48 Minutes: OKC Wins Title, Durant Traded, Lakers Sold, Knicks Drama

0:00 ... Hello and Welcome ... Ross introduces the panel ... teases our content 0:28 ... Bet OnLine live commercial read 1:15 ... Opening discussion on Giannis and how his presence has set off an avalanche of attention for the show ... 1:30 ... Bruce credits Ross for getting Giannis ... Reaction to seeing ourselves on ESPN's NBA Today 2:12 ... Giannis made news on the show, especially about his future in Milwaukee ... 2:48 ... World B's reaction to the passion that Giannis showed in answering our questions ... lots of fans in Milwaukee are feeling a bit nervous 3:43 ... Bruce discusses how much civic pride the city of Milwaukee has for Giannis and how he is recognizable around the world as a "one name" person ... and while he'd like to stay in Milwaukee if the team is competitive, he does have options.  Ross chimes in on the reasons he feels Giannis and Milwaukee are a good fit. 5:53 ... World B sizes up the Bucks situation, singling out Jrue Holiday and the other veterans and understands that their championship window won't stay open indefinitely. 6:50 ... Ross tees up a discussion of Giannis' comments about the NBA champion not being the "World Champion."  This was a very controversial take by Giannis and we examine the pros and cons of his position. 8:50 ... Bruce feels the American fans and the International fans are clearly divided on the topic.  There are other leagues around the world that could lay claim to calling themselves "World Champions," but don't. 10:12 ... Ross points out that Giannis never speaks without thinking first and Ross agrees with him on the issue, even though he was previously on the fence. 10:59 ... World B agrees that part of the issue is the American fans' attitude and he points out that it's now up to the US to send a team to the Olympics to back up the boasting. 11:38 ... Hakeem Olajuwon discussion and why Giannis has always been Bruce's "Hakeem 2.0"  Giannis also broke the news that he'd be working out with Hakeem before the season starts, which resonated "big time" around the hoop world. 13:41 ... World B on the excitement in Milwaukee over the Hakeem/Giannis future workout 14:15 ... Ross on comments from fans ... we love them ... keep them coming 14:48 ... Thoughts on the growth of our listeners from around the globe ... 16:22 ... Ross expresses his feeling that helping hoop fans get to know Giannis through this show has been gratifying for him. 17:10 ... Next week's guest will be Mike Brown, the head coach of the Sacramento Kings and we examine some of his accomplishments and why he is such a winning individual.  Everyone discusses what they hope to learn from Coach Brown. 23:41 ... Ross asks for listeners to send us questions ... Bruce and World B share their social media handles for listeners questions and Ross adds his at the end. 26:30 ... Bye and see y'all next time   TRT 27:00

14 Sep 202327min

0:00 Intro 01:07 Ross introduces special guest Giannis Antetokounmpo 01:45 Giannis confirms this is the very first podcast he’s ever done 02:39 Ross asks Giannis to discuss what he remembers from an all-time moment they shared driving through a Milwaukee blizzard together 04:59 Giannis on Comparisons to Hakeem Olajuwon 06:37 Giannis shares why he does not workout with other active NBA players in the offseason & details his upcoming trip to go workout with Hakeem before the upcoming season 08:33 Which part of Giannis’s personality is Greek & which part of his personality is Nigerian?  10:04 Giannis chimes in & provides his stance on Noah Lyles’s recent NBA “World Champion” comments 14:05 Why are all the best NBA Bigs International Players? 16:01 Giannis on Victor Wembanyama  20:20 How much has last year’s First Round Loss to the Miami Heat motivated Giannis this Summer  22:42 Giannis on whether he sees himself playing the rest of his career with the Milwaukee Bucks 27:41 Does Giannis dream of owning an NBA franchise in the future? 31:46 Word Association with the Greek Freak 34:31 Ross makes a promise & proposes a long overdue challenge to Giannis: Pool, Pickleball, & Around the World. Who wins? 37:17 Ross throws out a ladder joke. Giannis shares the full story on the ladder incident in Philadelphia 42:03 Show closes with a reminder that next week our special guest is the NBA’s Coach of the Year Mike Brown of the Sacramento Kings

12 Sep 202342min

0:00 Intro  01:14 Bruce talks about his recent trip to U.S. Open Tennis Championship & the really cool NBA connection 03:19 World B shares his thoughts on Noah Lyles comments NBA Champions being considered World Champions 05:15 Ross discusses the significance behind the Kings recent signing of JaVale McGee 06:45 Projected risers for NBA Regular Season Wins according to the Vegas Sportsbook 7:10 Dallas Mavericks 8:59 Detroit Pistons 11:27 Houston Rockets 13:58 Indiana Pacers 16:30 LA Lakers 18:53 OKC Thunder 21:55 Orlando Magic  24:46 Phoenix Suns  27:37 San Antonio Spurs 30:32 Projected fallers for NBA Regular Season Wins according to the Vegas Sportsbook 30:45 Boston Celtics  33:02 Cleveland Cavaliers  36:00 Memphis Grizzlies  38:36 Milwaukee Bucks  41:14 New York Knicks  44:47 Philadelphia 76ers 47:10 Sacramento Kings  50:02 Utah Jazz 52:34 Washington Wizards  55:02 The crew give their final group thoughts on Team USA recent loss in the FIBA Tournament

5 Sep 202358min

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

30 Aug 202354min

0:00 ... Opening animation and Ross welcomes us to show #62 in honor of Scot Pollard, who wore that number as an Indiana Pacer. 0:51 ... Ross' Bet Online live commercial read 1:23 ... Bruce introduces our guest Cassidy Hubbarth and they have a warm exchange about their history working together on NBA Tonight and NBA Coast to Coast, including Cassidy's hip hop nicknames for everyone on the staff 4:40 ... Bruce wants to know if covering the NBA at ESPN is the basketball life Cassidy always dreamed of? 6:09 ... Ross asks Cassidy about the difference between presenting content on linear TV vs. what she does on the digital platform with her hit series "Hoop Streams." 9:49 ... Cassidy waxes poetic on her colleague Doris Burke and why she is the G.O.A.T.  Cassidy praises Doris for her character and how she earned everything she has achieved. 14:06 ... Ross asks if there is a specific story about Doris, and Cassidy goes through a series of things that have drawn them so close together as friends. 16:33 ... Cassidy shares a classic story about her very first sideline reporter gig on Christmas Day 2015 where she was tasked with doing sideline interviews, including having to deal with Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. 21:24 ... Cassidy has a daughter that will turn five years old in December.  What has it been like to balance motherhood and family life with her demanding schedule? 25:20 ... Cassidy discusses her favorite "follows" on social media and discusses how she interacts with social media as a key part of her job. 28:20 ... Ross tees up our "Two-a-Days" and we start with Cassidy's Chicago Bulls ... and Cass struggles with finding something positive to say about Da' Bulls.  She feels like they're in purgatory and stuck in the middle, which is the worst place to be in the NBA. 33:08 ... Bruce commiserates with Cass for being bummed about the Bulls and "World B" tries to raise the spirits of "Bulls Nation" but Cass really isn't having any of it.  Although Cass' Dad feels more optimistic than she does. 38:17 ... Ross continues our "Two-a-Days" with our Golden State Warriors discussion and tees Cassidy up for her thoughts about newly acquired Chris Paul. 43:18 ... Bob Myers left Golden State to take a job at ESPN and the crew discusses whether Myers got out of Golden State before he had to preside over a tear down and rebuild. 45:32 ... "World B" wonders if Chris Paul's style of offense will mesh well with the style the Warriors have played for so many years.  Cass feels his presence will be very helpful to the younger guys on the team like Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga and also that he'll be an asset on the second team. 49:09 ... Ross transitions to a discussion of Damian Lillard and James Harden, both of whom are seeking trades.  Cass feels that Portland will eventually deal Lillard but they're trying not to give him away. 52:16 ... Will James Harden ever be happy?  Does he want to win a title?  Does he just want to get paid?  Is it important for him to be "The Man" again?    Cassidy hopes james stays in Philly because she doesn't want to see another year of prime Joel Embiid wasted. 56:32 ... We play "Word Association" and Bruce asks Cassidy about Stuart Scott, who was one one of her greatest mentors. 58:34 ... Word Association continues with "World B" asking Cass about Stephen A. Smith and how he is VERY quiet when you talk to him in person. 59:53 ... More Word Association as Ross asks Cass about fellow Northwestern Wildcat and ESPN colleague Michael Wilbon. 1:01:14 ... The crew thanks Cassidy for being on the show and everyone says goodbye TRT 1:02:25

23 Aug 20231h 2min

0:00 Intro  1:24 Former Villanova Wildcats help lead the charge for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup of Basketball 3:14 World B raises some big questions in the Western Conference going into next season 4:52 Ross’s 3 favorite James Harden trades/destinations  9:33 NBA Two-a-Days: An offseason preview on the Cleveland Cavaliers & Minnesota Timberwolves 23:48-24:43 Anthony Edwards/FIBA short segment 26:33 Mail Bag Time! Listener Submitted Questions 38:59 Live NBA Cards Pack Break. Bruce & World B are put to the test! 52:35 Bruce provides his final thought on the San Antonio Spurs presence at the Basketball Hall of Fame this past weekend 54:35 World B gives his final thought on reigning MVP Joel Embiid heading into next season 56:22 Ross provides an exciting announcement of the show debuting on BLEAV TV

16 Aug 202357min

Bruce Bernstein and Michael "World B" Freer examine what happened and what is likely to happen regarding Harden's NBA future. 0:00 ... Open and Welcome 0:27 ... BetOnline commercial read 1:01 ... Bruce summarizes what happened in China and adds some context to the situation. 2:26 ... Morey has always been supportive of Harden, yet James trashed him in China of all places. 2:59 ... "World B" feels Harden acted out of desperation and is trying to force Morey's hand. 3:35 ... Bruce asks why Morey should accommodate Harden at this point? 3:51 ... "World B" feels Morey is also culpable in this scenario due to promises supposedly made that were not honored. 4:38 ... Morey wants to have his cake and eat it too as far as his demands in a trade. 5:11 ... Is Morey acting like Harden is in his prime rather than an aging star who has a lot of miles on his body?  Bruce asks if Morey "thinks he's Danny Ainge?" 7:30 ... Can Harden be allowed anywhere near this team? 7:56 ... Bruce feels it's hard to have sympathy for James considering Morey fired head coach Doc Rivers partly because Doc and James were not on the same page.  And now new coach Nick Nurse has to deal with this mess. 9:35 ... "World B" still feels Harden and MVP Joel Embiid can be a lethal combo because their efficiency as a duo last season was outstanding. 11:09 ... At this point, is there even a viable market for James Harden?  The guys discuss. TRT 13:03

14 Aug 202313min

0:00 Intro 1:30 Anthony Davis’s contract extension with the LA Lakers 3:28 The FIBA World Cup’s possible effects on load management in the NBA next season 5:13 Diana Taurasi becomes the 1st player in WNBA history to reach the 10K points milestone 6:45 Hall of Fame Inductions to the Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday  7:06 Bruce gives us more details some of the lesser known names headed to the Hall of Fame 10:02 The crew discusses the 5 legendary NBA names in this year’s class starting off with Dwyane Wade 14:04 Tony Parker group discussion 18:46 Pau Gasol’s career reflection 25:45 Dirk Nowitzki group chat 30:12 Gregg Popovich discussion 38:11 Mailbag Time! Listener Submitted Questions 49:00 A fun NBA Nickname Discussion: Which all-time great nicknames are our favorites?

9 Aug 202357min