Once Upon A Dribble

By: Josh Medeiros & Calvan Johnson
  • Summary

  • Once Upon A Dribble is a podcast all about the history of the NBA, and how the modern game came to be. Join your hosts Josh Medeiros and Calvan Johnson as they take you on the NBA time machine to look back on the most noteworthy events in basketball history
    Josh Medeiros & Calvan Johnson
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Episodes
  • Episode #37: Wilt's Big Breakthrough - The 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers
    Mar 28 2025

    (04:50) Background on basketball in Philadelphia and on Wilt

    (23:18) Let's meet the 1966-67 Sixers and look at their regular season

    (46:05) The Sixers finally overcome Boston

    (55:05) The 1967 Finals

    When it comes to the NBA’s all-time greatest players, few can match the raw statistical dominance of Wilt Chamberlain.

    From the iconic 100-point game, to the 50 points per game season, to 12 straight seasons averaging over 20 rebounds, Chamberlain’s numbers are simply unbelievable.

    But despite statistical dominance, Wilt the Stilt struggled for years to carry his teams over the final hurdle, as year after year, championships eluded him.

    While Bill Russell was winning 11 rings in 13 years, Chamberlain was often left watching and waiting .

    Finally, in 1967, 9 years into his NBA career, Wilt finally earned his ring, and delivered the first ever NBA championship to the city of Philadelphia .

    The story of how Chamberlain and the Sixers got there, however, is one few people know.

    In today’s episode, we take the NBA time machine back nearly 60 years, and learn how the 1967 Philadelphia 76ers managed to defeat the nearly-undefeatable dynasty of the Boston Celtics.

    This is once upon a dribble!

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    1 hr and 17 mins
  • Bonus Series! Conference Finals MVPs: Part 8 - Western Conference 2000-09, the Laker Renaissance, the Spurs Dynasty Looms Large, Dirk Makes Some Noise, The 7 Seconds or Less Suns and MORE!
    Feb 24 2025

    Today we continue in part 8 of a 10-part series at Once Upon a Dribble!

    During the 2022 playoffs the NBA began awarding MVP awards to the best performing player of each conference finals: the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award and the Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award, named for the two players credited for building the league up to greater popularity in the 1980s.

    This begs the question, with the award just being handed out for the first time last season, who are the deserving winners from the previous 50+ years of NBA history?Find out today as Josh tackles the Western Conference in the 2000s!

    2000: Los Angeles Lakers vs Portland Trail Blazers - Shaquille O'Neal

    2001: Los Angeles Lakers vs San Antonio Spurs - Shaquille O'Neal

    2002: Los Angeles Lakers vs Sacramento Kings - Shaquille O'Neal

    2003: Dallas Mavericks vs San Antonio Spurs - Tim Duncan

    2004: Los Angeles Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves - Shaquille O'Neal2005: Phoenix Suns vs San Antonio Spurs - Tim Duncan

    2006: Dallas Mavericks vs Phoenix Suns - Dirk Nowitzki

    2007: San Antonio Spurs vs Utah Jazz - Tim Duncan

    2008: Los Angeles Lakers vs San Antonio Spurs - Kobe Bryant

    2009: Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers - Kobe Bryant

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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • Episode #36: Family Matters - PART 2 of 2: A Deep Dive on T-Mac, Tracy McGrady
    Feb 5 2025

    In a lot of ways, an NBA locker room is like a family. With all the good times, and the bad times, the brotherhood, and the infighting, family is the perfect metaphor.

    But the family dynamic in the NBA often extends to actual family, over 10% of the 4500 players to have ever played in the NBA are directly related either as brothers, as father and son, as cousins, as grandfather and grandson, or as uncle and nephew.

    In many cases, one family member outshines the rest. But occasionally, multiple branches of the same family tree achieve stardom.

    Today, we take the NBA time machine back to the late 90s and 2000s, and explore the lives of two family members who hit the highest echelons of the NBA, but failed to take the final steps into NBA immortality

    Join us in PART 1 OF 2 as we look at the lives and times of two cousins from Flordia who became NBA household names: Vince Carter, and Tracy McGrady.

    Today Calvan talks to us about T-Mac. In Part 1 Josh talked about Vince.

    This is once upon a dribble!

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    54 mins

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