As an NBA fan, few experiences rival receiving the number one pick. And to get the number one pick, your team either has to be very bad or very lucky. 

So, for today’s episode, we’re going to dissect the seasons that resulted in teams landing the grand prize. From tank commanders to coin flips, the history of the best number one picks ever runs deep. 

Timecodes:

00:00 Start

01:37 Who are the 5 best #1 picks ever? 

07:37 Hakeem to the Rockets (1984) 

23:44 Spurs Masterful 1-Year Tank Job for Timmy (1997) 

32:15 LeBron to the Cavs (2003)  

39:37 Shaq to the Magic (1992) 

59:53 End 

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There are a lot of narratives swirling the web about former Mavs All-Star forward, Josh Howard. Most notably, one video with 4M views titled "how a YouTube video ENDED an NBA career."

In today's episode, Howard clears the air on those false narratives and relives the beginning to his career with the Mavericks.

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After losing in 7 games to the Pistons in the 2005 East Finals, Heat President Pat Riley knew he had to make moves fast. With an aging Shaq and a ready-to-win-now Dwyane Wade, Riley knew Miami's window was shrinking.

That summer, Riley completely re-hauled the roster, bringing in veterans Antoine Walker, Jason Williams, James Posey and Gary Payton. But when the team - led by Head Coach Stan Van Gundy - stumbled out of the gate, Riley took matters into his own hands, firing Van Gundy and re-taking the head coaching reigns. The rest was history.

Antoine Walker joins the show to talk about his introduction to Heat Culture and their road to a championship.

00:00 Beginning

01:53 Club Shiznit / 2005 Celtics

02:30 Pat Riley Replacing Stan Van Gundy

08:58 Shaq and Wade’s Relationship

12:15 Introduction to Heat Culture / Weight Tests

19:25 Gary Payton

24:03 Coach Spo’s Influence on Dwyane Wade

28:21 2006 Bulls

33:06 Refereeing in 2006 Finals

35:06 Dwyane Wade vs Paul Pierce

35:57 Championship Celebration + Alcohol Poisoning

41:05 Lore of UCLA Summer Pickup Runs

47:05 Why Toine is Upset with Chicago Basketball

49:00 Michael Jordan Summer Time Chi Runs

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Gary Payton, Jason Kidd and John Stockton. These are the only three point guards in NBA history that logged more games than today's guest, Andre Miller. If there's one thing Miller embodies, it's being a floor general. And in today's league, it seems like floor generals are endangered, maybe even extinct. Miller candidly walks us through his thoughts as to why the true point guard is being phased out of the league. He also takes us back to memorable pockets from his rich 17-year career, including secret pickup runs with John Stockton and Karl Malone, joining the 2003/04 Nuggets for Melo's rookie year and his unsuccessful attempts at containing a surging Steph Curry in the 2013 Playoffs.

00:00 Beginning

00:30 Secret to being an NBA ironman

03:50 Private pickup runs with 90's Utah Jazz

10:25 Who is the best team to never win a ring?

13:55 Using Stockton's techniques in NBA

15:35 What happened to the true point guard?

19:02 Memories of rookie Melo, Traded for Iverson

23:10 Art of the post-up point guard

27:14 Steph Curry's 2013 Playoff explosion

29:09 Is Steph a true point guard?

33:44 Does Draymond get enough credit?

34:58 52-point game vs Mavericks in 2010

38:58 Trainer culture ruining youth?

47:44 End

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Boogie Cousins is comfortable where he is. After 11 years in the NBA, which included four All-Star appearances and record statistics, he's began a new chapter as an overseas star. Most recently, he won Finals MVP for the Taiwan Bear Leopards.

In this episode, he reflects on the ups, the downs, and everything in between from his 11 years in the NBA.

00:00 Beginning, Kentucky Beginnings

06:35 John Wall the phenom

14:23 Kings

36:50 2018 Pelicans, Achilles injury

56:55 Overseas journey, Stephon Marbury influence

01:08:32 End

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Devin Harris played in over 1,000 games from 2005-2019, and he had a front row seat to plenty of historic moments. In this episode, Harris shares what it was like guarding Dwyane Wade in the 2006 Finals, losing to the We Believe Warriors in the 2007 First Round, playing for Mark Cuban, mentoring Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson in his last year and more.

Timecodes:

0:00 - Intro

01:07 - Key to lasting 15 years in the league

05:22 - How many players can Devin name from the 12-win, 2010 Nets?

15:37 - Early Mavs years, Don Nelson + Avery Johnson

25:32 - Why Mark Cuban is the best owner

30:49 - 2006 Finals, Guarding Dwyane Wade

41:37 - Loss to We Believe Warriors in 2007

51:27 - Watching the Mavs win the 2011 Finals from afar

54:37 - Playing with Luka and Brunson in his finals season

01:07:24 - End

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Trevor Ariza is one of 149 players in NBA history to play over 1,000 career games. His 18-year journey included a rocky start with Stephon Marbury and the New York Knicks, a 2009 Championship with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers and a front row seat to the James Harden show in Houston with the Rockets.

In today's episode, TA shares untold stories about Kobe Bryant, how he almost went Latrell Sprewell on Larry Brown, the D'antoni-fication of the Houston Rockets and much more.

Follow Forgotten Seasons (@forgottenseasonsnba) for more.

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Were the misfortunes of Sam Bowie and Greg Oden karma for the Blazers gross mismanagement of Bill Walton's feet? Did Michael Jordan really bring Charles Oakley into Wizards practice just to mess with Kwame Brown? The most notorious "busts" in NBA history deserve for their stories to be rewinded and analyzed.

Follow Forgotten Seasons (@forgottenseasonsnba) for more.

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Forgotten Seasons dissects some of the biggest "swing and miss" trades in league history, examining the risks taken and consequences suffered. We break down the ill-fated merger of Allen Iverson and Chris Webber in 2005, the Pistons' disastrous 2008 Iverson trade, the Lakers' bold moves in 2008 and 2012 and the Rockets trading for an aging Charles Barkley in 1997. Strap in for a candid look at when big risks failed to pay off for NBA franchises.

(00:00) - Intro

(02:44) - Allen Iverson & Chris Webber team up in 2005

(12:23) - 2008 Pistons trade for Allen Iverson

(19:22) - Lakers trades in 2008 & 2011

(30:13) - 1997 Rockets trade for Charles Barkley

(40:02) - Asterisk trades

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The 17-Foot Assassin, David West, joins the show to relive the rise of the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets in the mid-2000's.

West was drafted to the Hornets 18th overall in the legendary 2003 NBA Draft, joining the team for their first season in New Orleans. But just two years after West and the Hornets' arrival in New Orleans from Charlotte, they needed to move again due to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Just a month before the 2005/06 season tipped off, it was determined that Oklahoma City - who had no other major sports teams - would be the Hornets temporary home until New Orleans was rebuilt (enough).

From 2005-2007, the Hornets played nearly all of their home games in Oklahoma City. And to their surprise, Oklahoma City welcomed them with rabid support. This successful foster parent-like relationship laid the groundwork for the city being able to swipe the Sonics from Seattle just a few years later.

Coinciding with the Hornets temporary move to Oklahoma City was the emergence of the team, led by West and the young point god, Chris Paul. In 2008, the Hornets were back in New Orleans and won a franchise-record 56 games. They would fall to the Spurs in 7 games in the West Semis, and according to West, his injured back was the only thing that kept the Hornets from making the NBA Finals.

West details the rapid ascension of his team, reveals the origin to his signature mid-range jump shot, gives his opinion to why the Hornets eventually fell apart and much more.

Follow Forgotten Seasons (@forgottenseasonsnba) for more.

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