Forgotten Seasons

Tony Allen arrived in Memphis in 2010 and tried to establish a similar culture of his last team, the Boston Celtics. Allen won a ring with the Celtics in 2008 and observed the work ethic of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, James Posey, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo.

Before Allen got there, the Grizzlies had a grand total of zero playoff wins as a franchise in their 15+ years of existence. Most players on the team, besides Allen, had no playoff experience. Pretty soon after his arrival, Allen's influence rubbed off on the rest of the team, and Grit 'N' Grind was born. The Grizzlies made the playoffs as the 8-seed and beat the 1-seed Spurs in six games. In Round 2, they took the eventual Western Conference champs to 7 games but lost.

In this week's episode, Allen relives his journey from Boston to Memphis, explains how he implemented a culture, breaks down his chemistry with Zach Randolph and goes in depth on his perimeter matchups with Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and LeBron James.

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To properly tell the story of the Miami Heat becoming one of the NBA's most prestigious franchises, you have to start in the Spring of 1995. Pat Riley was on the last year of his contract with the New York Knicks, where he was the Head Coach for four years. Riley had taken the Knicks from sub .500 to Eastern Conference Champions in just a few years, and he wanted a compensation package that properly reflected his value. Riley asked Knicks management for a big contract, a hefty ownership stake, and total control of the team's basketball operations.

The Knicks balked at Riley's demands, so he shifted his attention to Miami. The Heat - who joined the NBA as an expansion team in 1989 - failed to win more than 42 games in their first seven years in the league. Mickey Arison took control of the team in 1995 and didn't want to settle for mediocrity. Through a mutual friend, Arison started talking to Riley while he finished out his last year in New York. Riley presented a similar list of demands to Arison. He wanted a $50 million contract, a 10% ownership in the team upon signing, an additional 10% over time, a limo service to and from games, and a $500 per-diem. In addition to all of that, he asked that the Heat buy his homes in LA and New York. Arison agreed, and Riley took the command in 1995-96.

During his first season in Miami, Riley traded for 30-year-old Tim Hardaway, a 3x All-Star who some thought was over the hill. On this episode, Hardaway takes us back to his first days in Miami and the Heat's breakout 1996-97 campaign. Joining Hardaway in South Beach in 1997 were Alonzo Mourning, Dan Majerle, Jamal Mashburn and PJ Brown. They won 61 games and had the #1 defense in the league. In the playoffs, they beat Orlando in Round 1, followed by an iconic 7-game, fight-filled ECSF vs. the Knicks, Riley's old team.

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Tim Thomas joins the show to talk late 90’s Sixers, 2001 Bucks and mid-2000’s Knicks. He also highlights his rise to the league as the #1 player in the Class of 1996 and his rivalry with Kobe Bryant in high school.

We use the “ahead of his time” label pretty lightly these days. But Thomas, at 6’10” with a sweet stroke and guard-like handles was...definitely ahead of his time.

Philadelphia was his landing spot in the 1997 Draft, and Thomas joined a squad featuring a young Allen Iverson and Jerry Stackhouse. Thomas dispels the narrative that AI and Stackhouse hated each other and dives deep into his relationship with Larry Brown.

Less than two years into his Sixers tenure, Thomas was shipped to Milwaukee, where he'd play alongside Ray Allen, Glenn Robinson and Sam Cassell. The Bucks had the number offense in the league in 2001 and beat Indiana and Charlotte in the playoffs before facing Philly, Thomas' old team, in the Conference Finals. The epic 7-game series came down to the last shot, which Glenn Robinson missed, and Philly advanced.

After Milwaukee, Thomas had successful stints with New York and Phoenix. To wrap up the episode, we talk about Tim Thomas Playaz AAU program, which has ushered more than 25 players into the NBA with tens of millions in contract dollars earned.

Follow Forgotten Seasons (@forgottenseasonsnba). This episode is co-hosted by Dylan Dreyfuss and Jelani McCoy.

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NYC legend and 11-year pro Rafer "Skip 2 My Lou" Alston joins Forgotten Seasons to talk 2003/04 Heat. This was a defining year in Alston's career, playing big minutes for the first time and setting him up for a coveted long-term contract. D Wade enters the scene as a rookie and shows his greatness early, leading the team in playoff ppg (18.0). Rafer and D Wade were surrounded by Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Udonis Haslem and coached by Stan Van Gundy. They won 42 games, finished as the #4 seed in the East and lost to a 61 win Pacers squad in round 2.

Catch Rafer in NYC POINT GODS, streaming July 29 on SHOWTIME.

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JR Smith joins Matt and Stak to unveil the next and final set of players to the ShoBasketball NEXT 75. Outside of unveiling the list, the trio talk Cavs vs Warriors Finals, the 2010's three point revolution, toughest matchups and much more.

We're naming 75 hoopers that didn't make the NBA 75 list but deserve the same respect as those who did. Check out the previous episodes with Tracy McGrady (2000s), Penny Hardaway (1990s) and John Salley (1980's).

Follow Forgotten Seasons (@forgottenseasonsnba) and Showtime Basketball (@shobasketball) for more.

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