Part 1

Overview

Prompted by Laura Ingraham’s public criticism of LeBron James and other NBA players' outspokenness on the current political climate, the first episode is an exploration of the league’s social and cultural influence across time. Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson risked their careers and paved the way for generations of future players. Julius “Dr. J” Erving’s style of play laid the groundwork for Larry Bird and Magic Johnson (and David Stern) to catapult the NBA into an era of higher visibility and prosperity.

Episode Information

Guest Stars

Bill Russell

Self - NBA Hall of Famer

S

Sam Smith

Self - Author

R

Red Auerbach

Self (archive footage)

N

Nelson George

Self - Writer & Filmmaker

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Self (archive footage)

Billy Crystal

Self - Entertainer