If there is a Mount Rushmore for NBA teams that feel like symbolic soulmates for their city, then the 2004 Detroit Pistons are on it. This team represented the Motor City in every sense of the word. Everyone played a part, constantly being calibrated and re-calibrated toward something greater. They embodied the qualities of a tough team that the fans living in a tough city needed: Nerves as hard as steel and a burning desire to defy expectations. 20 years ago, the Pistons stood at the brink of a bruising but ultimately dominant championship march over the Los Angeles Lakers, a team brimming wi ..read more

After back-to-back championships, the Rockets were suddenly trending in the wrong direction after a turbulent 1996 season. Charles Barkley, over in Phoenix, had grown impatient in the Valley of the Sun. The stars aligned for both parties in the summer of 1996 when the Rockets made a blockbuster trade to form one of the "Big 3s" of yesteryear by acquiring Barkley to pair with Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. In today's bonus episode Josh details those years in Houston to determine if the Barkley trade was really worth the gamble. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/sh ..read more

Today we continue in part 6 of a 10-part series at Once Upon a Dribble! During the 2022 playoffs the NBA began awarding MVP awards to the best performing player of each conference finals: the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award and the Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award, named for the two players credited for building the league up to greater popularity in the 1980s.  This begs the question, with the award just being handed out for the first time last season, who are the deserving winners from the previous 50+ years of NBA h ..read more

Jerry West, who was selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame multiple times in a storied career as a player and executive and whose silhouette is considered to be the basis of the NBA logo, passed away earlier this month. Few people have ever seen the game as clearly — from so many angles and across so many different eras — as West did. His the influence he had on his profession is profound and will be felt for generations to come. Join Calvan and Josh in a brief tribute to Jerry, talking about his early life, resiliently elite NBA career, impeccable executive career and the lasting impact he ..read more

Phil Jackson is the most successful coach in NBA history, the owner of 11 rings, and the architect of some of the most iconic basketball moments of all time. From his roots in small town North Dakota, to Chicago, Los Angeles, and even the Big Apple, his career in basketball has taken him all over the country. His style of coaching and his unorthodox approach to life earned him one of the most recognizable nicknames in sports: the Zen Master. You can’t tell the story of the NBA without mentioning the coaching of the great Phil Jackson... but just how was Jackson able to sustain so much succe ..read more

The first ever NBA All-Star game was played on March 2, 1951. Since that time, 454 players have played in that game. Thousands of other NBA players have never played in the game. In today's episode of Once Upon A Dribble, Josh and Calvan go over four of the most baffling All-Star game snubs. Players who had great careers, but for one reason or another, never received the Star call. We dive deep into the live and times of some of the finest players in the game, who never had their greatness properly recognized. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/onceuponadribble ..read more

The Thunder were the Warriors before the Warriors. Well, except for the titles. Young, homegrown talent emerges as a dominant force in the league, consistently vying for the NBA championship. This straightforward strategy, exemplified by the successes of Oklahoma City and Golden State in the 2010s, is seldom as effective as they made it appear. However, the OKC's inability to clinch an NBA championship is integral to their story, just like their enduring success. Equally integral is the element of excitement. Few teams have engaged in as many thrilling matches with iconic ..read more

It’s easy to look back now and wonder how Oden ever could have been selected ahead of a superstar like Kevin Durant. After all, KD had averaged 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds a game as a lanky freshman at Texas, leading the Big 12 in both categories, as well as blocks. Durant was a sure thing, like Michael Jordan was in the 1984 draft … so why draft Sam Bowie? Because Greg Oden was never supposed to be Sam Bowie. Oden was Hakeem Olajuwon. That narrative, that four-letter word, haunted him for a long time. It hurt to hear. It hurt to explain. But that word doesn’t capture the spirit of his strug ..read more

In 2023-24, the Minnesota Timberwolves are seeing a resurgence as one of the premier teams in the league as we head towards the 2024 NBA playoffs. How far do you have to go back to find the last Timberwolves playoff run? 20 years in fact. 2004 is the last time the Wolves won a playoff series. In that year Kevin Garnett was MVP and got them 2 games within the NBA Finals. Join Josh and Calvan as they bring on Jeremiah, lifelong T-Wolves fan, to talk about KG, Sam Cassell, Flip Saunders, Latrell Sprewell, today's Wolves and MUCH more. This is Once Upon A Dribble. Follow Jeremiah/SmartTakes on X ..read more

In 2023-24, the Minnesota Timberwolves are seeing a resurgence as one of the premier teams in the league as we head towards the 2024 NBA playoffs. How far do you have to go back to find the last Timberwolves playoff run? 20 years in fact. 2004 is the last time the Wolves won a playoff series. In that year Kevin Garnett was MVP and got them 2 games within the NBA Finals. Join Josh and Calvan as they bring on Jeremiah, lifelong T-Wolves fan, to talk about KG, Sam Cassell, Flip Saunders, Latrell Sprewell, today's Wolves and MUCH more. This is Once Upon A Dribble. Follow Jeremiah/SmartTakes on X ..read more