Marc Kestecher of ESPN Radio joins 48 Minutes

0:00 ... Ross Geiger welcomes everyone to the show

1:04 ... Ross live commercial read for Bet Online

1:38 ... Bruce Bernstein introduces our special guest Marc Kestecher, the Voice of the NBA on ESPN Radio

2:34 ... Marc tells the story of how he first came into contact with Bruce at the 2006 NBA All Star Game in Houston and how their friendship almost ended before it even began.

3:40 ... Marc will celebrate his 25th year at ESPN in 2024 and he explains how he almost gave up on doing "play by play" but ESPN Radio showed confidence in him and the rest is history.

6:02 ... Marc called games from the Orlando Bubble in 2020 and shares some stories of life in the bubble, including bonding with fellow broadcasters when they were allowed to interact outside of the quarantine area.

8:02 ... Marc discusses his experiences working with Doris Burke and how she is a trail blazer, is able to multitask while doing a live game, and talking with the producer in between her comments.

10:27 ... Marc's broadcast partner PJ Carlesimo famously organizes postgame meals on the road, sometimes pulling off what would be impossible for mere mortals but is routine for PJ.

14:54 ... Marc marvels at the incredible energy of ESPN Radio analyst and Hall of Famer Hubie Brown, who is close to 90 years old but still on top of his game.

18:30 ... Marc will be calling college football games before NBA season starts and he is very excited to be calling the top 10 matchup between Florida State and LSU over Labor Day weekend.

20:18 ... The FIBA World Championships are underway in the Phillipines and the crew discusses which players are setting themselves up for breakout seasons after performing well in the tournament.

22:54 ... Team USA head coach Steve Kerr has done a great job managing the frustration of players who wish they could have a bigger role in the tournament.

25:06 ... Anthony Edwards of the Timberwolves and Paolo Banchero are growing really quickly as a result of their FIBA experiences and Marc is really excited about Banchero and also how the Wolves will be impacted by an improved Edwards.

28:17 ... Our Two-a-Days begin with an examination of the Denver Nuggets. We react to Track & Field star Noah Lyles' weird comment on how the Nuggets should not be called "World Champions" because they're "United States Champions."

30:08 ... The Nuggets have had a very quiet off season, but have they improved the roster enough to repeat? The team will miss Bruce Brown, but Christian Braun should be ready to expand his role. And Marc feels that Reggie Jackson will have a bigger role. But the Nuggets don't need to win 65 games to be in position to repeat as champs.

34:21 ... Nikola Jokic is 28 years old and many players are at their best between the ages of 28-32, so is it possible we haven't even seen the best of Jokic? Joker loves talking about his teammates, so the thought of him actually improving is downright scary.

36:32 ... Our "Two-a-Days" continue with a discussion of the Boston Celtics and whether Kristaps Porzingis will make the team better and how he will fit in with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Marc really likes the new assistant coaches on Joe Mazzulla's staff.

39:39 ... Will Jaylen Brown's huge new contract mean that he faces more pressure than any other NBA player next season?

41:23 ... Ross wonders if Porzingis and Robert Williams III will play significant minutes together next season.

42:27 ... Marc expects the Celtics will miss Marcus Smart a lot, but Malcolm Brogdon and Derrick White are very capable in their roles.

43:46 ... Mailbag Time! "Who will be traded first: James Harden or Damian Lillard?" Marc and Ross say Harden and Bruce says Lillard because "we know at least one team is interested in Dame."

45:05 ... The crew responds to a question about the new NBA Midseason Tournament and whether it will be successful.

49:38 ... Bruce joked that Pacman Jones was the MVP of the 2007 NBA All Star Game when it was in Las Vegas because he had a "big" weekend back then. Marc tells a story about how he took his family to Vegas that year and his wife never wants to go back!

50:10 ... The guys answer a listener's question about which NBA players will take a big leap forward as a result of their involvement in the FIBA Tournament. Marc and Bruce singled out Paolo Banchero and Austin Reaves while Ross chose Walker Kessler of the Jazz.

53:28 ... Marc shares his social media handles if anyone wants to follow him on X-Twitter.

54:10 ... Ross says goodbye

TRT 54:30