25 episodes

Thurl Bailey has stories to tell. After more than a decade playing in the NBA as Big T for the Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves, Thurl has seen a thing or two. And he still has things he wants to learn. He's a musician, father, husband and friend and he's interested in talking with people. That's what he'll do each week on Thurl Talk: share his own life experiences and learn from the stories of others. Whether it's about his life on the court, behind a mic or sitting at the kitchen counter, count on getting to know the real Thurl Bailey and maybe learn a little something from his friends. Photo credit: Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Thurl Talk KSL Podcasts

    • Education
    • 5.0 • 44 Ratings

Thurl Bailey has stories to tell. After more than a decade playing in the NBA as Big T for the Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves, Thurl has seen a thing or two. And he still has things he wants to learn. He's a musician, father, husband and friend and he's interested in talking with people. That's what he'll do each week on Thurl Talk: share his own life experiences and learn from the stories of others. Whether it's about his life on the court, behind a mic or sitting at the kitchen counter, count on getting to know the real Thurl Bailey and maybe learn a little something from his friends. Photo credit: Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

    Remembering the late, great Utah Jazz legend Mark Eaton with friends from around the league

    Remembering the late, great Utah Jazz legend Mark Eaton with friends from around the league

    In this week's episode, we remember and honor the late, great former Utah Jazz legend, Mark Eaton. We're joined by some of his former teammates as well as a few of his opponents to remember his impact on the game, how some of his greatest traits translated into life after basketball, and some of our fondest memories of the big fella'.

    Our list of today's guests include:

    Adrian Dantley (NBA Hall of Famer, Utah Jazz 1979-86)Eddie Johnson (Phoenix Suns analyst, 17-year NBA veteran)Bobby Hansen ('92 NBA champion, Utah Jazz 1983-90, Iowa Hawkeyes radio commentator)Darrell Griffith (Utah Jazz 1980-91)John Stockton (NBA Hall of Famer, Utah Jazz 1984-03)

     
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    • 1 hr 31 min
    Walter Bond on the importance of education, his book - Swim!, and why focus and mentorship can take you to the next level

    Walter Bond on the importance of education, his book - Swim!, and why focus and mentorship can take you to the next level

    In this week's episode, Thurl Bailey is joined by Walter Bond (Business Coach/Keynote  Speaker/Trainer/former NBA Player) to talk about growing up in Chicago in an "education first" household, why education was so important to Walter's parents, and the moment he realized he needed to choose between baseball and basketball.

    Then he opens up about coming up with the concept for his book, "Swim!", the symbiotic relationship between the suckerfish and the shark, and how focus and mentorship are so impactful in the business world.

    Walter also talks about why leadership and culture can be such a game-changing value within a company.
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    • 34 min
    Dereck Whittenburg remembers Jimmy V, being an executive producer, his coaching experience, and helping others

    Dereck Whittenburg remembers Jimmy V, being an executive producer, his coaching experience, and helping others

    Thurl Bailey is joined by Dereck Whittenburg (NC State - Associate AD, CEO of Dereck Whittenburg Productions) to talk about how NC State was always his first choice when contemplating which college he wanted to play for, his introduction to coach Jim Valvano, and why Jimmy V wasn't immediately accepted by his peers because he wasn't a "traditional" coach.

    Dereck then talks about his inspiration behind pushing for and eventually executive producing the 30 for 30 doc, "SURVIVE AND ADVANCE" detailing NC State's 1983 title run.

    He also explains why he gravitated towards coaching and ultimately decided to commit to being an assistant and head coach throughout the years.

    We also dive into the statistics behind DI-DIII athletes that believe that they might go on to play professional sports, why many college athletes need to understand that there are so many successful opportunities outside of professional sports, and why it's important to empower others when they're on their own journey.

    Lastly, Dereck talks about his decision to go back to NC State and why he is so passionate about helping others.

    You can learn more about Dereck and the work he's doing helping others by visiting his website: https://www.dereckwhittenburg.com/
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    • 38 min
    Georges Niang on the Jazz/Nuggets series, social justice in the bubble, and finding his way in the league

    Georges Niang on the Jazz/Nuggets series, social justice in the bubble, and finding his way in the league

    Thurl Bailey is joined by Georges Niang (Utah Jazz - Forward | #31) to talk about learning from the loss to the Denver Nuggets in game 7 of the NBA playoffs, the pros and cons of playing without fans in the building, and how to get through shooting slumps.

    Georges also talks about the importance of understanding your role, trusting your teammates, and the impact the players have had on social justice in the bubble.

    Then we dive into Georges growing up in Massachusetts, the strong relationship he has with both of his parents, how perseverance led him to the NBA, and why he wished he would have dreamt bigger than just making it to the NBA.

    Georges also opens up about how important work ethic is, overcoming challenges while coming up through college, his podcast, "Drive and Dish", and his passion for broadcasting.
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    • 39 min
    Stedman Graham on finding your identity, getting rid of labels, and why you need to adapt

    Stedman Graham on finding your identity, getting rid of labels, and why you need to adapt

    Thurl Bailey is joined by Stedman Graham (Author, Educator, & Entrepreneur) to talk about life during the pandemic, the importance of having a routine, and working on yourself during the COVID-19 outbreak.

    Then we talk about the social unrest in society today, getting rid of the labels that hold us back, and ways to leverage your branding in the confines of today's era.

    Stedman also takes us back to growing up in Whitesboro, New Jersey, why he was so angry during his childhood, his search for equality, and how he was able to get out of his small town with the help of basketball. He also talks about how his relationship with Oprah helped taught him how to think more clearly.

    Stedman also talks about why you need to be betting on yourself immediately to adapt to the 21st century and why you need to find what you're passionate about to keep up with all of the changes that are taking place today.

    To learn more about Stedman Graham or buy his latest book, you can visit: www.stedmangraham.com
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    • 38 min
    David Locke on predicting the NBA's return, the Utah Jazz, and finding his voice as a broadcaster

    David Locke on predicting the NBA's return, the Utah Jazz, and finding his voice as a broadcaster

    Thurl Bailey is joined by David Locke (Radio play-by-play voice of the Utah Jazz, creator of the Locked on Podcast Network) to talk about how COVID-19 has changed his daily life, predicting the NBA's return, and the importance of laying the groundwork for next year's season.

    We also dive into how the major sports are all handling the pandemic differently, why David believes that the live in-person experience will be reserved for specific people, and how revenue will bounce back quicker than we realize.

    David also explains why the Utah Jazz are ahead of the curve in relation to other teams coming back, how the team is going to have to adapt without Bojan Bogdanović, and a potential shift in the team's dynamic.

    Later, David explains the challenges he faced after following "Hot Rod" Hundley, finding his own voice, and how he had to shut off social media to focus due to the criticism he received. 

    Lastly, we talk about the importance of working on your craft and what it means to be a professional broadcaster in the NBA.

    You can learn more about David by visiting https://www.lockedonjazz.net/.
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    • 38 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
44 Ratings

44 Ratings

Eternal Sports Fan ,

The Insightful Interviewer

Thurl has shown his integrity and grit on the basketball court both in college and professionally, but his true talent in life is his ability to ask insightful questions of his guests. Thurl allows each guest the opportunity to share very personal situations in their lives to the listening audience. Bravo!!!

TFF81 ,

I love Jazz basketball!

I tell you what, I love this podcast! Just cool going back in time and learning more about the Jazz and Thurl. Just a chill podcast and my favorite episode was with coach Layden!

on call with chad ,

Big T is AWESOME! Highly recommend this

His insights on topics cones from a fresh point of view. Great content by a great person!

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