The New York Knicks have become one of the great stories of the NBA season. But due to COVID, the hysteria that would normally engulf Madison Square Garden has been muted. What hasn't been muted is the passion of Knicks fans for their overachieving team. Barry Sacks and Michael "MJ" Jackson are former colleagues at ESPN who are great examples of the highly intelligent New York basketball fan. In this episode of Pure Thoughts, MJ and Barry join dejected Celtics fan Bruce Bernstein for a deep dive into what makes this Knicks team unlike any other in recent years.

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During his 25 seasons as an NBA Referee, Steve Javie carved out a reputation as a "no nonsense" official who was an excellent game manager and a man of integrity. After retiring due to chronic knee problems, he became the highly visible rules expert for ESPN/ABC's game broadcasts. But his journey didn't end in the Secaucus, NJ Replay Center where millions heard his analysis of difficult calls on the court. As a man of faith, Steve answered the calling and embarked on a journey of study and reflection that led him to become an ordained Deacon in the Catholic Church. In this wide ranging conversation with Bruce Bernstein, Steve shared stories of his life as an official, some fun stories from his years calling games, and his current role as a religious and spiritual leader.

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Joel Platt of Sports Immortals is the greatest collector of sports memorabilia in the world. He's traveled more than 1,000,000 miles over seven decades in his quest to preserve and exhibit his collection of more than one million sports mementos. In this episode of Pure Thoughts, Joel shares the stories of four all-time basketball greats. Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, George Mikan, and Maurice Lucas. Joel's partner Jim Platt, the Sports Immortals President also explains how the new partnership between Sports Immortals and Collectable.com allows sports fans to invest in shares of different items and own a part of sports history. Two of the items available for investment are Wilt Chamberlain's game worn (and signed) high school jersey and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's UCLA warmup from the late 1960's when he was still known as Lew Alcindor. Joel will share the stories of how he acquired these amazing items and tell a great Muhammad Ali story.

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