Minnesota Golden Gophers legend Chuck Mencel came on the podcast to relive his life and career. Plenty of stories proved to be very insightful about the events from that time. From stories about George Mikan to an innovative shooting drill he c

Kerry Eggers: 12/28/18

Dec 28th, 2018 32m 20s

We talk everything concerning the late 90's, early 2000's Portland Trail Blazers with Kerry Eggers, Portland Tribune's journalist and author of "Jail Blazers: How the Portland Trail Blazers Became the Bad Boys of Basketball". Topics include the

Keith Jennings: 11/30/18

Nov 30th, 2018 43m 28s

East Tennessee State Buccaneers legend Keith "Mister" Jennings joined the program to talk about his almost 60-60-90 senior year, influence of Isiah Thomas and difficulties of making the NBA as a small guard. Having ultimately made the Golden St

Audie Norris: 09/28/18

Sep 28th, 2018 1h 9m

There are so many ways I could introduce Audie Norris. European basketball star with Barcelona, former Portland Trail Blazer, global ambassador of the NBA, even a certified backboard breaker. We talked about everything. From coaching kids to te

Hal Wissel: 09/05/18

Sep 5th, 2018 1h 18m

Coach Hal Wissel came on the podcast to talk about a wide array of topics. From his humble beginnings as the head coach of Trenton State to working out Kobe Bryant as the Director of Player Personnel of the New Jersey Nets, there was a whole lo

Don Kojis: 08/24/18

Aug 24th, 2018 1h 1m

"The jumpingest white boy I've ever seen" is how Wilt Chamberlain described two-time NBA All-Star Don Kojis. Kojis, after all, might have been the first basketball player to regularly throw down alley-oops when he did so with the Phillips 66ers

Ron Grandison: 08/02/18

Aug 2nd, 2018 1h 8m

When Ron Grandison turned 30 in the summer of 1994, this was the list of his past basketball experiences: UC Irvine - Tulane - University of New Orleans - CBA - Boston Celtics - hiatus from basketball - Athletes in Action - CBA - Charlotte Horn

Glenn McDonald: 05/31/18

May 31st, 2018 49m 21s

Glenn McDonald, the hero of the legendary 1976 NBA Finals Game Five! The former Boston Celtic revealed what persuaded him to play for the underdogs that were the Long Beach State 49ers, how veterans like John Havlicek took him under their wings

Coby Dietrick: 05/24/18

May 24th, 2018 1h 22m

This episode could have been called "Coby Dietrick Steals the Show" if I actually did titles for each conversation. A 13-year pro in the ABA and the NBA, most notably with the San Antonio Spurs, and someone with experiences in Europe and the CB

Brian Taylor: 03/08/18

Mar 8th, 2018 1h 13m

Two-time ABA champion and All-Star Brian Taylor came on the podcast to take us through the significant stops he has had in his basketball career. From being quite the pioneer at Princeton and a New York Net in the ABA to fun times with the San

J. Bruce Miller: 01/29/18

Jan 29th, 2018 58m 8s

Whether it is the ABA's Kentucky Colonels or any of the attempts of bringing them back in the form of an NBA team, J. Bruce Miller has long been involved in Louisville's professional basketball scene. A conversation with him gave us the chance

Ray Scott: 12/13/17

Dec 13th, 2017 1h 6m

When the 1961-62 Detroit Pistons made the Division Finals, Ray Scott was their impressive rookie forward. When the team first won 50+ games in 1973-74, he was their head coach. Thus we talked about the Pistons, yet also about the city of Philad

Mark Montieth: 12/04/17

Dec 4th, 2017 53m 59s

"Reborn: The Pacers and the Return of Pro Basketball to Indianapolis" is a recently released book which I enjoyed very much. Its author Mark Montieth joined me on the podcast to talk about the many topics concerning it. The first professional b

Steve Chubin: 10/30/17

Oct 30th, 2017 1h 11m

Steve Chubin is among the basketball pioneers in more than one way. We talked about him going overseas to play in Europe after his college career when few players did so, the first season of ABA basketball in 1966-67 during which he played with

Gar Heard: 10/13/17

Oct 13th, 2017 1h 2m

An NBA lifer of 30 years in the league, Gar Heard had plenty of stories to tell on this episode of The Handle Podcast. From debuting in the NBA as a rookie on Lenny Wilkens's Seattle SuperSonics and being the glue guy for the fast-paced Buffalo

Willie Somerset: 09/11/17

Sep 11th, 2017 43m 15s

How many athletes have turned to a career in another field right after an All-Star season at the age of 27? Willie Somerset has. The 1969 ABA All-Star-turned-pharmacist explored the biggest influences in his life, the fun times he had during a

Butch Beard: 07/19/17

Jul 19th, 2017 1h 9m

NBA All-Star, champion and coach Butch Beard has had an unparalleled career. From death threats during a Kentucky vs. Louisville recruiting battle to being drafted in the army after his rookie NBA season and contributing to the 1974-75 Warriors

Dave Feitl: 06/27/17

Jun 27th, 2017 51m 2s

UTEP Miners great Dave Feitl joined the show and reminisced about the university's success under coach Don Haskins, remembered the difficulties the Houston Rockets faced after the 1986 Finals and told us his story about regaining confidence in

Mike Storen: 05/15/17

May 15th, 2017 1h 3m

You can't tell the story of the ABA without multiple mentions of Mike Storen. The former general manager of the Indiana Pacers, the Kentucky Colonels and the one-time commissioner of the league joined the podcast to describe his career path, pr

Adam Criblez: 05/01/17

May 1st, 2017 1h 1m

Author Adam Criblez came on the podcast to talk about his book "Tall Tales and Short Shorts" on the 1970s NBA, Pete Maravich's struggles in the NBA, Julius Erving joining the Bucks as the best what if of the decade and plenty of other 70s baske

Kevin Loder: 03/30/17

Mar 30th, 2017 49m 56s

Two-time NAIA All-American Kevin Loder stopped by to talk about playing multiple sports while growing up, the cultural significance of Alabama State's success during his time there and remember his days with the early 1980s Kansas City Kings.

Jeff Cook: 02/20/17

Feb 20th, 2017 54m 31s

Idaho State Bengals legend Jeff Cook came on the podcast to relive the Bengals 1976-77 season in which they reached the Elite Eight, share memories from his time with the great 1980s Phoenix Suns and tell stories from teams and leagues like the

Gus Gerard: 02/13/17

Feb 13th, 2017 1h 1m

Gus Gerard -- one of the few ever Spirits of St. Louis -- joined the show to relive the days of the strong ACC in the 1970s, his time in the ABA with the Spirits and the Denver Nuggets, how underrated the Kansas City Kings were and to tell more

Tom Meschery: 01/10/17

Jan 10th, 2017 57m 16s

Warriors legend Tom Meschery describes the early days of his life -- spending time in an internment camp in Japan during the war, being a Russian immigrant in San Francisco -- and how turning to basketball lead to a successful 10-year career wi

Uwe Blab: 12/21/16

Dec 21st, 2016 1h 3m

Uwe Blab joined The Handle Podcast to tell the story of him being noticed in a pub in Germany, remember how he improved under coach Bob Knight at Indiana and share memories from his stops with the Mavericks, Don Nelson's Run-TMC Warriors and th