Once Upon A Dribble

What actually makes an NBA “superteam” work?I go through decades of NBA history to find out, from Wilt, West and Baylor's Lakers to the '83 Sixers, Jordan's Bulls, the 2004 Lakers, Big Three Celtics, Heatles, KD Warriors and Brooklyn Nets.Along the way, Ichallenge what “superteam” even means. Does a team have to be assembled through blockbuster moves to qualify? How much do fit, sacrifice, hierarchy, health and timing matter? And why might the best superteams simply have more players who are overqualified for their roles?Finally, I bring those lessons back to today's star-studded Philadelphia 76ers and ask whether LeBron, Embiid, Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey can make the formula work.Check us out on Spotify too!(00:00) Intro(04:38) 1969-73 Los Angeles Lakers(08:19) 1983 Philadelphia 76ers(10:24) 1996-98 Chicago Bulls(13:19) 2004 Los Angeles Lakers(16:02) 2008 Boston Celtics(18:05) 2011-14 Miami Heat(22:03) 2017-19 Golden State Warriors(23:36) 2021-22 Brooklyn Nets(25:00) Modern application

What if some of the NBA’s biggest draft busts actually worked out? Chandler Holt who covers the Utah Jazz on KSL Sports joins us to revisit the hype behind Olowokandi, Beasley, Fultz, Okafor, Thabeet and Pervis Ellison. We look at what scouts saw, what went wrong, and what their best-case careers could have looked like. (02:50) Michael Olowokandi (10:04) Jahlil Okafor (15:09) Hasheem Thabeet (21:38) Michael Beasley (31:02) Greg Oden (38:11) Mario Hezonja (46:17) Pervis Ellison (53:16) Anthony Bennett (01:01:49) Markelle Fultz

The ultimate WESTERN Conference ballot is officially locked in for this final part of our 2 part series. In this episode, we go team-by-team through all 15 Western Conference franchises to carve their 4 ultimate icons into stone. We jump from icons like LA and Golden State to the conundrums of Memphis and Sacramento, we reveal our final choices and build the ultimate monument to Western Conference basketball history. Since this is part 2, we hop right into things. If you want a full introduction on our criteria and more context, watch part 1! Intro (0:00) Dallas Mavericks (01:51) Denver Nuggets (07:27) Golden State Warriors (16:16) Houston Rockets (23:54) Los Angeles Clippers (33:03) Los Angeles Lakers (39:46) Memphis/Vancouver Grizzlies (49:31) Minnesota Timberwolves (55:18) New Orleans Pelicans/Hornets (01:02:33) OKC Thunder/Seattle SuperSonics (01:06:56) Phoenix Suns (01:15:08) Portland Trail Blazers (01:20:06) Sacramento/KC Kings, Cincinnati/Rochester Royals (01:26:45) San Antonio Spurs (01:33:52) Utah Jazz (01:40:28) Who's on YOUR Mt Rushmore for these squads?

The ultimate Eastern Conference ballot is officially locked in. In this episode, we go team-by-team through all 15 Eastern Conference franchises to carve their 4 ultimate icons into stone. From the historic dynasties of Boston and Chicago to the modern identity crises of Charlotte and Orlando, we reveal our final choices and build the ultimate monument to Eastern Conference basketball history. Intro (0:00) Our criteria (04:39) Atlanta Hawks (05:40) Boston Celtics (11:38) Brooklyn Nets (17:07) Charlotte Hornets (22:47) Chicago Bulls (28:27) Cleveland Cavaliers (34:37) Detroit Pistons (40:56) Indiana Pacers (48:00) Miami Heat (53:44) Milwaukee Bucks (59:04) New York Knicks (1:03:35) Orlando Magic (1:09:39) Philadelphia 76ers (1:12:59) Toronto Raptors (1:19:22) Washington Wizards (01:24:11) Who's on YOUR Mt Rushmore for these squads?

The NBA has changed dramatically over the last 15 years. Not just on the court, but in the way fans consume the league, how media covers it, and how players shape their own careers. Joining us is Guardian writer and All-NBA voter Claire de Lune to discuss the evolution of the modern NBA through the LeBron era! We dive into player empowerment, ring culture, media discourse, social media, roster-building, and the forces that shaped today's league. How much of the modern NBA can be traced back to LeBron James? And what happens when the league finally enters its post-LeBron chapter? You can follow Claire on X, @ClaireMPLS You can read Claire's incredible work at the Guardian here: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/claire-de-lune

Every NBA fan has an MVP definition in their head and what usually ends up happening is they're all different. Is the MVP about team success? Raw production? Efficiency? Narrative? In this micro episode, I break down why modern MVP debates feel so messy and why we may not even be arguing the same thing anymore. Of course here on Once Upon A Dribble we dive into the historical side of things so join me in the NBA Time Machine!

Who was the best player in the world each year in the NBA? In this episode of Once Upon a Dribble, Josh is joined by CBS Sports writer Sam Quinn to explore a fun historical thought experiment: the unofficial “Best Player in the World Championship Belt.” Instead of ranking players all-time, we track the league’s true crown year-by-year asking when the belt clearly belonged to one superstar and when it was up for grabs. We discuss: Michael Jordan’s dominance in the 90s Shaq vs. Duncan in the early 2000s Kobe’s peak years When LeBron truly took the crown Steph, Kawhi, Giannis, Jokic and the modern era debate Along the way we dig into the messiest transition seasons, controversial belt holders, and the players who came closest without ever holding the title. Once Upon a Dribble is a basketball history & ideas podcast focused on context over hot takes.

Once Upon a Dribble — 2011 NBA MVP Revisited (Notebook episodes are short 15-30 minute solo entries where I give quick hitter context, insight and narrative to various NBA topics) Was Derrick Rose the right MVP in 2011? In this episode, we revisit one of the most debated MVP races of the modern era, looking at the full top 10 and the context that shaped the vote. From Chicago’s resurgence to the backlash against LeBron after “The Decision,” this season was about narrative, team success, fatigue, and timing. We walk through: The biggest storylines of the 2010–11 season A brief look at spots 10–6 Deep dives into Rose, Dwight, LeBron, Kobe, and KD And whether history still agrees with the final vote Let's dive in!

Once Upon a Dribble — What does “heliocentric” actually mean? (Notebook episodes are short 15-30 minute solo entries where I give quick hitter context, insight and narrative to various NBA topics) It’s not just ball dominance. It’s not just usage. And it’s definitely not new. In this Once Upon a Dribble: Notebook episode, Josh traces how heliocentrism evolved. From Wilt and Kareem, to Magic and Jordan, to LeBron, Harden, Luka, and Jokic... and why the league may actually be refining it, not abandoning it. (01:37) The Pre-Heliocentric Era - '50s-70s (07:59) The First True Heliocentric Prototypes - MJ and Magic (13:15) Modern Heliocentrism = Creation Load - LeBron, Harden, Luka, Jokic (19:13) The Current State of Heliocentrism (21:30) 3 Misconceptions about Heliocentric Basketball

Today we finish with part 10 of a 10-part series at Once Upon a Dribble! During the 2022 playoffs the NBA began awarding MVP awards to the best performing player of each conference finals: the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award and the Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award, named for the two players credited for building the league up to greater popularity in the 1980s. This begs the question, with the award just being handed out for the first time last season, who are the deserving winners from the previous 50+ years of NBA history? Find out today as Josh tackles the Western Conference in the 2010s! 2010: Los Angeles Lakers vs Phoenix Suns - Kobe Bryant (02:49) 2011: Dallas Mavericks vs Oklahoma City Thunder - Dirk Nowitzki (09:13) 2012: Oklahoma City Thunder vs San Antonio Spurs - Kevin Durant (14:22) 2013: Memphis Grizzlies vs San Antonio Spurs - Tony Parker (20:01) 2014: Oklahoma City Thunder vs San Antonio Spurs - Tim Duncan (25:12) 2015: Golden State Warriors vs Houston Rockets - Stephen Curry (30:51) 2016: Golden State Warriors vs Oklahoma City Thunder - Stephen Curry (36:34) 2017: Golden State Warriors vs San Antoni Spurs - Stephen Curry (41:54) 2018: Golden State Warriors vs Houston Rockets - Kevin Durant (48:16) 2019: Golden State Warriors vs Portland Trail Blazers - Stephen Curry (54:16) 2020: Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers - LeBron James (01:00:01) 2021: Los Angeles Clippers vs Phoenix Suns - Chris Paul (01:09:53) Recap/Outro: (01:16:27) Thank you all who enjoyed and listened to this series!

When you really break it down, the whole history of the NBA is still a relatively short amount of time. At 79 years old, there are still many people around who have a living memory of the first NBA season. The league celebrated 50 years in 1996, with a special reveal of the top 50 players of all-time up to that point, as voted on by media, former player, general managers, and other notable figures. For the first 50 years of the league, there were several individuals who were obvious locks to make the top-50. Michael, Kareem, Larry, Dr. J and many others easily made the list... but what if we told you that a 9-time All-Star, who at the time sat on 8th on the NBA’s all time scoring list did not make the top 50? In today’s episode, we take the NBA time machine back to the 80s and 90s, and explore the life and times of one of basketball’s most underrated players of all time, the one and only Dominique Wilkins. 00:00 Introduction 03:43 Early Life, College Years and the Draft 13:41 Superstar Rising - 1982-90 24:50 Achilles Tear and The Trade 35:40 The Twilight Years - Gone Overseas? 45:10 The Legacy of Mr. 51st

On April 19, 2020, ESPN and Netflix released a landmark documentary series that was over two decades in the making, chronicling a behind the scenes look at the supremacy of Michael Jordan’s last years in Chicago. As Americans and people all across the globe were settling into an entirely new life of pandemic quarantine madness, The Last Dance was a much needed escape, and a fascinating glimpse into the life of one of the most popular figures in the history of sports. But lost in the spectacle of MJ’s unprecedented greatness, and ultimately reduced to something little more than a footnote in the pages of NBA history, the Utah Jazz came away emptied handed again and again, despite fielding a team that likely could have hoisted a championship banner, had they played in any other era. Led by a dynamic duo of John Stockton and Karl Malone, two players who still stand among the top 10 of all time at their respective positions, the Jazz had spent much of the late 80s and 90s just on the cusp of taking those final steps into championship glory. But always for one reason or another, the stars never perfectly aligned for the team from Utah, and Stockton and Malone would find themselves forever on another and far less desirable all-time list: as some of the best players to never win a ring. In today’s episode, we take the NBA time machine back to the 1990s, and explore the rise and fall of the team that tried and failed to steal the last dance, and find out just what went wrong for the Utah Jazz. This is Once Upon a Dribble! (04:30) The Foundation - Background on the '80s Jazz (18:14) The Slow Climb - The Ups and Downs of the Early and Mid '90s (41:29) The 1996-97 Utah Jazz season (01:08:56) The 1997-98 Utah Jazz Copyright Disclaimer: - Under section 107 of the copyright Act 1976, allowance is mad for FAIR USE for purpose such a as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statues that might otherwise be infringing. Non- Profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of FAIR USE.

Today we continue in part 9 of a 10-part series at Once Upon a Dribble! During the 2022 playoffs the NBA began awarding MVP awards to the best performing player of each conference finals: the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award and the Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award, named for the two players credited for building the league up to greater popularity in the 1980s. This begs the question, with the award just being handed out for the first time last season, who are the deserving winners from the previous 50+ years of NBA history? Find out today as Josh tackles the Eastern Conference in the 2010s! 2010: Boston Celtics vs Orlando Magic - Paul Pierce (03:10) 2011: Miami Heat vs Chicago Bulls - LeBron James (11:35) 2012: Miami Heat vs Boston Celtics - LeBron James (20:03) 2013: Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers- LeBron James (28:33) 2014: Miami Heat vs Indiana Pacers- LeBron James (36:04) 2015: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Atlanta Hawks- LeBron James (42:35) 2016: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Toronto Raptors- LeBron James (49:28) 2017: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics- LeBron James (54:39) 2018: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics- LeBron James (01:00:22) 2019: Toronto Raptors vs Milwaukee Bucks- Kawhi Leonard (01:11:11) 2020: Miami Heat vs Boston Celtics- Bam Adebayo (01:19:35) 2021: Milwaukee Bucks vs Atlanta Hawks- Khris Middleton (01:28:16) Recap/Outro: (01:37:04)

(04:48) What led to the Decision? The Breaking Point in Cleveland (26:00) The Villain Season - 2010-11 (53:48) Redemption, "It's About Damn Time" - 2011-12(01:10:54) Supernova, Back-To-Back - 2012-13 (01:32:00) The Burnout - 2013-14 July 8th, 2010. A 25-year-old phenom sat across from Jim Gray… and set the basketball world on fire. "'I’m going to take my talents to South Beach.'" Seven words that shattered Cleveland... united superstars... and turned a beloved MVP into the NBA's greatest villain overnight. This is the story of The Heatles. Of dominance. Of legacy. And of how one decision changed the course of basketball history. But before the championships, before the 27-game win streak, before the redemption... There was heartbreak. There was pressure. And there was a reason he had to leave. From Cleveland’s collapse… to South Beach’s rise… to the fall in 2014—this is the LeBron Miami saga, as you've never heard it before.

(04:50) Background on basketball in Philadelphia and on Wilt (23:18) Let's meet the 1966-67 Sixers and look at their regular season (46:05) The Sixers finally overcome Boston (55:05) The 1967 Finals When it comes to the NBA’s all-time greatest players, few can match the raw statistical dominance of Wilt Chamberlain. From the iconic 100-point game, to the 50 points per game season, to 12 straight seasons averaging over 20 rebounds, Chamberlain’s numbers are simply unbelievable. But despite statistical dominance, Wilt the Stilt struggled for years to carry his teams over the final hurdle, as year after year, championships eluded him. While Bill Russell was winning 11 rings in 13 years, Chamberlain was often left watching and waiting . Finally, in 1967, 9 years into his NBA career, Wilt finally earned his ring, and delivered the first ever NBA championship to the city of Philadelphia . The story of how Chamberlain and the Sixers got there, however, is one few people know. In today’s episode, we take the NBA time machine back nearly 60 years, and learn how the 1967 Philadelphia 76ers managed to defeat the nearly-undefeatable dynasty of the Boston Celtics. This is once upon a dribble!

Today we continue in part 8 of a 10-part series at Once Upon a Dribble! During the 2022 playoffs the NBA began awarding MVP awards to the best performing player of each conference finals: the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award and the Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award, named for the two players credited for building the league up to greater popularity in the 1980s. This begs the question, with the award just being handed out for the first time last season, who are the deserving winners from the previous 50+ years of NBA history?Find out today as Josh tackles the Western Conference in the 2000s! 2000: Los Angeles Lakers vs Portland Trail Blazers - Shaquille O'Neal 2001: Los Angeles Lakers vs San Antonio Spurs - Shaquille O'Neal 2002: Los Angeles Lakers vs Sacramento Kings - Shaquille O'Neal 2003: Dallas Mavericks vs San Antonio Spurs - Tim Duncan 2004: Los Angeles Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves - Shaquille O'Neal2005: Phoenix Suns vs San Antonio Spurs - Tim Duncan 2006: Dallas Mavericks vs Phoenix Suns - Dirk Nowitzki 2007: San Antonio Spurs vs Utah Jazz - Tim Duncan 2008: Los Angeles Lakers vs San Antonio Spurs - Kobe Bryant 2009: Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Lakers - Kobe Bryant

In a lot of ways, an NBA locker room is like a family. With all the good times, and the bad times, the brotherhood, and the infighting, family is the perfect metaphor. But the family dynamic in the NBA often extends to actual family, over 10% of the 4500 players to have ever played in the NBA are directly related either as brothers, as father and son, as cousins, as grandfather and grandson, or as uncle and nephew. In many cases, one family member outshines the rest. But occasionally, multiple branches of the same family tree achieve stardom. Today, we take the NBA time machine back to the late 90s and 2000s, and explore the lives of two family members who hit the highest echelons of the NBA, but failed to take the final steps into NBA immortality Join us in PART 1 OF 2 as we look at the lives and times of two cousins from Flordia who became NBA household names: Vince Carter, and Tracy McGrady. Today Calvan talks to us about T-Mac. In Part 1 Josh talked about Vince. This is once upon a dribble!

In a lot of ways, an NBA locker room is like a family. With all the good times, and the bad times, the brotherhood, and the infighting, family is the perfect metaphor. But the family dynamic in the NBA often extends to actual family, over 10% of the 4500 players to have ever played in the NBA are directly related either as brothers, as father and son, as cousins, as grandfather and grandson, or as uncle and nephew. In many cases, one family member outshines the rest. But occasionally, multiple branches of the same family tree achieve stardom. Today, we take the NBA time machine back to the late 90s and 2000s, and explore the lives of two family members who hit the highest echelons of the NBA, but failed to take the final steps into NBA immortality Join us in PART 1 OF 2 as we look at the lives and times of two cousins from Flordia who became NBA household names: Vince Carter, and Tracy McGrady. Today Josh talks to us about Vince. In Part 2 Calvan will talk about T-Mac. This is once upon a dribble!

Remember that time, like, that 10-season span when the Charlotte Bobcats were an NBA basketball team? Us too, but barely. Josh and Calvan did a DEEP dive into the interesting, awkward, yet always entertaining history of the Charlotte Bobcats. Join them in the NBA time machine as they talk about the success of the original Hornets, their move to New Orleans, the establishment of the Bobcats, MJ, Larry Brown, Gerald Wallace, George Shinn, Adam Morrison, Kemba Walker and EVERYTHING in between. You won't want to miss it!

Today we continue in part 7 of a 10-part series at Once Upon a Dribble! During the 2022 playoffs the NBA began awarding MVP awards to the best performing player of each conference finals: the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award and the Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award, named for the two players credited for building the league up to greater popularity in the 1980s. This begs the question, with the award just being handed out for the first time last season, who are the deserving winners from the previous 50+ years of NBA history? Find out today as Josh tackles the Eastern Conference in the 2000s! 2000: Indiana Pacers vs New York Knicks - Reggie Miller (01:41) 2001: Milwaukee Bucks vs Philadelphia 76ers - Dikembe Mutombo (06:10) 2002: Boston Celtics vs New Jersey Nets - Jason Kidd (13:31) 2003: Detroit Pistons vs New Jersey Nets - Jason Kidd (20:00) 2004: Detroit Pistons vs Indiana Pacers - Ben Wallace (24:08) 2005: Detroit Pistons vs Miami Heat - Richard Hamilton (26:16) 2006: Detroit Pistons vs Miami Heat - Dwyane Wade (32:24) 2007: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Detroit Pistons - LeBron James (37:26) 2008: Boston Celtics vs Detroit Pistons - Kevin Garnett (44:18) 2009: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Orlando Magic - Dwight Howard (49:41)