in NBA history. He is one of only four players to grab 40 or more rebounds in a single game. His real claim to fame, however, is that he was the first player in league history to officially record a quadruple double. He was named one of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players and is in the Hall of...

The Silna Brothers, Ozzie and Daniel, took an investment of $1.5 Million and turned it into nearly $1 Billion for themselves and their families. This is the story of how they bought into the old ABA and negotiated the most lucrative buyout in sports history. Rick will take you all the way back to the 1970s for this episode of Basketball History 101. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, an...

The Original Celtics are considered by many to be the best team from the first 50 years of basketball. They dominated the 1920s in a way that earned the team a place in the Hall of Fame. The team featured four future Hall of Famers: Dutch Dehnert, Johnny Beckham, Nat Holman, and Joe Lapchick. This is their story. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, produce...

This is the final entry in our NBA Nicknames series where we go through and share the story behind every team’s nickname. In this episode we cover the teams from the Central Division. We discuss the Chicago Bulls, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Detroit Pistons, the Indiana Pacers, and the Milwaukee Bucks. REFERENCES Chicago Bulls logo history: https://logos-world.net/chicago-bulls-logo/ Cleveland Ca...

Jerry Colangelo is one of the most unassuming Hall of Famers you could ever meet. He is an excellent administrator who used those skills, combined with his love of basketball, to make the leave the game much better than he found it. He ran the Phoenix Suns and Team USA. This is his story. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher MUSIC "H...

Even though he never played a minute of professional basketball, he was known as “The Goat” back in the 1960s. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar called him the best player he ever played with. So who exactly is Earl “The Goat" Manigault? This episode of Basketball History 101 will answer that question. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher MUSIC "T...

We have a very important announcement today: Basketball History 101 is now officially part of the Sports History Network, a collection of podcasts all centered around the history of various sports! The network is headed up by Arnie Chapman, the host of The Football History Dude podcast. Go check out his podcast as well as the podcasts of all the other creators within the Sports History Network, th...

Basketball History 101 is back again with another nicknames episode. This time, we cover the Southwest Division, which includes the Dallas Mavericks, the Houston Rockets, the Memphis Grizzlies, the New Orleans Pelicans, and the San Antonio Spurs. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher MUSIC "Horizons" by Roa FACEBOOK https://m.facebook...

Cheryl Miller is arguably the greatest women’s basketball player of all time, but her career was ended suddenly when she tore her ACL at age 22. This is a story of greatness cut short, and a story that needs to be kept alive. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher MUSIC "Take Care" by Julian Avila "Horizons" by Roa FACEBOOK https://m.f...

On this week’s episode we take a journey back to 1948 when The Harlem Globetrotters and The Minneapolis Lakers played each other in a real game. They were considered the two best teams in the world and serious basketball fans wanted to find out what would happen if they played each other. The game came down to the final shot. There was also another layer to the game as the Lakers were an all-white...

We just wanted to take time to say thank you to all of our loyal listeners. We will also talk about Bernard King’s 60-point scoring night on Christmas Day in 1984. Merry Christmas! REFERENCES Highlights of King's 60 point game: https://youtu.be/B-U86VQSFHc CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice  Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher MUSIC   "Horizons" by Roa FACE...

This episode breaks down the various rule changes during the first 50 years of the game. Each rule change was an attempt to address a problem that was affecting the excitement of the game, and each change succeeded in making the game better and more exciting for the fans. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher MUSIC "Swing Time" by Mus...

The monthly NBA Nicknames series is back! This time, we head to the Southeast Division to discuss the Atlanta Hawks, the Charlotte Hornets, the Miami Heat, the Orlando Magic, and the Washington Wizards. REFERENCES Atlanta Hawks logo history: https://logos-world.net/atlanta-hawks-logo/amp/ Charlotte Hornets logo history: https://logos-world.net/charlotte-hornets-logo/amp/ Miami Heat logo history: h...

The first women’s game was organized by Senda Berenson at Smith College in 1892. It initially features 9 players on each team. It would take 80 years before 5-on-5 basketball for women was approved at all of the top levels. For her efforts, Berenson was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher M...

Tom Meschery had one of the most unusual paths to the NBA. Descended from Russian nobility, his family escaped the Bolshevik Revolution and settled in China. They were then captured by the Japanese during World War II. His family finally settled in San Francisco and with this newfound stability, Meschery was able to blossom as an athlete and eventually made it to the NBA. Link to Tom Meschery...

The legend of John Wooden only grows stronger the more you study the life of this man. He is in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach, and the first person to earn such honors. A life of excellence is something we can all look up to. John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success: https://www.woodencourse.com/the-pyramid-of-success Article where Bob Knight talks about John Wooden: ht...

In today’s episode, Rick covers the history of the nicknames and logos of the Denver Nuggets, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Portland TrailBlazers, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Utah Jazz. Denver Nuggets logo history: https://www.google.com/amp/s/logos-world.net/denver-nuggets-logo-history/amp/ Minnesota Timberwolves logo history: https://logos-world.net/minnesota-timberwolves-logo-history/a...

The CCNY betting scandal nearly killed college basketball. Today's story explores how it happened, who was involved, and the legal implications of this crime. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher MUSIC "Swing Time" by Music By Pedro "Horizons" by Roa FACEBOOK https://m.facebook.com/Basketball-History-101-103801581493027/ BUSINESS CON...

In the Fall of 1991, Magic Johnson announced that he had HIV and would have to retire from the Lakers immediately. When he found out he would be able to play in the All-Star game and the 1992 Olympics, he knew he needed to get in shape -- but he had a hard time finding anyone to play him. That’s where Rony Seikaly came in. A simple game of 1-on-1 meant everything to Magic.  REFERENCES 1992 NB...

Bill Walton had one of the most unusual careers in NBA history. He missed approximately 60% of his games due to a variety of foot and ankle injuries, yet he was still voted into the Hall of Fame. This is his story.  CREDITS  Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice  Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher  MUSIC   "60s & 70s Rock" by Hyde  "Horizons"...

In today’s episode, Rick heads to the Atlantic Division to look at more NBA nicknames -- this time covering the Celtics, Nets, Knicks, 76ers, and Raptors. This is an occasional series that we will come back to about once a month. Boston Celtics logo history: https://logos-world.net/boston-celtics-logo/ Brooklyn Nets logo history: https://logos-world.net/brooklyn-nets-logo-history/amp/ New York Kni...

In this episode we explore the mystery of the origins of the Harlem Globetrotters. There are two stories about how the Globetrotters started, and we will discuss both and then let you decide which you want to believe. One story is told by Abe Saperstein, the acknowledged founder of the team. The other story is told by Tommy Brookins, the man who claims to be the real founder of the team. The Harle...

Chuck Taylor had as much influence on growing the game of basketball as Michael Jordan or Yao Ming. He also helped develop the most popular basketball shoe ever worn, The Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars. Rick profiles Taylor through his early years as a player and his later years as, essentially, a shoe salesman. His basketball shoe dominated a larger portion of the basketball market than the Air...