7 of the Most Memorable Sports Interviews Of The Last 25 Years By Andre Aldridge

Talking to and interviewing some of the most accomplished and intriguing people in sports and entertainment has been part of my job responsibilities for more than 20 years. I’ve worked on air in L.A., at ESPN, NBA-TV, CNN and now Fox Sports South, among other places, and everywhere I’ve been has been an adventure. Some personalities are more memorable than others. Here are seven of my favorite interview subjects. Muhammad Ali It wasn’t an official interview, but I encountered Muhammad Ali when I was just out of college and preparing for my career as a TV broadcaster. The Greatest was filling up his Rolls Royce in L.A. next to my car at the gas station. I was excited because it was Ali, and he gave me my first practical lesson in interviewing. “Calm down, son,” he said. “I ain’t gonna bite ya.” After I rambled, he looked at my girlfriend and said, “Honey, you’re with him? You can do better.” Edwin Moses For a 10-year period Edwin Moses never lost a 400-meter race—122 races, four world records and two Olympic gold medals. I asked him about his relationship with his competitors, and his answer surprised me: “I really couldn’t tell you about those dudes. I didn’t want to know them and they were always behind me.” Karl Malone The Mailman delivered it as straightforward as you can get. You can bring up any subject to him and he will answer. Above is a photo of me asking Karl about still carrying a flip phone in these days of ultra-technology. "This is a masterpiece," he said. "Kinda like bell bottoms." Sugar Ray Leonard I was thrilled to go to the champ’s house for an interview. His people made it clear we only had 15 minutes. The interview went great and as I was wrapping things up, Ray asked, “You guys have to rush back to the studio? I love talking about all of the sports if you want to stay for some coffee?” And, of course, we stayed. We didn’t leave for another hour. His publicist was not happy. Manute Bol At 7-foot-7, the late Manute Bol was larger than life in more ways than one. He talked a lot of trash and was hilarious, too. Once, I cut my head in a minor freak accident before an interview with him after a morning shootaround. We could not get started before he joked me, in his heavy Sudanese accent: “Somebody jacked homeboy up!! Everybody come look at this!” I couldn’t help but laugh like everyone else. Justin Upton Justin’s a nice guy, but I can’t remember exactly what I asked or what he answered. But I was interviewing him when we were doused in a champagne shower after the The Atlanta Braves clinched making the playoffs in 2013 (above). Those moments are fun. . . and you have no idea how wet and sticky. The goggles, thankfully, save my eyes. Tony Gwynn He was honest, humble, and the best hitter I ever saw on a day-to-day basis. His respect for those of us in the media was just like his approach to everything else: top shelf. We need more of him.

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