Stefan's Nighttime

It's Midnight in the Garden of Game 5! So Jesse and Stefan met up on an NYC rooftop to talk about the Celtics' strong Game 5 victory and the impressive Game 4 performance by the Rockets. Can the Rockets withstand another old-school Warriors haymaker? Can the young Celtics really oust LeBron James? Does making it to the Finals another time without winning the chip actually hurt LeBron's legacy? So many questions, not enough rooftops. It's time for...Midnight in the Garden of Game 5 a.k.a. It's Not Me, It's Them!

Jesse and Stefan meet at an undisclosed NYC location to have a much-needed playoffs catchup. We're talking about: LeBron's scary new level; the dismissal of Coach of the Year Dwane Casey; the Rockets' chances against the Olympic team—er, the Warriors; the seeming inevitability of Cavs-Warriors IV; and Becky Hammon, and the path to the NBA's first female head coach.

Who knew Round 1 would be this fun?? Jesse and Stefan share their thoughts on the high-flying Pelicans, the surprising Jazz, and the arrival of The Process: Playoffs Edition. The new guard has arrived!

Journalist Abe Streep joins the show to talk about his experience reporting a New York Times Magazine cover story about the Arlee Warriors of Montana's Flathead Indian Reservation. This high school basketball team started the season looking to repeat as state champs, then found themselves starting a "warrior movement" to help prevent suicide. • "What the Arlee Warriors Were Playing For" by Abe Streep for The New York Times Magazine • Arlee Warriors State Dedication video • Follow Abe Streep on Twitter: @abestreep

Newly minted Hall of Famer Ray Allen joins Jesse and Stefan to talk about the art of shooting, the best teams of the modern era, and how he hit one of the greatest shots in NBA history. He takes the guys behind the scenes of his legendary career, shares his take on the G.O.A.T. debate, and decides which animals best represent the members of the 2008 NBA champion Boston Celtics team.

It's a big week for Open Run! We've got the homecoming of co-host Jesse Williams AND the return of longtime friend-of-the-show Dave Hartley of the *Grammy-winning* band The War on Drugs! First, Jesse shares tales from the Grey's Anatomy set (2:35) before Stefan puts him on the Hot Bench to talk about all the hottest NBA matters (10:56). Then we go to Philly (29:20) where Stefan and Dave catch the Sixers-Knicks game before discussing the state of The Process, the magic of Ben Simmons, the surprisingly surprising playoff picture, and the delicate dance of rooting for a rebuilding team. Prepare for a hoops epic!

Former NCAA and professional basketball player Luke Bonner joins the show to talk about his new life as a player advocate, taking us behind the scenes of NCAA hoops and outlining how he'd like to change the broken system of so-called "amateur" athletics. He shares tales of his time playing ball for both West Virginia and UMass, as well as his tenure in the Lithuanian league—letting us know just what the Ball brothers should expect over there, and rhapsodizing about his life-changing experience seeing ELO in Vilnius.

Your man Stefan is out here roaming the NBA podcast wilds all by his lonesome this week! He ponders what the future might hold for the injured Splash Brothers, The Process, LeBron James, his tanking Knicks, and soon-to-be free agent Isaiah Thomas. Throw on your headphones—it's time for a little basketball walkabout.

Open Run's special New Orleans correspondent Nathaniel Rich joins the show to talk about the state of the Pelicans and the utterly dominant play of the Brow. Then, it's time for the hard questions: Why can't the NBA embrace the thrill of the tank and the weird, wild race to the bottom? Will the Rockets finally, finally, finally pose a threat to the Warriors? Should Porzingis be up and walking around already?? Is Kawhi Leonard going to play basketball this year??? There's one way to find out...

Jesse and Stefan weigh in on the latest NCAA scuttlebutt, and then talk about being on the panel for Slam's new Top 100 issue—and which player earned their much-deserved Honorable Mention spot.