Superstars account for only a sliver of the NBA's vast and varied ecosystem. In this episode of Breakaway, we turn our attention to the world of activity beyond them. Chicago's Robin Lopez guides us through the life and work of NBA role players—high-level professionals who, by type, go categorically overlooked.

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Produced by Alex Abnos and Rob Mahoney with special thanks to Ben Eagle and Matt Dollinger. Music credits for this episode include: Kevin MacLeod, Deltamorphon, Glass Boy, Chris Zabriskie.

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