The Full 48

Howard Bryant, ESPN Senior Writer, and author of the book, "The Heritage: Black Athletes, A Divided America, and The Politics of Patriotism," has many thoughts and theories to share about LeBron James' free agency, activism, heritage, and legacy. Bryant also discusses the comparisons to Michael Jordan, LeBron's effect on the power of the player, the sphere of lightning, the new breed of NBA coaches, and the erosion of team parity in the NBA. via Knit

Boston Celtics analyst Brian Scalabrine (aka White Mamba aka Veal Scalabrine aka Ginga Ninja) is also the captain of the Ball Hogs in the Big3 league, which starts its second season this Friday in Houston, and he's discussing Big3 playing style, rosters, trash talking, and beating Trilogy! Brian's also got stories about playing against Shaq and Kobe, KG's big arm wrestling victory, and playing in the NBA finals. Plus, he weighs in on LeBron James' legacy and future, Kawhi Leonard's situation with the San Antonio Spurs, Michael Jordan as GOAT, and why he calls Shaq the most dominant player in the NBA. via Knit

The Athletic's Marcus Thompson has been covering the Warriors for years and joins Howard to talk about the team's latest championship win, their unique team chemistry and culture, how their dynasty stacks up against past dynasty teams like the Bulls and the Lakers, Steph Curry, Jordan Bell's Hennessey chugging, and the controversy surrounding Kevin Durant's Finals MVP win. via Knit

Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com, Jason Lloyd of The Athletic, and Dave McMenamin of ESPN are not only the Cavs Beat, they're also very close friends and guesting on The Full 48! They discuss their unique friendship, the intensity and competitiveness of covering the Cavaliers, and their collective and individual relationships with LeBron James. They also weigh in on the Kyrie Irving trade, LeBron's control of the team, and what they think the future holds for LeBron and the Cavaliers. Plus, you'll hear some fantastic road stories involving Napa and "Top Gun," a Canadian border crossing, and what happens when you drink 88 ounces of beer in Erie, Pennsylvania. via Knit

ESPN's Zach Lowe joins Howard to break down both game 7s of the conference finals, speculate on Houston's sustainability and reliance on "iso ball," Golden State's vulnerability, and rank LeBron James' achievements. They also theorize on how Cleveland can possibly beat Golden State, what would have happened if Kyrie Irving had not gone to Boston, Kevin Durant's finals play, how the league may look next season for LeBron, and why Coach Tyronn Lue deserves more credit than he's given. via Knit

Michael Lee of Yahoo Sports returns to break down the Golden State Warriors' problems including iso ball and Steph Curry's health; Game 5 statistics and who has the most on the line; the Houston Rockets' incredible season and if their future will include both James Harden and Chris Paul; and Michael offers up a rather unconventional suggestion and theory for how LeBron James should approach his NBA future. via Knit

Coach Kenny Atkinson is at the NBA combine and shares the definition of a Nets player, his thoughts on Spencer Dinwiddie's nomination for "Most Improved Player," what he's learned from Brett Brown, Mike D'Antoni, and Mike Budenholzer, how he's watching the conference finals, and what he really thinks about the Celtics Al Horford. via Knit

Coach David Thorpe returns to The Full 48 to break down the upcoming Conference Championship games, weigh in on the futures of LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard, offer some advice to Ben Simmons, provide some insight to the Brad Stevens Coach Of The Year controversy, make a case for Coach Quin Snyder, analyze the Toronto Raptors next possible moves, and share his biggest disappointment from the second round of the playoffs. via Knit

There's no rest for the wicked and that's how JJ Redick is able to join The Full 48 between playoff games, home life, and hosting a pod of his own! JJ speaks to Howard about the Sixers' current playoff run and team culture, coach Brett Brown, the Clippers' failure to win a championship, why the term "veteran leadership" is so distasteful to him, and what he's learned from coach Gregg Popovich. via Knit

Brian Koppelman is the co-creator and Executive Producer of the Showtime series "Billions," the host of "The Moment" podcast, and a long-suffering New York Knicks fan. Hear how his love-hate relationship with the Knicks finds its way into all of his projects (including the movie "Rounders"), what he learned from professional wrestling, what he thinks about the NBA player's love of "Billions," who inspired Bobby Axelrod, and how Mark Cuban and Marc Lasry came to be part of the hit Showtime series. via Knit

Former NBA forward Matt Barnes speaks to marijuana - his own personal use both now and as a player, and what he thinks the NBA should do about their current marijuana policy. Matt also explains his take on his "bad guy" reputation in the NBA, the curse of the Clippers, why his championship win with the Golden State Warriors "doesn"t count" in his opinion, and what his future holds. via Knit

Indiana Pacers President of Basketball Operations, Kevin Pritchard, admits he's surprised by the team's 49 win season, but not as surprised as he was when Paul George asked to be traded! Kevin runs down the events immediately following Paul George's request, how a powerful play from the Pacers' players themselves affected the trade outcome, what the Pacers saw in Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis, and why Nate McMillan should win Coach Of The Year. suggested channels/streams: Pacers, Kevin Pritchard, Paul George, Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis, CJ Miles, Larry Bird, Al Jefferson, Nate McMillan, Oklahoma City Thunder PACERS GM KEVIN PRITCHARD PACERS 49 WIN SEASON 7:37 - "With us choosing Victor and Domantas we really felt like those guys embrace what we're all about you know toughness, unselfishness" 8:33 - "I would say consensus was low 30s [wins]" VICTOR OLADIPO 9:04 - "He has a real chance to change us in a very significant way very early" 9:1

Ric Bucher returns to the podcast for a round of "it's NOT too early AND..." featuring a prediction on the NBA Western Conference Playoffs, some thoughts on Kawhi Leonard's situation with the San Antonio Spurs, a strong case for inducting Chris Webber into the Hall of Fame, reconfirming 76ers' Brett Brown as his pick for Coach of The Year, and more than one opinion on the current NBA lottery system. via Knit

10-time NBA All-Star and 2-time NBA Champion Ray Allen is among the finalists in consideration for induction into the NBA Hall of Fame, class of 2018, and shares his reaction to the news. He's also talking about his time in Milwaukee, Miami, and Boston, including where things stand with some of his former Celtics teammates (Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Rajon Rondo). He explains his love of Michael Jordan, how golf fits into his new retirement routine, why he believes the NBA should adopt a shorter season, and who makes his list of Top 5 Teammates of all time. And you'll discover what went in to writing his new book, "From The Outside: My Journey Through Life And The Game I Love." via Knit

Bleacher Report's NBA draft expert, Jonathan Wasserman, returns to break down the 2018 Draft Class including Oklahoma's Trae Young, Duke's Marvin Bagley III, Mikal Bridges of Villanova, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Kentucky, and Luka Doncic. He and Howard review last year's draft class top picks... who's been a surprise, who's been a bust, who still has a potential, and which team might want their pick back! via Knit

Golden State Warrior head coach Steve Kerr is passionate about gun control, and explains why it's so important for him to speak up and be active in the movement. He's of course, also talking basketball, including the importance of talent in building unique team culture, lessons learned from Phil Jackson and Gregg "Pop" Popovich, the Houston Rockets' threat to the number one seed, and that video of him dancing at the Steph Curry's 30th birthday. via Knit

Bleacher Report's Jonathan Abrams joins to discuss NBA age limits and how changing the NBA's current rule might impact the game, college basketball, and future elite athletes. Jonathan and Howard break down the possibility of a true NBA minor league system, the idea of youth academies, and other solutions for developing star highschool talent. Plus, Jonathan shares some stories from his new book, "All The Pieces Matter: The Inside Story Of The Wire." via Knit

Jeanie Buss invited Howard Beck to the brand new Lakers facility in Los Angeles, the UCLA Health Training Center, for an in-depth sit down that covers the Lakers owner's new front office, trust in Magic Johnson, lessons learned from Dr. Buss, team expectations, Coach Luke Walton, the Kobe and Shaq years, Magic's tampering fines, the Jordan Clarkson / Larry Nance, Jr. trade, the NBA All-Star Game, The Clippers, and Lavar Ball. via Knit

Michael Lee of Yahoo Sports NBA joins Howard to break down the NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles. Recorded on the concourse of the Staples Center after Sunday Night's All-Star Game, the two analyze the teams, the players, and most importantly, what the this year's changes brought to the event. Michael also remembers covering his first All-Star Game in 2003 (which happened to be Michael Jordan's last)! Plus, find out what who had the best dunk of the night, who should have won in Michael's humble opinion, what player behavior on the bench really indicated about some relationships, and how the two felt about Adam Silver's press conference. And they touch on age limits and what the remainder of the regular season might have in store for the Cavaliers, the Rockets, and the Warriors. via Knit

Former GM of the Nets and 76ers, Billy King, breaks down the Cleveland Cavaliers trades, and what it means for the future of the team and LeBron James. He also sheds some light on the trade process and his own strategy as a GM, and explains why he thinks the Houston Rockets have a chance to win it all this season. Plus, he shares thoughts on Jason Kidd and Milwaukee Bucks, Isaiah Thomas and the Los Angeles Lakers, and cap smoothing! via Knit