Legends Of Sport With Andrew D. Bernstein

With the NBA playoffs getting started, we're taking it back to the start of Season 2 with one of the top NBA centers of all time - David Robinson, aka "The Admiral"! Andy & co-host Mimi chat with David about growing up in a military family, how he literally grew out of being a baseball player, the impact of his playing idol Ralph Sampson, the late Mark Eaton, his father prophesying him playing in the NBA, how his Naval Academy experience informed his basketball career, turning the Spurs into contenders, shepherding a young Tim Duncan, his incredible message to the team after winning a championship, thoughts on One-and-Done players, and memories of playing on The Dream Team! David & Andy also discuss The Carver Academy, their first time meeting during the Wooden Award Ceremony in 1987, a photoshoot in the pouring rain, & more memories from their many years on the court together. Original Air Date: January 8, 2019.Beyond the Lens workshop - coming soon! Sign up now at BeyondTheLens.live

Andy chats with world-renowned orthopedic surgeon - Dr. Robert Klapper! Dr. Klapper describes the example his parents set growing up in Far Rockaway, NY, how the 1968 Olympics inspired his pursuit of higher education, how studying art influenced & enriched his life, his "ah-ha" moment on a trip to Italy studying Renaissance sculptor Michelangelo, his own passion for sculpting, how saving a life earned him a spot at the University of Hawaii, his incredible surfing analogy for living life to the fullest, his former ESPN radio show "Weekend Warrior," and his upcoming project "Klapper Vision" - all about sports injuries!Beyond the Lens workshop - coming soon! Sign up now at BeyondTheLens.live

This week's LOS Classic features Dodgers Legend - Orel Hershiser! Orel talks about his path into broadcasting post-career, his underdog story as a young athlete, the incredible year of 1988 which culminated in a Cy Young Award & World Series Championship, his thoughts on his Hall Of Fame snub, his record-breaking 59 consecutive scoreless inning streak, his remarkable return from shoulder reconstruction surgery, thoughts on pitch counts, poker vs pitching, Sandy Koufax's impact on his game, his toughest battles on the mound, and much more! Original Air Date: August 6, 2018.

Andy chats with journalist & fellow Curt Gowdy Award winner - Jackie MacMullan! Andy & Jackie discuss her recent retirement, why she decided to hang it up, how access to players has changed over the years, how she approached covering difficult topics & subjects, Kobe Bryant's relationship with Michael Jackson, Michael Jordan's speech at Kobe's memorial, covering the NBA bubble in 2020, players standing up for social justice issues, her hooping bonafides, her path to the Boston Globe, being the first female sports columnist for the Globe, paving the way for female journalists, and so much more! Beyond the Lens workshop - coming soon! Sign up now at BeyondTheLens.live

Andy chats with Los Angeles Sparks forward & ESPN host - Chiney Ogwumike! Originally recorded at the start of the pandemic, Andy & Chiney talk about the ongoing shutdown of sports & its impact on the WNBA. Chiney tells us about her Nigerian roots, growing up in Houston, her early basketball inspirations, her sisters Nneka & Erica, & memories of Kobe Bryant. PLUS, Chiney also discusses her achievements & future goals with NBA Africa, as well as her role as Vice President of the WNBA Players Association & how she's impacting the future of women's sports! Be sure to check out her podcast, "Certified Buckets"! Original Air Date: April 24, 2020.

Andy chats with 3x Olympic hockey player & current Director of Player Development for the New Jersey Devils - Meghan Duggan! Andy & Meghan discuss her path to the ice while growing up in Danvers, MA, her experience playing for the Wisconsin Badgers, moving up to Team USA only to witness the many inequities facing the women's game, her current role as Director of Player Personnel with the Devils, the strides made in the last few years in women's hockey, female executives in the NHL & other male leagues, the greatest moment in her career, what it means to play for your country, the future of women's hockey, and so much more!

Andy chats with fellow Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame classmate - Grant Hill! Andy & Grant discuss his Hall Of Fame Induction, how the HOF news affected him, growing up with a father in the NFL, his mother being roommates with Hillary Clinton & mentor to Michelle Obama, a pickup game with the Clintons, visits to the White House, the rise in social justice issues in the NBA, walking a similar path with Jason Kidd - from Co-Rookie of the Year to the Hall Of Fame, the genius of Coach K at Duke, his famous March Madness pass to Christian Laettner that took down Kentucky in the Elite Eight in 1992, thoughts on one-and-done, his love for art, purchasing the Atlanta Hawks & life as a NBA owner, the TRUE story of how Roger Staubach named him, the hardest thing he's ever had to do, and so much more!

SHOWTIME! Andy chats with Showtime Lakers legend Jamaal "Silk" Wilkes! Andy & Jamaal reminisce over their years together with the Los Angeles Lakers. Jamaal reflects on his time playing in the Showtime Lakers era, the influence of Dr. Buss on the entire Lakers organization, behind his nickname "Silk", his experience playing under Coach John Wooden at UCLA, the recruiting process that lead him to UCLA, how winning Rookie of the Year AND the NBA Championship in the same year propelled his career, playing alongside the likes of incomparable stars like Rick Barry & Magic Johnson, the genesis of his unique shooting style - including a curious shooting session with Coach Wooden, his 37-point performance in Game 6 of the 1980 NBA Finals, his vantagepoint of the famous team-galvanizing moment on the Lakers plane ride that preceded the game, the genesis of his involvement in the 1975 film "Cornbread, Earl and Me", how the movie informed his own life, and so much more!

Flash back to the weekend that started this podcast! Both interviews took place during the 2018 NBA All-Star Weekend at Staples Center in Los Angeles! Andy chats with George "The Iceman" Gervin, & "The Glove" Gary Payton! George talks about the genesis of his nickname "The Iceman", memories from his playing days, growing up in the Motown era, the 1983 All Star Game, playing with a young Michael Jordan in his final year, why he doesn't consider MJ the GOAT, how Magic Johnson changed the game, the George Gervin Youth Center, and more! NEXT, Andy is joined by "The Glove" Gary Payton! Gary describes his path from Oakland to Oregon State to the NBA, the influence of his father on him & other NBA'ers from Oakland, the heartbreak from the Supersonics leaving Seattle, the bombing that occurred during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, his world famous trash talking, going "full neck", the Gary Payton-Shawn Kemp duo "The Rainman & The Glove", the genesis of "The Glove" nickname, his sons, and much more!

Andy chats with Dallas Mavericks legend - Rolando Blackman! The first and ONLY Panamanian player to grace the NBA! Andy & Ro discuss the culture shock he experienced moving from Panama to Brooklyn, how he discovered the game of basketball, playing for Kansas State in college, Walt Frazier, the heartbreak from the 1980 Olympic team that never was, being drafted to a brand new Dallas Mavs franchise, playing for the very tough Coach Dick Motta, memories from the 1988 Western Conference Finals vs the Showtime Lakers, finishing his career with the New York Knicks under coach Pat Riley, the 1987 All Star Game & the legendary trash talk that ensued, and much more! Plus, his current role with the Mavs, and how he's giving back as a U.N. Ambassador to the Office of Drugs & Crime!

In honor of LA Kings legend Dustin Brown's jersey retirement and statue dedication, we're revisiting our chat with Hockey Hall of Famer and current LA Kings President - Luc Robitaille! Andy & the crew took the podcast to the LA Kings Practice facility in El Segundo, CA to chat with the LA Kings Pres. just before the 2018 season! Luc tells his story; from simply trying to make an NHL roster, to stories from his six seasons playing with Wayne Gretzky! Luc shares some of his most memorable moments from his playing AND front office careers, winning & losing Stanley Cups, lessons from Barry Melrose, the greatest goalies throughout his career, Jaromír Jágr's legendary conditioning, the ups and downs for the LA Kings franchise, and so much more! Original Air Date: September 10, 2018.

Showtime!! Andy chats with Showtime Lakers Legend "Big Game" James Worthy! Andy & James reminisce over the Showtime Lakers Reunion in Hawaii last year, the family bond the team still shares, the trash talk, and the "crawl through"! James also talks about the coin flip that made him a Laker, his first few years on an already star-studded Lakers roster, learning to play with Magic Johnson, his New Balance deal, his nickname "Clever", and LeBron James passing Kareem's NBA scoring record! James describes his welcome to the NBA moment with Kurt Rambis, his many years of charitable contributions, and his partnership with Waiakea Water!

In this week’s Legends Of Sport Classic episode, we revisit Andy’s conversation with the late Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris. Franco passed away on Dec. 20, 2022, just days shy of the Pittsburgh Steelers retiring his No. 32 in a long planned halftime ceremony celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the “Immaculate Reception.” Andy & Franco discuss his early life growing up, his path to the NFL, turning around the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1970s, memories from "The Immaculate Reception", how Frank Sinatra became Brigadier General of "Franco’s Italian Army", what it meant to become the first African American & first Italian American Super Bowl MVP in the league’s history, his incredible charitable work in the city of Pittsburgh, and his thoughts on the Steelers’ contract debacles with LeVeon Bell & Antonio Brown. Original Air Date: February 26, 2019 - Season 2, Episode 8.

Sports & Rock n' Roll!!! Continuing our Legends of Photography series, Andy chats with iconic sports & rock n' roll photographer - Michael Zagaris! Michael details his career throughout the 60's & 70's rock scene, as well as his many years with the San Francisco 49ers & Oakland A's! Andy & Michael also discuss his newest book "Field of Play: 60 Years of NFL Photography", the evolution of photojournalism, and his book "Total Excess" about the rock music scene in San Francisco in the 1970s! Michael shares some of his wildest adventures; from career advice from Eric Clapton, living with Peter Frampton in London, the early days of shooting sports, pitching Bill Walsh on unlimited access, Joe Montana vs Steve Young, a showdown with Coach Jim Harbaugh, exploring the punk scene with the Sex Pistols, and so much more!

This week's LOS CLASSIC features legendary basketball coach - Mike Krzyzewski! Andy & Coach K talk about his intimate recruiting process, creating a family atmosphere on all of his teams, the "one-and-done" rule, the brilliance of Coach Chuck Daly, the cultural impact of the Dream Team, the notorious Dream Team scrimmage, his relationship with Michael Jordan, Kobe's leadership on the Redeem Team, how Jerry Colangelo created the culture around USA Basketball, why he told his players to play with ego, serving with the US Army, how he used his military experience in coaching, his time coaching at West Point, a Gladiator motivation story, Bruce Springsteen, and so much more!

Andy chats with fellow 2018 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame classmate - Rick Welts! Andy & Rick share stories from over the years, how "retirement" is treating him, the state of the NBA when he arrived in the late 70's, the genesis & evolution of the NBA's All-Star Weekend, his 2018 HOF enshrinement, a great Spencer Haywood story, his deep love for the Seattle SuperSonics, his unlikely friendship with Bill Russell, his coming out moment in 2011 & why that was the right time, working with former Commissioner David Stern, & what he's doing now!

Andy chats with legendary commentator Andrés Cantor! Andy & Andrés relive the final moments of Argentina's emotional World Cup victory! Plus, his path into broadcasting, how he found his signature style, the passion & history behind his famous "GOOOOL" calls, the moment he thought France had won, Argentina's incredible passion for the game, & so much more!

SHOWTIME! Andy chats with friend and Showtime Lakers Legend - Byron Scott!! Andy & Byron discuss their time at the Showtime Lakers Reunion in Maui this year, thinking back on how special the Showtime era really was, the family bond that was created on the Showtime teams, what he saw in an 18-year-old Kobe Bryant, facing Kobe & the Lakers as a coach in the 2002 NBA Finals, his podcast "Off the Dribble", how Pat Riley & Larry Brown inspired him to coach, the idea of LeBron passing Kareem, why Kareem will always be his GOAT, & his incredible charitable work! Plus, Kareem shooting skyhooks at 75 years old, trash talk, the legendary rivalry between the Lakers & Celtics, & so much more!

This week's LOS CLASSIC features legendary UCLA gymnastics coach - Valorie Kondos Field! Andy & Miss Val discuss her professional dance career, her path into coaching gymnastics, how Coach John Wooden's book informed her coaching style, how she transformed UCLA’s program, the topic of body shaming in gymnastics, changing the culture of the sport, Katelyn Ohashi, the Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal, her battle with breast cancer, and what's next!

Andy chats with one of the most iconic broadcasting duos of all time - Ralph Lawler & Bill Walton! Ralph & Bill share memories from their 13 years in the booth together, their first time meeting, how Ralph saved Bill's life, the chance moment that lead to Bill's broadcasting career, memories from the early days of their broadcast partnership, an infamous river rafting trip, entertaining the lean years of the Clippers, all the times Bill was "fired", a spanish prank, & Ralph's new book "Bingo!: 40 Years In The NBA".