The Mike Wise Show features interesting guests from the world of basketball. From owners like Jeanie Buss to coaches like Stan Van Gundy and George Karl to Hall of Famers like journalist Bob Ryan and photographer Andy Bernstein, they all share their stories with Mike. We have classic locker room memories from Derek Harper, stories about doing broadcasts with legends Hubie Brown and Dr. Jack Ramsay, and so much more on "The Best of Mike Wise 5.0." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy a...
Apr 11, 2021•49 min•Ep. 113
Bruce Bernstein fills in for Mike and welcomes Ashley Nevel to the show. In the new era of news and sports coverage, multimedia journalists like Ashley wear many hats from content creator to "techie," to talent producer, to marketing director, and then some. She is currently covering the Denver Nuggets, but has a long history with the Phoenix Suns as well. Her own story is one of grit and persistence and she has some great stories about Charles Barkley, Dwyane Wade, Derrick Rose, and others. Ash...
Apr 05, 2021•39 min•Ep. 112
Mike Wise has the week off, so Bruce Bernstein welcomes veteran NBA journalist Steve Bulpett to the show. Steve has covered the Boston Celtics since the 1980s and he shares his thoughts on how the Celtics will fare in the wake of Danny Ainge's trade deadline moves. Is Robert Williams III the answer at center? Will Evan Fournier provide enough scoring and playmaking to complement the current group? Does Fournier's presence mean that Kemba Walker's role could be affected? Steve and Bruce also disc...
Mar 29, 2021•43 min•Ep. 111
If you've followed the NBA over the past four decades, your view of the sport was partially shaped by Andy Bernstein. His lens has captured (and sometimes created) iconic NBA moments from Kareem and Dr. J to Magic and Bird, to Shaq, Michael, LeBron, & Steph. And of course, the one and only Kobe Bryant. Andy is literally a Basketball Hall of Famer, having won the Curt Gowdy Media Award from the Hoop Hall in 2018. His photos are iconic and his stories about Kobe, Bird, Magic, Shaq, LeBron, Ste...
Mar 14, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 110
Barbara Barker is the sports columnist for Newsday in New York. She helps Mike Wise celebrate Women's History Month with stories from the beginning of her career in the early 1990s when female sports journalists were fighting for equal access. Along the way she covered the Knicks and now covers the entire sports scene as a columnist. Barb sizes up the championship chances for the Brooklyn Nets, but also explains why the Nets may be a bigger "national" story but the Knicks still dominate NBA inte...
Mar 08, 2021•53 min•Ep. 109
Bob Ryan spent 43 years at the Boston Globe and nearly three decades with ESPN. In his more than 50 year career, he has covered 20 NBA Finals, 20 Final Fours, 9 World Series, 5 Super Bowls, and 7 Olympics. But the NBA is where he left his lasting mark, covering the Boston Celtics since the days of Bill Russell. Bob and Mike Wise discuss the legendary Boston Globe sports department of the 1980s, Bob's experiences with Larry Bird, the magnificence of Bill Walton, the four Celtics on the franchise'...
Mar 01, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 108
Ann Meyers Drysdale has had a remarkable life and career. One of 11 children, she became one of the most legendary athletes of the 20th century. She was the "first" to achieve so many things as a female athlete that they're too numerous to list here. She has some incredible life experiences and she shares many of them with Mike Wise. She is a member of 6 Halls of Fame, including the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA. If you want to be inspired, listen to Annie's story....
Feb 20, 2021•50 min•Ep. 107
Mike Wise welcomes New Orleans Pelicans head coach Stan Van Gundy for a wide ranging discussion about his young team ("their defense has to improve"), gender equality among NBA coaches, Zion Williamson ("he is so smart"), his relationship with Miami Heat President Pat Riley, whether the All Star Game should take place, whether NBA teams should continue playing the National Anthem before games, and so much more. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at http...
Feb 16, 2021•47 min•Ep. 106
On this week's show, Mike Wise and producer Bruce Bernstein planned to compare seven time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady to NBA greats Michael Jordan and LeBron James. And they did. But Mike and Bruce were also former colleagues of ESPN baseball reporter Pedro Gomez, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 58. Pedro's death shocked and saddened the entire sports media family, but especially the extended ESPN family members who loved, respected, and admired this trailblazing reporter. Mike and Bruce...
Feb 08, 2021•46 min•Ep. 105
Roland Lazenby has written more than 70 books in his nearly 50 year career. Among them are two profiles of Kobe Bryant written 16 years apart. Roland's relationship with the late Laker great was incredibly personal as well as professional. Mike Wise and Roland share stories about Kobe that really take you into the mind of the Black Mamba. The detail in Roland's stories makes for a very compelling listen. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art...
Feb 02, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 104
George Karl should be in the Basketball Hall of Fame ... period. Only five coaches in NBA history have won more games than George and all are in the Hall of Fame or soon will be. In this revealing conversation, George and Mike Wise discuss the current state of American society, politics, the lessons Coach learned from Dean Smith at North Carolina, the best player he ever coached, why the title of "GOAT" is overrated, the new Brooklyn Big Three, and so much more. See Privacy Policy at https://art...
Jan 24, 2021•53 min•Ep. 103
Amin Elhassan spent 8 years at ESPN as an NBA front office insider. He is now joining the new Dan LeBatard/John Skipper "Pirate Ship" operation as their #1 draft choice. As Amin embarks on this new chapter in his life, he reflects back on his time at ESPN and sounds off on many topics, including how well the James Harden/Kyrie Irving/Kevin Durant marriage will work in Brooklyn. Amin also sounds off on how social media has affected news coverage, the NBA's situation regarding the COVID-19 pandemi...
Jan 18, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 102
Bruce Bernstein fills in for Mike Wise this week and welcomes their Pure Hoops Media teammate Monica McNutt, co-host of the Buckets, Boards, & Blocks podcast. Monica shares her thoughts on last week's riot at the US Capital in Washington and how it looked to African Americans like 76ers coach Doc Rivers who saw how violent rioters were treated differently than peaceful demonstrators who happened to be minorities. Monica and Bruce also discuss how WNBA players mobilized to help defeat Georgia...
Jan 11, 2021•34 min•Ep. 101
The Mike Wise Show debuted on January 14, 2019 and this is his 100th show. To help him celebrate the milestone, two of his best friends join him to look back at 2020 and look ahead to 2021. Harvey Araton, the legendary New York Times journalist and author and Frank Isola of Sirius/XM, YES Network, ESPN, and a 22 year veteran of the NY Daily News spend a great hour together. They reflect on the lives and deaths of David Stern and Kobe Bryant and pull no punches. All three men covered the Knicks f...
Dec 28, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 100
The 2020-'21 NBA season is just hours away and Mike Wise and his producer Bruce Bernstein preview the season. Is Brooklyn ready to win it all? Is Kyrie Irving a player, an artist, or both? Will LeBron's "Drive for Five" end successfully? Will Jrue Holiday be a difference maker in Milwaukee? What about the Celtics? Is Denver ready to win it all? Could the Nikola Jokic be the MVP? Will Rockets fans be angry with James Harden, who wants out of Houston after 8 years? All of this plus predictions! Se...
Dec 21, 2020•41 min•Ep. 99
Derek Harper played 16 NBA seasons, including 12 with the Dallas Mavericks. He also played on the 1994 New York Knicks team that lost in the NBA Finals to Hakeem Olajuwon and the Rockets. He and Mike Wise discuss a variety of topics from the greatness of Luka Doncic, to the leadership of Patrick Ewing and everything in between. "Harp" also tells a classic story about he and Pat Riley having a "heart to heart" in the shower after the game 7 loss in the 1994 Finals. And Harp makes a really candid ...
Dec 13, 2020•51 min•Ep. 98
Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News has been covering the Nets & Knicks for ten years. On this week's Mike Wise Show, Stefan and Mike discuss the task in front of rookie Nets coach Steve Nash, who will have to deal with Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and finding enough minutes for a very deep roster. Stefan also sizes up the Knicks and their new coach Tom Thibodeau, a "win now" coach with a roster that is young and expected to struggle. Mike and Stefan also share stories of covering the NBA...
Dec 06, 2020•47 min•Ep. 97
Mike Wise is joined by Bruce Bernstein for a discussion of the recent free agency news, what lies ahead for Giannis Antetokounpo, why Michael Jordan invested $120 million on injury plagued Gordon Hayward, and why GM Rob Pelinka has put LeBron James and the Lakers in the driver's seat for a second consecutive NBA championship. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info ....
Nov 30, 2020•33 min•Ep. 96
Tim Legler of ESPN just began his 20th season as the #1 studio analyst at the network. He is probably the best NBA analyst out there at this point in time. On this week's Mike Wise Show, Legs and Mike discuss the devastating Klay Thompson injury and what challenges Klay faces in his second consecutive missed season. Legs also explains how James Harden would fit in on the 76ers or Nets if one of those teams acquires him. Legs also explains how Russell Westbrook's legendary intensity sometimes has...
Nov 22, 2020•54 min•Ep. 95
Former Rep. Katie Hill was a Member of Congress from California who served from January-November of 2019. Katie is also a fan of the Los Angeles teams, especially the Dodgers. Katie and Mike Wise discuss numerous topics that cross over from the sports world into society at large. Among them are whether basketball players should "shut up and dribble," the controversy involving transgender athletes competing against cisgendered athletes, and athletes using their platform to call attention to socia...
Nov 15, 2020•41 min•Ep. 94
Last week was one to remember on many fronts. From the Presidential Election in the United States, to the continued scourge of COVID-19, to mass layoffs at ESPN, and to the expected return of the NBA in just over a month, 2020 continues to exhaust, exhilarate, and challenge us. Mike Wise is joined by Bruce Bernstein from Pure Hoops Media and together they do a download on the week but also talk about a hopeful future based on the spirit and ingenuity of the American people. See Privacy Policy at...
Nov 09, 2020•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 93
George Karl is one of the most successful NBA coaches of all time. He's #6 on the all time list of coaching victories and the five in front of him are in the Hall of Fame. George is a disciple of the great North Carolina coach Dean Smith, who not only coached basketball, but was a leader in the area of social justice when it was not easy to do. Coach Karl and Mike Wise discussed the upcoming election, how American society can begin to heal, what White Americans can do to address some of the raci...
Nov 02, 2020•54 min•Ep. 92
It only took LeBron James two seasons to take the Lakers from the depths of the NBA to the top of the NBA World. If Dr James Naismith, the creator of basketball tried to create a perfect basketball player in his laboratory, that player would look a whole lot like LeBron James. Mike welcomes 50 year NBA veteran Dave Wohl, who won rings with the Lakers and the Celtics and was the Clippers GM. Coach Dave Miller, who covered the Lakers for ESPN Radio in LA as well as their regional TV network has gr...
Oct 12, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 90
Jack McCallum is a Hall of Fame hoop journalist, having won the Curt Gowdy Media Award from the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2005. Jack stayed up late Sunday night with Mike Wise to discuss Miami's Game 3 NBA Finals win, LeBron James' place in hoop history, a classic David Stern story, and how the Pandemic has affected our society. Jack spent 27 years at Sports Illustrated and also has a classic story involving a 1980's encounter with Michael Wilbon, David Aldridge, and the late Bryan Burwell. See...
Oct 05, 2020•59 min•Ep. 89
Bruce Bernstein fills in for Mike Wise on a late Sunday night and welcomes former player, coach, and executive Dave Wohl along with Catch and Shoot co-host Aaron Berlin from Pure Hoops Media. The guys break down Miami's game #6 series clincher over the Celtics, the upcoming NBA Finals matchup with the Lakers, and a discussion of the incredible LeBron James and his impact on the Lakers and the sport. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.co...
Sep 28, 2020•51 min•Ep. 88
Michael Lee is a Senior Writer at The Athletic, who has covered the NBA for two decades. In a Sunday night download with Mike Wise, the guys break down the Lakers' huge win in game two against the Nuggets as well as examining why the Anthony Davis/LeBron James bond is so tight. Michael and Mike also discuss the Heat/Celtics series and chronicle Goran Dragic's journey in Miami. We also hear a classic clip from Goran describing the vibe in the Heat organization. See Privacy Policy at https://art19...
Sep 21, 2020•57 min•Ep. 87
Cassidy Hubbarth of ESPN has been patrolling the sidelines for the network's NBA coverage in the Orlando Bubble. Cass shares stories about life in the Bubble, her challenges covering the NBA Playoffs in such unusual circumstances, her feelings about the "virtual fans," her observations and interactions with LeBron James, her thoughts on a Lakers/Clippers Western Conference Finals matchup, and so much more. Check out the Quick Hitter version with Cassidy on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtub...
Sep 13, 2020•44 min•Ep. 86
Marc Kestecher, "Kesty" to his friends has been the Voice of the NBA on ESPN Radio since 2016. He has been with the network since 1999 and has worked with an array of NBA analysts including Hubie brown, PJ Carlesimo, Jon Barry, the late Dr. Jack Ramsay, and countless others. His distinctive voice and delivery give every event he does a "Big Game" feel. In this conversation with Mike Wise, Kesty shares stories about the analysts he has worked with, what it's like broadcasting playoff games in the...
Sep 07, 2020•40 min•Ep. 85
Sports, particularly basketball once again finds itself at the forefront of social change. The NBA and WNBA families are showing leadership at a time of societal strife and the message is being well delivered and well received. Monica McNutt and King McClure, the co-hosts of Buckets, Boards, & Blocks from Pure Hoops Media share thoughts and personal stories from their own lives with Mike Wise. King has a specific memory from his college days that was painful and outrageous, but had a silver ...
Aug 30, 2020•54 min•Ep. 84
Todd MacCulloch is a unique member of the basketball family. He was a legit big man who battled Shaq in the NBA Finals two straight years with two different teams ('01 w/Philly and '02 w/the Nets). He was forced to retire due to a foot condition just as his best basketball was in front of him. His take on life, his budding acting career, his story telling, and his sense of humor have combined with Mike to make this the podcast the one you need to hear. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/pri...
Aug 22, 2020•38 min•Ep. 83
