The Ariel Helwani Basketball Show

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Kenny Smith May 10, 2023

Show notes

In the era of 24/7 on-demand streaming, the cable television industry has taken a massive hit. But somehow, seemingly impervious to changing media landscapes and difficult economic times, one cable TV show has remained as appointment viewing for basketball fans everywhere: Inside the NBA on TNT.

And one of the co-hosts of one the most popular broadcast in sports television, Kenny Smith, joins Ariel Helwani in the thick of the NBA playoffs to discuss his new book "Talk of Champions," and a recent photo of him that's been circulating the internet! They also discuss topics like:

Why Smith decided that now was the right time to publish the book he's always wanted to write (5:30)
The most memorable moments from his time as a co-host of the Emmy Award-winning basketball studio show Inside the NBA alongside Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley, and Ernie Johnson (12:52)
Enticing NBA front office roles he's received offers for and why he turned them down (16:27)
If he's ever successfully mended the fences between his friends Barkley and Michael Jordan (24:30)

Plus, Smith also tells Ariel who he thinks will win the NBA Finals this season.

Kenny Smith is a former NBA player who currently serves as a co-host for the award-winning TV show, Inside the NBA. The No. 6 overall pick in the 1987 NBA Draft, "The Jet" spent 10 seasons in the NBA playing for the Sacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic, and Detroit Pistons. Before playing in the NBA, Smith attended the University of North Carolina where he played alongside the one and only Michael Jordan.

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Kristaps Porzingis May 05, 2023

Show notes

For the first time in a very long time, there's hope again at Madison Square Garden.

As young stars R.J. Barrett, Julius Randle, and Jalen Brunson are leading the way on the world's biggest basketball stage, one name is conspicuously missing from Madison Square Garden during the 2023 NBA Playoffs.

Kristaps Porzingis was supposed to be the one to lead the once-storied Knicks back to the promised land. But, as we find out far too often in the NBA, things don't usually go according to plan.

On today's episode, the man they once called "The Unicorn" joins friend Ariel Helwani to look back on the highs and lows of his time in New York and also to look forward to what is still a very bright future for one of the game's most fascinating players. The guys discuss:

The pressure Porzingis felt to be the face of a struggling franchise when the Knicks selected him with the No. 4 overall pick in 2015 (4:35)
Why he didn't quite fit in with the Dallas Mavericks (9:21)
His rocky relationship with Knicks fans (12:35)
Whether he'll re-sign with the Washington Wizards in the offseason (22:14)
Plans to play for Latvia in the FIBA World Cup this summer (26:00)
The potential of budding European superstar Victor Wembanyama (30:06)

Plus, Ariel thanks Porzingis for helping him out in 2019 and KP also talks about Saturday's big UFC 288 event.

Kristaps Porzingis is a center for the Wizards. The fourth overall pick in 2015, Porzingis has also played for New York and Dallas. He is a 1x All-Star and is also a massive fan of mixed martial arts.

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Jason "White Chocolate" Williams Apr 28, 2023

Show notes

When you talk about 1990s NBA nostalgia, sure, you think about Jordan's Bulls, Ewing's Knicks, Reggie's Pacers, The Dream Team, and Shaq and Penny's Orlando Magic.

But the memories don't stop there.

Because at the tail end of the decade, a cult icon emerged. And that transformative figure -- a skinny white point guard from West Virginia lauded for his flair and swagger on the court -- joins Ariel Helwani on today's program. The guys discuss:

Why he believes the 2022-23 Sacramento Kings are better than the early 2000s Kings he played for (4:21)
His cult icon status and why fans look back on his career so fondly (6:30)
If he was comfortable serving as an inspiration for white children in America (20:00)
The origins of his unforgettable nickname (21:17)
Why he dislikes modern NBA trends like load management and the play-in tournament (28:05)
What he would tell his younger self (33:50)

Plus, Williams talks about rookie hazing he experienced, the one current NBA player who most closely resembles his game, and how YOU could play a round of golf with him!

Jason Williams played in the NBA from 1998 - 2011. Drafted with the 7th overall pick by the Sacramento Kings in 1998, "White Chocolate" also played for the Memphis Grizzlies, Orlando Magic, and Miami Heat, where he won a championship alongside Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal in 2006. For more on Williams, please visit JasonWilliams55.com.

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Showtime Sports Roundtable: Garcia vs. Davis Preview, NBA Playoffs Breakdown, and More! Apr 21, 2023

Show notes

Live from the BlueWire studios in Las Vegas, Ariel Helwani is joined by NBA legends Stephen Jackson, DeMarcus Cousins and Paul Pierce. Former professional boxer Andre Ward also joins the guys to preview tomorrow night's MASSIVE boxing showdown between Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia.

After talking about the fight -- which airs exclusively on Showtime -- the guys talk about this year's NBA playoffs and all the drama happening on and off the court.

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Action Bronson Apr 18, 2023

Show notes

For almost the entirety of the 2000s, the New York Knicks haven't been a mainstay atop the Eastern Conference leaderboard like they once were in the 1990s. But with the Knicks currently leading the Cavaliers 1-0 in the first round of this year's playoffs, can we say that playoff basketball is FINALLY back in New York?

We'll see. But in the meantime, Knicks superfan Action Bronson joins his friend Ariel Helwani for a conversation about the Knicks, the NBA of new and old, and more:

Memories of the '90s Knicks (8:10)
Jalen Brunson's breakout season (19:27)
Why Ariel is nervous about the Knicks' playoff hopes (20:25)
Draymond Green's pro wrestling-style antics last night in Game 2 against the Sacramento Kings (26:55)
Why basketball was so much cooler in the '90s (33:40)
Favorite Madison Square Garden memories (43:30)
What New York City would be like if the Knicks won the NBA Finals (54:49)
Plus, Action Bronson talks about his insane basketball shoe and jersey collection, his own foray into the shoe design game, NBA arena food, this weekend's big Showtime boxing match between Ryan Garcia and Gervonta Davis, and so much more.

Action Bronson is a New York-born rapper, actor, host, chef, entrepreneur, shoe artist, and overall renaissance man with 2.2 million followers on Instagram. For more information, please visit actionbronson.com.

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Michael Carter-Williams Apr 14, 2023

Show notes

As the NBA playoffs tip off this week, 16 teams find themselves dreaming of hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy in June.

The Orlando Magic, however, are not one of those teams ... again. A short-lived franchise filled with longing for the days of Shaq and Penny, Dwight and Turkoglu, the Magic actually haven't won a playoff series since 2010.

But for the first time in a long time, there's hope in Orlando.

This week’s guest is a veteran leader on that team: point guard Michael Carter-Williams.

On today's show, MCW discusses the following with fellow Syracuse alum Ariel Helwani:

His battles with injuries and if he considered hanging it up after missing all of the 2021-22 season
What it's like being the oldest member of the youthful Magic
His MMA fandom and why he likes to train in Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Battles with mental health issues and how he's overcome them
What it was like to hire -- and later fire -- his mother as his manager
Getting drafted in the same class as and playing with perennial MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo

And much more!

Michael Carter-Williams was the No. 11 overall draft pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. A former standout at Syracuse, MCW has played for six teams: the Magic, Houston Rockets, Charlotte Hornets, Chicago Bulls, Philadelphia 76ers, and Milwaukee Bucks.

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Bob Costas Apr 07, 2023

Show notes

For many sports fans in North America, one singular voice has dominated the sports broadcasting landscape over the last forty-plus years.

Celebrated for his unmatched abilities, spine-tingling calls, brutal honesty, and unwavering calmness in the most chaotic of moments, Bob Costas is the gold standard of sports broadcasting. And despite his decades of World Series, Super Bowl, and Olympics broadcasting experience, it's perhaps his coverage of the NBA in the 1990s that sports fans remember most fondly.

And on today's episode, Costas joins Ariel Helwani to look back on not just a period many consider to be the best era of NBA basketball, but also to reflect on a career that's spanned multiple sports, countless iconic moments, and generations past and present. Together, the two Syracuse alumni discuss:

Why we look back so fondly to the NBA on NBC era of the 1990s
His legendary call of the 1998 NBA Finals, an era-defining moment we often look back on when remembering the glory of Michael Jordan's Bulls
What it was like to relive the magic of the '90s by watching "The Last Dance" during the COVID-19 pandemic
His bone-chilling memories of broadcasting during the NBA Finals on June 17, 1994 -- the day of the infamous O.J. Simpson chase -- and what he would do differently if he could do that day all over again
Hosting NBC's coverage of the 1992 Summer Olympics and his favorite memories of "The Dream Team"
His relationship with the late NBA commissioner David Stern and whether Stern ever reprimanded him for his tough line of questioning in their conversations
The current state of NBA broadcasting

Plus, Costas tells us whether he has any interest in covering the NBA ever again.

Bob Costas is a titan of American sports broadcasting. From 1980-2019, he worked for NBC Sports, where he covered the NBA, MLB, and NFL. In addition, he hosted NBC's coverage of 12 Olympic Games. The 2018 winner of the Ford C. Frick Award for MLB broadcasting, Costas is also a 28-time Emmy Award winner. We could go on about his endless accolades, but you get the point.

Audio clips courtesy of NBC Sports.

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Frank Isola Mar 31, 2023

Show notes

The NBA season is like a movie. From beginning to end, there's good guys and bad guys, love stories and breakups, heroes and villains. And by all measures, the 2022-23 season has been a box office hit.

And on today's episode, one of the preeminent writers, speakers, and thinkers about the NBA joins Ariel to break down some of the season's most tantalizing stories, discussing things like:

Another tight MVP race and why the NBA MVP debate attracts so much attention
If the Sacramento Kings, the underdog of the season, will make noise in the postseason
Isola's time covering the whole Kyrie Irving mess in Brooklyn, and if Irving is to blame for the Mavericks' recent struggles
Kevin Durant's fit in Phoenix
Whether this season marks the end of the road of Damian Lillard's tenure in Portland
If Jaylen Brown is on his way out of Boston after this season

Plus, the guys talk about the current NBA media landscape, if Isola ever experiences burnout covering the NBA, and much, much more.

Frank Isola is an American sportswriter who covered the New York Knicks for The New York Daily News from 1995-2017. He then wrote about the Knicks for The Athletic. Today, he co-hosts a SiriusXM radio show, serves as a Nets studio analyst for YES Network, and is also a regular contributor to ESPN's "Around the Horn" and "Pardon the Interruption." He is also the author of the 1999 book, "Just Ballin': The Chaotic Rise of the New York Knicks."

You can follow Frank on Twitter and Instagram @TheFrankIsola.

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Mike Brown Mar 24, 2023

Show notes

The Sacramento Kings weren't supposed to be this good this year. But yet, they currently sit in third place in the Western Conference standings. This week's guest has quite a bit to do with that.

On today's episode, Ariel and fellow MMA fan Mike Brown, the head coach of the surprising Sacramento Kings, discuss the following:

The expectations Brown had for the Kings coming into the 2022-23 season
Why he made all of his players sign a "know your role" contract at the beginning of the season
If he thought his coaching days were behind him following the end of his second stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014
What it was like to be an assistant for the Golden State Warriors after years of being a head coach
Why he prefers to be "one of the guys" with his players
What it was like coaching the Nigerian men's basketball team in 2021

Plus, Coach Brown talks about his hopes for the postseason, members of the team who have pleasantly surprised him, and he also gives his take in the MJ vs. LeBron debate.

Mike Brown is currently the head coach of the Sacramento Kings. He first entered the coaching ranks in 1997 as an assistant for the Washington Wizards. Since then, he's coached for the San Antonio Spurs, Indiana Pacers, and the Golden State Warriors. The 2009 NBA coach of the year, who served as a head coach for the Cavaliers (twice) and the Los Angeles Lakers, is considered the front-runner to win the award for a second time this season.

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Harvey Araton Mar 24, 2023

Show notes

Just a few days after the passing of basketball icon Willis Reed, one of the world's foremost writers on New York Knicks basketball joins Ariel Helwani to look back on the legendary career of Reed: a Hall of Famer, MVP, 7x All-Star, and 2x NBA champion.

On today's episode, Ariel and Araton reflect on the life and career of a basketball pioneer by discussing the following:

Why "The Captain" is remembered so vividly and viscerally for his lasting impact on the game
How Reed used to take younger players under his wing
Comparing the 1970 Knicks championship team to the 1973 squad
How a story Araton wrote contributed to the Knicks firing Reed as a head coach
Some of Araton's favorite stories from throughout the time he covered Reed and the Knicks
Araton's final interactions with Reed

And unfortunately, what it was like to write the obituary for a man Araton considered to be not just an athlete he covered ... but also a friend.

Harvey Araton is a former sports columnist and reporter for The New York Times, where he spent 25 of 40 illustrious years in the sportswriting business. He remains a contributor for the paper. He's also the author of nine books, including The Garden of Eden, the 2011 bestseller which ESPN later turned into a 30 for 30 film.

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