0:00 ... Ross opens the show and introduces the panel .... episode #262 is dedicated to Carmelo Anthony, who set the New York Knicks single game scoring record with 62 points.

0:58 ... Bruce introduces Mike Wise, whose career as an NBA writer has taken him to major outlets like the New York Times, the Washington Post, ESPN, and several other stops along the way.  He was even a rickshaw driver for one of the greatest ballers in the history of basketball.

2:58 ... Mike tells the story of how he befriended Magic Johnson as a high school kid in Hawaii and they played ball with all of his friends.

4:35 ... Mike reflects on the Knicks 2026 championship run and how improbable some of the games were.

7:29 ... Was OG Anunoby's tip in one of the greatest plays in the history of Madison Square Garden?

8:56 ... Mike remembers how Jalen Brunson's dad Rick was a member of the 1999 Knicks team with little Jalen playing around on the court and how that little kid became perhaps the second greatest Knick ever.  Brunson amazes Mike with his skills on the court.

10:56 ... Mike on Knicks fans ... were they as sophisticated as they thought they were?

16:07 .... LeBron goes to Philly and continues his quest to be recognized as the GOAT if he can win 1-2 more championships.  Mike feels LBJ still has a lot to give.

20:18 ... Which opening night matchup is Mike looking forward to the most?  Thunder vs Spurs and Wemby vs Holmgren?  Mike explains.

22:26 ... Ross likes the opener between the Sixers and Knicks as his choice.

23:12 ... What about the Celtics vs Pistons at 2:00pm on a Tuesday as the opener for those two teams?

24:27 ... Has social media made it more difficult for reporters to build relationships with players?

26:38 ... Mike has a great story about Kobe Bryant and how Kobe and he took a car ride where Kobe's musical tastes were on display.

29:05 ... Mike praises two of the best PR guys in the business, Jeff Twiss and Raymond Ridder for their willingness to help reporters gain access to players.

31:10 ... World B asks Mike who his most enjoyable players were to cover ... Bruce Bowen was at the top of his list.  Roger Mason and Garrett Temple were two others.  Temple's dad Collis broke the color barrier at LSU and Garrrett told Mike how his Dad shouted down a future Ku Klux Klan grand wizard on the LSU campus.

34:22 .... Mike has an incredible story about Charles Barkley and how they met in Panama where Mike now lives.

36:00 ... Mike tells a story about Larry Bird and how Barkley showed him a video where Bird did a favor for someone that is mind boggling in its generosity.

38:17 ... Barkley had words of inspiration for Mike's son Oliver during their visit .... and more than a few "F Bombs" were used in the conversation.

38:51 ... Sophie Cunningham has made a lot of enemies due to her opposition to transgender females competing against natural born females.  Mike checks in with his thoughts on the controversy.

41:57 ... Cunningham has publicly stood up for her teammate Caitlin Clark and Bruce was wondering if that may be contributing to some of the animosity towards her from other WNBA players.

44:01 ... Ross asks Mike for his opinion on the Steve Ballmer/Kawhi Leonard/Aspiration investigation.

46:41 ... Bruce is most bothered by the way the investigation has held up the trade involving the Raptors and Clippers and how players like Brandon Ingram and Gradey Dick as well as Leonard are collatoral damage and how unfair it is to them.

47:59 ... Mike thinks there's a good story yet to be written about Kawhi's Uncle Dennis, who may be kind of shady.

49:05 ... Bruce asks Mike, who is good friends with Jeanie Buss what he thinks about the news that Jeanie is taking legal action against her family members who are trying to sell the Buss family's remaining ownership stake in the Lakers.

52:12 ... Bruce thanks Mike for joining the show

53:22 ... Mike has one final story about "Earvin" Johnson on his way out the door ...

54:05 ... Ross wraps the show and says goodbye!

TRT 54:38

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0:00 Intro

1:18 Scott provides his thoughts on Collin Gillespie’s career development with the Suns

2:04 Scott pays tribute to his dear friend & former teammate Stacey King

3:31 Would Stacey King throw jabs back at Michael Jordan?

6:03 Can Nick Nurse manage all the egos & talent inside the Sixers locker room?

10:06 Should VJ Edgecombe come off Philly’s bench?

11:11 Did Scott Williams see LeBron going on to have the career that he did?

13:02 Scott shares his thoughts on Giannis & the new look Miami Heat

16:47 Scott’s early thoughts on Bulls top rookie Caleb Wilson

19:12 Does the NBA need a dynasty franchise or is it good to a different champion year to year?

22:14 Any memories of Phil Jackson playing mind games with Scott back in the day?

26:06 What teams or offseason moves really caught Scott’s attention this Summer?

29:14 Is there going to be too much pressure on Rudy Gobert in Minnesota?

31:05 What frustrates Scott about today’s era of NBA basketball?

36:05 Scott on the former NBA players declaring for the WNBA draft

38:15 Scott shares his thoughts on Michael Malone being the new Tar Heels head coach

40:30 What the Duke/UNC rivalry is like

44:32 Scott on the passing of his former coach Don Nelson

47:34 As a broadcaster what does Scott try to bring that stands out?

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0:00 ... Ross hello, welcome, and introduces the panel

0:32 ... Show #260 is dedicated to Hall of Famer Michael Cooper who was drafted with the #60 overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft.

1:24 ... LeBron James is now a member of the 76ers and World B feels the upcoming season will feature a wide open and competitive eastern conference.   There are 11 legit playoff contenders for just 8 spots.

3:44 ... Bruce feels like LeBron made the move to Philly in a desperate attempt to win 2 more rings and tie Michael Jordan with 6 championships and convince people that HE, not MJ is the GOAT.   Bruce feels that Sixers games will be "Must Watch" TV.

5:24 ... Depth and health could be issues for Philly.  Ross also feels that many more coaches will be on the hot seat with so many solid teams competing for just 8 playoff spots.

6:22 ... Bruce feels that the Jalen Duren contract impasse in Detroit could have a lingering effect that might affect the morale of the team if Duren's teammates feel he is being mistreated by Pistons management.

7:22 ... What's the deal with the Orlando Magic?  Is their window closed as far as being elite in the east?  They still have talent, but their offense is still sub-standard.  Bruce feels that the team will be in the mix for the Play In tournament but he does not have a great feeling about this team.

12:31 ... Jalen Brown is no longer a Celtic, so who is going to step up?  From a leadership standpoint, it has to be Jayson Tatum, but others like Derrick White, Hugo Gonzalez, and Baylor Scheierman need to all have solid seasons for Boston to challenge for the top 6 in the east.

14:43 ... World B agrees with Bruce that Derrick White needs to step up.

15:57 ... Ross asks Bruce if Tatum is capable of being a "fiery" leader and Bruce doesn't really know if Jayson is capable of adjusting his personality and mindset from his "too cool" exterior to someone who shows more emotion.

17:45 ... Atlanta has added Lu Dort and Ross wonders if Dort can bring the type of toughness to the Hawks that a guy like Dillon Brooks brought to the Suns?   World B loves Dort's perimeter defense and his presence gives the Hawks much better depth.  World B also feels Jalen Johnson has to continue his progress for the Hawks to excel.  Bruce thinks Dort is exactly the type of gritty veteran Atlanta needs and their fans will love.  Ross loves the move and thinks Dort's physicality will really improve the Hawks' defense.

22:17 ... The Portland Trailblazers have a new owner (Tom Dundon) and he has made some really unsettling moves since taking over the franchise.  There are rumors that the Blazers, who are battling with local Portland politicians over arena funding and other financial issues could end up leaving the city.   That would be devastating to the city of Portland and would give the city a real black eye.

24:14 ... Ross is very angry about the way that Dundon has treated their broadcasters like Kevin Calabro and Tom Haberstroh because he watched a lot of Blazers games and really enjoyed their telecasts.

25:32 ... World B feels Dundon has been an embarassment and cites the bad contract he gave new head coach Micah Nori as a really poor way to treat their new coach.

27:37 ... Bruce feels for the Portland fans, who are among the best in the NBA and since the Blazers are Portland's only major league team, their fans would be devastated if the team flatlines and eventually leaves town.

29:05 ... If you were a fan, would you rather be a Warriors or Clippers fan?  Bruce would rather be a 'Dubs fan but Ross and World B would rather be Clippers fans.  Everyone explains why they feel the way they do.  LA owner Steve Ballmer is the main reason that Ross and World B prefer the Clippers.

33:09 ... Will DeAaron Fox be on the Spurs the entire season?  Bruce feels he will because of his contract, which calls for him to be paid more than $222 million over the next 4 seasons.  It's such a bad contract that it's hard to see any team taking it on.

37:04 ... It's time for the always enjoyable "Card Challenge" segment where Ross picks random cards and asks Bruce and World B to react to the players spontaneously to prove their knowledge.  Jalen Duren of the Pistons is first for World B.

38:19 ... Next up is Klay Thompson of the Mavericks for Bruce

39:25 ... Kyrie Irving of Dallas is next for World B.

40:20 ... Tyler Herro for Bruce

40:57 ... Carmelo Anthony for World B.

42:29 ... Bruce Bowen for Bruce .... they'll be together on Wednesday at the Basketball Hall of Fame for a "HoopHall hangout" session with the fans.

44:17 ... Ross wraps the show and says goodbye

TRT 44:30

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0:00 Intro

0:59 Bruce introduces special guest Leon Powe

1:57 Leon on the basketball state of mind in Oakland

3:41 Why Leon chose to wear #0 as a member of the Boston Celtics

4:43 How growing up in Oakland raises leaders in sports

5:40 Leon on his current role as Team Ambassador with the Celtics

7:04 Leon’s favorite word is Work

8:02 Leon shares his reaction on hearing LeBron was joining the Sixers

9:18 Can LeBron walk into the 76ers locker room & be the leaders from day one?

10:20 Leon on the ideal mindset when dealing with setbacks

11:38 Is Leon close to the players & coaches in Boston?

12:41How will the new look Celtics move forward next season?

14:00 Celtics track record of developing big men, Mitchell Robinson next?

16:17 Game 2 of the 2008 NBA Finals…the Leon Powe Game

19:30 Bruce reflects on Leon’s legendary Game 2 of the Finals

21:01 Phil Jackson referring to Leon as Pow not Powe

22:49 What’s it like to play in the NBA Finals?

24:44 How close were Leon & LeBron in high school?

27:01 How surprised is Leon that LeBron continues his dominance

28:35 What was Marshawn Lynch like in high school?

30:17-31:09 Powe on Marshawn Lynch

31:26 Word Association with Leon Powe

31:44 Victor Wenbamyama

32:55 Kevin Garnett

33:59 Jalen Brunson

35:38 Giannis Antetokounmpo

36:56 SGA

39:24 Nikola Jokic

43:03 Joe Mazzula

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0:00 ... Ross hello and welcome .... introduces panel, and dedicates show #258 to "B-Ball Paul" Reed, who was the #58 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.

0:50 ... Lu Dort is traded from OKC to the Atlanta Hawks in a three team deal ... the guys discuss how Dort's grit and persistence will be a great asset to the Hawks' defensive schemes.  World B wonders if this is the beginning of a new era in OKC where players are traded for financial reasons.  Ross agrees and feels this was a salary dump by the Thunder.

7:25 ... Bruce is really shocked at how soon the Hawks gave up on Zachary Risacher who was the #1 overall pick in 2024, an All Rookie first teamer in 2025, and is only 21 years old.  Ross and World B also comment on how Risacher's role was reduced in his second season.

11:52 ... LeBron James' indecision in choosing his next team is now causing Commissioner Adam Silver to level some sharp comments about how King James is holding up a lot of the decisions the league needs to make because they need to know where he will be playing.  Bruce feels LeBron is putting his ego ahead of the league and it may come back to haunt him if he pursues his ownership aspirations in the future.  World B agrees that it's an ego thing for LeBron and Ross feels he should finish his career in Cleveland.

15:57 ... The Heat officially introduced Giannis Antetokounpo last week and while they will need more outside shooting, there are some veterans out there like DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook who might fit into Miami's "win now" plans in spite of them not being long range shooters.   Ross liked that Giannis is changing his number from 34 to 7 and leaving 34 behind in Milwaukee.

21:25 .... Will Jonathan Kuminga ever find a team?  The whole situation is bizarre due to his status as an "unrestricted" free agent who still needs to be in a sign and trade deal in order to find a new team since only teams under the cap can sign him without doing a sign and trade.

26:47 ... Yaxel Lendebourg led the Warriors to the Summer League championship and talked serious smack to the Grizzlies, the team the Dubs beat in the championship game.  Bruce was so inspired that he game Yaxel a nickname: "Yakkin' Yaxel."   Ross pointed out that Yaxel and Draymond Green have been talking trash to each other on Dray's podcast so the rookie is learning from the master.

30:33 ... Speaking of the Warriors, Stephen Curry has become the first active player to have a major exhibit at the Basketball Hall of Fame due to the way he revolutionized the NBA with his shooting skills.  World B and Ross feel it is well-deserved.

33:46 ... Bruce promotes the Hoop Hall Hangout session he will be hosting with Spurs legend Bruce Bowen on August 5th at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.

35:00 ... The guys examine the crazy contract Gary Trent Junior signed with the Bucks and how the league is investigating the Bucks for salary cap circumvention.

37:04 .... The Kawhi Leonard trade from the Clippers to the Raptors is on hold due to the NBA investigating the endorsement deal Leonard signed with Aspiration for $28 million last year.  Ross feels for the others involved in the trade because their lives and careers are being negatively impacted by the freezing of the transaction.

40:21 ... Bruce shares a story on Keaton Wagler of the Clippers and how he led the team in a bonding experience in Las Vegas where they went to an escape room and his experience in previous escape room visits helped him guide the team to a succesful escape.

41:56 ... Ross wraps the show and says goodbye.

TRT 42:08

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0:00 Intro

1:16 The Bam Adebayo/Tyler Herro altercation in Vegas

4;36 The Miami Heat’s current offseason situation

7:46 Milwaukee Bucks resigning Gary Trent Jr to an interesting deal

12:22 Our favorite free agent signings

15:55 The free agent signing that was the best value

20:27 Our least favorite free agent signing

26:51 Our favorite offseason trade

32:31 Our least favorite offseason trade

39:01 Where is the position of power next season: The West or The East?

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0:00 ... Ross welcomes everyone to the show and introduces the crew.

0:32 ... Show #256 is dedicated to Nikola Jokic, who had a triple double last Christmas that included a 56 point scoring night.

0:48 ... Ross begins with the Jaylen Brown trade from the Celtics to the 76ers ... Bruce starts the discussion off with his thoughts on the deal.  It was a salary dump and it also allowed the team to avoid having to discuss another super max extension with Brown.  World B felt it was a move dictated by Brad Stevens' bosses.

5:20 ... Bruce discusses what it feels like to see Brown going to Philly, an ancient rival of the Celtics.  And it was set in motion by Brad Stevens' failure to deal Brown for Giannis Antetokounmpo.

7:19 ... Ross feels like Paul George is nothing special at this point of his career.

7:54 ... Should the Celtics be worried about their outlook next season?  Bruce feels like Boston could be anywhere between a 4 and 6 seed and Jayson Tatum as the new "Alpha" will be challenged in the area of leadership.

9:40 ... World B wonders if the Celtics will change their "3 Point Happy" offensive style.

11:08 ... Where does Philadelphia stack up in the east?  Joel Embiid is no longer "The Franchise" and his slow pace may be detrimental to the faster style that Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Brown will want to play.  The Sixers should seriously consider a future move to offload Embiid and his monster contract if possible.  World B feels the 76ers are a very thin team even though they look much better on paper with Brown.

16:23 ... The Lakers took a huge swing on Walker Kessler to be Luka Doncic's center.  Doncic lost his running mate in LeBron James and with Luka now expected to be the leader of the team, Bruce questions whether he has what it takes "from the neck up" to be a legit team leader and he explains what Luka needs to address in his own performance to become a better leader.

18:01 ... World B feels if LA is a top 4 seed in the west, Luka could be a solid MVP candidate.  Kessler has missed a lot of games the past two years so his reliability could be an issue.  Ross feels like some of the other signings by LA will help coach JJ Redick implement the type of style that will be successful.

20:45 ... Lots of free agent signings ... John Collins goes to Detroit and replaces Tobias Harris.

22:56 ... Marcus Smart reunites with his former coach in Boston Ime Udoka as a member of the Houston Rockets.  Smart fits the Rockets culture perfectly.

24:41 ... Norman Powell leaves the Miami Heat and heads to Chicago ... none of the panelists feel particularly strongly about this move for the Bulls.

36:28 ... Tobias Harris joins the Spurs and brings his experience and mentoring skills to a young team that showed its inexperience in the 2026 Finals against the Knicks.

28:11 ... Andre Drummond replaces Mitchell Robinson with the Knicks as the backup to Karl-Anthony Towns.  His rebounding provides similar skills as those of Robinson.

30:24 ... Two interesting Summer League rules will be tested this summer.  The "one free throw" experiment is worth a try but Bruce has major issues because at the end of games, there is a lot of strategy surrounding free throws that will be lost if this rule ever becomes permanent.  World B questions why there is any need for this rule change AT ALL.

33:07 ... The "connected" basketball is another experiment by the league.  Bruce questions how it will even work and if players' fingerprints are part of the equation, the Players Association is likely to have major issues with the use of data like that being used in this way.

35:00 .... Final Thought: Bruce on Lebron James' future.

36:56 ... Final Thought: World B on whether the balance of power is gradually shifting towards the east.

38:39 ... Final thought: Ross on early Summer League standouts so far.

40:26 ... Ross wraps it up and says goodbye

TRT 40:41

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0:00 Intro

1:08 LeBron James notifies the Lakers to move on

6:09 Kawhi Leonard traded back to Toronto

11:22 Ja Morant traded to Portland

16:29 The Charlotte Hornets have been some busy bees

26:02 The Golden State Warriors remain in win now mode

30:50 The Miami Heat making some moves

35:59 Knicks retain some key role players

37:08 Spurs pursuing some depth in free agency

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0:00 .... Ross hello and welcome, introduces the panelists, and dedicates show #254 to Sam Mitchell, who was drafted #54 overall in the 1985 NBA Draft.

0:58 ... Giannis Antetokounmpo is now a member of the Miami Heat after the Bucks traded him on Monday night.  The guys react to the trade and feel like the Bucks took a better deal from Miami than Boston was willing to offer with their package involving Jaylen Brown.

5:35 ... The Heat will need to add some shooting if they want to put a team out there that can compete even though they've added a Hall of Famer in Giannis.  Ross feels that Miami can't go "cheap" and has to stay aggressive.

10:14 ... The Heat have been excellent at developing talent over the years and they will find some diamonds in the rough to complement Giannis and Bam Adebayo.

10:55 ... Ross shares his "wish list" of guys he wants the Heat to go after during the next few months.

12:00 ... The guys discuss the future for the Bucks after losing their best player.  Ross feels like they may even improve on their record from last season under new coach Taylor Jenkins.  Bruce was having flashbacks to 1975 when Milwaukee traded another superstar player who went on to great success with his new team.  World B does not share Ross's optimism about the Bucks prospects next season.

17:10 ... Now that Jaylen Brown knows he was on the trading block, can he return to the Celtics feeling good about his relationship with the team and with fellow star Jayson Tatum?

21:49 ... Julius Randle is traded from Minnesota to Brooklyn in a three team trade that also has Nik Claxton going from the Nets to the Bulls and the Wolves shedding salary and signing Ayo Dosunmu to a contract extension.  The deal frees "Nuclear Naz" Reid to start at power forward for the Wolves.

26:01 ... The guys examine the first round of the draft on Tuesday with an extended discussion of AJ Dybantsa to Washington, Darryn Peterson to Utah, and Cameron Boozer to Memphis.

30:12 ... The guys discuss the big winners in the first round ... Bruce likes OKC drafting 7'3" Aday Mara, who could develop into a defender that can battle Victor Wembanyama more effectively than Chet Holmgren did in the playoffs.

31:14 ... Bruce liked Sacramento choosing Alex Karaban, who reminds him of former Kings sharpshooter Peja Stojakovic.

32:38 ... World B liked the draft choices that Charlotte made with Christian Anderson from Texas Tech and Zuby Ejiafor from St John's.  He also liked Kingston Flemings going to Atlanta as their point guard of the future.  Ross really liked how Memphis snagged Karim Lopez at #21 along with Cam Boozer at #3 and also stockpiled some additional picks with some trades.

36:06 .... Biggest losers?  Bruce cited the seven teams that did not have draft picks in the first round.  World B felt the Nets messed up their first round pick by passing on Darius Acuff and choosing Mikel Brown.

38:21 ... Bruce has a final thought about his work on the NBA Draft between 2003-2017 when he was at ESPN.  Watching the fantasy become a reality for the draftees and their families is something that he never got tired of witnessing

39:21 ... Ross wraps the show

TRT 39:40

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0:00 Intro

1:03 World B opens the show sharing what the last 48 hours have been like as a diehard Knicks fan

1:37 Game 5 Recap & 2026 NBA Finals in Review

11:09 Did Wemby’s reputation take a significant hit in the NBA Finals?

16:38 Is it already time for the Spurs to move on from De’Aaron Fox?

22:51 How much should Mitch Johnson’s coaching be blamed?

28:04 2026 NBA Draft Preview with Joe Doerrer of StrictlyBbal

28:11 The 2025 Draft product quite an impressive list of young stars, will the 2026 Draft produce even better players?

29:31 Is AJ Dybantsa clearly the best prospect in this year’s draft?

31:01 Is there a good NBA comp for AJ Dybantsa?

32:16 How much of Darryn Peterson’s health is a concern to teams during the draft process?

34:16 How high is Joe on Cam Boozer at the next level?

36:24 What’s Caleb Wilson’s biggest strength & what kind of player will he be in the NBA?

38:24 Which player in this draft class will have the most immediate impact as a rookie?

39:26 Is there a player outside of the top 4 that could have a big impact right away?

40:33 Does Joe believe the point guard position is the strength of this year’s class?

42:06 What is the weakest position in this draft class?

43:09 Who is the best non-freshman in this draft class?

44:25 Who is the best shooter in this year’s draft?

45:09 With all this NIL money being thrown around, is the 2nd Round really like a 3rd Round?

47:01 Will Giannis be traded before draft night?

52:56 Joe shares what he’ll be doing on draft night

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