Nov. 14, 2023

Hard Work Pays Off for NBA Analyst and Coach Tim Capstraw

Hard Work Pays Off for NBA Analyst and Coach Tim Capstraw
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Season 3

Join us for a dive into the world of sports broadcasting with Tim Capstraw, the esteemed voice of the Brooklyn Nets. In this episode, we unfold the gripping story of Tim's ascent from a college coach to a celebrated NBA color analyst. Discover the determination, grit, and insights gained along his remarkable journey.

Listeners will get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the sports broadcasting industry, learning about the challenges and triumphs of this dynamic field. Hear firsthand about Tim's transition from coaching to the commentator's booth and his experiences working with great talents like Mike Breen and Chris Carrino.

Beyond the world of sports, this episode is a trove of wisdom for anyone aspiring to break into broadcasting or seeking motivation in their professional life. Tim shares essential advice on creating opportunities, the power of hard work, and embracing every small step on the road to success.

Tune in for a session filled with invaluable lessons, inspirational stories, and practical tips that transcend sports broadcasting. Whether you're a sports enthusiast, an aspiring broadcaster, or in search of a motivational boost, Tim Capstraw's journey is sure to captivate and inspire. Don't miss this insightful episode of the No Wrong podcast!


To discover more episodes or connect with us:


Chapters

00:02 - Tim Capstraw's Journey

11:41 - From Player to Coach

17:32 - Reflections on Coaching at Wagner College

25:30 - From Coach to Broadcaster

33:52 - NBA Relationships and Broadcast Opportunities

40:34 - Longevity and Job Responsibilities in Broadcasting

53:54 - Importance of Hard Work and Volunteerism

01:00:00 - Joining the No Wrong Choices Community

Transcript
WEBVTT

00:00:02.805 --> 00:00:10.589
Welcome to no Wrong Choices, the podcast that explores the career journeys of accomplished and inspiring people to uncover secrets of success.

00:00:10.589 --> 00:00:15.612
I'm Larry Samuels, soon to be joined by the other fellas, tushar Saxena and Larry Shea.

00:00:15.612 --> 00:00:26.429
For those who might be joining us for the first time and for those who haven't done this yet, please support no Wrong Choices by following us on your podcasting platform of choice and by giving us a five star rating.

00:00:26.429 --> 00:00:38.185
We also encourage you to join the conversation by connecting with us on LinkedIn, facebook, instagram, youtube and X, by searching for no Wrong Choices or by visiting our website at NoWrongChoicescom.

00:00:38.185 --> 00:00:44.325
This episode features the long time voice of Brooklynette's basketball and the lifelong coach, tim Capstra.

00:00:44.325 --> 00:00:48.970
Tushar, you guys work together for years and know each other well.

00:00:48.970 --> 00:00:52.390
I can't imagine what the stories are about to be in this episode.

00:00:52.390 --> 00:00:54.265
Why don't you set this up for us?

00:00:54.560 --> 00:00:54.780
All right.

00:00:54.780 --> 00:01:14.132
So before I even really got my job over at WFAN, my very, very first job out of college was actually as a grad assistant SID at Wagner College and that is where I met Tim Capstra as the young coach over at Wagner College.

00:01:14.132 --> 00:01:20.632
So I have known Cap for 30 years and obviously I'm not calling him Tim Capstra, I never call him Tim, I always call him Cap.

00:01:20.632 --> 00:01:22.826
So I love this guy.

00:01:22.826 --> 00:01:24.646
He's one of the funniest guys you'll ever meet.

00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:41.406
When I actually moved on to my career, when I moved on from WFAN to my next job at WLAB, actually, I actually had him host a couple of shows with my hosts over there because he was looking for work and he wanted to get some on-air work and I was like, of course, and I knew that he would be successful.

00:01:41.406 --> 00:01:44.046
This guy is one of the funniest guys you'll ever meet.

00:01:44.046 --> 00:01:50.561
He's got an unbelievable work ethic and it shows that he has been now for at least two decades.

00:01:50.561 --> 00:02:00.865
The guy who has been sitting next to one of you know, a man I graduated or who graduated ahead of me over at Forty University, chris Carino, one of the best play-by-play guys in the NBA.

00:02:00.865 --> 00:02:04.329
He has been his partner for nearly two decades at this point.

00:02:04.519 --> 00:02:10.491
Yeah, this is exciting because usually a color analyst will be a former player or what have you.

00:02:10.491 --> 00:02:13.068
We know Tim Capstra played when he was younger.

00:02:13.068 --> 00:02:14.425
We know he played collegiately.

00:02:14.425 --> 00:02:20.620
I'm hoping he offers some insights into both as a player, as a coach and as a broadcaster.

00:02:20.620 --> 00:02:22.246
I mean, it's kind of a triple threat here.

00:02:22.246 --> 00:02:29.752
Right, but he never made the NBA and yet he's been doing color for the NBA for so long now, seemingly decades.

00:02:29.752 --> 00:02:32.046
So, you know, super excited to talk to him.

00:02:32.046 --> 00:02:45.319
I know there are people out there who really want to get into this profession and want to know how to do it, and I think Tim's going to lay out the blueprint of how he did it and hopefully you can mimic it or at least take some parts of his story and make them your own, and that's pretty exciting.

00:02:45.480 --> 00:02:48.866
And it is a very unique journey in that sense, and you just mentioned it a little bit there.

00:02:48.866 --> 00:03:01.290
Right, shay, is that he went from being a collegiate coach and never really having that professional career afterwards, whether it be even in the pro ranks, either as a coach or even, let's say, overseas.

00:03:01.290 --> 00:03:11.348
He really just made it from a collegiate coach at a small D1 college and then worked his way through the ranks to become one of the best color guys in the NBA.

00:03:11.588 --> 00:03:13.111
Wow, well, what a journey.

00:03:13.111 --> 00:03:16.306
That's a great story, and here is Tim Capstraw to tell it.

00:03:16.306 --> 00:03:17.926
Tim, thank you so much for joining us.

00:03:18.424 --> 00:03:19.959
Great, great to be here with you guys.

00:03:19.959 --> 00:03:23.949
Finally, I was able to handle the technology and connect with you.

00:03:23.949 --> 00:03:24.449
It's great.

00:03:24.950 --> 00:03:25.391
Okay, cap.

00:03:25.391 --> 00:03:27.526
So just full disclosure to everybody.

00:03:27.526 --> 00:03:32.151
I have known Tim Capstraw for probably near I don't know almost 30 years at this point.

00:03:32.151 --> 00:03:43.332
I actually worked over at Wagner College and got to know him over there when he was the basketball coach over there and I believe at that time he was the youngest basketball coach in the country at a D1 school.

00:03:43.332 --> 00:03:49.429
Oh, when he was over at Wagner College coaching the Seahawks, I've had the honor of knowing this man for a million years.

00:03:50.521 --> 00:03:58.269
I want to say I'm going to say, you know, a humble brag that I was able to kind of maybe get him into broadcasting, get him started broadcasting.

00:03:58.269 --> 00:04:09.247
I'll say it as a humble brag, maybe a little bit, but I have been able to, you know, watch my good friend really rise up to the ranks to become one of the best color man in the business.

00:04:09.247 --> 00:04:11.447
So, cap, thanks again for joining us.

00:04:11.447 --> 00:04:17.913
So give us a quick like, give us a quick overview of what is Tim Capstraw doing these days.

00:04:17.913 --> 00:04:21.149
What does Tim Capstraw's life look like in terms of the job?

00:04:21.149 --> 00:04:24.648
What does it look like Not just as the next color man but overall?

00:04:25.461 --> 00:04:30.271
Well, I have maybe a remember to show I didn't get married to.

00:04:30.271 --> 00:04:34.348
I was like 40 years old, so I have I still have relatively young children.

00:04:34.348 --> 00:04:36.345
So I have a daughter who was in college.

00:04:36.345 --> 00:04:39.666
She's a basketball player and so I spent a lot of time with that.

00:04:39.666 --> 00:04:57.733
But really what I'm doing right now is getting ready for them for the next season, and that's an NBA season starts on the 25th, 26th of October, and I'm preparing for that and doing you know, doing father things all around.

00:04:57.733 --> 00:04:58.882
I got a son who's 22,.

00:04:58.882 --> 00:05:00.968
I got a daughter who's 19.

00:05:00.968 --> 00:05:03.725
They keep me, but I got a great wife, chelsea.

00:05:03.725 --> 00:05:04.810
I think you remember her.

00:05:05.331 --> 00:05:05.814
I do.

00:05:06.476 --> 00:05:07.360
And life is great.

00:05:07.360 --> 00:05:10.369
But you know I'm busy when I don't have the season.

00:05:10.369 --> 00:05:14.759
I run basketball camps all summer in Wayne, New Jersey.

00:05:14.759 --> 00:05:20.492
I run a broadcasting camp in, or I'm part of a broadcasting camp at, Montclair State University.

00:05:20.492 --> 00:05:22.266
So I'm really busy during that time.

00:05:22.266 --> 00:05:29.447
And then I have this good window right now where I'm kind of kind of getting it together but at the same time preparing for the season.

00:05:29.447 --> 00:05:33.990
But I can't lie to you, it's a nice time of the year for me, but I'm ready to get going also.

00:05:34.560 --> 00:05:35.766
Hey, tim, it's Larry Shea.

00:05:35.766 --> 00:05:37.043
I want to know.

00:05:37.043 --> 00:05:43.146
You know, sports seems to be part of your life, since, since you were a kid, you know everything I read about you.

00:05:43.146 --> 00:05:46.144
You were, you were always an athlete, you were always playing sports.

00:05:46.144 --> 00:05:57.245
Was it there that the dream kind of started, that you kind of got into, like this, this imagining like, hey, I'm going to be a player, maybe a coach, maybe a broadcaster, or were you not thinking along those lines?

00:05:57.761 --> 00:06:00.353
Oh yeah, I think when you're a young kid you want to be a player.

00:06:00.353 --> 00:06:01.701
You know you want to be a player.

00:06:01.701 --> 00:06:02.303
You want to be.

00:06:02.303 --> 00:06:03.307
I worked at it.

00:06:03.307 --> 00:06:04.802
I was kind of.

00:06:04.802 --> 00:06:08.992
I was one of the great, like nine year old athletes in the country.

00:06:10.704 --> 00:06:13.490
I swear to God I swear to God my passing kick.

00:06:14.464 --> 00:06:15.692
I crushed Pimpass.

00:06:15.692 --> 00:06:25.269
I was about six, six feet and about nine and I wasn't that big, but I was much bigger than everybody.

00:06:25.269 --> 00:06:28.685
I was much more dedicated, I was much more into it.

00:06:28.685 --> 00:06:30.485
My mother, would, you know, push me to.

00:06:30.485 --> 00:06:34.624
She wouldn't push me at all, but she went and she was very supportive and I would.

00:06:34.624 --> 00:06:39.132
I was really good, as it as it, like an eight or nine year old.

00:06:39.132 --> 00:06:45.831
I swear to God, my catcher was this guy named Andy Van Slyke from All Stars right, we play All Stars.

00:06:45.831 --> 00:06:52.019
Well, the guy who batted third that wanted to be me at the time this is eight now, this is eight and nine years old.

00:06:52.019 --> 00:06:55.019
Don't get, don't get was a guy named Andy Van Slyke.

00:06:55.019 --> 00:06:56.302
Now, I don't know if you know him.

00:06:56.302 --> 00:06:56.985
You're kidding.

00:06:57.225 --> 00:06:58.067
Andy Van Slyke.

00:06:58.269 --> 00:07:02.069
He was my catcher, so he ended up being an All Star player.

00:07:02.069 --> 00:07:05.399
He also married my prom date.

00:07:05.399 --> 00:07:10.764
There's a lot of things he did and, and, and.

00:07:10.764 --> 00:07:14.050
I was, I swear to God, at nine, 10,.

00:07:14.050 --> 00:07:15.494
I was much like Andy.

00:07:15.494 --> 00:07:21.192
You never seen a video of Andy Reed playing, doing punches and kicking I've never seen this he's a giant.

00:07:21.399 --> 00:07:22.543
But I was massively big.

00:07:22.543 --> 00:07:27.012
But I was bigger, not like that size bigger, but I was coordinated.

00:07:27.012 --> 00:07:28.122
I was everything.

00:07:28.122 --> 00:07:32.471
I'm very good hand to, eye coordination.

00:07:32.471 --> 00:07:33.072
I was bigger.

00:07:33.072 --> 00:07:34.644
I wasn't necessarily faster.

00:07:34.644 --> 00:07:38.168
That's what held me up as an athlete as I got older.

00:07:38.168 --> 00:07:46.685
But that's everything I ever wanted to do in my life had to do with sports and I was committed to every sport.

00:07:46.685 --> 00:07:53.293
Now I played basketball and I was a walk on in basketball at Wagner I was a bass.

00:07:53.293 --> 00:07:57.290
I played baseball but I was recruited there to play football.

00:07:57.290 --> 00:08:01.035
So I was like a jack of all trades, master of none.

00:08:02.002 --> 00:08:02.202
But in.

00:08:02.223 --> 00:08:03.968
Utica, new York, is a nine and 10 year old.

00:08:03.968 --> 00:08:06.230
I was a bass, I was a lot of.

00:08:07.259 --> 00:08:09.694
I imagine there was a lot of competition in Utica New York.

00:08:09.694 --> 00:08:10.197
I was on the line.

00:08:10.197 --> 00:08:13.983
Andy Van Sleik was there and taking my prom date, that's true.

00:08:13.983 --> 00:08:19.170
So, tip, like when you went to Wagner, like what was your thinking?

00:08:19.170 --> 00:08:29.089
If you're going to Wagner, are you thinking that I just want to play sports for as long as possible, or are you thinking maybe I've got a shot at something after that?

00:08:29.901 --> 00:08:46.293
No, I was very much like a Division III II athlete and so I was recruited upstate New York some, but I had an injury my senior year I had my knee operated on and a lot of football was my best sport, but I did not love it.

00:08:46.293 --> 00:08:47.283
I did not love it.

00:08:47.283 --> 00:08:51.981
But the football coach at Wagner, the assistant coach, was a gentleman named Waldham.

00:08:51.981 --> 00:08:55.289
I had a two shirt, two Sharno as well, but he was going to bring it up.

00:08:55.330 --> 00:08:57.202
Yeah, he was an assistant coach.

00:08:57.202 --> 00:08:59.265
He came up and recruited me.

00:08:59.265 --> 00:09:01.447
I was not a great student.

00:09:01.447 --> 00:09:04.769
I had kind of was a like a latchkey kid.

00:09:04.769 --> 00:09:06.624
My mother worked.

00:09:06.624 --> 00:09:12.144
I was the youngest of seven but nobody was close to my age and my family, so I kind of didn't.

00:09:12.144 --> 00:09:15.389
I kind of just got through school.

00:09:15.389 --> 00:09:17.625
So they tried to get me into this school.

00:09:17.625 --> 00:09:21.509
That school, Fortunately, Wagner was your pay at that time.

00:09:21.509 --> 00:09:31.792
Now Wagner is a really good school now, but at that time it was a typical private school that probably needed students and they had a lot more leeway with who they were admitting.

00:09:31.792 --> 00:09:35.990
I was able to get into school and then I was able to turn it around and academically.

00:09:35.990 --> 00:09:38.187
So I forget what the question is.

00:09:38.279 --> 00:09:43.645
I tend to talk a long time but Well, the question was like were you good enough?

00:09:43.645 --> 00:09:49.049
That you were looking towards the pros and it sounds like you were good enough to get into college.

00:09:49.379 --> 00:09:51.488
Good enough to get into college and not good.

00:09:51.488 --> 00:09:54.340
There was always a book out one time called Good Enough to Dream.

00:09:54.340 --> 00:09:56.182
Well, I wasn't good enough to dream, in fact.

00:09:56.182 --> 00:10:00.769
Here's another thing, though I looked like a very good pitcher when I played baseball.

00:10:00.769 --> 00:10:10.200
I looked good, I was 6'2", maybe about 200 pounds, looked like the head to set, but I threw slower than anybody.

00:10:10.200 --> 00:10:17.809
I looked great and threw slow, great form, but you have to understand the mentality of a college baseball player.

00:10:17.809 --> 00:10:20.405
They can hit the heck out of a fastball.

00:10:20.879 --> 00:10:29.192
So I would play against guys and I would Almost worked the fact that I would even throw slower than and have frustrate guys.

00:10:29.192 --> 00:10:29.715
It was great.

00:10:29.715 --> 00:10:36.105
It was got throw a lot of curves, ought to jump, look good, but I used to win more than I should because of that.

00:10:36.105 --> 00:10:37.489
So, but that was.

00:10:37.489 --> 00:10:44.254
But I never was good enough to think, wow, I might be able to get drafted in the 20th round or in basketball.

00:10:44.254 --> 00:10:47.225
I was a walk-on, so I wasn't like there was.

00:10:47.225 --> 00:10:52.701
No, I was a walk-on for PJ Carlesimo and you know, come on, score 20 career points.

00:10:52.701 --> 00:10:55.529
I got 980 to a thousand in my career.

00:10:55.529 --> 00:10:57.538
That's what I am and you know.

00:10:57.538 --> 00:10:59.042
So I didn't.

00:10:59.042 --> 00:11:07.225
I didn't have to think about those kind of things, but being in playing after college, that that wasn't gonna happen.

00:11:07.294 --> 00:11:13.817
I was just thrilled to be playing in college who approached you about coaching, or was that always then the the next idea, or what was?

00:11:13.817 --> 00:11:18.032
What was the career path that you were thinking about going on after college, or was it always?

00:11:18.032 --> 00:11:18.875
I'll be a coach.

00:11:19.397 --> 00:11:21.062
Well, no, I didn't know that.

00:11:21.062 --> 00:11:24.634
I didn't know that I was, I was, I was buckled down as a student.

00:11:24.634 --> 00:11:27.341
I was doing very well in school as a business major.

00:11:27.341 --> 00:11:29.666
I had done, I was doing pretty well.

00:11:29.666 --> 00:11:37.315
But here's the thing I, you know, when I was a kid, my father passed away when I was 11 years old.

00:11:37.315 --> 00:11:41.186
So coaches were my parents, you know.

00:11:41.206 --> 00:11:44.394
You talk about impacting people like who were the most important.

00:11:44.394 --> 00:11:57.961
I can tell you, well, gerald Gilberty was my coach in this sport and I love that man, and not an omen, pincero was enough and different people that really were kind of my, my, my heroes, the people I looked up to.

00:11:57.961 --> 00:12:05.946
And then, when I got to Wagner, walt Hamline was somebody I thought was the greatest guy I'd ever met.

00:12:05.946 --> 00:12:09.115
And PJ Corlysimo, to me, was a god.

00:12:09.115 --> 00:12:13.969
I just thought he was the coolest person, although he was really tough.

00:12:13.969 --> 00:12:14.671
In practice.

00:12:14.671 --> 00:12:17.239
It was really, it was hard and he was tough.

00:12:17.239 --> 00:12:25.215
But I just watched how he Communicated with all people all around and I said, man, I really admire him.

00:12:25.215 --> 00:12:30.837
He was always like we go to, like, say, would go to Fordham for a game, he'd know that.

00:12:30.837 --> 00:12:32.321
He'd know the janitors.

00:12:32.321 --> 00:12:35.488
You know, he knew how to, how to talk to people.

00:12:35.488 --> 00:12:37.740
So I watched him, I admired him.

00:12:37.760 --> 00:12:42.293
There are also a number of really terrific assistant coaches at Wagner.

00:12:42.293 --> 00:12:49.149
When I was there, it was on Dan Mullin was Dan Mullin, the missus in Florida coach was an assistant coach.

00:12:49.149 --> 00:12:51.423
The guy named Mike Walsh was there.

00:12:51.423 --> 00:12:56.159
I miss all these people and I was, you know, 18, 19, 20 years old.

00:12:56.159 --> 00:12:58.767
These were the people that I looked up to.

00:12:58.767 --> 00:13:03.605
So it kind of got in my mind that I could possibly be a coach.

00:13:03.605 --> 00:13:08.174
And when I graduated, pj Corlysimo went from Wagner to Seton Hall.

00:13:08.174 --> 00:13:12.894
The assistant coach at the time, a gentleman named Neil Kennett, got the head coaching job.

00:13:12.894 --> 00:13:17.870
And then I saw a window to be a coach because I was a senior, all that.

00:13:17.870 --> 00:13:21.078
Those things were happening and that's why I approached to be a coach.

00:13:21.078 --> 00:13:25.328
I didn't really I didn't really have it as something that I was going to do.

00:13:25.328 --> 00:13:30.294
I didn't know how to plan it, but I was really thrilled when it, when it all came about, that I got the opportunity.

00:13:31.076 --> 00:13:36.254
So, tim, for our listeners who aren't sports fans, just a little bit of depth.

00:13:36.254 --> 00:13:43.638
Pj Corlysimo can you just give us, like the the 32nd or 15 description, the 52nd Description of who he is?

00:13:43.798 --> 00:13:45.442
Yes, well, he was a coach at Wagner.

00:13:45.442 --> 00:13:48.620
There's a kind of a Went to Seton Hall for a number of years.

00:13:48.620 --> 00:13:53.200
He took him to the championship game and yet NCAA tournament and he also.

00:13:53.200 --> 00:13:56.191
Then he went to the pros and he coached in Portland.

00:13:56.191 --> 00:13:57.335
He coached in Golden State.

00:13:57.335 --> 00:13:59.302
He's kind of famously.

00:13:59.302 --> 00:14:04.179
If for people that might remember this and not know, ask about famously infamous.

00:14:04.179 --> 00:14:07.509
Yes, and famously infamous because let's try all spree.

00:14:07.509 --> 00:14:09.654
Well, choked him at oh, that's right.

00:14:10.076 --> 00:14:10.576
It remember.

00:14:10.576 --> 00:14:13.364
So he said that, right, oh yeah, remember that guy got choked.

00:14:13.364 --> 00:14:15.268
Well, that was a guy who coached me in college.

00:14:15.268 --> 00:14:22.028
So a number of players would say I can't believe it took somebody that long.

00:14:24.336 --> 00:14:25.260
Great mentor though.

00:14:26.677 --> 00:14:29.389
They also said that he was the greatest guy they've ever met.

00:14:29.389 --> 00:14:30.554
Also, you know what I mean?

00:14:30.554 --> 00:14:33.437
There was a lot of it was very it was.

00:14:33.437 --> 00:14:38.206
It was interesting how people people view it, but that's that's kind of when.

00:14:38.206 --> 00:14:43.417
Oh then he's Gentleman who's become a very good broadcaster Coach.

00:14:43.417 --> 00:14:48.195
You know, it's very popular, well-known guy and and in New York's in sports circles.

00:14:48.195 --> 00:14:50.284
So that's that's who, pete PJ so.

00:14:50.466 --> 00:14:55.989
So let's paint this, this picture then, tim, because I think it's important to get a clear picture of like what your career path was.

00:14:55.989 --> 00:15:06.600
Here You're literally going from From graduating College to, you know, at the end of the bench or what have you and this is in baseball, I assume and then you get the baseball job.

00:15:06.600 --> 00:15:07.163
Is that right?

00:15:07.163 --> 00:15:09.107
Basketball it, basketball first.

00:15:10.395 --> 00:15:11.659
Yeah, basketball first.

00:15:11.659 --> 00:15:19.945
Yeah, it was a coach for a couple years at Wagner and and what happened was before the season, I think the baseball coach resigned yesterday.

00:15:20.004 --> 00:15:24.904
They did it resigned and there was an opening right and they said to me Uh, kind of you know, could you?

00:15:24.904 --> 00:15:27.054
Could you do us a not do us a favor?

00:15:27.054 --> 00:15:29.181
But we, you know, would you consider being the coach?

00:15:29.181 --> 00:15:33.623
And I thought to myself, well, that might, might, be a good opportunity.

00:15:33.623 --> 00:15:34.024
I didn't.

00:15:34.024 --> 00:15:34.567
I wasn't.

00:15:34.567 --> 00:15:48.235
I wanted to be a basketball coach, there's no doubt about it, but I thought it could show that I had leadership ability, I could do a solid job but be organized, all those kind of things, and it might help me down the line in my coaching career.

00:15:48.235 --> 00:15:52.028
And, as it turned out, it and that's exactly what it did, right.

00:15:52.350 --> 00:15:54.581
So let's get this straight You're an early bloomer.

00:15:54.581 --> 00:16:05.721
At the age of eight or nine, you're the king, right, and then you're you're About yeah, exactly, and then coaching.

00:16:05.721 --> 00:16:10.075
You go right from player to coach and you're ahead of your time again.

00:16:10.075 --> 00:16:13.298
So you know you're in the right place, right time and you're you're killing it.

00:16:13.298 --> 00:16:14.179
You're an early bloomer.

00:16:14.179 --> 00:16:14.721
It sounds like.

00:16:23.576 --> 00:16:24.740
You know like same thing about us.

00:16:24.740 --> 00:16:31.080
When I got to 1415, 16, everybody caught up to me sports wise, not Dramatically, I was still pretty good.

00:16:31.080 --> 00:16:34.815
But same thing, coaching, really good, good young coach.

00:16:34.815 --> 00:16:36.658
He's turned it around.

00:16:36.658 --> 00:16:44.524
And then he stayed too long at Wagner I didn't go well, yeah, so and that's kind of there's a, there's a pattern for me here.

00:16:44.524 --> 00:16:44.924
I love it.

00:16:44.924 --> 00:16:45.726
That's great.

00:16:46.176 --> 00:16:46.999
What was your best moment?

00:16:46.999 --> 00:16:53.442
What was your best moment over at Wagner best moment Maybe beating Miami down in Miami.

00:16:53.823 --> 00:16:56.110
I just remember how the players were so excited.

00:16:56.110 --> 00:16:58.654
You know you know, we went down there.

00:16:58.735 --> 00:17:04.627
It's, you know it's called when they pick on the teams like the Wagner's of the world, when Syracuse, they give you money to go there.

00:17:04.627 --> 00:17:31.222
So if you got, say you got, your program gets $30,000, but you go there and then you win, that's, that's unbelievable, right, that's, that's, that's, that's, that's great stuff and really that the lowest point is when I'm not sure if you were at Wagner at the time when we played Ryder in the championship game to go to the NCAA tournament and I lost at the buzzer and I had always wanted to I was there.

00:17:31.304 --> 00:17:32.656
Yes, I was there at that time.

00:17:32.678 --> 00:17:38.209
Yes, yes, and it was heartbreaking and I always wanted to be on Mike and the Mad Dog.

00:17:38.209 --> 00:17:40.547
You know I always wanted to be on their show.

00:17:40.547 --> 00:17:41.845
I listen to that every day.

00:17:41.845 --> 00:17:44.323
Such a big deal, I didn't know.

00:17:44.323 --> 00:17:54.589
Then the next day I become a topic of conversation because Mad Dog is going crazy on me, because you know, this might be complicated to people.

00:17:54.881 --> 00:18:03.405
But I had a strategy at the end of the game where I was pressuring the ball on the in-balance pass, the opponent called time out.

00:18:03.405 --> 00:18:06.026
I said, well, you know something, they might throw it over the top.

00:18:06.026 --> 00:18:07.044
I'm not gonna do that.

00:18:07.044 --> 00:18:19.567
So then I ended up taking a kid named Brendan Kenny off the ball, put him in the back and they were able to score the basket not easily but pretty easy and I got destroyed on the radio.

00:18:19.567 --> 00:18:25.088
So all this time I wanted to be on Mike and the Mad Dog and here it turns out I'm getting destroyed by Mad Dog.

00:18:25.088 --> 00:18:28.542
So there was a I guess it's a highlight too in my own sick mind.

00:18:28.542 --> 00:18:33.929
But the highlights, you know a few of the good wins when you'd win on the road.

00:18:33.929 --> 00:18:36.268
We beat Rutgers once on the road, beat Miami.

00:18:36.268 --> 00:18:39.867
Good kind, nothing like winning on the road.

00:18:39.867 --> 00:18:41.305
In your conference also.

00:18:41.305 --> 00:18:44.807
It's a good feeling, but I also had some a lot of down times too, too.

00:18:44.807 --> 00:18:45.390
She know that.

00:18:45.779 --> 00:18:46.964
Of course, of course.

00:18:46.964 --> 00:18:48.425
That's why I'm a broadcaster.

00:18:48.740 --> 00:18:50.144
There's a reason why I'm a broadcaster.

00:18:51.539 --> 00:18:53.044
When did you so?

00:18:53.044 --> 00:18:55.270
Why was it that you?

00:18:55.270 --> 00:18:58.470
Why was it that you officially got the job over at Wagner?

00:18:58.470 --> 00:18:59.142
What was it that?

00:18:59.142 --> 00:19:06.106
What was that one quality that Walt saw in you Cause I think Walt was probably the AD at that time, or Walt Hamline was the AD at the time.

00:19:06.460 --> 00:19:07.083
Yeah, what was?

00:19:07.123 --> 00:19:07.987
that quality he saw in you.

00:19:07.987 --> 00:19:10.366
To me to say, to say, Cap, you're the guy.

00:19:12.624 --> 00:19:14.588
Honestly, I was a good student athlete.

00:19:14.588 --> 00:19:23.929
You know the time at school I was good, I had good grades, I played a multiple sports and I think I was, you know, a good kid.

00:19:23.929 --> 00:19:24.711
That was a coach.

00:19:24.711 --> 00:19:28.285
And then I, like I said, the baseball job I did a good job with.

00:19:28.285 --> 00:19:33.762
Then I went to Sienna College and Sienna.

00:19:33.762 --> 00:19:40.905
So I went to Sienna for four years and we were terrific and we had a head coach there that Walt Hamline knew named Mike Dean.

00:19:40.905 --> 00:19:43.105
I was a good recruiter.

00:19:43.105 --> 00:19:44.786
I was a very good recruiter.

00:19:44.786 --> 00:19:46.646
We went to the NCAA tournament.

00:19:46.646 --> 00:19:48.164
We beat Stanford.

00:19:48.164 --> 00:19:53.167
It was 1989 when people didn't do that, when 14 seats never beat a three.

00:19:53.167 --> 00:19:54.443
How do we ever did that?

00:19:54.443 --> 00:20:03.028
And then the job opened up and that's why I would not have applied or had an opportunity to coach anywhere else.

00:20:03.028 --> 00:20:05.007
I was 29 years old at the time.

00:20:05.007 --> 00:20:16.409
But they had known me well, they trusted me well, they knew I was a good recruiter, could figure out coaching, whatever, and that's kind of how it all evolved.

00:20:17.060 --> 00:20:17.563
All right.

00:20:17.563 --> 00:20:20.726
So Cap and I keep talking, keep throwing out this name Walt Hamline.

00:20:20.726 --> 00:20:26.008
Walt Hamline for many years was the head coach over at Wagner College.

00:20:26.008 --> 00:20:33.508
He, as Cap had mentioned, he was an assistant who eventually became the head coach and was also then named the athletic director.

00:20:33.508 --> 00:20:44.765
If, for those of you kind of out there, maybe you can liken it to like a Barry Alvarez over at Wisconsin, he was the head football coach with Wisconsin and then became the head football coach and was the AD as well.

00:20:44.765 --> 00:20:52.826
Walt was just one of these over-the-top personalities Great guy, one of the best people to know, but also a no-nonsense type of guy.

00:20:52.826 --> 00:20:58.605
He could read people right away and if he put his trust in you, that really meant something.

00:20:58.605 --> 00:20:59.663
And he ran a really.

00:20:59.663 --> 00:21:08.704
He ran a loose ship and at the same time a very tight ship, One of the best places they ever worked, and it was great to be a young kid working there as well under his auspices.

00:21:09.400 --> 00:21:10.527
Yeah yeah, no, he was great.

00:21:11.261 --> 00:21:11.663
He was great.

00:21:11.663 --> 00:21:13.468
So much of my everything.

00:21:13.468 --> 00:21:14.381
You know.

00:21:14.381 --> 00:21:15.566
He gave me all my opportunities.

00:21:15.566 --> 00:21:16.662
You know he got me to see.

00:21:16.662 --> 00:21:18.207
He recruited me to college there.

00:21:18.207 --> 00:21:18.888
He got me there.

00:21:18.888 --> 00:21:22.210
He's probably the guy who asked me to be a bad baseball coach.

00:21:22.210 --> 00:21:31.667
He hired me back as the head coach and then when I my team again as I started to fizzle, things weren't going that well.

00:21:32.623 --> 00:21:33.045
That had fizzled.

00:21:33.660 --> 00:21:37.547
Here's the pattern again, I was pretty good, my first year turning around.

00:21:38.701 --> 00:21:41.530
Hold on before we get to your fizzling out period.

00:21:41.530 --> 00:21:42.382
Hold on a second.

00:21:42.382 --> 00:21:46.944
I don't want to get to that too quickly, but you're 29,.

00:21:46.944 --> 00:21:52.545
You said I mean, how hard was it for you to get players to get in line and do what you needed to do?

00:21:52.545 --> 00:21:54.065
I mean, there's not much of an age difference.

00:21:54.940 --> 00:21:57.469
I was tough, I'll be honest, and I was serious.

00:21:58.020 --> 00:22:00.722
Let me tell you he was tough I was tough.

00:22:01.240 --> 00:22:04.067
I will say this you know, I never send myself.

00:22:04.067 --> 00:22:09.705
You know, I think of myself, as you know, when I was working hard and I was glad I did a pretty good job.

00:22:09.705 --> 00:22:10.682
But I was not.

00:22:10.682 --> 00:22:12.528
I'm in the right spot right now.

00:22:12.528 --> 00:22:15.028
I don't believe that I'm a great basketball coach.

00:22:15.028 --> 00:22:37.468
If I look back at you know, and I think about the amount of kids that came through the program that I made go to class every day, I made go to study hall every night, I'm saying to myself you know something I'm proud of that you know, because I probably got in fact we've had reunions or I'm saying I can't believe I got that kid a degree.

00:22:37.468 --> 00:22:38.309
You know what I mean.

00:22:38.309 --> 00:22:42.241
And they're doing very well now, you know, and they're doing well.

00:22:42.241 --> 00:22:44.990
So that's kind of a good feeling.

00:22:44.990 --> 00:22:59.346
But when I was 29, I knew enough and it was almost to a fault, because that's a very good, interesting question I was really distant and kind of distant, you know, friendly but not too familiar.

00:22:59.859 --> 00:23:14.686
And then I was mean during, like I had a mean streak and I remember coaching is so different now when in the 90s, early 90s that time 80s, 90s everybody was a little bit like Bobby Knight.

00:23:14.686 --> 00:23:16.605
Bobby Knight was tough.

00:23:16.605 --> 00:23:23.267
You didn't feel like you were coaching unless you were swearing in the gym Everybody talks about well, it's the good old days.

00:23:23.267 --> 00:23:25.788
I don't think that's the good old days.

00:23:25.788 --> 00:23:27.967
I love the way coaches coach now.

00:23:27.967 --> 00:23:30.867
I love the calm demeanor on the sidelines.

00:23:31.339 --> 00:23:42.728
I love the way they communicate to people and, unfortunately, the players that I coach, because I was young and I was distant, I was stern and all this other stuff.

00:23:42.728 --> 00:23:46.164
I don't know that they ever really they didn't know me that well.

00:23:46.164 --> 00:23:55.825
You know what I mean Like and I regret that part of it and I'm really glad that coaches now are very personable and that gets you in trouble too.

00:23:55.825 --> 00:24:00.528
That can get you a little, but they're always texting, they're communicating, the door's always open.

00:24:00.528 --> 00:24:06.622
I had to have a professional distance and but if I did it again it's one of my regrets I would not.

00:24:06.622 --> 00:24:07.846
I would be.

00:24:07.846 --> 00:24:10.948
The players would know me better if I ever coached again.

00:24:11.599 --> 00:24:14.951
How does like when you look back at that time?

00:24:14.951 --> 00:24:28.644
I know for me, when I look back at my journey, I learned something from every experience, whether I did something right or I did something wrong and then I use it later in life when you look at how you handle yourself and handle things now.

00:24:28.644 --> 00:24:31.928
What did you learn from that experience?

00:24:32.500 --> 00:24:33.980
That's a great question it's.

00:24:33.980 --> 00:24:35.065
I learned it so much.

00:24:35.065 --> 00:24:40.525
If I look back, I learned one thing that the harder you work, the luckier you get.

00:24:40.525 --> 00:24:44.082
I remember taking over the Wagner job and I would.

00:24:44.082 --> 00:24:52.804
We used to have rotary phones and I would have to put tape on my fingers because I would dial.

00:24:52.804 --> 00:24:55.546
That's how many phone calls I would make recruiting during the day.

00:24:56.119 --> 00:24:56.481
Damn.

00:24:57.220 --> 00:25:03.144
And I would just call because they couldn't monitor our calls and we didn't have great budgets but I could call anywhere.

00:25:03.144 --> 00:25:09.310
So for about four or five, well then I guess you got a push button eventually.

00:25:09.310 --> 00:25:29.632
I can't remember, but I remember that and I remember how hard I worked and I worked so hard that the harder you worked, the luckier you get I ended up having this is a time when there was, you know, wars were going on in Yugoslavia, right?

00:25:29.632 --> 00:25:36.448
So I ended up getting a phone call from a young man saying that listen, I'm a basketball player.

00:25:36.448 --> 00:25:41.948
I have a few guys from Yugoslavia that would want to come possibly to school.

00:25:41.948 --> 00:25:50.306
Now, nobody followed up this phone call but me and or and I end up getting a couple good, really good players.

00:25:50.306 --> 00:25:52.166
They helped us become very good.

00:25:52.500 --> 00:26:04.788
I'm really good, but good, and I remember that wouldn't have happened later in my time because I don't think I worked as hard the last first five years I was going and that second year five, I don't know.

00:26:04.788 --> 00:26:06.586
I don't think I worked as hard.

00:26:06.586 --> 00:26:14.384
I think when you're a coach, you've got to be so, or taking over any business I got to take on.

00:26:14.384 --> 00:26:19.443
You can't figure yourself, like I say this to young people work-life balance.

00:26:19.443 --> 00:26:20.708
Now that isn't.

00:26:20.708 --> 00:26:23.027
You're not looking for that in the beginning of a job.

00:26:23.027 --> 00:26:25.066
You can't get that.

00:26:25.066 --> 00:26:27.104
You go crazy.

00:26:27.104 --> 00:26:33.750
So eventually, some day you can have that, but you can't expect that early in a job.

00:26:33.750 --> 00:26:45.145
So I did a very I got lucky then and I started cruising and you know probably, you know, I don't know, I didn't hang out, I didn't not work at all, but I didn't work as hard.

00:26:45.145 --> 00:26:51.489
So that's really the lesson I learned there and you know I'll never.

00:26:51.489 --> 00:26:53.342
You know you live and learn.

00:26:53.342 --> 00:26:54.286
You know you live and learn.

00:26:54.759 --> 00:26:58.500
What came after Wagner cap Fired, fired, I got fired.

00:26:59.202 --> 00:27:00.326
Let's talk about the fizzle.

00:27:00.326 --> 00:27:01.403
Where was the fizzle?

00:27:02.340 --> 00:27:03.648
There was a fizzle and then a plop.

00:27:03.648 --> 00:27:04.695
It was a fizzle.

00:27:04.695 --> 00:27:08.750
Remember that Plop, plop or whatever that was, I don't know.

00:27:09.579 --> 00:27:11.419
Plop, plop, fizz, fizz or something like that.

00:27:11.419 --> 00:27:12.538
Yeah, it was that commercial.

00:27:13.162 --> 00:27:15.332
Yeah, it's like 90 years old Elkiseltzer.

00:27:15.352 --> 00:27:16.115
That's right.

00:27:16.115 --> 00:27:17.721
That's right, I was in.

00:27:17.742 --> 00:27:19.147
I'm the Elkiseltzer guy.

00:27:19.147 --> 00:27:20.365
This has never come up.

00:27:20.365 --> 00:27:26.491
This is a very strange yeah, but I so first of all walled him out again.

00:27:26.491 --> 00:27:28.365
I think at the end he's well.

00:27:28.365 --> 00:27:45.186
I got actually probably an extra year or so to try to turn it around and different things and like that, trying to get the and I've been up being I was, you know, 10 and 17 and I try to convince him that you know, listen, and we play these three or four games where you know we're supposed to lose.

00:27:45.186 --> 00:27:46.321
You know like they're like.

00:27:46.321 --> 00:27:53.801
So if I didn't have to play these games, you know, but he wanted me to win is probably more than I did it.

00:27:53.801 --> 00:28:01.045
You know he was great, I don't so he, you know I lost my job, it was totally fair.

00:28:01.045 --> 00:28:06.701
And then I think this is when maybe I can forgive us.

00:28:07.423 --> 00:28:10.449
I thought I had a tough couple years.

00:28:10.449 --> 00:28:13.701
But what happened when I was coaching my last couple years?

00:28:13.701 --> 00:28:24.861
That people would ask me to be on TV shows for the NCAA tournament and also I should say that I would speak at weekly luncheons all the time in New York City.

00:28:24.861 --> 00:28:30.403
If people think I was kind of funny, kind of entertaining, they said, you know, some days you should be on TV.

00:28:30.403 --> 00:28:33.911
Then I started doing some TV stuff while I was still coaching.

00:28:33.911 --> 00:28:38.630
So I got a little bit of experience, but I wasn't a big name.

00:28:38.630 --> 00:28:45.271
I was still the coach at Waggon that isn't coming from UCLA or Notre Dame and immediately go to ESPN.

00:28:45.271 --> 00:28:47.162
So I had to grind it, man.

00:28:47.201 --> 00:28:56.070
I had a couple of, two, three years where I would just go out to a friend, said they're opening up a basketball facility out in Long Island, out of New Jersey.

00:28:56.070 --> 00:29:10.246
So I drive an hour a day and this gentleman named Jim Fox would allow me to teach kids one-on-one basketball training, different things like that, and I would do that every afternoon but during the day I got my work ethic back.

00:29:10.246 --> 00:29:18.236
I didn't lose it, but I learned what made me successful when I was a coach and that was being incredibly committed.

00:29:18.236 --> 00:29:22.607
So I would practice broadcasting every single day.

00:29:22.607 --> 00:29:27.820
So if I got an opportunity, people say, oh, what a natural he is.

00:29:27.820 --> 00:29:29.044
Well, nobody's a natural.

00:29:30.808 --> 00:29:33.355
I prepared every day.

00:29:33.355 --> 00:29:41.359
I learned my lesson from coaching and cooling out a little bit, and I would watch games, I would study them, I would understand.

00:29:41.359 --> 00:29:43.605
After a play happened, say why it happened.

00:29:43.605 --> 00:29:44.728
Beasts of Sink.

00:29:44.728 --> 00:29:51.855
I bought a teleprompter, a huge, big wooden teleprompter I would stand in front of a video.

00:29:51.855 --> 00:29:54.905
Now I try to tell kids this now because they can just do it on their phone.

00:29:54.905 --> 00:29:59.527
But you know I had to have the tripod and all that so I would work in it every day and every night.

00:29:59.527 --> 00:30:09.424
I would go to Long Island and teach kids, and that took me a few years and I got my foot in the door doing a few games for the Northeast Conference in the Atlantic 10.

00:30:09.424 --> 00:30:14.263
And then I was able to catch a break here or there.

00:30:14.820 --> 00:30:17.211
So this is amazing, I mean we always talk about.

00:30:17.211 --> 00:30:25.647
With any career, you have to go to the wood shed and you have to practice your scales if you're a musician or, in your case, get in front of a camera and actually do it.

00:30:25.647 --> 00:30:34.766
I'm thrilled that you're bringing that to the table here, because I know that's what people need to do out there is just keep getting those reps in.

00:30:34.766 --> 00:30:41.127
Is that the best advice you could give as far as, like, getting your chops and making sure that you're comfortable in front of the camera?

00:30:42.141 --> 00:30:43.243
Well, and you still aren't.

00:30:43.243 --> 00:30:46.191
You know it still takes time, and then you're still doing it.

00:30:46.191 --> 00:30:49.430
You're practicing, but you're practicing.

00:30:49.430 --> 00:30:52.883
You're not afraid to work, waiting for your opportunity.

00:30:52.883 --> 00:30:55.513
You know a lot of time you got to be willing to do that.

00:30:55.513 --> 00:30:57.340
And broadcasting is funny.

00:30:57.340 --> 00:31:01.371
I used to spray this quote from Miles Davis, the great jazz musician.

00:31:01.371 --> 00:31:04.989
It says it takes a long time to play like yourself.

00:31:04.989 --> 00:31:09.621
Well, it takes a long time to broadcast like yourself.

00:31:10.462 --> 00:31:15.093
And you know now I'm comfortable, but it takes a while and I'm not even great.

00:31:15.093 --> 00:31:17.468
My on camera I can get a little.

00:31:17.468 --> 00:31:19.175
You're supposed to get nervous.

00:31:19.175 --> 00:31:22.368
You know you're supposed to be there, but this is kind of all these things.

00:31:22.368 --> 00:31:25.240
Even I teach in a broadcast broadcasting camp.

00:31:25.240 --> 00:31:34.849
But the lesson learned is you know like you want to be ready for your opportunity and you get lucky when you're working incredibly hard.

00:31:34.849 --> 00:31:37.076
Good things will happen then.

00:31:37.076 --> 00:31:41.468
But life does work in slow motion too and you can't you put.

00:31:41.468 --> 00:31:46.529
You just got to be ready and you got to, and you never know how lucky you could be.

00:31:46.529 --> 00:31:49.198
And I'll go back to I'm.

00:31:49.218 --> 00:31:55.374
So I'm training kids on one island every night and I hear I will be a whole.

00:31:55.374 --> 00:31:59.990
There happens to be one guy bringing his kid there every week.

00:31:59.990 --> 00:32:04.462
That I know because he's a kind of a very well known broadcaster.

00:32:04.462 --> 00:32:05.545
At the time he was on.

00:32:05.545 --> 00:32:09.142
I miss him the morning he was doing the next it was Mike Breen.

00:32:09.142 --> 00:32:26.305
So Mike Breen, who does he's done 17 championships of the NBA now has his child in the, in the camp or in the clinics at night and I say, mike, the job opened at the nets.

00:32:26.305 --> 00:32:27.789
Nobody knows me there.

00:32:28.491 --> 00:32:32.865
This other gentleman, great guy, and Jack Armstrong, told, told, told me about the job.

00:32:32.865 --> 00:32:34.810
You think they would ever have a chance.

00:32:34.810 --> 00:32:37.506
So everybody respected Mike Breen.

00:32:37.506 --> 00:32:47.601
So again I was able to get my foot in the door with the, with the New Jersey Nets, because of all the time I was going out to Long Island teaching kids.

00:32:47.601 --> 00:32:53.490
So again, working hard, hustling with the preparation for the broadcasting.

00:32:53.490 --> 00:32:58.403
I was ready for it.

00:32:58.403 --> 00:33:00.490
I was not ready and I got.

00:33:00.490 --> 00:33:16.404
I wasn't great at it, but I was better than I would have been if I had just gone right into it, which is why a lot of great athletes, when they do go into broadcasting, sometimes aren't great, right, they're not great because they take it for granted.

00:33:16.566 --> 00:33:16.886
They were.

00:33:16.886 --> 00:33:17.848
They just a lot of.

00:33:17.848 --> 00:33:25.191
But so many of the guys that go to the studio because they bet on camera so often that it's not that big a deal.

00:33:25.191 --> 00:33:30.449
But to broadcast as an analyst for a game, I think you really got to work at it.

00:33:30.449 --> 00:33:32.121
Some guys are natural, you know.

00:33:32.121 --> 00:33:42.181
You know different football guys are natural, but but it's something that you really you want to be ready for, you want to practice and that's what really benefited me.

00:33:42.240 --> 00:33:47.727
I also imagine you have to do a tremendous amount of homework as well to be prepared for each one of those different games.

00:33:47.727 --> 00:33:51.320
What's you know game plans and philosophies are likely to come out.

00:33:51.320 --> 00:33:58.374
So, Tim, you talked to Mike Breen, you established that relationship.

00:33:58.374 --> 00:33:59.801
How does he get you in?

00:33:59.801 --> 00:34:01.586
Like, what is that big break?

00:34:01.586 --> 00:34:02.587
What's that next step?

00:34:03.609 --> 00:34:24.101
He recommended me and Chris Carino at the time, who's kind of my guy I've worked with for 21 years right now is kind of not only a best broadcaster I know, a best person, but kind of a hero of mine because he's overcome form of muscular dystrophy and it doesn't stop him from doing anything.

00:34:24.101 --> 00:34:24.983
The guy's amazing.

00:34:24.983 --> 00:34:26.505
But I had met him.

00:34:26.505 --> 00:34:28.891
I did not know him, he did not know me.

00:34:29.559 --> 00:34:33.108
Mike Breen kind of said, hey, listen, give him a talk to him a little bit.

00:34:33.108 --> 00:34:34.010
He goes.

00:34:34.010 --> 00:34:51.835
He doesn't know anything about the NBA right now but he's really fun to hang out with, you know, and like that's a good time while he's learning how to you know, learn it, learn in the league, you know, and and that's kind of how it happened.

00:34:51.835 --> 00:35:00.072
Now I had three weeks to do a game and I had in two weeks I had to meet with a little Amarillo who was a legendary.

00:35:00.072 --> 00:35:10.268
He was the president of both the devils and the nets at the time and I had not only prepared for broadcasting but prepared for interviews and I was.

00:35:10.268 --> 00:35:13.463
So he's very intimidating guys kind of guy Nobody's able to.

00:35:13.503 --> 00:35:17.561
You know, everybody had never cracks us, never cracks a smile.

00:35:17.561 --> 00:35:19.550
He was a straight that guy.

00:35:19.570 --> 00:35:24.563
that guy was tough, that guy was tough or intimidating, right, and so nobody could have facial hair.

00:35:24.563 --> 00:35:28.853
He was, he was intimidating, he was tough.

00:35:28.853 --> 00:35:46.010
I remember sweating out and sweating bullets going into like the interview with him and I think he liked he had a number of couple of NBA guys that were like asking for a lot of money and I was an emphasis I would take if they'd pay me anything.

00:35:46.010 --> 00:35:48.864
I wish I had done it for volunteer, you know like.

00:35:48.864 --> 00:35:59.583
So I walk in there and it's kind of happening, you know like I see a picture of him because he was the AD at Providence and he was there in his picture of PJ.

00:35:59.603 --> 00:36:06.572
Carlysmo was in a picture and Bill Raftery, rick Pantana, saw that something happened with the picture and then he goes.

00:36:06.572 --> 00:36:11.869
You know, I just talked to him a couple of minutes and he said I, you basketball guys are all full of crap.

00:36:11.869 --> 00:36:14.023
You'll be great, and that was like my interview.

00:36:14.023 --> 00:36:15.186
I was like holy cow.

00:36:15.186 --> 00:36:21.827
I sweated out for three weeks for that, you know, but I thought he was great and I got my foot in the door.

00:36:21.827 --> 00:36:27.166
I tried to, you know, get better all the time at it.

00:36:27.166 --> 00:36:34.108
Chris Carino is is, you know, was every is everything to me as far as just the way.

00:36:34.108 --> 00:36:37.059
He is a play by play guy, but just as a person.

00:36:37.059 --> 00:36:40.268
So it's been a wonderful, wonderful ride I've had with the next.

00:36:40.860 --> 00:36:43.304
So Cap, I mean, I asked Chris, I asked Chris.

00:36:43.304 --> 00:36:46.110
And full disclosure here too.

00:36:46.110 --> 00:36:51.250
Chris, carino, mike Breen, their Fordham guys, that's the whole connection.

00:36:51.289 --> 00:36:52.512
That's why I got in here.

00:36:52.512 --> 00:36:54.083
So again, two shots.

00:36:54.083 --> 00:36:57.021
Just like the old days you got to, you got to step in and help me out.

00:36:57.021 --> 00:36:57.603
That's exact.

00:36:57.603 --> 00:36:59.148
That's how the connection was made.

00:36:59.429 --> 00:37:00.583
Yeah, exactly so.

00:37:00.583 --> 00:37:03.458
I also, obviously I've said before I went to Fordham as well.

00:37:03.458 --> 00:37:04.985
I happened to know both Mike and Chris.

00:37:04.985 --> 00:37:27.269
I have actually asked Chris Carino this before that you know early on and this is probably not a secret to a lot of NBA fans out there, the, the, the, the now now Brooklyn Nets, then New Jersey Nets, have been a franchise that weren't always that great and in some senses they were kind of considered like, let's say, a second tier organization in this area, in the New York, new Jersey area.

00:37:27.269 --> 00:37:33.483
Therefore, like you know, they're a big time, they're a big time, they're in a big time media market, but a small time team.

00:37:33.844 --> 00:37:40.527
And I always used to ask him hey, is it easier to broadcast for a team like that that doesn't have a lot of expectation?

00:37:40.527 --> 00:37:43.726
And you know he would hedge it a haul on that and he would never.

00:37:43.726 --> 00:37:46.038
He would never be like, yes, it's so much easier.

00:37:46.038 --> 00:37:46.940
He would never say that.

00:37:46.940 --> 00:38:01.786
But I I'd almost have to think in some ways it has to be a little bit easier, because you know far beyond for me to say that you would have a little bit more grace in terms of the learning curve, so to speak.

00:38:01.786 --> 00:38:02.489
Am I right?

00:38:03.179 --> 00:38:04.840
I don't disagree with that.

00:38:04.840 --> 00:38:05.880
I don't think.

00:38:05.880 --> 00:38:17.143
I think if I think you know, I think there's some truth to that that I probably was able to make more mistakes, kind of figure it out a little bit more under the radar.

00:38:17.143 --> 00:38:33.659
You know the Knicks are there, were a bigger deal, nets have had some windows where they're, they're pretty impressive and you know like a lot of stories on the Nets and Brooklyn Nets and New Jersey Nets have runs here and there, but the Knicks have been there for you know forever, you know in generations.

00:38:34.181 --> 00:38:34.885
There's a Knick Town.

00:38:34.905 --> 00:38:35.688
There's a Knick Town.

00:38:35.688 --> 00:38:38.405
It's a Knick Town, so I guess you know.

00:38:38.405 --> 00:38:45.630
I guess, yeah, if I was a Knick announcer, you probably wouldn't have as much I probably be, you wouldn't have been able to develop.

00:38:45.630 --> 00:39:04.385
But I also think that because we're a little bit under the radar, maybe at for a period of time or whatever, I think you're able to be more again, be more yourself, be more creative, be so.

00:39:04.385 --> 00:39:13.514
I think the people, the diehard fans and the decent amount of fans that listen to our games, that know our work, really, really appreciate it.

00:39:13.856 --> 00:39:15.483
And you know people say that about the Nets.

00:39:15.483 --> 00:39:19.615
You know, even now the team has been up and down.

00:39:19.615 --> 00:39:49.672
But when you look at the Nets Broadcasting team whether it be the yes Network with Ian Eagle, who is unbelievable, just the best and best guy in everything, ryan Rucco, national Broadcaster, great Sarah Kustak, richard Jefferson, all these guys, in fact, they're so, they're so national now those guys that I'll be doing a decent amount of yes Games on TV for the two, which is a nice thing for me, but that's only because it's only because they're so good.

00:39:49.672 --> 00:39:51.641
So you know.

00:39:51.641 --> 00:39:56.474
So you know that's a legitimate point that I was probably.

00:39:56.474 --> 00:40:02.228
Also, the Nets are a little bit more.

00:40:02.228 --> 00:40:09.702
I think guys worry a little bit more about how you say certain things, although you got to constantly be smart about things these days.

00:40:09.702 --> 00:40:15.025
So good question, good observation guys.

00:40:16.025 --> 00:40:20.514
Yeah, as you say that you have to be a little bit more careful these days, etc.

00:40:20.514 --> 00:40:21.096
Etc.

00:40:21.096 --> 00:40:26.989
Like what's the dynamic between a Color analyst and the players?

00:40:26.989 --> 00:40:31.016
Like do you develop a relationship with those guys when you're covering them?

00:40:31.016 --> 00:40:32.599
Like what is that dynamic?

00:40:34.686 --> 00:40:36.849
I don't that much, you know.

00:40:36.849 --> 00:40:44.052
I don't like hang on, I'll go ask some questions and communicate with them, but I don't really know them.

00:40:44.052 --> 00:40:45.456
Know them that well, I haven't.

00:40:45.456 --> 00:40:46.077
It hasn't.

00:40:46.077 --> 00:40:51.371
Just Again, I like the professional distance.

00:40:51.371 --> 00:40:56.411
I don't think they even they're very Like these net players now, or just in general.

00:40:56.411 --> 00:40:58.536
For the most part really terrific.

00:40:58.536 --> 00:41:04.036
I just don't want to like Say they're in the elevator with me, like they don't need to talk to me too.

00:41:04.036 --> 00:41:04.940
You know what I mean.

00:41:04.960 --> 00:41:06.710
Wow, you know what I mean.

00:41:06.731 --> 00:41:09.344
Like hey, how you doing, yeah, yeah, you did great tonight.

00:41:09.344 --> 00:41:11.534
No, they don't want to hear that guy.

00:41:11.534 --> 00:41:13.021
Give me a what's up, I go what's up.

00:41:13.021 --> 00:41:13.905
You know, like that's it.

00:41:13.905 --> 00:41:18.528
You know top, and there's some of that.

00:41:18.528 --> 00:41:22.480
I thought guys that have been around a while, you get to know.

00:41:22.480 --> 00:41:29.858
Brookalopiz was there a long time, joe Harris is a long time, jason kid was, surprisingly, you know, I got to know it's a.

00:41:29.858 --> 00:41:30.945
Guys get older.

00:41:30.945 --> 00:41:40.719
Yeah, almost feel like some of the older players almost feel more of a connection With some of the older people that work in the on the teams.

00:41:40.719 --> 00:41:42.485
Then they do some of the workies at times.

00:41:42.485 --> 00:41:50.737
So there's, there's a little bit of that connection, but I would say that would be not a big part of my job connecting on them on a personal level.

00:41:51.266 --> 00:41:54.905
Tim, I think one of the things that you're known for is your longevity.

00:41:54.905 --> 00:42:04.005
You know that you've been doing this job, and doing it well, for a long time and I just I wonder you know you talked about always working on your craft and getting better.

00:42:04.005 --> 00:42:11.215
You talked about you know a little bit of fear as you, as you step into that arena and you're about to do your job, and how you can use that as fuel.

00:42:11.215 --> 00:42:15.974
What would you say is the key to your longevity in this profession?

00:42:15.974 --> 00:42:19.019
Because guys don't last and you have, so you're doing something right.

00:42:20.266 --> 00:42:20.608
Thank you.

00:42:20.608 --> 00:42:26.114
I'm gonna sort of brag right now, because that's I can't help myself.

00:42:26.114 --> 00:42:29.157
I've done 1814 games in a row.

00:42:29.197 --> 00:42:29.943
Oh my good Wow.

00:42:31.128 --> 00:42:32.692
Oh, I haven't missed a day of work.

00:42:32.692 --> 00:42:34.317
You know, I haven't missed a day of work.

00:42:37.405 --> 00:42:39.994
He's done 1800 days in a row something.

00:42:47.326 --> 00:42:48.590
That's right, that is.

00:42:48.590 --> 00:42:50.715
That I believe is good, that I believe is called an insult.

00:42:52.726 --> 00:42:53.188
Good point.

00:42:53.188 --> 00:42:54.956
Maybe now it's something different.

00:42:54.956 --> 00:43:01.054
Now, um, I, I, you're right, I, first of all.

00:43:01.054 --> 00:43:08.693
I have you couldn't meet a person that has more gratitude than I have.

00:43:08.693 --> 00:43:13.380
As far as this job, I am the luckiest guy.

00:43:13.380 --> 00:43:15.586
I, first of all.

00:43:15.586 --> 00:43:23.744
If you listen to the broadcast now, I know I hope you do, or people out there People are gonna say, my goodness, chris Carino does all the work.

00:43:24.005 --> 00:43:26.134
Another guy just tells a joke every few minutes.

00:43:27.106 --> 00:43:28.650
He's just like oh, my shot.

00:43:29.152 --> 00:43:30.215
I could do that.

00:43:30.215 --> 00:43:38.079
It's not that it's not that far-fetched, you know like it's not, it is true.

00:43:38.079 --> 00:43:48.744
And in radio the play-by-play guy has to describe everything that's going on and you can't have two people talking at the same time.

00:43:48.744 --> 00:43:55.278
So on radio is he's painting the picture, just so I tell the people what exactly how this works.

00:43:55.278 --> 00:44:00.237
The play-by-play gentlemen, Chris Carino, tells everybody what is happening.

00:44:00.237 --> 00:44:01.889
He's describing.

00:44:02.329 --> 00:44:16.052
If you had your eyes closed he could tell you everything that's going on, that not just, not just where the ball is if they scored, but the direction, the angle, the color, the uniforms and such a beautiful rhythm that you couldn't believe.

00:44:16.052 --> 00:44:25.452
He says what happens and then I Say, but not every moment, not every time, not all the time.

00:44:25.452 --> 00:44:28.278
I say why something happens.

00:44:28.278 --> 00:44:34.585
He says what ball goes in here, but I'm bad, basket good and I'll say terrific ball movement, excellent jobs.

00:44:34.585 --> 00:44:36.605
No, he's back into play-by-play.

00:44:36.605 --> 00:44:44.818
It's a real rhythm and it's a real dance that you've got to be able to do with a guy you're broadcasting with.

00:44:44.818 --> 00:44:49.704
And I think that I know Chris makes me better all the time.

00:44:50.407 --> 00:45:07.016
I think, because we've worked so often, we know what each other's thinking and it's become a really, really, really terrific, terrific relationship and you can tell and and you can even notice this in broadcasting you can tell if guys really like each other.

00:45:07.016 --> 00:45:19.072
You know, like Me and him are close people, like we're friends, we are we, and jump out like that were really best friends and At least on my standpoint, maybe he may even might think differently.

00:45:19.072 --> 00:45:24.010
The um, but the um you can tell in the broadcast.

00:45:24.010 --> 00:45:31.072
And so if people are listening, the play-by-play guys on a radio, what happens, what, what say on TV?

00:45:31.072 --> 00:45:32.295
It's similar.

00:45:32.295 --> 00:45:39.606
The play-by-play guy doesn't have to do nearly as much description because you can see it Right.

00:45:39.606 --> 00:45:45.097
So that's and then that's, and then maybe the analysts can talk a little bit longer when you're watching sporting events.

00:45:45.097 --> 00:45:48.025
So that gives you a little feel for what exactly goes on.

00:45:48.646 --> 00:45:50.333
I knew Chris Carino back in college.

00:45:50.333 --> 00:46:05.605
Chris Carino was a senior at at 40 University when I was a sophomore and I started in radio back then and you could see just back then that Chris Carino was destined to be a great play-by-play guy because he took it seriously.

00:46:05.605 --> 00:46:12.539
He was crazy serious about it back then and he made all of us serious about being in radio as well.

00:46:12.539 --> 00:46:23.474
His attitude and his and his, his concentration for what he wanted to be, his profession, it Shown through every single time he broadcast a game.

00:46:23.474 --> 00:46:25.481
All right, so cap, so cap.

00:46:25.481 --> 00:46:26.905
Tell us about your camps.

00:46:26.905 --> 00:46:30.795
Well, how long you've been doing the camps and what and which do you enjoy doing more?

00:46:30.795 --> 00:46:32.320
The new, the broadcasting camp?

00:46:32.320 --> 00:46:33.264
Or the?

00:46:33.264 --> 00:46:34.907
Or the or the coaching camp?

00:46:34.907 --> 00:46:36.952
And which do you get more students to?

00:46:37.434 --> 00:46:42.327
Oh, now, basketball camp is, basketball camp is my, is mine.

00:46:42.327 --> 00:46:46.175
It's seven weeks in the summer and Wayne, new Jersey, at the Wayne PAL.

00:46:46.175 --> 00:46:47.579
It's great, I love it.

00:46:47.579 --> 00:46:55.012
It's hard, it's real work and I love it and it's kind of gotten a little bit younger.

00:46:55.012 --> 00:47:01.135
You know, kids when they get to be eighth, ninth grade Want to go to these other camps and move on and we keep it.

00:47:01.135 --> 00:47:07.903
We teach pretty good, bad, we teach well, but we make sure the kids play a lot of play and they have fun playing.

00:47:07.903 --> 00:47:15.047
Kids Don't coach me knew used to go to the playgrounds where kids you could pick up and play the kids don't kids kids Get.

00:47:15.106 --> 00:47:35.878
I want to get an opportunity now to play Sports when there isn't necessarily there might be a guy organizing in a little bit, making sure it's organized, and maybe they're a prepping, but they want to make sure there's no real coach there, maybe a guy saying move the ball, move the ball, and no real scoreboard and no real parents in the crowd.

00:47:35.878 --> 00:47:38.231
So they don't get to do that as much so.

00:47:38.231 --> 00:47:51.126
But in camp they get to do that a lot and I think that's a beautiful feeling for them Because when they don't they kind of missed out a lot on going to the playground and who's gonna get winners and all that kind of stuff when they play.

00:47:51.126 --> 00:47:52.891
So camp is great.

00:47:52.891 --> 00:48:06.219
Basketball broadcasting is only one week and I do it with a terrific broadcaster in a Dave Popkin, craig de Mico, oh my god, I know pop as well, my god.

00:48:06.259 --> 00:48:07.744
Yeah, dave Popkin is great.

00:48:07.744 --> 00:48:12.324
He's another just terrific, all-around broadcaster, beautiful man, great.

00:48:12.324 --> 00:48:14.291
Dave sorority is involved.

00:48:14.291 --> 00:48:20.449
So we did this over a month it's only one week which is intense and it's good, because I'm not.

00:48:20.668 --> 00:48:24.516
You know, when you teach people, you teach yourself the best.

00:48:24.516 --> 00:48:30.280
You know, like I'm always telling kids hey, you know, you're nervous, let's smile on camera.

00:48:30.280 --> 00:48:31.405
Well, so I'm sort of smile.

00:48:31.405 --> 00:48:34.885
I remember to smile on camera when I'm broadcasting.

00:48:34.885 --> 00:48:40.775
I think of what I invented, something called the 2020 rule, where you speak.

00:48:40.775 --> 00:48:53.509
Whenever you're on camera or into a you know, or you're basically broadcasting or doing a speech, you speak 20% louder and 20% slower.

00:48:53.509 --> 00:48:55.112
So the 2020 rule.

00:48:55.112 --> 00:49:04.833
So I always have these things in my mind that because I have taught, I am Better, I've been able to teach myself.

00:49:04.833 --> 00:49:12.315
So it helps me when I'm on camera, because I don't do all that much stuff on camera, so I gotta be sharp when I do.

00:49:12.315 --> 00:49:23.105
We do stuff in arena, we're on a big scoreboard, but, but for the most part, I'm reminded that that week of teaching young people broadcasting actually teaches myself.

00:49:23.505 --> 00:49:25.791
Can I ask if you have a slot for two shower?

00:49:25.791 --> 00:49:27.757
I think you could use some of this instruction.

00:49:27.757 --> 00:49:37.311
Hey 2020 sounds great for two in the corner.

00:49:37.512 --> 00:49:39.016
In the corner is the spot for two shower.

00:49:45.666 --> 00:49:54.135
So, cap, I'm assuming that you tell these, these nine, these eight, these nine and ten year olds About your, your days on the playground, that you should.

00:49:54.135 --> 00:49:57.025
They truly are speaking to one of the legendary athletes of all time.

00:49:57.025 --> 00:49:57.768
I'm great to see.

00:49:59.206 --> 00:50:00.108
Olympics for eight year olds.

00:50:00.108 --> 00:50:02.788
I would have been unbelievable, pete.

00:50:02.788 --> 00:50:04.876
I think today J same thing.

00:50:04.876 --> 00:50:08.371
You know my name, my name, my name Timmy.

00:50:08.371 --> 00:50:09.333
Everybody calls it.

00:50:09.333 --> 00:50:11.478
If you should call me Timmy, that peaks at AJ.

00:50:11.478 --> 00:50:25.570
You know old guys name Timmy, so my name Fizzles along with everything Great best moment thus far.

00:50:25.751 --> 00:50:29.739
Best moment thus far as play-by-play guy Sorry me as color guy for the Nets.

00:50:31.489 --> 00:50:40.414
Toronto, toronto game seven, where the nets and nets beat Toronto in a game seven because I didn't say anything.

00:50:40.414 --> 00:50:48.438
It's amazing when you're a broadcaster and Highlight is that you didn't say something.

00:50:48.438 --> 00:50:49.603
Let me give you the background in this.

00:50:49.603 --> 00:50:56.153
It's the last play of the game, toronto's taking the ball out of the side, out of bounds, nets guys.

00:50:56.153 --> 00:50:56.876
Game seven.

00:50:56.876 --> 00:51:03.974
First of all, there's a lot of tension between Toronto, so there's that was like pro wrestling when we went to the Serena, people are throwing.

00:51:03.974 --> 00:51:06.793
It was wild, but anyways, it's game seven.

00:51:07.846 --> 00:51:12.054
But we're, we was this this is like 2000 and it was.

00:51:12.054 --> 00:51:12.436
It was.

00:51:12.436 --> 00:51:15.773
It was All Pearson garnets.

00:51:15.773 --> 00:51:17.581
I don't know if that's 15.

00:51:17.581 --> 00:51:18.085
That's way back.

00:51:18.085 --> 00:51:20.090
Yeah, 16, 17.

00:51:20.090 --> 00:51:20.811
I can't.

00:51:20.891 --> 00:51:22.715
I don't know what to add for breakfast.

00:51:22.715 --> 00:51:24.887
You're telling me what the?

00:51:24.887 --> 00:51:26.998
Let me tell you what happened.

00:51:26.998 --> 00:51:37.996
So you, the game is that it's the last play of the game, and what happens when you sit on the front row is that you can be blocked from what happened by the coach.

00:51:37.996 --> 00:51:46.032
The coach can get in your way and if the TV monitor is out, like it happened to be out, chris Carino could not see what happened.

00:51:46.032 --> 00:51:50.856
So Kyle Lowry goes down into the lane and he shoots.

00:51:50.856 --> 00:52:00.356
He knew the shot was blocked, but he didn't know who it was and he kept saying rejected, rejected, rejected.

00:52:00.356 --> 00:52:15.929
And instead of talking, I wrote Pierce quick on a piece of paper and he saw me write the name and he was able to go and Paul Pierce was able to do, able to get the block to secure the victory.

00:52:15.929 --> 00:52:22.492
So it's amazing that I've had a 21-year career and my highlight is not talking one time.

00:52:22.492 --> 00:52:22.733
Wow.

00:52:26.088 --> 00:52:37.092
But, it does go to the point of being a teammate and being teamwork and working together and you can't have your ego get in the way.

00:52:37.092 --> 00:52:47.753
And yes me, how I've survived, I think gratitude, I think understand that.

00:52:47.753 --> 00:53:04.496
Chris is, if there's Batman and Robin, he's Batman, he's the main guy and you kind of understand that and you appreciate everything that you've got and that's kind of how I've always stuck around this long.

00:53:04.496 --> 00:53:05.949
I hope it keeps going.

00:53:06.692 --> 00:53:13.231
Wow, Tim, that's been incredible advice for all broadcasters and any young broadcaster.

00:53:13.231 --> 00:53:22.215
Before we break, one last question, just to go back to the coaching, which is a young person trying to break into that field.

00:53:22.215 --> 00:53:23.429
Do you have any advice for them?

00:53:23.664 --> 00:53:25.190
Yeah, don't be afraid to.

00:53:25.190 --> 00:53:30.032
I don't wear any field and I try to tell your own children this.

00:53:30.032 --> 00:53:31.376
Right, your kids won't ever listen.

00:53:31.376 --> 00:53:32.947
Other kids listen, other people do.

00:53:32.947 --> 00:53:48.650
But if you know something that you want to do, don't be afraid to say, well, we don't have a job for you, but be surprised who will let you volunteer If you can volunteer somewhere.

00:53:49.233 --> 00:53:51.351
Some people, everybody's waiting for internships.

00:53:51.351 --> 00:53:54.331
I understand that and that's a great way to get to life.

00:53:54.331 --> 00:54:02.710
When you're in college, say you're out of college but you want to be a coach, I think a lot of people would say, well, we don't have a position.

00:54:02.710 --> 00:54:07.585
If you know, something is out there a profession, a job or whatever.

00:54:07.585 --> 00:54:14.152
This six months or eight months or whatever you say, I would love to volunteer for you.

00:54:14.844 --> 00:54:22.351
Be the greatest investment you could ever make and you then might be doing the dream job or the job that you know that you would love.

00:54:22.351 --> 00:54:32.851
You've got to be willing to sacrifice money and even sell yourself to people that you would do the job for nothing.

00:54:32.851 --> 00:54:38.875
And then, when you're at a job, if you get your foot in the door and anything, no job is too small.

00:54:38.875 --> 00:54:42.054
Be the best in the world at getting coffee for people.

00:54:42.054 --> 00:54:49.351
Say thank you to everybody, be the first, be early, stay late All those kind of things you've heard your whole life.

00:54:49.351 --> 00:54:50.789
But don't be afraid.

00:54:50.789 --> 00:55:02.054
If it's something you're dreaming about, sometimes you can wait for that opportunity, but sometimes you've got to go make your opportunity by saying you want to volunteer.

00:55:02.054 --> 00:55:05.193
Now, if it's broadcasting, you can make your.

00:55:05.193 --> 00:55:11.092
Nowadays you can make yourself like you guys Look at a tremendous podcast.

00:55:11.092 --> 00:55:12.990
You can have an exceptional podcast.

00:55:12.990 --> 00:55:17.673
You can practice, you can be doing on camera reporting from your college.

00:55:19.525 --> 00:55:27.132
Or be a social media person for your business, volunteer to be that person for the business that you're working in right now.

00:55:27.132 --> 00:55:36.693
So there's a lot of different things, but I think the thing that I've come back to is when I didn't work hard and I wasn't hustling good things.

00:55:36.693 --> 00:55:40.012
It burnt me and I'm never going to let that happen again.

00:55:40.605 --> 00:55:42.954
That's incredible, incredible advice.

00:55:42.954 --> 00:55:47.735
Well, tim, thank you for volunteering your time to us today.

00:55:47.735 --> 00:55:49.440
No, it's not going to get paid.

00:55:49.440 --> 00:55:50.791
I don't get paid.

00:55:50.791 --> 00:55:53.655
We'll talk about that afterwards.

00:55:53.655 --> 00:55:54.802
The check is in the mail.

00:55:54.802 --> 00:55:59.530
Oh yeah, I'm talking Don't cash it for a few years.

00:55:59.530 --> 00:56:01.530
Exactly, it'll be there next week.

00:56:01.530 --> 00:56:04.626
Ok, I'll be checking, tim.

00:56:04.626 --> 00:56:05.509
Thank you so much.

00:56:05.768 --> 00:56:06.552
Yes, great time.

00:56:06.552 --> 00:56:07.454
Thank you very much.

00:56:07.454 --> 00:56:09.188
This is your life Take care.

00:56:10.045 --> 00:56:14.476
Well, that was, once again, a great conversation set up by Tushar.

00:56:14.476 --> 00:56:19.751
So, first off, thank you for making that introduction tea and building upon that.

00:56:19.751 --> 00:56:24.210
There are so many lessons in that, and what are the big ones?

00:56:24.210 --> 00:56:27.594
Just show up, work hard, be available.

00:56:27.594 --> 00:56:27.885
I mean.

00:56:27.885 --> 00:56:33.512
Just what an inspiring, entertaining and animated conversation.

00:56:33.512 --> 00:56:34.889
Tushar, what are your thoughts?

00:56:34.929 --> 00:56:35.110
there.

00:56:35.110 --> 00:56:44.492
The other lesson to take from that is know as many guys who went to Fordham as possible, because they're going to help you get a job.

00:56:44.492 --> 00:56:59.494
Obviously right, whether it be Mike Breen, who is one of the great play by play voices of a generation, chris Carino, who is one of the great play by play guys in the NBA, or, of course, me, just a solid all around mench.

00:57:00.184 --> 00:57:01.048
Definitely you.

00:57:01.724 --> 00:57:07.797
Of course, cap's talent is pretty much out there for everyone to see.

00:57:07.797 --> 00:57:22.652
He's one of these hard working guys who really made it on his own and it's kind of cliche to say that sometimes, but no, he really worked hard to become as good as he is and he put as much effort in becoming a let's just say he worked at it like an athlete.

00:57:22.652 --> 00:57:33.775
He really worked out to become a really great broadcast, as he said, making sure he made himself work hard to become comfortable in front of a camera, to read off a teleprompter.

00:57:33.775 --> 00:57:53.833
These are real skills you have to learn and he did it day in and day out and rediscovered that vigor, that zest for wanting to learn again, to coach again and coach himself in that sense, to become better and to become what he's become today and the longtime color guy for the Nets.

00:57:54.045 --> 00:57:56.851
Yeah, when he worked the hardest is when he felt the luckiest right.

00:57:56.851 --> 00:57:57.949
I love how he said that.

00:57:57.949 --> 00:58:02.530
And you hit the nail on the head, tee, it doesn't just happen by accident.

00:58:02.530 --> 00:58:14.213
He's setting up the tripod, he's reading off a teleprompter, he's viewing himself reading, reading copy and making sure that it's natural and that he's comfortable and that he has the confidence to do it.

00:58:14.213 --> 00:58:16.271
And he said he gets a little scared.

00:58:16.271 --> 00:58:20.215
I love that, because everybody gets a little scared.

00:58:20.284 --> 00:58:25.472
You name whoever it is on TV, whether it be an actor or a broadcaster or what have you.

00:58:25.472 --> 00:58:31.552
You're going to get a little bit of anxiety associated with whatever you're doing and you have to use that as fuel.

00:58:31.552 --> 00:58:41.876
And you can tell the way Tim Kabstra talks that not only does he use it as fuel, he thrives on it and he considers himself like one of the luckiest guys on the face of the planet.

00:58:41.876 --> 00:58:51.168
You can hear it in his voice that he considers himself lucky to go to the NBA arena every day and broadcast a sport that he loves and it just comes through.

00:58:51.168 --> 00:58:56.628
But he worked hard for it and he showed us, he told us exactly how he got there.

00:58:56.628 --> 00:58:59.150
So many great lessons to take from this podcast.

00:58:59.369 --> 00:59:09.014
Absolutely, and it's interesting when you mention the fear, because it doesn't just apply to being a broadcaster Somebody who was a business person for a long time.

00:59:09.014 --> 00:59:19.309
If I had a big presentation or a big meeting or I was presenting in front of a large audience, I got very excited and nervous and everything else and I would up my game.

00:59:19.309 --> 00:59:26.452
It shows that you care and it shows that it matters and it shows that you're doing the right thing.

00:59:26.452 --> 00:59:29.052
So that was really an interesting point that you hit on.

00:59:29.052 --> 00:59:39.155
The one thing I'll add in is the volunteer stuff and the fact that he's involved with a school now for broadcasters and he's involved with a basketball camp.

00:59:39.155 --> 00:59:57.536
This is a guy who clearly enjoyed and loved coaching for the time that he did it and in some way has managed to keep that as a part of his life, which is a testament to who this guy is and his character and just his joy of teaching and giving back.

00:59:57.536 --> 01:00:00.014
So an incredible conversation.

01:00:00.244 --> 01:00:04.467
Tim, thank you so much for joining this episode of no Wrong Choices.

01:00:04.467 --> 01:00:06.351
We also thank you for joining us.

01:00:06.351 --> 01:00:18.009
If this or another journey story inspired you to think of a friend who could be a great guest, please let us know by sending us a note via the contact page of nowrongchoicescom, as I mentioned off the top.

01:00:18.009 --> 01:00:23.954
Please support us by following no Wrong Choices on your favorite podcast and platform, while giving us a five star rating.

01:00:23.954 --> 01:00:38.152
And then, last but not least, we encourage you to join the no Wrong Choices community by connecting with us on LinkedIn, facebook, instagram threads and X by searching for no Wrong Choices On behalf of Tushar Saxena and Larry Shea.

01:00:38.152 --> 01:00:39.335
I'm Larry Samuels.

01:00:39.335 --> 01:00:44.612
Thank you again for joining us and always remember there are no wrong choices on the road to success.

01:00:44.612 --> 01:00:47.068
We learn from every experience.