Basketball History 101

By: Rick Loayza
  • Summary

  • I am your author and host, Rick Loayza. This is the blog and podcast where we bring to life some of the forgotten stories from basketball history. I love basketball. I love watching it. I love reading about it. I love learning about its history. I am, for all intents and purposes, a basketball junkie. I’ve coached all three of my kids in youth basketball. In fact, I still coach my youngest each winter. Something just happened to me when I was 11 where I was bitten by the basketball bug. And starting then, I just couldn’t get enough of this amazing game. And the purpose of this podcast and blog is to bring back some of the old stories from basketball’s history. I want to bring you a new story each week from the older days of basketball before there were 22 cameras and instant highlights on your device. Of course, any story from anywhere in basketball history is up for grabs. But I want the focus to be on those stories that are interesting and impactful but long forgotten. I’ll be covering stories going all the way back to the invention of the game in the 1890s, to the barnstorming days of basketball in the 1920s and 30s, to the creation of the current NBA in the 1940s and beyond. So, if you love basketball as much as I do, or you just want to hear a few stories from basketball’s past, then go ahead and subscribe to the podcast and come back to this blog to hear or read a new story each week. For me, this is a labor of love as I get to work with my older son, Jacob Loayza, who serves as my editor and producer. Until next time…
    Rick Loayza
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Episodes
  • Episode 233 - The Myth of Dr. J
    Jan 28 2025

    Julius Erving, better know as Dr. J, was one of the most entertaining players of all time. He spent his first five seasons of his pro career in the ABA. Unfortunately, there is painfully little video of his time in that league. Stories about his exploits grew into mythical status because there was no video to prove otherwise. Some claimed that he dunked the ball from the 3-point line. The stories began to grow out of control until he joined the NBA and people could see how good he really was. And he was indeed very good.

    CREDITS

    Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice

    Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher

    MUSIC

    "Disco Funk" by Jam Morgan

    "Horizons" by Roa

    SPORTS HISTORY NETWORK

    sportshistorynetwork.com

    sportshistorynetwork.com/podcasts/basketball-history-101/

    FACEBOOK

    m.facebook.com/Basketball-History-101-103801581493027/

    BUSINESS CONTACT

    bballhistory101@gmail.com

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    20 mins
  • Episode 232 - The Spirits of St. Louis: A Lost Team
    Jan 21 2025

    The Spirits of St. Louis was one of the wildest teams in the ABA, and that is saying something. They had so much talent, but could not find success on the court. They had players like Marvin Barnes, Moses Malone, Mike D’Antoni, and Fly Williams, and still could not win consistently. This is their story.

    CREDITS

    Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice

    Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher

    MUSIC

    "Disco Funk" by Jam Morgan

    "Horizons" by Roa

    SPORTS HISTORY NETWORK

    sportshistorynetwork.com

    sportshistorynetwork.com/podcasts/basketball-history-101/

    FACEBOOK

    m.facebook.com/Basketball-History-101-103801581493027/

    BUSINESS CONTACT

    bballhistory101@gmail.com

    Show more Show less
    20 mins
  • Episode 231 - The Lost Teams of the ABA, pt. 7
    Jan 14 2025

    We bring you the final entry into our series on the lost teams of the ABA: the Houston Mavericks. Eventually, they relocated to become the Carolina Cougars, and finally became the Spirits of St. Louis. They were a wild team at a wild time.

    CREDITS

    Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice

    Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher

    MUSIC

    "Disco Funk" by Jam Morgan

    "Horizons" by Roa

    SPORTS HISTORY NETWORK

    sportshistorynetwork.com

    sportshistorynetwork.com/podcasts/basketball-history-101/

    FACEBOOK

    m.facebook.com/Basketball-History-101-103801581493027/

    BUSINESS CONTACT

    bballhistory101@gmail.com

    Show more Show less
    19 mins

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Good Stuff!

Some really good history here...love it!...look forward to more stories...hope they keep it up...makes me enjoy the game more.

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