Quinn Buckner: A true champion

Buckner explains why he chose the NBA over the NFL “though football was my gift, I chose basketball.” Growing up, Buckner was surrounded with Basketball because of its amount of popularity, but still decided to play football up until his sophomore year of college.

Canzano asked Buckner about the 1976 Olympics that he participated in and the effect of the medal being taken away from 1972, having an effect on them. Buckner explained that being an Olympian was a bigger dream for him, than the NBA, but him being blessed, he was capable of participating in both. They also discuss Bob Knight, Buckner’s coach at the University of Illinois and how he was capable of so many positive things. Though Knight doesn’t like to hear the positive things Canzano and Buckner discuss how he challenged his players, how he used the game of basketball to teach life lessons, and how he was consistently about the “right things.”

Later they discuss the Indiana Pacers series against the Miami Heat and how the Pacers had the opportunity, but Miami was trouble. With Buckner being one of three people in the history of basketball to win a championship on every level, high school, college, Olympics and the NBA, John asks him what the common things that he sees in a successful team.