01:48
Dealing With Criticism
What is your name going to leave behind for other people to continue to hold on to and help the world?
About Eddie
- I grew up in Chicago and was raised with six siblings by my single mother in one of the worst housing projects at the time.
- I loved sports, and played baseball and basketball in school—I played well and studied hard, so I ended up becoming the best basketball player in Illinois and received scholarships to many colleges.
- I decided to go to the University of Illinois, where I played basketball for four years while earning a bachelor’s degree in history.
- In 1981, I was drafted into the NBA by the Kansas City Kings—I played professionally for 18 years with seven different teams!
- While in the NBA, I got married and raised a family.
- After a successful career as a professional athlete, I could have gone into coaching, but I didn’t want to leave my kids or uproot my family, so I transitioned into broadcasting.
- A year after I retired from the NBA, I was hired by the Phoenix Suns as a broadcast analyst and have been calling the team’s games ever since.
- In addition to providing commentary for the Phoenix Suns, I’m a co-host of “NBA Today” on Sirius XM NBA Radio.