Stay ConnectedStart your day with The Athletic NBA Daily – a fast, entertaining recap of the most important games and stories from the world of professional basketball with new episodes dropping Monday through Friday. Hosted by Dave DuFour, Zena Keita, and Esfandiar Baraheni with regular appearances by The Athletic’s award-winning NBA reporters. Andrew Schlecht and Alex Spears cap the week with the full-length Saturday Slam n’ Jam episode.
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Luka Doncic records his first triple-double as a Laker in his first game against the Dallas Mavericks to lead Los Angeles to a 107-99 win. Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni discuss Luka’s game and LeBron’s continued excellence, the Orlando Magic’s big problem on offense, and the weird season for Ja Morant. Then, the Athletic’s Christian Clark joins the show to talk about the Mavs side of the loss, their title chances, and an update on the status of Anthony Davis.
Host: Dave DuFour
With: Es Baraheni & Christian Clark
Executive Producer: Andrew Schlecht
Audio Producer: Grayson Moody
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Anthony Edwards makes the game sealing block on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to cap a 25 point comeback victory for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Dave DuFour and Zena Keita discuss the latest embarrassing loss for the 76ers and the Detroit Pistons 7-game winning streak. Then, the Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski joins the show to relive the Timberwolves epic comeback against the Thunder, discuss the performance of the young guys for Minnesota, and Anthony Edward’s block.
Host: Dave DuFour
With: Zena Keita & Jon Krawczynski
Executive Producer: Andrew Schlecht
Audio Producer: Grayson Moody
Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/Ua2qrEe7
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Donovan Mitchell scored 33 points as the Cleveland Cavaliers won their league leading 47th game of the season. Dave DuFour, Es Baraheni, and Zena Keita discuss the importance the Cavs and Thunder regular season marks, Luka and the Lakers blowout win over Jokić and the Nuggets, whether the Knicks are contenders, and if Jimmy Butler is everything for the Warriors. Then, the gang debates who has it worse while comparing the cursed seasons of the Philadelphia 76ers and the Phoenix Suns.
Host: Dave DuFour
With: Zena Keita & Es Baraheni
Executive Producer: Andrew Schlecht
Audio Producer: Grayson Moody
Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/we6bWXw2
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Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers discuss the week of NBA Basketball, all star weekend aftermath, Defensive Player of the Year Odds, and 6 players the guys think are poised to make a leap in the last part of the season. Then they are joined by Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal Constitution to discuss the Atlanta Hawks and the future of Trae Young, how Risacher has performed, and the emergence of Dyson Daniels. Then the boys play a fun edition of Andrew vs. the Beat, a trivia game where Andrew is pitted against a beat writer.
Host: Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers
With: Lauren Williams
Executive Producer: Andrew Schlecht
Audio/Video Editor: Jake Kleinberg
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San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama will miss the remainder of the season after being diagnosed with a blood clot in his shoulder. Dave DuFour and Zena react to the news about Wemby, the Knicks overtime win, and the Denver Nuggets rise up the west standings. Then, the Athletic’s Sam Amick joins the show to breakdown the timeline for Wembanyama’s diagnosis, the fallout, and whether the Spurs will be searching for a new coach.
Host: Dave DuFour
With: Zena Keita & Sam Amick
Executive Producer: Andrew Schlecht
Audio Producer: Grayson Moody
Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/Ua2qrEe7
Read Sam’s story on Victor Wembanyama: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6149559/2025/02/20/victor-wembanyama-blood-clot-spurs/
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State of the League | LaMelo out-duels Luka; Lakers lose
Luka Doncic struggles as the Lakers lose their first game after the All Star to LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets. Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni react to the the Lakers’ loss and breakdown the defensive issues that will limit Luka and LeBron. Then, the Athletic’s Sam Amick stops by to discuss the fallout from a poorly received All Star weekend, Draymond Green’s comments, and whether broadcast negativity creates more problems for the NBA.
Host: Dave DuFour
With: Es Baraheni & Sam Amick
Executive Producer: Andrew Schlecht
Audio Producer: Grayson Moody
Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/Ua2qrEe7
Read Sam’s story on Draymond’s prediction: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6141143/2025/02/16/draymond-green-jimmy-butler-warriors-nba-championship/
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The Warriors traded for Jimmy Butler at the deadline and Draymond Green declared the Warriors are going to win the title. Zena Keita and Marcus Thompson discuss what the ceiling of the Warriors is, and if they have enough to actually get through the West. They discuss the top end talent of Jimmy, Curry and Draymond and if the young players on the roster can help get them where they need to go.
Host: Zena Keita
With: Marcus Thompson
Executive Producer: Andrew Schlecht
Audio Producer: Grayson Moody
Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/Ua2qrEe7
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The 2025 NBA Draft is just around the corner with the prize at the top being Cooper Flagg. Es Baraheni and guest from the Game Theory Podcast Bryce Simon break down Cooper's game and who he would fit best with. After a break they discuss the tank race, who could be selected in the top 5, and how good the 2025 class is.
Host: Es Baraheni
With: Bryce Simon
Executive Producer: Andrew Schlecht
Audio Producer: Grayson Moody
Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/Ua2qrEe7
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Stephen Curry scored 12 points to lead Team Shaq to a win in the All Star Championship game and was named All Star MVP. Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni react to the new All Star format results, discuss whether we live in a post dunk era, and the Wemby skills challenge controversy. Then, Zena Keita catches up with Law Murray postgame from Chase to discuss the game, Curry’s MVP, and the weekend.
Host: Dave DuFour
With: Zena Keita, Es Baraheni, & Law Murray
Executive Producer: Andrew Schlecht
Audio Producer: Grayson Moody
Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/Ua2qrEe7
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Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers discuss the week of NBA Basketball, Who will win the MVP of the All Star Game, fun stats about Christian Braun and DeMar DeRozan, Nate Robinson's kidney transplant, trade deadline fallout and more. Then they are joined by Kelly Iko of the Athletic to discuss the Houston Rockets, their recent struggles, and how they will build their team in the near future. Then the boys play a fun edition of Andrew vs. the Beat, a trivia game where Andrew is pitted against a beat writer.
Host: Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers
With: Kelly Iko
Executive Producer: Andrew Schlecht
Audio/Video Editor: Jake Kleinberg
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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