Sports podcasts are not for everyone, but they are a great way to learn the ins and outs of any sport, whether that be from players, tactics, front offices or even just a team’s history. Sports podcasts are great for the casual fan to become a dedicated one, and as someone who listens to basketball podcasts daily, I’m here to tell you the best to listen to no matter your feelings towards the sport.
Shattered: Hope, Heartbreak & The New York Knicks
This is an 8-part podcast series hosted by hip-hop legend Chuck D. The podcast has been recently released and dives into the Knicks’ past twenty years of chaos under controversial team owner James Dolan. The podcasts start with the end of the golden era 90s Knicks today, a team who, up until the 2020/2021 season, have been the laughing stock of the NBA. The series uncovers unheard stories about the Knicks, the NBA and Dolan with exclusive interviews with members of the franchise including Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing. It’s a great podcast for those who have heard of the Knicks and want to know why they have become one of the most well-known teams in the NBA.
After The Last Dance
This podcast gives an in-depth look at Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls with NBA writer Alex Wong and former editor of SLAM magazine Russ Bengtson coming together to discuss the Bulls era. The podcast discusses themes that appeared in the ESPN documentary The Last Dance in a more in-depth level and whether there is more to those stories. A really great episode is ‘Episode VII – MJ’s Retirement, Baseball, Bulls Without Mike and more!’ in which Wong and Bengtson discuss Michael Jordan retiring in the middle of his career to play basketball and whether this was because of Jordan’s gambling or because his father had just passed away. It’s an in-depth talk on the ins and outs of one of the greatest basketball teams and the greatest player of all time.
A Touch More
A Touch More is a podcast hosted by WNBA superstar Sue Bird and American soccer player Megan Rapinoe. The podcast started after a famous four-hour long marathon of Bird, Rapinoe and WNBA superstar Diana Taurasi on Instagram Live which featured them discussing wanting to own a club and taunting rookie players. After its success, Bird and Rapinoe decided to turn it into a podcast in which all proceeds from the podcast go to the ‘Hunger: Not Impossible’ project. It’s a fantastic podcast which features candid conversations with celebrities in the sports world. An episode I would highly recommend is ‘Pop Life with Jimmy Butler’, in this episode Bird and Rapinoe talk TV, NCAA rule changes and then are joined by Miami Heat superstar Jimmy Butler to discuss Dwayne Wade, taunting and fashion!
The Old Man and the Three
This podcast is hosted by Dallas Mavericks guard JJ Redick and Tommy Alter as they discuss the NBA, current events in entertainment and the political world but also interview some of the biggest names in sport. Guests have included Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, Chris Paul, Dwayne Wade and Redick’s former teammate Zion Williamson. This podcast varies between each episode and is not set to a strict structure making it a lovely and fun listen whilst doing the cleaning or washing up.
