1979: The Aftermath of The Year That Changed Basketball

"Iconic Seasons 1979" delves into the pivotal year that reshaped basketball at both the college and professional levels. This podcast explores the unforgettable stories and figures that emerged from 1979, including Larry Bird and Magic Johnson's rivalry. Discover how this rivalry fueled an unprecedented boom in the NBA and how the college game exploded with television networks fighting for broadcasting rights. The podcast examines the struggles of coaches like Bill Hodges after the 1979 championship game, while also highlighting the rapid growth of the NCAA tournament, the introduction of the three-point line, and the rise of ESPN.

The series offers insights into how these events transformed the sport, from the court to television screens, and even influenced the personal lives of players and coaches. It also explores the shift in how college players are viewed, especially with the modern abundance of scouting reports and media coverage, suggesting "If Magic and Bird came along today, we'd have 29 different scouting reports on each guy". Listen to "Iconic Seasons 1979" and understand the lasting impact of a single year on the game we know today.

Transcript

  Welcome back to Iconic Seasons 1979. Today, we're going to continue our look at 1979 and the aftermath. A year that wasn't just a turning point, but a whole new beginning for basketball, both college and pro. Last episode, we set the stage. Now let's look a little bit more into the people and stories that made it unforgettable.

We left off with the Indiana state sycamores and their meteoric rise led by Larry Bird. What happened after the national championship game? It's a story of success, struggle, and the shifting landscape of college basketball. For Bill Hodges, the coach who took over after Byrd's departure, things went south pretty quickly.

He felt like the university administration didn't support him, noting that they treated me like a red headed stepchild and that they wanted to do everything they could to make it impossible for me to win. This lack of support manifested in small but significant ways. For example, The first day of practice in the fall of 1979, Hodges was told that his team had to wait for the band to finish their practice.

Hodges was also restricted from accepting any more Division I transfers by the university president, who bristled at the notion of Indiana State as Transfer U. Hodges struggles weren't just professional, they were personal too. His marriage fell apart, with his wife feeling neglected by his long hours and travel.

He describes this time as devastating, saying, I couldn't focus on anything because I really loved my wife and kids. I went from the highest I've ever been to the lowest I've ever been. This all happened in one year. Can you imagine that all?  This makes me think of a lot of the other stories I've heard  through the years, uh, doing the podcast.

One of the classic ones is the UK coach. Who knew his time was numbered when he got so many fewer perks to hand out to the, the athletes before NIL, the coaches would get a certain number of season tickets to hand out to local businesses and the local businesses would then give the athletes perks. And this was part of the recruiting process.

But if he didn't have these to hand out, of course, the tickets to hand out, then of course, the businesses wouldn't give the athletes the things that they needed. And he wouldn't get as good of recruits and the cycle would continue.  It's just tough for these coaches. It really is a, an amazing career if you get to the highs, but definitely can be part of a lot of lows in these guys life as well.

I think the transfer you part of this is really interesting too. You think about last chance you, the Netflix show, there's a real place for transfers and it's ironic. That it's such a part of the game now that it was so looked down on at that time on the court The sycamores couldn't replicate their success despite having four returning starters They finished 16 and 11 and failed to make the NCAA tournament Hodges himself admitted I didn't do a good job and the kids quit on me a key problem was the failure to Capitalize on the previous season by bringing in top notch recruits an assistant trainer noted when he became head coach He didn't have a bill Hodges on his staff You Another team member said, It was really frustrating to go from where we were to being mediocre.

The team also noticed a change in Hodges attitude, including being more strict with enforcing curfew. Hodges also found himself hamstrung by recruiting restrictions. He tried to use junior college players to fill the void, but they didn't pan out. By 1980 81, the team had a 9 18 season, and one player said of Hodges, He forgot some of the things that made him successful.

His relationship with the players and how he handled situations changed. He admits he wasn't so close to the players, saying, I wasn't around the players as much. I was busy. And I didn't do a good job of staying close. Hodges situation grew more difficult. A promising recruit, Kevin Thompson, developed cancer.

After the losing continued, Hodges behavior became erratic. After a game was delayed by a brief power outage, the Tulsa coach said Hodges was about ready to jump off a bridge. He was paranoid. The pressure was eating the guy alive. In 1982, after the loss of Thompson and a second consecutive 9 18 season, Hodges resigned.

His time in Terre Haute was up. Once so promising ended on a disappointing note a sharp contrast to the heights of just three years prior But while Hodges struggled the broader world of basketball was changing the NBA was on the verge of a boom Largely fueled by the arrival of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird the league and its television partners knew they had something special I've got a podcast recommendation daily sports history Uh, fellow podcaster reached out and I think he's doing some great work on it.

Uh, he's going to do an episode coming up here in January on the NCAA tournament, expanding to 64 teams. And that'll be included in one of the upcoming episodes of iconic season. So. I'll be interested to hear his take on this and it's just a fun podcast to check out. I'm going to roll his promo here and if you're interested you should go over, subscribe to it, or download an episode and see what you think. 

Did you know on this day in sports history something iconic, unique, and crazy happened? And that's what the show Daily Sports History is here to bring you. Listen daily to relive iconic moments. Find out about unique. Situations and learn how sports got from its beginning to where it is now covering all types of sports history.

So you can amaze everyone with your sporting knowledge to show off your genius. So listen now at daily sports history. com or wherever you're listening right now.  CBS made sure to showcase the rivalry. Featuring the Lakers Celtics game as their first national game of the week, going head to head with a college game on NBC.

Even though the NBA wasn't the television franchise that it would become, Magic Johnson's performance in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, when he had 42 points, 15 rebounds, and 7 assists, was a milestone. Meanwhile, the college game was exploding, with TV networks fighting for the rights to broadcast games.  NBC's deal with the NCAA began to sour and CBS swooped in.

CBS's commitment to promoting the tournament As a big event, including a studio control center, similar to their successful NFL show. The NCAA also convinced CBS to produce a selection show. This rivalry between the networks created more exposure for the sport. By 1981, 82 CBS, NBC, and ESPN had produced 134 regular season games.

This increased visibility changed the way the game was played. And in 1985, the NCAA added a 45 second shot clock. The following year, the three point line.  The NCAA tournament itself was expanded to 64 teams and trademarked the term Final Four.  It was, as the New York Times noted in 1983, perhaps the fastest growing sporting event in the country.

The rise of ESPN also played a massive role in the growth of college basketball, showcasing early round NCAA tournament games and solidifying the regular season footprint. College basketball became so popular that by 1983, Dick Vitale was receiving autographs, making him realize this television world is not so bad, man.

The Big East Conference also benefited from the new landscape, with its own tournament gaining popularity and challenging the established hegemony of the ACC. Dave Gavitt said after seeing his conference fans cheer at the game, We made it. We burned the brand. People know who we are. But all this growth came at a cost, as one sports writer noted, ESPN has ruined everything.

If Magic and Bird came along today, we'd have 29 different scouting reports on each guy. We'd have outside the lines, documentaries, instant classics. We'd know too much. You know, I hinted at this in another episode, and it's funny to look at this guy, a contemporary thinking this, uh, it's all come to fruition now.

Is this the reason that. It's so hard to find a, uh, US born star now because we know too much. They have too many expectations, too many cameras in their face to be who they are, to be singularly unique, to have the chance to develop themselves in a way that makes them original.  Interesting to think about.

Even the founder of ESPN, Bill Rasmussen, lamented that the hype of the game was bigger because there weren't as many guys to hype back then. He also stated that today, everybody would know Larry Bird's shoe size, the length of Johnson's shoe strings. The influence of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson extended beyond the court.

Bird led the Celtics to a 61 21 record in his rookie year, earning the Rookie of the Year award, while Magic led the Lakers to the championship. Together, they collected eight NBA titles, six MVP awards. Their rivalry spurred unprecedented prosperity for the NBA. But that rivalry wasn't always friendly.

When they first entered the league, there was genuine hostility and Bird said of Magic, I don't go out to eat with him. I just know him on the basketball floor and that's it. Over time, their relationship evolved into a deep friendship. They bonded while filming commercials, sharing stories and laughs and discovered their similarities.

Magic noted, we found out that we were much alike. We have similar backgrounds in terms of being Midwest boys. We just started laughing and giggling like two little boys. And it started a friendship that would last forever. Their friendship was evident when Magic received his HIV diagnosis. He called Larry before anyone else, and they both cried. 

Magic asked Bird to present him for induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame. As Darwin Payton noted, eagles like to fly with eagles.  Even in the height of their fame and success, they stayed tethered to their communities. Magic continued to visit his family in Lansing, while Bird always remained connected to French Lick and Terre Haute. 

With a particular dedication to the people who had supported him. He even built a ranch house in French Lick. And when he was home, he refused special treatment. Even waiting to use a gym that was being used by cheerleaders. His ex wife and oldest daughter stayed in the Terre Haute area. While Bird's relationship with his daughter was strained, Bird continued to honor his hometown in victory.

Larry Bird never got over the fact that he lost the championship game in 1979 and told Darwin Peyton that the game hurt him more than any game he's ever played. He even told Magic, I got you back after winning the 1984 NBA Finals. However, Magic still gloats about the 1979 victory, while I got one over on him, he said, adding, I know he's going to always be disappointed. 

And that's how 1979 shaped, not just the game of basketball, but the lives of those who played it, coached it, and watched it. It was a year of triumph and disappointment, of the birth of a rivalry that changed the NBA, and of the growing commercialization of the sport. The ripples of 1979 are still felt in basketball today.

As this transformative year continues to inspire all. Thank you for joining us for this week's episode of Iconic Seasons 1979. We'll be back with more stories from the 1979 season. If you liked this week's episode, leave us a rating or a view.  Until next time, keep your dribble low and your eyes up.