1 hr 45 min
James "Flight" White: How Being Labeled a Dunker Affected Him + Learning that NBA is a Full-Time Job | E20 The Underdogs Podcast with Jordan Daly, Mike Taylor, and Craig Smith
-
- Sport
Many remember James White, better known by fans as Flight, as one of the greatest dunkers we have ever seen. From dunking from the free throw line with ease to landing some of the most acrobatic dunks ever done, he had every dunk in his arsenal.
What fans don't know is the rest of his career. Flight was labeled as "just a dunker" early on, which definitely affected how teams looked at him.
Starting at the University of Florida, Flight takes us back to why he committed there, and why he ultimately transferred to Cincinnati, where he truly made a name for himself.
He then talks about his draft night struggles, and how staying in college for so long actually hurt his NBA chances. He then talks about being traded on draft night and being cut by the Pacers before the season even started. This is where he learned that the NBA is where the real work began, and he needed to start treating it as a full-time job.
He ends up getting signed by the Spurs for his rookie season, where he learned from coach Gregg Popovich and NBA legends Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Robert Horry. He claims he learned more in this one season than he did the rest of his career combined. They went on to win the NBA Finals, giving Flight a championship ring.
Following that championship season, Flight decided he wanted some playing experience, so he signs overseas.
Following his domination of overseas basketball, he returns to the NBA, where he bounces on and off different rosters trying to find a home. He plays a few games with the Houston Rockets before returning overseas.
Now, at the age of 30, he returns to the NBA to play for the New York Knicks in his most successful season. He also competes in the NBA Dunk Contest, which he walks us through. He goes into detail about that process and why he wasn't able to compete at his highest level that night.
Flight then reflects on his time with the BIG3 so far, being the league's only 3-time champion.
Let us know your favorite James White moment in the comments below! Where do you rank Flight in the list of best dunkers of all time?
Follow the Underdogs Podcast:
https://www.instagram.com/underdogs.podcast/
Follow the Hosts:
Jordan Daly: https://www.instagram.com/jordandalynba/
Mike Taylor: https://www.instagram.com/88miketaylor/
Craig Smith: https://www.instagram.com/blackrhino83/
Follow the Guest:
James Flight White: https://www.instagram.com/flight8/
Find the video version of this podcast on YouTube!
Many remember James White, better known by fans as Flight, as one of the greatest dunkers we have ever seen. From dunking from the free throw line with ease to landing some of the most acrobatic dunks ever done, he had every dunk in his arsenal.
What fans don't know is the rest of his career. Flight was labeled as "just a dunker" early on, which definitely affected how teams looked at him.
Starting at the University of Florida, Flight takes us back to why he committed there, and why he ultimately transferred to Cincinnati, where he truly made a name for himself.
He then talks about his draft night struggles, and how staying in college for so long actually hurt his NBA chances. He then talks about being traded on draft night and being cut by the Pacers before the season even started. This is where he learned that the NBA is where the real work began, and he needed to start treating it as a full-time job.
He ends up getting signed by the Spurs for his rookie season, where he learned from coach Gregg Popovich and NBA legends Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Robert Horry. He claims he learned more in this one season than he did the rest of his career combined. They went on to win the NBA Finals, giving Flight a championship ring.
Following that championship season, Flight decided he wanted some playing experience, so he signs overseas.
Following his domination of overseas basketball, he returns to the NBA, where he bounces on and off different rosters trying to find a home. He plays a few games with the Houston Rockets before returning overseas.
Now, at the age of 30, he returns to the NBA to play for the New York Knicks in his most successful season. He also competes in the NBA Dunk Contest, which he walks us through. He goes into detail about that process and why he wasn't able to compete at his highest level that night.
Flight then reflects on his time with the BIG3 so far, being the league's only 3-time champion.
Let us know your favorite James White moment in the comments below! Where do you rank Flight in the list of best dunkers of all time?
Follow the Underdogs Podcast:
https://www.instagram.com/underdogs.podcast/
Follow the Hosts:
Jordan Daly: https://www.instagram.com/jordandalynba/
Mike Taylor: https://www.instagram.com/88miketaylor/
Craig Smith: https://www.instagram.com/blackrhino83/
Follow the Guest:
James Flight White: https://www.instagram.com/flight8/
Find the video version of this podcast on YouTube!
1 hr 45 min