The Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast: Recent Episodes
Hardwood Paroxysm Basketball Network
The Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast is devoted to examining and exploring NBA, ABA & basketball history like never before.
We decided to create mythical U.S. Olympic Dream Teams from 1968, 1980, 2004 and 2016 and compare them to the vaunted original Dream Team of 1992 led by Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen and Patrick Ewing. Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch are joined by Adam Johnson of Basketball Pantheon on this episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA podcast. Each of us tried to create a perfect roster of professional players to match up with the formidable 1992 squad. For 1968, we debated how a team led by Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Rick Barry would match up. For 1980, we looked at a team that would include Bird, Magic, Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and George Gervin. For 2004, we considered a squad led by Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan and Shaquille O'Neal and who would best fit alongside them. For 2016, we mulled over a talent-rich squad led by Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, James Harden, Anthony Davis, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony. Which year would make the best team? Could any of them handle the 1992 Dream Team?
The longest playoff droughts in NBA history are discussed on this episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA podcast. Jason Mann and guest host Adam Criblez talk about the 1977-1991 Los Angeles Clippers, 1995-2006 Golden State Warriors, 2005-2015 Minnesota Timberwolves, 1987-1996 Sacramento Kings, 1991-2000 Dallas Mavericks, 1975-1983 Utah Jazz, and more. Topics discussed include bad drafting histories, terrible ownership, close calls to the playoffs, longest suffering players and how they broke their streaks.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast looks back at players who made only one appearance on an all-NBA or ABA first team, then never made another all-NBA appearance for the rest of their careers. It's a pretty rare occurrence, with some interesting names including Wes Unseld, Earl Monroe, Gail Goodrich, Warren Jabali, Kevin McHale, Latrell Sprewell, Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. Jason Mann and special guest host Adam Criblez decide if these players were a flash in the pan or just overlooked for the rest of their careers. #nba #basketball
So we all know that Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and the Chicago Bulls were the top team in the 1990s. They won six championships in eight years, had greatest single season of all-time and were led by the best player of his generation, if not all-time, and so on.
But who was the second-best team in the decade? Who would've dominated the 90s if not for Jordan and the Bulls? Who's a team that doesn't get enough credit for being great throughout the decade? We try to answer these questions on this episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast!
Dec 16, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) poses for photos with kids during the team Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch celebrate Christmas and the career of Kobe Bryant with a very special episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA podcast called “A VERY KOBE CHRISTMAS.” Jason and Rich provide commentary while watching Kobe’s 61-point performance vs. the Knicks on Feb. 2, 2009, in Madison Square Garden. They also make it a drinking game, taking a gulp of beer every time Kobe takes a shot.
During the episode, Jason and Rich tackle many, many topics, including how the Lakers became a juggernaut with the addition of Pau Gasol, the enigma of Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher’s steady veteran leadership, the rise of Trevor Ariza, Luke Walton’s steadiness, and the beginning of the end for Vladimir Radmanovic on the Lakers. They also discuss the rebuilding 2008-09 New York Knicks with new leadership from Mike D’Antoni and Donnie Walsh, Chris Duhon’s career season, Al Harrington’s license to shoot, David Lee’s leap, Jared Jeffries’ perpetual disappointment, the well-traveled Quentin Richardson, future Nuggets centerpieces Wilson Chandler and Danilo Galinari, the puzzling Tim Thomas, and Nate Robinson being Nate Robinson. Jason and Rich also make many detours of conversation, including their choices for the best wrestling match in Madison Square Garden history.
If you’d like to follow along with Jason and Rich, you can check out the game on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8edPRyyZCA&list=PL2D89F24437CF907F
With Kobe Bryant's retirement tour now in full swing, the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast takes a look at the final years for some of the NBA's all-time greats. Rich and Jason discuss how the player was perceived at the time, how successful their final year was (both individually and team-wise) and, of course, the pageantry surrounding their goodbyes.
Some of the players looked at include Michael Jordan (Washington Wizards), Philadelphia 76ers legend Julius Erving, Boston Celtics great John Havlicek, Jerry West, John Stockton as well as Reggie Miller, Elvin Hayes, Hal Greer, Jason Kidd and Hakeem Olajuwon.
Inspired by baseball product Effectively Wild's recent look at the insanity that was Barry Bonds' career, the Over and Back Podcast takes a look NBA's most game-breaking player of all-time, Wilt Chamberlain.
Joined by Dan of Chamberlain Archive (@WiltCArchive), Jason and Rich detail Chamberlain's eye-popped statistics from a single game, season and career standpoints including 100+ 50-point games, 250+ 40-point games and the only 20/20/20 game ever. A detailed look at where Wilt ranked in all-time statistics upon his retirement and just how far he was ahead of his peers. The episode also includes a lengthy discussion about his record-breaking 1961-62 season as well as common criticisms and misconceptions about Wilt's career, his numbers, the competition level of his peers and the pace of play during his era. If you love stats or NBA history, this is going to be the episode for you.
Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch make their choices for the worst jerseys in each NBA franchise’s history on the latest episode of the Over and Back classic NBA podcast.
From the Detroit Pistons’ shameful teal period, the New York Knicks’ questionable deviations from their classic look, the Chicago Bulls’ unfortunate experiment with pinstripes, whatever the Houston Rockets were going for in the late 1990s, and lots of franchises’ (Hawks, Kings, Wizards, Warriors, Nuggets, Bobcats/Hornets, Cavaliers) failed experiments with yellow, orange or gold, Jason and Rich dig into the history of each franchise’s worst jerseys and unearth some tasty tidbits.
In additional to our usual audio version, you can also check out a special video version of this episode that shows the jerseys we are discussing: https://youtu.be/n-MWP4PfBsg
Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch make their choices for the best jerseys in each NBA franchise’s history on the latest episode of the Over and Back classic NBA podcast.
From the cursive “Chicago” text on the early Michael Jordan-era Bulls uniforms, “The City” logo on the classic San Francisco Warriors jerseys worn by Rick Barry and Nate Thurmond, the mostly unchanged apparel of the Boston Celtics worn by the likes of Bill Russell, Larry Bird and Paul Pierce, and the gorgeous 1980s outfits worn by the Seattle Supersonics, Jason and Rich dig into a bit of the history of each team’s best jerseys and the reasons behind their choices.
Visit https://youtu.be/ft4Bw_7StlU for our video accompanyment to this podcast.
Impressed by Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors' 8-0 start? Pff... that's nothing compared to some of the most historically dominant starts ever.
This episode of the Over and Back Podcast looks at those Best Starts in NBA History with a deep dive into the team, the history surrounding the team, key players and figures and how their season ended. Teams include 1958 Boston Celtics in the second year of Bill Russell's career as well as the 2003 Dallas Mavericks, the best team of the Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash and Michael Finley triumvirate. The 15-0 Washington Captiols of 1949 and the 1994 Houston Rockets are covered in addition to the 72-10 Chicago Bulls led by Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman, the 1991 Portland Trailblazers, the historic 1970 New York Knicks and Boston's late 2000 "Big 3" (Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen).
"History and legacy are fluid, as are the NBA’s record books. Every new season a slew of players seek to top off their career achievements and vault past some legendary predecessor. This year will be no exception — several historic milestones will be reached and a handful of all-time records are under siege." -Hardwood Paroxysm 2015-16 Season Preview
On today's podcast, Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch discuss a number of NBA records and leaderboard top spots that could be in danger from active players in 2015-16. Legends like Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce and LeBron James are all within reach of all-time leaderboards while current stalwarts like Steph Curry and Tyson Chandler could make the leap before their careers have reached their nadir.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast’s Top 50 project is finally finished. Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch reveal their choices for their new Top 50 greatest NBA players of all time, talk about the thinking behind their picks, possible criticisms of the list, who we had to leave off, balancing eras and positions, and how they came to common ground on the last few choices.
Share your thoughts with us on Twitter by using the hashtag #ob50.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast’s Top 50 project is almost finished, but we still have to make our list and check it twice. Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch debate a handful of their favorite candidates who are on the border of making their list: Bob Cousy, Isiah Thomas, Allen Iverson, Manu Ginobili, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Reggie Miller, Adrian Dantley, Dennis Rodman, Elvin Hayes, Dave Cowens, Willis Reed, Pau Gasol, Bob Lanier and Patrick Ewing.
Share your thoughts with us on Twitter by using the hashtag #ob50.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, with a look at the career and Top 50 candidacy of Dwyane Wade.
Jason Mann, Rich Kraetsch and Nate Duncan (@NateDuncanNBA)—host of the Dunc'd On Basketball Podcast—discuss Wade's meteoric rise to superstardom, where he ranks all-time among shooting guards, his success fitting into multiple systems with the Heat, his insanely high peak and much more.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, with a look at the career and Top 50 candidacy of Sidney Moncrief.
Jason Mann and Brian Schroeder (@cosmis) of Hardwood Paroxysm discuss Moncrief’s star turn for an excellent series of Milwaukee Bucks teams, how he’s been largely forgotten despite being one of the best guards of his day, and where he ranks among the greatest perimeter defenders ever.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, with a look at the career and Top 50 candidacy of Chauncey Billups.
Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch discuss Billups’ remarkable run of winning teams, his reputation among peers such as Jason Kidd and Steve Nash vs. how the numbers treat them, and how he overcame a slow start to have a Hall of Fame career.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, with a look at the career and Top 50 candidacy of Bob Lanier.
Jason Mann, Rich Kraetsch and Adam Criblez (@AdamCriblez) discuss Lanier being one of the worst omissions from the 1996 50 Greatest Players list, comparisons to Patrick Ewing, his incredible athleticism in his youth, battling through eight knee operations, the struggles of his Pistons teams, and his emotional reaction to being traded from Detroit to Milwaukee.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, with a look at the career and Top 50 candidacy of Paul Pierce.
Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch discuss Pierce’s reputation of hitting big shots in key moments, how much his lack of elite seasons or all-NBA recognition hurts him, if he is among the top 10 in his generation, and how his reputation might be different if he hadn’t evolved into a role player later in this career.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, with a look at the career and Top 50 candidacy of Dennis Rodman.
Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch discuss Rodman’s incredible rebounding numbers, his reputation as one of the greatest defensive players ever, his penchant for making his teams better, and whether a player with so little scoring production can make the Top 50.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, with a look at the career and Top 50 candidacy of Allen Iverson.
Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch discuss Iverson’s iconic presence and effect on the NBA, his heavy workload and scoring ability, how much his lack of efficiency should matter, and the recent book “Not A Game” by Kent Babb on Iverson’s life and career.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, with a look at the career and Top 50 candidacy of Carmelo Anthony.
Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch discuss Anthony’s low rankings in advanced stats, how he compares to other high-usage players, and what he might have to do in his 30s to make a Top 50 list.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, with a look at the career and Top 50 candidacy of Kevin Johnson.
Jason Mann, Rich Kraetsch and Jared Dubin (@JADubin5) of Hardwood Paroxysm discuss Johnson’s aggression and physicality despite his lack of size, how he led the Phoenix Suns to some great years even before Charles Barkley came along, how he compares to Hal Greer, Bob Cousy, Gary Payton, Steve Nash and Jason Kidd, and how much his lack of longevity hurts.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, with a look at the career and Top 50 candidacy of Grant Hill.
Jason Mann and Derek James (@DerekJamesNBA) of At The Hive and Hardwood Paroxysm discuss Hill’s early brilliance before his injuries, compare his career path to Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter, how his later longevity was especially impressive, and how we’d feel about him if he’d retired after six seasons.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, with a look at the career and Top 50 candidacy of Dan Issel.
Jason Mann, Rich Kraetsch and Adam Criblez (@AdamCriblez) discuss The Horse’s ability to bounce between PF and C in his time with the Kentucky Colonels and Denver Nuggets, his ugly-yet-effective shot fake, his nose for the ball, and being 10th on the all-time points list in NBA/ABA history.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, with a look at the career and Top 50 candidacy of Dominique Wilkins.
Jason Mann, Rich Kraetsch and Kris Fenrich (@dancingwithnoah) of Dancing With Noah discuss Wilkins incredible scoring production, how he was much more than a dunker (but wow what a dunker he was), and how much being the most important player in a city’s history means.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, with a look at the career and Top 50 candidacy of Chris Paul.
Jason Mann, Rich Kraetsch and Chris Manning (@cwmwrites) of Fear The Sword and Hardwood Paroxysm discuss whether Paul is the best point guard of his generation, how special his combination of scoring and passing is in NBA history, and whether we hold his lack of playoff success against him.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, with a look at the career and Top 50 candidacy of Chris Webber.
Jason Mann, Rich Kraetsch and Philip Rossman-Reich (@OMagicDaily) of Orlando Magic Daily discuss Webber’s incredible passing and skill, his role with the fantastic early 2000s Sacramento Kings teams, bouncing around the league, and whether his reputation for shrinking in big moments is fair.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, with a look at the career and Top 50 candidacy of Kevin Durant.
Jason Mann, Rich Kraetsch and Adam Johnson (@Slappin5) of Basketball Pantheon discuss Durant's already impressive career, being a once-in-a-generation scorer, whether he's established himself enough to be considered a Top 50 player or if we should wait to allow him to further craft his legacy.
Over the offseason, Over and Back will examine the careers of every possible Top 50 candidate, past and present, with historians, writers and basketball experts. At the end, we’ll make our picks for a new NBA’s 50 Greatest Players list.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, with a look at the career and Top 50 candidacy of Shawn Marion.
Jason Mann, Rich Kraetsch and Seth Partnow (@SethPartnow) of Nylon Calculus discuss Marion's importance among the "Seven Seconds or Less" Phoenix Suns of the mid-2000s, his versatility and ability to match up with bigger players, his strong production despite not being a go-to scorer, and his elite defense, particularly against LeBron James in the 2011 NBA Finals.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, with a look at the career and Top 50 candidacy of ABA and NBA legend Artis Gilmore. Jason Mann, Rich Kraetsch and Professor of History at Southeast Missouri State University Adam Criblez (@AdamCriblez) discuss Gilmore's high volume/high efficiency style, his stellar defensive reputation, where he fits among centers of his era, if he's unfairly slotted behind Kareem, Moses and Wilt or if he deserves to be in the same conversation. Lastly, we discuss how much we value his ABA numbers compared with his NBA, how to properly judge ABA numbers and much more.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, with a look at the career and Top 50 candidacy of Jason Kidd.
Jason Mann, Rich Kraetsch and Adam Johnson (@Slappin5) of Basketball Pantheon discuss Kidd as an all-time great passer, defender and master of the triple double. Topics include his late surge as a shooter, whether the dysfunctional situations he created in his early career hurts his legacy, why it took him a few years to get going and how things would be different if he had won the MVP in 2001-02 or if the New Jersey Nets had won an NBA championship.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, with a look at the career and Top 50 candidacy of Vince Carter.
Jason Mann, Rich Kraetsch and Seth Partnow (@SethPartnow) of Nylon Calculus discuss Carter's years as an elite dunker, what they did for his reputation, his early peak, bad exit in Toronto, underrated production as a member of the New Jersey Nets, whether his lack of defensive acumen hurts his case as well as his smooth transition into role player status and the over-arching question: is it better to burn out or fade away?
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, with a look at the career and Top 50 candidacy of Tracy McGrady.
Jason Mann and Jared Dubin (@JADubin5) of Hardwood Paroxysm discuss how McGrady’s elite years compare to other top players, how much a problem his lack of longevity is, how he compares to his cousin Vince Carter, his famous stints with the Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets, and favorite memories of McGrady’s lesser known New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks years.
The NBA Over and Back Classic NBA podcast remembers the ABA and NBA career and legacy of Moses Malone. Jason Mann is joined by Hardwood Paroxysm editor emeritus Matt Moore (@HPBasketball) of CBSSports.com and official friend of the podcast Curtis Harris (@ProHoopsHistory) of ProHoopsHistory.com to talk about Malone's incredible rebounding and scoring ability, his dominance in the 1970s and 1980s, his battles with the Lakers and Celtics, getting the better of Kareem, being a member of so many different franchises, his famous 'Fo fo fo' prediction for the '83 Sixers, carrying a middling Rockets team to the '81 Finals, lasting in pro basketball for 21 years, and much more.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, with a look at the career and Top 50 candidacy of one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history, Adrian Dantley.
Jason Mann, Rich Kraetsch and Professor of History at Southeast Missouri State University Adam Criblez (@AdamCriblez) discuss Dantley's legendary scoring numbers, his under appreciated efficiency, modern comps for Dantley as well as a few of his warts including subpar defense, less than stellar reviews from former teammates and his lack of a polished, all-around game.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, with a look at the career and Top 50 candidacy of Ray Allen.
Jason Mann, Rich Kraetsch and Seth Partnow (@SethPartnow) of Nylon Calculus discuss Allen's contributions on the court, how he was more than just a good three-point shooter, if not having one team attached to his career hurts his chances, whether his advanced stats accurately show his value and the great tale of a young Allen eating Thanksgiving dinner at the Partnow residence.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, with a look at the career and Top 50 candidacy of San Antonio Spurs legend Manu Ginobili.
Jason Mann and Myles Ma (@MylesMaNJ) of Hardwood Paroxysm discuss Ginobili's exploits with the Spurs dynasty and on the international stage, his craftiness and innovative ball-handling and passing, how he paved the way to make James Harden possible, and how much his low minutes-per-game totals hurt his case.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, with a look at the career and Top 50 candidacy of Indiana Pacers legend Reggie Miller.
Jason Mann and Ian Levy (@HickoryHigh) of Hardwood Paroxysm and Nylon Calculus discuss Reggie’s cult of personality, his status as a great villain (or hero), how he compares to Ray Allen, his relative lack of all-NBA appearances, and how he was a pioneer in a superstar using the 3-pointer as a consistent weapon.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, with a look at the career and Top 50 candidacy of Seattle Supersonics legend Gary Payton.
Jason Mann talks with Jared Dubin (@JADubin5) of Hardwood Paroxysm about the Top 50 case for Payton. They discuss his incredible defense and versatility, where he rates among elite all-time point guards, comparisons to Clyde Frazier, and his refusal to play for Jason’s 2004-05 Hawks. Jared also shares a couple of great Payton stories, including one involving a case of Gatorade and a Range Rover.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, with a look at the career and Top 50 candidacy of Dwight Howard.
Jason Mann and Chris Barnewell (@ChrisBarnewell) of Hardwood Paroxysm and At The Hive discuss Howard's incredible defense and scoring efficiency, the challenges of being a dominant defensive big man in the pace-and-space era, and where he fits on the pecking order of great big men.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, with a look at the career and Top 50 candidacy of Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls great Paul Gasol.
Rich Kraetsch, Jason Mann and guest Adam Johnson (@Slappin5) of Basketball Pantheon discuss Gasol's surprisingly strong resume compared to his reputation, if his international work should be considered, and his remarkable consistency.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast remembers the life and career of the recently passed "Chocolate Thunder" Darryl Dawkins. Yago Colas (@YagoColas) author of the upcoming book Ball Don't Lie. Yago, joins Jason and Rich to discuss the cultural impact of "Chocolate Thunder", his contribution to dunk culture as well as discussion of potential and disappointment in players with perceived natural talent.
Jason and Rich then discuss Dawkins' career, the expectations of prep-to-pro players, his successful career with the Philadelphia 76ers, his career-best scoring years in New Jersey and his post-playing career.
Our latest episode discusses David Halberstam’s seminal book “The Breaks of The Game” documenting the world of the NBA and specifically Bill Walton, Dr. Jack Ramsay, Maurice Lucas and the rest of the 1970s Portland Trail Blazers.
Taking a break from their Top 50 project, Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch are joined by basketball historian Curtis Harris (@ProHoopsHistory) and James (@NBAInjuryR3port) of the NBA Injury Report podcast. They talk about the changing power dynamics between players and management, how NBA quickly shifted from majority white to majority black league, the changing economics of the league and the struggles at the time, and how the changes within the league reflected a changing American society.
They discuss the key personalities in the book, including Walton’s rise to stardom and downfall because of injuries, the intensity and stubbornness of Ramsay, the boundary-pushing and legendary toughness of Maurice Lucas, Kermit Washington’s incredible work ethic and how he was unfairly tarnished by “The Punch” on Rudy Tomjanovich, and Billy Ray Bates out-of-nowhere rise to become a brief NBA sensation, LaRue Martin, Mychal Thompson, Moses Malone, Marvin Barnes, and many more players.
Also discussed are Halberstam’s writing and reporting style, his sometimes unfortunate portrayals of race, his deep nostalgia for NBA before bigger money came into play, his views on expansion, plus the history of the players union and the NBA on television. There’s a lot of great discussion packed in here, so be sure to check it out.
Participate in Hardwood Paroxysm's Big Summer Read on "The Breaks of the Game": http://hardwoodparoxysm.com/2015/08/03/the-hp-big-summer-read-week-1/
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, with a look at the career and Top 50 candidacy of Dallas Mavericks icon Dirk Nowitzki.
Rich Kraetsch, Jason Mann and guest Kirk Henderson (@KirkSeriousFace) of Mavs Moneyball discuss Nowitzki breaking barriers as a perimeter-oriented big man, his influence as an international pioneer, his role as a franchise standard bearer and if any of his limitations could keep him for being a shoo-in.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, with a look at the career and Top 50 candidacy of San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker.
Rich Kraetsch, Jason Mann and guest Adam Johnson (@Slappin5) of Basketball Pantheon talk about the Top 50 case for Parker. They discuss where he fits among elite point guards, how he's contributed to the Spurs dynasty of the 2000s, and how his career might've been different if he'd had a greater role on a lesser team.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, with a look at the career and Top 50 candidacy of former Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers point guard Steve Nash. To help us out, we've brought along Brian Schroeder (@cosmis) of Hardwood Paroxysm.
Rich Kraetsch, Jason Mann and Brian discuss his strengths: directing one of the best offenses in NBA history, his supremely efficient scorer and his all-time great assist numbers. The guys also discuss some of Nash's biggest flaws: his distinct lack of defense, his lack of a superstar trait and why he didn't shoot as much as other superstar point guards.
Other topics include where Nash belongs in the tiers of point guards, who we'd rank in front or behind him and much more.
Over the offseason, Over and Back will examine the careers of every possible Top 50 candidate, past and present, with historians, writers and basketball experts. At the end, we’ll make our picks for a new NBA’s 50 Greatest Players list.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, with a recap of our previous five parts including who's definitely in on our new Top 50 list, who's still on the fence and who's definitely out.
Rich Kraetsch and Jason Mann also discuss five no-brainers from post-1996 that have to be on the list and get you prepared for our upcoming shows where we continue to discuss post-1996 players with a number of guests from around the basketball world.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, with an examination of how to best approach evaluating historical players through the lens of statistics.
With Rich Kraetsch on assignment (probably scouring the sports libraries of America to research the NBA's elite), Jason Mann talks to Hardwood Paroxysm editor-in-chief Ian Levy about what the numbers can and cannot tell us, where statistics can fill in the blanks if footage isn't available, how we handle disparity in eras and styles of play, how much should we value being very good for a long time vs. being great for a shorter time, any players whose numbers are surprising, and much more.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA's 50 Greatest Players in history, this time looking at the centers from the original list as well as snubs who were perhaps unfairly left off.
Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch are joined once again ProHoopsHistory.com‘s Curtis Harris (@ProHoopsHistory) who joins the guys to discuss centers from the original 1996 list — the cases of Patrick Ewing, Robert Parish, Willis Reed, David Robinson, Wes Unseld, Bill Walton and more are discussed in great detail!
Other topics include snubs left off the original list and whether they would retroactively make the new list as well as a issues with how the NBA conducted the top 50 vote and the year when they decided to celebrate their anniversary as a league. It's a fun show as always so make sure you check it out and follow the progress of our NBA's 50 Greatest Players project.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players in history, as officially decreed by the NBA in 1996.
Today, your hosts Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch are joined once again by a legend in the basketball history field, ProHoopsHistory.com‘s Curtis Harris (@ProHoopsHistory). Topics include discussing what we value the most when trying to determine who should be in the Top 50: statistics, reputation, team accomplishments, innovation, influence and more. They then go through the slashers and forwards named in the original list and where they’d stand if a list was made today — who’s in, who’s out and who’s on the bubble? They discuss the cases of Clyde Drexler, George Gervin, James Worthy, Paul Arizin, Scottie Pippen, Billy Cunningham, Dave DeBusschere, Kevin McHale, Elvin Hayes, and Jerry Lucas.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its offseason series looking at the NBA's 50 Greatest Players in history, as officially decreed by the NBA in 1996.
Today, your hosts Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch are joined by a legend in the basketball history field, ProHoopsHistory.com's Curtis Harris (@ProHoopsHistory). Topics include the process behind the original list in 1996, how good of a job they did with that list, whether current players should have been included. The last topic focuses on guards named in the original list and where they'd stand if a list was made today — who's in, who's out and who's on the bubble?
Over the offseason, Over and Back will examine the careers of every possible Top 50 candidate, past and present, with historians, writers and basketball experts. At the end, we'll make our picks for a new Top 50 list.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast begins its offseason series looking at the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, as officially decreed by the NBA in 1996. Today, Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch explain the series in detail and look in depth at the most highly rated of those Top 50 players and whether they'd still be shoo-ins looking at their qualifications through 2015 eyes.
Over the offseason, Over and Back will examine the careers of every possible Top 50 candidate, past and present, with historians, writers and basketball experts. At the end, we'll make our picks for a new Top 50 list.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast concludes its NBA Finals Game 7s series with part eight, looking at the top two NBA Finals Game 7s of all time: Boston Celtics vs. St. Louis Hawks from 1957 and the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Detroit Pistons from 1988.
Topics discussed include the beginning of the Boston Celtics dynasty, Bill Russell's rookie year (though he wasn't the Rookie of the Year, another Celtic took that spot!), a sub-standard Hawks regular season followed by a strong playoff showing, the thrilling double overtime game and the improbable final play attempt that would've gone down in history had it worked.
Lastly, we discuss one of the most famous games in modern NBA history: Lakers vs. Pistons from the 1988 NBA Finals. Topics on this game include the Lakers looking for their first back-to-back titles since 1969, "Big Game" James Worthy's triple-double, Magic Johnson's reliability and Joe Dumars rising to the occasion as a result of Isiah Thomas' sprained ankle.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues its Finals Game 7s series with part seven, looking at the Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs from 2013 and Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers from 1962.
Topics discussed include the 2013 NBA Finals historic Game 6 comeback led by Ray Allen, why Game 7 was overshadowed by Game 6 despite being itself a great game, LeBron James' insane efficiency throughout the season, Manu Ginobili's gaffs, Kawhi Leonard's emergence and a rare display of emotion from Tim Duncan.
On the 1962 front, Jason and Rich discuss Elgin Baylor and Jerry West's great games, Bill Russell having, you guessed it, a great Game 7 performance, Sam Jones and Frank Ramsey's good showing, the famous Frank Selvy missed shot and Bob Cousy infamously dribbling out the clock.
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues looking back at classic NBA playoff Game 7s with a series on every NBA Finals Game 7 in history. For part six, Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch talk about the Syracuse Nationals vs. Fort Wayne Pistons in 1955 and the Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers in 1984.
Topics discussed include how the shot clock made a difference in its first season, George King coming through in the clutch, a referee becoming an NBA coach, allegations of gambling and possible game-fixing, whether the first Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird Finals was the most important series in NBA history, Cedric Maxwell’s major role in two Celtics championships, Magic being Tragic Johnson, and much more.
Those subjects and much more are covered in this brand-new episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast. If you’re a fan of NBA history, this is definitely the podcast for you!
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues looking back at classic NBA playoff Game 7s with a series on every NBA Finals Game 7 in history. For part five, Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch talk about the Houston Rockets vs. New York Knicks in 1994 and the Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers in 1969.
Topics discussed include John Starks’ famously awful 2-for-18 game, the rareness of a superstar vs. superstar (Hakeem Olajuwon vs. Patrick Ewing) matchup at the same position in the Finals, how insanely close the 1994 Finals really were by point differential, Bill Russell and Sam Jones’ final game, Jerry West winning Finals MVP in a series his team lost, the Lakers coach refusing to allow Wilt Chamberlain back into the game after an injury, Don Nelson’s lucky shot, and much more.
Those subjects and much more are covered in this brand-new episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast. If you’re a fan of NBA history, this is definitely the podcast for you!
Did you enjoy this show or any of our others? We’d appreciate it if you could review and subscribe to Over and Back and the other great Hardwood Paroxysm podcasts at http://goo.gl/fjGWeq.
Archives (Playlist)
Best NBA Playoff - Game 7s Series: https://soundcloud.com/jason-mann-35/sets/game-7s
Random/Fun Stuff: https://soundcloud.com/jason-mann-35/sets/fun-stuff
Player Profiles: https://soundcloud.com/jason-mann-35/sets/player-profiles
Follow Us
Follow Over and Back on Twitter: @OverAndBackNBA
Follow Jason Mann on Twitter: @JasonMannOhioan
Follow Rich Kraetsch on Twitter: @richkraetsch
Thanks as always to SI Vault and Basketball-Reference.com for a majority of the information and statistics gathered in this podcast!
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues looking back at classic NBA playoff Game 7s with a series on every NBA Finals Game 7 in history. For part four, Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch talk about the San Antonio Spurs vs. Detroit Pistons in 2005 and the Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers in 1966.
Topics discussed include which of the 2000s Pistons are likely Hall of Famers, the wonders of young Manu Ginobili, how close the Pistons came to going back-to-back, the friendship of Larry Brown and Gregg Popovich, Tim Duncan being awesome, the Celtics winning their 8th title in a row, the final game of Red Auerbach's coaching career. Bill Russell with another gaudy stat line, and a dramatic Lakers’ comeback falling just short.
Did you enjoy this show or any of our others? We’d appreciate it if you could review and subscribe to Over and Back and the other great Hardwood Paroxysm podcasts at http://goo.gl/fjGWeq.
Archives (Playlist)
Best NBA Playoff - Game 7s Series: https://soundcloud.com/jason-mann-35/sets/game-7s Random/Fun Stuff: https://soundcloud.com/jason-mann-35/sets/fun-stuff Player Profiles: https://soundcloud.com/jason-mann-35/sets/player-profiles
Follow Over & Back!
Follow Over and Back on Twitter: @OverAndBackNBA Follow Jason Mann on Twitter: @JasonMannOhioan Follow Rich Kraetsch on Twitter: @richkraetsch
Thanks as always to SI Vault and Basketball-Reference.com for a majority of the information and statistics gathered in this podcast!
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues looking back at classic NBA playoff Game 7s with a series on every NBA Finals Game 7 in history. For part three, Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch talk about the Washington Bullets vs. Seattle Supersonics in 1978 and the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics in 2010.
Topics discussed include Dennis Johnson’s 0-for-14 shooting performance, the origins of “the opera ain’t over till the fat lady sings,” the odd paths for both the Sonics and Bullets in 1978, Pau Gasol proving he’s not soft, how much Kobe Bryant cared about passing Shaquille O’Neal, the importance of Kendrick Perkins, and much more.
Those subjects and much more are covered in this brand-new episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast. If you’re a fan of NBA history and want to get ready for today’s upcoming NBA conference finals, this is definitely the podcast for you!
Did you enjoy this show or any of our others? We’d appreciate it if you could review and subscribe to Over and Back and the other great Hardwood Paroxysm podcasts at http://goo.gl/fjGWeq.
Follow Over and Back on Twitter: @OverAndBackNBA Follow Jason Mann on Twitter: @JasonMannOhioan Follow Rich Kraetsch on Twitter: @richkraetsch
Thanks as always to SI Vault and Basketball-Reference.com for a majority of the information and statistics gathered in this podcast!
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues looking back at classic NBA playoff Game 7s with a new series on every NBA Finals Game 7 in history.
In Part Two, Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch discuss the New York Knicks vs. Los Angeles Lakers in 1970, Lakers vs. Nationals in 1954 and Rochester Royals vs. New York Knicks in 1951.
Topics discussed include the shocking revelation that the “Willis Reed game” was only 15th on our list, Walt Frazier’s fantastic performance in said game, the Lakers and George Mikan’s early NBA dominance, the NBA’s odd Round Robin playoff format, the surprisingly dominant Rochester Royals mini-dynasty, Arnie Risen’s stardom and how the 1951 series was important in growing the NBA’s national significance.
Those subjects and much more are covered in this brand-new episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast. If you’re a fan of NBA history and want to get ready for today’s upcoming NBA conference finals, this is definitely the podcast for you!
Did you enjoy this show or any of our others? We’d appreciate it if you could review and subscribe to Over and Back and the other great Hardwood Paroxysm podcasts at http://goo.gl/fjGWeq.
Follow Over and Back on Twitter: @OverAndBackNBA Follow Jason Mann on Twitter: @JasonMannOhioan Follow Rich Kraetsch on Twitter: @richkraetsch
Thanks as always to SI Vault and Basketball-Reference.com for a majority of the information and statistics gathered in this podcast!
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continues looking back at classic NBA playoff Game 7s with a new series on every NBA Finals Game 7 in history.
For part one, Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch discuss the Boston Celtics vs. St. Louis Hawks in 1960, Minneapolis Lakers vs. New York Knicks in 1952, and Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks in 1974.
Topics discussed include Bob Cousy’s stardom and when Bill Russell became the face of the Boston Celtics dynasty, the fierce Hawks vs. Celtics Finals rivalry in four of five Finals, George Mikan and the Minneapolis Lakers’ dynasty in the early 1950s, the scrappy New York Knicks who fell in the three NBA Finals in a row, the last gasp of the Milwaukee Bucks’ 1970s run with Oscar Robertson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and the bulldog 1970s Celtics led by Dave Cowens, John Havlicek and Jo Jo White.
Those subjects and much more are covered in this brand-new episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast. If you’re a fan of NBA history and want to get ready for today’s upcoming NBA conference finals, this is definitely the podcast for you!
Did you enjoy this show or any of our others? We’d appreciate it if you could review and subscribe to Over and Back and the other great Hardwood Paroxysm podcasts at http://goo.gl/fjGWeq.
Follow Over and Back on Twitter: @OverAndBackNBA Follow Jason Mann on Twitter: @JasonMannOhioan Follow Rich Kraetsch on Twitter: @richkraetsch
Thanks as always to SI Vault and Basketball-Reference.com for a majority of the information and statistics gathered in this podcast!
This episode is a part of our ongoing series looking at the Seven Best NBA Game 7s of All-Time.
Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch are back with a brand-new episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA podcast continuing their series looking at the best NBA playoff Game 7s. Today the guys are looking at the best Conference Final Game 7s of All-Times!
Games covered include historic battles like the Chris Webber, Peja Stojakovic and Mike Bibby’s 2002 Sacramento Kings vs. Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers also make an appearance later in the show as discuss one of the most recent Conference Final Game 7s and also one of the most memorable as Rasheed Wallace, Scottie Pippen and the Portland Trailblazers blow a late-game lead to the 2000 Lakers.
The guys also cover the famous “Havlicek Stole the Ball!” game from 1965 featuring the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers, yet another chapter in the storied Wilt Chamberlain/Bill Russell rivalry. Another Celtics/76ers tilt — this time in 1981 as Larry Bird and Julius Erving dual for a chance at the NBA Finals is also covered.
Those games and much more are covered in this brand-new episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast. If you’re a fan of NBA history and want to get ready for today’s upcoming NBA conference finals, this is definitely the podcast for you!
Did you enjoy this show or any of our others? We’d appreciate it if you could review and subscribe to Over and Back and the other great Hardwood Paroxysm podcasts at http://goo.gl/fjGWeq.
Follow Over and Back on Twitter: @OverAndBackNBA Follow Jason Mann on Twitter: @JasonMannOhioan Follow Rich Kraetsch on Twitter: @richkraetsch Thanks as always to SI Vault and Basketball-Reference.com for a majority of the information and statistics gathered in this podcast!
This episode is a part of our ongoing series looking at the Seven Best NBA Game 7s of All-Time.
Hey, nobody's perfect! In our last episode we discussed the best early round NBA Game 7s, as we did additional and received fan feedback we realized we missed quite a few worthy games. As an apology, we present a brand-new episode of Over and Back focusing on more fantastic early round Game 7s. Games this time include Chet Walker and the 1974 Chicago Bulls taking on the Dave Bing, Bob Lanier and the Detroit Pistons. Kevin Johnson puts up 46 points and Charles Barkley's plays his last game in the NBA (hint: it wasn't) as Mario Ellie hits a game-winner for Hakeem Olajuwon and the 1995 Houston Rockets. Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry and the Dallas Mavericks finally getting the Spurs monkey off their back in 2006 as they battle with, who else, Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli.
Plus as an added bonus, we took a not-so-retro look at this year's Los Angeles Clippers/San Antonio Spurs Game 7 including a gutsy performance from Chris Paul, Blake Griffin's rapid maturation and the ageless wonder Tim Duncan.
Did you enjoy this show or any of our others? We'd appreciate it if you could review and subscribe to Over and Back and the other great Hardwood Paroxysm podcasts at http://goo.gl/fjGWeq.
Follow Over and Back on Twitter: @OverAndBackNBA Follow Jason Mann on Twitter: @JasonMannOhioan Follow Rich Kraetsch on Twitter: @richkraetsch Thanks as always to SI Vault and Basketball-Reference.com for a majority of the information and statistics gathered in this podcast!
Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch are back with a brand new episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA podcast — the first in a series looking at the "Seven Best NBA Game 7s of All-Time" in each NBA playoff round round. The guys kick it off with a look at the early rounds (first round and conference semifinals). Series recaps include:
-The 1981 Western Conference Semifinals with the surprisingly Houston Rockets led by Calvin Murphy taking on George Gervin, Mark Olberding and San Antonio Spurs -The 1976 showdown between the "Miracle" Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Bullets -The famous Vince Carter graduation game against Allen Iverson, Dikembe Mutomobo and the 2001 Philadelphia 76ers -The famed "Ding Dong the Witch is Dead" Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks 1995 series famous for Patrick Ewing's missed layup in the final seconds -LeBron James leading a pack of scrubs to the limit with Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett's 2008 Boston Celtics -The dynasty that never was 1986 Milwaukee Bucks battle Julius Erving, Charles Barkley and the 1986 Philadelphia 76ers. -Last but not least, one of the most famous games in NBA playoff history - Larry Bird vs. Dominique Wilkins, Celtics vs. Hawks from 1988.
Did you enjoy this show or any of our others? We'd appreciate it if you could review and subscribe to Over and Back and the other great Hardwood Paroxysm podcasts at http://goo.gl/fjGWeq.
Follow Over and Back on Twitter: @OverAndBackNBA Follow Jason Mann on Twitter: @JasonMannOhioan Follow Rich Kraetsch on Twitter: @richkraetsch Thanks as always to SI Vault and Basketball-Reference.com for a majority of the information and statistics gathered in this podcast!
Today's episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA podcast is all about unexpected great playoffs performances. To make it a little more interesting, we didn't look at guys who simply had one or two good/unexpected playoff games but guys who had entire playoff series or seasons that were unexpected or well above their normal expectations. Some of these guys parlayed their success into mega contracts (Jerome James), others went on to become legends in other countries (Billy Ray Bates) and some were able to carve out consistent careers on the basis of their breakouts (Marcus Camby, Kawhi Leonard).
Other performances including Antawn Jamison putting the Wizards on his back against the upstart Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James, Tim Thomas doing Tim Thomas things with the Phoenix Suns, Johnny Moore's insane assist numbers in the 1983 playoffs and an unexpected star of Portland's title run in 1977 from Bob Gross.
Did you enjoy this show or any of our others? We'd appreciate it if you could review and subscribe to Over and Back and the other great Hardwood Paroxysm podcasts at http://goo.gl/fjGWeq.
Follow Over and Back on Twitter: @OverAndBackNBA Follow Jason Mann on Twitter: @JasonMannOhioan Follow Rich Kraetsch on Twitter: @richkraetsch
Thanks as always to SI Vault and Basketball-Reference.com for a majority of the information and statistics gathered in this podcast!
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast returns with a playoff-themed edition as Jason and Rich break down the worst NBA playoff teams in history. Whether the result of expansion or the NBA letting too many teams into the final dance, there have been numerous examples of terrible NBA playoff teams. Instead of breaking down each and everyone, this compact (~45 minute show) looks at the worst by each decade(ish). Who were the most prominent players on these bad playoff teams? How did they get so bad? How bad were there? These questions and much more are answered in addition to a brief discussion on the current NBA playoff landscape and if any team this year is in danger of being added to this list (hint: Featured Image).
Fun show as always, so we'd appreciate a listen!
Did you enjoy this show or any of our others? We'd appreciate it if you could review and subscribe to Over and Back and the other great Hardwood Paroxysm podcasts at http://goo.gl/fjGWeq.
Follow Over and Back on Twitter: @OverAndBackNBA Follow Jason Mann on Twitter: @JasonMannOhioan Follow Rich Kraetsch on Twitter: @richkraetsch
Thanks as always to SI Vault and Basketball-Reference.com for a majority of the information and statistics gathered in this podcast!
The Over and Back Classic NBA podcast returns with our contribution to the HP Basketball Network's special #KobeWeek — a in-depth look at the NBA's most storied feud: Kobe Bryant vs. Shaquille O'Neal.
Jason and I begin with an overview of the tandem, how long they played together, how they came to form a powerful dynasty, how the feud is covered today versus coverage at the time, why there are no books or longform essays on the subject, a look at the Lakers supporting cast around Kobe/Shaq and how the duo matches up with duos of year's past including Magic Johnson/Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan/Scottie Pippen and John Stockton/Karl Malone.
In part one, we look at the pre-Phil Jackson Lakers, starting with a strong playoff team with a nucleus of Elden Campbell, Cedric Ceballos, Nick Van Excel, Vlade Divac and Eddie Jones. We discuss the trade that sent Divas to the Charlotte Hornets for the high schooler Bryant, the massive risk at the time and hindsight regarding the trade. Topics in this section include Del Harris and Kurt Rambis coaching tenures, jealously from both Shaq and Kobe, Shaq's unwillingness to "babysit" the younger Bryant and much more.
Part two looks at The Title Years with Phil Jackson at the helm and a solid supporting cast of Derek Fisher, Rick Fox and Robert Horry. Discussions include how dominant their dynasty was but also Kobe/Shaq's continued jealousy towards one another, how Phil Jackson dealt with it and which side teammates took.
The last portion, The Self-Destruction of the Los Angeles Lakers, looks primarly at the failed 2003-04 experiment bringing Gary Payton and Karl Malone to the Lakers, Kobe Bryant's sexual assault allegations and the eventual break-up of the Shaq/Kobe/Jackson Lakers dynasty.
Did you enjoy this show or any of our others? We'd appreciate it if you could review and subscribe to Over and Back and the other great Hardwood Paroxysm podcasts at http://goo.gl/fjGWeq.
Follow Over and Back on Twitter: @OverAndBackNBA Follow Jason Mann on Twitter: @JasonMannOhioan Follow Rich Kraetsch on Twitter: @richkraetsch Thanks as always to SI Vault and Basketball-Reference.com for a majority of the information and statistics gathered in this podcast!
On this edition of the Over and Back Classic NBA podcast, Jason Mann and myself remember the lives and careers of three NBA stars we lost in the past few weeks: one of the keys to the New York Knicks success in the 1990s Anthony Mason, a cornerstone of the successful Portland Trailblazers of the late 80s, early 90s Jerome Kersey and the first African-American to play in an NBA game, Earl Lloyd.
We begin with a discussion on Earl Lloyd breaking the NBA's color barrier, the unique circumstances that led to him being the one to break it, his post-playing career and much more. We then move onto a discussion of Jerome Kersey's career, his college career at tiny Longwood College to his eventual pairing with NBA greats Clyde Drexler and Terry Porter. Discussions include Kersey's standout games, best playoff series, his charitable work and his penchant for picking up fouls.
The show closes with a look at Anthony Mason's beginnings as a journeymen before finally latching on with Pat Riley's New York Knicks. Similar to Kersey, we look at Mason's best games, notable playoff series, how he represented New York and Knicks basketball in the 90s as well as his post-Knick days with the Charlotte Hornets, Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks.
Did you enjoy this show or any of our others? We'd appreciate it if you could review and subscribe to Over and Back and the other great Hardwood Paroxysm podcasts at http://goo.gl/fjGWeq.
Thanks as always to SI Vault and Basketball-Reference.com for a majority of the information and statistics gathered in this podcast!
Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch are back with a brand-new episode of Over and Back: The Classic NBA podcast! Today's topic is all about the NBA trade deadline and some of our favorite midseason deals of all-time. The guys are first joined by Rafael Canton (@nba_trades) of NBATrades.tumblr.com to talk trade deadline history, most underrated deadline deals, trades that helped both teams, what compelled him to create a blog focusing solely on NBA trades, Rasheed Wallace's one-game Atlanta tenure and much more along the way.
After Rafeal, both Jason and Rich present their three favorite NBA trade deadline deals including Gary Payton and Ray Allen swapping shades of green, the first-place Atlanta Hawks trading their leading scorer (Dominique Wilkins) for a few months of Danny Manning, Nick Van Exel going to the Mavericks among others. Discussions include the team's fate before and after the trade, impact the trade had on the history of their respective franchises and of course how the players performed with their new teams. It's a fun show as always, so be sure to check it out!
Almost as long as there's been a draft in the NBA, there's been teams tanking to get the most favorable picks and a chance at generationally great players. In a league where one player can alter a franchise both on and off the court, getting that one is so important, sometimes losing games is the best method and thus, tanking was born.
Jason and Rich discuss their definitions of tanking, how it happens, who participates as well as some discussion on the origins of the NBA draft and the transition from the coin flip to the current draft lottery system.
The guys then discuss a few of their favorite tanking teams, ones that were near and dear to their heart and some of the more prominent ones including the ‘83 and ‘84 Houston Rockets, 2002-03 Cavaliers, the post-Jordan Baby Bulls, 2005-06 Timberwolves and the famous Mark Madsen game and much more along the way.
Alternate discussions include some of the worst teams in NBA history, worst stretches by a team and the best players on miserable teams.
It's all about being cool on this episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA podcast.
The official arbiters of cool (Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch) discuss what it means to be cool in the NBA, who our starting five of cool would be, what legends were or weren't cool as well as the coolest player from each team currently. We also say the word cool at least 130 times, it's a pretty cool show.
Since 1947, when the New York Knicks battled the Providence Steamrollers on Christmas Day, professional basketball played on Christmas Day became an annual tradition. For every year, with the lone exception of 1998, has seen an NBA game on Christmas Day.
Unlike the NFL on Thanksgiving Day, the NBA doesn't feature one particular team but rather the best and brightest in the NBA on a given year, sometimes NBA Finals rematches, sometimes the biggest rivalries — either way it's a great tradition that's given us some of the best games of the season. As only we can do here at the Over and Back podcast, we break down five classic NBA Christmas Day games, discuss the background of the teams, highlights of the game and how each team's season fared.
We begin the loopback with the 1970 matchup between the Atlanta Hawks vs. Phoenix Suns featuring Pete Maravich battling Connie Hawkins, the Chicago Bulls taking on the Detroit Pistons in 1990 just as the Pistons are fading while the Bulls, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were emerging as a dynasty. We then jump all the way to 2002 to see Tracy McGrady take on Detroit with one of the best single-game performances in Christmas Game history, 2004 sees the first meeting between ex-teammates Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant and we end with a look at the 2011 season-opener (Chicago Bulls vs. Los Angeles Lakers).
Did you enjoy this show or any of our others? We'd appreciate it if you could review and subscribe to Over and Back and the other great Hardwood Paroxysm podcasts at http://goo.gl/fjGWeq.
Thanks as always to SI Vault and Basketball-Reference.com for a majority of the information and statistics gathered in this podcast!
PodiumGame.com - Micheal Ray Richardson photo credit: chuckthewriter via photopin cc Lucky episode #13 takes us to New York City as Jason and Rich cover the life and career former Knicks and Nets star Micheal Ray Richardson!
We begin the episode chatting Sugar Ray with Robert Silverman (@bobsaietta) of Knickblogger, VICE, The Cauldron, Deadspin, The Daily Beast and The Classical as we discuss his impact in New York City, whether his addictions were aided by the city, his life-long link to Bernard King and much more!
The meat and potatoes of the show delves into Micheal's upbringing in Denver, college life at the University of Montana and his eventual arrival in New York as a member of a good but not great Knicks team. Of course, no breakdown of Micheal Ray is complete without discussing his issues with addictions, his wild party life as well as his brief run in Golden State. We finish up with a look at his redemption tour as a member of the New Jersey Nets including a stunning upset of the defending champion Philadelphia 76ers. Most importantly though, Micheal Ray becoming the first man banned from the NBA as a result of drug use.
The show ends with a brief look at his post-NBA career, some fun Play Indexing and a preview of our upcoming show. It's a fun one as always, so we'd love for you to give it a listen!
Did you enjoy this show or any of our others? We'd appreciate it if you could review and subscribe to Over and Back and the other great Hardwood Paroxysm podcasts at http://goo.gl/fjGWeq.
Follow Over and Back on Twitter: @OverAndBackNBA Follow Jason Mann on Twitter: @JasonMannOhioan Follow Rich Kraetsch on Twitter: @richkraetsch
Thanks as always to SI Vault and Basketball-Reference.com for a majority of the information and statistics gathered in this podcast!
Our most delicious episode yet — a complete breakdown of Jason "White Chocolate" Williams' career! We're first joined by Jared Dubin of Hardwood Paroxsym, Grantland, The Cauldron and Bleacher Report to discuss Williams' influence on him as a young NBA fan, what made Williams so special, whether he or the forever linked Mike Bibby are better and last but certainly not least, Jared's Official Chocolate Power Rankings.
After Jared, it's business as usual as Jason Mann and myself talk White Chocolate's youth in Belle, West Virginia, his tenuous relationship with education, being kicked out of college and his eventual NBA landing spot with the Sacramento Kings. We breakdown the Kings rise to prominence in the early 2000s, what made the team so fun to watch and why Williams was the perfect PG for the emerging powerhouse. Williams' trade to Memphis is broken down, why it happened, who "won" the trade as well as a look at the rest of Williams' career with Memphis, the evolution of his game with Miami and Orlando as well as his brief one-year retirement.
Today on the Over and Back Classic NBA podcast it's all about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar/Lew Alcindor but unlike our typical career retrospectives, we're going to focus on Kareem in the 70s. Jason Mann and I discuss his dominance in both the high school and college ranks, the famed ABA/NBA power struggle to acquire his rights and the mythical $1 million check he was to receive from then-ABA commissioner and NBA legend George Mikan. We then move to Kareem's early NBA career with the Milwaukee Bucks including the Bucks' franchise's only championship, dominance in the NBA, Kareem's many talents and the Milwaukee Bucks' place amongst the best teams of all-time. Lastly, we look at Kareem's move to Los Angeles, why he was traded, religious and on-court reasons and his surprisingly lack of success with the late 70s Lakers teams.
With the news of Steve Nash's season-ending back injury, the career of the Canadian legend appears to be over so we needed to give him the proper Over and Back treatment. Join us as we say goodbye to a fallen hero! We begin this week's episode with a roundtable discussion alongside Podium Game contributor Bryan Gibberman and the Podium Game czar himself Jordan White. Discussions including Nash's legacy and impact on the game of basketball, how he changed the NBA, his rise to superstardom in Dallas, if he deserved to win the MVP award and why the Phoenix Suns never won an NBA championship.
The second half of the show runs down the career of Steve Nash beginning with his college career in Santa Clara, making national headlines with an upset of #2 Arizona and leading Santa Clara to the top 25. We then touch briefly on Nash's early career with the Phoenix Suns (bleached blonde hair and all) before going into detail on his trade to the Dallas Mavericks, the rough beginnings as a Maverick and eventual ascension, along with Dirk Nowitzki, into the realm of superstar as Dallas makes a run to the Western Conference Finals.
We wrap up with a look at Nash's return to Phoenix, his multiple MVP seasons and leading not only the number one offense in basketball but one of the most successful teams of the 2000s and finally, his latest, forgettable run and the failed experiment joining Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles.
Did you enjoy this show or any of our others? We'd appreciate it if you could review and subscribe to Over and Back and the other great Hardwood Paroxysm podcasts at http://goo.gl/fjGWeq.
Thanks as always to SI Vault and Basketball-Reference.com for a majority of the information and statistics gathered in this podcast!
Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch are back with another episode of the Over and Back classic NBA podcast but this time instead of talking the past, we're talking the present as we preview the NBA season. Of course, we had to put a historical spin on it so we preview the season while referencing the past! Unfortunately the podcast begins with breaking news about Steve Nash missing the 2014-15 NBA season and the likely end of his historic career.
Our regularly schedule podcast begins with discussions include comparable teams to this year's Cleveland Cavaliers, if the Cavaliers are the favorite to win the NBA title and LeBron James' career arch and place in history. We also preview playoff teams in both conferences and discuss the dominance of the NBA's Western Conference over the last 15-20 years. The podcast wraps up with a discussion of the best retirement classes as we predict this year's crop of retirees as well as what records are on the line this year from a multitude of players including Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki and LeBron James.
It's an NBA preview unlike any other, so make sure to check it out! If you like it, we'd love for you to rate, review and subscribe to Over and Back and the other great Hardwood Paroxysm podcasts!
We're talking all things Detlef Schrempf on the newest episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA podcast! A detailed look at former Dallas Mavericks, Indiana Pacers, Seattle SuperSonics and Portland Trailblazers Detlef Schrempf. One of the first Europeans to pave the way for today's players, Detlef displayed rare talents making him one of the most versatile, dependable and effective players of his generation.
Jason Mann and I discuss Detlef Schrempf's beginnings in Germany, coming to American to play for Washington, his role on the multiple-time playoff Dallas Mavericks and becoming a formidable Sixth Man with the Pacers. We delve into his shocking trade from Indiana to Seattle, disappointing first-round playoff exits with the Sonics, an NBA Finals berth and the tumultuous end to his storied career with the Trailblazers and so much more. Sidebars include a look at Schrempf's advanced statistics, conference finals one-and-done. Join Jason and Rich as they review Schrempf's career, analyze his best games, discuss his greatest moments, determine where he stacks up historically, talk NBA Jam/Parks and Recreation, your questions and so much more!
We're talking 1999 NBA jerseys! After hours of exhaustive scientific research (no, seriously), Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch have determined 1999 is the absolute worst year for NBA jerseys. The next natural step is to rank these from best to worst and that's what this episode is all about. Jason and Rich discuss our voting methods, who was the best jersey that year, the worst, when the trend of bad jerseys began, the deal with gold, pinstripes and teal. Discussions also include teams switching jerseys after a championship, Rich's distaste for the Los Angeles Lakers jerseys and much more.
Download our Google Doc for insights on ranking as well as photos of all the 1999 jerseys: http://www.filedropper.com/1998-99jerseyoverandback
A special edition of the Over and Back Classic NBA podcast reacting to the retirement of Detroit Pistons great Chauncey Billups and the death of Marvin "Bad News" Barnes. We discuss Billups' rocky start with the Boston Celtics, bouncing around the NBA including stops in Toronto, Orlando, Denver and Minnesota before finally finding his NBA home in Detroit. Discussions include Billups' reputation, his HOF candidacy, his ranking among PGs both in the 2000s and all-time and much more. Then, we touch the life and career of Marvin "Bad News" Barnes, the troubled, but talented late ABA star.
Jason Mann and I are back with a new episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA podcast, this time talking expansion teams and expansion drafts. We're first joined by Curtis Harris of ProHoopsHistory.com to discuss his favorite expansion teams, memories of the Chicago Packers and expansion draft oddities. We then breakdown each and every expansion team, key players acquired in the expansion drafts, how they performed, various statistics, impact on the league and a bevy of other topics. Quickly we discuss, the Vancouver Grizzlies' uniforms, how the city of Dallas was way more interested in Who Shot JR than their brand-new Mavericks, dispersal drafts and more!
It's a fun show as always, so make sure to check it out!
Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch are back with a brand-new episode of the Over and Back classic NBA podcast talking the life, career and unfortunate death of Boston Celtics great Reggie Lewis. The guys are joined by hoops blogger extraordinaire and Nylon Calculus' very own Seth Partnow who delves into why Lewis is his favorite player of all time, possible career trajectories, his stunning consistency and more. After that, Jason and Rich dive into the career timeline of Lewis, his rough upbringing in drug-riddled Baltimore, playing in high school with three other future NBA players and being recruited by Northeastern University and eventual UConn legend Jim Calhoun. The guys then move onto his NBA career, joining a still-talented but increasingly old Boston Celtics team, finally getting the reigns to himself, holding court at "The Table", duels with Michael Jordan, his final NBA game against the Charlotte Hornets and much more. Finally, a look at Lewis' untimely death, what occurred in the aftermath, how the media, players and the league covered the death and the downward spiral of the Boston Celtics franchise.
Episode #3 is a departure from the usual format as Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch tackle the question of each NBA city's Mr. Basketball. Some cities are a breeze but others? There's quite an argument. Can a Clipper be Mr. Los Angeles? Where does "Pistol" Pete fit in? Is Bill Laimbeer or Isiah Thomas Mr. Detroit? Join us as we tackle each and every current NBA city and determine their Mr. Basketball!
They actually let us come back? Well, that's a relief! In episode 2 of the Over and Back Podcast Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch are joined by Nate Duncan of BasketballInsiders.com to discuss the life and career of Scottie Pippen, his place in history, how he changed the SF position and much more. Scottie Pippen is perhaps the best "second banana" ever, a man constantly in the shadow of one of the NBA's greatest players ever, but on his own merits still one of the top 50 players of all time and a first-ballot Hall of Famer. A man constantly hungry for admiration and respect, Pippen struggled in keeping his emotions in check whether in the media or on the bench, leading to constant questions about his leadership and motivation. Never a gifted offensive player, Pippen eventually turned himself into an offensive weapon utilizing his unbelievable athleticism and length. Defensively, there were few better. Making full use of that length, athleticism and basketball instincts, Pippen was the patriarch of the famed "Three Doberman" defense that propelled the young Chicago Bulls to NBA royalty.
On the podcast, we discuss Pippen's humbled beginnings in rural Arkansas, his evolution from a relative unknown NAIA prospect to multiple time NBA All-Star and eventually six-time NBA champion. We discuss Pippen's evolution as a player, his issues with Bulls manager and his ultimately disappointing post-Bulls career with the Houston Rockets and Portland Trailblazers.
In the inaugural episode of Over and Back, Jason and Rich are joined by Curtis Harris of ProHoopsHistory to discuss the life and career of NBA and ABA legend Rick Barry. Rick is one of the more polarizing figures in NBA history, a talented budding superstar who made the dubious decision to jump from the NBA to the ABA in the prime of his career. As it turned out, Barry may have kickstarted the free agent revolution made famous by Oscar Robertson and baseball’s Curtis Flood. Barry, however, was seen as a selfish, money-hungry player who didn’t care about winning, a reputation that would surround him forever, even as he ventured back to the NBA and led the Golden State Warriors to their one and only NBA championship.
On the podcast, we discuss Barry's jump to the ABA, whether it was the right decision at the time and why it ultimately hurt his legacy, his tenuous relationship with teammates, coaches and the media, his talented bloodline with NBA sons Brent and Jon, being a premiere scorer without the benefit of the three-pointer, the multitude of changes to the NBA and basketball throughout his career and much more!