Legends of Sport with Andrew D. Bernstein

This week, we travel to Springfield, Massachusetts to celebrate Andrew Bernstein's Curt Gowdy Print Media award at the 2018 NBA Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Also, we sit down with some of the inductees to hear more about their careers while also ruminating on some of the 2018 class' memorable speeches', including those of first-ballot inductees, Grant Hill, Ray Allen, Steve Nash, and Jason Kidd. It's all right here on this week's episode of Legends of Sport.

When Leigh Steinberg began his career as a sports agent, they were not even allowed to negotiate with NFL owners. In fact, the industry did not really exist. By the end of the millennium, though, Leigh had become a 'Super Agent,' having his life loosely depicted in Jerry McGuire, representing nearly half of the starting Quarterbacks in the NFL, and ultimately selling his business for tens of millions of dollars. Leigh seemingly had it all until, through a series of circumstances, everything came crashing down. Forced to pick up the pieces, Leigh got sober, rebuilt his business and his life, and has since realigned his priorities. Today, Leigh is back at it, representing future superstars like Patrick Mahomes, writing books, and teaching younger aspiring agents through his academies. Hear his entire story on this week's episode of Legends of Sport.

Award-winning sports photojournalist, John McDonough, has been a contributing photographer to Sports Illustrated for over thirty years. If there has been a major sporting event over that period then chances are that John has been there with a camera. He has covered a variety of sporting events over the years including the Super Bowl, NCAA Final Four, NBA Playoffs, the World Series, and the Summer Olympics. This week we sit down with him to discuss the state of the ever changing sports photography industry, Sports Illustrated's impact on the world of sports, and some of his most memorable shots.

NHL Hall of Fame legend and current LA Kings President, Luc Robitaille, is widely considered one of the greatest Left Wingers to ever play the game. Growing up in Montreal, though, he was largely overlooked by scouts because of what some considered a lack of toughness and slow skating stride. If it were not for a part-time Ottawa scout who convinced the Kings to take a chance on the skinny eighteen year-old in the ninth round of the 1984 draft, Luc may not have been picked at all. By the end of his first season, though, everybody knew Luc's name after notching the Calder Trophy as the league's top rookie. In fact, Luc scored forty or more goals in each of his first eight seasons, including three fifty goal seasons during that stretch. Nineteen seasons later, Luc retired as the highest scoring Left Winger in NHL history, notching a Stanley Cup, as well as, being voted in as one of the '100 Greatest Players in NHL History' by his contemporaries. Luc has also won two additional Stanley Cups as an executive with the Kings. Hear about his entire journey, including stories from his six seasons playing with Wayne Gretzky, on this week's episode of Legends of Sport.

In 1968, Jerry Colangelo left Chicago to become the youngest general manager in professional sports for the Phoenix Suns. It was twenty below zero when he left. He arrived with his family to seventy degree weather, Orange Blossoms in the air, nine suitcases, and three hundred bucks in his pocket. He never looked back. Fifty years and five professional franchises later, Jerry is today known as the man who brought Baseball, Hockey, the WNBA, and Arena Football to Arizona. Growing up in a poor neighborhood of Chicago, Jerry has never forgotten his humble beginning. In 2005, Jerry Colangelo was asked to take over a USA Basketball program desperately in need of realignment. He fervently accepted the job on the condition that he'd have full autonomy in order to rebuild the program the right way. They have since gone 75-1 and have won Gold Medals in Beijing, London, and the Rio De Janeiro Olympics. Hear the full story on this week's episode of Legends of Sport. Thanks to our sponsors this week, BETONLINE.AG and TRUECAR!!

Big East Commissioner and former President and co-founder of the WNBA, Val Ackerman, has lived a life of 'firsts.' From her star college basketball playing days at University of Virginia, Val was one of the first recipients of Title Nine, offering a level playing field to both male and female college athletes. Working as a staff attorney for the NBA, Val took her experiences with her to USA Basketball where she became the driving force behind creating the women's first national team which culminated in a gold medal at the Atlanta 1996 Olympics. With the success of this team, Val created the WNBA, launching the professional careers of some of the first stars of the league. Today, Val is not only running a college basketball conference, but she is teaching, and a board member with several notable foundations including March of Dimes and Girls Incorporated.

Shane Mosley fought some of the best fighters of his generation winning four world championships in three different weight classes. Often considered one of the best lightweights in boxing history, Mosley amassed a 49-10-1 record over twenty-four years in the ring. Never one to back down from a fight, Shane fought well into his forties. In a sport filled with eccentric characters, Shane's stayed humble and never strayed too far from his roots, often choosing to let his Left Jab and Double Hook do the talking in the ring. So how how did this small town kid from Pomona, CA rise through the ranks to become, pound-for-pound, one of the greatest boxers of all-time? Find out on this episode of Legends of Sport.

D-Fish wasn't the tallest guy on the court nor the most naturally gifted but through hard work and determination, he was able to level the playing field and prove his worth as both a scrappy Point Guard and a leader both on-and-off the court culminating in five NBA Championships and an NBA record 259 playoff games played. Derek's key to success was always knowing his role and when a shot needed to be made at the buzzer, Derek was never afraid to take it. We sit down with Derek this week to discuss a couple of his biggest shots including one of the most well known buzzer beaters in NBA history - a shot that became known as The Point Four. It was Derek's Birthday when we recorded this interview. He turned forty-four years young. A very happy birthday to him from Legends of Sport. Legends of Sport is sponsored by betonline.ag. Go to betonline.ag for all your degenerate gambling needs.

Most people think that legendary athletes dominate at every level since the time they start playing, but for Orel, the road to stardom had several potholes along the way. After his Sophomore year at Bowling Green State University, he decided to quit the baseball team and hitchhike home to work for his father's paper company. During that time, he grew a couple of inches, gained a few pounds, took some summer school classes, and decided to give it another shot. Back on the team, Orel's Fastball had gained more velocity, had better control, and had scouts intrigued but only enough to get him selected in the seventeenth round of the MLB draft. The knock on him had been he's too soft, not aggressive enough, and mentally rattles easily. In walks legendary Dodgers Manager, Tommy Lasorda, who realizes it's Orel's mental approach to the game that needs tweaking. With a new nickname and mentality, Orel starts to dominate on the mound and in 1988, he puts together one of the most dominating seasons of all-time leading all pitchers in almost every statistical category, breaking Don Drysdale's 59 inning scoreless streak, winning the Cy Young, the Gold Glove, World Series MVP, and MLB Championship in one of the greatest World Series games of all-time. Today, Orel can be found in the Dodgers broadcast booth doing color alongside Joe Davis. Hear his remarkable story of fortitude and determination to become one of the greatest Dodgers to ever grace the field on this episode of Legends of Sport. This week's podcast is sponsored by Quip Electric Toothbrushes. Quip starts at $25 and, if you go to GETQUIP.COM/LEGENDS you'll get your first refill pack FREE. At a fraction of the cost of bulkier brushes, Quip's built-in timer helps you clean for the dentist-recommended two minutes and deliver new brush heads to your home every three months for just $5 which includes free shipping. See why Quip made Oprah's O-List and has been named one of Time's Best Inventions! This week's podcast is also sponsored by MeUndies. Try the best Undies in the world with their 'no risk' offer. If you're not happy, they'll refund the cost, AND you get to keep them. You will get 15% off your first pair and FREE SHIPPING. Just go to MEUNDIES.COM/LEGENDS to try your first pair.

Since 1980, Mike Krzyzewski has coached Duke Basketball to five NCAA championships, twelve Final Fours, and more wins then any college coach in basketball history. But Mike is more then a legendary coach, he is a teacher and a mentor to young student athletes hoping to take their talents to the next level. From his humble beginnings in a blue collar Polish neighborhood of Chicago, Coach K learned the value of hard work and education from his working class parents who were determined to give their children the best education they could provide. When a young Bob Knight offered him a scholarship to play basketball at Army, he jumped at the chance. There he learned Coach Knight's West Coast Offense that ultimately morphed into the Motion Offense that Mike brought with him to Duke. Even after breaking almost every coaching record there is, Mike is still just as hungry to win and mold his young men into not just NBA talent, but exceptional people with great values. We sat down with Mike this week at The Wynn in Las Vegas to discuss his time as head coach of USA Basketball, stories from the 1992 Dream Team, the state of the current NCAA basketball system and so much more. Hear it all on this week's episode of Legends of Sport. This week's podcast is sponsored by Quip Electric Toothbrushes. Quip starts at $25 and, if you go to GETQUIP.COM/LEGENDS you'll get your first refill pack FREE. At a fraction of the cost of bulkier brushes, Quip's built-in timer helps you clean for the dentist-recommended two minutes and deliver new brush heads to your home every three months for just $5 which includes free shipping. See why Quip made Oprah's O-List and has been named one of Time's Best Inventions! This week's podcast is also sponsored by MeUndies. Try the best Undies in the world with their 'no risk' offer. If you're not happy, they'll refund the cost, AND you get to keep them. You will get 15% off your first pair and FREE SHIPPING. Just go to MEUNDIES.COM/LEGENDS to try your first pair.

College Naismith Hall of Fame Point Guard, Jay Williams, led Duke to a National Championship and left school early to pursue his dreams of playing in the NBA. As the second overall pick in the 2002 draft, Jay seemed to have it all until a motorcycle accident derailed his career after one season. Forced to navigate a different career path, Jay became addicted to pain medication and ultimately became suicidal. For some this may have been the end of the story, but Jay picked himself up and found a different calling as both a basketball analyst for ESPN, as well as, a motivational speaker to educate others about his own mistakes. Jay is also featured in the LeBron James-produced Youtube series, Best Shot, chronicling a year on-and-off the court for the Newark Central High School Men's Basketball team where Jay has spent the past year as an assistant coach. His story of survival and perseverance is only part of the story. Hear the rest on this episode of Legends of Sport. This week's podcast is sponsored by Quip Electric Toothbrushes. Quip starts at $25 and, if you go to GETQUIP.COM/LEGENDS you'll get your first refill pack FREE. At a fraction of the cost of bulkier brushes, Quip's built-in timer helps you clean for the dentist-recommended two minutes and deliver new brush heads to your home every three months for just $5 which includes free shipping. See why Quip made Oprah's O-List and has been named one of Time's Best Inventions! This week's podcast is also sponsored by MeUndies. Try the best Undies in the world with their 'no risk' offer. If you're not happy, they'll refund the cost, AND you get to keep them. You will get 15% off your first pair and FREE SHIPPING. Just go to MEUNDIES.COM/LEGENDS to try your first pair.

Ricky Williams rushed for over ten thousand yards in the NFL and is widely considered once of the greatest college Running Backs of all time as both a two time All-American and 1998 Heisman Trophy winner. So why do so many people still remember Ricky for his multiple suspensions for Cannabis use in the NFL? We sat down with Ricky to discuss the stigma behind Cannabis and sports, his Hall of Fame career at University of Texas, and his journey to India where he ultimately discovered his passion for Yoga, Meditation, and Astrology. Today, Ricky is pursuing a PHD in Eastern Medicine, while also running a successful herbal product line, in addition to giving Astrological readings, amongst his many other endeavors. Ricky is a searcher and as you'll hear in our conversation, he is passionate about learning more about the spiritual connection between mind and body and how we can all attain greater enlightenment.

This week we sit down with the legendary Chairman and CEO of Mandalay Entertainment & Sports Media, Peter Guber. Peter's produced movies that have earned fifty Academy Award nominations and over three billion dollars at the box office. Peter tells us what he learned about location-based entertainment in the movie industry and how he successfully applied it to the live sports experience becoming the co-owner of the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Dodgers, MLS' newest franchise, LAFC, and one of the most successful ESports franchises, Team Liquid. Additionally, we hear more about Peter's enduring commitment to higher learning as a faculty professor at UCLA for the past four decades, as well as, his New York Times Best Seller, Tell To Win, a book about creating purposeful stories that can become powerful calls to action. As you'll hear in our memorable conversation, Peter contends that his franchise's successes is largely due to his ability to hire exceptional people who may not be predictable choices. Catch it all right here on this week's Legends of Sport.

Hall of Fame legend, Amy Alcott, was only three weeks into her professional LPGA career when she won her first tournament. Five majors and twenty-nine championships later, Amy takes us back to her famous Champions Leap into Poppie's Pond at the Dinah Shore Classic and the tradition it started, her mentorship of Phil Mickelson, the notable friendships she's made over the years such as President Clinton, and the world class courses she has designed with her golf company such as the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio De Janeiro. The lessons of golf have taught Amy many lessons about life and she tells some of them to us this week on Legends of Sport.

An 18 year-old Jim Gray was interning as a Videotape Editor at the ABC Denver news station when the anchor who was supposed to interview Muhammed Ali that morning didn't show up. Gray seized on the opportunity to sit down with Ali for what was the first of many notable interviews with athletes both in the studio and on the sidelines. From the Super Bowl to the World Series to some of the most legendary sideline boxing interviews of all-time, Gray's assertive style of questioning has landed him some of the most famous and infamous interviews over the past thirty-five years including The Decision with LeBron James, Pete Rose on gambling, Mike Tyson and the Holyfield ear biting incident, Tom Brady and Deflategate, and many more. Jim has won twelve national Emmy's, as well as, numerous other awards. Most recently, Jim was inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame alongside Vitali Klitschko. Congratulations to Jim and his family from Legends of Sport.