When you really break it down, the whole history of the NBA is still a relatively short amount of time. At 79 years old, there are still many people around who have a living memory of the first NBA season.

The league celebrated 50 years in 1996, with a special reveal of the top 50 players of all-time up to that point, as voted on by media, former player, general managers, and other notable figures.

For the first 50 years of the league, there were several individuals who were obvious locks to make the top-50. Michael, Kareem, Larry, Dr. J and many others easily made the list... but what if we told you that a 9-time All-Star, who at the time sat on 8th on the NBA’s all time scoring list did not make the top 50?

In today’s episode, we take the NBA time machine back to the 80s and 90s, and explore the life and times of one of basketball’s most underrated players of all time, the one and only Dominique Wilkins.

00:00 Introduction

03:43 Early Life, College Years and the Draft

13:41 Superstar Rising - 1982-90

24:50 Achilles Tear and The Trade

35:40 The Twilight Years - Gone Overseas?

45:10 The Legacy of Mr. 51st

On April 19, 2020, ESPN and Netflix released a landmark documentary series that was over two decades in the making, chronicling a behind the scenes look at the supremacy of Michael Jordan’s last years in Chicago. As Americans and people all across the globe were settling into an entirely new life of pandemic quarantine madness, The Last Dance was a much needed escape, and a fascinating glimpse into the life of one of the most popular figures in the history of sports.

But lost in the spectacle of MJ’s unprecedented greatness, and ultimately reduced to something little more than a footnote in the pages of NBA history, the Utah Jazz came away emptied handed again and again, despite fielding a team that likely could have hoisted a championship banner, had they played in any other era.

Led by a dynamic duo of John Stockton and Karl Malone, two players who still stand among the top 10 of all time at their respective positions, the Jazz had spent much of the late 80s and 90s just on the cusp of taking those final steps into championship glory. But always for one reason or another, the stars never perfectly aligned for the team from Utah, and Stockton and Malone would find themselves forever on another and far less desirable all-time list: as some of the best players to never win a ring.

In today’s episode, we take the NBA time machine back to the 1990s, and explore the rise and fall of the team that tried and failed to steal the last dance, and find out just what went wrong for the Utah Jazz.

This is Once Upon a Dribble!

(04:30) The Foundation - Background on the '80s Jazz

(18:14) The Slow Climb - The Ups and Downs of the Early and Mid '90s

(41:29) The 1996-97 Utah Jazz season

(01:08:56) The 1997-98 Utah Jazz

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Today we continue in part 9 of a 10-part series at Once Upon a Dribble!

During the 2022 playoffs the NBA began awarding MVP awards to the best performing player of each conference finals: the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award and the Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award, named for the two players credited for building the league up to greater popularity in the 1980s.

This begs the question, with the award just being handed out for the first time last season, who are the deserving winners from the previous 50+ years of NBA history? Find out today as Josh tackles the Eastern Conference in the 2010s!

2010: Boston Celtics vs Orlando Magic - Paul Pierce (03:10)

2011: Miami Heat vs Chicago Bulls - LeBron James (11:35)

2012: Miami Heat vs Boston Celtics - LeBron James (20:03)

2013: Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers- LeBron James (28:33)

2014: Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers- LeBron James (36:04)

2015: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Atlanta Hawks- LeBron James (42:35)

2016: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Toronto Raptors- LeBron James (49:28)

2017: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics- LeBron James (54:39)

2018: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics- LeBron James (01:00:22)

2019: Toronto Raptors vs Milwaukee Bucks- Kawhi Leonard (01:11:11)

2020: Miami Heat vs Boston Celtics- Bam Adebayo (01:19:35)

2021: Milwaukee Bucks vs Atlanta Hawks- Khris Middleton (01:28:16)

Recap/Outro: (01:37:04)

(04:48) What led to the Decision? The Breaking Point in Cleveland

(26:00) The Villain Season - 2010-11

(53:48) Redemption, "It's About Damn Time" - 2011-12(01:10:54) Supernova, Back-To-Back - 2012-13

(01:32:00) The Burnout - 2013-14

July 8th, 2010. A 25-year-old phenom sat across from Jim Gray… and set the basketball world on fire.
"'I’m going to take my talents to South Beach.'"

Seven words that shattered Cleveland... united superstars... and turned a beloved MVP into the NBA's greatest villain overnight.
This is the story of The Heatles. Of dominance. Of legacy. And of how one decision changed the course of basketball history.
But before the championships, before the 27-game win streak, before the redemption...
There was heartbreak.
There was pressure.
And there was a reason he had to leave.

From Cleveland’s collapse… to South Beach’s rise… to the fall in 2014—this is the LeBron Miami saga, as you've never heard it before.

(04:50) Background on basketball in Philadelphia and on Wilt

(23:18) Let's meet the 1966-67 Sixers and look at their regular season

(46:05) The Sixers finally overcome Boston

(55:05) The 1967 Finals

When it comes to the NBA’s all-time greatest players, few can match the raw statistical dominance of Wilt Chamberlain.

From the iconic 100-point game, to the 50 points per game season, to 12 straight seasons averaging over 20 rebounds, Chamberlain’s numbers are simply unbelievable.

But despite statistical dominance, Wilt the Stilt struggled for years to carry his teams over the final hurdle, as year after year, championships eluded him.

While Bill Russell was winning 11 rings in 13 years, Chamberlain was often left watching and waiting .

Finally, in 1967, 9 years into his NBA career, Wilt finally earned his ring, and delivered the first ever NBA championship to the city of Philadelphia .

The story of how Chamberlain and the Sixers got there, however, is one few people know.

In today’s episode, we take the NBA time machine back nearly 60 years, and learn how the 1967 Philadelphia 76ers managed to defeat the nearly-undefeatable dynasty of the Boston Celtics.

This is once upon a dribble!

Today we continue in part 8 of a 10-part series at Once Upon a Dribble!

During the 2022 playoffs the NBA began awarding MVP awards to the best performing player of each conference finals: the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award and the Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award, named for the two players credited for building the league up to greater popularity in the 1980s.

This begs the question, with the award just being handed out for the first time last season, who are the deserving winners from the previous 50+ years of NBA history?Find out today as Josh tackles the Western Conference in the 2000s!

2000: Los Angeles Lakers vs Portland Trail Blazers - Shaquille O'Neal

2001: Los Angeles Lakers vs San Antonio Spurs - Shaquille O'Neal

2002: Los Angeles Lakers vs Sacramento Kings - Shaquille O'Neal

2003: Dallas Mavericks vs San Antonio Spurs - Tim Duncan

2004: Los Angeles Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves - Shaquille O'Neal2005: Phoenix Suns vs San Antonio Spurs - Tim Duncan

2006: Dallas Mavericks vs Phoenix Suns - Dirk Nowitzki

2007: San Antonio Spurs vs Utah Jazz - Tim Duncan

2008: Los Angeles Lakers vs San Antonio Spurs - Kobe Bryant

2009: Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers - Kobe Bryant

In a lot of ways, an NBA locker room is like a family. With all the good times, and the bad times, the brotherhood, and the infighting, family is the perfect metaphor.

But the family dynamic in the NBA often extends to actual family, over 10% of the 4500 players to have ever played in the NBA are directly related either as brothers, as father and son, as cousins, as grandfather and grandson, or as uncle and nephew.

In many cases, one family member outshines the rest. But occasionally, multiple branches of the same family tree achieve stardom.

Today, we take the NBA time machine back to the late 90s and 2000s, and explore the lives of two family members who hit the highest echelons of the NBA, but failed to take the final steps into NBA immortality

Join us in PART 1 OF 2 as we look at the lives and times of two cousins from Flordia who became NBA household names: Vince Carter, and Tracy McGrady.

Today Calvan talks to us about T-Mac. In Part 1 Josh talked about Vince.

This is once upon a dribble!

In a lot of ways, an NBA locker room is like a family. With all the good times, and the bad times, the brotherhood, and the infighting, family is the perfect metaphor.

But the family dynamic in the NBA often extends to actual family, over 10% of the 4500 players to have ever played in the NBA are directly related either as brothers, as father and son, as cousins, as grandfather and grandson, or as uncle and nephew.

In many cases, one family member outshines the rest. But occasionally, multiple branches of the same family tree achieve stardom.

Today, we take the NBA time machine back to the late 90s and 2000s, and explore the lives of two family members who hit the highest echelons of the NBA, but failed to take the final steps into NBA immortality

Join us in PART 1 OF 2 as we look at the lives and times of two cousins from Flordia who became NBA household names: Vince Carter, and Tracy McGrady.

Today Josh talks to us about Vince. In Part 2 Calvan will talk about T-Mac.

This is once upon a dribble!