Hanging with Reggie Theus

If, like me, you grew up in the 90s and had nothing better to do on a Saturday morning than watch TV, chances are you came across Hang Time.

A fusion of Saved by the Bell and hoops, the show centered around the lives of Deering High’s men’s varsity basketball team, which just so happened – in a very edgy wrinkle - to include a girl.

It also starred former NBA All-Star and current Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coach Reggie Theus, who played Bill Fuller, the team’s head coach and regular dispenser of sage advice.    

Theus appeared in the sitcom for three seasons, from 1995 to 1998, before handing over the coaching duties to former Chicago Bears linebacker Dick Butkus, strangely enough.

While busy prepping the Timberwolves for the long season ahead, Theus found some time to reflect briefly on his championship winning days with the Deering Tornadoes.

MR: What do you remember from your time on the show?  

Reggie Theus: It was a great experience. For a Saturday morning show it was kind of cool. It’s interesting because a lot of the guys on the team saw the show back in the day and they razz me about it a little bit. But it was a lot of fun.

MR: Quite a few NBA players made a cameo on the show, didn’t they?

RT: That was a great part of  it. Grant Hill was on there, Alonzo Mourning came through, Mitch Richmond came through a couple of times. I think Damon Stoudamire was on there, Shareef Abdur-Rahim. There was a bunch of guys that came out and did the show.

MR: Do you still keep up with any of the cast?

RT: Anthony Anderson and I play golf together sometimes. He played my godson on the show, Teddy was his name. He’s turned out to be quite an actor and he’s had quite a career, as a matter of fact. I still see a couple of the other guys but Anthony is the guy I kept up with most.

MR: Do you think Julie Connor (the girl in the show) could hang in the NBA?

RT: I’m not too sure about that, but she could shoot it, she could really shoot it. I haven’t seen her in some time but it was always a lot of fun to create the opportunities for her and some of the other guys in the show in terms of the basketball stuff. I did a lot of the setting up of the shots and the plays and stuff like that.

MR: Have you got any more plans for acting in the near future?

RT: You know, it’s very difficult. As well as the acting I also did some commentating  for TNT and ESPN, but once I started to coach I had to let all that stuff go. Sports people live in a very narrow box and if you’re doing too much outside of that they think you’re not focused on your job.

MR: Would the One Tree Hill guys have a chance against the Deering Tornadoes?

RT: Nah, they wouldn’t compete with Hang Time. No way. We would have worn them out.         

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