When I first got into watching basketball around the age 8, the allure of the sport was following the stars I saw on television.  I liked watching players like Julius Erving,  Bernard King, Terence Stansbury and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.  But my two favorite basketball players by far were James Worthy and Dominique Wilkins. I admired Worthy’s quick, first step in the post and his ability to take a Magic Johnson pass and finish with authority.  In Wilkins, I admired the sheer power of his dunks, and his ability to seemingly score at will no matter who was guarding him.  They were my introduction to basketball, and I’ve been in love with the sport ever since.

Once I started covering the NBA for Hoops Addict, I had to check my love and fascination with the “star” aspect of the game at the door, and focus on getting a good story.  So when I walked by Dominique Wilkins prior to a Hawks game, or when I had to interview Patrick Ewing before a Magic game, or when I had a chance to talk to Jalen Rose via phone interview, I checked my fandom at the door, and it was all about being the best journalist I could be.  That’s how I had always seen Bryant Gumbel do it, so that’s how I thought it was done.

But when my editor, Ryan McNeill, sent me an email asking me if I wanted to be a part of a Larry Bird/Magic Johnson media conference call, I’m not ashamed to say that I regressed to being starstruck.  Gone was the journalistic integrity that had become such an integral part of me over the last  year or so.  In my mind, I was talking to Larry Legend and Magic, and it was time to get excited.

Luckily for me, I didn’t embarrass myself, and I was able to reel in those emotions a bit.  Just a bit.

In preparation for the book they did with Jackie MacMullan entitled, “When the Game was Ours” , Magic Johnson and Larry Bird conducted an hour long conference with the media.  The book discusses their individual accomplishments and struggles, the fierce rivalries they endured in both college and the pros, and their current friendship they both describe as lifelong.

Some of the topics Magic and Larry covered during this hour long conference call include:

• What made them want to write this book?
• Why Magic Johnson feel it was necessary to discuss his relationship with Isiah Thomas now?
• How the game has changed, and how they both would fare under the current NBA rules
• The leadership abilities of Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant
• How they, much like LeBron at the end of the 2009 playoffs, rarely shook hands after playing one another in the playoffs
• Who the unsung heroes of their championship runs were
• How much respect they both had for the Detroit Pistons championship teams

Because I write and work for Hoops Addict, I would be remiss if I didn’t at least mention when I appear on this conference call (the 50:25 mark).

Enjoy this audio, and go buy the book when it comes out on November 4th.

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