He is a man who has always preferred moving to sitting still. No surprise given his ability to move without the ball as a key member of the New York Knicks championship teams of the ’70s. Bill Bradley is on the run once again, this time crisscrossing the country, talking about his latest book, The New American Story published by Random House.
The 384-page tome is Bradley’s vision on what it will take to make America a better, stronger and truer country. The Hall of Famer and former U.S. Senator recently visited the NBA Store to tape a new NBA TV show titled, Books & Basketball, hosted by Roy S. Johnson and after the show spoke about his book, Phil Jackson, Jamal Crawford and Duck Calling festivals.
What is your hope when people read your book, The New American Story? Bradley: My hope is that they would say that the agenda I’ve laid out is their agenda. They expect anybody who runs for President or political office to be able to address these issues. They don’t have to have exactly the prescription that I’ve offered, but they have to be able to say what they would do. They can’t dodge the issue.
What kind of reaction have you received since the release of the book? Bradley: The most frequently heard comment is, “All of this makes so much sense, why doesn’t it happen and how can I make it happen?” To me that is reassuring because it plugs into what I think people realize which is, for us to thrive in the 21st century as a country, we have to have a better educational system, people have to have security in old age, and we also need to make sure people are healthy and have health care.
Phil Jackson is going to be inducted into the Hall of Fame this Fall. What is his greatest attribute as a coach? Bradley: I think he has several attributes. First of all, he has tremendous knowledge. Second, he treats his players as individuals, motivates them individually, and he’s clear. To me those are all important attributes for his success. I plan on making the trip up to Springfield when the day arrives. Who knows, maybe I’ll introduce him.
Do you see the Knicks turning the corner next season and making the playoffs? Bradley: Hope springs eternal for a Knick fan and I am one of those fans.
People might be interested to know that you are a big Jamal Crawford fan. Why is that? Bradley: I like the way he moves on the court. He is a shooter – I always like shooters. But he also seems to know how to move. He can move a little bit without the ball.
How would you describe your Sirius radio show, American Voices? Bradley: For 40 years I traveled around America as a basketball player, as a politician, as a business person, listening to the stories that Americans tell about their lives, and so I wanted to do a show where I let people hear the kinds of stories that I heard on the road for 40 years. So it is about people who are doing extraordinary things in their community, people who have odd jobs, unusual festivals like the Duck Calling Festival in Stuttgart, Arkansas, or the unusual job of groundskeeper at Fenway Park, or the guy that has shined shoes in Pittsburgh Children’s Hospital for 48 years and put a part of every tip into a fund to help pay for kid’s healthcare and has put away over $150,000. Those are the kinds of interviews. Then I usually call somebody and ask them if they would like to take the famous American Voices quiz. I play four voices from American history and have them guess who they are.
# 24 - BILL BRADLEY - Number retired February 18, 1984
5/3/2007 11:39 AM
