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Monday September 19, 2011 9:57 AM
Storytellers: Part 1
Bill Worrell and Matt Bullard reflect upon their favorite moments in Rockets' history
Jason Friedman
Rockets.com
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HOUSTON - Bill Worrell and Matt Bullard can tell basketball stories for days.
Want to hear about hoops history and the characters of the game that make it so special and unique? Just toss out a topic, sit back, relax and let them take care of the rest, riffing and rifling through their ample memory banks of basketball nostalgia.
Between Bullard's 12-year pro playing career and subsequent transition to Rockets' television analyst and color commentator, and Worrell's 40-plus years of sports broadcasting experience during which he has spent decades as the TV voice of the club, they've witnessed pretty much every significant professional basketball moment Houston has had to offer.
So it's no surprise to find out they require precious little prompting to regale the listener with one tale after another of lives spent experiencing the sport from the closest possible vantage point. To wit: I scheduled an interview with them expecting a casual chat about Rockets' history that would likely last around 15 to 20 minutes -- 30 at the absolute max.
I should have known better.
The conversation took the better part of an hour and there's little doubt we could have doubled its length with ease. These men simply have stories upon stories of the sort sure to delight Rockets fans fascinated by the club's rich history.
This, then, is the first of a 6-part series which will reveal this roundtable discussion in full. Among today's topics: Worrell's and Bullard's respective backgrounds which brought them where they are today; what it was like to play against Rockets Head Coach Kevin McHale back when he was a member of the Boston Celtics; Houston's legacy of legendary big men; and, of course, the rise of the Twin Towers.
Check back tomorrow for part two. Until then, please enjoy this free-flowing, unscripted banter between two gifted storytellers delving into the depths of their minds as they reminisce about the game -- and team -- we love.
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