steven lebron radio: Recent Episodes
Alex Wong
Alex Wong is a freelance sports and culture writer for the New York Times, GQ, SLAM, Yahoo Sports Canada and other places. This is his podcast. New episodes every Monday to Friday.
Will and Alex provide a career update before sharing their favorite memories from “The Raptors Show” (31:38). Later, they recap “The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King” (1:18:20) and chat about Smeagol’s birthday, Pippin becoming Alex’s favorite hobbit, winners and losers from the battle of Minas Tirith, Frodo returning to the Shire with nine fingers, why Gandalf is basically Garrett Temple, and more.
Will and Alex are joined by Josh from In Vintage We Trust to walk through every single scene in “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” and discuss: the value of Sam’s friendship, if Saruman is a top-tier villain, pulling up to the gates of Mordor super early in the trilogy, Gandalf’s superpowers, orcs, ents, Grima Wormtongue, Faramir, Agent Smith and Arwen, the gradual defrosting of King Theoden, Smeagol vs. Gollum, Gollum vs. The Forbidden Pool, three-day old maggoty bread, if Aragorn has any good storylines, is Frodo a boring character, the Battle at Helm’s Deep, Merry and Pippin finally doing something, and early predictions for “Return of the King.”
Will and Alex sit down with chef Craig Wong (0:41) to chat about growing up in Scarborough, the origin story of “Patois,” Chinese-Jamaican food, the JunePlum patty, navigating the restaurant industry, his food recommendations around the city, and much more. Later, Alex gives his predictions for “Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,” pays tribute to Akira Toriyama (51:47), explains why his finger injury might end his basketball career, and ranks all 30 NBA teams based on their overall aura. Finally, Will and Alex answer listener questions (1:52:13).
Will and Alex chat about Pascal Siakam’s return to Toronto, the behind-the-scenes story of Will receiving a dap from Fred VanVleet, and how to make All-Star weekend better before Alex provides a non-update on his next career move (58:29), what post-Raptors Show life is like, 10 Big Macs vs 100 McNuggets, the biggest celebrity sightings on his LA trip, and the search for an ‘01 Civic replacement. Finally, Will and Alex journey to Middle Earth (1:26:40) and review the 2001 epic fantasy adventure film “The Lord of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.”
Will and Alex review "The Joy Luck Club," a 1993 American drama film about the relationships between Chinese-American women and their Chinese immigrant mothers.
Larry reveals his pandemic Hall of Shame nominees and we remember definitive moments from the first five months of the pandemic.
Larry returns to the podcast to chat about Alex’s deleted tweet adventure, his most thirsty influencer move during the pandemic, constructive criticism for brands, and more.
Asad joins the podcast for a definitive walkthrough of Alex’s previous career as a chartered accountant.
Sarah returns to the podcast to chat about TikTok, Taylor Swift's new album, and tries to name 10 Asian people.
Joseph Casciaro a.k.a. Bamburgh Circle Bachelor and Mark Savel a.k.a. Paesan Warren Buffett return to the podcast to help Alex accomplish his goal of becoming an honorary paesan.
Vivek returns to the podcast to chat about potentially the best two weeks of "regular season" basketball ever, our early impressions of the defending champion Toronto Raptors, the history of Raptors Twitter, and more.
Larry chats about his newfound fandom for the Toronto Raptors and worst sneakers of the week. Also: Alex discusses his new book deal and the upcoming podcast hiatus.
Will returns to the podcast to chat about Bruce Lee's life, and we review the 1973 martial arts film "Enter the Dragon."
Three stars: Lee, Roper, Han
Patrick Patterson award: Bolo
Gerald Henderson award: The Hong Kong scenery
Sean returns to the podcast to chat about anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists in the NBA bubble, Soulja Boy’s legacy and the most iconic ClutchPoints graphics. Also: we both pick the Raptors to win the Disney World championship.
Lauren returns to the podcast to give her definitive takes on (almost) every restaurant chain in Canada. Also: Alex shares the story of how he was once named Popeyes Fan of the Month on Facebook.
Wesley Cheng a.k.a. Ellen Degenerate joins the podcast to chat about his personal history with gambling and the 1998 American drama film "Rounders."
Three stars: Mike McDermott, Lester "Worm" Murphy, Joey Knish
Patrick Patterson award: Teddy KGB
Gerald Henderson award: Abe Petrovsky
Larry returns to the podcast to discuss Lou Williams' trip to Magic City, why people should stop lace-swapping every pair of sneakers they own, and more. Also: Alex is pro-influencer marketing again thanks to Miller Lite.
Andrew Zuber a.k.a. The Zubes helps Alex pick his bandwagon teams for the 2020 baseball season.
Andrew Zuber a.k.a. The Zubes returns to the podcast to answer every single burning question about the 2020 baseball season.
Will returns to the podcast to revisit Toronto's 30-point comeback against the Dallas Mavericks in December.
Three stars: Kyle Lowry, Chris Boucher, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
Patrick Patterson award: Russell Peters
Gerald Henderson award: Herbie Kuhn
In part two of my 2020 All-Star Weekend revisit with James, we discuss the fourth quarter of the All-Star game including Kyle Lowry’s charges, LeBron vs. Giannis and Chris Paul almost getting a technical in an All-Star game. Also: we play another round of "Who He Play For?"
James returns to the podcast to revisit our favorite memories from 2020 All-Star Weekend in Chicago, including Alex's first encounter with deep dish pizza and Common’s player intros (shoutout Frank Mogul).
Yang joins the podcast to talk about putting Nick Nurse's "NN" hat on GQ's best new menswear items list, Vince Carter's legacy, and more.
Michael Pina joins the podcast to explain the concept of shotgunning beers and Jimmy Butler's "rise and grind" approach. We also discuss the Celtics, 76ers, Heat, Rockets, Nuggets, Jazz and Thunder's chances at the NBA bubble.
theScore’s Joseph Casciaro returns to the podcast to chat about the NBA bubble snitch hotline and Victor Oladipo's potential return. Also: we break down a potential Lakers-Clippers matchup and what another championship would mean for LeBron and Kawhi.
Brad a.k.a. Too Much Hoops joins the podcast to talk about our early impressions of the NBA bubble and Toronto's championship-level defense. We also revisit the Raptors' 15-game win streak and team's fourth quarter comeback win against the Indiana Pacers in February.
Larry returns to the podcast to discuss the return of sports, the end of inappropriate sports team names, how to defund Kelly Loeffer and Todd McFarlane action figures. Also: the best and worst sneakers of 2020 so far.
Will Lou returns to the podcast as we discuss 10 things I miss about the Raptors season. Also: what happens if LeBron wants pork bone stew at Disney World.
Joe Wolfond joins the podcast to chat about his mixed feelings over the return of sports, Michael Chang’s calfs and Marat Safin’s 2000 US Open victory. Also: we recap our favorite moments from the Raptors’ 101-96 win over the Sixers in November a.k.a. The one where Joel Embiid scored zero points.
Kishan returns to the podcast to chat about the return of baseball, financial district photoshoots, and the differences between Gen Z and millennials. Also: we share our favorite personal memories from Raptors championship ring ceremony night.
Vivek returns to the podcast as we make 10 predictions about what will happen at Disney World. Also: what if Patrick Patterson hits the series-clinching shot in the Finals against the Raptors?
CBS Sports writer James Herbert joins the podcast to talk about the league’s return, group economics and the proposed plan for social justice messaging on jerseys. Also: Alex presents his Disney World tiers and plays "Who He Play For?"
Will Lou talks about being a gifted child, watching Arrested Development, playing frisbee sports and more. Also, we discuss: California rolls, hockey lingo, country music bars and streaking. Finally: Alex takes a U2 vs. Oasis quiz.
Lauren returns to the podcast to chat about: breakfast places, Bob Marley, camping, marijuana, latte art competitions, public radio, arts degrees and being the only white person around. Also: drinking a glass of milk, potatoes and Swiss Chalet.
Sean returns to the podcast to explain: expensive sandwiches, shorts, sea salt, tea, renovations, the idea of soccer, spicy food, family photos, defending your city’s honor, EA Sports NHL games and the CFL. Also, we discuss being a tourist in Chinatown and tagging people in online challenges.
Ailish joins the podcast to discuss: Ivy League schools, secret societies, arts degrees, 80s nights, vintage, trendy diets and St. Patrick’s Day. Also: long paragraphs on Instagram and novelty t-shirt designs.
Alex and Larry discuss the politics of wearing a mask in America, the new Kanye West-GAP partnership, the Air Dior seeding list, why it's an honor just to be an Asian, the unrelenting conversations around workplace diversity across all industries, and more.
Steve joins the podcast to discuss: public radio, arts degrees, jazz, indie music band names, microbreweries, reading groups, "asking for a manager" energy, Trader Joe's, Urban Outfitters and lining up for things.
Nolan joins the podcast to explain: rugby, lawyers, World Cup, St Patrick's Day and being the only white person around. Also: we discuss Will Smith, Movember and patio season.
Dan joins the podcast to explain: The Wire, Where The Wild Things Are, Michel Gondry, Juno, Wes Anderson, film festivals and Oscar parties. Also: we discuss people quoting Seinfeld in everyday conversations and Baldur’s Gate.
Blake returns to the podcast to explain: microbreweries, assists, Arrested Development, Japan, indie music, living by the water, pre-made seasoning mixes and The Streets. Also: the whitest wrestling entrance, finishing move and gimmick of all-time.
Ashley returns to the podcast to explain: David Sedaris, living in New York, The Colbert Report, The Daily Show, plays and studying abroad. Also, we discuss travel blogs, #VanLife, personalized holiday cards, book clubs, cruises, live laugh love culture and socially conscious balloons.
Sarah MacDonald joins the podcast to discuss: indie music, Mad Men, difficult breakups, astrology, White Claw, Guy Fieri, The O.C., white people discovering hip-hop eight years after the fact and Roncesvalles.
Joe Wolfond explains snowboarding, frisbee sports, camping, the Toyota Prius, crosswords, Wimbledon and softball. Also: what is the whitest basketball stat?
Sarah Jenkins returns to the podcast to explain the following from "Stuff White People Like," a 2008 blog and New York Times best-selling book: coffee (a.k.a. “cup of joe”), farmer’s markets, dogs, co-ed sports, hummus, marathons, spin classes (a.k.a. prestige biking), country bars and drive-in movie theaters.
Larry, Nicole and I draft our favorite Asian things, including toothpicks, old ladies with no decibel awareness in public and mothballs.
Shireen and I chat about the Canadian sports media landscape and what we’ve learned about the industry through personal experiences. Also: more feedback from other sports media members and listener questions.
Ash returns to the podcast as we share our experiences from managing social media accounts and covering live events.
Will and I chat about our career paths, the use of social media, creating value-adding content and answer a few listener questions.
Jordan Hayles joins the podcast to chat about the need to move beyond just talking about diversity and microaggressions in the workplace. Also: other writers and creatives share their own experiences in sports media.
This week I'll be chatting about different sports media topics in hopes of helping out aspiring writers. Today, Joseph Casciaro of theScore and I talk about reporting at the arena, tips on interviewing NBA players, and more.
Will returns to the podcast to chat about white guilt, the need for validation and the current online discourse. We also review the 2001 American action comedy “Rush Hour 2.”
Three stars: Chief Inspector Lee, Hu Li, Detective James Carter
Patrick Patterson award: Steven Reign
Gerald Henderson award: Kenny
Neil a.k.a. Richard Gear joins the podcast to discuss the streetwear community’s response to what is happening in the world and we dive into our personal history of copping gear for over two decades.
Bao Nguyen, director of the upcoming ESPN 30 for 30 film “Be Water,” joins the podcast to chat about the life of Bruce Lee.
In 2004, a rare skin disease left Vivian Chong with scar tissue that would eventually blind her. She joins the podcast to chat about this life changing experience and her new graphic memoir “Dancing After TEN.”
Larry and Nicole join the podcast as we discuss ways to navigate through the uncomfortable truths of the world we live in.
Will and I review Rush Hour, the 1998 American action comedy film starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker.
Three stars: Detective James Carter, Detective Inspector Yang Naing Lee, Sang
Patrick Patterson award: Thomas Griffin a.k.a. Juntao, Clive Cobb
Gerald Henderson award: Detective Tania Johnson, Soo Yung Han
Trey Kerby joins the podcast to chat about quarantine life, first fit back, Jordan Trunners, earliest Internet memories, the OG Blogspot era, Tony Romo’s stint with the Dallas Mavericks and more.
Blake Murphy a.k.a. Joffrey Lauvergne's long lost brother returns to the podcast to recap Wrestlemania X.
Three stars: Bret Hart, Razor Ramon, Owen Hart
Patrick Patterson award: Lex Luger, Crush
Gerald Henderson award: Burt Reynolds, Pierre Ouellet
Hansen Wong, Manager of G League & International Scouting for the Indiana Pacers, joins the podcast to talk about his journey from Hong Kong to Indiana, his pre-game routine with Reggie Miller and Asians in the NBA.
My friend Tina moved from New York to South Korea in March. She joins the podcast to chat about traveling during a global pandemic and being an Asian foreigner in Asia.
Will Lou joins the podcast to chat about our favorite and least favorite dim sum items.
Will’s three stars: chicken feet, congee, shrimp rice noodle roll
Alex’s three stars: chicken feet, siu mai, har gow
Patrick Patterson award: gai lan, beef balls
Gerald Henderson award: tripe, hot sauce and mustard
Mark Savel a.k.a. The (half) paesan Razor Ramon returns to the podcast to discuss his continuing feud with Joseph Casciaro, the stigma of wearing face masks in public, Costco hot dogs and my dad’s illustrious golf career. Also we name our Hall of Fame, most overrated and most underrated characters from The Office.
Jon and I discuss the 1989 Hong Kong action comedy-drama “God of Gamblers” and our own personal gambling experiences.
Alex's three stars: Ko Chun, Little Knife, Feodora brand chocolate
Jon's three stars: Little Knife, Janet, West Germany contact lenses
Patrick Patterson award: Chan Kam-Sing, casino security
Gerald Henderson award: Dragon, the writers of "God of Gamblers"
Alex watches the 1985 American teen comedy-drama film "The Breakfast Club" for the very first time and discusses his own personal high school memories with Ashley.
Alex’s three stars: John Bender, Brian Johnson, Claire Standish
Ashley’s three stars: John Hughes, marijuana, Allison’s dandruff
Patrick Patterson award: Assistant Principal Vernon
Gerald Henderson award: Carl Reed, Andrew Clark
A supersized long weekend (?) episode. Larry returns to chat about graduating to Mr. Bathing Ape, bootleg Chicago Bulls tees, Georgia as the new Florida, Jeremy Lin's new sponsorships, quarantine burnout and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Also: Larry has a new job and Alex is working on a book proposal.
Will Lou returns to the podcast to reminisce about Linsanity and talk about Jeremy Lin's 38-point performance against the Lakers in 2012.
Three stars: Jeremy Lin, Iman Shumpert, Jared Jeffries
Patrick Patterson award: Andrew Bynum
Gerald Henderson award: Matt Barnes
Joseph Casciaro a.k.a. The Bamburgh Circle Heartbreak Kid joins the podcast to address all of his ongoing feuds, discuss The Last Dance, best teams to never win a title and our favorite characters from The Sopranos.
Jensen Karp joins the podcast to talk about working at the ESPYs, putting people on things since the beginning of time and his four Coachella 2030 Hall of Fame nominees.
Faizal and Vivek return to the podcast to discuss the 1998 romantic comedy Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.
Three stars: Rahul Khanna, Anjali Khanna, Anjali Sharma
Patrick Patterson award: Aman Mehra
Gerald Henderson award: Neelam from The Neelam Show
Mark Savel a.k.a. the Paesan Warren Buffett joins the podcast to chat about our decade-long friendship, my Sears era, Chinese vs. Italian parents, skipping post-secondary education and becoming a real estate agent, the process of delaying a wedding during the pandemic and being an espresso snob.
Will Lou joins the podcast to break down our favorite Chinese bakery items.
Alex's three stars: Pineapple bun with butter, egg tart, hot dog bun
Will's three stars: Chicken and mushroom bun, flaky BBQ pork pastry, egg yolk custard
Honorable mentions: steamed bun, chicken sandwiches at the counter
Patrick Patterson award: pork floss bun, mayo mushroom corn bun
Gerald Henderson award: sugar donut, coconut tart, mini cupcakes
Blake Murphy joins the podcast to discuss the rise and fall of NWO, and we revisit Dennis Rodman's WCW career.
Three stars: Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall
Patrick Patterson award: Horace Hogan, The Giant
Gerald Henderson award: Scott Steiner aka Big Poppa Pump, Macho Man Randy Savage
Jay Shuang call in from a coffee shop in Taipei to share his personal experience on what life might look like for us when shelter-in-place restrictions are eventually lifted in North America. Also: we discuss sneaker culture in Asia.
Sarah Jenkins joins the podcast to provide insight into fangirl culture. Also, apparently people get to use their iPhones in elementary school now.
Three stars: Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, One Direction
Patrick Patterson award: Ariana Grande
Gerald Henderson award: Demi Lovato
On this week’s debrief, Larry and I talk about businesses opening up in Georgia, the persistence of protesters, golf as the go-to pandemic sport, looking up old co-workers on LinkedIn and the time I tried to get a photo with Chris Rock.
Will Lou joins the podcast to recap his all-time favorite movie: the 2005 romantic comedy "Hitch" starring Will Smith, Eva Mendes and Kevin James.
Alex's three stars: Sara's Soho apartment, Othella Harrington, Albert Brennaman
Will's three stars: Albert Brennaman, Alex Hitchens, Sara Melas
Patrick Patterson award: Ben, Vance Munson
Gerald Henderson award: Madison Square Garden hot dog vendor, Allegra Cole
Joe and Faizal join the podcast to chat about everything Breaking Bad universe related, and we name our five stars of the show(s).
Patrick Patterson award: Walter White Jr., Chuck McGill, Tuco Salamanca, Elliott Schwartz
Gerald Henderson award: Hector Salamanca, Skinny Pete, Badger, Ed Galbraith, Howard Hamlin, Huell Babineux, Jimmy McGill's film crew
Vice President of the Coachella 2030 Hall of Fame committee Sean Highkin joins the podcast to discuss iconic basketball jerseys, the vintage scene in Portland and why summer league is the Comic-Con of the NBA
NBA photographer Nathaniel Butler joins the podcast to share his personal memories of covering Michael Jordan’s career.
It’s the Season 1 finale! Larry and I figure out how to enter quarantine 2.0, discuss pizza vs. pasta, clones, Supreme drops, worst seeding experiences and creative gatekeeping.
Sean Woodley joins the podcast to recap the 2017-18 Raptors season a.k.a. the best and worst season in franchise history.
Three stars: DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry, Jonas Valanciunas (honorable mention: The Bench Mob)
Patrick Patterson award: Dwane Casey, Serge Ibaka
Gerald Henderson award: J.R. Smith, the east end rim at Scotiabank Arena
Will Lou joins the podcast to recap the 2016-17 Raptors season a.k.a. the one where LeBron James started to really embarrass the whole Raptors organization.
Three stars: DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry, Masai Ujiri
Patrick Patterson award: Patrick Patterson, DeMarre Carroll
Gerald Henderson award: The entire Milwaukee Bucks roster outside of Giannis, Channing Frye, the Cavs beer vendor, Kyle Korver
Yang-Yi Goh joins the podcast to recap the 2015-16 Raptors season a.k.a. the one where they finally got out of the first round.
Three stars: Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Bismack Biyombo
Patrick Patterson award: DeMarre Carroll
Gerald Henderson award: Dahntay Jones
Vivek Jacob joins the podcast to recap the 2014-15 Raptors season a.k.a. the one where they got swept by Randy Wittman.
Three stars: Kyle Lowry, Jonas Valanciunas, Lou Williams
Patrick Patterson award: Lou Williams, Tyler Hansbrough
Gerald Henderson award: Paul Pierce, Drew Gooden
Joe Wolfond joins the podcast to recap the 2013-14 Raptors season a.k.a. the start of the “We The North” era.
Three stars: Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Amir Johnson
Patrick Patterson award: John Salmons
Gerald Henderson award: Marcus Thornton
Weekly debrief and more Asian parents talk. Also: Jeremy Lin, dealing with haters online, Grateful Dead t-shirts, GQ's Kanye West interview, "The Last Dance," herbs of the week and more.
I watch "Friends" for the first time ever (three episodes) and discuss with Ashley Hufford.
Alex’s three stars: Ross Geller, Phoebe Buffay, Joey Tribbiani
Ashley’s three stars: Monica Geller, Phoebe Buffay, Chandler Bing
Patrick Patterson award: Janice Litman-Goralnik, Marcel the monkey
Gerald Henderson award: Mike Hannigan, Jill Greene, Amy Greene, Parker, Susie Moss, Jack Geller, Will Colbert, the chick and the duck
Arun Srinivasan a.k.a. Arun Things joins the podcast to talk sports jeopardy and answer a Will Lou Q&A mailbag. Also, he nominates four Toronto Maple Leafs (shoutout Tim Horton) and Buffalo Bills jerseys for the Coachella 2030 hall of fame.
Blake Murphy joins the podcast to discuss favorite wrestling memories growing up and we recap King of the Ring ‘93.
Alex's three stars: Bret Hart, Yokozuna, Jimmy Hart's jacket
Blake's three stars: Bret Hart, The Outsiders, Macho Man Randy Savage
Patrick Patterson award: Mr. Hughes, Hulk Hogan, Lex Luger
Gerald Henderson award: Mean Gene Okerlund, Mr. Perfect
Weekly debrief with Larry Luk! I’m on tilt after losing an online poker tournament. We have our first strategy meeting for First Fit Back and discuss most painful sports memories and favorite NBA logos.
Will Lou joins the podcast for an in-depth film breakdown of the 2018 romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians.
Three stars: Michelle Yeoh, Constance Wu and Oliver T'sien.
Patrick Patterson award: Ken Jeong.
Gerald Henderson award: Ronny Chieng, Awkwafina and Gemma Chan.
theScore’s dynamic duo joins the podcast. Joseph Casciaro on the new sports landscape and his favorite dim sum items. Ashkan Rahimi on being a social media expert and getting seeded by brands.
Yaron Weitzman joins the podcast to talk about his new book “Tanking to the Top: The Philadelphia 76ers and the Most Audacious Process in the History of Professional Sports”
Coachella 2030 Hall of Fame co-commissioner Russ Bengtson joins the podcast to discuss our first round of HOF inductions.
Larry Luk returns to the podcast to discuss Andrew Yang, Chinese BBQ pork, Kanye West and our retirement plans.
Will Lou joins the podcast for an in-depth film breakdown of the modern day classic Uncut Gems.
Three stars: Howard Ratner, Julia De Fiore, Kevin Garnett.
Patrick Patterson award: Demany, Doc Rivers, The Weeknd and Paul Pierce.
Gerald Henderson award: Phil a.k.a. Arno's bodyguard and Wayne Diamond.
Pop culture connoisseur Jon Ng joins the podcast to chat about my Lindsay Lohan will win an Oscar by 2030 bet, and other things.
One of a kind internet personality, comedian and friend Lauren Mitchell joins the podcast to chat about business ideas and the career of A$AP Rocky.
Well-respected television broadcaster Faizal Khamisa joins the podcast to talk about curling, his beautiful hair and more.
Critically-acclaimed designer Larry Luk checks in from Atlanta. We talk about the importance of your first fit when the global pandemic ends and other less obnoxious topics.
World-renowned photographer Kishan Mistry joins the podcast to talk content strategies in a global pandemic, brunch with Jay Z and the iconic New York Yankees logo.