Once Upon A Dribble

What actually makes an NBA “superteam” work?I go through decades of NBA history to find out, from Wilt, West and Baylor's Lakers to the '83 Sixers, Jordan's Bulls, the 2004 Lakers, Big Three Celtics, Heatles, KD Warriors and Brooklyn Nets.Along the way, Ichallenge what “superteam” even means. Does a team have to be assembled through blockbuster moves to qualify? How much do fit, sacrifice, hierarchy, health and timing matter? And why might the best superteams simply have more players who are overqualified for their roles?Finally, I bring those lessons back to today's star-studded Philadelphia 76ers and ask whether LeBron, Embiid, Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey can make the formula work.Check us out on Spotify too!(00:00) Intro(04:38) 1969-73 Los Angeles Lakers(08:19) 1983 Philadelphia 76ers(10:24) 1996-98 Chicago Bulls(13:19) 2004 Los Angeles Lakers(16:02) 2008 Boston Celtics(18:05) 2011-14 Miami Heat(22:03) 2017-19 Golden State Warriors(23:36) 2021-22 Brooklyn Nets(25:00) Modern application

What if some of the NBA’s biggest draft busts actually worked out?

Chandler Holt who covers the Utah Jazz on KSL Sports joins us to revisit the hype behind Olowokandi, Beasley, Fultz, Okafor, Thabeet and Pervis Ellison. We look at what scouts saw, what went wrong, and what their best-case careers could have looked like.

(02:50) Michael Olowokandi

(10:04) Jahlil Okafor

(15:09) Hasheem Thabeet

(21:38) Michael Beasley

(31:02) Greg Oden

(38:11) Mario Hezonja

(46:17) Pervis Ellison

(53:16) Anthony Bennett

(01:01:49) Markelle Fultz

The ultimate WESTERN Conference ballot is officially locked in for this final part of our 2 part series. In this episode, we go team-by-team through all 15 Western Conference franchises to carve their 4 ultimate icons into stone.

We jump from icons like LA and Golden State to the conundrums of Memphis and Sacramento, we reveal our final choices and build the ultimate monument to Western Conference basketball history.

Since this is part 2, we hop right into things. If you want a full introduction on our criteria and more context, watch part 1!

Intro (0:00)

Dallas Mavericks (01:51)

Denver Nuggets (07:27)

Golden State Warriors (16:16)

Houston Rockets (23:54)

Los Angeles Clippers (33:03)

Los Angeles Lakers (39:46)

Memphis/Vancouver Grizzlies (49:31)

Minnesota Timberwolves (55:18)

New Orleans Pelicans/Hornets (01:02:33)

OKC Thunder/Seattle SuperSonics (01:06:56)

Phoenix Suns (01:15:08)

Portland Trail Blazers (01:20:06)

Sacramento/KC Kings, Cincinnati/Rochester Royals (01:26:45)

San Antonio Spurs (01:33:52)

Utah Jazz (01:40:28)

Who's on YOUR Mt Rushmore for these squads?

The ultimate Eastern Conference ballot is officially locked in. In this episode, we go team-by-team through all 15 Eastern Conference franchises to carve their 4 ultimate icons into stone.

From the historic dynasties of Boston and Chicago to the modern identity crises of Charlotte and Orlando, we reveal our final choices and build the ultimate monument to Eastern Conference basketball history.

Intro (0:00)

Our criteria (04:39)

Atlanta Hawks (05:40)

Boston Celtics (11:38)

Brooklyn Nets (17:07)

Charlotte Hornets (22:47)

Chicago Bulls (28:27)

Cleveland Cavaliers (34:37)

Detroit Pistons (40:56)

Indiana Pacers (48:00)

Miami Heat (53:44)

Milwaukee Bucks (59:04)

New York Knicks (1:03:35)

Orlando Magic (1:09:39)

Philadelphia 76ers (1:12:59)

Toronto Raptors (1:19:22)

Washington Wizards (01:24:11)

Who's on YOUR Mt Rushmore for these squads?

The NBA has changed dramatically over the last 15 years. Not just on the court, but in the way fans consume the league, how media covers it, and how players shape their own careers.

Joining us is Guardian writer and All-NBA voter Claire de Lune to discuss the evolution of the modern NBA through the LeBron era! We dive into player empowerment, ring culture, media discourse, social media, roster-building, and the forces that shaped today's league.

How much of the modern NBA can be traced back to LeBron James? And what happens when the league finally enters its post-LeBron chapter?

You can follow Claire on X, @ClaireMPLS

You can read Claire's incredible work at the Guardian here:

https://www.theguardian.com/profile/claire-de-lune

Every NBA fan has an MVP definition in their head and what usually ends up happening is they're all different. Is the MVP about team success? Raw production? Efficiency? Narrative?

In this micro episode, I break down why modern MVP debates feel so messy and why we may not even be arguing the same thing anymore. Of course here on Once Upon A Dribble we dive into the historical side of things so join me in the NBA Time Machine!

Who was the best player in the world each year in the NBA?

In this episode of Once Upon a Dribble, Josh is joined by CBS Sports writer Sam Quinn to explore a fun historical thought experiment: the unofficial “Best Player in the World Championship Belt.”

Instead of ranking players all-time, we track the league’s true crown year-by-year asking when the belt clearly belonged to one superstar and when it was up for grabs.

We discuss:

• Michael Jordan’s dominance in the 90s

• Shaq vs. Duncan in the early 2000s

• Kobe’s peak years

• When LeBron truly took the crown

• Steph, Kawhi, Giannis, Jokic and the modern era debate

Along the way we dig into the messiest transition seasons, controversial belt holders, and the players who came closest without ever holding the title.

Once Upon a Dribble is a basketball history & ideas podcast focused on context over hot takes.

Once Upon a Dribble — 2011 NBA MVP Revisited

(Notebook episodes are short 15-30 minute solo entries where I give quick hitter context, insight and narrative to various NBA topics)

Was Derrick Rose the right MVP in 2011?

In this episode, we revisit one of the most debated MVP races of the modern era, looking at the full top 10 and the context that shaped the vote.

From Chicago’s resurgence to the backlash against LeBron after “The Decision,” this season was about narrative, team success, fatigue, and timing.

We walk through:

• The biggest storylines of the 2010–11 season

• A brief look at spots 10–6

• Deep dives into Rose, Dwight, LeBron, Kobe, and KD

• And whether history still agrees with the final vote

Let's dive in!

Once Upon a Dribble — What does “heliocentric” actually mean?

(Notebook episodes are short 15-30 minute solo entries where I give quick hitter context, insight and narrative to various NBA topics)

It’s not just ball dominance. It’s not just usage.
And it’s definitely not new.

In this Once Upon a Dribble: Notebook episode, Josh traces how heliocentrism evolved. From Wilt and Kareem, to Magic and Jordan, to LeBron, Harden, Luka, and Jokic... and why the league may actually be refining it, not abandoning it.

(01:37) The Pre-Heliocentric Era - '50s-70s

(07:59) The First True Heliocentric Prototypes - MJ and Magic

(13:15) Modern Heliocentrism = Creation Load - LeBron, Harden, Luka, Jokic

(19:13) The Current State of Heliocentrism

(21:30) 3 Misconceptions about Heliocentric Basketball

Today we finish with part 10 of a 10-part series at Once Upon a Dribble!

During the 2022 playoffs the NBA began awarding MVP awards to the best performing player of each conference finals: the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award and the Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award, named for the two players credited for building the league up to greater popularity in the 1980s. 

This begs the question, with the award just being handed out for the first time last season, who are the deserving winners from the previous 50+ years of NBA history? Find out today as Josh tackles the Western Conference in the 2010s!

2010: Los Angeles Lakers vs Phoenix Suns - Kobe Bryant (02:49)

2011: Dallas Mavericks vs Oklahoma City Thunder - Dirk Nowitzki (09:13)

2012: Oklahoma City Thunder vs San Antonio Spurs - Kevin Durant (14:22)

2013: Memphis Grizzlies vs San Antonio Spurs - Tony Parker (20:01)

2014: Oklahoma City Thunder vs San Antonio Spurs - Tim Duncan (25:12)

2015: Golden State Warriors vs Houston Rockets - Stephen Curry (30:51)

2016: Golden State Warriors vs Oklahoma City Thunder - Stephen Curry (36:34)

2017: Golden State Warriors vs San Antoni Spurs - Stephen Curry (41:54)

2018: Golden State Warriors vs Houston Rockets - Kevin Durant (48:16)

2019: Golden State Warriors vs Portland Trail Blazers - Stephen Curry (54:16)

2020: Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers - LeBron James (01:00:01)

2021: Los Angeles Clippers vs Phoenix Suns - Chris Paul (01:09:53)

Recap/Outro: (01:16:27)

Thank you all who enjoyed and listened to this series!