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Hang Time Podcast (Episode 175) Featuring Phife Dawg and Michael Hamilton

October 28, 2014  ·  10:25PM

HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – The undeniable link between hip hop and hoops has never been highlighted better than in the lyrics Phife Dawg penned for the legendary group A Tribe Called Quest.

Go ahead, run through your memory banks and connect those dots.

It’s all there in the lyrics.

Classic stuff from a true pioneer who helps us kick off the 2014-15 NBA season here on Episode 175 the Hang Time Podcast.

The Five-Foot Assassin is a hoops head extraordinaire and it shows. He knows the game inside and out. And he brings a perspective few can, having been one of the hip-hop pioneers at the heart of the connection between the game and popular culture that is the norm today.

We also speak to filmmaker Michael Hamilton, whose documentary “Nash” (Dec. 4) will shed light on the amazing journey of two-time MVP Steve Nash. 

Dive into Episode 175 of the Hang Time Podcast featuring Phife Dawg and Michael Hamilton for more  …

LISTEN HERE:

As always, we welcome your feedback. You can follow the entire crew, including the Hang Time Podcast, co-hosts Sekou Smith of NBA.com,  Lang Whitaker of NBA.com’s All-Ball Blog and renaissance man Rick Fox of NBA TV, as well as our new super producer Gregg (just like Popovich) Waigand and the best sound designer/engineer in the business,  Jarell “I Heart Peyton Manning” Wall.

– To download the podcast, click here. To subscribe via iTunes, click here, or get the xml feed if you want to subscribe some other, less iTunes-y way.

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Hang Time Podcast (Episode 174) Featuring Bob Ryan

October 22, 2014  ·  10:15PM

HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – We’ve been having these arguments for years. In barber shops and sports bars, basement man caves and back porches. No one ever wins or loses either, because the debate never ends.

Would Wilt Chamberlain or Bill Russell be as dominant today as they were in their day? What about Oscar Robertson today or Shaq, Kobe Bryant or LeBron James back then?

Whose game transcends time?

Everyone will pick Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and other members of the NBA’s all-time elite. But for the rest of the mere mortals … who’s to say a great athlete in today’s game would automatically dominate a bygone era when athleticism was not at the premium it is now?

No one can answer with certainty. Educated guesses are still the best anyone can do in this regard.  Unless, of course, you are Bob Ryan, the retired Boston Globe columnist and living and breathing basketball encyclopedia, a man who has literally seen it all, from one era to another and another and another. His new memoir, “SCRIBE: My Life in Sports” is a must read, by the way.

He joins us on Episode 174 of the Hang Time Podcast to stoke the age-old debate we revisit often around here. Whose game could shuffle through time and remain as potent in one dimension as it would in another?  

Dive into Episode 174 to find out where we all stand …

LISTEN HERE:

As always, we welcome your feedback. You can follow the entire crew, including the Hang Time Podcast, co-hosts Sekou Smith of NBA.com,  Lang Whitaker of NBA.com’s All-Ball Blog and renaissance man Rick Fox of NBA TV, as well as our new super producer Gregg (just like Popovich) Waigand and the best sound designer/engineer in the business,  Jarell “I Heart Peyton Manning” Wall.

– To download the podcast, click here. To subscribe via iTunes, click here, or get the xml feed if you want to subscribe some other, less iTunes-y way.

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Hang Time Podcast (Episode 173) Road Trip

October 13, 2014  ·  9:36AM

HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – That fatigue you hear in our voices is real. Chew up nearly 4,000 miles of American highway on a luxury bus in search of some basketball’s biggest names and you’d feel it, too. We did six cities in seven days and did not let up.

The Hang Time Road Trip was real. We lived every wild and crazy minute of it and you will get a chance to see all of the things we did Wednesday night on the Hang Time Road Trip wrapup special (10 p.m. ET, NBA TV). 

We witnessed the return of LeBron James in his first game back in Cleveland. We saw Pau Gasol‘s first steps as a Chicago Bull. We picked Larry Bird‘s brain about where the Indiana Pacers go from here. We got an in-depth explanation of the rebuilding plan in Philadelphia from Sixers CEO Scott O’Neal. We dove into the mind of Lance Stephenson, now of the Charlotte Bobcats. And we fired questions at Phil Jackson and Derek Fisher about the Knicks. And we even dipped into the college ranks with a guided tour of North Carolina’s pristine facilities with Roy Williams.

And that’s just the basketball portion of the trip.

We had just as much fun away from the game, touring the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I got my hair cut at President Obama‘s spot in Chicago, we watched Lang work the kitchen at Tony Luke’s and we all dined in fine fashion at Red Rooster, the world-famous Harlem eatery owned by celebrity chef and Knicks fanatic Marcus Samuelsson.

You’ll see all of that and more during Wednesday’s Hang Time Road Trip wrapup special on NBA TV Wednesday (10 p.m.) But in the meantime you can get a sense of the magnitude of the trip on Episode 173 of the Hang Time Podcast: The Road Trip …

LISTEN HERE:

As always, we welcome your feedback. You can follow the entire crew, including the Hang Time Podcast, co-hosts Sekou Smith of NBA.com,  Lang Whitaker of NBA.com’s All-Ball Blog and renaissance man Rick Fox of NBA TV, as well as our new super producer Gregg (just like Popovich) Waigand and the best sound designer/engineer in the business,  Jarell “I Heart Peyton Manning” Wall.

– To download the podcast, click here. To subscribe via iTunes, click here, or get the xml feed if you want to subscribe some other, less iTunes-y way.


VIDEO: Larry Bird joins the Hang Time Podcast crew on the bus

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Hang Time Road Trip: Home Sweet Home!

October 12, 2014  ·  10:02AM


VIDEO: The Lord of the Rings, Phil Jackson, joins the Hang Time Podcast crew on the bus

By Sekou Smith

HANGTIME HEADQUARTERS – The final tally was somewhere in the neighborhood of 3,925 miles. give or take a hundred miles or so.

That’s the amount of road real estate we traveled during the Hang Time Road Trip, which ended early Saturday morning after a week of grinding from Cleveland through the upper tier of the Central Division and on to Philly, New York and finally to Tar Heel country in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

We’re all home now. It’s back to normal, whatever that means after spending seven nights on a luxury bus with 11 grown men all trying to carve out their own space on a daily basis.

It would be impossible to boil our trip down to just a few words or video snippets, which is why the Hang Time Road Trip wrap-up special (Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET on NBA TV) will shine even more light on the maiden voyage for the Hang Time Podcast crew.

Between Lang Whitaker‘s daily updates on the All Ball blog and Rick Fox‘s work on social media, we tried to make sure you could follow us along every step of our journey. We began in Cleveland chasing LeBron James, Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving and the new-look Cleveland Cavaliers.

But that was only the beginning.

Chicago brought an in-depth conversation with Pau Gasol, not to mention Washington Wizards’ young stars John Wall and Bradley Beal making it onto the bus (not to mention an impromptu visit from Drew Gooden and a chance meeting with Scottie Pippen). We also made a visit to the Hyde Park Hair Salon, President Obama‘s home shop, so I could get cleaned up.

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VIDEO: Pau Gasol joins the Hang Time Podcast crew in Chicago

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Indianapolis saw Hall of Famer and Pacers boss Larry Bird brave the rain (for all of about 10 feet) to make his way onto the couch in the front of the bus, where we broke down what his team is facing this season and the intriguing situation he faces in trying to keep the Pacers among the NBA elite.

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VIDEO: Larry Bird joins the Hang Time Podcast crew on the bus

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Philadelphia gave us a chance to not only speak with Sixers CEO Scott O’Neal and Charlotte Hornets swingman Lance Stephenson, but also the ideal lunch date at cheese steak wizard Tony Luke‘s South Philly spot. You might have seen Lang trying to get his flip on in the kitchen.

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VIDEO: The Hang Time Podcast crew chops it up with Lance Stephenson on the Hang Time Road Trip bus

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Our stop in New York included an unbelievable visit to Harlem and Marcus Samuelsson‘s famed Red Rooster restaurant, one of the hottest spots in the city with one of the best chefs on the planet. He jst happens to be a huge Knicks and NBA fan, which was the perfect appetizer for Thursday’s trip to the Knicks’ practice facility where we talked to both Phil Jackson and Derek Fisher on the bus.

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VIDEO: The Hang Time Podcast crew at Tony Luke’s

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Wrapping things up in Rick’s old stomping grounds was the ideal ending for this trip. UNC coach Roy Williams gave us a guided tour of the pristine facilities in Chapel Hill and provided some context on our partner and his roots dating all the way back to his high school and college days on campus.

Again, the bits and pieces you can put together now only tell part of the story. A clearer picture will come Wednesday night when you tune into NBA TV (10 p.m. ET) and ride with us from start to finish on the Hang Time Road Trip.

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VIDEO: Knicks coach Derek Fisher joins the Hang Time Podcast crew on the bus

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Hang Time Road Trip: Lance Being Lance

October 9, 2014  ·  9:13PM

By Sekou Smith

PHILADELPHIA – By the time the Indiana Pacers’ tumultuous 2013-14 season had come to an end, the phrase “Lance Being Lance” had come to mean many things for Lance Stephenson, the mercurial shooting guard with loads of talent and a deep bag of tricks to work with on the court.

Fast forward to training camp this season and the Charlotte Hornets need Lance to be exactly who and what he is, one of the most versatile and competitive players in the NBA.

We caught up with Lance during our Philly stop on the Hang Time Road Trip and found out how the change of scenery, courtesy of his free agent decision to start fresh in Charlotte, is working out for him.


VIDEO: The Hang Time Podcast crew chops it up with Lance Stephenson on the Hang Time Road Trip bus

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Keep up with us around the clock on Twitter or Instagram (using the hashtag #HANGTIME):

Check the Hang Time Blog for our daily (video) podcast recapping our adventures and also Lang’s All-Ball Blog for our daily updates.

 

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Hang Time Road Trip: The Barbershop

October 8, 2014  ·  6:38PM

By Sekou Smith

CHICAGO– You can travel across this great nation from ocean to ocean and everywhere in between and there always seems to be one place in every city and town where the truth is in surplus.

Pick a barbershop, any barbershop, and the expertise overflows from all corners of the building.

In Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood, the Hyde Park Hair Salon — yes, the same place President Barack Obama frequents when he’s back home in the Windy City — is where you go to get schooled on all things Chicago. And that mean Bulls, Bears, Blackhawks, White Sox and Cubs, but especially Derrick Rose and the Bulls.

All I needed was a fresh cut for the Hang Time Road Trip, my cohorts Rick Fox and Lang Whitaker insisted I get it straightened out before we go any further.

We got a whole lot more from Jaffar and the crew at the Hyde Park Hair Salon:


VIDEO: The Hang Time Podcast crew hits the barbershop in Hyde Park (President Obama’s shop)

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Keep up with us around the clock on Twitter or Instagram (using the hashtag #HANGTIME):

Check the Hang Time Blog for our daily (video) podcast recapping our adventures and also Lang’s All-Ball Blog for our daily updates.

 

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Hang Time Road Trip: The Bird breakdown!

October 8, 2014  ·  12:37PM


VIDEO: Team president Larry Bird steps on the bus and gives us a glimpse of what’s next for the Pacers.

By Sekou Smith

DAYTON, Ohio – The road has been good to us, thus far.

Chilly temps didn’t slow us down in Cleveland or Chicago. And the rain didn’t get in our way in Indianapolis. The sun broke through by the time we madeit from Indy across the Ohio state line to Dayton, where we set up shop on the bus to wrap up Day 3 of the Hang Time Road Trip and reflect on our visit with Pacers boss Larry Bird.

Larry Legend broke down the situation for us and we in turn spent a little time breaking down what we learned from him and our poking around Bankers Life Fieldhouse Tuesday afternoon.

We collected a few more trinkets for the next phase of our journey (it’s on to Philadelphia and then New York) with plenty of hoops and fun mixed together as we continue to Hang Time Road Trip. Check out the latest (video) installment of the podcast here:


VIDEO: The Hang Time Podcast crew reflects on the Cavaliers’ preseason opener

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Keep up with us around the clock on Twitter or Instagram (using the hashtag #HANGTIME):

 

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Hang Time Road Trip: Wizards’ young stars ready for more in wide-open East

October 7, 2014  ·  12:51PM


VIDEO: John Wall and Bradley Beal are driven to succeed in D.C.

By Sekou Smith

CHICAGO – John Wall and Bradley Beal don’t care if the spotlight shines elsewhere right now.

In fact, they prefer it that way. It keeps them motivated to continue their grind, the one that fueled the Washington Wizards’ rise up the ranks to the Eastern Conference semifinals last season.

The best backcourt in the league? All-Stars? Leaders of a team capable of making the Eastern Conference finals?

The Wizards’ young guns believe it’s all a possibility this season

Sure, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat and others will do their best to block the path. And everyone talks tough this time of year.

But actions speak louder than words.

Wall and Beal know that better than most.


VIDEO: The Hang Time Podcast crew reflects on the Cavaliers’ preseason opener

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Keep up with us around the clock on Twitter or Instagram (using the hashtag #HANGTIME):

Check the Hang Time Blog for our daily (video) podcast recapping our adventures and also Lang’s All-Ball Blog for our daily updates.

 

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Hang Time Road Trip: Gasol’s Windy City Renewal Begins Now

October 6, 2014  ·  10:01PM

HANGTIME_PASSENGER


VIDEO:  Pau Gasol describes his need for a new direction

By Sekou Smith

CHICAGO – Pau Gasol is doing his best to get used to his new surroundings.

He really is trying. But Chicago and Los Angeles are worlds apart. And as much as Gasol is embracing his new environment and new challenges here in the Windy City, he recognizes that the Lakers and that city’s rabid fans will be watching to see how he fares elsewhere.

Gasol’s tenure with the Lakers started with a bang, included back-to-back titles and ended with two grueling years of physical and emotional stress that wore the veteran power forward down a bit.

“It was tough, but professionally I needed to take a step in a new direction, ” Gasol told us on the bus Monday during Day 2 of the Hang Time Road Trip, where we parked and dug in with the Bulls on the morning of their exhibition opener against the Washington Wizards.

He had options in free agency, choices that any veteran in his shoes would love to have in the twilight of what should be a Hall of Fame career. Gasol could have stayed in Los Angeles and continued to play alongside his good friend Kobe Bryant. The Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, New York Knicks and plenty of others pursued him.

There was something about these Bulls, though, something about this opportunity and the vision Gasol has for the remainder of his career that led him here. Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Tom Thibodeau and a team that is poised to challenge Cleveland for the top spot in the Central Division and Eastern Conference was a situation he simply could not ignore.

Check out our sit-down interview with Gasol for more details:


VIDEO: The Hang Time Podcast crew reflects on the Cavaliers preseason opener

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Keep up with us around the clock on Twitter or Instagram (using the hashtag #HANGTIME):

Check the Hang Time Blog for our daily (video) podcast recapping our adventures and also Lang’s All-Ball Blog for our daily updates.

 

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Hang Time Road Trip: First Impressions

October 6, 2014  ·  7:49AM

HANGTIME_PASSENGER

By Sekou Smith

CLEVELAND – The results were what most of us expected, a Cleveland Cavaliers rout in their exhibition opener against Maccabi Tel-Aviv. The Cavaliers’ 107-80 thumping of their visitors from Israel was as convincing as the final score from Sunday night’s game at Quicken Loans Arena suggests.

It was an impressive first step for a Cleveland team that has incorporated shiny new parts (LeBron James, Kevin Love and coach David Blatt, first and foremost) to go along with a young core group that includes Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters and Tristan Thompson in the starting five. Time will tell if the Cavaliers have what it takes to muscle their way through the Eastern Conference and into The Finals in their first season together, the way LeBron and the Miami Heat did during his first season there in 2010-11.

LeBron warned us when he decided to come back home that it would be a process, one that might not produce championship fruit right away.

That said, it’s hard to imagine how this compilation of stars, established and still emerging, doesn’t find its way deep into that championship contender’s realm when the dust settles. From first impressions alone, it’s hard to imagine anyone other than Chicago keeping the Cavaliers from their goal of winning the Eastern Conference.

They have to clear that initial hurdle before we even entertain a discussion about them knocking off the reigning champion San Antonio Spurs — or any one of the handful of teams that could win the Western Conference.

We will get a chance to compare and contrast the goings on for both of the frontrunners in the East; we’re on our way to Chicago now for some all-access time with Derrick Rose, Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah and the Bulls. We’ll report our findings once we hit the Windy City. In the meantime, we share our reflections from Day 1 of the Hang Time Road Trip in this first installment of the Hang Time Podcast (video version) from the front of the Hang Time Road Trip bus:


VIDEO: The Hang Time Podcast crew reflects on the Cavaliers preseason opener

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Keep up with us around the clock on Twitter or Instagram (using the hashtag #HANGTIME):

Check the Hang Time Blog for our daily (video) podcast recapping our adventures and also Lang’s All-Ball Blog for our daily updates.

 

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