The Way We Ball

As we prepare ourselves for another NBA season's gifts, we discuss what sparks joy in our respective fandom and what might not, what we're holding onto and what we're giving up. Jacob is mostly wrong as usual and August is a perfect guest to help us get started. We love and appreciate you, as always.

It's that time again. Baseball is winding down. The kids are back in school, and the NBA Season is nigh upon us. To properly process our feelings about the impending Houston Rockets spasm, we have requested the help of two of our oldest friends Sara Rodriguez and Jonathon Williamson, who attempt, each in their way, to ground us with the important things, like Russell Westbrook's Houston te...

While the US women's national team were busy winning their 12th World Cup championship, we were busy breaking down what happens when our nation's heroes return home, the WNBA Plaaaayoffs. We are joined this week by former Bleacher Report and current Resura Magazine writer (and founder), author of the short story collection Mat Burns and the novel Time Crumbling Like a Wet Cracker, Ryan Dil...

It's the offseason. Don Nelson has died, Dolly Parton and Tim Curry too. Russell Westbrook has retired. Is this era of the Denver Nuggets slipping away with last year's first round exit, Aaron Gordon's athleticism, and Peyton Watson's exit? What are the harbingers of the Lakers' sale, the second such transaction in just over a year? Why doesn't Eric like swimming? All these...

LeBron rings the Liberty Bell This week we use LeBron's latest last Decision as an excuse to talk through how we expect the Eastern Conference to begin to shake out this fall. Then we take some time to appreciate (and acknowledge) some of the storylines in the WNBA.

This week, in likely our final episode of the year, we address all the massive trades that have shaken our understanding of the basketball world to its very core. We go team by team (Boston, Charlotte, Detroit, LAC, LAL, Philly, Toronto, Utah) to address the major movement over the last week and project how this may impact these teams moving forward.

It's finally over. Giannis Antetokounmpo is a Heat, and the anticipation around this lauded draft class is relieved. We talk about how both were kind of duds from an excitement standpoint, while Jacob at least tries to cheer us up about the Heat's chances of contention. Alex Saenz of From the Ground Floor shares his time and many insights with us as we do it all.

It's over, maybe faster than we'd hoped, but certainly in spectacular fashion. And once again Eric carries the obviously more correct opinions and the show. Enjoy and we'll see you next season.

We've only just seen Game 2 of this year's Finals, but we're both worried it will end and so very grateful for what we've been blessed with already. This week we catch up on some NBA news, the death of Stacey King, some coaching changes, and Donald Trump's insistence on inserting himself in every part of our lives, break down Game 2, look ahead to Game 3, and spend a little tim...

The Knicks haven't lost in 7 weeks, and we haven't been heard from for nearly half that time. We are back with an NBA Finals post-game breakdown. Listen to all the ways Eric predicted every bit of this (privately so there's no way you can prove me wrong), what the Knicks are doing right and how the Spurs can adjust for Game 2.

Round 2 is near to its close. The NBA draft lottery is set. The WNBA season has begun. The Knicks are in the Conference finals. The Thunder haven't lost a game yet in the Playoffs. Wemby elbows Naz Reid in the neck in the middle of our recording. Are we exactly where we thought we'd be before the season? Do surprises still await? Join us for a discussion of all things basketball in the yea...

IT'S ROUND TWO!!! 3 GAME SEVENS, real redemption for Joel Embiid and Rudy Gobert and centers and defensive supremacy and a final Rockets collapse.

In this episode, we break down the 1ST Round insanity that has captured the NBA, and continue memorializing our fallen Houston Rockets. With only 3 series looking like they might produce the most obviously expected outcomes, there's plenty to discuss.

THE PLAYOFFS ARE HERE, and this week we preview all 8 1st round matchups, talk a little Play-In, and some other stray news.

This week, on the final morning of the regular season we review possible the Playoff scenarios of the day's games (obsolete as of this posting, but not-so as of our recording). We consider the outcomes of the incentive structure built around the NBA's current rules that have led to a third of the league intentionally losing games this season, and we do a sort of autopsy on our beloved Hous...

This week, we return to discuss some of what we missed these last two weeks, LeBron embarrassing himself, how we don't know how to talk about mental illness, and the labor and practical win that is the WNBA's new CBA with our powerful and insightful friend Mirinda Rose.

THIS WEEK, we talk with Alex Saenz about Bam's 83, the Wizards, Luka's humiliation of Matas Buzelis, more Rockets than we should, some streaks, too-early and not-planned finals predictions, and somehow not enough Lakers.

This week we talk about about the unspoken and constantly shifting relationships between the refs and on court strategy, the Western Conference contenders and why the Rockets should probably just give up and sell the team and we should really quit doing this silly podcast, AND then some more Joe Mazzulla quotes for some reason.

This week we talk all things NBA and Houston Rockets with our old and good friend Sara Rodriguez. This is also our second foray into video. Please be patient with our/my video editing skills and un-camera-ready appearance, but we are glad again to share our faces with you. On topics we discuss if Lou Dort is the dirtiest player in the league, why the Luka hate-train has begun and how it's fami...

This week, the ALL STAR break IS OVER. The home stretch of the NBA season is upon us, and we are here to talk about the Eastern Conference, the expectations and realities as we find ourselves in the spring of the year-of-our-lord 2026 really before anyone is properly prepared. We also follow up on our emergency Rockets/hero's death discussion from last week in the fallout from the KD scandal a...

On this emergency video episode, we discuss the wild news that broke yesterday about Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and our own Kevin Durant. We particularly focus on the KD situation, screenshots from an alleged burner account, in which KD takes shots at nearly all of his former teammates and coaches as well as his current ones.

This week, we discuss Chris Paul's retirement announcement, his place in league history and the Rockets' annals. We also enthusiastically break down the most recent brawl between the Pistons and Hornets and touch on the current Rockets struggles, some big and small picture analysis of where they are heading into the All Star break.

This week, we are talking actual factual TRADES and triple doubles and Jacob sounds the alarm about something or other.

This week, we discuss lots of news, the looming trade deadline, the re-emergence of Joel Embiid, and the poetry that is Joe Mazzulla pressers.

A discussion about discussions in the NBA. Plus some Rockets things.