The Max Whittle Podcast

This week on the US Sports Podcast with Max Whittle, we welcome in Craig Sager Jr, the son of legendary NBA sideline reporter Craig Sager, who sadly passed away at the age of 65 in December 2016. Known for wearing colourful suits as he worked the NBA sideline, Sager was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2014 and went through multiple courses of treatment before returning to the game nearly one year later, before the illness tragically returned for a second time. During Sager's illness, Sager Jr. twice donated marrow and blood to his dad and on this podcast shares countless stories he had with his father down the years, how Sager never gave up amidst the struggles and the lessons Jr. has learned through this difficult time. From Sager's time at Northwestern as the Wildcat mascot, to covering Hank Aaron's 715th home run as a cub reporter to always having a response ready when a joke was made about his outfits, Craig Sager Jr. remembers Craig Sager for the great and vibrant man that he was.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver is this week's guest on the US Sports Podcast with Max Whittle. During the Global Games encounter in London between the Denver Nuggets and Indiana Pacers, Adam was in the NBA UK office for a roundtable discussion with select media about the following topics: How Brexit might affect the NBA's business in London, what he would advise players and teams if they expressed doubt about visiting Donald Trump's White House, how the new Collective Bargaining Agreement could extend the NBA's regular season ventures outside the United States, the possibility of hosting All Star Weekend in London, how the league has weathered dips in TV ratings as seen in other sports, the financial status of all 30 franchises, the relationship he has with NBA coaches and his thoughts on whether he is concerned by the dominance of the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers.

This week on the US Sports Podcast with Max Whittle, 2012 NBA champion Ronny Turiaf joins the show. During his NBA career Ronny played for seven teams; the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Washington Wizards, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves, winning a championship with the Heat in 2012 alongside LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Shortly after being drafted by the Lakers in 2005, the Frenchman was told he would require open heart surgery because of an enlarged aortic root in his heart. Ronny talks about refusing to live a life of medication and no basketball and how he recovered from surgery to make it to the NBA. Capped by the French national team 100 times, Turiaf was also a team captain with the Warriors the year Stephen Curry was drafted and explains his role in nurturing the reigning two-time league MVP. Ronny also discusses the connection he has with Martinique, the island he grew up on, and admits in retirement he will visit every country in the world.

The US Sports Podcast is sponsored by our partners at RedzoneSports.com – the bespoke British bookmaker for American Sports. As well as the best odds on US sports, money can’t buy prize promotions and their very own cheerleading squad, you can get an exclusive £60 deposit match bonus as a new customer by using deposit code USSP on your first deposit. Redzone is for over 18s only. Betting should be fun so please gamble responsibly.

This week on the US Sports Podcast with Max Whittle, Seattle Sounders reporter Matt Pentz joins the show to look back on the 2016 MLS season, which concluded with the Sounders winning the MLS Cup over Toronto. Matt, who writes for the Seattle Times, talks about the Sounders season and how strange it was for a team to win the cup game without recording a single shot on target over 120 minutes. He then goes in-depth about how the Steven Gerrard project failed in Los Angeles, Robbie Keane's impact on the American game as he leaves the States after six seasons, David Beckham's ongoing Miami franchise project, Bruce Arena's appointment as Team USA head coach before advising the MLS on how it might improve its product and naming his favourite all-time American soccer player.

The US Sports Podcast is sponsored by our partners at redzonesports.com - the bespoke British bookmaker for American sports. As well as the best odds on US sports, money can’t buy prize promotions and their very own cheerleading squad, you can get an exclusive £60 deposit match bonus as a new customer by using deposit code USSP on your first deposit. Simply enter code USSP when registering and double your money. Redzone is for over 18s only. Betting should be fun so please gamble responsibly.

This week on the US Sports Podcast with Max Whittle, the Guardian's Les Carpenter jumps onto the show to review the best of sport in 2016. Les covered the World Series and NBA Finals - both of which went seven games - the Rio Olympics, Conor McGregor's UFC rise and last season's Super Bowl between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers. Les, a Los Angeles native, also talks about legendary Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully following the 89-year-old's retirement in October, and while discussing the tragic death of Muhammad Ali, news broke that long-time sideline reporter Craig Sager had also died. The guys wrap up with their sporting surprises of 2016 and bold prediction for 2017.

The US Sports Podcast is sponsored by RedzoneSports.com – the bespoke British bookmaker for American Sports. As well as the best odds on US sports, money can’t buy prize promotions and their very own cheerleading squad, you can get an exclusive £60 deposit match bonus as a new customer by using deposit code USSP on your first deposit. That’s code USSP when registering. Redzone is for over 18s only. Betting should be fun so please gamble responsibly.

This week on the US Sports Podcast with Max Whittle, John Amaechi - the first former NBA player to come out as gay in 2007 - joins the show. In a candid conversation about his life on and off the court, race and sexual issues in sport and what it was like to be in the NBA when people knew he was gay, John gives an honest opinion about why he thought former Utah Jazz coach Jerry Sloan hated him, why a lot of straight men believe gay men fancy them and why he decided to start living more openly gay whilst with the Jazz. John also discusses why he thinks Phil Jackson described LeBron James' business associates as a 'posse', the recent news cases of children being abused by coaches, his view that basketball in the UK is very poor, the NBA's stance on Donald Trump being elected President of the United States and why he turned down 17 million dollars to join the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000.

The US Sports Podcast is sponsored by our partners at RedzoneSports.com – the bespoke British bookmaker for American Sports. As well as the best odds on US sports, money can’t buy prize promotions and their very own cheerleading squad, you can get an exclusive £60 deposit match bonus as a new customer by using deposit code USSP on your first deposit. Redzone is for over 18s only. Betting should be fun so please gamble responsibly.

This week on the US Sports Podcast with Max Whittle, Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Jack Crawford joins the show. Jack grew up in London before moving to the United States to play high school basketball, eventually transitioning to football and several years later being drafted by the Oakland Raiders. Speaking at his London home before the start of the 2016 season, Jack talks to Max about growing up in London, his original aspirations of making it to the NBA, how he got into football, the emotions of draft day and being selected by the Raiders, representing the Cowboys, concussions in football, how he recovers from a game and the future of the sport in the UK.

The US Sports Podcast is sponsored by our partners at RedzoneSports.com – the bespoke British bookmaker for American Sports. As well as the best odds on US sports, money can’t buy prize promotions and their very own cheerleading squad, you can get an exclusive £60 deposit match bonus as a new customer by using deposit code USSP on your first deposit. Redzone is for over 18s only. Betting should be fun so please gamble responsibly.

This week on the US Sports Podcast with Max Whittle, Sports Illustrated writer, podcast host and social guru Mitch Goldich joins the show. A Philadelphia native, Mitch talks about his beloved Sixers and former GM Sam Hinkie before discussing the Eagles Giants rivalry. The guys then discuss LeBron James winning Sports Illustrated's Sportsperson of the Year award before a chat on the Rio Olympics and the best sporting moments of 2016. The US Sports Podcast is brought to you by redzonesports.com, the bespoke British bookmaker for American sports. You can get an exclusive £60 deposit match bonus as a new customer by using deposit code USSP on your first deposit. Redzone is for over 18s only. Betting should be fun so please gamble responsibly.

This week on the US Sports Podcast with Max Whittle, BBC World Service sports correspondent and NBA fanatic Raphael Gellar joins the show. In an attempt to cover as many news stories as possible, the guys start with Russell Westbrook's triple double madness and end with the state of the New York Knicks, filling the middle with the Golden State Warriors, Greg Oden's 'biggest flop' comments, terrible drafts through history, the Milwaukee Bucks, LA Clippers and Lakers, DeMarcus Cousins vs. Anthony Davis and the most surprising and disappointing teams so far.

This week on the US Sports Podcast with Max Whittle, founder of the New York Giants UK fan group Keith Burton jumps onto the show. Setting up a Giants community on this side of the pond, Keith explains why and how he got into American football, the growth of the fan group, whether off-the-field issues have affected his NFL fandom, the rise and celebrity of Odell Beckham Jr., the perception of Eli Manning and the dedication necessary to follow his beloved team.