In Depth With Graham Bensinger

In this week’s motivational podcast, we look back on a clip from our 2012 interview with Kobe Bryant where he talks about playing against Michael Jordan and the best advice Jordan gave him. Bryant also looks back at his Game 2 loss to the Celtics and driving around for two hours after the game, figuring out how he would help the Lakers win.

Russell Simmons co-founded arguably the greatest hip-hop label of all time in 1984 with Def Jam Records. The company guided the careers of groups like Run-DMC, Beastie Boys and Public Enemy, plus rappers Jay-Z, Ja Rule and Kanye West. But Simmons stepped down from his businesses and charities in 2017 following sexual assault allegations by several women. Graham travels to Bali, Indonesia to see wh...

Joe Thomas highlights what went wrong during Johnny Manziel’s time with the Cleveland Browns and shares a story of when he had to introduce himself to the Brown’s fifth-string QB during a regular season game.

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar walks us through the goals of his foundation, which was created to bring together people and institutions who are passionate about effecting social change. Plus, we travel with Tendulkar to see the impact the Sachin Tendulkar Foundation will have on India’s youth for generations to come.

Jake Paul has disrupted the world of boxing as he continues to build his fight resume. The YouTube sensation turned professional pugilist remembers finding fame in a flash and how he lost everything - friends, fans and millions - just as quickly after his brother Logan's controversial video. Paul candidly reveals that being “canceled’ led to heavy drinking and suicidal thoughts and discusses how h...

Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre said his job was to help the Packers win games, not take Aaron Rodgers or anyone else under his wing.

Shaquille O’Neal discusses fulfilling a promise to his mom and returning to LSU to graduate from college, getting his masters of business and doctorate, plus, Shaq shares his latest goal: pursuing a law degree.

Legendary Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson invites Graham to Canton, Ohio, for his 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement. Later, we rejoin the first-ballot Hall of Famer at his home in Detroit, where he and his wife Brittney discuss their then-strained relationship with Lions’ ownership, a budding cannabis business and family life raising three boys.

Comedian Nikki Glaser walks us through the ebbs and flows of her long-term relationship with her boyfriend, and her request for him to entertain experiences with other women and her admission that she’s found “the one.”

Nine-time MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi reveals the mindset behind his best-in-class performances, including varying emotions in the hours leading up to a race.

Brazilian big-wave surfer Maya Gabeira invites Graham to her home in Nazaré, Portugal - a surfing destination famous for creating some of the largest waves in the world. It’s the site of Gabeira’s highest highs and lowest lows, like a near-death wipeout in 2013, and then seven years later setting a Guinness World Record for the largest wave ever surfed by a female. In an April 2021 interview, Gabe...

Former NFL quarterback Joe Namath reflects on his relationship with the legendary University of Alabama football coach, Bear Bryant, including coach Bryant’s intimidating discipline.

Former boxing heavyweight Mike Tyson details the close relationship with his trainer and mentor, Cus D’Amato.

We spend some days in Los Angeles with Lakers controlling owner Jeanie Buss. The daughter of NBA Hall of Famer Jerry Buss, Jeanie looks back on learning the ownership ropes from her dad during the era of the Showtime Lakers. Buss explains the struggles of being a female owner in the male-driven NBA and the triumph of being the first woman controlling owner to win a championship. She also opens up...

Dirk Nowitzki - the only player ever to play for a single NBA franchise for 21 seasons - talks of his first impressions when coming to America and offers anecdotes to illustrate the difficulties of his rookie season.

Professional basketball player, Kevin Love, suffered a very public panic attack during a game. Love details what had kept him from getting help in the past plus he opens up on how therapy helped him become unapologetically himself, and how his grandmother’s sudden death impacted him.

We travel to Atlanta and spend a day with Michael Render, better known as Killer Mike. The rapper revisits his childhood spent in tough Atlanta neighborhoods being raised by his grandparents. Mike remembers his early days rapping and how he got his start with OutKast. The Grammy Award-winner and one half of Run the Jewels also explains what makes his new album Michael his most personal yet. Always...

National Geographic photographer Paul Nicklen details how a leopard seal spent several days trying to feed him penguins

Annika Sorenstam - the winningest female golfer ever - says she stepped away from competing because she achieved everything she wanted and no longer felt “hungry.” She also talks about her role as President of the International Golf Federation and her excitement for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

This week on the In Depth podcast we turn the tables and interview the guy who’s normally asking the questions. Graham opens up about a childhood chasing down celebrities, the interview that landed him on The Tonight Show, and his most embarrassing moment in college. We also talk with the St. Louis native about why he might be a wanted man in Iceland and his penchant for asking inappropriate quest...

Emmy-award winning actor Jon Hamm looks back on moving to L.A. with very little money and some of the jobs he worked to make ends meet, including set dressing a softcore porn set.

NBA star Blake Griffin opens up about his appreciation for his parents and shares stories about his upbringing in a biracial family and how he learned a lot from watching his parents brush off detractors, as no one could rattle the love they have for each other.

Graham Bensinger sits down with future Hall of Fame point guard Russell Westbrook. The nine-time NBA All-Star discusses the bad press he’s received, criticism of his playing style and the risky decision he made during his college recruitment. The Clipper veteran reflects on his upbringing in Los Angeles, the sudden death of his best friend and the desire to express himself through fashion.

Actor Josh Duhamel and his wife, Audra, on their first date, proposal and why their relationship works so well.

Businessman, author and former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz describes his family life growing up in the projects in New York City, a complicated relationship with an abusive father and his mother’s depression.