The Finder With Tom Haberstroh

What does Stephen Curry think about the Jamal Murray comparisons? Brandon Payne, Curry’s trainer and the founder of Accelerate Basketball, discusses whether the comparisons are valid. Plus Payne gives an update on Curry’s offseason workouts and reveals why he decided to bulk up. 3:55 How Steph is doing 15:10 Comparing Jamal Murray to Steph 25:55 How long will Steph's career will last? Learn more a...

How will LeBron James and the Lakers stop Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets? Tom Haberstroh previewed the NBA Conference Finals with TNT analyst and former NBA head coach Stan Van Gundy. Plus Van Gundy revealed why he joined Twitter this summer. 6:30 Working with his brother (Jeff Van Gundy) 18:10 The PJ Brown fight story from SVG's perspective 24:15 The Boston-Miami series 39:45 The Clippers’ biggest...

Will the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat meet in the NBA Finals? Tom Haberstroh discusses with ESPN’s Jorge Sedano, who has covered both teams extensively. Plus Haberstroh and Sedano swap stories from covering the Heat during the LeBron James era. 13:25 Tom's story about Justin Bieber getting into a car crash outside his house 22:50 Can LeBron do anything to unseat MJ, or will he always be No. 2...

Why did the Brooklyn Nets hire Hall of Fame point guard Steve Nash to be their new head coach? Tom Haberstroh discussed what moves the Nets need to make next with The Athletic’s John Hollinger, the former VP of Basketball Operations for the Memphis Grizzlies. Plus Haberstroh and Hollinger previewed the keys to the Lakers-Rockets series. 6:00 Is head coach of the Brooklyn Nets a good job? 14:50 Coa...

Who will the Minnesota Timberwolves select with the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft? Tom Haberstroh discussed with Gersson Rosas, the Wolves’ President of Basketball Operations. 6:15 Direction he is thinking of going with the No. 1 pick 10:35 Trade market for the No. 1 pick 18:25 Goal of the NBA protests 29:40 Bond between KAT and DLo 36:15 Is it ever fair to say a draft class is weak? Learn more...

Why have there been so many upsets in the first round of the NBA playoffs? Tom Haberstroh discussed with Amin Elhassan, ESPN’s NBA analyst and a longtime NBA executive. Plus Elhassan shared hilarious stories about Kwame Brown and Michael Beasley. 1:30 Why Toronto seems the most prepared for the NBA bubble 12:30 What is wrong with LeBron and the Lakers 29:25 What is wrong with Kawhi and the Clipper...

What is like to be a virtual fan in the NBA bubble? ESPN’s Pablo Torre, who was spotted on television eating a sandwich as a virtual fan during the Pacers-Heat game, revealed how it happened and shared his takeaways from watching the NBA bubble. 5:35 Pablo's experience as a virtual fan 10:15 Stugotz’s struggles as a virtual fan 27:50 Pablo's thoughts on the 76ers and Ben Simmons’ injury 35:50 How...

Who should make an All-NBA Bubble Team, and who deserves to be on an All-NBA Bubble Burst Team? Tom Haberstroh debated with TrueHoop’s David Thorpe. 4:00 Russell Westbrook’s hot start 11:50 All-NBA Bubble Team 36:30 Is Anthony Davis the best teammate LeBron has ever had? 50:05 All-NBA Bubble Burst Team 1:00:30 MVP…LeBron vs Giannis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoic...

Who is the NBA’s best golfer? Neil Olshey, the President of Basketball Operations for the Portland Trail Blazers, revealed his answer from the NBA bubble in Florida. Plus Olshey discussed everything you need to know about the Blazers, including the story behind Skinny Melo and Damian Lillard’s health. 4:50 Preparing for the bubble 9:10 The story behind "Skinny Melo" 14:50 How good Jusuf Nurkic has...

You know Adam Schefter as ESPN’s top NFL news breaker, but he is also secretly obsessed with the NBA. Schefter discussed his basketball roots and revealed his NBA title prediction. 3:37 Adam’s success with DFS golf 6:05 How Adam nearly became a baseball writer 18:55 Attending a party with Chris Paul and Jay-Z 21:00 Adam’s MVP ballot 35:00 Who will win the NBA title Learn more about your ad choices...

Is the food really that bad in the NBA bubble? Marc J. Spears, senior NBA writer for The Undefeated, describes life in Orlando for the NBA restart. 9:05 What the COVID testing protocols have been like 16:00 The impact of social justice messages on the back of player jerseys 22:40 Will there be protests in the bubble? 24:00 Damian Lillard's birthday party 29:40 Solving home-court advantage in the b...

What is life like inside the TBT bubble? Sean Marshall, captain of Team Challenge ALS in The Basketball Tournament, shared how he is keeping his team safe and his advice for players in the NBA bubble. Plus Marshall explained why Jared Dudley, his co-captain at Boston College, is the smartest guy he has ever played with. For more on the fight against ALS: https://iamals.org/ 7:40 Life in the TBT bu...

Will it be safe inside the NBA bubble? Tom Haberstroh discussed with Nate Duncan, the host of a popular NBA (Dunc’d On Basketball) and COVID (Covid Daily News) podcast. 8:10 The NBA's rules for the bubble 17:20 Why Disney staffers don't necessarily need to be tested daily 32:10 The biggest threat to the bubble 42:30 Why the NBA could be in big trouble for next season 46:50 Whether the NBA should f...

What’s it like to be interviewed by Tim Duncan and Chris Paul for your new job? Steve Forbes, the new head coach of the Demon Deacons, discussed the interview process with Tom Haberstroh, a proud Wake Forest alum. Plus Forbes told stories about Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse, his best friend, and Fred Van Fleet, who he coached at Wichita State. 10:00 Zoom interview with Tim Duncan and Chris Paul...

What will life be like inside NBA bubble? Tom Haberstroh discussed the health and safety protocols with TrueHoop’s Henry Abbott 9:35 Henry's 20 questions for the NBA 26:00 What happens if a player breaks the rules? 37:35 What if an NBA player gets really sick? 44:20 Reactions to Kyrie Irving 58:00 Why doesn't the NBA play outside? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoice...

Is the NBA doing enough to combat racial injustice? Tom Haberstroh discussed with Atlanta Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce and ESPN’s Amin Elhassan. Pierce explained his viral #JusticeForLloyd Instagram post, while Elhassan compared the New York Knicks to Homer Simpson. Lloyd Pierce: 1:55 The viral #JusticeForLloyd Instagram post 20:25 Diversity of NBA executives vs. players 23:50 Working with the NB...

Ryan Saunders had one of his players tell him “that could have been me” after George Floyd died in police custody in Minneapolis. The head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves passionately decried police brutality and praised Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Okogie for their leadership in standing up for racial equality. 4:30 Saunders’ reaction to seeing the video of Floyd 12:35 Timberwolves player: "Th...

Visualize your favorite picture of Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant, and there’s a good chance it was taken by Andrew D. Bernstein. The HOF photographer took Tom Haberstroh behind-the-scenes of how he captured some of the most famous images in NBC history. For video of the podcast: https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/bulls/last-dance-andrew-bernstein-recounts-some-his-famous-michael-jordan-photos 4:20...

How does The Last Dance change the way we look at Michael Jordan? Tom Haberstroh explored with David Aldridge, who made frequent appearances in the documentary. Plus Aldridge, editor-in-chief of The Athletic D.C. and host of the Hoops Adjacent podcast, discussed what really happened during the MJ flu (or poisoned pizza) game. 8:45 The flu game…or pizzagate 25:23 Best behind-the-scenes footage in T...

How do Michael Jordan’s teammates feel about The Last Dance? Tom Haberstroh sat down a trio of Bulls experts from NBC Sports Chicago: four-time NBA champion Will Perdue, former Bull Kendall Gill and Bulls Insider K.C. Johnson. 21:06 How they felt when MJ announced his first retirement 31:40 What Jerry Krause would have added to The Last Dance 44:40 MJ smoking cigars in the locker room 50:15 Playin...

How will The Last Dance affect Michael Jordan’s legacy? ESPN’s Pablo Torre revealed what he learned about MJ while watching The Last Dance. Plus Torre and Tom Haberstroh swap stories about fatherhood and Sam Hinkie's "Process". 8:28 Receiving fatherhood advice from Shane Battier 13:37 Pablo on the communal experience of The Last Dance 20:40 Why MJ agreed to release this documentary 27:33 Should MJ...

Was Scottie Pippen the greatest No. 2 player ever? J.A. Adande, who was featured in The Last Dance, revealed his favorite stories from covering Pippen, Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Plus Adande, who is now the Director of Sports Journalism at Northwestern University, joked about the mishap when he met Jordan for the first time. 7:25 J.A.’s mishap when meeting MJ 9:59 Why MJ avoided the med...

Was the Dream Team the most dominant basketball squad ever assembled? Hall of Fame wing Chris Mullin shared his favorite memories playing with Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird at the 1992 Olympics. Watch Mullin and the Dream Team in the 1992 Olympic gold medal game on Wednesday, April 22 at 9 p.m. ET on NBCSN. 10:28 1996 Bulls vs 2017 Warriors? 16:07 How MJ and Pippen felt about Toni K...

What was life really like at the top of the NBA? The Athletic’s Ethan Sherwood Strauss, author of the new book “The Victory Machine: The Making and Unmaking of the Warriors Dynasty,” discussed how the team dominated the NBA for the better part of a decade, why Kevin Durant left and other anecdotes from the dynasty. 8:48 Impact of social media on high-profile NBA stars 13:51 Why Kevin Durant left t...

How did NBA players prepare to guard Kobe Bryant? Shane Battier, a three-time NABC Defensive Player of the Year at Duke and a two-time member of NBA All-Defensive Team, shared the mind games he played with the Black Mamba. Plus Batter, who is now the Vice President of Basketball Development and Analytics for the Miami Heat, revealed which NBA player could beat him in a Jeopardy duel. 3:28 Which NB...