December 27, 2021 • 29 mins
Hosted by Sarah Kustok, NBA Flashback is the podcast that takes you back to the best moments in NBA history through exclusive archival audio from the NBA vault, along with new interviews from the players and coaches who were in the building. On this episode of NBA Flashback we go back to December 30th, 1990 and talk to Magic legend, and one of the best shooters in NBA history, Dennis Scott, about Scott Skiles setting the NBA all-time single-game record with 30 assists in an Orlando win over the Denver Nuggets. Dennis takes us through an amazing game that not only made history, but has truly stood the test of time. He gives us behind the scenes stories about what he and his teammates were doing as the clock ticked down and Skiles needed one more assist to break the record. We also discuss if he thinks the record will ever be broken, and Scott Skiles unique place in NBA history.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
NBA Flashback is a production of I Heart Radio in
the n b A I'm sarahcu Sack, NBA analyst for
the S Network, a broadcaster for Fox Sports, and as
a basketball junkie. I am excited to be the host
of this new podcast called NBA Flashback. The show takes
(00:23):
you back to the greatest moments in NBA history, using
archival audio from the NBA as well as new interviews
with the players and coaches who were in the building.
We will dive deep into some of the most legendary
games and performances of old time and talk with the
best minds in the game. Today's episode, we flashback to December.
(00:47):
Home Alone was the number one movie in America and
Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice was a massive hit.
The Guru of Go, Paul west Heead and his Denver Nuggets,
were visiting the second year expansion team or and o
magic in History was about to be made. We talk
with one of the best shooters in NBA history, Dennis Scott,
who was a rookie in didn't even have his three
(01:10):
D nickname yet, about the game where his teammate Scott
Skiles sat an NBA record that unlike Vanilla Ice has
truly stood the test of time. Thirty assists in one game.
There was so much that I loved about this episode,
And as a passer myself, I think the opportunity to
hear from a three point shooter about all those assists
(01:33):
and Dennis Scott was something that made me smile. But
watching the game and watching Scott Skyle smile who when
I remember covering him and seeing him coach the Bulls.
Myself being from Chicago, it's always nice when you see
someone as gritty, as tough, and as serious of a
player as he was crack a smile an accomplishment. For
(01:54):
Magic Radio, we have Andrew Monico on pregame and the
great David Steele on the call, And for Nuggets TV
it was l Albert and Chris Marlowe calling the action.
Welcome to the Orlando Arena, everybody. I'm David Steel and
it's time again for Orlando Mandic Basketball. Tonight, the Magic
versus the Denver Nuggets. This is the second of five
games between the two Midwest Division ball clubs, the bottom
(02:15):
two teams in the Midwest Division. Denver comes in with
a record of six and two, Orlando six and twenty three, Denver,
a ball club riddled by injuries. Bon de Laney toss
Susan up in his magic time at the Orlando Arena,
the magic control of the Cliff. Nick Anderson to Scott Skiles,
thank you so much for joining us here. I'm glad
you're ready to dig back in the memory bank. Of course,
(02:36):
anything for you, sir. Let's do this. Okay, let's do this.
Let's do this. I want to take you back December,
your Orlando Magic. Come into this game. Six and twenty
three now gets not much better. Six and six and
twenty two. They were struggling. They were missing four starters.
And when you think about this season, it's your rookie year,
(02:58):
you're on expansion team. What do you remember about the
start of that season, Well, basically just a dream coming true.
I'm in the NBA, you know, I'm like a deer
caught in here. Likes like, wow, look at all these
people that I dreamed about being around. And then looking
at the team being expansion team, you saw a different personalities.
(03:22):
So Scott Skiles had a personality Jerry Reynolds, you know,
Nick Anderson was still young, ODIs Smith, Mark Acres, Jeff Turner.
So you just had so many different guys when you
had seen play on different teams, You're like, Wow, who
do I follow? Who do I want to be like?
So it is really interesting to trying to figure out
which guy would be the best leader for me. At
(03:43):
that time, Orlando and Scott Skiles comes down with him,
He's got Nick Ganderson on the left, and Anderson takes
it all away five minutes past styles blers, All right,
that's the kind of all more but that scores points
for you has the magic You're gonna get you all
right now finding each other. You were someone that was
(04:04):
accustomed to winning your whole life, so you're trying to
acclimate yourself to the NBA. But with that being said,
and especially early on, is you're entering this one, how
challenging was it to be on a team that essentially
wasn't winning. When you're coming out of high school and
your McDonald's All American, your high school player of the year.
(04:25):
Then you go to college, your college player of the year.
You go to the Final four and then next thing
you know, you're losing, and you're losing, but then you
look around the locker room you see who it affects
the most. You see which veterans take it more serious.
The Jeff Turners, the oldest Smith's, the Scott Skiles. Those
guys will be over to piste off a little bit.
(04:46):
We had other guys over. I don't want to say
their names right there to call them totally, but they'd
kind of be going through the motions and that's when
you realize who was professional and who just kind of
just collecting the check. All right. With that being said,
I think we got in. Racist is where I'm gonna
pull you in. It's a little a little gem from
Free Game Show, Orlando Orlando Magic, Free Game Show. Let's
(05:07):
hear it. Rookie Dennis got may just be learning to
adjust to life in the NBA, but he knows it's
always an advantage to play on your home floor, even
if you can't remember who you played. You have to
get into horrors big the other night against UH against Houston,
(05:27):
you know, it kind of got us over the home
It finally got away. Now if we can just go
to Scharlotte be the way and keep our confidence that
we can come home with not at home games and
hopefully to get least we get all these home games
because it's back in the runt of things. Hey, I
was trying to stay positive. I feel this way. Often
we know it is a wild schedule and it's crazy,
(05:50):
and often guys don't know that you're asking about their
next opponent. You can't remember. But how how much was
your your head spinning some losses, trying to get some wins,
and just really trying to keep yourself in the moment
day to day of these games, staying in the moment, traveling,
figuring out the schedule, checking into your hotel room. Then
(06:12):
you're wait a minute, what's Floria, what's the room number?
And you go back down to the you know, concierge
and you're like, oh, no, you're on a different floor.
And you said to yourself, oh, that was two road
trips ago. So as a rookie, you are really like
a roller coaster going up and down trying to figure
out who you are. So how did you find that clip? Grace?
Great job. Grace is the best of the best. Grace
(06:34):
is the best of the best. So three D you
come into this game and you're playing a Nuggets team
that just gave up one hundred and sixty one points
in Washington to the bullets when you were at this
point of the year, do you look at this as
a game that, hey, I may be able to get
up some big numbers. This may be an opportunity for
(06:55):
us to get up and down and have a little
bit of fun, no question about it. The teammate his
name was Morland Widely and he was just have a
saying called chicken noodle soup. When you're playing a team
and you feel a little under the weather, you haven't
won a game in a while, this is the game
where you go get your numbers up. This is the
game you go get the highlight. This is the game
(07:16):
you go get your threes. The game gonna get your values.
This is the game you go feel better about yourself.
Scott at six and takes it off. Great faith gets
Scott going down the middle of the floor, the fafty
Scott skiles on the right hand wing. Michael heads just
a little bit and gave Scott the room to the basket.
(07:37):
So anytime you saw a game like that, I learned
pretty quickly in the NBA take advantage of those teams
were not playing well. Now, I know it's a while ago,
but think back to the strategy of it. If you
remember Chris Jackson, now my mood abdual Roof was a rookie.
Michael Adams, those two are the starting backcourt. Um. They
(07:57):
started really cold in this game. Him and so you
guys often miss You guys were running and there was
a lot of transition bucket We're looking at Scott Skiles.
You're getting some buckets, but a lot of his assists
early on were in the open court. Was that a
part of the game plan when you guys got going
with this game? How much was the feel of what
you were able to do and how you were able
(08:19):
to strategically attack them? We do. That's how Denver were played,
So we knew it was gonna be a fast paced
kind of We called it organized chaos because they wanted
to get shots up with ten seconds or lessons a
couple of possession I think was five seconds or less.
They were getting quick shots up until your question when
they missed. We were off and running, trying for three
(08:39):
again and grab hi Get story. What Scyles is gonna do.
Al's back off of Michael. He's not quick enough to
stay with Michael's penetration, so he's gonna make Adams beat
him from the outside first styles, not the way by Adams.
He dies and makes the pass and get the assist. Well,
good thing about Scottie, He's one of the greatest pastors
(09:01):
that I've ever seen. And in the back story, real quick,
I'm a huge Magic Johnson fan. Where did it Magic
Johnson go to school Michigan State, So growing up as
a kid in d C, I followed Georgetown and Scott
Skiles has one of the best highlights ever ever in
college sports coming down court around his back with his
(09:25):
right hand in the n C dole A tournament. Who's
this white kid with this move in the n C
Double A Tournament. So I had to add that story
to the show so people understood. I already knew who
Scott Scyles was before I played with it. So that's
why this game is also exciting for me because it
really displayed how great of a pastor Scott Skytle was. Sorry, sir,
(09:50):
I had to get that in. No. I love that.
That's the type of stuff that went because you guys
had a connection. You're you're watching the way you play it,
and I know it was a little bit of a
joke there on the podcast, but they were mentioned you
know exactly where the three point line is that there's
no question about it, Skiles, And there is Scott, Justine
den Scott. He only played seven minutes and didn't score
(10:13):
the game against Denver. Scott here knows where that three
point line is. But what was your connection like even
that early on with you and Scott? Scott to Scott
on the floor, Oh, I like that, Scott to Scott.
I think the biggest thing was he respected my talents.
I respected his leadership. Now, as you say to myself,
(10:34):
how is he being so successful. He's not very athletic.
He doesn't ever jump around the rim or anything. But
he's smart. He's a regal. He can go left, he
can go right. So for all the people that into analytics,
that's where analytics worked. You can force Scott left and
you can force Scott right and you got the same results.
(10:58):
So he could finish with his left hand, it you
can finish with his right hand. He could pass off
the dribble with his left hand. He could pass off
the dribble with his right hand. So when you look
at those thirty assists or bounced passes or hook passes,
they're are all kinds of passes because he was that good.
And he was one of the people that taught me
how to watch film because everyone knew I might have
(11:19):
had what five dunks my whole career, but I learned
how to play angles. I learned how to play to
my strength with to shoot the basketball. And when you
play with great point guard that know how to pass,
run the floor, get to your spot, you're ready to
catch and shoot. All right, it's three D. I know
there's probably a lot of players you bring up analytics,
and there's probably a lot of players these days that
that which they had played in uh days where analytics
(11:43):
were focused. Because we've seen the rise of the three
point shot and just how the game has evolved. You
at that point, we're leading the league and three point
shots and putting up some more. I mean, who knows,
we could have had you putting a fifteen game three D.
But how much do you feel like you your group
was a little bit of head of the curve in
the volume of three point shooting. Well that's what I
(12:04):
always uh thank Bobby Cribbins when I seen him that
he allowed me to do it in college, and I
think that was the you know, the beginning of three
D and then so when I got to the NBA,
Maddie Gucas allowed me to do it my first couple
of years. So when Brian Hill took over, and then
obviously when we got Shack and Kenney, you know, the
rest is history. But those early days of Mattie Gukas
(12:26):
and Scott Skiles were leaving and what I did. They
helped me create the three D Moniker, the three D
brand and Skyle is on his way again. Magic leaded
by nine. He loves to Scott play, hold out the boat,
leave the bo range, Danna Scott as he shoots that
(12:47):
three point like it was about a fifteen switch jump shot.
So when you play the game the right way, you're
playing with people that want to share the basketball, You're like, wow,
this is a fun game to play and not be pigeonhole.
Oh he's sixty, you gotta go down low. No, he
can shoot the ball. So we're gonna allow him to
do that as long as he continues to put in
the work. And that was something I was able to
do every day is I would get to the gym early,
(13:09):
get the practice early, and obviously my routine was never
as big Asteth is, But I had a little routine
I would do before the Orlando Magic games as well. Okay,
I like it. Oh what a pass again my style?
Hey haveing. One of those great great nights coming up
(13:30):
is halftime and Scott Skiles and the Magic are about
to get really hot on this winter night in Orlando.
We asked you about your connection with Scott Skiles, but
Nick Anderson, did you know that he called it? Nick's
given name is Nielsen. Did you know that Scott called
(13:51):
him Nielsen? Yes, he didn't mind calling you about your
government name. You didn't mind it. What was their relationship
like in their chemistry on the floor, Well, Scott, once again,
to me, one of the best leaders because he just
knew the game inside out. And we always used that
phrase the point guard being the extension of the head coach.
Well that's what Scott was, and that's why he was
(14:12):
a great head coach when he moved on. So Scott
knew that Nick was probably the best athlete on our team.
So there was a lot of alley you situations with
Scott and Nick and transition, and you see it in
this game. So you know Nick cut into the basket
boom there it is Scott finding him Adam Riving knocked
the way by a Scotle picked up on scotl two
(14:33):
on one alley. I and that's one of another good
thing of Scott being able to see the floor and
understanding all of our talents. Was that being said, were
you aware at halftime? So locker room at halftime, you
guys rock seventy nine just rolling through him. Skiles has
fourteen assists, career high was eighteen. He probably could have
(14:54):
had more because I think there was a couple of
misses there. But was there any recognition amongst you guys,
Coach it was there any chatter knowing that Scott might
have a chance at this all time record? Sarah, when
I look back on it, totally transparent. Didn't have a clue.
Think about it. We're an expansion team. I'm the fourth pick,
(15:19):
Nick Anderson that thinks the leventh pick, and then you
have a bunch of guys that if we would say
nobody wanted right because the expansion draft is back, then
you protected X number guys. Everyone else got thrown in
the pool. So all those guys had chips on their
shoulders that they still could play. And they're part of
an NBA team, they should be in the NBA. So
(15:40):
thinking of breaking records. No, that group just wanted to hoop.
We looked up twenty assists, what assists? And then that's
when we started getting on Ice Reynolds. If you watched
the Get to Take Close, I watched every possession we're
gonna get to that, we're gonna get to that. I
would pull my hair out here it's how many years later.
(16:02):
But it looked it looked like you guys were having
so much fun. And obviously, when you're putting up a
bunch of points he got a big lead, that could happen.
But it just looked like everyone was having so much fun.
But Scott was all business. He was all business at
the edge. The intensity, how much was that characteristic of
how he always was and in the demeanor that he brought.
(16:25):
Scott was focused, Scott was detailed. Scott wanted to do
it the right way. Scott would say, I'm not specially
gifted athletic, so I have to be in great shape,
I have to be detailed. I have to be smarter
than my opponent. I have to be one step ahead.
And then that's where I got my professionalism from early
(16:47):
in my career. Now on the flip side of that,
I'm the happy, go lucky guy. I'm the guy that
walks in the locker like, what's up, baby, let's go,
let's get it on. Loosen up, Why are you so stiff?
It's just life, just basketball. So then that's where the smile.
Eventually Scott would show you, and that's when you would
see the fifth point. That's when you would see the
smile and when you give me the great pass, and
(17:09):
you saw more of his personality. So I think he
learned that having a mixture of being stern but also
being in loose and jovial, you can be as well.
All right, So let's go because we're getting a little
bit closer to that final assist that he needed. So
in the third quarter, Scoles has twenty fours. He's already
broken the Orlando Magic record. In the hands of scouts.
(17:34):
There's another one, keep him mind, the NBA record. I
haven't checked this, so I believe it's twenty nine Kevin
quarter and we will go to the record book. That's
the case. Scott a very good chance to be shotting
an NBA record, the nine and most of shift and
a game as a whole fourth quarter. Yes, Mattie Ukas
(17:57):
should elect to keep him in there. He was everyone
aware at this point that he was getting close to
the assists record. Was that even at this point he
had twenty nine assists with over seven minutes left in
the game. Nothing you all just continue to be hooping.
It wasn't Paul Porter Rock officially stead he gave my
(18:18):
nickname free d still the p announce right now in
the land though he started steam. He's about to pass.
I think uh a Porter right? Porter? Porter? Had he
mentioned it over the arena was called back then he
said it twenty left Scott Skiles the one a sift
(18:41):
to tie the NBA record. Style's looking around the whole
five third water twenty nine a fish for Style. Then
we all looked up and said, oh wow. And that's
when we're like, yo. That's when everybody started ramping it
(19:02):
up a little bit more because once again, no one
had really got into it. Records wasn't really talked about.
I'm a rookie. I hadn't even thought about breaking a
three point record yet a single game war season, So
it's like records breaking records. Wasn't you a part of
the conversation for an expansion team. You mentioned that is
(19:24):
Scott didn't realize it until he came over and asked
to come out of the game. You guys were up
so big. Skyles just looked over at Mattie Gukas and said,
take me out of the game. And Guckas said no,
and Mattie Cuckas said no. And then I think informed
informed him about it. Um. But it started to get dramatic.
(19:45):
He has twenty nine assists seven minutes ago, and then
the minutes are taken away, no assists are coming. Uh.
The entire arena was going nuts every time that he
had the ball. But tell me what you remember of
j Reynolds. I what are you doing? We know you
(20:07):
from New York, we know you want to dribble, we
know you're from the Paw shoot the darn's ball. Ice,
are you listening to this crowd after the break? Well,
Jerry Ice Reynolds heat up in time to help Skyles
get the records. The old rain is going crazy. This
(20:37):
is the best blowout ever in NBA history. At the time,
no one is standing up in a blowout. We're a
part of NBA history. This may be a stat that
never gets touched and you keep dribbling the basketball ice.
Do you think he didn't know what was going on?
Do you do you think he was not understanding how
(20:58):
assists work, what what's going through his what's going through
his head at this point, this is a true direct
statement for all people growing up in New York. They
grew up in the sand lot and they're entrenched during
brain to catch and dribble. Right away, Go look at
New York guards, Go look at New York forwards. They
(21:21):
don't grow up catching shoot guys. They grow up as dribblers,
and that's one that they were like ice catching shoot.
Nobody's on you. We're drawn kicking like Skyles directly traffic.
He goes to Renolds again, who again puts it on
the floor. Won't count that. Skyles now talking to Rentolds
(21:44):
and saying, hey, just put it up. He motioned to
Matt focus on the bench. The the magic are hysterical.
Every time Reynolds gets the ball, he takes the assists
away from Skyles. Hello, anybody home and thank in this
friendly all right? Uh, everybody's standing Carols. It goes to
(22:06):
Reddols peak on shoot. Scott Skiles has Hankins the all
time everybody record tot of a session one game, the
greatest height in the career of Scott Skiles, the five
(22:27):
year federan out of Michigan State. Ice came through. When
it mattered, Ice came through. It was a little tight,
but we see on this game record moment and this
is something that I'm born and raised in Chicago, and
of course Scott Skiles spend time with the Bulls and
so I'm familiar with Scott. I think this might have
(22:47):
been the first time that I saw him smile. He
turns around, He's got a big smile on his face.
What what do you think this moment meant to him?
Just validation that work does pay all play to your
skill set, which Scott was a great shooter. This game
(23:08):
proved that he is arguably one of the best pastors
to ever do it. After the game, Skyles talked about
that smile and his historic night. What was your first
reaction on the shot? One Jerry shot? But what the
smile broke on your face? But you know, you guys
have seen enough games and though I I don't smile
on the court, so obviously I was very happy about it.
Uh you know, Uh, assists sort of a relative thing.
(23:31):
You know. I can be out there making all those
nice passes in the world. If they don't put the
ball on a hole, they're really nothing. So, you know,
I guess I owned the record, but I gotta get
a lot of credit to my teammates for for making
a lot of shots tonight. Any assists announced you know
you were doing that, well, well, yeah, I knew a
lot of them, but I really didn't know how many,
you know, I mean, I can't keep chatting something like
(23:53):
that during the course of the game. I just knew
I had quite a few of a lot of times.
Once I heard you it was like kind of weight
on your mind just a little bit. Well, I'm not
really you know, I wanted to get one, you know, obviously,
but uh, you know, I just told on I figured
if it came, it came. And I made a couple
of turnovers there during that stress trying to get the
ball to somebody, and so then with about three minutes left,
(24:15):
I just sort of said to myself, just relax and
if it happens, it happens. And uh, you know, I
gotta thank Jerry. He made a hell of a shot
on the last once, so you know, I'm not thankful
for it. Did you ever talk to him about it? Then?
Shortly thereafter? Years since, have you ever had conversations with
him about it? I just remember one conversation when he
(24:35):
was in Phoenix as a coach, and it just just
weird how we just started talking about it. And I
think one thing about Scott when you were a rebal guy,
he remembers every game. He remembers every play, and that's
where a lot of us is basketball enthusia. And Sarah,
(24:57):
you noticed, you've been around the game a long time.
A certain thing when you when you live in the moment,
it just sticks with you forever. And we always talk
about stats. That's just a fun game because I was
so naive as a rookie, and that's why I had
so much fun for me because I was so young
at that particular night, style of play fit the dream
(25:19):
in the moment, and thank goodness, Ice Reynolds finally stopped
driveling and shot the ball. It's crazy to think that
that record has stood for over thirty years. Now, do
you think it will ever be broken? No one has
come No one has come close. John Stockton had do
you think that's a record that will be broken. The
(25:42):
way the game has changed, I'm leaning towards maybe because
now we have more guys who can catch and shoot
the three or just catching shoot period. So now our
scoring is getting back up, and we're getting back up
to the one tens, the one twenties, the one thirties
and scoring now. So I think it has that potential,
(26:06):
but selfishly, I hope it doesn't. And I was gonna
ask you, is that I mean, you've spoken about how
this is a legacy, this is a moment you cherish.
Is that something you would like, you would like to
stick always being a part of history. Yes. And here's why.
When I was doing my thing breaking the three point records,
so one saw no one's never gonna break eleven. At
(26:30):
that time I believed it because you're stuck in your feelings.
You want to hold onto a record. And then you
remember the first time someone said records are made to
be broken, right, And then the game changed. Steph Curry
comes along, the name Lillard comes along. Now James hard
(26:50):
al corby what he was on. So now you say,
if guys are shooting the ball like this mixed in
with the alleys, so now you're either dunking or shooting through.
You got trade young now, so it's like it could
possibly happened because our kids today are more skilled than
we were yesterday. Back in Skyles had some thoughts about
(27:13):
the possibility of someone breaking the record. You know, d'antoni's
famous for seven seconds or less. They were about five
seconds or less. They just brought it up and hoisted it.
They didn't run back on DVA, just the style they
were playing, and and so we just sort of fell
into it. We were pushing the ball, we were on
the break a lot and started knocking down shots and
it just kind of built from there. You know, guys
since they have gotten up in the twenties. But but
(27:33):
to get to thirty is, uh, it's hard to do
nowadays the way the game is played, you know. So
but maybe it's moving back. Maybe with the openness of
the game now, somebody will get I kind of hope
somebody does, because sometimes they get tired of talking about it.
But uh, but you know, really, I mean, we hit
some incredible shots at night and it was a big
night all right, last thing three D Because I know
you've talked about this game so many times a million times,
(27:55):
and you told us all the extraordinary memories and moments
from it. But if there was one lasting memory from
this game, what would it be? Who? Two things? One
the biggest thing you said earlier is watching Scott smile,
(28:17):
because if you followed his career, he had been through
a lot up and down on and off the court.
So to see him smile and get his recognition and
as we say today, he got his flowers. He got
his flowers that they had proven to the world that
he was the best pastor in basketball. And then secondly
(28:41):
that being on the expansion team and knowing that we
didn't win a lot of games that year, we still
found out a way to have good chemistry. We stuck together.
We never pointed fingers, we never quote unquoted backstad one another,
and they actually had fun winning thirty one games, believe
or not. I cannot thank you enough for your time,
(29:02):
Dennis Sky. You're such a big part of that because
of the way you light things up. You bring a joy,
you bring an energy, and we can't thank you enough
for sharing some of these memories with us. Say anything
for you, grace the best and do Peter, I can't
stand here. Thanks pretty up Gial for a court chial
for little jump Shot. Who's up It is good, very
(29:24):
well shot child with the Party of the Drifts for
the life and that's the Neue NBA Records. NBA Flashback
is a production of I Heart Radio and the NBA.
For more podcasts from My Heart Radio, visit the I
Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
NBA Flashback is a production of I Heart Radio in
the n b A I'm sarahcu Sack, NBA analyst for
the S Network, a broadcaster for Fox Sports, and as
a basketball junkie. I am excited to be the host
of this new podcast called NBA Flashback. The show takes
(00:23):
you back to the greatest moments in NBA history, using
archival audio from the NBA as well as new interviews
with the players and coaches who were in the building.
We will dive deep into some of the most legendary
games and performances of old time and talk with the
best minds in the game. Today's episode, we flashback to December.
(00:47):
Home Alone was the number one movie in America and
Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice was a massive hit.
The Guru of Go, Paul west Heead and his Denver Nuggets,
were visiting the second year expansion team or and o
magic in History was about to be made. We talk
with one of the best shooters in NBA history, Dennis Scott,
who was a rookie in didn't even have his three
(01:10):
D nickname yet, about the game where his teammate Scott
Skiles sat an NBA record that unlike Vanilla Ice has
truly stood the test of time. Thirty assists in one game.
There was so much that I loved about this episode,
And as a passer myself, I think the opportunity to
hear from a three point shooter about all those assists
(01:33):
and Dennis Scott was something that made me smile. But
watching the game and watching Scott Skyle smile who when
I remember covering him and seeing him coach the Bulls.
Myself being from Chicago, it's always nice when you see
someone as gritty, as tough, and as serious of a
player as he was crack a smile an accomplishment. For
(01:54):
Magic Radio, we have Andrew Monico on pregame and the
great David Steele on the call, And for Nuggets TV
it was l Albert and Chris Marlowe calling the action.
Welcome to the Orlando Arena, everybody. I'm David Steel and
it's time again for Orlando Mandic Basketball. Tonight, the Magic
versus the Denver Nuggets. This is the second of five
games between the two Midwest Division ball clubs, the bottom
(02:15):
two teams in the Midwest Division. Denver comes in with
a record of six and two, Orlando six and twenty three, Denver,
a ball club riddled by injuries. Bon de Laney toss
Susan up in his magic time at the Orlando Arena,
the magic control of the Cliff. Nick Anderson to Scott Skiles,
thank you so much for joining us here. I'm glad
you're ready to dig back in the memory bank. Of course,
(02:36):
anything for you, sir. Let's do this. Okay, let's do this.
Let's do this. I want to take you back December,
your Orlando Magic. Come into this game. Six and twenty
three now gets not much better. Six and six and
twenty two. They were struggling. They were missing four starters.
And when you think about this season, it's your rookie year,
(02:58):
you're on expansion team. What do you remember about the
start of that season, Well, basically just a dream coming true.
I'm in the NBA, you know, I'm like a deer
caught in here. Likes like, wow, look at all these
people that I dreamed about being around. And then looking
at the team being expansion team, you saw a different personalities.
(03:22):
So Scott Skiles had a personality Jerry Reynolds, you know,
Nick Anderson was still young, ODIs Smith, Mark Acres, Jeff Turner.
So you just had so many different guys when you
had seen play on different teams, You're like, Wow, who
do I follow? Who do I want to be like?
So it is really interesting to trying to figure out
which guy would be the best leader for me. At
(03:43):
that time, Orlando and Scott Skiles comes down with him,
He's got Nick Ganderson on the left, and Anderson takes
it all away five minutes past styles blers, All right,
that's the kind of all more but that scores points
for you has the magic You're gonna get you all
right now finding each other. You were someone that was
(04:04):
accustomed to winning your whole life, so you're trying to
acclimate yourself to the NBA. But with that being said,
and especially early on, is you're entering this one, how
challenging was it to be on a team that essentially
wasn't winning. When you're coming out of high school and
your McDonald's All American, your high school player of the year.
(04:25):
Then you go to college, your college player of the year.
You go to the Final four and then next thing
you know, you're losing, and you're losing, but then you
look around the locker room you see who it affects
the most. You see which veterans take it more serious.
The Jeff Turners, the oldest Smith's, the Scott Skiles. Those
guys will be over to piste off a little bit.
(04:46):
We had other guys over. I don't want to say
their names right there to call them totally, but they'd
kind of be going through the motions and that's when
you realize who was professional and who just kind of
just collecting the check. All right. With that being said,
I think we got in. Racist is where I'm gonna
pull you in. It's a little a little gem from
Free Game Show, Orlando Orlando Magic, Free Game Show. Let's
(05:07):
hear it. Rookie Dennis got may just be learning to
adjust to life in the NBA, but he knows it's
always an advantage to play on your home floor, even
if you can't remember who you played. You have to
get into horrors big the other night against UH against Houston,
(05:27):
you know, it kind of got us over the home
It finally got away. Now if we can just go
to Scharlotte be the way and keep our confidence that
we can come home with not at home games and
hopefully to get least we get all these home games
because it's back in the runt of things. Hey, I
was trying to stay positive. I feel this way. Often
we know it is a wild schedule and it's crazy,
(05:50):
and often guys don't know that you're asking about their
next opponent. You can't remember. But how how much was
your your head spinning some losses, trying to get some wins,
and just really trying to keep yourself in the moment
day to day of these games, staying in the moment, traveling,
figuring out the schedule, checking into your hotel room. Then
(06:12):
you're wait a minute, what's Floria, what's the room number?
And you go back down to the you know, concierge
and you're like, oh, no, you're on a different floor.
And you said to yourself, oh, that was two road
trips ago. So as a rookie, you are really like
a roller coaster going up and down trying to figure
out who you are. So how did you find that clip? Grace?
Great job. Grace is the best of the best. Grace
(06:34):
is the best of the best. So three D you
come into this game and you're playing a Nuggets team
that just gave up one hundred and sixty one points
in Washington to the bullets when you were at this
point of the year, do you look at this as
a game that, hey, I may be able to get
up some big numbers. This may be an opportunity for
(06:55):
us to get up and down and have a little
bit of fun, no question about it. The teammate his
name was Morland Widely and he was just have a
saying called chicken noodle soup. When you're playing a team
and you feel a little under the weather, you haven't
won a game in a while, this is the game
where you go get your numbers up. This is the
game you go get the highlight. This is the game
(07:16):
you go get your threes. The game gonna get your values.
This is the game you go feel better about yourself.
Scott at six and takes it off. Great faith gets
Scott going down the middle of the floor, the fafty
Scott skiles on the right hand wing. Michael heads just
a little bit and gave Scott the room to the basket.
(07:37):
So anytime you saw a game like that, I learned
pretty quickly in the NBA take advantage of those teams
were not playing well. Now, I know it's a while ago,
but think back to the strategy of it. If you
remember Chris Jackson, now my mood abdual Roof was a rookie.
Michael Adams, those two are the starting backcourt. Um. They
(07:57):
started really cold in this game. Him and so you
guys often miss You guys were running and there was
a lot of transition bucket We're looking at Scott Skiles.
You're getting some buckets, but a lot of his assists
early on were in the open court. Was that a
part of the game plan when you guys got going
with this game? How much was the feel of what
you were able to do and how you were able
(08:19):
to strategically attack them? We do. That's how Denver were played,
So we knew it was gonna be a fast paced
kind of We called it organized chaos because they wanted
to get shots up with ten seconds or lessons a
couple of possession I think was five seconds or less.
They were getting quick shots up until your question when
they missed. We were off and running, trying for three
(08:39):
again and grab hi Get story. What Scyles is gonna do.
Al's back off of Michael. He's not quick enough to
stay with Michael's penetration, so he's gonna make Adams beat
him from the outside first styles, not the way by Adams.
He dies and makes the pass and get the assist. Well,
good thing about Scottie, He's one of the greatest pastors
(09:01):
that I've ever seen. And in the back story, real quick,
I'm a huge Magic Johnson fan. Where did it Magic
Johnson go to school Michigan State, So growing up as
a kid in d C, I followed Georgetown and Scott
Skiles has one of the best highlights ever ever in
college sports coming down court around his back with his
(09:25):
right hand in the n C dole A tournament. Who's
this white kid with this move in the n C
Double A Tournament. So I had to add that story
to the show so people understood. I already knew who
Scott Scyles was before I played with it. So that's
why this game is also exciting for me because it
really displayed how great of a pastor Scott Skytle was. Sorry, sir,
(09:50):
I had to get that in. No. I love that.
That's the type of stuff that went because you guys
had a connection. You're you're watching the way you play it,
and I know it was a little bit of a
joke there on the podcast, but they were mentioned you
know exactly where the three point line is that there's
no question about it, Skiles, And there is Scott, Justine
den Scott. He only played seven minutes and didn't score
(10:13):
the game against Denver. Scott here knows where that three
point line is. But what was your connection like even
that early on with you and Scott? Scott to Scott
on the floor, Oh, I like that, Scott to Scott.
I think the biggest thing was he respected my talents.
I respected his leadership. Now, as you say to myself,
(10:34):
how is he being so successful. He's not very athletic.
He doesn't ever jump around the rim or anything. But
he's smart. He's a regal. He can go left, he
can go right. So for all the people that into analytics,
that's where analytics worked. You can force Scott left and
you can force Scott right and you got the same results.
(10:58):
So he could finish with his left hand, it you
can finish with his right hand. He could pass off
the dribble with his left hand. He could pass off
the dribble with his right hand. So when you look
at those thirty assists or bounced passes or hook passes,
they're are all kinds of passes because he was that good.
And he was one of the people that taught me
how to watch film because everyone knew I might have
(11:19):
had what five dunks my whole career, but I learned
how to play angles. I learned how to play to
my strength with to shoot the basketball. And when you
play with great point guard that know how to pass,
run the floor, get to your spot, you're ready to
catch and shoot. All right, it's three D. I know
there's probably a lot of players you bring up analytics,
and there's probably a lot of players these days that
that which they had played in uh days where analytics
(11:43):
were focused. Because we've seen the rise of the three
point shot and just how the game has evolved. You
at that point, we're leading the league and three point
shots and putting up some more. I mean, who knows,
we could have had you putting a fifteen game three D.
But how much do you feel like you your group
was a little bit of head of the curve in
the volume of three point shooting. Well that's what I
(12:04):
always uh thank Bobby Cribbins when I seen him that
he allowed me to do it in college, and I
think that was the you know, the beginning of three
D and then so when I got to the NBA,
Maddie Gucas allowed me to do it my first couple
of years. So when Brian Hill took over, and then
obviously when we got Shack and Kenney, you know, the
rest is history. But those early days of Mattie Gukas
(12:26):
and Scott Skiles were leaving and what I did. They
helped me create the three D Moniker, the three D
brand and Skyle is on his way again. Magic leaded
by nine. He loves to Scott play, hold out the boat,
leave the bo range, Danna Scott as he shoots that
(12:47):
three point like it was about a fifteen switch jump shot.
So when you play the game the right way, you're
playing with people that want to share the basketball, You're like, wow,
this is a fun game to play and not be pigeonhole.
Oh he's sixty, you gotta go down low. No, he
can shoot the ball. So we're gonna allow him to
do that as long as he continues to put in
the work. And that was something I was able to
do every day is I would get to the gym early,
(13:09):
get the practice early, and obviously my routine was never
as big Asteth is, But I had a little routine
I would do before the Orlando Magic games as well. Okay,
I like it. Oh what a pass again my style?
Hey haveing. One of those great great nights coming up
(13:30):
is halftime and Scott Skiles and the Magic are about
to get really hot on this winter night in Orlando.
We asked you about your connection with Scott Skiles, but
Nick Anderson, did you know that he called it? Nick's
given name is Nielsen. Did you know that Scott called
(13:51):
him Nielsen? Yes, he didn't mind calling you about your
government name. You didn't mind it. What was their relationship
like in their chemistry on the floor, Well, Scott, once again,
to me, one of the best leaders because he just
knew the game inside out. And we always used that
phrase the point guard being the extension of the head coach.
Well that's what Scott was, and that's why he was
(14:12):
a great head coach when he moved on. So Scott
knew that Nick was probably the best athlete on our team.
So there was a lot of alley you situations with
Scott and Nick and transition, and you see it in
this game. So you know Nick cut into the basket
boom there it is Scott finding him Adam Riving knocked
the way by a Scotle picked up on scotl two
(14:33):
on one alley. I and that's one of another good
thing of Scott being able to see the floor and
understanding all of our talents. Was that being said, were
you aware at halftime? So locker room at halftime, you
guys rock seventy nine just rolling through him. Skiles has
fourteen assists, career high was eighteen. He probably could have
(14:54):
had more because I think there was a couple of
misses there. But was there any recognition amongst you guys,
Coach it was there any chatter knowing that Scott might
have a chance at this all time record? Sarah, when
I look back on it, totally transparent. Didn't have a clue.
Think about it. We're an expansion team. I'm the fourth pick,
(15:19):
Nick Anderson that thinks the leventh pick, and then you
have a bunch of guys that if we would say
nobody wanted right because the expansion draft is back, then
you protected X number guys. Everyone else got thrown in
the pool. So all those guys had chips on their
shoulders that they still could play. And they're part of
an NBA team, they should be in the NBA. So
(15:40):
thinking of breaking records. No, that group just wanted to hoop.
We looked up twenty assists, what assists? And then that's
when we started getting on Ice Reynolds. If you watched
the Get to Take Close, I watched every possession we're
gonna get to that, we're gonna get to that. I
would pull my hair out here it's how many years later.
(16:02):
But it looked it looked like you guys were having
so much fun. And obviously, when you're putting up a
bunch of points he got a big lead, that could happen.
But it just looked like everyone was having so much fun.
But Scott was all business. He was all business at
the edge. The intensity, how much was that characteristic of
how he always was and in the demeanor that he brought.
(16:25):
Scott was focused, Scott was detailed. Scott wanted to do
it the right way. Scott would say, I'm not specially
gifted athletic, so I have to be in great shape,
I have to be detailed. I have to be smarter
than my opponent. I have to be one step ahead.
And then that's where I got my professionalism from early
(16:47):
in my career. Now on the flip side of that,
I'm the happy, go lucky guy. I'm the guy that
walks in the locker like, what's up, baby, let's go,
let's get it on. Loosen up, Why are you so stiff?
It's just life, just basketball. So then that's where the smile.
Eventually Scott would show you, and that's when you would
see the fifth point. That's when you would see the
smile and when you give me the great pass, and
(17:09):
you saw more of his personality. So I think he
learned that having a mixture of being stern but also
being in loose and jovial, you can be as well.
All right, So let's go because we're getting a little
bit closer to that final assist that he needed. So
in the third quarter, Scoles has twenty fours. He's already
broken the Orlando Magic record. In the hands of scouts.
(17:34):
There's another one, keep him mind, the NBA record. I
haven't checked this, so I believe it's twenty nine Kevin
quarter and we will go to the record book. That's
the case. Scott a very good chance to be shotting
an NBA record, the nine and most of shift and
a game as a whole fourth quarter. Yes, Mattie Ukas
(17:57):
should elect to keep him in there. He was everyone
aware at this point that he was getting close to
the assists record. Was that even at this point he
had twenty nine assists with over seven minutes left in
the game. Nothing you all just continue to be hooping.
It wasn't Paul Porter Rock officially stead he gave my
(18:18):
nickname free d still the p announce right now in
the land though he started steam. He's about to pass.
I think uh a Porter right? Porter? Porter? Had he
mentioned it over the arena was called back then he
said it twenty left Scott Skiles the one a sift
(18:41):
to tie the NBA record. Style's looking around the whole
five third water twenty nine a fish for Style. Then
we all looked up and said, oh wow. And that's
when we're like, yo. That's when everybody started ramping it
(19:02):
up a little bit more because once again, no one
had really got into it. Records wasn't really talked about.
I'm a rookie. I hadn't even thought about breaking a
three point record yet a single game war season, So
it's like records breaking records. Wasn't you a part of
the conversation for an expansion team. You mentioned that is
(19:24):
Scott didn't realize it until he came over and asked
to come out of the game. You guys were up
so big. Skyles just looked over at Mattie Gukas and said,
take me out of the game. And Guckas said no,
and Mattie Cuckas said no. And then I think informed
informed him about it. Um. But it started to get dramatic.
(19:45):
He has twenty nine assists seven minutes ago, and then
the minutes are taken away, no assists are coming. Uh.
The entire arena was going nuts every time that he
had the ball. But tell me what you remember of
j Reynolds. I what are you doing? We know you
(20:07):
from New York, we know you want to dribble, we
know you're from the Paw shoot the darn's ball. Ice,
are you listening to this crowd after the break? Well,
Jerry Ice Reynolds heat up in time to help Skyles
get the records. The old rain is going crazy. This
(20:37):
is the best blowout ever in NBA history. At the time,
no one is standing up in a blowout. We're a
part of NBA history. This may be a stat that
never gets touched and you keep dribbling the basketball ice.
Do you think he didn't know what was going on?
Do you do you think he was not understanding how
(20:58):
assists work, what what's going through his what's going through
his head at this point, this is a true direct
statement for all people growing up in New York. They
grew up in the sand lot and they're entrenched during
brain to catch and dribble. Right away, Go look at
New York guards, Go look at New York forwards. They
(21:21):
don't grow up catching shoot guys. They grow up as dribblers,
and that's one that they were like ice catching shoot.
Nobody's on you. We're drawn kicking like Skyles directly traffic.
He goes to Renolds again, who again puts it on
the floor. Won't count that. Skyles now talking to Rentolds
(21:44):
and saying, hey, just put it up. He motioned to
Matt focus on the bench. The the magic are hysterical.
Every time Reynolds gets the ball, he takes the assists
away from Skyles. Hello, anybody home and thank in this
friendly all right? Uh, everybody's standing Carols. It goes to
(22:06):
Reddols peak on shoot. Scott Skiles has Hankins the all
time everybody record tot of a session one game, the
greatest height in the career of Scott Skiles, the five
(22:27):
year federan out of Michigan State. Ice came through. When
it mattered, Ice came through. It was a little tight,
but we see on this game record moment and this
is something that I'm born and raised in Chicago, and
of course Scott Skiles spend time with the Bulls and
so I'm familiar with Scott. I think this might have
(22:47):
been the first time that I saw him smile. He
turns around, He's got a big smile on his face.
What what do you think this moment meant to him?
Just validation that work does pay all play to your
skill set, which Scott was a great shooter. This game
(23:08):
proved that he is arguably one of the best pastors
to ever do it. After the game, Skyles talked about
that smile and his historic night. What was your first
reaction on the shot? One Jerry shot? But what the
smile broke on your face? But you know, you guys
have seen enough games and though I I don't smile
on the court, so obviously I was very happy about it.
Uh you know, Uh, assists sort of a relative thing.
(23:31):
You know. I can be out there making all those
nice passes in the world. If they don't put the
ball on a hole, they're really nothing. So, you know,
I guess I owned the record, but I gotta get
a lot of credit to my teammates for for making
a lot of shots tonight. Any assists announced you know
you were doing that, well, well, yeah, I knew a
lot of them, but I really didn't know how many,
you know, I mean, I can't keep chatting something like
(23:53):
that during the course of the game. I just knew
I had quite a few of a lot of times.
Once I heard you it was like kind of weight
on your mind just a little bit. Well, I'm not
really you know, I wanted to get one, you know, obviously,
but uh, you know, I just told on I figured
if it came, it came. And I made a couple
of turnovers there during that stress trying to get the
ball to somebody, and so then with about three minutes left,
(24:15):
I just sort of said to myself, just relax and
if it happens, it happens. And uh, you know, I
gotta thank Jerry. He made a hell of a shot
on the last once, so you know, I'm not thankful
for it. Did you ever talk to him about it? Then?
Shortly thereafter? Years since, have you ever had conversations with
him about it? I just remember one conversation when he
(24:35):
was in Phoenix as a coach, and it just just
weird how we just started talking about it. And I
think one thing about Scott when you were a rebal guy,
he remembers every game. He remembers every play, and that's
where a lot of us is basketball enthusia. And Sarah,
(24:57):
you noticed, you've been around the game a long time.
A certain thing when you when you live in the moment,
it just sticks with you forever. And we always talk
about stats. That's just a fun game because I was
so naive as a rookie, and that's why I had
so much fun for me because I was so young
at that particular night, style of play fit the dream
(25:19):
in the moment, and thank goodness, Ice Reynolds finally stopped
driveling and shot the ball. It's crazy to think that
that record has stood for over thirty years. Now, do
you think it will ever be broken? No one has
come No one has come close. John Stockton had do
you think that's a record that will be broken. The
(25:42):
way the game has changed, I'm leaning towards maybe because
now we have more guys who can catch and shoot
the three or just catching shoot period. So now our
scoring is getting back up, and we're getting back up
to the one tens, the one twenties, the one thirties
and scoring now. So I think it has that potential,
(26:06):
but selfishly, I hope it doesn't. And I was gonna
ask you, is that I mean, you've spoken about how
this is a legacy, this is a moment you cherish.
Is that something you would like, you would like to
stick always being a part of history. Yes. And here's why.
When I was doing my thing breaking the three point records,
so one saw no one's never gonna break eleven. At
(26:30):
that time I believed it because you're stuck in your feelings.
You want to hold onto a record. And then you
remember the first time someone said records are made to
be broken, right, And then the game changed. Steph Curry
comes along, the name Lillard comes along. Now James hard
(26:50):
al corby what he was on. So now you say,
if guys are shooting the ball like this mixed in
with the alleys, so now you're either dunking or shooting through.
You got trade young now, so it's like it could
possibly happened because our kids today are more skilled than
we were yesterday. Back in Skyles had some thoughts about
(27:13):
the possibility of someone breaking the record. You know, d'antoni's
famous for seven seconds or less. They were about five
seconds or less. They just brought it up and hoisted it.
They didn't run back on DVA, just the style they
were playing, and and so we just sort of fell
into it. We were pushing the ball, we were on
the break a lot and started knocking down shots and
it just kind of built from there. You know, guys
since they have gotten up in the twenties. But but
(27:33):
to get to thirty is, uh, it's hard to do
nowadays the way the game is played, you know. So
but maybe it's moving back. Maybe with the openness of
the game now, somebody will get I kind of hope
somebody does, because sometimes they get tired of talking about it.
But uh, but you know, really, I mean, we hit
some incredible shots at night and it was a big
night all right, last thing three D Because I know
you've talked about this game so many times a million times,
(27:55):
and you told us all the extraordinary memories and moments
from it. But if there was one lasting memory from
this game, what would it be? Who? Two things? One
the biggest thing you said earlier is watching Scott smile,
(28:17):
because if you followed his career, he had been through
a lot up and down on and off the court.
So to see him smile and get his recognition and
as we say today, he got his flowers. He got
his flowers that they had proven to the world that
he was the best pastor in basketball. And then secondly
(28:41):
that being on the expansion team and knowing that we
didn't win a lot of games that year, we still
found out a way to have good chemistry. We stuck together.
We never pointed fingers, we never quote unquoted backstad one another,
and they actually had fun winning thirty one games, believe
or not. I cannot thank you enough for your time,
(29:02):
Dennis Sky. You're such a big part of that because
of the way you light things up. You bring a joy,
you bring an energy, and we can't thank you enough
for sharing some of these memories with us. Say anything
for you, grace the best and do Peter, I can't
stand here. Thanks pretty up Gial for a court chial
for little jump Shot. Who's up It is good, very
(29:24):
well shot child with the Party of the Drifts for
the life and that's the Neue NBA Records. NBA Flashback
is a production of I Heart Radio and the NBA.
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