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

This week, Marques and Kris are thrilled to host Milwaukee Bucks assistant coach, and the team's coach for this year's NBA Summer League, Pete Dominguez. Dominguez explains why his lack of basketball success on the court paved the way for his passion for coaching. Then, he speaks about how he first got into the coaching profession and how he was in the right place at the right time to begin his career on Coach Doc Rivers' Clippers staff. There he became part of a long lineage of great coaches who started out in the video room. Dominguez also details his experience being the head coach for a professional club in Argentina and how it helped him grow his understanding and vision for the game. Kris shares a story about dropping 40 points on Randy Moss as a Summer League player, and Pete reveals what characteristics teams are looking for from prospects that can translate well to the team roster. They also break down what the Bucks are expecting from the team's new draft picks, and recent Hear District guests, AJ Johnson and Tyler Smith. Marques and Kris wrap the show with their thoughts on the WNBA's heated Rookie of the Year race, and why both frontrunners Caitlin Clarke and Angel Reese are deserving of the honor.

Fresh off their introductory press conference, Milwaukee Bucks rookie draft picks AJ Johnson and Tyler Smith join Marques and Kris for an exclusive interview on this week's episode of Hear District. Johnson opens up about the challenges of playing professionally in Australia, and Smith reveals how Overtime Elite and the G-League Ignite helped him develop his game. Then, Marques and Kris weigh the costs and benefits of the variety of paths available to prospects, and which will best prepare players for the rigors of the NBA. Speaking of the rigors of the NBA, our hosts break down Giannis Antetokounmpo's extensive game day routine and discuss why naps may be the secret to the Greek Freak's success.

Bucks beat reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Jim Owczarski, joins Marques and Kris this week to break down the Bucks draft picks, AJ Johnson and Tyler Smith. Marques does some reporting of his own and shares a revealing conversation he had with first round pick AJ Johnson's high school basketball coach. After getting into Jim's love for Wu-Tang Clan, the three of them discuss Giannis' return to live game action in the last warm-up game before Greece begins their win-or-go-home Olympic qualifying tournament. Marques can't help but share a hilarious story about the time Kris tried to punk Kobe in a pick-up game and learned a valuable lesson about messing with the Mamba. And who better to discuss Bronny joining his father on the Lakers than the only father and son duo to ever win a national championship at the same college? Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your sense of humor) Marques recalls the time he was subject to a strange incident of nepotism while visiting the doctor. The podcast wraps with a discussion of Jim's longform feature report on the Wisconsin roots of basketball's point forward position, with Marques insisting he get his due credit for inventing the term.

For more, follow @bucksplusaudio on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Facebook, and watch full episodes of Hear District on the official Milwaukee Bucks YouTube page.