Open Floor: SI's NBA Show

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina open with the latest from the NBA bubble, where Ben has entered Day 5 of quarantine. How is Ben holding up? Is Michael starting to get worried? Are the NBA's safety protocols holding up as designed? From there, they shift gears to an extended conversation about playoff X-factors, discussing Mike Budenholzer, Kemba Walker, Zion Williamson, Anthony Davis and more. T...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina detail the launch of the NBA's Orlando bubble, with Ben reporting live from Disney World as he begins his seven-day hotel room quarantine. They talk through a variety of topics: how to pack for a three-month trip, how to dress for a bubble playoffs, how media members are able to interact with each other, and how the NBA's extensive coronavirus testing raises e...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina announce that Ben will enter the NBA's Orlando quarantine bubble this weekend. Michael offers his travel tips and the two discuss health, food, exercise, and other quality of life concerns as a marathon hotel stay awaits. They check in on why the MLS had to send two teams home from its bubble and answer questions from the Open Floor Globe about how the next three...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina commemorate the tenth anniversary of LeBron James's "The Decision" television special by running through the 10 worst NBA decisions of the past decade. Before they dig into the list, Ben and Michael recall where they were when they found out James had picked the Heat in 2010, whether Miami's four-year run was a success or a disappointment (or both), an...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina take stock of the NBA ramping up its return for the Orlando bubble. Top contenders like the Lakers, Clippers and Bucks met the media this week, seeking to pick up their title chases and push back against asterisk talk. Will the 2020 champs get an asterisk or a gold star? Is this, like Giannis Antetokounmpo said, the "toughest championship" of all time? From th...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina open by taking a long look back at Vince Carter's career after the 22-year vet announced his retirement? Where did he rank compared to his contemporaries? What were his best moments? How will he be remembered? Did he inspire love? Did he have both the greatest in-game dunk and Dunk Contest dunk of all time? Will he make the Hall of Fame? From there, Ben and Michae...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina take stock of the NBA's return plan, which saw players report to their teams for coronavirus testing this week. Is the media to blame for reporting an individual player's positive tests? If now, how should the NBA be handling the testing results? Did Nikola Jokic's positive test reveal anything new about worst-case scenarios facing the league inside the bu...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina open by going back to review some of the NBA's minor transactions from February and March before the shutdown. Consider this "Who he play for?" Open Floor style. Who signed Reggie Jackson? Michael Kidd-Gilchrist? Joakim Noah? Jeff Green? Markieff Morris? They debate whether any of those moves will be viewed in a new light given the NBA's Orlando bubble...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina dig into the NBA's health and safety protocol for the upcoming season at Disney World. Is this a good plan? How will games be played and which hotels will house the players? Will the players buy in? What are some of the quirks fans should watch for once play resumes? From there, Ben and Michael shift gears to take questions from the Open Floor Globe. What can the...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina react to the NBA players' various concerns about the Orlando return plan. What is Kyrie Irving's role in all of this? What did Damian Lillard tell Michael about his stance? Will basketball distract from the ongoing social justice protests? What would happen if the players collectively chose not to play? Have the health and safety questions been answered? Will...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina open by surveying the superstar landscape to detail how the NBA community is gearing up in the wake of George Floyd's death. LeBron James tackles voting rights, Michael Jordan donates $100 million, Kevin Durant calls for fair treatment of the police officers involved in Minneapolis, Giannis Antetokounmpo seeks to better Milwaukee, Russell Westbrook funds a documen...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina dive headfirst into an impossible task: trying to predict the most unpredictable playoffs in NBA history. Will the NBA be able to keep its players safe and crown a champion? If so, who will win the title and Finals MVP? Will there actually be a play-in round? Will the extra eight regular season games influence the NBA award races? How will the neutral site impact the...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina open by recapping the NBA's 22-team return-to-play plan. Was it a good compromise, a money grab or both? Will it succeed in generating interest out of the gate? From there, they draft their all-quarantine teams, putting together eight-man rosters of the guys they expect to play well, and play well together, in Orlando's unique circumstances. Who will thrive wi...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina recount the weekend of nationwide protests that followed George Floyd's death in police custody in Minneapolis. They address what things are like in their communities right now and how long these protests might continue. From there, Ben and Michael survey responses from throughout the NBA community -- Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Doc Rivers, Dwane Casey, S...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina open by running through this week's developments regarding the potential format of the 2019-20 resumed NBA season. Why is Adam Silver even bothering with World Cup group stage and expanded playoff proposals? What advice would Ben and Michael offer to the commissioner? Did Damian Lillard have a point when he threatened to sit out if the Blazers can't play meani...

Ben Golliver is joined by legendary basketball writer Jack McCallum to discuss his new podcast project, "The Dream Team Tapes." Which Michael Jordan story does Jack wish he could have told on "The Last Dance"? How did Jack prepare to cover USA Basketball's 1992 team and how did he forge relationships with Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Charles Barkley? What was Christia...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina dig through the NBA's first official steps towards a resumption of the 2019-20 season. Do they like Disney World as a host? How many teams should be invited? How should the playoffs be formatted and seeded? If they were players, would they participate? As reporters, would they attend and cover the events in person? Will there be an asterisk? From there, they shift...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina conclude their coverage of "The Last Dance" by taking questions from the Open Floor Globe. Should this project be considered a documentary? How should Jordan be viewed as a player and leader? What was the project missing? What do Jordan's narrative successes tell us about the Warriors dynasty? What's the signature MJ game? Was the "Flu Game" st...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina discuss the key revelation of the final two episodes of "The Last Dance": That Michael Jordan wanted to run things back with the Chicago Bulls during the 1998-99 season on one-year contracts. Does Jordan's vision of how that would work make sense? What, exactly, was Jerry Krause's take? How about Phil Jackson? Scottie Pippen? Owner Jerry Reinsdorf? If...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina begin their latest recap of "The Last Dance" by asking how they would survive as Michael Jordan's teammate. Would Ben take the bullying without responding? Would Michael walk off the job? Then, they ponder whether Steve Kerr truly believes getting punched was the best thing that happened to his relationship with Jordan, break down Gary Payton's memorab...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina look back at Scottie Pippen's decision to sit out the closing seconds of a 1994 playoff game against the New York Knicks. Was Pippen guilty of a cardinal sporting sin? What context helps explain his sit down? Could the same situation play out in today's NBA? From there, Ben and Michael pivot to a wider discussion of the NBA's biggest quitters? Does changin...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina break down the latest episodes of "The Last Dance" by dissecting Michael Jordan's shaky defenses of his gambling habit and lack of interest in politics. Should the documentary have approached the issue of gambling addiction with more nuance? Did Jordan have an obligation to embrace his potential as an activist? Is Jordan truly apolitical or is he worried t...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina open by arguing about an age-old question: Who was Michael Jordan's most tortured opponent? Charles Barkley or Patrick Ewing? From there, they discuss the impact that the coronavirus shutdown could have on aging players. Which veterans might enter a different stage of their careers by the time basketball is back? Kyle Lowry? Chris Paul? PJ Tucker? Dwight Howard? O...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina review episodes 3 and 4 of "The Last Dance" by digging into the rivalry between the Bulls and Pistons. Did Isiah Thomas deserve Michael Jordan's hate? Are the Bad Boys overrated, underrated or properly rated? Could Dennis Rodman's late-blooming career arc have happened in the modern NBA? Was his Las Vegas trip really indicative of who he was as a Bulls...

Ben Golliver and Michael Pina use Michael Jordan's intense hatred of Isiah Thomas and the Detroit Pistons as a jumping off point to discuss the most reviled people in NBA history. Which former players were universally despised? Are owners easier to hate than players? Which attributes -- laziness, selfishness, lack of integrity -- wind up drawing the most ire? And which players did Ben and Mich...