He played with his airiness Michael Jordan, coached with the Zen Master Phi Jackson and mentored Shaquille O’Neal at the end of his career. These are just a few of the defining marks of Bill Cartwright’s memorable 16 year NBA career. The California native began turning heads in 1977 when he lead the University of San Francisco to a perfect 29-0 regular  season and the #1 ranking in the country. The USF grad was the 3rd pick in the 1979 NBA Draft.

On this edition of the Game Time Podcast, I talked with Bill about playing under the bright lights of New York City, starting at center for three of Michael Jordan’s championships and the lessons he learned under Hall of Famer Phil Jackson. Cartwright and I also discussed coaching the 2001 Bulls, his obsession with transisitor radios and his favorite guitarists.