Hear District

Milwaukee Bucks assistant general manager Milt Newton joined Marques Johnson & Kris Johnson to discuss his incredible journey with basketball and an inside perspective on Milwaukee’s offseason transactions over the past two seasons.

Their conversation begins with a look at Newton’s basketball life, starting with the influential D.C. basketball scene and his early days as a player before transitioning to his college years with the 1988 NCAA Champion Kansas Jayhawks. He shares stories from ‘Danny & The Miracles,’ learning from iconic coaches like Larry Brown, John Calipari and Roy Woods, playing with Danny Manning and more from that era of his life.

That leads to a chat about how he transitioned to NBA front office roles and why his time under iconic coaches influences how he looks at roster construction. Milt breaks down the Bucks’ mindset and approach to their three key offseason additions of Delon Wright, Taurean Prince and Gary Trent Jr. He provides a deeper look at the Damian Lillard trade nearly one year later and how the team has evolved around its core for the upcoming season.

The conversation is capped off as we learn more about Newton’s artistic side and how he made a larger impact on Kris’ career than he even knew.

For more, follow @bucksplusaudio - the official podcast network of the Milwaukee Bucks - on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Facebook, and check out all Bucks+ podcast content at www.bucks.com/plus.

Legendary sharpshooter and Milwaukee hoops legend Steve Novak joins Marques and Kris to break down the state of Wisconsin’s basketball culture, his journeyman NBA career, being Giannis’ teammate and much more. The crew begins with a discussion about coming from basketball families, what it’s like being coached by a father and how that influenced their coaching styles when it was their turn to coach their family. They turned to the shooters that inspired Novak, who is the tallest member in the Top 10 of all-time NBA 3-point percentage. Novak reflected on his days on iconic Rockets and Knicks teams before breaking down his Wisconsin Basketball Mount Rushmore with hilarious stories in between. They discussed Milwaukee’s basketball culture, how its perception has shifted and what Giannis means to the city’s basketball culture. Novak shared his perspective on Giannis as a former teammate, how he, Dame and the team can evolve together this season, and where the Bucks stand coming out of the offseason. Lastly, Novak shared the Packers inspiration for his iconic ‘Belt’ celebration.

For more, follow @bucksplusaudio - the official podcast network of the Milwaukee Bucks - on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Facebook, and check out all Bucks+ podcast content at www.bucks.com/plus.

Another week, another Naismith Hall of Fame journalist on Hear District. This week, Marques and Kris are joined by David Aldridge, senior NBA columnist at The Athletic. Aldridge was honored with the Curt Gowdy Media Award in 2016 by the Naismith Hall of Fame. He discusses what it was like growing up in Washington, DC, and the rich history of basketball greats from the region. He then reacts to Charles Barkley's recent remarks about Milwaukee Bucks superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo. After covering Delon Wright during his time as a Washington Wizard, Aldridge reveals what makes him such an impactful addition to the team. He also provides commentary on a number of young players with Wisconsin roots who play for the Wizards and what he expects out of them this upcoming season. At the end of the show, he shares how his book, The Basketball 100, came together, and the process of identifying the hundred greatest players in NBA history. Will Marques make the list? Listen to the episode to find out!

For more, follow @bucksplusaudio - the official podcast network of the Milwaukee Bucks - on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Facebook, and check out all Bucks+ podcast content at www.bucks.com/plus.

Naismith Hall of Fame journalist, Marc J. Spears, is the special guest on Hear District this week. Spears, who is a senior NBA writer for ESPN's race, culture, and sports platform, Andscape, was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2023 when he was recognized with the Curt Gowdy Media Award. He chronicles formative moments in his two decade-plus journey as a sportswriter, and how his Bay Area roots, college basketball career, and on-court inspirations helped him become who he is today. He also reveals why Team USA's performance in this summer's Olympics was some of the greatest basketball he has ever seen, even compared to the twenty-odd NBA Finals series he has covered. And after deeply reporting on Milwaukee Bucks head coach, Doc Rivers, and superstars Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo over their careers, he provides insights into what he expects from the team this season.

For more, follow @bucksplusaudio - the official podcast network of the Milwaukee Bucks - on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Facebook, and check out all Bucks+ podcast content at www.bucks.com/plus.

It's a reunion on Hear District this week with former Bucks digital reporter, Zora Stephenson, joining the show. For four years, Zora worked alongside Marques during Bucks broadcasts, and even became the first woman in Bucks history to act as a play-by-play announcer. The six-time Emmy winner now does play-by-play and sideline reporting for NBC Sports, and recently covered gymnastics and men's and women's basketball at the Paris Olympics. She reminisced about her time in Milwaukee, the historic moments she witnessed firsthand this summer, and her thoughts on the Bucks team going into next season.

For more, follow @bucksplusaudio - the official podcast network of the Milwaukee Bucks - on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Facebook, and check out all Bucks+ podcast content at www.bucks.com/plus

This week on Hear District, Marques and Kris celebrate Schedule Release Day! And who better to celebrate with than the NBA's SVP of game scheduling, Tom Carelli. Tom explains how he got into the wild world of scheduling games, and how it was at first done by hand one game at a time, and now the NBA sifts through billions of possible combinations before deciding on a final schedule for each team. Tom also addresses why the Bucks won't play on Christmas this year, and how narratives and storytelling influenced the NBA's decision to open the Bucks season versus the Philadelphia 76ers for the third year in a row. He then digs back into the archives of when the NBA would schedule the Bucks teams that Marques would play on to three games in three days and four in five days. Lastly, Tom gives additional insight into how the league leading number of back-to-backs this season may help the Bucks. Marques and Khris then share their takeaways from this year's schedule, how old they were when they first dunked, and why the NBA's elder statesmen seem to be aging so gracefully and still dominating against the world's best competition. The episode wraps up with a conversation of how historic last season was for Damian Lillard, with the Bucks superstar point guard accomplishing something that has only happened three times before in NBA history, and why they think he will be coming back better than ever.

For more, follow @bucksplusaudio - the official podcast network of the Milwaukee Bucks - on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Facebook, and check out all Bucks+ podcast content at www.bucks.com/plus

This week on Hear District, Marques and Kris are joined by 4-time NBA All-Star, Micheal "Sugar" Ray Richardson. One of the most promising and electric point guards of his generation, he was drafted #4 overall in 1978 by the New York Knicks and led the NBA in assists and steals in just his second season in the league. He opens up about what it was like being the only black player on the basketball team at the University of Montana, having his college coach leave to go coach Magic Johnson at Michigan State, becoming a sensation in New York City, and being banned from the NBA for life by David Stern for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Although he was later reinstated and offered a contract to return to the league, Richardson reveals why he chose to continue his decorated career in Europe, and how he was able to play professionally until he was 46 years old. Richardson also details how his son, Amir Richardson, an ascending soccer star who won a bronze medal this summer playing for the Moroccan national team at the Olympics, originally wanted to follow in his father's footsteps on the basketball court before pursuing the beautiful game. The show concludes with Richardson discussing the work he does in the community with former teammate Otis Birdsong, and the skills they hope to instill in the next generation of basketball stars.

For more, follow @bucksplusaudio - the official podcast network of the Milwaukee Bucks - on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Facebook, and listen to all Bucks+ podcast content at www.bucks.com/plus, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This week, Marques and Kris are joined by ESPN's senior NBA writer, Ramona Shelburne, who sheds light on her Los Angeles roots and why she was such a valuable recruit for the Stanford softball team, where she played in college. As the executive producer of FX's hit show, Clipped, which airs on Hulu, Ramona details how she turned her reporting on disgraced former Los Angeles Clippers owner, Donald Sterling, into an award-winning podcast and then a fictionalized high profile television series. Ramona also reveals the extent of Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc RIvers' involvement in the show, and which elements of the story were based on reality and which exercised poetic license. Then, Ramona explains why she believes this will be a "revenge season" for Bucks superstar Giannis Antentokounmpo, the skills he is adding to his bag this off-season, and the trainer he may or may not have been working with before the Olympics. And Marques breaks news live on the show about a text message conversation he is having with Doc Rivers about the coach's excitement over Damian Lillard's off-season work. 

For more, follow @bucksplusaudio - the official podcast network of the Milwaukee Bucks - on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Facebook, and listen to all Bucks+ podcast content at www.bucks.com/plus, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This week, Bomani Jones joins the show! The ESPN and HBO alum, Emmy Award winner, and host of The Right Time with Bomani Jones podcast speaks about what made Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo's participation as flagbearer in the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics so meaningful, why Giannis and superstar teammate Damian Lillard are the top duo in the Eastern conference, and how Bucks coach Doc Rivers has clearly shown he is a top tier coach in the NBA. Bomani, Marques, and Kris discuss the off-court success of Bucks legend Junior Bridgeman, and how Marques' life could have been different had he listened to him. Later in the show, Marques reveals the real reason he boycotted the Olympics in 1976. Marques and Kris then wrap the show with their top five one-on-one players in the NBA and WNBA. 

For more, follow @bucksplusaudio - the official podcast network of the Milwaukee Bucks - on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Facebook, and check out all Bucks+ podcast content at www.bucks.com/plus

This week on Hear District, Marques and Kris share their takeaways from NBA Summer League and highlight the Bucks players whose performances they found most encouraging. They also break down the exciting additions GM Jon Horst has made to the roster, including Delon Wright, Taurean Prince, and Gary Trent Jr., and share why these three players in particular will impact the team on both ends of the floor. The episode wraps with a discussion on reports of the WNBA's media rights negotiations and how the league's stars are ushering in a new era for women's sports.

For more, follow @bucksplusaudio - the official podcast network of the Milwaukee Bucks - on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Facebook, and check out all Bucks+ podcast content at www.bucks.com/plus