Over and Back: Stories About NBA History

If Kevin Durant has his way, he'll be traded from the Brooklyn Nets to a new team this offseason. This got us thinking: how many elite scorers have been traded in NBA history?  Believe it or not, more than you may think!  Thanks to Stathead.com, we took Durant's 2022 scoring average (29.9 PPG) and found every season in NBA and ABA history where a player averaged over 29.9 PPG: https://stathead.com/tiny/1N74Y. From there, we looked at each player that was traded the year after their elite scoring season and talked briefly about how and why they were traded, how the teams and players fared after their trades and more! This episode of Over & Back is brought to you by Stathead.com! Use our code BACK to receive $20 off any of Stathead.com's powerful sports research tools. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jason and Rich welcome special guest Dr. Curtis Harris (prohoopshistory.substack.com) to discuss the life and career of the greatest winner in sports history and one of the most important athletes ever—Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell.  RussellMania For more Bill Russell discussion, listen to the 13-part series on Russell's career we recorded six years ago.  Part 1: A brief overview of Russell's career and his unparalleled successhttps://omny.fm/shows/over-and-back-stories-about-nba-history/russellmania-introduction-to-our-bill-russell-seri Part 2: Bill Russell's era-defining rivalry with Wilt Chamberlainhttps://omny.fm/shows/over-and-back-stories-about-nba-history/russellmania-wilt-and-bill-good-friends-better-ene Part 3: The amazing legacy of Bill Russell and the Celticshttps://omny.fm/shows/over-and-back-stories-about-nba-history/russellmania-amazing-stats-of-the-celtics-dynasty Part 4: Bill Russell's revolutionary impact on sports, as well as other NBA pioneershttps://omny.fm/shows/over-and-back-stories-about-nba-history/russellmania-revolutionaries-of-the-nba Part 5: Bill Russell and the Celtics' battles with the St. Louis Hawks and Bob Pettithttps://omny.fm/shows/over-and-back-stories-about-nba-history/russellmania-celtics-vs-hawks-in-the-finals Part 6: Bill Russell and the Celtics' battles with Elgin Baylor, Jerry West and the Lakershttps://omny.fm/shows/over-and-back-stories-about-nba-history/russellmania-celtics-vs-lakers-in-the-finals Part 7: Bill Russell and his activism and life after retirementhttps://omny.fm/shows/over-and-back-stories-about-nba-history/russellmania-the-man-the-activist-the-coach Part 8: Bill Russell and the Celtics vs. Dolph Schayes and the Syracuse Nationalshttps://omny.fm/shows/over-and-back-stories-about-nba-history/russellmania-playoff-battles-celtics-vs-nationals Part 9: Bill Russell and the Celtics vs. Wilt Chamberlain and the Warriorshttps://omny.fm/shows/over-and-back-stories-about-nba-history/russellmania-playoff-battles-celtics-vs-wilts-warr Part 10: Bill Russell and the Celtics vs. Oscar Robertson and the Cincinnati Royalshttps://omny.fm/shows/over-and-back-stories-about-nba-history/russellmania-playoff-battles-celtics-vs-oscars-roy Part 11: Bill Russell and the Celtics vs. Wilt Chamberlain and the 76ershttps://omny.fm/shows/over-and-back-stories-about-nba-history/russellmania-playoff-battles-celtics-vs-wilts-76er Part 12: The last years of the Bill Russell Celtics dynastyhttps://omny.fm/shows/over-and-back-stories-about-nba-history/russellmania-playoff-battles-celtics-vs-knicks-pis Part 13: End of the series and some of our favorite stories from Bill Russell's careerhttps://omny.fm/shows/over-and-back-stories-about-nba-history/russellmania-series-wrap-up-your-questions-more Stahead.com Over & Back is brought to you by Stathead.com. Use our exclusive code BACK to receive $20 off any of Stathead.com's powerful sports research tools. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Note: This episode was recorded and scheduled before the unfortunate news of Bill Russell's death. We will have a special episode later this week dedicated to the life & career of Bill Russell.  On this episode of Over & Back, Jason and Rich rank NBA dynasties! What dynasties belong in which tier, absolute Tier 1 locks, whether the 2000s Lakers are one dynasty or two, how to classify the Tim Duncan spurs, single-player dynasties and so much more.  This episode of Over & Back is brought to you by Stathead.com! Use our code BACK to receive $20 off any of Stathead.com's powerful sports research tools.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The second and final part of Over and Back's series on the best players for every NBA championship team ever. Join Jason and Rich as they look at each and every champion in NBA, ABA, BAA and NBL history and determine who the best player on each of those teams are.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new series on the Over & Back Classic NBA Podcast: we are going to talk about the players who can truly call themselves the best on a championship team. We'll look at each and every champion in NBA, ABA, BAA and NBL history and determine who the best player on each of those teams are.  Some teams won't have a debate, we all know who that guy is but there are a ton of teams with some real cases to be made for multiple players. We'll explore all of that in this series.  This is a big topic so we're doing two shows — Part 1 will go through the 1974 season.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On today's episode, Jason and Rich discuss the life and career of Detroit Pistons legend Bob Lanier.  We begin with an overview of Lanier's career, beginning with his illustrious college career at St. Bonaventure, his record-breaking Detroit Pistons' career, being overshadowed by Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and others, finally helping the Pistons return to the playoffs, his eventual trade to the Milwaukee Bucks and, finally, his last few years in the league.  We'll also cover a handful of notable games in Lanier's career, record-breaking performances, career-highs & more.  Lastly, we'll look at a few anecdotes, fun trivia & his important post-playing career, his tenure as president of the NBA Player's Union, and more.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast returns with an episode on teams that added a big star (or more) but severely underperformed. Two examples this year with the Brooklyn Nets being swept in the first round after gaining (and losing) James Harden (and never getting Ben Simmons to replace him) and the Los Angeles Lakers winning only 33 games after adding Russell Westbrook. Teams we'll focus on this episode:  1971 Atlanta Hawks 1999 Houston Rockets 1975 Memphis Sounds 2013 Los Angeles Lakers 1976 Washington Bullets 2014 Brooklyn Nets 1976 & 1977 New York Knicks See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join us as we celebrate 300 episodes of the Over and Back Podcast! To celebrate the occasion, we're going to do what we do best, we're going to talk about some guys and specifically some guys with NBA records revolving around the number 300. Players with exactly 300 games played in their career Players with exactly 300 minutes played in their career Players with exactly 300 minutes played in a season Players with exactly 300 points scored in their career Players with exactly 300 points in a season Players with exactly 300 rebounds in a season Players with exactly 300 assists in a season Players with exactly 300 steals in a season Players with exactly 300 blocks in a season Players with exactly 300 turnovers in a season Players who shot exactly .300 from the field in a season Players with exactly 300 fouls in a season Games in which exactly 300 points were scored & more!  Thank you to everyone who has listened to us over the years, we really appreciate it! Here's to 300 more.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Thanks to the great performances of both Desmond Mason and Jason Richardson, the 2003 dunk contest would begin a new era. These new dunk contests didn't need sheepishly avoid the discussion of why stars weren't involved but rather embrace its new lot in life. Moving forward, the contest would embrace its ability to feature the young, great athletes in the NBA. No longer was it an embarrassment that top stars didn't want to participate, the contest had moved past that point and instead would look to the future and look to the rising stars, both literally and figuratively, of the NBA. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vince Carter may have never returned to a dunk contest but the dunk contest never left. 22 years later and counting the dunk contest is still here, still important, and still the showcase event of NBA All-Star Weekend. Vinsanity didn't just bring the dunk contest back, he ensured for generations to come that it would never and could never leave again. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Originally uploaded May 5, 2016 We're celebrating Episode #100 of the Over and Back Podcast and what better topic to cover than Wilt Chamberlain's 100 point game on March 2, 1962, in Hershey, Pennsylvania. To ensure we kept it "100" we uncovered 100 facts about Wilt's 100 point game. Facts and tidbits include a look at where the game ranks all-time statistically, anecdotes about many of the players involved including Al Attles, Paul Arizin, Tom Meschery, Guy Rodgers, "Jumpin'" Johnny Green, York Larese, Darrall Imhoff, Cleveland Buckner and many more. We tell the fascinating tale of Ermo and Evo Ionni, the iconic "100" picture and what happened to the game ball. Lastly, we look back at March 2, 1962 in history with a peek at the Peanuts Comic strip of the day, who was on the cover of that day's TIME magazine, what famous rock star was born on this very day and, of course, Billboard's Number One song. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

60 years today, Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in an NBA game. To celebrate this one-of-a-kind anniversary, Jason and Rich are joined by Gary Pomerantz—author of Wilt, 1962: The Night of 100 Points and the Dawn of a New Era (https://amzn.to/3KacqQs)—to discuss Chamberlain's record-breaking night.  Topics included the added mythology of the game not being televised, what happened to the game ball, how Wilt and his teammates celebrated the accomplishment, Wilt's larger than life personality and play, what surprises newer fans when they first find out about this game, Chamberlain's influence on today's game and so much more!  The Last Pass: Cousy, Russell, the Celtics, and What Matters in the End: https://amzn.to/3tf0sy4 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Budding superstar Kobe Bryant wins the 1997 NBA slam-dunk contest—the first bullet on what would become his extensive resume—but the competition is an utter disaster leading the NBA to do the unthinkable: cancel the slam-dunk contest.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 1993 NBA Slam Dunk Contest more than ever showed the new era of the competition but was it a youth movement or is the bloom off the rose?  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the greatest NBA Slam Dunk Contests in history. Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins duel it out with a sprinkle of scoring controversy, hometown love and the official crowning of Jordan as a megastar.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first of his back-to-back NBA slam-dunk contest championships for Michael Jordan and the true crowning of Air Jordan in the NBA. Jordan, the NBA and the slam-dunk contest would never be the same again. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 1986 NBA slam-dunk contest is famous for being the night when spectacle took center stage. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There's only one place we can begin a series on slam-dunk contests: the inaugural NBA slam-dunk contest in 1984. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Watch the video version of this show at https://youtu.be/W1MfQAg2iR8.  Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast welcome special guests Curtis Harris (http://ProHoopsHistory.substack.com) and Micah Wimmer (https://twitter.com/micahwimmer) for a live watch-along of the 2001 NBA All-Star Game. One of the greatest all-star games in NBA history, Allen Iverson, Vince Carter and the Eastern Conference All-Stars lead an improbable comeback in this thrilling, down-to-the-wire game. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast, Jason and Rich dive into the biggest blowouts in NBA history.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jason and Rich remember the life and career of Boston Celtics legend Sam Jones.  Topics on the show include: Why Jones was nicknamed Mr. Clutch Jones' 10 NBA titles (second only to Bill Russell) 25-2 all-time playoff series record Becoming the Celtics scoring leader Bridging the gap of two Celtics dynasties An improbable journey to the NBA Standing up to injustice  Why Jones had to wait so long to make the Basketball Hall of Fame 10 games that defined Sam Jones' career and so much more!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The annual tradition continues as Jason and Rich welcome friends Curtis Harris and Reinis Lācis to the show for the Over and Back Holiday Special! This year, we'll be watching the 1987 Christmas Day showdown between the Detroit Pistons (15-5) and New York Knicks (8-16). There is plenty to talk about on this show as the Knicks have missed the playoffs three years in a row and have brought in a new coach (Rick Pitino). A rookie point guard Mark Jackson is looking to solidify the Knicks lineup while one has to wonder if Patrick Ewing will ever lead a winner in New York. In the Motor City, the Pistons have been to two Eastern Conference Finals in the last four years but haven't been able to get over the hump and make a run to the NBA Finals. They have one of the best records in the league and look great so far. Is this the year they finally make it? Join us for our holiday special, a night of laughs, nostalgia, drinking games and so much more. Watch along with us at https://youtu.be/TEogAwqpLEE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Phoenix Suns recently went on a franchise-record 18 game win streak and it got us thinking: wait, did we never do a show on the longest win streaks in NBA history?  We never did! But today, we change that.  Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch do a deep dive into the longest win streaks in NBA history including the Los Angeles Lakers' all-time record 33-game win streak, the Golden State Warriors 28-game streak over multiple seasons (and debate if it should count), the Big 3 Miami Heat's 27-game streak, the Houston Rockets improbable 22-game streak in 2008 and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar-led Milwaukee Bucks putting up a 20-game streak in 1971. We'll also touch on an early win streak record from the Washington Capitols as well as the longest postseason win streaks of all-time including the Warriors, Spurs, Nets and Cavaliers.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week Jason and Rich react to the NBA's 75th-anniversary team. We'll give our thoughts on the rollout of the team, a brief history of anniversary teams, players on multiple all-time teams, players new to the NBA's 75th-anniversary team, the NBA righting wrongs with Bob McAdoo and Dominique Wilkins then finally the biggest snubs including Pau Gasol, Dwight Howard and many more.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy Basketball! The NBA has returned and as is a yearly tradition, we'll look at how the 2021-22 NBA season will make history including: Steph Curry on pace to become the NBA's all-time leading three-point shooter LeBron James' climb up the all-time ranks in several categories Dwight Howard vaulting up the total rebounds leaderboards The potential for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Curry to join an elite list of three-time MVPs Chris Paul's all-time assist and steals potential Kevin Durant getting to 25,000 points Rudy Gobert becoming a four-time Defensive Player of the Year  and more!  We'll also discuss the longest in-season holdouts in NBA history in relation to Ben Simmons and Kyrie Irving, some retired numbers news including the Memphis Grizzlies franchise finally retiring numbers, and the switch from Spalding to Wilson for the official game ball.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Over and Back, Jason and Rich bring back the popular Last Great Game series for the 2021 Basketball Hall of Fame class. We'll discuss a bit about each Hall of Famers career, why they are entering the Basketball Hall of Fame and then, an in-depth look at each player's last great NBA game. Players featured in this episode include:  Rick Adelman Chris Bosh Bob Dandridge Toni Kukoc Paul Pierce Bill Russell Ben Wallace Chris Webber See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Over and Back, Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch look at the quaint early days of NBA free agency.  We'll discuss the basic history of NBA free agency, key free-agency situations before 1977 then do a deep dive into the 1977-1980 offseasons with major signings, crazy compensations, and deals that would have historical ramifications.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The third and final installment in our series on NBA Playoff Buzzer Beaters focuses on NBA Finals buzzer beaters including: Cliff Hagan (1957) Jerry West (1962) Julius Erving (1976) Larry Wright (1979) Dennis Johnson (1985) Michael Jordan (1997) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our series on NBA playoff buzzer beaters continues with a look at second round, semifinals and conference finals series clinches.  Shots discussed in this episode include: Tom Heinsohn concluding the very first Russell vs. Wilt playoff series in 1960 Kawhi Leonard's baseline jumper hits the rim four times before finally falling in and moving the Toronto Raptors past the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019. JoJo White's anti-climatic free-throw series clincher in 1974 against the Buffalo Braves Michael Jordan puts a dagger in the Cleveland Cavaliers' hearts again. This time in 1993. Ralph Sampson helps the young Houston Rockets upset the juggernaut Los Angeles Lakers in 1986. After years of failing to clinch their ticket to the NBA Finals, John Stockton hits a wide-open three to give the Utah Jazz their first finals berth in 1997.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Over and Back Podcast we begin our new series on NBA playoff buzzer beaters!  This multi-part series will take a deep dive into each and every playoff buzzer beater in NBA history. We start with episode one focusing on first-round series clinchers including: Derrick McKey's alley-opp to help the 1989 Seattle Supersonics upset the Houston Rockets Michael Jordan's iconic shot over Craig Ehlo that stabbed the city of Cleveland in the heart and helped the Chicago Bulls take the next step towards an NBA championship Damian Lillard's famed .9 shot against Dwight Howard, James Harden and the Houston Rockets Damian Lillard waving good by the Oklahoma City Thunder competitive window as he sends Russell Westbrook and Paul George out of town with one incredible (or as George put it: bad) shot.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Part 2 of Over & Back's exploration of the longest sub .500 streaks.  In this episode, we'll explore four more of the longest sub .500 streaks in NBA history including not one but TWO twelve-year streaks from the Los Angeles Clippers, an unfortunate run of bad luck and bad ownership from the Golden State Warriors and finally, the Dallas Mavericks ten-year slide in the 90s. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A special bonus episode of the Over & Back Classic NBA Podcast talking about the life and career of Utah Jazz legend Mark Eaton who tragically passed away this weekend.  In this brief episode, we'll talk about Eaton's defensive prowess, his unlikely path to the NBA, his accomplishments in the league and more.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Part 1 of Over & Back's exploration of the longest sub .500 streaks.  In this episode, we'll explore four of the longest sub .500 streaks in NBA history including two appearances from the Sacramento Kings franchise in both the 80s & 90s as well as their current streak of futility. We'll also look at the Detroit Pistons franchise and their struggles from the late 50s through 1970. Finally, we'll look at a recently broken (then continued) streak of sub .500 futility with the Minnesota Timberwolves' run of losing from 2006 to 2017.  In each segment, we'll discuss the history each franchise has with losing, how they got to this point, the number of times they made the playoffs during the streak, major franchise events, the bright spots and best players during the streak, the number of coaching changes as well as the best and worst season of the streak.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Over and Back NBA Podcast, Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch discuss franchise icons that were traded away. We'll look at six different players that were traded and the reasons for the trade, how they created a legacy with the franchise that traded them and finally how the trade worked out for the player and the franchise.  Trading your legend when you probably shouldn't: Dominique Wilkins Sending your legend back home: Clyde Drexler After a trade request (not a demand): Jack Sikma Time for a new era/refresh: Jason Kidd Trying to upgrade: Peja Stojakovic Saying goodbye to a cult favorite: Muggsy Bogues Support our sponsor This podcast is brought to you by Danette May and Mindful Health LLC featuring Danette May’s top superfood product from her Earth Echo Foods line: Cacao Bliss. Get15% off when you use code MINUTE15 at https://earthechofoods.com/minutemedia See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Death at the Wing” is a narrative documentary series looking at the generation of basketball stars and prospects that fell victim to the historical, socioeconomic and political forces that defined the ‘80s.  As the new generation of basketball players — players like Magic, Bird and Dr. J — took their mantle as the league’s stars, basketball’s faster and flashier style of play would captivate TV audiences. But along that way to wealth and stardom, the excess of the ‘80s took its toll on the next generation of the sport as Reaganomics created an explosion in wealth for the richest members of American society. Crack and cocaine made its way through neighborhoods where aspiring basketball players lived. Cars were faster and car accidents took the lives of several players. Guns became easier to acquire. Health care and education budgets were slashed. Incarceration took over rehabilitation as the country’s guiding principle to addiction. Many players were suspended and jailed, and those less fortunate died.  Those that made it through became overnight superstars for an eager and demanding audience of TV and media coverage, but never in the history of any sport have we seen so many who were ready to become household brands lost in such a short time frame. Why? How? And Who? This is what this show will look into. This is DEATH AT THE WING. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jason and Rich are joined by Curtis Harris (prohoopshistory.substack.com) to talk about the life and career of NBA legend Elgin Baylor, who passed away earlier this week.  Topics include: An overview of Baylor's illustrious but snakebitten career Baylor's status as one of the NBA's most underrated players ever Baylor's revolutionary style of play and influence on the game of basketball Baylor's tumultuous high school and college career Saving the Lakers franchise Baylor's battles with racism and All-Star Game boycott Baylor's famous service-shortened 1962 season Surviving a plane crash with his Lakers teammates Major injuries and the unknown world of sports medicine A bittersweet retirement Baylor's post-playing coaching and front-office careers. Additional Resources: Elgin Baylor: The Man Who Changed Basketball (amzn.to/3980dLP)  Support for Over and Back: The Day Sports Stood Still From Emmy-winning director Antoine Fuqua and NBA All-Star Chris Paul comes THE DAY SPORTS STOOD STILL - the new HBO documentary that tells the story of the unprecedented sports shutdown in March of 2020 and the remarkable turn of events that followed. Chronicling the abrupt stoppage of sports, the athletes' prominent role in the cultural reckoning on racial injustices that escalated during the pandemic, and the complex return to competition, THE DAY SPORTS STOOD STILL premieres Wednesday, March 24 at 9pm on HBO, and streaming on HBO Max.  Visit us on Twitter (@OverandBackNBA) and Facebook for an opportunity to win a free $25 NBAStore.com gift card courtesy of the team behind The Day Sports Stood Still. Manscaped Get 20% off plus free shipping at Manscaped.com using promo code Fansided20.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As a result of Elgin Baylor's passing, we are re-uploading a classic episode discussing the life, career and impact of Elgin Baylor as well as his noted NBA Finals battles with Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics.  Our guest on this show was Bijan C. Bayne, author of the incredible book "Elgin Baylor: The Man Who Changed Basketball." You can order the book today at https://amzn.to/3980dLP. We will have a full episode dedicated to Baylor coming out later this week.  Thank you. We discuss the Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers NBA Finals rivalry between 1959 and 1969 with Bijan C. Bayne, author of “Elgin Baylor: The Man Who Changed Basketball,” in our continuing #RussellMania series dedicated to the life and legacy of Bill Russell. We break down each of their seven NBA Finals battles (1959, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1968 and 1969), talk about Elgin Baylor's rise to superstardom and his role in popularizing basketball in Los Angeles, Baylor's revolutionary influence on offensive play, the basketball and social parallels of Russell and Baylor, how Baylor was the first NBA player to boycott a game because of segregation, Baylor's relationships with longtime teammate Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain, some of the other key Lakers of the 1960s (including Frank Selvy, Rudy LaRusso, Tom Hawkins, Hot Rod Hundley, Dick Barnett, Leroy Ellis, Gene Wiley, Walt Hazzard, Bob Boozer, Archie Clark, and Gail Goodrich), what Don Nelson's failure in Los Angeles and success in Boston said about both teams, and much more. Original airdate: 4/19/16 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast, Jason and Rich examine teams with big one-season jumps where the team didn't have a fundamental change (major new star or new coach).  The show concept is inspired by the 2021 Utah Jazz who are currently on a 63-win pace after only winning 44 games the prior year.  Our criteria:  At least a 10-game improvement and have to be a winning team the second season No coaching change between seasons No major stars added between seasons Some of this is subjective -- sorry if we missed your favorite team! In this episode, we'll highlight a few of the teams that made huge jumps with background on the years leading up to the jump and what may have aided the improvement. We'll also do a decade-by-decade breakdown of other teams that made unexpected improvements.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today on the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast we examine the best NBA players on the worst teams. Inspired by Bradley Beal's current situation with the Washington Wizards, we dig through NBA history to find the best individual seasons on sub .500 teams, the best players on the worst NBA teams in history and more!  Thank you to our episode sponsor Manscaped.com. Support the show and get your balls looking right with 20% off and free shipping by using promo code Fansided20 at manscaped.com.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Over & Back Classic NBA Podcast tackles a fun topic this week as we look at former all-stars/award winners who only appeared in 1 game for a team including Rasheed Wallace, Andrew Bogut, Jamal Crawford, Bob Rule, Kenny Sailors, George Carter, Tom Chambers, Tony Jackson, Steve Mix & Walt Bellamy.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The return of one of our most popular series looking at the last great game from all-time great NBA players.  Today we'll look at the last great games from: Julius Erving Steve Nash Charles Barkley Wilt Chamberlain Walt Frazier David Robinson See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The return of one of our most popular series looking at the last great game from all-time great NBA players. Today we'll look at the last great games from:Julius ErvingSteve NashCharles BarkleyWilt ChamberlainWalt FrazierDavid Robinson

Join us for a special Over & Back LIVE honoring the life and career of Phoenix Suns great Paul Westphal. We're be joined by Curtis Harris of ProHoopsHistory.com to watch a classic game from Westphal's career: Game 7 of the 1979 Western Conference Finals between the Seattle SuperSonics and the Phoenix Suns.Watch the game along with us at https://youtu.be/3HnRWKwqDAU.Vurbl: https://vurbl.com/station/4WEdpx4IOdH/

Original airdate: 12/22/14Since 1947, when the New York Knicks battled the Providence Steamrollers on Christmas Day, professional basketball played on Christmas Day became an annual tradition. For every year, with the lone exception of 1998, has seen an NBA game on Christmas Day. Unlike the NFL on Thanksgiving Day, the NBA doesn't feature one particular team but rather the best and brightest in the NBA on a given year, sometimes NBA Finals rematches, sometimes the biggest rivalries — either way it's a great tradition that's given us some of the best games of the season. As only we can do here at the Over and Back podcast, we break down five classic NBA Christmas Day games, discuss the background of the teams, highlights of the game and how each team's season fared. We begin the loopback with the 1970 matchup between the Atlanta Hawks vs. Phoenix Suns featuring Pete Maravich battling Connie Hawkins, the Chicago Bulls taking on the Detroit Pistons in 1990 just as the Pistons are fading while the Bulls, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were emerging as a dynasty. We then jump all the way to 2002 to see Tracy McGrady take on Detroit with one of the best single-game performances in Christmas Game history, 2004 sees the first meeting between ex-teammates Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant and we end with a look at the 2011 season-opener (Chicago Bulls vs. Los Angeles Lakers). Did you enjoy this show or any of our others?

Watch the game with us at https://youtu.be/o2qqOubsEGM.It's the most wonderful time of the time! Jason and Rich continue their holiday tradition by welcoming Curtis Harris and Reinis Lācis to the show as the guys talk about the year that was and watch a classic NBA game.This year's game takes us all the way back to 1977-78, a major transition period in the world of professional basketball, as we watch the Buffalo Braves vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers from Christmas Day. We'll talk about major storylines around the NBA and the world at the time, featured players in this game including Marvin Barnes, Billy Knight, Randy Smith, Walt Frazier, Jim Chones, Austin Carr and more!

To celebrate Larry Bird's birthday, we're re-uploading a classic episode looking at NBA MVP 2nd place finishers! Did you know Bird finished in 2nd place four-times including a run of three straight to kick off the 80s? You do now! ----Who remembers who finished in second? We do! Rich and Jason looked at the runners-up in NBA MVP voting from 1956 to 2017 and what lessons we can glean from them in the latest episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast.We look at how close multiple-time MVP awards like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Bill Russell, and Wilt Chamberlain came to additional awards and if they might even deserve additional MVPs. We discuss players who you might not have expected to finish that high in MVP voting, including Paul Arizin, Dolph Schayes, Nate Thurmond, Lenny Wilkens, George Gervin, Bernard King, Dominique Wilkins, Clyde Drexler, Alonzo Mourning, Jason Kidd, and Dwight Howard.We also talk about poor, cranky Jerry West's bad luck in finishing No. 2 in MVP voting four times. We look at Shaq's two MVP runners-up a decade apart and wonder what kept him from winning more, and whether Kobe Bryant really has a case for a second MVP. We discuss great seasons by Bob Pettit, Elgin Baylor, Oscar Robertson, Willis Reed, Bob McAdoo, Dave Cowens, Bill Walton, Julius Erving, Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Karl Malone, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kawhi Leonard.We also dig into some alternate NBA MVP awards of the past, including the Sporting News NBA MVP, Basketball Digest Player of the Year, Sam Davis Memorial Award, and the NBPA Players Voice Award. (Original airdate: 3/29/18)

Jason and Rich welcome Pete Croatto—author of the new book From Hang Time to Prime Time (https://amzn.to/3g8hoiS)—to watch the fourth quarter and overtime of a classic NBA playoff game between the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons. We also discuss Pete's new book, the NBA's rise in popularity in the 1980s, Isiah Thomas' career, Bernard King's brilliancy plus a lot of Kent Benson jokes.Follow along with the game at https://youtu.be/Qf03Y_ptFGw.

Perhaps the biggest news of this year's wild NBA offseason is the Milwaukee Bucks reported deal to acquire Bogdan Bogdanovic and the trade eventually falling through. This inspired us to look at some of the biggest and most important NBA trades in NBA history... that never happened. Trades that were reported, featured All-Stars or had major title ramifications but ended up not happening for one reason or another. Trades covered in this episode: -Bob McAdoo to Sonics-Dennis Rodman to Suns-Julius Erving to Clippers-Scottie Pippen for Shawn Kemp-James Worthy & Byron Scott to Mavericks-Allen Iverson to Piston-Charles Barkley to Lakers-Hakeem Olajuwon to Heat-Tyson Chandler to the Thunder-Kevin Garnett to Suns or Lakers-Kobe Bryant to Bulls or Pistons-Chris Paul to Lakers-Paul George to Cavs

We examine some of the best non-first round picks in NBA history on the latest episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast, hosted by Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch.Combing through each decade of draft classes, we discuss Maurice Cheeks in 1978, Danny Ainge in 1981, Jeff Hornacek, Mark Price and Dennis Rodman in 1986, Toni Kukoc in 1990, Stephen Jackson in 1997, Rashard Lewis in 1998, Manu Ginobili in 1999, Paul Millsap in 2006, Marc Gasol in 2007, Goran Dragic and DeAndre Jordan in 2008, Hassan Whiteside in 2010, Isaiah Thomas in 2011, and Draymond Green in 2012.Original airdate: 6/22/17

(Original airdate: 1/13/17)We look back at all the No. 1 overall picks in the NBA draft in the past 50 years and how their careers went in the latest episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast, hosted by Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch.We discuss Anthony Bennett's recent release from the Brooklyn Nets and how he looks like the latest No. 1 overall pick to be a complete bust, how there are a wide range of outcomes for No. 1 overall picks, from some of the greatest players of all-time (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan and LeBron James) to the biggest disappointments (LaRue Martin, Pervis Ellison, Michael Olowokandi, Kwame Brown, Andrea Bargnani and Greg Oden).We also talk about what is fair to expect from a No. 1 overall pick, a run of mid-1970s players who ran into injury or drug issues (Doug Collins, Bill Walton, David Thompson and John Lucas), an impressive crop of 1980s big men for five straight drafts (Ralph Sampson, Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, Brad Daugherty and David Robinson), players who were very good but fell short of greatness (Cazzie Russell, Mychal Thompson, Mark Aguirre, Derrick Coleman, Larry Johnson, Glenn Robinson and Andrew Bogut) and much more.

In this episode, Jason and Rich uncover the many ways the 2020 NBA Finals made history including LeBron James' ongoing legacy building, players winning rings with multiple teams, back-to-back NBA Finals wins with different teams, back-to-back NBA Finals losses, youngest players to win rings and so much.