Phil Jackson and Dennis Rodman. Photo Courtesy on NBA.com

John Salley caught up with Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson and discussed Phil Jackson and Dennis Rodman’s relationship on the 90s Chicago Bulls. Press Play Below To Listen!

Retired NBA legend John Salley played in the NBA for 11 years suiting up for the Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers.

During that time, the Brooklyn, NY native who became the first player in NBA history to play on three different championship-winning franchises has graced the court with talented folks including Hall of Famers Isiah Thomas, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal and future HOF’er Kobe Bryant.

Salley also has had the opportunity to play with one of the best rebounders to ever play in the NBA in Dennis Rodman.

Salley, who holds the distinction of being the first player in NBA history to win a championship in three different decades actually won a championship with Rodman in with the ‘89 Detroit Pistons. He won another with The Worm in ‘96 as a member of the Chicago Bulls.

Colorful hair, rockstar lifestyle, painted nails and more, what’s Dennis like?

“In Detroit even though he was older than me, Dennis was the youngest guy on the squad because he didn’t have more life experiences than me,” John Salley told me on Scoop B Radio.

“But in Chicago, he was open.”

Rodman headlined the Bulls’ big 3 that included Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan and was coached by Phil Jackson.

To Salley, Rodman’s transformation was like night and day.“It was like he had eaten an apple that made him see what life was like,” said Salley.

“Our work preparation in Detroit was always, we were coming from behind because we were the underdogs. But in Chicago, he had come into his own and realized that no one can do what he can do. Nobody was as strong, nobody was built like him, nobody was as determined, nobody could do the things that he could and he realized that and he played along with it and decided to become Jimi Hendrix and Jim Larsen, at the same time while playing basketball. So he was just a different cat.”

Dennis Rodman and John Salley while members of the Detroit Pistons. Photo Credit: Detroit Athletic Co.

While scoring a shade over 7 points during his career, Rodman averaged 13.1 rebounds per game for his career and lived his best life on those late 90s Chicago Bulls teams.

He picked his prey by getting into the heads of Utah Jazz forward Karl Malone. He even got into verbal spars with former Houston Rockets big man, turned TNT analyst, Charles Barkley and the New Jersey Nets’ Jayson Williams who were all league leaders in rebounding.

“Dennis thought all the way through,” said Salley.

“And he’d figure out that if he studied everything that a guy did on offense and figured out what to not let them do before you get to a certain point, Dennis would stop you at the first point and not let you get to your flow.

Salley believes that by Phil Jackson giving Rodman the freedom to be himself in the Bulls locker room, it translated onto the basketball court where it allowed the eccentric player to give it his all. “In Chicago, while Phil [Jackson] was talking, he would take a shower and go get dressed,” said Salley.

“Next thing you know, he was on the court; ready to go and at the end of the game, he [Dennis Rodman] would be on his bike doing cardio.”

Dennis Rodman and Charles Barkley trash talking during a game

Added Salley:

“Phil wouldn’t say anything. He would just let him flow. With anybody else, it would be like: ‘you get in here with everybody else.’ But Phil knew that he was in his world and when he is in his world he turns out to be this unbelievable thing. And believe it or not, running the triangle offense for some people is hard. When Dennis picked it up, he was unstoppable because he was still able to get his rebounds one-on-one because when he’s in the triangle, if he’s in the lane with just one or two other people in there with him, they weren’t going to beat him for the rebound.”

Rodman began his career in the NBA at the small forward position. He’d later shift to the power forward when he played for the San Antonio Spurs and was famously traded by the Spurs to the Chicago Bulls by current Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich.

Rodman’s small forward physique helped him maneuver for position for rebounds on the basketball court with bigger opponents. But his intelligence allowed him to savvily get into their heads. “He was quick, light on his feet and as strong as an Ox,” he said.

“So he stayed that way.”

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The post John Salley says late 90s MJ era Chicago Bulls benefited from Phil Jackson letting Dennis Rodman ‘flow’ appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Retired NBA players Charles Oakley and TIm Thomas. Photo Credit: Scoop B Radio

Tim Thomas tells Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson that Charles Oakley let him know the Chicago Bulls were going to buy him out of his contract at Michael Jordan’s party back in 2006. Press Play Below To Listen!

Retired NBA vet Tim Thomas is actually a good story teller. 

In the past, Thomas has shared classic stories like the feuds with fellow retired hooper, Kenyon Martin while both on the court and even in nightclub.

We’ve moved past that, though! 

Why, you ask? 

‘Cuz Tim Thomas has funny Charles Oakley stories, too! And apparently Charles Oakley has Ms. Cleo future telling genes.

Appearing on the Scoop B Radio podcast, Tim Thomas recounts attending a card game party hosted by both Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen in Chicago 2006 that Charles Oakley was also present for.

At the time, Thomas had one season left on his deal that would have paid him nearly $6.5 million. Oakley let him know he would soon be leaving Chi-city!

Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan and Charles Oakley. Photo Credit: Pinterest

“MJ was hosting a card game so I went over there and all of the guys just told me: ‘hey man you’re not going to play here,’” Thomas recounted.

“Pippen was there, Jordan was there and Oak was really the one who told me.”

The Chicago Bulls were sculpting their rebuilding project that would see them draft Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah over the next couple of years and have both Vinny Del Negro and Tom Thibodeau guide the team as their head coach.

Thomas wanted to genuinely really leave a good impression with the Bulls, but no such luck. “I was about to be a free agent, so I wanted to showcase myself to get another contract,” he said.

“They got me just so that they could get me off of the books at the end of the year.”

Don’t feel too bad for Timmy.

Thomas got the buyout that Oakley predicted with the Bulls and he signed with the Phoenix Suns. While in Phoenix, he’d joined forces with Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, Shawn Marion and then-Suns head coach Mike D’Antoni.

Thomas would arrive in Phoenix shooting a career 44-percent. He came in averaging 11.9 points per game and in the 2006 NBA Playoffs, he’d make the shot of his career in game 6 of the 2006 Western Conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers.

With 8 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Thomas hit a game-tying three to tie the game at the end of regulation. In overtime of that game, he hit an important three-pointer late in the game to seal the Suns’ win. The Suns would go on to win game 7 and overcome a 3-1 series deficit.

The Suns would lose to the Dallas Mavericks in the next round. But it was Oakley’s honesty month’s prior at Michael Jordan’s party in Chicago that is the catalyst for making this story ultra-interesting.

“Everything worked out,” said Thomas.

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The post Charles Oakley warned Tim Thomas of Bulls buying out his contract in ’06 while attending Michael Jordan’s party appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

OAKLAND, CA – 2000: Tracy McGrady of the Toronto Raptors competes in the Slam Dunk competition at the Oakland Arena on February 2000 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory copyright notice: Copyright NBAE 2000 (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)

Tracy McGrady was one of the most successful swingmen to play in the NBA. At a slim and lanky 6’8, McGrady had a quick first step, a smooth glide to the basket, a jab step with counter moves and a crossover dribble that makes you think Kevin Durant and George ‘The Iceman’ Gervin all-in-one.

To quote the late Notorious B.I.G., the Washington Wizards, Shawn Bradley and the New Jersey Nets ‘have a story to tell’ after the nightmares McGrady gave them with his scoring assaults that he unleashed in his prime.  

Step-backs and fall-aways, creativity in mid-air that seemed effortless, Tracy McGrady was the real deal in his NBA career.

This weekend, McGrady a 14-year retired NBA veteran, who in 938 games averaged 19.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Historically, many remember McGrady’s Houston Rocket days when he heroically scored 13 points in 35 seconds.

That December 9, 2004 rescue and 81-80 win over the San Antonio Spurs was no easy feat. For posterity’s sake, that was no easy feat. In 33 seconds, it took four buckets from beyond the arc, a made free throw to complete a four-point play and a steal to win by one point!

The only remotely exciting comparison to that game was the Indiana Pacers’ Reggie Miller’s eight points in nine seconds performance against the New York Knicks. With the Pacers down eight points with in nine seconds remaining in Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference semifinals, Reggie Miller pulled off a comeback like no other.

I’ll tread lightly though; Knicks fans are still healing from that disappointment.

McGrady’s journey is memorable and worth recounting. Tracy McGrady was drafted ninth by the Toronto Raptors in the 1997 NBA Draft. That draft class was laden with talent with two future Hall of Famers standing out from that list: Detroit Pistons hero Chauncey Billups and old reliable San Antonio Spurs big, Tim Duncan.

McGrady was special; so special the biggest rumor in 1997 was that the Bulls were looking to trade Scottie Pippen to acquire him.

In Jonathan Abrams’ book “Boys Among Men,”  (H/T CBS Sports’ Matt Moore)  it was revealed that Tracy McGrady was nearly traded to the Chicago Bulls for Scottie Pippen on draft night in 1997, but Michael Jordan vetoed it. McGrady confirmed that on an episode of ESPN’s The Jump with Rachel Nichols.

As Vice President of Basketball Operations of the Toronto Raptors, NBA Hall of Famer and two-time champ Isiah Thomas drafted McGrady in ‘97.

In Toronto, Thomas built a promising young roster when he drafted Damon Stoudamire, McGrady and Marcus Camby. What was significant about that budding roster was a). They played what is known in today’s game as small ball. b). McGrady would leave Toronto and flourish in Orlando.

**Expect Kyrie Irving’s move from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Boston Celtics to have a similar impact.

In a recent interview on Scoop B Radio, Isiah Thomas, now President of Basketball Operations for the WNBA’s New York Liberty broke down his thought process while housing McGrady in the 6. “When I put together the Toronto Raptors, if you remember the power forward position at that time was a position of strength, dominance, and you had to be physically strong to play that position,” Thomas told me.

“The shooting guard would be coming off of the power forward and the center would be your offense. During that time, what I talked about with my scouting staff and also our ownership group at that time was that we have to find a way to change the game and really affect things out on the floor. We came up with what we called the Raptor Two. And Raptor Two basically had to be a power forward that could also have guard skills, he had to be able to switch the power forward and the shooting guard and not lose ground.”

Added Thomas:

“One of the first trades that I made was for Doug Christie. The game was getting smaller, we had eliminated the power forward position and made it a very skilled position, so I’ll fast forward then I”ll take you back to McGrady. The thing that I left Toronto with was Stoudamire, Camby, Christie, McGrady, and they drafted [Vince]Carter, that was the blueprint.”

For two seasons (1998-2000), McGrady, Vince Carter, Doug Christie and company would lead the Raptors to a 68-64 record. Those feats included the Raptors first-ever winning season where they went 45-37 in 2000.

Toronto also made their first NBA playoff appearance, where they’d be swept 3-0 by the New York Knicks. Despite being swept, McGrady earned his big payday in the NBA Playoff. In game one, T-Mac registered 25 points and hauled in 10 rebounds.

“With T-Mac, a lot of people don’t know or would know that T-Mac was a decent player when he left Toronto and he got the opportunity with that one playoff game where they played New York,” McGrady’s Orlando Magic teammate, Darrell Armstrong told me on Scoop B Radio.

That offseason, McGrady bolted Toronto and signed a six-year, $67.5 million contract with the Orlando Magic. “Vince was being covered so much by all the guys on New York that T-Mac started to get off,” said Armstrong.

“And people started to see T-Mac’s talent during the playoffs that year. That is when we went and got him and that is when he came to the Magic that next year and what he did from there was just amazing because that is what he was supposed to be doing when he got to Toronto.”

Tracy McGrady guarded by Michael Jordan. Photo Credit: Yahoo Sports

A chance to play in his home state of Florida and team up with Grant Hill? Who could blame T-Mac?

“He put in the work and he dedicated himself everyday when he got into the game,” said Armstrong.

“He [knew he] was going to be one of the top players in the league and he did it. It was fun to see him and Kobe Bryant go at each other, Michael Jordan go at each other.  I was just amazed by it, the things that he could do. But he was something special.”

Although McGrady struggled to get out of the second round of the NBA Playoffs, we can never forget the 2003 NBA Playoffs when the league’s scoring champion shot over 51 percent from the field against the Detroit Pistons in their round one series.

The Magic had a 3-1 lead in the series with McGrady scoring 43, 46, 29 and 27 points, respectively against Detroit; but Orlando couldn’t seal the deal. They were eliminated.

If you’re keeping score at home, other exciting Tracy McGrady moments include:

• Landing an off-the-backboard alley-oop, thrown to himself during the 2002 NBA All Star Game.
• McGrady’s Adidas sneaker commercials were also enjoyable. 
• McGrady’s global reach in China substantiated after teaming with Yao Ming in Houston.
• Most importantly: McGrady’s duels with Kobe Bryant were legendary.

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The post Scoop B: Tracy McGrady’s Hall of Fame Career Is A Master Class In Knowing Self-Worth appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Former Chicago Scottie Pippen. Photo Credit: NBA Entertainment

Scottie Pippen joined ESPN’s “The Jump” to react to Robert Horry’s comments about the 90’s era NBA Champions Houston Rockets matching up and defeating the ‘Jordan-less” 1994-1995 Chicago Bulls.

See Here on ESPN’s “The Jump” with Rachel Nichols:

Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith originally stated this in an interview with Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson on Scoop B Radio Overtime.

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The post [Video] Scottie Pippen Disagrees With Robert Horry’s Belief Of Rockets Beating Bulls In ’94 NBA Finals appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Former Houston Rockets forward Robert Horry. Photo Credit: AL.com

Robert Horry, Paul Pierce, Stephen Jackson and Rachel Nichols discussed Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith’s notion that the 1994-1995 Houston Rockets would beat the Chicago Bulls had Michael Jordan not retired.

Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith originally stated this in an interview with RESPECT Magazine’s managing editor, Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson on Scoop B Radio Overtime.

The post [VIDEO] Robert Horry Agrees With Kenny ‘The Jet’ Smith’s Belief That Rockets Would Beat Bulls In ’94 appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Horace Grant rocking his goggles. Photo Credit: Bleacher Report

If you’re a follower of the NBA in the 90s or even played NBA Jam in the arcade, you’ll surely remember former Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic power forward Horace Grant and his goggles.

They were color coordinated too! They were blue and white during his Magic days playing with Penny Hardaway and Shaquille O’Neal. They were also white and red when he won three championship with the Bulls playing with Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan.

But check this out: he didn’t wear them for style!

Horace where the heck did you get those Rec Specs from? “Man, from the moon, from the stars,” Horace Grant joked on Scoop B Radio Overtime. “They came down and right in front of my locker. It said: ‘Horace Grant wear these and you’ll be unique.’ So from out of space that’s where I tell people I got them from, from outer space.

All joking aside: during his playing career, Grante was diagnosed as legally blind during his playing career. As a result, Grant rocked his goggles on court per the advice from the Chicago Bulls’ training staff.

Here’s the full account of Horace Grant’s goggle decision:

Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Horace where the hell did you get the Rec Specs from? I always wanted to ask you this. When I played NBA Jam the arcade version I’m like: ‘Where the hell did he get these colored Rec Specs?

Horace Grant: Man, from the moon, from the stars, they came down and right in front of my locker it said Horace Grant wear these and you’ll be unique so from out of space that’s where I tell people I got them from, from outer space.

Brandon ‘Scoop B’ Robinson: Did you wear them in college or is that something you strictly did when you came to the NBA?

Horace Grant: Never wore them in college. It was strictly NBA. To be honest, I was legally blind, didn’t know it, and my eye doctors from the Bulls said: ‘You know Horace try these goggles.’ And from that point on, that particular night the goggles became famous. 

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The post Horace Grant on Wearing Goggles: “I Tell People I Got Them From Outer Space” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

SALT LAKE CITY – JUNE 14: Michael Jordan #23 of the Chicago Bulls shoots the game-winning jumpshot against Utah Jazz during Game Seven of the1998 NBA Finals on June 14, 1998 at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Bulls defeated the Jazz 87-86. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 1998 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)

Remember that game winning shot that Michael Jordan hit in game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals against Byron Russell and the Utah Jazz? Apparently, Chicago rapper, The Boy Illinois has been channeling his Inner Michael Jeffrey Jordan 19 years later!

If you’re tardy to the party, here ya go!

The Chi-Town lyricist dropped his latest installment, “Koto Freestyle.” Produced by Shake & Bake, he silences his competition comparing the trendy rappers that once were on the scene as “missing persons.” The Boy Illinois is grounded and here to stay, he’s HOME.

He could be Derrick Rose, Toni Kukoc, Scottie Pippen.

Heck, even Charles Oakley! Why does The Boy Illinois feel like Jordan in game 6? “Ain’t nobody f***ing with me when it comes down to it,” The Boy Illinois told me by phone this evening.

“No need for game 7!”

Illi spits a mind full of thoughts that demonstrates that he’s coming for the crown. 2017 has been gracious to the brotha’ in the Midwest. He’s garnered press in the Chicago media. WGN Radio, WGCI (Clear Channel) and Chicago Reader have been gracious in giving him his just due. proves he has earned his spot as one of the new top emcees emerging in the industry.

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The post Scoop B: The Boy Illinois Channels Inner Game 6, Michael Jordan In “Koto Freestyle” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.