@benwhite6 writes: Can you ‘distill’ some of the best things you’ve read, seen, or listened to this summer? This off-season has been dead boring ever since KD decided to threaten the Nets. And if I hear another variation of the Donovan Mitchell trade to the Knicks, I’m going to vomit.
Eric/HoopsDistillery: Absolutely! Happy to share. Here’s a list of some of the most entertaining shows, pods, and articles that will ramp you energy back up for the season to start.
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty (HBO) – this series takes a minute to get going, but once its does, it’s hard to stop watching. They do a good job of putting you in the shoes of Dr. Buss, Magic, Kareem, Pat Riley and others as they are struggling with key life or career decisions.
NYC Point Gods documentary (Showtime) – A must see! Interviews and jaw-dropping, old school footage of Kenny Anderson, Pearl Washington, Steph Marbury, Rod Strickland, Rafer Alston, Kenny Smith, God Shammgod and others. If this doesn’t make you want to pick up a ball and work on your handle, then not sure what will.
Baron Davis Point God pods – once you watch NYC Point Gods doc and get fired up about the best and most important position in basketball, flip on these pods to hear Baron talking shop with some of the best point guards to ever play basketball. There’s an even an episode with Kobe telling stories about point guards.
Ryen Russillo pod – Bob Ryan interview covering his perspective on different generations of NBA stars, his early days as a Celtics reporter, and some of the best Larry Bird stories
Jackie MacMullan Icon Club pods – after celebrating the NBA’s 75th, these pods hit the spot to dig a bit deeper into the best of the best.
Callin Shots pod with Seth Partnow:
- What is “Playmaking? – Dan Peterson, co-author of “The Playmaker’s Advantage” and “The Playmaker’s Decisions” joins to discuss that most elusive of Basketball traits: feel
- Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic joins to discuss our recent article about the art of the science of team building in the NBA. Also check out this article by Partnow and Vorkunov on the topic:
CJ Moore/The Athletic article – How an Ukrainian basketball trainer became a TikTok star, Kansas Jayhawks whisperer
Howard Beck/The Crossover pod:
- Interviewing the NBA’s Schedule Czars – Evan Wasch, Tom Carelli and Gene Li
- In-depth discussion with Howard Bryant about the legacy of Bill Russell
Jonathan Wasserman/Bleacher Report – scouting report on preseason’s top 15 prospects
Jeremy Woo/Sports Illustrated – the first 2023 NBA Draft big board
Bill Simmons/The Ringer – NBA Trade Value List: Summer 2022 Edition
…and if you don’t have any games saved on your DVR, you can always check out the NBA’s full game replays on YouTube
