The Athletic NBA Show by The Athletic

04.16.2024

Naz Reid Comes Through

Hoops Adjacent David Aldridge and Marcus Thompson are joined by the Timberwolves star Naz Reid to discuss the Wolves' playoff aspirations and what they look forward to in their first round matchup. Reid also discusses being undrafted, his thoughts on the...

04.15.2024

Play-In Preview| Who is Poised to Make a Real Run?

Basket Buds Zach Harper is joined by The Athletic's Will Guillory and Dave DuFour to preview the loaded Play-in matchups between the 76ers and the Heat, Hawks and Bulls, Lakers and Pelicans, and the Warriors and the Kings. They debate who...

04.12.2024

NBA SLAMMY AWARDS + Grizzlies Week

Slam and Jam Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers recap the week that was in the NBA, discuss the Slam and Jam end of season awards (the Slammys), and then Keith Parish of Gritz and Grindz joins to discuss the Grizzlies and...

04.11.2024

Pre-playoff Madness | Can the Warriors Make a Run to the Playoffs?

Tampering Sam Amick and Anthony Slater are joined by The Athletic's Marcus Thompson to talk about how the Warriors may be surging at the right time. The guys also look at how the playoff picture is shaping up. Learn more about your...

04.10.2024

End of Season Mailbag + The truth about officiating

Nerder Seth Partnow, Mo Dakhil, and Dave DuFour react to Adam Silver’s statements on officiating changes and then answer listener questions. What is Jason Kidd’s strength as a coach? Should Chris Finch be Coach of the Year? What should the Spurs...

04.09.2024

What if LeBron and Steph miss the playoffs? | Celtics award snubs?

Hoops Adjacent David Aldridge and Marcus Thompson envision an NBA Playoffs without LeBron James and Steph Curry, discuss their favored playoff matchups, and discuss the awards races. Are the young teams destined to disappoint in the playoffs? What's the most compelling...

04.08.2024

The End is Nigh | Who is Going to be an All-NBA Snub? + What Does Your Gut Say?

Buds Zach Harper, Jay King and Josh Huestis discuss All-NBA selections, and who might be missing from them. The guys also look at teams that need to have a bit of a 'Gut check'. And the return of 'Plant Your Flag'. Learn...

04.05.2024

Suns Rising? Bucks Road Woes + Wizards Future

Slam and Jam Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers discuss the Week that was in the NBA, the games of the weekend, The Bucks road woes, and then Josh Robbins of the Athletic joins to discuss the Washington Wizards, their season, their...

04.04.2024

Do you believe in the Mavericks? + Vibe Check

Tampering Sam Amick, Anthony Slater, and Tim Cato check in on the Mavs and their title contender status, discuss the Warriors win streak and recent defensive success, and opine on the “yikes!” vibes around the Clippers. Learn more about your ad choices....

04.03.2024

The Playoffs have already started | Buy or Sell?

Nerder Seth Partnow, Mo Dakhil, and Dave DuFour breakdown the playoff races, discuss Joel Embiid's return and what it means for the 76ers, attempt to contextualize Victor Wembanyama's rookie season, and marvel at the ever-present specter of the Miami Heat. Learn more...

04.02.2024

Women's Tournament Talk | The Hype of The Elite Eight's Elite Star Power

Hoops Adjacent David Aldridge hops from the NBA to talk about the Women's NCAA Tournament with The Athletic's Zena Keita and Girls Talk Sports' Khristina Williams. The crew discusses the huge rematch between Iowa and LSU and how the stars came...

04.01.2024

Embiid's return + "Who owns the Timberwolves?"

Basketbuds Zach Harper, Jay King, and Josh Huestis discuss NBA talent in the NCAA Tournament, react to Joel Embiid's impending return, and project Victor Wembanyama's future. Then the guys react to the Minnesota Timberwolves ownership mess with a little game of,...

03.29.2024

Timberwolves Summer Trades + Warriors Future

Slam and Jam Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers discuss the week that was in the NBA, trades that might have to happen for the Wolves this summer, Wolves crunch time issues, and then talk with Anthony Slater about the Warriors. Learn more...

03.28.2024

Looking Out East

Tampering Sam Amick is joined by Will Guillory and Jay King to switch up the usual trend of examining Western Conference teams to dive into the East. The guys discuss Miami and Philadelphia to analyze if if they'll be able to...

03.27.2024

March Basketball + Does Zion work in the playoffs?

Nerder Seth Partnow, Mo Dakhil, and Dave DuFour discuss the implications and takeaways from March basketball games in the NBA. Does it matter when contenders blow games? In preparation for the playoffs, the guys try to come up with questions team...

03.26.2024

Can the Rockets Leap the Warriors?

Hoops Adjacent David Aldridge and Marcus Thompson are joined by the Athletic's Kelly Iko to dissect what the Rockets have figured out here down the stretch. Is the team better without Alperen Şengün? Plus, are the Warriors done for? Or can...

03.25.2024

The 10th Place Race + Timberwolves or Thunder?

Buds Zach Harper, Jay King, and Josh Huestis talk about the race for the tenth spot in the West as the Rockets keep winning, and the Warriors keep losing. The top of the west is discussed as the guys look at...

03.22.2024

2024 Mock Draft with Sam Vecenie

Slam and Jam Andrew Schlecht is joined by Sam Vecenie to discuss the potential of Jalen Williams, the NCAA Tournament and the players that could improve their draft stock, and then a mock draft through the lottery. Learn more about your ad...

03.21.2024

Checking in With The Four Seeds | The Race for The Play-in

Tampering Sam Amick and Anthony Slater are joined by Fred Katz, Kelly Iko, and Law Murray to discuss if the Knicks can be healthy by playoff time, the Rockets' pursuit of the play-in, and are the Clippers in trouble? Tune in...

03.20.2024

You Can Bet on That! + Who Do You Trust?

Nerder Dave Dufour, Seth Partnow. and Mo Dahkil discuss whether or not the league implementing live betting into the League Pass App is good idea. Would you trust the Celtics more this post season, or would you put your faith in...

03.20.2024

NCAA Tournaments preview with Nicole Auerbach

Nicole Auerbach joins David Aldridge and Marcus Thompson to talk all things March Madness. Why parity has been the separator for Women’s college basketball. Who to watch in the Men’s and Women’s tournament. Does South Carolina have a weakness? How...

03.18.2024

Nuggets Beatable? Concerned for the Clippers?

Basketbuds Dave DuFour, Jay King and Josh Huestis discuss the following topics on today's episode: Nothing, Something or Everything Kyrie Irving hits a running lefty hook to beat the Nuggets, are the Mavs dangerous? Are the Nuggets beatable? Is the Kyrie shot, nothing,...

03.15.2024

Thunder Rebounding Problem | NCAA Players to Watch | Magic Deep Dive

Slam and Jam Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers discuss the week that was in the NBA, 5 players to watch for in the NCAA tournament, DUNK or JUNK on the Thunder's rebounding problems leading to an early playoff exit, and then...

03.14.2024

Pelicans poised for a run? + Shai's MVP case

Tampering Will Guillory joins Sam Amick and Anthony Slater to catch up on the Pelicans recent success, Zion’s health, and their push to the playoffs. Then, Slater shares some insight from Oklahoma City on the Thunder and discuss Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s chances...

03.13.2024

Nerds With Answer + What's Up With The Negativity?

Nerder The guys are here to answer your questions on this week's mailbag episode. Is scoring higher in the earlier parts of the season? We don't talk about Sabonis? Who is your All-NBA escape room team? Also, the guys discuss why fans...

03.13.2024

Rex Chapman

Hoops Adjacent Rex Chapman joins David Aldridge and Marcus Thompson to talk about his best selling book :It's Hard for Me to Live with Me, detailing his life in basketball, his battle with drug addiction during and after his career, and...

03.11.2024

Gobert's Gamble + Is This Real?

Buds Zach Harper, Jay King, and Dave DuFour catch up on some news and discuss Rudy Gobert's gambling insinuations. The guys also discuss Troy Weaver's fan interaction and play a game of "Is This Real?" about trends since the All Star...

03.08.2024

Offseason Pressure + Defenseless Mavs

Slam and Jam Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers discuss the Week that Was, 5 stats that made me say hmmm, a look at the teams that have pressure this offseason and then we dive deep on the Dallas Mavericks with Tim...

03.07.2024

Into the Mosh Pit | KAT's Injury Update

Tampering Sam Amick and Anthony Slater are joined by Jon Krawczynski to get an update the breaking news of Karl-Anthony Towns latest injury. Then, Jovan Buha joins to jump into the 'mosh pit' of the lower seeded teams in the NBA,...

03.06.2024

The New Deal + Playoff Fears

Nerder, She Wrote Mo Dahkil, Seth Partnow, and Mike Vorkunov discuss how the next media deal could look, and what that means for the casual viewer. The guys also touch on what rule changes could come about in the next few...

03.05.2024

Talking C's with Gary Washburn

Hoops Adjacent David Aldridge and Marcus Thompson talk up the Celtics with Boston Globe's Gary Washburn. Why do they look so good this year? How has Porzingis fit in with the Celtics? That, plus why Marcus was embarrassed in an old...

03.04.2024

LeBron's Unbelievable Legacy & Gut Feelings

Buds Zach Harper, Jay King, and Josh Huestis discuss how insane LeBron's consistency has been for the past 21 years as he's topped yet another milestone. The guys also check whether to trust their instincts as they play everyone's new favorite...

03.01.2024

NBA Role Player Awards + Pelican's Problems

Slam and Jam Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers discuss the week that was in the NBA, the first edition of the NBA Role Player Awards, and how the Bucks have looked since Doc Rivers took over. Then in part 2, Will Guillory...

02.29.2024

Leaping Around the League

Tampering Sam Amick, Fred Katz, and Anthony Slater welcome The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski, Mike Vorkunov, and Eric Nehm to check in around the league on Leap Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

02.28.2024

Rookie Race + Is the East a Wrap?

Nerder Dave, Seth, and Mo drop in to discuss the hot seasons of Wemby, Chet, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. and whether the rookie race is open or if Wemby has run away with it. The guys also hit the Eastern Conference...

02.28.2024

Great Clips with Law Murray

Hoops Adjacent David Aldridge and Marcus Thompson II talk if the pressure is on the Clippers with Law Murray. Also, they guys get into the Clippers' new arena, what issues they have to overcome before the playoffs, and thoughts on the new...

02.26.2024

Unwritten Rules=Getting Scrappy | Who's Panicking Around the League?

Basketball Buds Zach Harper, Josh Huestis, and Jay King discuss Trae Young's injury, the Wemby vs Chet rookie race, and determine what teams should be panicking as they play "The Panic Meter". Plus, the guys discuss the 'unwritten rules' of basketball, and...

02.23.2024

Wild Wild West | Wemby Mania

Slam and Jam Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers discuss the week that was in the NBA, the top of the Western Conference, Potential Pre-Leap players, and more. Then they are joined by Matthew Tynan to discuss the San Antonio Spurs, Wembanyama, who...

02.22.2024

NBA A to Z with Jeff Zillgitt

Tampering Sam Amick sits down with colleague Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today to discuss how the rest of the season is going to shake out, who is the favorite for MVP at this point, and what is the deal with the...

02.21.2024

Doc Rivers' big mouth | Who is All-Star Weekend for? | Analytics affecting too much?

Nerder, She Wrote Dave Dufour, Mo Dakhill, and Seth Partnow discuss Doc's recent comments about Bucks coaching job, the firing of Jacque Vaughn, and why All-Star Weekend may not need to be fixed. Plus, are analytics actually ruining the game? Learn more...

02.20.2024

All Star Fallout + the Future of NBA Broadcasts

Jared Weiss, Mike Vorkunov, and Tim Cato react to the fallout from a lackluster All Star Weekend, discuss the upcoming NBA media rights deals and league implementation of gambling, and breakdown the Commissioner’s comments on officiating. Learn more about your ad...

02.19.2024

Jacque Vaughn fired | All Star Woes | Hot Take Safe Zone

Zach Harper, Jay King, and Josh Huestis discuss the firing of Jacque Vaughn, react to Doc Rivers’ hilarious comments, attempt to fix the All Star Game, and get into the Hot Take Safe Zone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...

02.16.2024

All Star Break Stats + The Elite Wolves

Slam and Jam Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers discuss the All Star Saturday Night events and who who is favored for each event, a look back at the conference finalists of last season, and the Pelicans starting lineup. Then Dane Moore, of...

02.15.2024

LeBron’s future + All Star Weekend

Jovan Buha, Sam Amick, and Anthony Slater discuss their recent reporting on LeBron’s future and options, the Lakers targeting Trae Young, Donovan Mitchell, or Kyrie Irving, and the Warriors’ upcoming summer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

02.14.2024

LeBron to the Bay + The Top of the West

Mo Dakhil, Seth Partnow, and Dave DuFour react to the deluge of post-deadline trade news, discuss the Knicks referee controversy, and the battle for the top of the West. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

02.13.2024

The Dream Team + the Warriors w/ Chris Mullin

NBA Legend Chris Mullen joins David Aldridge and Marcus Thompson to talk about the All Star Game in Indianapolis, the Dream Team experience, and the state of the game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

02.12.2024

Contender Draft + Warriors in the Play In?

BUDS Zach Harper, Dave DuFour and Josh Huestis discuss the following topics: Super Bowl Discussion Plant Your Flag 1. Timberwolves, Clippers, Thunder or Nuggets to finish with the 1 seed? 2. Cavs or Bucks to go further in the Playoffs 3. Warriors or Jazz to miss the Play In 4. It was...

02.09.2024