48 Minutes

0:00 .... Bruce hello, welcome, and show #236 dedication in honor of former Celtic and current Laker Marcus Smart, who has worn the number 36 for all four of his NBA teams. 0:41 ... Friday: Hawks at Celtics 3:37 ... Saturday: Pistons at Timberwolves 6:34 ... Sunday: Knicks at Thunder 9:22 ... Bonus discussion on best combined college/professional and Olympic careers.  Legendary names abound: Kareem, Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, Bill Walton 14:25 ... Breanna Stewart stands alone 15:34 ... Bruce closes the show Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

0:00 .... Show open ... Bruce welcomes the panel and dedicates show #235 to the late Reggie Lewis of the Boston Celtics, whose number 35 was retired by the team shortly after his death in 1993. 1:07 ... Bruce introduces Nick Carboni of WCNC-TV who covers the Hornets on a daily basis. 2:10 ... Nick is excited about finally covering the Hornets in the playoffs after 10 years working in the city and shares a brief story from the recent Dell Curry jersey retirement ceremony. 3:11 ... World B, who has been on the Hornets bandwagon gets the first question and asks about the evolution of LaMelo Ball and his impact on the team's success.  Nick thought Melo was going to be traded a few months ago but his progress has really helped the team. 6:50 ... The Hornets have been sparked by rookie Kon Kneuppel and his spectacular 3 point shooting and all around floor game. 9:37 ... Nick points out the moment when he realized the Hornets were not the same old Hornets from recent years.  It was their wins over Utah and Oklahoma City that convinced him they were different.  And their defense has improved dramatically. 11:55 ... The Hornets have played spectacular ball for second year head coach Charles Lee for two straight months.  Are they peaking at a good time? 14:27 ... Lee is part of the Boston connection plus some other veterans like Grant Williams, Xavier Tillman, and Pat Connaughton that are helping a young team to realize its potential. 17:02 ... The Hornets have been healthy and good chemistry has logically followed due to the players having more experience together on the court. 20:15 ... Rebounding has been a key improvement that has led to more winning in Charlotte. 23:19 ... The Charlotte market is not one of the largest TV markets but they support the NFL's Panthers and the Hornets.  Major League Baseball may have interest in expanding into Charlotte, but can the city support a third pro franchise? 27:07 ... Bruce asks about the sports culture in Charlotte and whether the fans are more like college fans since the state is so college hoop oriented. 29:59 ... Bruce point out that the Hornets have had many blowout wins but wonders if the team needs to win some close "nailbiter" games in order to be "playoff ready?"  Nick agrees and cites a few examples of close games that were losses when they could have been wins. 31:59 ... Kemba Walker was a great player in Charlotte and is now a member of their coaching staff.  Nick says Kemba remains his favorite player of all time.  And his presence on the bench connects the Charlotte fans of different generations. 35:11 ... Bruce reintroduces Nick and tosses to the mid-show break 35:30 ... Bruce resets and tees up a discussion of the 65 game rule for postseason awards and All-NBA teams.  Everyone agrees that some tweaks are needed to minimize the unforeseen circumstances of the rule. 38:45 ... Jayson Tatum's return to the Celtics has Boston fans dreaming of a second title in 3 years.  Do these fans need to tap the brakes? 41:49 ... The Lakers have been on fire as of late with Luka Doncic leading the way.  Are they a legit threat to win the title? 44:54 ... Which teams are lurking below the radar but who could make a meaningful playoff run?  Nick likes the Hornets, World B likes Miami, and Bruce likes Minnesota. 48:00 ... Bruce wraps things up and teases the weekend preview show later in the week. TRT 48:45 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Word Association: NBA Team Edition Detroit Pistons San Antonio Spurs Washington Wizards New Orleans Pelicans New York Knicks Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

0:00 Intro 0:51 The 48 Minutes Weekend Preview 0:56 Hawks @ Rockets on Friday Night 4:52 Lakers @ Magic on Saturday 8:45 Timberwolves @ Celtics on Sunday 11:20 Word Association: NBA Team Edition 11:46 Detroit Pistons 13:09 San Antonio Spurs 14:28 Washington Wizards 16:01 New Orleans Pelicans 18:14 New York Knicks Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

0:00 Intro 1:03 Bam Adebayo’s historic night last Tuesday 7:54 The Sacramento Kings are anti-tanking? 12:50 Western Conference vs Eastern Conference Top Contenders Debate 18:49 Winning Streaks Around the NBA 18:58 Atlanta Hawks 23:29 Oklahoma City Thunder 26:05 Orlando Magic 32:29 The NBA set to vote on Expansion this Summer 36:53 Which Western Conference team do we see moving to the Eastern Conference? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

0:00 ... Ross tees up the "Crafty" segment 0:15 ... Bruce picks Boston's Payton Pritchard ... World B likes Luka Doncic ... Ross likes Shai Gilgeous Alexander 4:28 ... Ross wraps it up and says goodbye TRT 4:44 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

0:00 ... Ross hello and welcome to the show ... introduces Bruce Bernstein and Michael "World B" Freer.  Episode #232 is dedicated to Hall of Famer Bill Walton, who wore #32 at UCLA and with the Portland Trailblazers. 0:57 ... The guys begin with a discussion of the Friday matchup between the Suns and Raptors in Toronto. 5:16 ... Next up is a breakdown of Saturday's game between the Nuggets and Lakers in Los Angeles. 8:06 ... Finally it's the Sunday showdown between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder.  Minnesota is one of only two teams to have beaten the Thunder more than once this season.  San Antonio is the other.  Can OKC show the Wolves they mean business? 12:27 ... In our second segment of the weekend preview, each panelist decribes their favorite "crafty" players.  Bruce likes Payton Pritchard. Ross likes Shai Gilgeous Alexander, and World B likes Luka Doncic. 16:54 ... Ross wraps it up and says goodbye   TRT 17:07   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

0:00 ... Show open intro ... episode #231 dedicated to former Lakers great Kurt Rambis ... 1:00 ... Bruce introduces Byron Scott and ticks off some of his career achievements. 1:39 ... Byron is also a podcaster and discusses his show called Byron Scott's Fastbreak ... one of Byron's guests was Dave Winfield and Byron shares a quick story about Dave. 2:52 ... Byron was childhood friends with baseball legends Darryl Strawberry and Eric Davis and they remain friends to this day. 3:38 ... Byron discusses his relationship with his former teammates like Magic Johnson, Michael Cooper, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and former coach Pat Riley.   Byron explains how the Lakers were, and are a family because Dr. Jerry Buss wanted it that way. 5:57 ... Byron describes how he was traded by the San Diego Clippers to the Lakers before he ever played an NBA game.  The player who left LA in the trade was Norm Nixon, a beloved Laker who was close with Magic and others.  Byron describes the rough treatment he received in training camp and how he put an end to it. 7:11 ... Byron describes how the old Celtics and Lakers didn't like each other but respected each other and always raised their level of play when they competed. 9:01 ... Byron didn't think the Kevin McHale clothesline on Kurt Rambis in the 1984 NBA Finals was the dirtiest play he ever saw.  Byron describes a shot in the head he took that could have ended his own career. 9:58 ... The Lakers finally beat the Celtics in the 1985 NBA Finals and Byron shared a story of how they knew before they left LA that they'd win it in 6 games. 11:31 ... Byron was a teammate of Kobe Bryant from his first days in the league and then coached him his final two seasons.  Byron reflects on the greatness Kobe achieved and shares a private memory from Kobe's final game when he scored 60 points. 13:21 ... Byron also played for the Pacers and was part of the great Indiana/New York rivalry in the 1990s.  What was it like competing against those Knicks teams led by his former coach Pat Riley?  Did he have a little extra juice when he scored against the Knicks? TRT 15:17       Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Our Favorite First Family in Basketball Bruce on the Barry Family World B on the Curry Family Ross on the Antetokounmpo Family Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

0:00 Intro 0:45 The 48 Minutes Weekend Preview 0:50 New York Knicks @ Denver Nuggets 4:22 Orlando Magic @ Minnesota Timberwolves 8:56 Houston Rockets @ San Antonio Spurs 14:07 Our Favorite First Family in Basketball 14:58 Bruce on the Barry Family 16:52 World B on the Curry Family 18:55 Ross on the Antetokounmpo Family Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

0:00 Intro 1:03 Bruce gives our guest Jon Barry a proper introduction 3:21 Is there a specific time or set of games when teams need to start playing their best for the playoffs? 5:17 Jon Barry on this new era of basketball with an emphasis on 3-point shooting 6:47 Jon Barry reflects on the pressure NBA journeyman face in the league 8:58 What was it like being Laker teammates with both Kobe & Shaq 12:18 Having played against Jordan, Kobe, & LeBron Jon shares his thoughts each legend 16:43 Where does Nikola Jokic rank amongst the best big men all time? 19:35 Jon reminisces on his days with the Sacramento Kings 23:50 Did Jon ever get any blow back from players or coaches as a broadcaster at ESPN? 28:36 Jon on working with broadcasting legend Mike Tirico 30:26 Jon shares some personal stories working with Bill Walton 31:57 What Jon remembers about his college days & March Madness memories 35:30 Jon on the Detroit Pistons 37:16 Does Jon think the Spurs can win a title as soon as this year? 39:28 What’s off about the Houston Rockets this season? 42:33 Jon shares his thoughts on the Knicks decision to make a coaching change & their chances this year 44:30 Will Jayson Tatum have to adjust to Jaylen Brown or will Jaylen Brown have to adjust to Jayson Tatum? 46:23 Word Association 46:41 Yao Ming 47:14 LeBron James 48:08 Peja Stojakovic 48:49 Dikembe Mutombo 49:34 The Cousins Center Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

0:00 ... Three "players to watch" down the stretch 0:14 ... Bruce Bernstein says Karl-Anthony Towns of the Knicks 1:33 ... "World B" Freer says LaMelo Ball of the Hornets 3:44 ... Ross Geiger says Evan Mobley of the Cavaliers 5:08 ... Ross wraps it and says goodbye ... TRT 5:22 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

0:00 ... Ross hello and welcome ... introduction of the panel and dedication of show #228 to Rui Hachimura who wears #28 for the Lakers. 0:53 ... Friday's Nuggets/Thunder matchup ... 4:28 ... Saturday's Lakers/Warriors matchup ... 7:29 ... Sunday's Spurs/Knicks matchup ... 11:29 ... Players to watch down the stretch ... Karl-Anthony Towns ... LaMelo Ball ... Evan Mobley TRT 16:51 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

0:00 ... Ross hello and welcome the crew ... episode #227 is dedicated to Jordan Walsh of the Celtics. 0:59 ... Bruce introduces his fellow "Brucie B" ... Bruce Bowen ... 1:49 ... Bruce tells the story of the "unretirement" of his #12 jersey that he wore with the Spurs. 3:17 ... How Bowen basically created the position we now know as the "Three and D" and what the role meant to him. 5:02 ... On his battles with Kobe Bryant and how he approached the matchup ... his description of how he used film to prepare is really interesting. And how Kobe was always in attack mode. 7:34 ... Bowen's legendary battle with LeBron James in the 2007 NBA Finals and how he forced LeBron into uncomfortable shots.  But Bruce also appreciates LeBron's skills. 9:00 ... Ross asks Bruce about current stars and how he would guard some of them.  Jaylen Brown is singled out by Bowen for his intelligence in many areas. 11:33 ... Phoenix Suns fan Ross still has nightmares from his Suns playing the Spurs back in the day.  Bruce explains how hard it was to beat those guys in the postseason and how the Suns never played defense under Mike D'Antoni. 14:25 ... Bruce played for Pat Riley in Miami early in his career and he shares some amazing insight on how he and Riles interacted during their time together.  He tells an incredible story about a tense contract discussion and how he said goodbye to Miami and bet on himself to succeed in San Antonio. 18:57 ... Bruce played for Miami in some intense playoff battles against the Knicks and Bruce explains the connection from two coaches named Van Gundy with Riles.  Bruce has memories of Knicks fans coming to Florida to root for the Knicks. 21:27 ... World B asks Bruce about Tim Duncan and why he is not in the "GOAT" conversation.  Bruce gives a great analysis of how Tim thinks and how he took the baton from David Robinson and won more championships.  Bruce gives a great blueprint on Duncan's road to becoming a leader.  Bruce shares a great story of how Gregg Popovich made it clear that if Tim felt he wanted to leave San Antonio, he should explore his options.  And Tim never left. 25:18 ... Bruce takes a deep dive into his relationship with Gregg Popovich and how people misconstrued Pop's relationship with players.  Pop always made it clear that his job was to coach guys and that the negative stuff always came from a good place. 29:18 ... As for the current Spurs team ... there's tremendous upside with Victor Wembanyama and young head coach Mitch Johnson.  Victor brings guys together and all the current players respect each other.  Bruce mentions Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper as young studs along with a mature group of veterans that have quickly developed great chemistry. 33:16 ... Wemby has a competitive edge that has surprised a lot of people because of the way he looks.  The way he presented himself at All Star Weekend demonstrated leadership. 36:08 ... Bruce explains how Mitch Johnson has echoed some of Pop's philosophy but in a more contemporary style.  Pop was so much of a legend that he seemed unapproachable to younger guys but Mitch is from their era and relates well. 39:09 ... Dylan Harper is a rookie who is learning quickly what it means to be a Spur.  Having a system that emphasizes the team over personal agendas helps young players develop more quickly.  Bruce feels the team success gives Harper a chance to make a bigger impact that hotter rookie names like Cooper Flagg and VJ Edgecombe. 42:07 ... Bruce from 48 Minutes predicted greatness for the Spurs long before they started playing like a championship contender.  But they're so far ahead of schedule that they look like they could win it all this year.  What could stop them?  The "other" Bruce breaks it all down. 44:57 ... When discussing the officials and all the heat they're getting, Bruce feels like the the replays have hurt the relationship between players, coaches, and refs.  Bruce has little patience for guys that can't put a bad call behind them and keep playing.   As always, he has a great story about official Danny Crawford, who was inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame. 48:59 ... The 65 game minimum for postseason awards has cost some players awards that they might have won.  Is 65 the right number of minimum games or should the number be lower ... maybe 62?  Bruce feels the awards should take a back seat to what is best for the team. 52:13 ... Word Association ... David Robinson: Man of Faith 53:21 ... Draymond Green ... Fiery and Comfortable with Self 56:11 ... Luka Doncic ... Talented to a Fault 57:42 ...Tony Parker ... Wisdom at a Young Age 59:14 ... Shai Gilgeous Alexander ... Aggressive Competitor 1:00:17 ... Ross wraps it up ... thanks Bruce ... and says goodbye ...   TRT 1:01:13         Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ross, Bruce, & World B share the three teams they're keeping a close eye on for the second half of the season. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

0:00 Intro 0:47 The 48 Minutes Weekend Preview 0:51 Cleveland Cavaliers @ Charlotte Hornets 4:02 Houston Rockets @ New York Knicks 7:29 Boston Celtics @ Los Angeles Lakers 10:59 3 teams to watch down the stretch 11:10 Boston Celtics 12:27 Orlando Magic 13:57 San Antonio Spurs Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

0:00 Intro 1:01 NBA All-Star Saturday Night Recap 1:08 Damian Lillard took home his 3rd  3-Point Contest Title 4:26 The Knicks won the Shooting Stars Competition 5:22 Keshad Johnson was crowned this year’s Dunk Champion 6:18 Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game Recap! 7:57 Wemby set the competitive tone 11:38 Ross was bummed Giannis couldn’t play hard alongside Wemby for Team World 13:55 Our “At the Half” MVP 14:21 Bruce gives his vote to Victor Wembanyama 16:56 World B gives his MVP nod to Nikola Jokic 18:27 Ross would give his MVP vote to SGA 19:54 Who has a better chance of making the NBA Finals: DET or OKC? 23:09 Don’t sleep on the new look Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2nd half of the season 28:06 If and when might Jayson Tatum make his season debut for the Boston Celtics? 37:38 One bold prediction the rest of the season 37:55 World B predicts Cade Cunningham win this year’s MVP award 39:40 Bruce predicts the Sacramento Kings will fire Doug Christie within the next 2 weeks 40:29 Ross predicts the Milwaukee Bucks will make the Eastern Conference Play-In 41:40 Final Thoughts 41:52 Bruce on the Lakers deciding to honor Pat Riley while the Celtics are in town 43:22 World B on his New York Knicks upcoming game against the Detroit Pistons 45:34 Ross’s Best Bets for the final stretch of the season Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

0:00 ... Ross explains the format for Sunday's Round Robin All Star Tournament and goes through the rosters. 1:14 ... Bruce's prediction 2:13 ... World B's prediction 3:04 ... Ross's prediction TRT 4:06 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

0:00 .... Show open ... Ross introduces the panel and dedicates show #224 to Naz Reid, the 2024 Sixth Man of the Year. 0:48 ... Three Point Contest breakdown and predictions.  Ross with a great Devin Booker story. 4:50 ... Shooting Stars breakdown and predictions.   Lots of star power on display. 9:41... Slam Dunk contest breakdown and predictions.  This event sorely needs some star power. 12:46 ... USA vs. The World breakdown and predictions ... TRT 16:52 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

0:00 ... Show open ... Ross introduces panel and dedicates show #223 to Jaren Jackson Jr, the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year. 1:17 ... Dave's former team, the Clippers have played well the past month but still became sellers at the deadline ... what was their plan? 2:55 ... The Memphis Grizzlies sent Jaren Jackson Jr to the Utah Jazz in a curious move.  Is there any sense to this move and some other recent moves like trading Dillon Brooks and Desmond Bane? 6:26 ... Dave worked with Danny Ainge in Boston where he pulled off a trade for Ray Allen that helped the Celtics acquire Kevin Garnett and win a title.  Can he pull off a similar trick in Utah? 8:52 ... Utah basically tanked a winnable game last weekend against Orlando ... was it a bad look for the league that needs to be addressed? 10:55 ... Will Jazz coach Will Hardy start feeling the pressure next year with a better group of players? 11:45 ... The Washington Wizards seem to be moving away from their young players by acquiring veterans like Trae Young, Anthony Davis, D'Angelo Russell, and some others.  Will it stifle the progress their young guys were making? 14:34 ... The Wizards seem like a rudderless ship but Dave feels their new GM Michael Winger is smart and there may be subsequent steps involving the guys they acquired. 15:54 ... What about the Celtics trading Anfrenee Simons and getting back Nik Vucevich?  Dave loves the deal for Boston.  Dave also feels like Brad Stevens has done amazing work in making smart moves while keeping the team in good financial shape. 18:27 ... Payton Pritchard is back to his 6th man role with the departure of Simons.  Dave loves this role for him because Pritchard proved he could start in the league and he'll have lots of freedom on the second unit. 20:06 ... Jonathan Kuminga was traded from Golden State to Atlanta with Kristaps Porzingis going to the Warriors ... how does this affect their playoff chances? 21:30 ... How does Kuminga fit in in Atlanta? 23:22 ... What does Giannis Antetokounmpo's future look like?  Is he staying in Milwaukee for the long haul? 24:43 ... Expect to see Giannis in Milwaukee at the start of next season.  Giannis is very loyal.  Dave compares him to what Kevin Garnett went through in Minnesota. 26:09 ... Orlando was quiet at the trade deadline.  They're a well coached team with a good roster but they should be better. 27:16 ... Fun topics to cloe the show... how serious are the Philadelphia 76ers as contenders in the east? 28:27 ... The Charlotte Hornets have been on fire ... do they have a chance to make the postseason? 29:48 ... Dave feels Sacramento is the opposite of the Hornets ... they haven't been to the Finals since 1951 and the owner keeps firing good coaches.  No reason for excitement in SacTown. 32:13 ... The Bulls have made a bunch of trades and didn't get any first round picks while some of their guys made contributions elsewhere.  They never seem to have a breakout season but it's hard to see what direction they're moving in. 33:59 ... Injuries have been a problem across the league and it's making some good players ineligible for postseason awards due to the 65 game rule.  Can anything be done? 36:25 ... Is there anything about the style of play that is causing injuries to occur more frequently?  Dave cites some examples of random injuries 38:46 ... LeBron James needs to play every game the rest of the way since he would need to do that to reach 65 games played.  If he does it, is that good for the team?  Dave transitions into a fun story about how he once played just 5 seconds in a game, and went into that game at the 47:55 mark. 43:49 ... Can the Spurs be a serious contender?  Dave feels like they can and also ticks off some other teams he feels can win it all. 46:49 ... Ross wraps things up and closes out the show.   TRT 47:21                   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.