What’s the best shot in basketball? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-hosts Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly break down the physics behind what makes the Skyhook so effective, as well as one of the greatest eras with basketball greats, Jamaal Wilkes, Michael Cooper, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
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This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
Welcome to start off your place in the universe where science and pop culture collide. Our top begin right now is to start talks or tradition of the rest.
facing here. Your personal astrophysicist and sports enthusiast
Why we do sports edition
with me gary riley, of course, Gary. I knew I'd former
hocker pro over in the uk and ignoring soccer announcer? It's great thanks.
Karen Sumpter announced
first over here in sports addition once we get check nice. My other covers by gary viewer cooking up something-
this instalment. Yes, yes, some recipe. The union share with me in advance so limit. Let me hear what you got going now, all right so
we ve gone back to an old recipes.
from applying the signs days and brought forward a show about the sky hook, the sky,
isn't like a miss out from the original star wars movie or anything spectacular like that, it is the signal to shop from Karim, Abdul Jabbar and be a legend and martial arts expert. Now this shot
Where did you declared he's not just any old model short its person? He was trained by one of the best not being,
late bruce lee of coins in one of his movies. Now this thirty
eight thousand three hundred and eighty seven points, which is the record
with all time points tally in mba, history, tureen arms that he hasn't play for thirty odd years, yet still
that's how little shop this guy, who cares
and with you talking to him, you break down the mechanics, the geometry and physics, and he has
it all of that that quite the conversation that that I had a death. I distinctly remember that he was sitting in my office and his legs.
I believe I should interviews legs were here. You know, what's that we simply to automatically tool, and the thing is
the story behind the story is very startle for us, so
we found to these teammates from the allay lakers during the eighties decade, the most successful decade in late as historic, their diet. Yes in the dynasty showtime,
and we spoke to Jamal wilkes and Michael cooper, and we unlock stories of what it was like to be part and parcel of
whole sporting franchise
there's a lovely little human interest story, one of the players tomorrow, Michael
their grandmother has come
you can't see the tv as well so
The planet decides that he will do something on court.
Maybe he's grandmother
to see that is him playing on coal.
So my life to listen, remember understandable, that even if it doesnt have you been going if subject up as you might just have a heart of stone
or no hard at all. It's maybe that
well, as they say Gary. Let's roll tape, I'm Gary O'Reilly and chuck nice. This is playing with science, yes, indeed, and to help us take a trip down memory lane. We asked neil Degrasse tyson to hook up with the man himself, while we wrapped with former lakers superstars and teammates Michael cooper and jamal will care. We talk leads to this. We need to do this and first to kick things off joining us by video call. We are super excited to have Jamaal Wilkes, better known as silk whatsapp Jamal a jerk. Are you going hey gary and marla pleasure? Is us just to talk to any of the guys who are around that organization at that time? Is such a through for us, because you just reinvented the game, let alone what kareem did on his own yeah. I mean, but I mean when you look at the dynasty, that you guys had and the type of talent that was bought on to this mb a team. You look at just look at you. I mean come on rookie of the year. Right
If I remember three to three three time: mba all star, if I remember the nickname silk, because we know you had the stroke, I mean this. This team was always just chock full
of superstars. All of you. I mean no matter where you look so
before we before we get into how it is to play as a superstar on a team of superstars. You know we're talking about two miles. So let's take I'm that we're talking about I'm sorry jamal wits about karim now talking about James we're assets on law and the right to live in a little bit later, with thoughts, Michael cooper, who, I am sure you are familiar with, but let's take a look at
quintessential karim clip so that we can see exactly what we're talking about when we say how he changed the game: a basketball with his guile. Let's do it
magic it doesn't give the karim project agree what an athlete travel I'll say. Nobody else, gonna get about, nobody could have caught up with inside. It goes a green against very bacchic over the greens wing laugh got eleven with wine. Forty eight forty eight part got the barn deftly to forty eight and make a stream of Michael cooper with evolved over dribbling at the gravity magic getting along red ball in the green than a swing left again, a shoe right from thoroughly and there it is again raises commodities and there is as easy. So you know the thing about this guy look and you can hear it from the announcers peel. The is the same move, but it just seems to be indefensible. Swing, laugh, move right up boom. Can you
You talk about what it. What it was like to. Witness
somebody who's hasn't
Indefensible shot absolutely well. First of all, when you talk about green,
the profession I tell people
had he been sixty tar.
He'd have been a great basketball player. He was just so fundamentally sound and everything he did and bring a level of concentration. That was just otherworldly, but
I would in particular, is the most devastating off as a weapon in any
or that I've ever seen an end.
It was a very simple shot:
but he mastered. It was just just an amazing experience to see that shot day in and day out, not just the games when practices to many be practice.
With all of this, he didn't take off practice. He was just have a leader by example. He wasn't the most talkative individual, then back then, but he always led with his example. It was just a sheer delight to play with him, so Neil Degrasse Tyson actually caught up with kareem recently to chat about the legendary sky hook and we have a clip of their conversation. So, let's take a take a listen. What percent of your thirty eight thousand points were skyhook points which we guess I'd say three quarters three quarters
but do you like I learned
breathing. I learn in all had to do with
the mechanics of the shock, and
Sonny boy, arrow, pushing figure out
what the drop is all about,
spark is all about, and once you get gotta figure out, you can become an accurate, your marksman at that's point so basketball marksman,
after the war we gotta be successful,
I lead the league in field goal percentage a number of years. I think that was really my success too. You know I had a successful shot that they couldn't block
This would enable me to endure what
intriguing about this hook shot. I think bill bradley famously was quoted, saying
that hook shut your eyes are not on the ball or on your hand,
or anywhere near your arm, so that there is a sense.
Where the basket is relative to the ball. If you have enough experience on the court, digital actually need to look at whether
I skipped it and you must agree with that, because you were successful in a coke shot. You'll have to know where the ball is.
Gotta keep your eye on the basket, but you have to have your eye on the ball. Okay, but that requires some muscular skeletal gang activity. Yes, that's why you practice.
As the quote of the interview. That's why you practice so tomorrow, when you spend, is what jamal was. I know you said that so is his way
was everybody. Aware of you know, Kareem's work ethic, as I have to tell you I remember watching you guys play.
Because it was showtime. Everybody had such an emphasis on the fact
tat: there were all these big
personalities these big superstars on the court.
You didn't hear anybody talking about the project
You didn't hear anybody talking about the work
Then you don't hear any body like when you talk of when they talk about an omelet braun james. Today they always talk about how hard he practices and how much he's trying to drive the team. You heard that a lot about Michael Jordan, all this guy, he practices, these work ethic has work ethic win and you guys were a dynasty and all they tie.
Tibet was light up the show
was in town, it almost made. It seem like you guys, is walks out of court and it just happened like their talks. We about, like you, a routine as a team to
to their place because I'm sure there's a lot of hard work involved.
cause you're you're, absolutely right, jack in hand. I agree with you more talk about the work abroad and Michael Jordan, but no one talks about that with Karim, and you know
I may have to do with the fact that he seven feet tall. It seems like people just assume you automatically good bathtub.
because your time that's why I say that, even if he was six feet, beethoven
Talk, talk dirty work, however. This guy was just
really really good at everything and and and and I I couldn't agree with you more chuck- no one ever said that about the showtime network. No one ever talked about how
how hard we were a man. I remember when we played the celtics, yet it would look our daily work
and we were Hollywood right here-
but we worked hard,
and we are practices war as competitive as our games in great did not take. Practices are few work just as hard as as all of us did and
it is unfortunate that
gets overlook and in its all about it, lives in the glamour, but not about the preparation of planning and the effort, but the hard work that we are put into, including grain
by a little bit offences fantasy, basketball.
How would the eighties lakers fair in the nba today with that town for pound talent come on? You must have been asked. This question before that smiling face. Look at that face.
okay, gary I'm going to ask you the soccer questions that I only that, because I grew up there isn't a day goes by when I don't get better. I know you're out there
I know it's hard to compare, different eras and and and and and and and we all do it in the show and the media loves it and it drives interest in the game. I get that, but I just have to say it's very difficult, but we would have fared very well. I mean
today, no we had everything. Will yes, the ultimate inside game and with the outside gay. Now we wanted
three quarters
at the end like they do today, only because it wasn't in vogue had it been involved, we'd have been doing it too, so I don't want to make predictions. I think we have some great teams
is today some great players today, but we would have held our own we'd have done very well, it's funny to hear you say it was an involved to shoot. Three point. Is that them, because, during the time that you guys were playing and magic was running the point- and I remember all the kids who play basketball wanted to be like magic, and so it was all about ball handling. It was all about no look passing. It was all about how fancy and how good I could look getting the ball on a feed or faking the feet and going to the hole like so it's funny. They replicate that that the game changes based on who
stars of the game. Are at that time the next generation emulating those stars. They actually change the game based on what they have seen.
Now you absolutely correct. It is interesting. Magic was a game changer to an end. The magic was
it's an incredible freak of nature. You know, being six foot nine point guard hailing the ball. The way he did seeing the floor the way he did in those no look passes before
It came you frown down upon him, but he delivered and consistently that they became part of the game. I think we're saying that today, with the war is instead of curry, step
I can enjoy left and right, but getting back to terrain and in your point, chuck about how are they brought him? I go where it really is unfortunate that the hard work he put in
gets overlooked with the scale of which is that, just
a thing of beauty to watch. What do you know whether you like basketball, or that it will bring a watch as speaking others guided thing, a thing of beauty? We have another clip where neither grass size and the stock into green, Abdul Jabbar and they're gonna break down the physics of the sky hook and still is a faint thing of beauty not only to look at, but is a thing of beauty in the world of physics. To let's check it out. When I look at a basketball game party sees it as a physicist does so there's a ball its round, there's a hoop.
Is bigger than the ball and they're all manners of shots that come commanded from different angles. Different trajectories and you're sky hook your hand at fully extended
it's gotta be like eight or nine feet in the air I mean. Did they measure this one
shut shot this guy hook my hand was a bow between ten feeling.
eleven feed in here could also jumping m. Also, doping. Ok.
The brim is ten feet up zactly table.
The ball is basically going down, so that the physics of this, of course, is the
where the boar can just go down the greater sense, enhancing pass, foregoing it by
why you want a high arching shut, the drop, the drops noise
god it's crawling averages crawled over then there's the crow
section changes much smaller
you're right. I don't people know that so
I reject this circle, an angle of the crew,
section she was smaller now, so you I get
Have I art and come straight down? Are you thinking about the physics when you
The measure is its class. I,
There understood what I wanted to do so I had all the ballistics listing in everything worked up
you see Jamal. Did you ever get the failing? The karim
is tat everything under control. When I saw the scar work, I mean I I,
this more, I would think of picasso. I would think of how
think of John called train. I like the others. I would they go
That's the only way I could think of it, because it was you know it was so
I have a separate, and, apart from what anyone else was doing at that time, especially the centers and no one's done it since, and I I can't believe that
the army seven and now want to shoot three pointers. No one wants to shoot a skype anymore, so it was just
then even then watching it. I knew- and I think most of us have an idea that you know
this just wasn't a shot. This was, you know, are
on a higher level
and it was just just a nightmare. I already said a thing of beauty. I can't express it any other way, I'm happy with that yeah! Absolutely I. I can't think of a better compliment than to call somebody what somebody does coal train infinity doesn't get any better than that. That does not get any better than that. So what we're going to do right now is take a quick break in Jamal. You can stand by with us right, yeah,
fantastic, so look guys. We got more jamal Wilkes coming your way, more karim, Abdul Jabbar, more sky, hook, more everything stateroom, where they need help. Managing depression. Learning
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come back. I'm very rightly said we are playing with science. This get straight to our next clip the hook shots. Yes, the famous hook shop made famous by Karim Abdul Jabbar, but what about the hook short today, let's find out what the big man has to say. For me, we're hotshot is,
I'm justifiably accurate, I took the shots, my whole life and I was pretty good at
Metalwork, lemon and globetrotters harm go trotters. That was he go.
The other end of the court and just throw the thing up: swish, so
Why doesn't, then? Why should it anyway? I think
shouted fallen out of favour because.
all the kids, their learning, how to play the game. One issue: three boys: they want the ugly to point shut down there in the pain hidden bought them. When I look real, pretty
Thirty five feet: something drop in any way.
Who is really going to hand over three points? You saw it so that the two points I say again that sir,
we want it. Is we ve got former team made Jamal wilkes with us and when to explore that GMO? Thank you for staying with us. Why
why why why why? Why did this globe disappear?
off the map. What happened?
yeah, it's unbelievable to me. I think much of it has to do with
at the hype of the game? Now they are on the newsreels. All the young kids grew up watching the slam duck is into slammed the popular the slam. Dunk contest, along with the three point shot. You know guys big guys now guys coming over from europe are valued because they can shoot shoot the three point shot as well and and that's all well and good. I think you know the inside game will come back. When someone wins a championship, then they'll all start emulating it again, but sadly for the life of me. I don't understand why any seven footer does it
I have a workshop to delay the skyhook. I I don't have an answer for that in this last clip neil Degrasse tyson wanted to know how many three point shots kareem Abdul Jabbar had taken in his career or sit down for this one. Let's find out how many I shot. Thirteen and I made one
so your whole career- where do you get ten years? If I did the math right ten years of your career, was in the presence of the three point line right. I think that's right, ten, twelve, something like that. Okay, so you had thirteen attempts, but you made one made one. So have your
Thirty eight billion points thirtieth. That's three fellows were three points. I want to point out the rest. Raul breathe rose in two poyser, so
they don't need the big man outside the three point, my too. Well, what the hell are you doing.
I was giving my team reliable shots close to the basket was forced to defence.
A little bit and gave them more room on the perimeter. But when you go to the perimeter and take a three point shot, what were you there.
I'm probably gonna be taken up for taking that was it
come on guys. Give me a chance here: please one shot that I made the ball. I like bounced out
to the corner, and I ve got it and nobody came. The guard me ok, size I stepped back and said: ok I'll see to sweden, and maybe we should have great bronze. That born gates
such email, if he'd Sheldon, missed, would hear being given a hard time
Being karim? Abdul Jabbar was no protection right.
slowly not managed to do this. We waste as so funny and and and I'm sure, if you look at three point or people with, were expecting you to make it. If career takes one airline. Ok, we will see if he misses the light, was you know he's. I suppose
three, but if you miss it they're I was up who thought if I could give Jamal wilkes magic ticket gets you entry to any place?
to go much a basketball game. Who would you mind? Wilkes, go and watch today our,
the golden stay warriors being a former warrior, my teeth with them in
they're, playing such great
ray basketball right now and then playing in the right way. You know they're getting, and by that I mean you know, they're getting everyone involved and in the end and they're all sacrificing for the good of the team. Yes, the I would go watch them
and do you see any simulation? Any similarities between the golden state and and and showtime because when you said there are sacrificed for the good at sea, they have a lot of superstars on that team.
And then, with the addition of durrant, got one more superstar leg. So in a way
is like just give us a sense.
was the mindset of when europe
start that guy's superstar that Gaza superstar what
to be the team psychology in order for you to win because our sisters fan, I would never. We had a team fullest superstars. When I was a kid and it was a disaster up, you're right right, just because you have a table superstars and our whole gotta get to talk for river said. You might well said, sir you're all Julie girlfriend, but first of all is very humbly.
You know you walk out and you have six. Seventy superstars,
First of all, you bring your game to practice in the games every day, because someone's waiting to take your spot day, you got it very humbling, it's very humbling and and
and then you know the competitive factor comes out.
And then in the challenge. Factor comes out, and you know you want to do your best to be best, but you know you gotta. Do you best to get minutes on the floor to sew? It just brings about a collective
humility,
and then you let all the horses go nice.
Tomorrow. Thank you. So much for your time says brain an absolute pleasure.
To you about your time.
acres and, of course, kareem Abdul Jabbar. So thank you. Once again, we are going to take a commercial break, but he won't stop there with the lakers Levin. We have another one of kareem's former teammates this time, Michael coup with us prior weird science zune ago, like yeah, they are back in a minute. He is
the physics behind the sky hook and discusses or microscopic wormholes excite you team,
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welcome back, I'm very rightly it I'm sure this is playing with science, and today we are in the middle of our game. Changer series this particular show about karim, Abdul Jabbar and he's legendary sky hook. Shot and joining us by video is Michael cooper, the legendary Michael cooper, the secretary of defence, a man who is now head coach of the atlantic dream of the w and be a michael. What a pleasure to have you, imports welcome to myself
If you so much santa Gary, I'm going to tell you preach. All that said still is a lot more going to come. Clean we've got nothing but praise for you, my friend, because, of course, you know Kareem being who he was in the show is about you know basically skyhook in the science behind it and, of course, kareem himself and you played with him and being on the court with him a soldier in arms with him. But you yourself have quite a few highlights
on the internet that still live about Michael
cooper and the one that I remember about used specifically, is that when you came on the court, the fair
as with all go coo, coo, b and and then the announcers would say, and the fans showing their appreciation for Michael cooper, not blowing by the way they're saying coupe when I watching it in india.
He's in the uk, the socks
the word, the assault, other socks, the high high high resorts to high top socks. I will always remember those such a standout think we got a clip right. Yeah we've got a clip a ticket just for those of you who may have forgotten here's a little taste of the magic, not johnson the magic of Michael cooper
they set about change over there? You have it just to just any old trees.
what what Mr Michael cooper used to do all the time
while the time how's how's it feel when you, when you look at that joke mcgarry? That was my only shot at it in that series and it was a big shot, and that goes to show you that the lakers showtime era wasn't built on one player players and for magic to have the confidence in the team knew I was having a shooting slump, but for magic. They have the confidence. You need to kick the basketball out. There is what showtime was all about sean
I was finally glad to hit a shot, and if that was the one that was gonna, win that series for us. I'm glad I was that shy when you got drafted by the lakers. What was it like? The first day you walk out on court with them. The first
astounding thing is when I got drafted by the lakers came into training, camp and training camp used to be at loyola, Marymount, university ill
and I walked into the gene and who will I see out there
skyhawks was green and I was just my mouth is open, and I said this is the guy I watched growing up in los angeles. We saw him at u c l a for four years and he's got a chance to see him with the bucks and win a championship there. So, finally, here he is with the lakers, and I just remember I couldn't stop staring at him and then slowly people started coming in and then there was Jamaal Wilkes wanting winning a championship with the golden state warriors and finally, the person that I admired a lot cause. I had watched them the last two years with norm: Nixon yeah. I was like
This little guy is that that that good, that big- and he knows It- was an eye opening experience. I think any rookie going into a champ, no matter what team you go to. They have those stars on the team and it is it's shocking, but you know what you gotta get over. That and jerry west was a coach at the time he said goose. You almost kind of like slap back to reality and say come on man you gotta play, so it was fun watching them. You know what I think is funny is that used called nor mixing a little guy? I did a tv show with norm a little while ago and standing next to him. He looked like he was taking his toddler out to get some ice cream, but you must be very small town known as a little guy six. So it was. It was a funny thing to say: yeah
you'd have turned up day one right early, because
You want to impress the organization correct,
Karim was already firing sky oaks out there now their arrival and that those that is
his conditioning are from.
Well back with john wooden when he was at u c, l a they get out there two days to get out and shoot their goats and get their work, and then the guards would come out and then finally, the whole team would come out for practice. So he just follow suit and that's what he knew so he came out there. He was the first one I saw when I walked into the gym. He was the first person I saw later.
It does, but you guys, you know what I wanted to touch on something. Dare you had mentioned a little earlier. You talked about our socks, yes, my socks, I held my socks up high for when I was in high school. The reason why I wore long socks. I wear my strings out an award to sweat bands because in a high school game of the week in nineteen, seventy four, my grandmother was going to see us play and she had glaucoma and she had to sit real close to the tv, at least, as you say, hey you have to do something to differentiate yourself, so I know you from the other players.
So that's what happened with alongside little did. I know they will play the benefits, because in the eighties,
You re, we a daisy, do era where the shorter, really that's my socks, gonna, like even my body. I love them. Thank you for giving me that back story. That's really learn is, however, a very cool. Ok,
As I told you,
Before we came on the secretary of defence s right, how did you cope?
Who is karim impact
his. Would, though sky hoax, or did you say why am I bozrah? Did you as a defence of play of the year? Did you ever have to when you guys are practising, did defend karim and did that help your defence of game? No,
in platinum, never having to defend him around down there on the double team, but now that was Michael thompson: okay, Jim Jones, those guy they caught those guys, but it was a thing to see, but in practice again playing on the us.
If the purple tank of the gold team was a starters spawn, and it was always a a way of how we're going to stop this, how can we stop the shot and it was an unstoppable shot? Great Britain just kind of went through the motions, because he knew nobody could stop his shot in the game of basketball at that time, and especially nobody on our team. So we would just kind of go through the emotions and shoot jumpers to left hand hooks until it was winning time, because that right is that. Okay,
it's a point where the game losers gotta run ten. While we knew we were end up running because yeah, that's funny, I mean there's clips where kareem is speaking to Neil Degrasse tyson about his understanding of the science that went into his skyhook. Did you ever get a feeling with him in the locker room that this guy had everything calmly in the right place at the right time? Was he as organized that back then in the eighties? Yes, he was always organized ring. Was a quiet individual. He came into the locker role and you know how some teams that have the lateral data and there'll be somebody funny telling jokes the different things grandma always said, and he sat next to Jamal Wilson.
Both of these would be Sally agreements. I was reading a book.
some type of books using an autobiography after americans are sometimes some kind of book. He was always read every now and and people all noticed about him p
Probably was one of my funniest teammates
It's a play, practical, jokes, every now and then didn't like them played on him, but he claimed that the way was always together with counts and once he got closer to the game, he would put the book down and he would just kind of like stare. And one day I asked him. I said cat. What do you think about? It says coupon visualizing the game in my head.
what I have to do- and it was always like the first five to seven minutes, so that was his way of getting focused and getting into the game, but you could tell from them that everything he did he had planned out in his mind whether it went right or wrong, but at least it was planned out. He always came out and perfected his plan Michael before we let you go, and we thank you for your time. I have a simple question: just
Oh good was Karim Abdul Jabbar.
people ask me that all the time- and there are a lot of great players that have played in the n b, a and you've got to go back to, will will will chamberlain bill Russell and people
as we cook if he was starting in MD a team and you have all the player. That's ever played this game. The player kareem. Would always be my take on the reason for that is he had an unstoppable shot?
his prime you'll remember cream letters league everybody. He led the lead and block shots one year and the most important thing in a big guy,
Three days
the top out perimeter, but you couldn't follow
flame shot like you made a visa for free for shooting, and you know the way things are going now they have the hacker sat with started now.
The same is on the line, and you know basketball not fun when it's played that way, but we'll go with corinne, but there are many, many great ones since I might be dumb
I must start with the big guy kareem abdul Jabbar wow. Would you pick yourself and your own franchise? I think so mad that act as the answer. I know that's the way it's supposed to go: hey, Michael thanks. So much for doing this man. We hope you come back in and say hello and thanks so much for taking the time and spending with us right now mature.
It's a gary! Thank you. So much for having me use a pleasure, sir, are an absolute pleasure. Thank you. So sorry, man, that is, it hope, you've enjoyed. It is the first of our game changes series and I think we couldn't have picked a better start than kareem Abdul Jabbar. So stick around we'll have plenty more, I'm sure, yeah and special, thanks of course, to Jamaal Wilkes and Michael cooper for being a guest on the show, and thank you to kareem Abdul jabbar for being such a standout basketball player and, of course, the great man himself, no Degrasse tyson for spending that much time and getting such great thoughts out of him on Gary O'Reilly and chuck nice, and this has been playing with science. Hope you enjoyed it and we look forward to your company very very soon.
I hope you all enjoy that bit of memory lane. There were the three of us in
four times interviewed different basketball player,
to make this one show that gary baked in his oven afresh,
I jerry always good to have you they're ran president kneel to grasp scenario, personal astrophysicist. For start talks, what's addition keep looking up
Transcript generated on 2022-09-17.