This is an IHeart podcast.

And we return to our American stories.

Up next, a story from Pete Corrado, author of From Hangtime to Primetime,

a great look into how the NBA went from a small, financially unstable and mostly

regional sports league to the entertainment behemoth. It is today. And one of the major ways

that the NBA did this was to move from CBS to NBC, an effort spearheaded

by Commissioner David Stern, but started with Commissioner Larry O'Brien.

Let's get into the story.

So the NBA through the 60s, 70s,

A, didn't generate great ratings,

B, did not engender the confidence

of television companies to give them big contracts.

So by the time that the mid to late 1970s roll around,

the MBA is really at a disadvantage. In fact, in 1978, the NBA was

a breath away from not having a national television contract. So CBS Sports had carried NBA games,

had done so without little issue, until 1978.

Here's the story.

Lai O'Brien and Bob Wessler, the president of CBS Sports, reached a handshake agreement

over the next television contract for the NBA on CBS.

Bob Wussler, depending on who you speak to, either resigns or gets fired by CBS Sports

for his role in paying players for a winner-takes-all tennis tournament.

The new president at CBS Sports is a gentleman by the name of Frank Smith.

...