Point Game with Isaiah Thomas and C.J. Toledano

Not all wheeling and dealing in Hollywood is done over fancy dinners, at glamorous parties, or in boardrooms. More than you might think is actually done on the blacktop, at pickup basketball games. Comedy writer and Follow Through founder CJ Toledano joins Claire to give the lowdown on the secret world of basketball in Hollywood, and all the rules (written and unwritten) therein.

Listen to Basketball, Etc. on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 

Special thanks to Alex Moffat 

CJ Toledano

https://www.instagram.com/cjtoledano/

Follow Through Studio

https://www.instagram.com/followthrough/

Claire de Lune

https://x.com/ClaireMPLS

https://www.instagram.com/clairempls/

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

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Mascots have become a quintessential part of most NBA arena experiences— but who are the mysterious people inside the oversized suits? And why do they choose the anonymous mascot life? Intrepid culture reporter Eve Peyser dove deep into mascot lore and even shadowed an NBA mascot to get some answers… And what she found has more profundity than you’d ever expect.

Special thanks to: Walt Scher, Douglas Fur, Hudson Hongo, and Josh Lay

Listen to Basketball, Etc. with Claire de Lune on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Eve Peyser’s website

https://evepeyser.com/index.html

Eve’s Twitter

https://x.com/evepeyser

Claire de Lune

https://x.com/ClaireMPLS

https://www.instagram.com/clairempls/

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

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Breanna Stewart and Myles Turner catch up on the biggest stories from around basketball, starting with the New York Liberty's recent travel challenges, Myles' engagement, and Stewie's plans for WNBA All-Star Weekend.

They discuss the incredible parity across the WNBA this season and why the Liberty have had to work through some early growing pains despite championship expectations. The conversation then shifts to the NBA, where they speculate about LeBron James' future, break down the Summer League rookies who have impressed them the most, and debate the pros and cons of taking less money in pursuit of winning.

Plus, Stewie's Parent Corner returns, and Myles shares the incredible story behind his dream Star Wars-themed engagement in Europe.

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For our season finale, we wanted to turn to you, our amazing listeners, for some insightful questions for IT. Who are some of the best coaches IT has worked with and what did he learn from them? How did he figure out how to score at the rim on bigger defenders? How did his mentality change over time as he moved up the ranks? Who are the most intense trash-talkers on the court? IT digs into all of these questions and more, exploring the core childhood memories that made him who he is today. It's been an amazing season, and we want to thank our fans again for tuning in! We can't wait to dig back into all things basketball in the fall. 

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On this week's special episode we're joined by Seattle and Knicks legend Nate Robinson! Of course we get Nate to weigh in on New York winning their first championship in over 50 years and what it was like to be a Knick in the early 2000's. We also dig into Nate and I.T.'s deep friendship and how Nate has mentored and motivated him over the years. As two of the greatest small guards to ever play the game, Nate and I.T. also spend some time digging into what it really takes to make it as a small guard in the NBA. 

Have a question for I.T.? Drop us a comment on YouTube or social and you might just be featured on next week's show!

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The NBA Finals concluded in historic fashion with the New York Knicks winning their first championship since 1973. The guys have to give credit where credit's due to these Knicks, but the unprecedented amount of blown double-digit leads by the Spurs was insane to witness. I.T. breaks down why this may have happened, and what the Spurs can do to get better next season. I.T. and C.J. also take a minute to look ahead – Summer League will be an amazing opportunity for I.T. to work out with and watch some rising talent. And the guys can't help but speculate on a few key star players' next moves in free agency: where will Giannis, Ja, and LeBron end up? I.T. has a couple of hot takes for good measure. 

Have a question for I.T.? Drop us a comment on YouTube or social and you might just be featured on next week's show!

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Recorded before Game 3, I.T. and C.J. catch up on what they've been seeing from both the Spurs and the Knicks so far in this series. Brunson and KAT are playing in an incredibly organic way that just so happens to throw Wemby's game off completely. On top of that, the Spurs' role players aren't quite hitting their stride yet and it's making all the difference. If the Knicks can pull this off, it will be a Finals run for the history books. And speaking of hoop history, C.J. puts I.T. to a new test this time around – he has to blind rank 10 epic Finals moments with zero time to prep. Can you guess which moment went #1? You know we have to talk sneakers too, so I.T. and C.J. round up all the best shoe selections they've been seeing on the court. As always, we round things out with our No Days Off segment, where we shout out the unsung heroes in these exciting games. 

Have a question for I.T.? Drop us a comment on YouTube or social and you might just be featured on next week's show!

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I.T. called the Spurs going all the way back in February, and he wasn't lying! And now, after a truly legendary playoffs, we're finally here: the NBA Finals! Before we look ahead, C.J. and I.T. take a second to break down the dramatic Spurs/OKC Game 7 from this past weekend, including some tough love for Chet Holmgren, some much-deserved praise for SGA both on and off the court, and nothing but love for the incredible role players on both squads for stepping up throughout the series. Next, C.J. and I.T. look ahead to the Finals. A 1999 rematch, an NBA Cup rematch, and the biggest stage possible to launch Wemby into superstardom. Will the Spurs begin their dynasty? Or will Brunson break the curse and become the greatest Knick of all time? Like every episode, we end with some quick games: I.T. redrafts the 2011 draft class with 15 years of hindsight and ranks the top 5 all-time signature shoe lines. And to round things out, this week's No Days Off award goes to none other than Julian Champagnie, who put on an insane 3-point clinic in Game 7. 

Have a question for I.T.? Drop us a comment on YouTube or social and you might just be featured on next week's show!

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On this week's episode, I.T. and C.J. catch up on the past week of playoff hoops: the Knicks continued their historic march to the Finals with a clean sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers on the backs of an incredibly balanced and poised roster. The Cavs got their hearts ripped out in Game 1 and just never really seemed to recover. And in the West, the Spurs v. OKC series has been just as incredible as anticipated. Role players like Jared McCain and Isaiah Hartenstein are stepping up big in close games, alongside monster performances from Wemby and SGA, and the coaching adjustments on both sides have been immaculate. What do the Cavs do next? Is this Knicks team for real? Who's going to come out on top in the West? We dig into all of these burning questions, plus we crack open I.T.'s closet door for another edition of Shoe and Tell, and we give flowers to Deuce McBride and Landry Shamet for holding down the New York bench throughout this Knicks run. 

Have a question for I.T.? Drop us a comment on YouTube or social and you might just be featured on next week's show!

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On this week's episode, I.T. opens up about his new role with the Celtics as a pro and college scout and what it felt like experiencing the NBA Draft Combine on the other side of the table. Then we dig into how round two shook out: Wemby’s Spurs absolutely dominated an undermanned T-Wolves squad and the Cavs overpowered the #1 seed Pistons against the odds with great team basketball. And now it’s time to preview our conference finals: Spurs v. Thunder and Cavs v. Knicks. In the West we have two teams with insane chemistry and team defense, in the East we have two somewhat inconsistent teams with a ton of potential. In our games segment, we quiz I.T. on playoff trivia, make him choose the three pairs of kicks he would want on a desert island, and award this week's No Days Off to Cavs' stand-outs Evan Mobley and Sam Merrill. 

Have a question for I.T.? Drop us a comment on YouTube or social and you might just be featured on next week's show!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.