Curious About Basketball

PODCAST 250: CURIOUS ABOUT BASKETBALL

RELEASE DATE: SUNDAY, JULY 16TH, 2023

D:  HELLO, AND WELCOME BACK TO THE CURIOUS KID PODCAST, EPISODE NUMBER 250!  IT’S AMAZING TO THINK THAT WE’VE BEEN DOING THIS THING EACH AND EVERY SUNDAY FOR 250 WEEKS.  I SAY WE CELEBRATE BY HAVING A SUPER-SIZED EPISODE TO LEARN ABOUT SOMETHING THAT LOTS OF OUR LISTENERS HAVE BEEN ASKING US TO GET CURIOUS ABOUT.

O:  OCTUPLE MAILBAG!

D:  OCTUPLE MAILBAG!  THAT’S EIGHT LISTENERS FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD THAT ARE CURIOUS ABOUT THE SAME TOPIC.  BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY MESSAGES, FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, WE ARE GOING TO ALTERNATE READING THE MESSAGES, BECAUSE I DON’T THINK ANYONE WANTS TO HEAR ME READ THIS OVERFLOWING MAILBAG.  STICK AROUND, BECAUSE ONCE WE FINISH READING THESE MESSAGES, WE ARE GOING TO LEARN A TON ABOUT ONE OF OLIVIA’S FAVORITE SPORTS, AND A SPORT THAT MANY OF YOU EVIDENTLY LOVE TOO.  

“HELLO CURIOUS KID PODCAST, MY SON SHIV, 5 YEARS, FROM DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, LISTENS TO YOUR PODCASTS EVERY DAY FOR THE LAST WEEK SINCE HE STARTED A NEW SCHOOL IN YEAR 1.  SHIV IS CURIOUS ABOUT BASKETBALL, SOCCER, AND DOCTORS.  IS THIS SOMETHING YOU CAN BE CURIOUS ABOUT TOO?  

THANKS, SHIV”

O: “HI.  MY FAVORITE SPORT IS BASKETBALL, AND I’M WONDERING WHO INVENTED IT AND ABOUT BASKETBALL THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.  MY NAME IS BELLA, AND I’M 11 YEARS OLD, AND I’M FROM WEST VIRGINIA”

D:  “HI OLIVIA AND JACOB, MY NAME IS JULIA, AND I’M 9 YEARS OLD, AND I LIVE IN WAYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS.  I’M CURIOUS ABOUT CHICKENS AND WHICH CAME FIRST, THE CHICKEN OR THE EGG.  I’M ALSO CURIOUS ABOUT HOW BASKETBALL CAME TO BE A SPORT.  I’M ALSO CURIOUS ABOUT HOW FOOTBALL CAME TO HAVE IT’S NAME.  I’M ALSO CUROUS ABOUT WASHING MACHINES AND DRYERS AND HOW THEY WORK.  I’M CURIOUS ABOUT LOTS OF THINGS!

LOVE, JULIA FROM WAYLAND MASSACHUSETTS”

O:  “HELLO OLIVIA, MY NAME IS KINGSLEY, AND I’M 7 YEARS OLD.  I LISTEN TO YOUR PODCAST WITH MY DAD EVERYWHERE WE GO.  I ENJOY LEARNING NEW THINGS ABOUT THE WORLD.  MY 2 FAVORITE EPISODES ARE ABOUT LEGO AND THE MEGALODON.  I LOVE PLAYING BASKETBALL.  CAN WE LEARN ABOUT BASKETBALL PLEASE IN YOUR NEXT EPISODE.

FROM KINGSLEY OF CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE”

*** VM FROM QUINCY OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA ***

D:  “DEAR JACOB AND OLIVIA, THANK YOU FOR CREATING SUCH AN AWESOME PODCAST.  WE ARE A FAMILY LIVING IN CALGARY, ALBERTA, AND THERE ARE FOUR KIDS IN OUR FAMILY, AGED 9, 7, AND TWO 4 YEAR OLDS THAT ARE TWINS.  WE LISTEN TO YOUR PODCAST ALL THE TIME.  CLAIRE, THE 9 YEAR OLD, IS CURIOUS ABOUT COWS AND THEIR DIGESTIVE SYSTEMS, AS WELL AS HIEROGLYPHICS.  LUCA, THE 7 YEAR OLD, LOVES THE VOLCANO EPISODE AND WANTS TO KNOW MORE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IF SOMEONE WAS TO GET HIT BY LIGHTNING.  ALEC, WHO IS ONE OF THE 4 YEAR OLD TWINS, IS INTERESTED IN ALL OF THE ANIMAL EPISODES AND WANTS TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE T.REX AND TRICERATOPS.  GRIFF, THE OTHER 4 YEAR OLD, IS CURIOUS ABOUT THE TORONTO RAPTORS BASKETBALL TEAM AND BASKETBALL IN GENERAL.  THANKS FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND KEEP UP THE GREAT JOB.”

O:  “HELLO, THIS MESSAGE IS FROM CREW AND HIS MOM.  CREW IS A 5 YEAR OLD BOY FROM INDIANA WHO LOVES SPORTS.  WE’VE LISTENED TO THE SOCCER EPISODE OF CURIOUS KID PODCAST MANY TIMES, BUT WOULD LOVE TO HEAR AN EPISODE ABOUT FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL.  THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO. WE ARE BIG FANS OF THE SHOW.”

*** VM FROM ARHAAN OF SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA *** 

O:  THIS IS UNBELIEVABLE.  JUST LIKE SOCCER, WHICH WE GOT CURIOUS ABOUT 78 WEEKS AGO, BASKETBALL IS A SPORT THAT IS LOVED ALL OVER THE WORLD.  WE ARE PUMPED TO GET CURIOUS ABOUT BASKETBALL THIS WEEK FOR SHIV, BELLA, JULIA, KINGSLEY, QUINCY, CLAIRE, LUCA, ALEC, GRIFF, CREW, AND ARHAAN.  

D:  WE LOVE THE SPORT OF BASKETBALL.  OLIVIA HAS BEEN PLAYING SOCCER SINCE SHE WAS TWO YEARS OLD,  SHE HAS BEEN COMPETING FOR HER SWIM TEAM SINCE SHE WAS SIX, AND SHE JUST STARTED PLAYING BASKETBALL LAST YEAR.  EVEN THOUGH SHE JUST STARTED PLAYING BASKETBALL RECENTLY, SHE LOVES THE GAME AND SHE’S BEEN HAVING A BLAST LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE GAME AND WORKING ON HER BASKETBALL SKILLS.  SHE LOVES WATCHING BASKETBALL TOO, AND SHE ROOTS FOR THE NEW YORK KNICKS AND THE RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS JUST LIKE ME.  OLIVIA, WHAT’S THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK?

O:  WHEN YOU WATCH AN NBA GAME, WHETHER IT’S A KNICKS GAME OR ANY OTHER NBA GAME, YOU ARE BOUND TO SEE THE ICONIC NBA LOGO.  IT’S BLUE ON ONE SIDE AND RED ON THE OTHER.  IN THE MIDDLE, THERE IS A WHITE SILHOUETTE OF A PLAYER WHO APPEARS TO BE DRIBBLING A BALL WITH HIS LEFT HAND.  DID YOU KNOW THAT IT’S ACTUALLY A SILHOUETTE OF A PLAYER THAT PLAYED IN THE NBA?  THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK IS, WHO IS THE PLAYER THAT APPEARS IN THE SILHOUETTE OF THE NBA LOGO?

D:  THAT’S A REALLY TOUGH ONE, BECAUSE THE PLAYER IN THE LOGO PLAYED A LONG TIME AGO.  HIS PLAYING CAREER ACTUALLY ENDED BEFORE I WAS BORN, ALL THE WAY BACK IN 1974, AND TODAY HE IS 85 YEARS OLD.  IF YOU ARE AN NBA HISTORY BUFF, MAYBE YOU KNOW WHO HE IS.  WHILE YOU’RE THINKING, LET’S LEARN ABOUT THE FASCINATING STORY OF HOW BASKETBALL WAS INVENTED.

O:  BASKETBALL WAS INVENTED BY DR. JAMES NAISMITH IN THE YEAR 1891.  THAT’S 132 YEARS AGO!  DR. NAISMITH WAS A PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHER AT THE YMCA TRAINING SCHOOL, NOW CALLED SPRINGFIELD COLLEGE, IN SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.  IN THE WINTER, MASSACHUSETTS GETS VERY COLD.  THE TROUBLE WAS THAT MOST OF THE SPORTS THAT KIDS PLAYED BACK THEN WERE PLAYED OUTDOORS.  DR. NAISMITH TRIED TO COME UP WITH A SPORT THAT HIS STUDENTS COULD PLAY INDOORS DURING THE LONG AND COLD WINTER MONTHS IN MASSACHUSETTS.  THE SCHOOL JANITOR GAVE DR. NAISMITH A PEACH BASKET, WHICH WAS THEN NAILED TO A BALCONY LEDGE.  THE BALL USED TO PLAY THE GAME, AT FIRST, WAS A SOCCER BALL.

D:  DR. NAISMITH HAD THREE IDEAS FOR THE SPORT.  NUMBER ONE, THE BALL WOULD BE BIG AND SOFT, WHICH WOULD HELP PREVENT INJURIES.  

O:  IT’S PRETTY BIG, BUT I DON’T KNOW ABOUT THE SOFT PART.  I’VE HAD A BASKETBALL HIT ME IN THE FACE BEFORE, AND IT DIDN’T FEEL GREAT.  I’VE ALSO JAMMED MY FINGER ON A BASKETBALL.

D:  IDEA NUMBER TWO:  IN ORDER TO BE SURE THAT BASKETBALL WOULDN’T BE VIOLENT LIKE FOOTBALL, PASSING WAS THE ONLY WAY TO ADVANCE THE BALL.

O:  ARE YOU TRYING TO TELL ME THAT DRIBBLING WASN’T A PART OF THE GAME WHEN IT WAS INVENTED?

D:  THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT I’M SAYING.  ONCE A PLAYER RECEIVED THE BALL FROM A TEAMMATE, HE HAD TO STAY PUT AND FIND ANOTHER TEAMMATE TO PASS IT TO.  THE YEAR AFTER BASKETBALL WAS INVENTED, DR. NAISMITH PUBLISHED 15 RULES OF THE GAME.  HERE IS RULE NUMBER THREE:  “A PLAYER CANNOT RUN WITH THE BALL.  THE PLAYER MUST THROW IT FROM THE SPOT ON WHICH HE CATCHES IT, ALLOWANCE TO BE MADE FOR A MAN WHO CATCHES THE BALL WHEN RUNNING AT A GOOD SPEED IF HE TRIES TO STOP”.   

O:  BY THE WAY, IT WASN’T HARD TO FIND A TEAMMATE TO PASS IT TO SINCE THE TEAMS WERE MADE UP OF 18 PLAYERS, NOT 5.  

D:  IDEA NUMBER THREE:  THE GOAL WAS PLACED OUT OF REACH OF ANY OF THE PLAYERS, TO ENCOURAGE MORE EXERCISE.

O:  THAT ONE MAKES SENSE.  YOU DON’T WANT TO PUT THE GOAL SOMEWHERE LOW TO THE GROUND WHERE A PLAYER CAN JUST DROP THE BALL IN WITHOUT ANY EFFORT.

D:  WITH THOSE IDEAS IN PLACE, PEACH BASKETS WERE NAILED TO OPPOSITE SIDES OF A GYM, ABOUT 10 FEET OFF THE GROUND, AND THE OBJECTIVE WAS TO SCORE AS MANY POINTS AS POSSIBLE BY THROWING A SOCCER BALL INTO THE BASKET.  

O:  AND NOT MANY POINTS WERE SCORED IN THE FIRST BASKETBALL GAMES, AND THERE ARE A FEW REASONS FOR THAT.  ONE REASON WAS THAT THERE WAS NO HOLE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PEACH BASKETS.  THAT ACTUALLY MEANS THAT SOMEONE NEEDED TO CLIMB A LADDER TO RETRIEVE THE BALL AFTER EVERY GOOD BASKET.

D:  ANOTHER REASON WHY LOTS OF POINTS WEREN’T BEING SCORED BACK THEN IS BECAUSE A BASKETBALL GAME ONLY CONSISTED OF TWO 15-MINUTE HALVES, WITH A 5 MINUTE HALFTIME BREAK.

O:  THAT MEANS THAT THE GAMES LASTED ONLY 30 MINUTES.  TODAY’S NBA GAMES LAST 48 MINUTES TOTAL, AND COLLEGE BASKETBALL GAMES LAST 40 MINUTES.  

D:  SPEAKING OF COLLEGE BASKETBALL, THE FIRST OFFICIAL COLLEGE BASKETBALL GAME WAS PLAYED ON JANUARY 18, 1896, FIVE YEARS AFTER THE SPORT WAS INVENTED.  IN THAT GAME, THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO BEAT THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA BY A SCORE OF 15-12.  THAT’S A REALLY LOW SCORE!

O:  THAT COLLEGE BASKETBALL GAME WAS PLAYED 50 YEARS BEFORE THE NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION, ALSO KNOWN AS THE NBA, WOULD PLAY IT’S FIRST GAMES.

D:  EVEN THOUGH THE GAME DIDN’T TAKE OFF VERY QUICKLY, WITHIN A FEW YEARS, BASKETBALL GAMES WERE BEING PLAYED IN MANY SCHOOLS.  ODDLY ENOUGH, THE SPORT DIDN’T HAVE A PROPER NAME IN IT’S EARLY YEARS, AND MANY SCHOOLS SIMPLY REFERRED TO IT AS THE NEW GAME.

O:  THEN, PEOPLE WANTED TO NAME THE SPORT NAISMITH BALL, TO HONOR IT’S INVENTOR, DR. JAMES NAISMITH.  DR. NAISMITH WASN’T INTERESTED IN HAVING THE SPORT NAMED AFTER HIM, SO HE DECIDED THAT A FITTING NAME FOR THE GAME WOULD BE BASKETBALL, BECAUSE THE TWO PIECES OF EQUIPMENT NEEDED TO PLAY THE GAME ARE A BASKET AND A BALL.  

D:  IT WASN’T UNTIL THE YEAR 1906 THAT BASKETBALL STARTED TO RESEMBLE THE SPORT WE KNOW AND LOVE TODAY.  THAT’S WHEN BACKBOARDS WERE ADDED TO THE BASKET, AS WELL AS HOOPS AND NETS.  

O:  DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR, WHEN AMERICAN TROOPS FOUGHT OVERSEAS, THE GAME SPREAD TO DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD.  

D:  THE NBA WAS CREATED BY OWNERS OF ICE HOCKEY ARENAS AROUND NORTH AMERICA.  THE ARENA OWNERS REALIZED THAT THEY CAN HOST OTHER SPORTING EVENTS IN THEIR ARENAS BESIDES JUST HOCKEY.

O:  THE FIRST GAME WAS PLAYED AT AN ARENA CALLED MAPLE LEAF GARDENS, AND THE GAME FEATURED THE TORONTO HUSKIES HOSTING THE NEW YORK KNICKERBOCKERS, ALSO CALLED THE NEW YORK KNICKS.  

D:  IT’S POSSIBLE THAT YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF THE TORONTO HUSKIES BEFORE.  THAT’S BECAUSE THE TEAM ONLY LASTED A SINGLE SEASON.  IN THE VERY FIRST NBA SEASON, THE HUSKIES HAD AN UNIMPRESSIVE RECORD OF 22 WINS AND 38 LOSSES.  AFTER THAT, TORONTO WOULDN’T HAVE ANOTHER NBA TEAM UNTIL 48 YEARS LATER, IN 1995, WHEN THE TORONTO RAPTORS JOINED THE NBA.  

O:  WHEN THE NBA RETURNED TO TORONTO, FANS WANTED TO BRING THE HUSKIES TEAM NAME BACK, BUT MANAGEMENT DECIDED THAT THEY WEREN’T ABLE TO MAKE A LOGO THAT THEY LIKED AND WAS ALSO VERY DIFFERENT FROM THE LOGO OF THE MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES.  IN A COOL TRIBUTE TO THE HUSKIES, THE TORONTO RAPTORS REVEALED A THROWBACK JERSEY IN 2009 TO COMMEMORATE THE TORONTO HUSKIES.  

D:  EVEN THOUGH THE NBA STARTED IN 1946, IT WOULDN’T BECOME WILDLY POPULAR UNTIL MORE THAN 30 YEARS LATER, WHEN SUPERSTARS WOULD JOIN THE LEAGUE.  THOSE SUPERSTARS INCLUDED LARRY BIRD AND MAGIC JOHNSON, WHO BOTH DEBUTED IN THE NBA IN THE YEAR 1979, AND OF COURSE MICHAEL JORDAN, WHO WOULD GET HIS START 5 YEARS LATER IN 1984.  MANY CASUAL FANS OF THE GAME WOULD STRUGGLE TO NAME ANY NBA PLAYERS THAT PLAYED BEFORE THESE SUPERSTARS.

O:  MANY CHANGES HAVE TAKEN PLACE IN THE NBA SINCE IT’S FIRST YEAR.  ONE OF THOSE CHANGES WAS THE 24 SECOND SHOT CLOCK.  IN ORDER TO MAKE THE SPORT MORE EXCITING, AND TO PUSH FOR MORE OFFENSE, THE OWNER AND GENERAL MANAGER OF THE SYRACUSE NATIONALS CAME UP WITH THE IDEA FOR A SHOT CLOCK.  NBA TEAMS WOULD HAVE 24 SECONDS TO TAKE A SHOT, OR THE BALL WOULD BE TURNED OVER TO THE OTHER TEAM.    

D:  ALSO, THE BASKETBALLS THAT WERE USED IN THE EARLIEST YEARS OF THE LEAGUE WERE BROWN.  FANS COMPLAINED THAT THE BROWN BALL WAS HARD TO SEE AGAINST THE BROWN SURFACE OF MANY BASKETBALL COURTS, AND ALSO AGAINST THE SKIN OF SOME OF THE PLAYERS.  THAT’S WHY TONY HINKLE, THE COACH OF BUTLER UNIVERSITY, HAD THE IDEA TO DEVELOP AN ORANGE BALL IN 1957.  

O:  STEALS AND BLOCKS WEREN’T RECORDED UNTIL THE 1973-1974 SEASON.  BEFORE THAT, STEALS AND BLOCKS EXISTED, BUT NOBODY KEPT TRACK OF HOW MANY STEALS AND BLOCKS PLAYERS HAD.    

D:  THREE POINT SHOTS WEREN’T INTRODUCED TO THE NBA UNTIL 1979.  THAT’S RIGHT!  NBA BASKETBALL WAS PLAYED FOR 33 YEARS WITHOUT ANY THREE POINT SHOTS.  THE FIRST PLAYER TO HIT A THREE POINT SHOT WAS BOSTON CELTICS GUARD CHRIS FORD ON OCTOBER 12, 1979.  AN INTERESTING FACT ABOUT THAT GAME.  THAT WAS THE SAME GAME THAT FEATURED THE DEBUT OF BOSTON CELTICS LEGEND LARRY BIRD.    

O:  WOMEN’S BASKETBALL ALSO HAS A RICH HISTORY IN THE UNITED STATES AND AROUND THE WORLD.  BASKETBALL WAS PLAYED BY WOMEN AS EARLY AS 1892, JUST A YEAR AFTER THE SPORT WAS CREATED BY JAMES NAISMITH.  A TEACHER BY THE NAME OF SENDA BERENSON TAUGHT THE GAME TO HER STUDENTS AT SMITH COLLEGE.  SENDA BERENSON HAD ANOTHER BIG CONTRIBUTION TO THE GAME OF BASKETBALL.  SHE CREATED THE DIFFERENT BASKETBALL POSITIONS OF CENTER, FORWARD, AND GUARD.  

D:  THE CENTER IS THE TALLEST PLAYER ON A TEAM, AND USUALLY PLAYS CLOSE TO THE BASKET.  ONE REASON THE CENTER OFTEN PLAYS CLOSE TO THE BAKSET IS SO HE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HIS HEIGHT TO GET REBOUNDS.

O:  THE POWER FORWARD IS USUALLY THE NEXT BIGGEST PLAYER ON THE TEAM, AND PLAYS CLOSE TO THE BASKET, BUT CAN ALSO SHOOT FROM FURTHER AWAY.

D:  THE SMALL FORWARD IS MORE VERSATILE AND CAN ROAM ALL AROUND THE COURT, SHOOTING BOTH LONG SHOTS AND CLOSE ONES AS WELL.  

O:  THE SHOOTING GUARD IS USUALLY THE BEST SHOOTER ON THE TEAM.  HE IS USUALLY A THREAT TO TAKE LONG SHOTS, INCLUDING THREE POINTERS, WITH REGULARITY.

D:  THE POINT GUARD RUNS THE OFFENSE, AND IS THE PLAYER THAT DRIBBLES THE BALL UP FOR A TEAM.  FOR THAT REASON, THE POINT GUARD USUALLY HAS GREAT BALL CONTROL.  

O:  ONE OF THE MOST ELECTRIFYING SHOTS A PLAYER CAN TAKE IS A SLAM DUNK.  IT TURNS OUT THAT THE FIRST SLAM DUNK IN HISTORY WAS A BIT OF AN ACCIDENT.  IT TOOK PLACE IN A COLLEGE BASKETBALL GAME ALL THE WAY BACK IN 1944, A COUPLE OF YEARS BEFORE THE NBA EVEN STARTED.  A 7 FOOT PLAYER ON OKLAHOMA A&M BY THE NAME OF BOB KURLAND WAS UNDER THE NET, BUT HE COULDN’T DRIBBLE AND HE COULDN’T FIND A TEAMMATE TO PASS TO.  HE DECIDED TO JUMP UP AND STUFF THE BALL INTO THE BASKET.  

D:  THE FIRST DUNK FOR A FEMALE PLAYER CAME 40 YEARS LATER IN 1984, ALSO IN A COLLEGE BASKETBALL GAME.  GEORGEANN WELLS OF WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY RECEIVED A HALF COURT PASS, THEN DROVE TO THE BAKSET FOR A SLAM DUNK.  NO OTHER WOMEN WOULD DUNK THE BALL IN A COLLEGE GAME FOR 10 YEARS AFTER GEORGEANN WELLS DID IT.  

O:  DID YOU KNOW THAT TWO WOMEN WERE DRAFTED TO PLAY IN THE NBA?  DENISE LONG WAS SELECTED BY THE SAN FRANCISCO WARRIORS IN 1969, AND LUISA HARRIS WAS SELECTED BY THE NEW ORLEANS JAZZ IN 1977.  

D:  YOU WANNA HEAR A RIDICULOUS BASKETBALL STAT?  THE RECORD FOR THE MOST POINTS SCORED BY A PLAYER IN A SINGLE GAME IS 100 POINTS.  THAT WAS DONE BY THE GREAT WILT CHAMBERLAIN IN 1962 AGAINST OUR BELOVED NEW YORK KNICKS.  THE FINAL SCORE OF THAT GAME WAS PHILADELPHIA WARRIORS 169 - NEW YORK KNICKS 147.  IN THAT GAME, CHAMBERLAIN HIT 36 OF THE 63 SHOTS HE ATTEMPTED, SO THAT’S 72 POINTS RIGHT THERE.  HE THEN ADDED 28 OUT OF 32 FREE THROWS ATTEMPTED, FOR AN ADDITIONAL 28 POINTS, TO EQUAL 100.  

O:  NO PLAYER HAS COME CLOSE TO BEATING CHAMBERLAIN’S RECORD.  THE NEXT HIGHEST POINT TOTAL IN A SINGLE GAME GOES TO KOBE BRYANT, WHO PUT UP 81 POINTS FOR THE LAKERS AGAINST THE RAPTORS BACK IN 2006.  

D:  HERE’S ANOTHER STAT ABOUT WILT CHAMBERLAIN THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND.  70 OR MORE POINTS HAVE BEEN SCORED BY A PLAYER IN A SINGLE GAME 13 TIMES IN THE HISTORY OF THE NBA.  SIX OF THOSE THIRTEEN 70 POINT GAMES WERE ACCOMPLISHED BY WILT CHAMBERLAIN.   ALSO, OF THE SIX 70 POINT GAMES WILT CHAMBERLAIN HAD, HIS TEAM ACTUALLY LOST THREE OF THOSE GAMES, AND THAT’S JUST RIDICULOUS.  MICHAEL JORDAN, CONSIDERED BY MANY TO BE THE BEST PLAYER IN NBA HISTORY, NEVER SCORED 70 OR MORE POINTS IN A GAME.  

O:  MORE FACTS ABOUT WILT CHAMBERLAIN.  HE IS THE ALL TIME NBA LEADER IN REBOUNDS, WITH 23,924 CAREER REBOUNDS.  NOT ONLY IS HE IN THE BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME, BUT HE’S IN THE VOLLEYBALL HALL OF FAME AS WELL.

D:  AS AMAZING AS WILT CHAMBERLAIN WAS, HE DIDN’T MAKE ESPN’S LIST OF THE 5 BEST NBA PLAYERS OF ALL TIME.

O:  THEIR LIST HAS MAGIC JOHNSON IN 5TH, BILL RUSSELL IN 4TH, KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR IN 3RD, LEBRON JAMES IN 2ND, AND MICHAEL JORDAN IN FIRST.  WILT CHAMBERLAIN APPEARED ON THE LIST IN A VERY RESPECTABLE 6TH PLACE.

D:  ALRIGHT OLIVIA, WE’VE LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT BASKETBALL, BUT THERE IS ONE MORE THING TO LEARN.  WHO IS THE PLAYER THAT APPEARS AS A SILHOUETTE ON THE ICONIC LOGO OF THE NBA?

O:  THAT WOULD BE JERRY WEST, WHO USED TO PLAY AS A GUARD FOR THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS.  HE WAS ELECTED INTO THE BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME IN 1979.  THE LOGO WAS CREATED IN 1969.  

D:  ODDLY ENOUGH, THE COMMISSIONER OF THE NBA AT THE TIME, WALTER KENNEDY, APPROVED THE LOGO, NOT EVEN KNOWING THAT IT WAS JERRY WEST.  ALSO, NOBODY HAD EVER ASKED JERRY WEST IF IT WAS OKAY TO USE HIS SILHOUETTE FOR THE LOGO.  IN FACT, JERRY WEST IS A BIT UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT BEING THE PLAYER IN THE LOGO AND HAS SAID THAT HE WISHES THE NBA WOULD CHANGE THE LOGO.  WELL, THAT’S A WRAP FOR THIS WEEK’S EPISODE.

O:  250 - BASKETBALL.

D:  GREAT JOB OLIVIA, AND GREAT JOB SHIV, BELLA, JULIA, KINGSLEY, QUINCY, CLAIRE, LUCA, ALEC, GRIFF, CREW, AND ARHAAN FOR BOUNCING A GREAT EPISODE TOPIC SUGGESTION OUR WAY.  

BEFORE THE FINAL BUZZER SOUNDS ON THIS EPISODE, WE HAVE SOME AMAZING LISTENERS TO THANK.

O:  WE WANT TO THANK OUR NEWEST PATREON SUPPORTERS, ARAVAH AND NAVEH H.

D:  A BIG THANKS TO ARAVAH AND NAVEH FOR THE SUPPORT.  WE CAN’T DO THE PODCAST WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF SPECIAL LISTENERS LIKE YOU.  

O:  WE ALSO WANT TO THANK USERNAME GREAT PODCAST EVER FOR THE 5 STAR REVIEW ALL THE WAY FROM JAPAN.

D:  THE REVIEW SAYS “THIS IS MY FAVORITE PODCAST!  I LOVE IT AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK”.

O:  THAT’S AMAZING.  WE GET SO EXCITED WHEN SOMEONE TAKES THE TIME TO LEAVE US A 5 STAR REVIEW.

D:  WE SURE DO.  JOIN US NEXT WEEK, WHEN WE GET CURIOUS ABOUT CLOTHES FOR LISTENERS IN CANADA, TEXAS, AND NEW YORK.  AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING AND GETTING CURIOUS WITH US.