Editor’s Note: Frank Deford died in 2017 at the age of 78, just a couple months after his retirement from NPR. In addition to his award-winning writing, he left behind 1,656 commentaries filed for NPR. This interview was recorded in 2012.

Frank DeFord is considered the world’s greatest sports writer and one of the most versatile writers of our time.

He’s written 18 books, is a weekly commentator on NPR’s “Morning Edition” and a contributor to HBO’s “Real Sports” and Sports Illustrated.

In his latest book, “Over Time: My Life as a Sportswriter,” he turns his impressive writing talents on his own life stories, telling stories from his 50 years in the business.

Find out he went from being the kid who prospective editors at magazines called “not very bright” to a six-time Sportswriter of the Year and a member of the Sportswriting Hall of Fame.

He explains how and why he thinks he was able to rise above early failures and forge a successful career that has largely allowed him to write about only the topics that interest him.

Plus, Frank shares stories from “the good old days,” when NBA players were so poor he had to pick up their bar tabs.

And, find out why he thinks sports stars aren’t always the most interesting people to cover and who he’d rather write about.