On this week’s NBA A to Z podcast, USA TODAY’s Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt discuss the start of the NBA season, including Golden State’s uneven start, Cleveland’s rotation issues and a deep rookie class led by Ben Simmons and Lonzo Ball. Jeff and Sam also talk early-season injuries with certified athletic trainer Jeff Stotts, who operates the informative site instreetclothes.com.
On this week's NBA A to Z podcast, USA TODAY's Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt talk season-openers between Boston-Cleveland, Houston-Golden State and Gordon Hayward's horrific injury to his left ankle and leg. Plus, Sam and Jeff share details of life on the road.
On today's pod, Sam checks in after returning from covering the NBA pre-season action in China and breaks down all your hoops news with Jeff. Then we listen in to an interview Sam did with Steph Curry while in the far east. Lastly, USA TODAY's Mike Singer joins Jeff for a discussion on rookie extensions and more.
On this week’s NBA A to Z podcast, Sam and Jeff talk national anthem and potential issues for the NBA, Russell Westbrook’s long-term deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Dwyane Wade’s decision to join his good friend LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Jeff interviews The Athletic’s Jason Lloyd, who covers the Cavaliers and has a new book out detailing how the Cavs built their championship team.
On this week's NBA A to Z podcast, Sam sits down with the Oklahoma City Thunder's Paul George to talk about his Pacers past, the Thunder present and his free agency future. Jeff and Sam preview this coming season after all the superstar shakeup over the summer.
On this week's NBA A to Z podcast, Insiders Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt break down the free agency period that was highlighted by Gordon Hayward's exit from Utah to Boston, the blockbuster trades of Chris Paul, Jimmy Butler and Paul George, and what's next when it comes to the league-wide attempt to unseat the Golden State Warriors as champs."
On this special edition NBA A to Z podcast, USA TODAY Sports Insider Sam Amick breaks down the Chris Paul trade with Clippers executive vice president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank. How did the trade with the Houston Rockets go down? What does life look like after Paul for the Clippers? How confident is he that free agent Blake Griffin will re-sign? Frank, who works with Doc Rivers and Jerry West and others in the Clippers' front office, dissects it all. "
On this week's NBA A to Z podcast, Insider Sam Amick talks with Houston Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni about the Chris Paul trade that shook the NBA. The former Clippers star will be joining forces with the Rockets' James Harden next season, and D'Antoni sheds light on how he'll make it all work and how - like so many other teams - Houston plans on gaining ground on the Golden State Warriors.
On this week's NBA A to Z pod, USA TODAY Sports' Sam Amick talks with Clippers guard and three-time Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford about the draft (he's close friends with prospective No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz), free agency (his Clippers have some of the biggest in Chris Paul and Blake Griffin) and why he takes so much pride in the Seattle roots that have continued to grow during his career.
On this week's NBA A to Z podcast, USA TODAY Sports' Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt break down the three-match in the Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Sam talks to the longtime trainer for Warriors star Stephen Curry, Brandon Payne of Accelerate Basketball in Charlotte N.C.
On this week's NBA A to Z podcast, we help pass the pre-Finals time with two very different interviews. NBA Insider Sam Amick talks to Oklahoma City Thunder forward Enes Kanter about his harrowing reality right now. The 25-year-old from Turkey was detained at an airport in Romania recently and held for several hours because of - as he sees it - his outspoken views about Turkish president Recep Erdogan. His situation has shed light on the troubling situation in Turkey, with Kanter having been spl...
On this week's NBA A to Z pod, USA TODAY Sports' Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt break down the East and West Conference Finals, discuss what the Wizards do going forward after falling to Boston, and debate the controversial play that put the San Antonio Spurs' Kawhi Leonard on the sideline. Sam also talks with ESPN analyst Jalen Rose, who once infamously admitted to intentionally hurting Kobe Bryant on a similar play in the 2000 Finals.
On this week's NBA A to Z pod, reporters Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt take a break from their playoff travels to break down the postseason to this point. Is this this the best LeBron James has ever played? Can anyone beat the Cavs or Warriors, or are we headed toward an unprecedented third consecutive rematch in the Finals? Which teams pose the biggest threat? What's next for Toronto after they fell to Cleveland, and Utah after losing to the Warriors?
On this week's NBA A to Z podcast, Insiders Sam Amick and Jeff ZIllgitt break down the second round of the playoffs. Sam also talks to Golden State Warriors assistant coach Ron Adams, whose team will have to chase another title without Steve Kerr. The Warriors' ailing head coach is out indefinitely because of complications from back surgery he underwent two summers ago, and he isn't expected to return until the agonizing symptoms subside. Adams, who has been an NBA assistant since 1992 and is on...
On this week's NBA A to Z podcast, Insiders Sam Amick and Jeff Zilgitt talk playoffs with former NBA Commissioner David Stern. He weighs in on the early postseason action, discusses why he doesn't miss the league office after spending more than three decades there, and even admonishes one particular team for resting its players late in the season. Then Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt break down what's going on in the NBA playoffs as the first round starts to wrap up.
On this week's show, NBA Insiders Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt break down the early stages of the playoffs with TNT analyst and two-time champion Brent Barry. From the Cavaliers' defensive struggles to Memphis coach David Fizdale's "Take that for data" drop the mic moment and Barry's view of a possible Warriors-Spurs faceoff, they dive deep on the postseason. Barry also pulls the curtain back on his life as a jet-setting broadcaster who is widely respected for his dedication to the craft and the ...
On this special playoff edition of the NBA A to Z podcast, Sam Amick has in-depth conversations with Clippers coach and president of basketball operations Doc Rivers, Houston Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni and Portland Trail Blazers star point guard Damian Lillard. They discuss it all heading into the postseason, from the stories of their respective regular seasons to the question of whether anyone will be able to beat the juggernaut Golden State Warriors.
On this week's NBA A to Z pod, USA TODAY Sports reporters Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt discuss their looming votes on regular season awards. Sam chats with the great Oscar Robertson about Russell Westbrook's historic season and how the Oklahoma City Thunder star caught him on the triple-double front. Sam also talks to Brian Kopp of Catapult Sports, an industry leader on the sports science front who has a lot to say about the value of rest and recovery in today's NBA. Lastly, Sam debates the Defen...
On this week's edition of the NBA A to Z podcast, Sam talks to Oklahoma City Thunder coach Billy Donovan about Russell Westbrook's special season and the question of how he sizes up against the Houston Rockets' James Harden in the MVP race. Donovan, the former Florida coach who joined the Thunder two summers ago, shares behind-the-scenes stories of Westbrook's winning ways and why his impact goes well beyond his numbers."
In this week's A to Z, Sam sits down with the Warriors' Draymond Green to debate the Defensive Player of the Year award and discuss his well-known prowess on that end of the floor. How would he judge players if he had a vote, and why shouldn't Utah's Rudy Gobert or back-to-back winner Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs win it? The two-time All-Star has been close to winning this honor the past two seasons, only to lose out to Leonard. But this year, with the Warriors again among the top defe...
On this week's episode of A to Z, Sam and Jeff dive deep on the playoff races in the East and the West as the regular season nears an end. Which teams have the toughest schedules? What are the MVP implications? Is an NBA Finals rematch still on tap between the Warriors and Cavs?"
In this episode, the A to Z guys Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt discuss who will emerge in this hotly-contested MVP race. They'll break down the top candidates and give their assessment on why each guy has a legit shot. Does Russell Westbrook win it if he averages a triple-double? Can James Harden win because of the Rockets' turnaround? LeBron James has been as good as ever, why not him? The guys also talk about the playoff races, which are tightening up as we begin the final stretch run of the sea...
This week on NBA A to Z, Sam Amick sits down with NBA writer Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post to talk about the Warriors' life without Kevin Durant and what it means, the MVP race, whether or not the Cavs are in trouble, and other topics from around the league.
On this week's NBA A to Z podcast, Sam and Jeff go around the league with David Thorpe, an ESPN analyst, longtime coach to NBA players and author of the new book, "Basketball is Jazz: Stories and lessons from a basketball lifer." From his view on the recent DeMarcus Cousins trade to New Orleans and whether it will work to his opinion of the Eastern Conference and whether the Cavs can defend their title, he shares his unique perspective on all things NBA while sharing a few stories along the way....
The tables are turned on USA TODAY’s Sam Amick. On this episode, he is the one aswering the questions instead of asking. USA TODAY’s NBA Editor Kevin Spain comes in to talk to Sam about the Los Angeles Lakers front office shake up. They discuss how this went down, with Magic Johnson taking over as president of basketball operations and Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak being fired. Sam has interview Lakers owner and governor Jeanie Buss on several occasions and knew this kind of move was in the works. ...
Sam Amick chats with Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas. They talk about Isaiah’s work with the Boy’s and Girl’s Club in Tacoma, Wash. He donated a basketball court and talked to kids about his story, how as a boy growing up he had to fight battles and what he had to overcome to become a professional athlete. They talk about Isaiah’s time in Sacramento and how it all ended there. They also talk about his journey to Boston and how he’s in a perfect situation for him now. Isaiah talks about his re...
Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt break down some of the moves that could happen as we approach the NBA trade deadline. They talk about the possibility of Carmelo Anthony being traded and what it might take. They break down Anthony’s desire to win a title and how some seemed to think he was content with winning Olympic golds. The discussion then turns to what Anthony has had around him so far in his career and how much better he is when he is playing on Team USA as compared to his time with the Nugget...
Before he calls the Detroit Pistons at Boston Celtics game, TNT analyst Kevin McHale joins Sam Amick to talk about the hot topics around the league. They talk about the internal strife with the Chicago Bulls and McHale discusses his thoughts from a coach’s perspective and some of that might surprise you. They then talk about the Cleveland situation that LeBron James says he needs a playmaker. McHale said that he would’ve loved to play with a guy like LeBron and goes on to say that LeBron isn’t n...
Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt talk about who should be on the Eastern and Western Conference All-Star rosters. The guys start out with who should’ve been starting, but didn’t get the nod. They then break down who should be on the reserves on the East and West teams. They start with the East and an obvious pick in Kyle Lowry. They then look at some who should be in and some who are long shots. Does the poor season in New York hurt the chances of Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis? They go out w...
Live from Oakland, Cal., Sam Amick is joined by Washington Post reporter Tim Bontemps to break down the Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers game. They talk about how great Stephen Curry was in the game and how good he has been all season. They talk about LeBron James and Kevin Durant and how they played and have been playing. They talk about how good the Warriors are if they’re focused, but question their effort sometimes. They discuss the Draymond Green/LeBron incident and what they t...
