The G.O.T.E. - The Greatest of Their Era

We’ve all heard this term thrown around — “clutch” — but what does that really mean? Is it a trait that’s teachable? Is it innate? Does making the right “basketball play” disqualify one from being considered such? Depending on who you ask you will hear different qualifications, and how that ability stacks up against other attributes. Today, we intend to set the record straight by highlighting the closers who delivered with a go-ahead bucket, free throw, or finish at the basket when the stakes are the highest and the game is on the line. Special shout out to the players with ice in their veins. Find out who tops our list for the 2000’s.

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Ladies and gentleman, we have a special episode upon our hands — highlighted by the most noteworthy guest. For us to break down the best shooting guards of the 90’s, it is only right that we bring on the progenitor of the Curry Brand, one of the original Leaders of the Long Range, Mr. Dell Curry himself! Now he’s known as Stephen and Seth’s dad, but in the 90’s Dell was known as that man with the arm cannon who you selected on NBA Jam — a deadly sniper who not only exploited the three-point line, but who also workshopped its origins in college. That’s right, we caught up with one of the true OG’s to not only break down the finer points of the Shooting Guard position throughout the 90’s era but also speak to the ongoing evolution of the nuanced position…and the league in general. You won’t want to miss all the jewels dropped in this enlightening trip down Memory Lane!

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As the NBA continued to evolve, we began to witness what was once a rarity become more commonplace: the positionless player. Rather than fitting into a neat box and performing specific duties on the floor, this new type of player had more versatility and range. Mentally, they were agnostic to playing within a limited job description. They wanted all the smoke all over the floor and had the varied skillsets, attributes & athletic build of a 1 through 5 – offensively and defensively. Today, we pay homage to those special players who did it all on both sides of the court with finesse, grace, and sheer grit.

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Dynamic guard play comes in many forms. But during an era when the backcourt king of the hill was a 6’9” guard from Lansing, MI, ”small” guards had to really bring it.  While some believe the lack of height is a deficit, others can imagine how being lower to the ground as a primary ball handler and defender can become a strength for the right savvy player. Now mind you, “small” is all relative when we’re speaking of NBA players. In most cases they’d still tower over most at a high school reunion, at a regular job…anywhere really. But on occasion, there were those outlier players who were truly small by anyone’s standards yet left big impressions on the hardwood and in our hearts. Tune in as we give our flowers to some of the most determined players this league has ever seen.

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Today we pay homage to the bucket-getters who perfected the art of scoring at the cup. The players who brought their hard hats to work and put their backs to the basket to bang and bump on the low block, and to assert their wills physically and mentally. The baseline ballerinas who dizzied and confused defenders with their immaculate footwork and timing. And the skilled technicians who frustrated opponents with indefensible jump hook & fadeaway packages. Don’t be confused, we’re not just speaking of big men. Tune in to hear who performed best in the paint during an era where high percentage two’s still had a dominant role in the NBA game of basketball.

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Converting points at the rim, throughout the midrange, and deep from long distance, require different approaches, mechanics & skill sets. Being proficient at just one of those ranges alone can garner respect throughout the league in terms of accolades and defensive schemes thrown at you by opponents. But sometimes there are those unicorns, that rare species of BUCKET GETTERS who are prolific and DEADLY from scoring at every level on the court. They take whatever the defense gives them and rack up points just the same. The versatility, instincts, and IQ required for this type of offensive dominance is rarefied air. These are scorers’ scorers, and today we’re going to break down who were the best of the 2010’s.

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Sure, basketball is a group sport and there’s no “i” in team, but as MJ once pointed out, “there’s an ‘i’ in win!” As fans, we fill the rafters and cheer for our best player to take on and outperform the opponents’ best player to get our team over the hump on the pathway to a W. In today’s episode, we break down the most titillating individual player rivalries of the 2000s. You won’t wanna miss it.

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We’re staying in the exciting 90’s era for a second week in a row to break down the trademark moves we all as fans came to love, adore, and try to emulate on the court. What makes a signature move? Some will claim it’s a move that only the individual player can pull off. While others argue it’s a move that lives beyond the player’s career and continues with others. But one thing is for certain: a true signature move is one that becomes immortalized as a silhouetted logo. With so many diverse skillsets and styles of play throughout the 90’s, this topic makes for a juicy debate of which signature moves were, in fact, the greatest of this era..

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When you think of 90s basketball, you obviously think of the team that dominated the era by stacking SIX rings: The Chicago Bulls. The 1996 team, which won a record-breaking seventy-two games, is considered by most to be the best team of all-time. But what if we told you the 90s was stacked with a parity of other talented teams that highlighted unique styles of play and, despite falling short of winning it all, broke records and left their mark on the evolution of the league. Tune in to find out which teams made indelible marks on our hearts & minds throughout the 90s boom.

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It was once said that the regular season is where players make their money, but the playoffs is where they make their legacies. In this episode we examine the shift from regular season to post-season play, recount some of the most memorable team performances in April through June, and share the never-heard-before stories swirling around them. This decade is ripe with rivalries and some of the most prolific comebacks in league history. Tune in to find out how they stack up…

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