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In this episode we welcome one of the great players in Duke history, Gene Banks. In part 1, Gene describes his childhood in Philadelphia where he became a Philly basketball legend, how he chose Duke (which he had never heard of prior to his recruitment), and how close the 1979 Blue Devils came to cutting down the nets. He closes by discussing the sudden departure of Coach Bill Foster and the arrival of a guy nobody had ever heard of, Army Coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Gene Banks’ Philadelphia roots — 1:41
Growing up with family, church, and hardship — 3:05
Learning basketball from his dad and the old heads — 6:11
West Philadelphia High dominance and the “Tinkerbell” nickname — 8:41
What elite confidence looked like before NIL/social media — 16:14
Inaugural McDonald’s All-American Game with Magic Johnson — 18:15
How Gene approached All-Star games and competition — 20:29
The Duke recruiting decision and choosing a path — 22:21
What Bill Foster was really like as a coach — 31:54
Gene’s impact at Duke and the ACC title run — 34:05