On Saturday afternoon, at the Bud Light Crew HQ, a panel consisting of a pair of current teammates, 76ers rookies Joel Embiid and Dario Saric, as well as a pair of ex-teammates, Spud Webb and Hall of Famer Dominique Wilkins, sat down for a cross-generational conversation about several topics, with a theme that ultimately revolved around friendship amongst competitors.
First, host Russ Bengston asked them about what takes priority, beating your rival, or forming a bond with your peers. Not surprisingly, the answers were what you'd expect from people who have risen to the ranks of world-class athletes.
From there Russ segued into a topic that makes perfect sense for this time of year, the unforgettable '86 Dunk Contest that is forever linked to Wilkins and, especially, Webb. You almost certainly remember it, as the five-foot-six point guard secretly practiced to beat his high-flying/defending champ of a teammate for the world to see.
The panel also fielded several crowd-sourced questions, including ones about which aspect each guy would take from their competitors on stage, which all-time player each member of the quartet would meet and train with if they could pick from the entire rolodex of legends that have rolled through the league, and which friendships were the most valuable ones that both Spud and Dominique made in their careers.
The conversation is a good watch for nostalgic anecdotes that gives insight into how NBA players ultimately view one another.
