NBA – Now I've Heard Everything

The NBA’s Chet Walker: A Black Athletes Coming of Age in America

April 6, 2025Bill Thompson

They called him “Chet the Jet.”

Chet Walker was a seven-time NBA All-Star, during a 13 year playing career for the Philadelphia 76ers and the Chicago Bulls.

And that was after a two-time All-American college career at Bradley University in the early 1960s.

But his success was not limited to the court. After his retirement from the NBA in 1975 Walker became an Emmy-winning TV producer,

A Lifetime of Sports Memories: TVs Warner Wolf

February 24, 2025Bill Thompson

TV sportscasters, just like the athletes they covered, come and go.

But a few established themselves as stars, remaining popular for years, even decades.

Meet televisions Warner Wolf. He actually started on the radio in 1961, before moving to TV in 1965 in his hometown Washington DC.

By 1976 he had moved on to New York City, were he further cemented his reputation as a sportscasting star.

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Along the way Warner Wolf popularized two catch phrases: “Gimme a break!” and “Let’s go to the videotape.”

Eventually Wolf wrote two books, each titled after one of those catchphrases. I met him in 2000 on publication of Let’s Go To The Videotape.

Be sure and stick around for his predictions, and see how many of them actually came true.

So here now, from 2000, Warner Wolf.

Warner wolf levt TV in 2016. He’s 87 now, and can be heard weekly on New York’s WOR radio.

His Secret To Success? Happiness. Sports Mogul Ted Leonsis

January 27, 2025January 27, 2025Bill Thompson

If you’re in business, entrepreneur or as the head of a major corporation, which comes first, business success, or happiness?

Actually, happiness has to come first if you want the success to follow, says a very successful and happy businessman and billionaire sports mogul.

Ted Leonsis was one of the early top executives at America online helping build that to the huge platform that it was.

Later he became owner of the NBA’s Washington Wizards, the NHL’s Washington Capitals, and the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, along with a huge regional sports network.

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But would any of that have been possible if he didn’t have an underlying foundation of personal happiness?

Not likely, Leonsis says. In his 2010 book The Business of Happiness he explains how happiness begets business success.

I met with him one February afternoon in his office in Washington, DC, where, by the way, he still maintains an AOL email address.

So here now, from 2010, Ted Leonsis.

Ted Leonsis turned 68 earlier this month.

What Was The Celtics Secret? Former NBA Great Bob Cousy On The Celtic Mysiqiue

November 20, 2024November 17, 2024Bill Thompson

He’s been called one of the 50 greatest NBA players ever. Point guard Bob Cousy played for the Boston Celtics for 13 seasons, helping them to six championships.

He was the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 1957, and was a 13-time All Star. Cousy was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1971.

Cousy attributes much of his personal success to the storied franchise he was part of – the “Celtic mystique,” it’s been called.

In fact his 1988 book was called Cousy on The Celtic Mystique. Late that year was when I had the chance to spend a few minutes with this NBA great.

In this interview you’ll hear reference to the Miami Heat, which at that time were in the midst of a 0-17 start to their first season in the NBA.

So here now, from 1988, Bob Cousy.

Bob Cousy is 96 now. And he still wears Celtics green as a marketing consultant for the team.

Bill Walton: A Trailblazing Career on the Court and Behind the Mic

June 5, 2024June 1, 2024Bill Thompson

Hall of Famer Bill Walton was a 14-year NBA veteran. The #1 draft pick in 1974, he spent his early years with the Portland Trail Blazers, then the Clippers, then the Celtics. Nagging foot injuries eventually forced his retirement.

Walton then embarked on a successful career as a broadcaster.

I met him in 1994 when he wrote a book called Nothing But Net.

So here now, from 1994, just a few months after his induction into the Hall of Fame, Bill Walton.

Bill Walton died of cancer last week. He was 71.

Red Auerbach Reveals Secrets of Building a Celtics Dynasty

October 23, 2023October 22, 2023Bill Thompson

Photo by Steve Lipofsky Basketballphoto.com}

Perhaps no one in modern North American sports history was as successful at building a dynasty as the legendary Red Auerbach.

First as head coach, then as president and general manager of the Boston Celtics, Auerbach racked up16 championships over a 29-year span.

A brilliant strategist on the court, Auerbach was just as brilliant in the front office as he built a franchise that not only attracted and kept the top talent in the league, but also attracted and kept millions of fans all over the world.

In 1991 Auerbach wrote a book called MBA: Management by Auerbach. And that’s when I had a few minutes with the man. So here now from 1991 Red Auerbach.

Red Auerbach died in 2006, at age 89.

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Walt Frazier

October 18, 2021October 17, 2021Bill Thompson

As the 1960s Drew to a close, New York had a unique Trifecta of sports victories.

In January of 1969, the New York Jets won Super Bowl 3.

After an incredible summer with baseball, the Miracle Mets won the 1969 World Series.

And then the 1969 – 70 New York Knicks tore up the MBA, including an 18-game winning streak, and won the league championship in the spring of 1970.

One of the key players on that Knicks team was Walt Frazier, nicknamed Clyde. In fact he is often considered one of the greatest NBA players of all time.

In 1988, several years after he retired, Walt Frazier wrote A Memoir of that 6970 season. And that’s when I met him.

So here now, from 1988, Walt Frazier.

Walt Frazier is 76 now. He can still be heard doing color commentary on New York Knicks games.

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Wilt Chamberlain	Dick Vitale

Dick Vitale

April 5, 2021April 4, 2021Bill Thompson

You would probably be hard-pressed to find a person with more natural energy and enthusiasm than Dick Vitale — former high school, college, and NBA basketball coach turn sports broadcaster.

Indeed, it’s kind of hard to think of college basketball these days without Dick Vitale coming to mind.

And when I met him, more than 32 years ago now, he seemed as perplexed as anyone by how successful he had actually become.

So here now, from 1988, Dick Vitale:

Dick Vitale wil be 82 in June. And still going strong.

Wilt Chamberlain

May 20, 2020May 17, 2020Bill Thompson

Few people have had the kind of impact on a professional sport that Wilt Chamberlain had on the game of basketball.

In a career that started with the Harlem Globetrotters, the 7-foot-1 Chamberlain became a superstar and a record-setter.

To this day, no one has broken the record he’s best known for: scoring 100 points in a single game.

I met him in the fall of 1991, when he published an autobiography called “A View From Above.”

But in the interview you’re about to hear, there was one question I chose not to ask him, and I’ll tell you later why.

So here now, from 1991, Wilt Chamberlain:

That last remark — about “the numbers” in the book — was a reference to a statistic he included in his book that had nothing to do with basketball. Chamberlain claimed to have slept with 20,000 different women during his life.

Wilt Chamberlain was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979.

He died in 1999 at age 63.

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