Bill Simmons podcast with former Rockets coach Bill Fitch

This is good. It could have been better (for a Rockets fan) if a few questions had continued and gone deeper, but it's good. There's Celtics/Cavs stuff you have to go through also.

http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/52021/b-s-report-bill-fitch-with-bonus-video

Some Rockets stories start at the 23:00 mark, then pick up around the 30's.

He tells the story (around the 37:00 mark) of when Mitchell Wiggins failed his drug test in 1987, and how Mitchell promised to Fitch that he was clean that day (then says he had the biggest failed drug test ever up to that point). He also throws out a conspiracy theory that the timing of the test was suspicious. He said the "head detective" heard that Olajuwon was "going in and out of clubs," implying that they were looking to bust Dream. Fitch said there was no truth to Hakeem doing that at all. He said knew the individual (either in the league or with another team) who pushed for the drug test at that time. Simmons' theory is that it was Pat Riley, since he had the most to gain then.

Some good stuff on the 1986 Rockets. He praised Allen Leavell's play in Game 6 against the Lakers in 1986. Also, Ralph Sampson ... he spoke highly of Sampson's ability to make the outlet pass and said, "I really think that Ralph, if he stayed healthy, would have been a legitimate guy that we'd be talking about all-time All-Time."

He talks about the 1984 Draft, taking Olajuwon over Michael Jordan. He said UNC coach Dean Smith raved and raved to him about Jordan, telling Fitch, "It must be tough for you to turn down the best player in the draft." His response to him was "Well, they'll burn my house down if I don't take Olajuwon." He didn't regret it -- "Nobody questions taking Olajuwon. I'd still do that over again."

On the rumor (from Hakeem's book, I believe) that the Rockets could have traded Ralph Sampson to Portland for Clyde Drexler and the #2 pick (which would have been Jordan, in this case), said Fitch: "Sampson might have been, but no, we never had anything going."

I'm still listening to it, but some good insight.