NBA Hang Time

David Aldridge of TNT, NBA TV and NBA.com, is the insider's insider. No one covers the NBA like DA, who won the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's Curt Gowdy Media Award this year. We talk Olympics, free agency, honors, the state of hoops around the world and everything else with our main man on Episode 248 of The Hang Time Podcast.

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As president of the Philadelphia 76ers Pat Croce ran the franchise during a transformative time, when Allen Iverson arrived and the Sixers went from the worst record in the NBA to playing the Los Angeles Lakers in The Finals. On the eve of Iverson's induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Croce joins us on Episode 247 of The Hang Time Podcast to reflect on the Iverson era and the phenomenon known as AI.

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It's #SHAQWeek around here and we're celebrating with the big fella in advance of his induction into the Naismith Hall of Fame. In honor of the Big Aristotle (or the big whatever nickname he's using these days), we spend all of our time on Episode 246 of The Hang Time Podcast talking with NBA TV's Dennis Scott (3D), one of his mentors, and oldest and dearest friends.

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Kevin Durant told Michael Lee of The Vertical that he needed that gold medal run at the Rio Olympics to heal himself from a tumultuous free agent summer. Durant called it therapy. We agree that he needed something to lift his spirits after coming off as the villain to many after leaving Oklahoma City for the Golden State Warriors. We break down Durant's summer and much more in the aftermath of the Olympics with Lee on Episode 245 of The Hang Time Podcast.

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The Summer of 2016 could be remembered for many reasons. From Kevin Durant's departure from Oklahoma City to Oakland to join the Golden State Warriors, to the U.S. Men's Senior National Team's dramatic chase for gold at the Rio Olympics to LeBron James finally admitting what we've known all along, that he's measuring himself against the G.O.A.T. (Michael Jordan) himself. It's all a part of the Summer Games we discuss on Episode 244 of the Hang Time Podcast.

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D'Angelo Russell sits down with Sekou Smith and Lang Whitaker as he battles through his first season in the NBA

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HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS When Doc Rivers revamped his bench in the offseason he made sure the Los Angeles Clippers would be one of the most intriguing teams in the NBA this season.

Even now, after shipping both Josh Smith and Lance Stephenson out, the Clippers remain a team of intrigue. They have an elite coach in Rivers, superstars in Chris Paul and Blake Griffin (yes, he'll be back), one of the league's best rim protectors and rebounders in DeAndre Jordan, a super sixth-man in Jamal Crawford and one of the league's deadliest pure shooters in J.J. Redick.

So what's holding them back?

Why are they stuck in the fourth spot in the Western Conference standing?

It might have something to do with the reigning champions up in Oakland. The Golden State Warriors on a historic roll this season and the San Antonio Spurs aren't far off the pace. And then there is the matter of that two-headed superstar monster from Oklahoma City.

So perhaps it's understandable, the Clippers' current predicament. Even as they continue to shine without Griffin in the lineup, they still have ground to make up in the standings.

We dig deep on the Clippers and much more on Episode 230 of The Hang Time Podcast featuring J.J. Redick.

LISTEN HERE:

http://www.nba.com/.element/mp3/2.0/sect/podcastmp3/NBA/podcast/20160309_hangtime_podcast.mp3

As always, we welcome your feedback. You can follow the entire crew, including the Hang Time Podcast, co-hosts Sekou Smith of NBA.com, Lang Whitaker of NBA.com's All-Ball Blog and renaissance man Rick Fox of NBA TV, as well as our new super producer Gregg (just like Popovich) Waigand.

To download the podcast, click here. To subscribe via iTunes, click here, or get the xml feed if you want to subscribe some other, less iTunes-y way.

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VIDEO: Clippers sharpshooter J.J. Redick put up a 20-spot in the first round of the Foot Locker Three Point contest during All-Star Weekend in Toronto

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HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS Stephen Curry is the leader of that record-chasing pack in Oakland.

No one disputes that.

The reigning KIA MVP and frontrunner for the award this season is breaking his own records on his way to one of the greatest seasons in NBA history, no matter what Oscar Robertson or anyone else says about him and his game.

But the undisputed vocal and emotional leader of the Golden State Warriors remains Draymond Green. And the fact that Curry, Green and fellow All-Star Klay Thompson are all as comfortable as they are in their roles is what gives the Warriors record-breaking chemistry.

It's that chemistry that allows the Warriors, from top to bottom, to perform the way they do every night, never worrying about who gets the glory and praise. They are a true team, in every sense of the words, showing off All-Star unselfishness while chasing the NBA record for wins in a season (they remain on track to catch and even exceed the 1995-96 Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls' 72-win mark).

Warriors coach Steve Kerr has a better handle on how to keep the good chemistry flowing than most, having played alongside Jordan and Scottie Pippen in Chicago. That might explain why he didn't let something like Green's blow up at halftime of the Warriors' Feb. 27 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder bother him.

We talk Warriors and Warriors and more Warriors on Episode 229 of The Hang Time Podcast featuring Draymond Green, which also features high praise for Curry from Hall of Famer Rick Barry, courtesy of our friends at SiriusXM NBA Radio).

LISTEN HERE:

http://www.nba.com/.element/mp3/2.0/sect/podcastmp3/NBA/podcast/20160302_hangtime_podcast.mp3

As always, we welcome your feedback. You can follow the entire crew, including the Hang Time Podcast, co-hosts Sekou Smith of NBA.com, Lang Whitaker of NBA.com's All-Ball Blog and renaissance man Rick Fox of NBA TV, as well as our new super producer Gregg (just like Popovich) Waigand.

To download the podcast, click here. To subscribe via iTunes, click here, or get the xml feed if you want to subscribe some other, less iTunes-y way.

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VIDEO: The Warriors needed everything Draymond Green could give them to get past the Atlanta Hawks without Stephen Curry and Andre Iguodala

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HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS History will determine where these Golden State Warriors rank all time.

They have to finish the deal, of course. None of it will matter if the Warriors don't break the NBA record for wins in the regular season (the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls still own the top spot at 72 wins)

But Klay Thompson and the Warriors are not intimidated by the task. Thompson told us during All-Star Weekend that the chase for 73 wins is on. And the Warriors are currently ahead of the pace, 50-5 and counting.

Where will the Golden State Warriors rank all time?

Ahead of those outlandish Michael Jordan-led Bulls? Certainly alongside them and the Showtime Lakers, the Larry Bird-led Celtics, the Shaquille O'NealKobe Bryant-led Lakers and others.

We debate that and so much more on Episode 228 of The Hang Time Podcast featuring Thompson and Arash Markazi of ESPN.com, a Los Angeles native who provides a local perspective and also schools us on Echo Fox (owned by our very own Rick Fox).

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LISTEN HERE:

http://www.nba.com/.element/mp3/2.0/sect/podcastmp3/NBA/podcast/20160224_hangtime_podcast.mp3

As always, we welcome your feedback. You can follow the entire crew, including the Hang Time Podcast, co-hosts Sekou Smith of NBA.com, Lang Whitaker of NBA.com's All-Ball Blog and renaissance man Rick Fox of NBA TV, as well as our new super producer Gregg (just like Popovich) Waigand.

To download the podcast, click here. To subscribe via iTunes, click here, or get the xml feed if you want to subscribe some other, less iTunes-y way.

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VIDEO: The Starters discuss the Golden State Warriors historical chase for 73 wins

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HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS We're caught in that strange stretch of the NBA calendar right now, days removed from a stellar All-Star Weekend in Toronto and hours away from the wildly unpredictable trade deadline (Thursday at 3 p.m. ET) that sets the tone for the stretch run of every season.

Can the Golden State Warriors finish the deal and chase and even break the Chicago Bulls' hallowed, NBA-record 72-win season? Can the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder or anyone else in the Western Conference catch up to the Warriors? And is anyone willing to gamble whatever it takes to join the elite out west?

In the Eastern Conference, all eyes are on Cleveland, where Tyronn Lue and LeBron James have to bring everyone (Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and everyone else) together in their quest to make a return trip to The Finals where they can get another shot at the Warriors and finishing what they started last year

That's why we're kicking off the stretch run of the season for The Hang Time Podcast with a double-dose of Cavs, talking to both Lue (during All-Star Weekend) and the team's executive producer of multi-media and play-by-play announcer Fred McLeod.

We dig deep in an effort to find out exactly what to expect from the Cavaliers the rest of the way, while also wrapping up our All-Star thoughts (big ups to young skywalkers Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon for the best Verizon Slam Dunk showcase in years) and looking ahead to what we think might go down at the trade deadline.

Check it all out on Episode 227 of The Hang Time Podcast featuring Tyronn Lue and Fred McLeod of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

LISTEN HERE:

http://www.nba.com/.element/mp3/2.0/sect/podcastmp3/NBA/podcast/20160217_hangtime_podcast.mp3

As always, we welcome your feedback. You can follow the entire crew, including the Hang Time Podcast, co-hosts Sekou Smith of NBA.com, Lang Whitaker of NBA.com's All-Ball Blog and renaissance man Rick Fox of NBA TV, as well as our new super producer Gregg (just like Popovich) Waigand.

To download the podcast, click here. To subscribe via iTunes, click here, or get the xml feed if you want to subscribe some other, less iTunes-y way.

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VIDEO: A recap of the epic Verizon Slam Dunk duel between Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon from All-Star Saturday night

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