The Underdogs Podcast Best Moments of 2022 | The Underdogs | E23

World B Free: Witnessing Racism on Path to NBA, D3 to Pro, Saving Cavaliers Franchise, Black History

🎙️ Podcast Intro: Join us in this special Black History Month episode as we introduce Lloyd Bernard Free, widely known as World B Free, NBA All-Star and the man before LeBron who saved Cleveland basketball. Discover the journey of one of the greatest scorers in NBA history, also known as the Brownsville Bomber and Mr. World B Free! 🌍 Upbringing: Born in Atlanta and playing high school ball in Brooklyn, New York, World B Free's journey began. Learn about his college days at Guilford College NAIA, a school inspiring social justice reform, where he won the National NAIA Tournament and MVP as a freshman, playing alongside ML Carr. 🏀 Draft Process: Explore the draft process and initial thoughts on being drafted 2.23 to Philly. Delve into his early NBA years and massive stat jumps, questioning what changed in his second and fourth seasons. ⭐ NBA Stardom: Craig discusses World B Free's All-Star nod, finishing second in the scoring title race to George Gervin. Explore the transformation of basketball during the golden era of the mid-'70s to late '80s. 🔄 Era Transformation: Witness the evolution of basketball during this golden era, from playing when the 3pt line was added to being credited with saving basketball in Cleveland. 🔍 Social Justice and Civil Rights: Mike's mental minute uncovers World B Free's experiences with racism and playing through major movements in civil rights history. 🎓 Life After Basketball: Discover World B Free's journey post-NBA as the Director of Player Development and Community Ambassador for the Sixers. 🏆 Hall of Fame Controversy: Craig questions if World B Free feels robbed of a Hall of Fame spot and explores aspects of his career that he wishes were more talked about. 🔗 Outro: Don't miss out! This episode is also available on all streaming platforms. Follow us on Instagram to stay updated with upcoming guests and exclusive content! Previously recorded episode from February of 2023. Follow the Hosts: Jordan Daly: https://www.instagram.com/jordandalynba/ Mike Taylor: https://www.instagram.com/88miketaylor/ Craig Smith: https://www.instagram.com/blackrhino83/ Underdogs IG: https://www.instagram.com/underdogs.podcast/ Buy Craig's book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/1dOsINE

Coach Ken Hunter: Becoming Drew League Legend, Last Chance U, Being the Best College Recruiter | E24

Real ones know him from the Drew League, but he became a household name after his time on Netflix's Last Chance U - Detroit's own Coach Ken Hunter! In this episode, Coach Hunter takes us through his upbringing, his unfortunate injury that left him paralyzed, and how he got into coaching. Growing up in a rough area of Detroit, coach Ken used basketball as a way out. During his playing career in college, he was left with an unfortunate injury that would end his career and leave him paralyzed. Coach walks us through the mental health struggles of dealing with and accepting his injury, and how being led into a coaching career saved his life. Over his coaching career, he has quickly become known for being one of the best college basketball recruiters in the country, always finding hidden gems. He gives gems to youth players, letting us in on what he looks for, and what makes a player successful at the college level and beyond.  Coach Ken is a beloved Drew League coach, known for coaching some of the game's best players, from the NBA and beyond. He is also a successful assistant coach at East Los Angeles College, ELAC, a JUCO school known for delivering players to a D1 level. Catch Coach Ken and the rest of the ELAC crew on Last Chance U, now streaming on Netflix!  Follow the Hosts: Jordan Daly: https://www.instagram.com/jordandalynba/ Mike Taylor: https://www.instagram.com/88miketaylor/ Craig Smith: https://www.instagram.com/blackrhino83/ Buy Craig's book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/1dOsINE Follow the Guest: Ken Hunter: https://www.instagram.com/coach_ken_last_chance_u/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/khunterjr ELAC Basketball Twitter: https://twitter.com/ElacBball Find the video version of this podcast on YouTube!

The Underdogs Podcast Best Moments of 2022 | The Underdogs | E23

To close out our first year as a podcast, we sat down and looked back at some of our favorite moments, going episode by episode. In order: 1. Podcast intro episode 2. Jared Dudley 3. Ricky Davis 4. Antwon Tanner 5. George Gervin 6. Jumaine Jones 7. Mario Chalmers 8. Ryan Hollins 9. Chris Copeland 10. Dorell Wright 11. Mike Bibby 12. Chaniel Smiley 13. Cedric Ceballos 14. Andre Miller 15. Thomas Scott 16. Troy Hudson 17. Jordan Norwood 18. Donte Greene 19. Eddy Curry 20. James White 21. David Hawkins 22. Bobby Jones Jr. All-Stars, Hall of Famers, Champions, record breakers, commissioners, actors, advocates, and more - we did it all this year. Thank you for rocking with us in 2022! Here's to new heights in '23. In this episode, we also announce our partnership with Slic Studios, led by NBA great Baron Davis. Follow the Underdogs Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/underdogs.podcast [https://www.instagram.com/underdogs.podcast] Follow the Hosts: Jordan Daly: https://www.instagram.com/jordandalynba/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa3EzbjgxbGUxX3lmTlVpaERNNXBVNUZkektNUXxBQ3Jtc0ttSVZnYy1uUGlZLWxwZndQM2ZHQzd4aUZtcXNOY0xUWmNqaVlmb0hUMmg3WjYtTHZQNFg4VUZOYy1PbW1xcTI2eWEyREk5WmVCdjVNRjd5NG52bVEzQ3M5S0ZkTmRSX2FyanhGZmtVTUp2ZGJIbnhwWQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fjordandalynba%2F&v=VnxF1xAxy2M] Mike Taylor: https://www.instagram.com/88miketaylor/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbmtzQ3VJOXlWdkhLVnpKSTJFNjdyMVdhNU1rd3xBQ3Jtc0tsVlR6SUhKWFhSXzFIYVNTOWJYdUxBaHE0WEc5eFFnTTN0WDBYWUxtNm5sQVBPVlpWVG1iN3FHcVlzWm9pNjZqQlF2d01kYTB0elRnbUVSa0xxZ3l4RVRHbVBhdm9VM3VFUzBEQkNtTzRZS01EcjdXZw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2F88miketaylor%2F&v=VnxF1xAxy2M] Craig Smith: https://www.instagram.com/blackrhino83/ [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbWx5c0twNWFUZm5qQ2xYZ3MyeHAzNkIzdDlGUXxBQ3Jtc0tsdmxBSFNlblkxNWwxWmdaMHJIYjNRaEJ6OGJ3bURQOElndFpQODgzaWxuLUNVMU1zenZUVzhVcG1DZWl0MENnUVl1TWp6eTFVLWIwV3pQdjJEeHF1Q0xDMmdvQ2VTNFl1YWpmOTAxelQzVERiTi1CRQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fblackrhino83%2F&v=VnxF1xAxy2M]  Find the video version of this podcast on YouTube!

Bobby Jones Jr: NBA Record 5 Teams in 1 Year, Staying in the League is Harder than Getting In | E22

This is one of the League's greatest unknown stories. For those who haven't lived it, many believe making it to the NBA is the hardest part, but it's not - staying in the league is harder. Bobby starts his basketball career in his home city of Compton, where he played on one of the greatest high school basketball teams of all time, alongside the most coveted draft prospect in Tyson Chandler - Dominguez High School.  After transferring schools during his junior year of high school due to controversy from the team's coach, Bobby had to learn how to cope with change early on.  During the college recruiting process, Bobby decided to stay on the west coast. Bobby goes into detail on how the September 11th attacks actually affected his college decision, pushing him away from selecting Boston College to play alongside Craig Smith and Jared Dudley. Deciding on Washington, Bobby played alongside basketball greats Brandon Roy and Nate Robinson. He was a 4-year starter, proving his talent enough to get drafted into the NBA. We also talk about Bobby and Craig's time on Team USA, winning the gold medal.  Bobby's rookie year was spent with the Philadelphia 76ers. His sophomore year was when things went crazy. Bobby spent his second and final year in the NBA playing for an NBA record 5 teams. Starting with the Denver Nuggets, Bobby then went to the Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, Miami Heat, and finally to the San Antonio Spurs. This has us talk about the struggle of staying in the league and what it takes. We also break down the mental health effects of 10-day contracts and constantly fighting for your life to stay on a roster. We then talk about Bobby's overseas experiences, his filmmaking journey, and what he is up to now.   Follow the Hosts: Jordan Daly: https://www.instagram.com/jordandalynba/ Mike Taylor: https://www.instagram.com/88miketaylor/ Craig Smith: https://www.instagram.com/blackrhino83/ Buy Craig's book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/1dOsINE Follow the Guest: Bobby Jones Jr: https://www.instagram.com/basketballjones84/ Bobby's documentary: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/basketballjones  Find the video version of this podcast on YouTube!

David Hawkins: The Worldwide Overseas Basketball Champion You NEED to Learn About | Underdogs | E21

While he may not be a household name, this Worldwide Champion (who was also just sent to the Temple University Hall of Fame) is a name you need to know - David Hawkins. Growing up in the DC Metro area, Hawk didn't pick up a basketball until his brother put the ball in his hands. Following in his bro's footsteps, Hawk joins the Archbishop Carroll High School basketball team, a team known for sending guys to the NBA.  Committing to Temple, Hawk played under Hall of Fame coach John Chaney. He had a solid start to his college career until he was suspended for bad grades. The suspension made him miss major, Nationally televised games - something he credits the lack of NBA attention to. He ended his senior year being 3rd in the country for points per game (PPG). Hawk, who is a guard/forward combo, ultimately goes undrafted. He was later told that being a 4-year college player was part of the reason why - scouts had seen too much of him and preferred untapped, straight-from-high school players. Bouncing around in the NBA Summer League, Hawkins failed to find a permanent home, sending him, overseas. Finding instant success overseas, Hawkins became a multi-time MVP and Champion in some of the top leagues in Europe (Italian Cup, EuroLeague, EuroBasket, etc...) and beyond - he is one of the most decorated overseas basketball players of all time. Fast forward a few years, all while having continued success overseas, Ice Cube forms a 3-on-3 basketball league, the BIG3. Originally intended for former NBA players only, David Hawkins impressed Ice Cube and the rest of the team captains enough to bend the rules to let him into the Draft, where he was later selected. Since the inaugural season, David Hawkins has dominated. He has won 3 of the 5 league championships and is the only 3-time champion in the league. He is the Bill Russell of the BIG3. Follow the Underdogs Podcast: https://www.instagram.com/underdogs.p [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbEJFemowdWxvdFBiZkd0dURSN3RaM2U4TGw1UXxBQ3Jtc0tub0FMYXhGTi02WWNEeFYtWlIwNEVGUzV5Q3ZIVk54MGtPbjNkUEdxaFJxQU92SmpPTVJDNEFidHFseVNoczVzQmR2b1lLdjVSUFFPZmJnUTR2NDMzLWRKcWVnS3NJUXpoR2E1NklzYmt4a1pJVmJLZw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Funderdogs.podcast%2F&v=VnxF1xAxy2M]odcast/