Explore every episode of the podcast Call to ARMS with Nikko Ramos

Alright, brace yourself for a long one!

If you love the UAAP or basketball in general, if you enjoy talking about schemes and the little tiny details of the game, or if you maybe want to learn a little bit and understand hoops a little better, than this episode is for you.

Meralco Bolts guard and UAAP analyst Diego Dario goes back and forth with Nikko as they list down their favorite 'thing' about each UAAP team this season. We tackle everything - from how and why Jared Bahay is being guarded like a superstar by other teams, to why does La Salle insist on the three-big lineup; from what could possibly be the UP achilles heel to the effects of Pido not forcing this UST team to shave their heads.

Jump ahead if you want to skip to a specific team:

FEU (08:55)

NU (21:26)

ATENEO (29:57)

UE (46:46)

ADAMSON (56:11)

UST (1:10:07)

LA SALLE (1:20:20)

UP (1:38:10)

Hit the comments and share what YOUR favorite thing this season has been so far, and see you at the games!

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At guaaard..

Wearing Jersey #2

Standing 6'1"...

Out of Little Rock, Arkansas..

Derek Fisher!!

The 5-time NBA Champ and Laker Legend joined us for the NBA's Republika Huddle series during his recent Manila trip.

We geeked out about his clutch performances, his rings, the Kobe, 0.4 and more! Watch/listen to the interview here, in full.

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Has the WNBA ever been more on fire than right now?

Let's re-visit these two conversations from right before the season started, with W stars Jewell Loyd and Aliyah Boston. Originally from the NBA Republika Huddle series, these interviews capture the excitement that both Jewell and Aliyah had about the upcoming season, all the new fans of women's basketball and the rise in participation and attention for girls' sports globally.

Thanks a lot to the Gold Mamba and the league's reigning ROY for making time, and good luck the rest of the season!

JOIN THE CALL TO ARMS PLAYBACK ROOM TO GET NOTIFIED ABOUT LIVE EPISODES AND GIVEAWAYS: https://www.playback.tv/calltoarms

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Literally fresh off of a BSE GTWM recording, Mo (and Sam!) jump on to the brand new Call to ARMS Playback room for our first ever live recording.

We swap hot takes, talk a little sports, hand out this week's Basketball Championship Belt, Mo finally shares how much the Viva Hot Babes paid him to do their movie and also give away a Limited Edition Tissot Supersport Chrono Quartz Watch to a lucky listener. Thanks @thewatchstoreph!

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+qz9nyBfFoHxjMml1

If you have a question, a hot take or a topic suggestion, send us a voice message by clicking on the link below!

With less than a month to go before the WNBA Draft, let's jump back to a month ago to our conversations with Sabrina Ionescu, Jewell Loyd, Natasha Cloud, Shakira Austin, Brionna Jones and Rhyne Howard! This was a whirlwind experience because we were told about a last minute slot to interview them just an hour before. Hearing them talk about how they started in the game and how they're now leading the charge to change women's sports globally - life-changing.

Shoutout to the W, man!

More than a league.

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If you have a question, a hot take or a topic suggestion, send us a voice message by clicking on the link below!

We're taking you behind the curtains of All-Star Weekend!

This is your ultimate how-to guide to cover an NBA event!

On this episode, we give you the backstories of some of our interactions and interviews with the NBA's brightest stars. Who decides who gets to ask a question? How much time do you have with a player? How much does it cost? What sneakers did I bring to Indy?

All that plus this week's Call to ARMS Basketball Championship Belt finding a new owner!

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If you have a question, a hot take or a topic suggestion, send us a voice message by clicking on the link below!

This is probably the most important, most emotional podcast I've ever done. Nobody who wasn't in that room has ever seen or heard this interview since it happened.

This Kobe interview took place in 2016. It was for a small group of Kobe's most die-hard fans in the Philippines. Since then, and especially since 2020, I have been trying my absolute best to find footage of this conversation. Last year, I was told that a drive shared to me most likely had clips from this event. I don't know why, but I was always hesitant to watch it. Maybe I wanted to always have something Kobe-related to still look forward to - like an ace in my pocket. In place of future Kobe moments, I wanted to still be able to look forward to my only Kobe moment from the past.

After his statue unveiling however, I figured it was time. I'm sharing it now because like so many other Kobe fans around the world, finding interviews of him that I hadn't yet seen before is exhilarating. New wisdom to learn, new reminders to live The Mamba Way.

Please bear with some camera shakiness at the start, and maybe not the most perfect audio conditions, but otherwise, enjoy what is and always will be the highlight of my career, and a life-altering conversation I will forever treasure.

Kobe Forever.

Look, when we decided to break down basketball scenes in movies and TV shows, we knew we were bound to run into The Sandman. Nobody in the history of filmmaking has ever forced himself onto more basketball scenes than the great Adam Sandler.

This week, we break down the WWE-co-produced film The Longest Yard. Technically a football movie, and yet there's an extensive hoops scene shoehorned right in the middle. Why? Because Adam Sandler said so.

Before we break that scene down with Andre Roberson, I talk a little Wrestlemania, F1 team transfers and THE TITANS TEAM SOLDIERING THROUGH DESPITE BEING ONE PLAYER DOWN TO WIN A SILVER MEDAL AT MANILA HUSTLE 3x3!!!

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Welcome to Watching Film (aka The Zac Efron Award for Best/Worst Basketball Scenes in Movies or TV)!

We're watching film on the ICONIC one-on-one scene featuring Lucas vs Nathan Scott. One Tree Hill had the perfect premise: Teen Drama meets Basketball. Sure, it wasn't as well-done as The OC, it wasn't as glossy as Gossip Girl, and was nowhere near as funny as Gilmore Girls - but to many of us, OTH was THE teen show.

Brucas vs Leyton is the only other matchup bigger than Luke vs Nate in Season 1. Enjoy!

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Video killed the (podcast) star! Our first Video Episode features NBA vet Andre Roberson! The All-World defender talks about getting back on the court, his favorite matchups, how James Harden indirectly told him he had made it as a lockdown stopper and more! Props to Dre for being vulnerable with us and dropping a lot of wisdom about getting your mind right, overcoming adversity and giving a very detailed glimpse into what it takes to stop the best basketball players in the world - which he did on the regular.

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If you have a question, a hot take or a topic suggestion, send us a voice message by clicking on the link below!

Welcome (or welcome back) to the Call to ARMS Podcast!

We've changed up some things but remain a hoops podcast at heart! Think of this as Basketball Pro Max Plus Podcast: meaning you get everything about the game, plus some things about everything else.

Best of all, we're now going to be dropping a new episode every Monday so you can add that to your start-of-week routine!

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If you have a question, a hot take or a topic suggestion, send us a voice message by clicking on the link below!

Wherever you go, basketball is its own universal language that all hoopers can understand. 

That’s what Leigh Ellis, Thirdy Ravena, and Trina Guytingco all agreed to on this special live recording at the TITAN Hoops Fair at The Courtyard MNL.

While each of them have their own unique hoops experience, they’re all about that life.

A globe-trotter. A trailblazer. A dream-chaser - all doing it for love.

It was a Gilas takeover on this special live recording of the pod at the TITAN Hoops Fair at The Courtyard MNL.

Gilas Pilipinas players Dwight Ramos, Calvin Oftana, and Jamie Malonzo talked about where they’re at in preparing for the 2023 FIBA World Cup and what comes with playing in the biggest home games in all of basketball.

That, and a bit about the three national teammates bonding over rice and pusoy.

Taking on the role and the responsibility of national team head coach of the most basketball-crazy country in the world? One of the toughest jobs in all of hoops. But over and over again, Chot Reyes answers the call - for country, of course. 

For love, definitely.

In this episode, Coach Chot opens up to Nikko and Isaac on where Gilas Pilipinas is just weeks away from the 2023 FIBA World Cup - from the roster status, injury updates, and the dream of hosting finally coming to life.

Are you now a fan of Gilas Pilipinas Women? Can’t get enough of anything women’s hoops in the Philippines? Coach Pat Aquino has been one of many (albeit not enough) who have contributed to that. For years, Coach Pat has been in the lab - scouting, recruiting, training, empowering, nurturing young Filipina basketball players. 

Now, we’re slowly seeing the results: Pinay hoopers on billboards, on the cover of WSLAM Philippines, on tournaments across the world, on the minds of everyone who love the game.

Coach Pat Aquino sits down with Nikko Ramos and Isaac Go on Episode 2 of FOR LOVE: The Podcast to talk about this inspiring growth and why there’s no chance it’s ever going to stop.

The first episode of FOR LOVE: The Podcast, co-hosted by Nikko Ramos and Isaac Go, sets the tone for a season of worldwide buckets.

There’s no other person better to talk about love of the game than 25-time (!!!) PBA champion coach Tim Cone.

These days, Coach Tim sits on the coaching staff of Gilas Pilipinas - joining (and completing) 5K runs at dawn and watching June Mar Fajardo dominate in training sessions. 

Coach Tim’s career as a coach is often described as winningest. So are his stories.

Travel the world playing basketball.

To most of us, that's the dream. To Leigh Ellis, that's his new life mission.

The veteran broadcaster pauses his Hoops World Tour of 20 pickup games in 20 cities in 20 countries to hop on the pod! Leigh, best known as one of the members of the No Dunks crew aka The Starters aka The Basketball Jones, is on a quest to tour the planet celebrating the unifying spirit of the game.

On this episode, he details his journey so far, how and when he'll make it to Manila (WE'RE WORKING ON IT!!), and also gives us his expert insights into what has been an eventful NBA Offseason.

We talk about the Nuggets winning it all, Wemby, Scoot, load management, longevity in the league and so much more.

Also worth noting, Leigh goes on an all time monologue talking about self-care, the challenges that basketball lifers face and how he's able to change his entire career on a dime, pursue a dream, inspire the basketball world and still be a breakfast-cooking, bedtime-book-reading MVP Dad. You shouldn't miss it.

This episode is presented by AXA.

One of the funniest and most talented people in all of sports media finally makes his Call to ARMS debut!
CJ Toledano, a Los Angeles-based director, producer, and comedian is one of the best sports creatives in the game. He jumps on the pod to talk about the Filipino uniform (hoodie + Lakers hat), Spoelstra's unnecessary fitness, Jamal Murray's ascent as an elite sneaker endorser, Jimmy Butler's pettiness-as-fuel and other stories of  reinvention in the NBA Finals. 

Also in this episode: Jokic's wedding ring is just waiting to fly off right? Hoops as self-care, Adam Sandler t-shirts and so much more. Follow @cjtoledano everywhere!

This Finals Podcast is Presented by AXA. 

Cassidy and Nikko back on a podcast? Filipino Jackson back in the Finals?
NATURE IS HEALING!

ESPN's Cassidy Hubbarth jumps on to talk about her favorite storylines of the season, Joe Mazz, the walk-and-talk tunnel interviews, Michael (never Mike) Malone, our boy Spo (who we talk about profusely on HOOPS PARADISE: THE PHILIPPINES' LOVE OF THE GAME, available everywhere you get your podcasts).

The Call to ARMS Podcast is co-presented by TITAN and SLAM Philippines.

In partnership with our longtime partners, AXA Philippines, NBA legend, SLAM coverboy and point guard royalty Jason Williams comes on the pod! We spoke to White Chocolate himself at the AXA headquarters in Manila and discussed wellness, mental & physical preparations, why James Posey ruined the best pass of all time and more!

Listen til the end, trust us!

We got the GOAT! We're kicking off an all-new season of the Call to Arms Pod with a guest we could only dream of--the one and only Doris Burke. 

Tune in for a conversation on her nearly life-long love affair with basketball, the ins and outs of broadcasting, her favorite celebrity sightings, and the end of the NBA season.

Presented by Slam Philippines and Titan, follow their socials to learn how to win a fresh pair of the Lebron XX!

In the latest episode of 'The King & The Next Generation' special subpod, TITAN’s founder & Chairman Dennis Tan grants a rare interview to take a trip down memory lane and tackle why he’s arguably (but confidently) the first ‘Bron stan in the country.

Half the season down, and it's been nothing short of ridiculous at every step of the way! UST has the most efficient, crazy-volume, no-help scorer in like, ever?? FEU got off to a very un-FEU start before beating a team tied for first. UE has Targaryen brother energy, Adamson will ride Jerom and Lenda threes as far as it takes them, La Salle can't play to their potential to save their lives, NU is legit, Ateneo has lost twice and UP is 6-1 despite playing maybe 3 good games.

This season is bonkers!

Before the  second round resumes the craziness, Nikko brings back stat savant and Twitter pottymouth Ryan Alba to make sense of all this.

Enjoy!

TITAN & SLAM Philippines present a special subpod on the Call to ARMS feed. 

XX: The King & The Next Generation is a LeBron Sneaker Podcast that celebrates The King’s latest signature model. A special episode will release with each colorway that drops on TITAN, featuring special guests to break down design inspirations, cultural impact & special release instructions.

For Episode 1, the one and only Kustoo joins in to walk us through the XX, share his unbiased opinion + give out future colorway suggestions!

Time to talk about last year's Final Four teams!

UP comes off the shortest title reign ever, ADMU has a chip on its shoulder, DLSU has a genius joining the team and FEU is gonna FEU.

Our data whizkid Ryan Alba comes back with some spicy takes, including some not-so-homer views about the Maroons (shocker!). Plus, a treat for basketball fans as Tab Baldwin finally gets interviewed about the job he actually has - Ateneo Head Coach. Hear his thoughts on why he thinks this Blue Eagle team still has a long, long way to go and why he feels anyone can be beaten - them especially.

UAAP Season 85 is almost here. Let's get it on!

Original cover art photo by John Oranga

The UAAP is back. 

Again?

ALREADY??

After what is likely the shortest offseason ever, the country's premier collegiate league is set to tip off for its second season in a calendar year (lolwow). In Part 1 of 2 of our Season 85 Preview, film and data analyst aka Call To ARMS Hoops whizkid aka Twitter's trashiest talker Ryan Alba joins Nikko to talk about UE, UST, NU and AdU.

The big question with Season 84's bottom half is - Which of them can sneak into the Final Four?

Also, Falcons Head Coach Nash Racela joins to talk about Jerom, his HONEST expectations this season and in-season joint-Racela scouting with his brother Olsen.

We're baaaaack, baby!!

We moved studios, got re-settled, and are now raring to go with brand new NBA and UAAP seasons just weeks away. Not to mention Thrones is back, The Bear was peak television filmmaking and Taylor has new music incoming.

Great time to have the pod back!

Before we look too far ahead though, let's celebrate the NBA Finals that we were sent to! This season premiere is presented by our friends who sent us to Boston: AXA Philippines, #KeepWellnessGoing.

Nikko reflects on his 2018 SLAM PH article, 'Fight of the Year' as Ateneo and UP once again face off in the UAAP Finals. A lot has changed since 4 years ago, and yet still, some things remain the same. This one's a reminder about the worst of us that we've grown from, and the best in us we're all now trying to keep alive.

Long live the fight.

Di-pangkaraniwang episode para sa di-pangkaraniwang mga panahon.
Pakiusap:
Pakinggan kung may maipapahiram na ilang minuto.
Ipasa sa iba.

Maraming salamat po.
Mabuhay ang malayang halalan.

On a very special episode of Continue Watching, we talk to Rodney Barnes, who is an executive producer, writer, and scene-stealer in Winning Time. Tune in to hear his thoughts on the cast, the future of the series, and how he and Adrien Brody almost threw hands for a scene!

Nikko and Toby (and Tyler!) recap episodes 4 and 5 to discuss Jack McKinney's entrance and sudden departure, the quality of onscreen basketball, Magic and Kareem's drama-filled first win, and some thoughts on the first half of the series.

This week's episode of Continue Watching dives into Adrian Brody's depiction of Pat Riley's humble beginnings at the front office, the surprise murder cliffhanger, the art of the combover, and a lot more!

A new week means a new episode of HBO's Winning Time, which also means a new episode of Continue Watching! Listen to our recap where we discuss the historical accuracy of Jerry West's portrayal, Magic Johnson dominating a game of pick-up, go on 'The Replacements' tangent, and this series' unexpected looming villain. 

Kahit kailan, wala pa ring tatalo. In our love letter to Alaska, Nikko calls up Coach Jeff Cariaso to reminisce on his draft day, winning the grand slam, his career going full circle as coach, and their outlook on their final season. With the special participation of Boss Fred Uytengsu, this is an episode you don't wanna miss!

We are extremely proud to launch Continue Watching, where we recap our favorite shows one episode at a time. And there isn't a better show to start us off than 'Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty', out now on HBO Go!

Have you seen the first episode? Listen to our spoiler-filled discussion for a rundown on everything we love about the show! 

Introducing the newest show under the Call to Arms Podcast feed! Single Coverage is our love letter to OPM. It features an OPM artist coming on to play their own single and a cover from another local artist + all the stories in between . Truthfully, we couldn't think of better way to kick  this off than with the man who's written the soundtrack to the best moments of our lives, the one and only Ebe Dancel!

The Single: Habangbuhay
The Cover: Tama Ka (Originally by The Eraserheads)

The All-Star Weekend is almost here! Nikko Ramos and Toby from HR place their bets on the winners of the Rising Stars Tournament, the newly revamped Skills Challenge, the 3-point Contest, the Slam Dunk Competition, and of course, the All-Star Game and MVP. Who do you got?

Let's get on the basketball time machine and go back to simpler times.

In 2013, Gilas broke the Korean curse and caused Nikko to write a couple thousand too-emotional words about it.

The game, that win, this piece - changed his life.

NBA Champion, Legend, and Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas joins the pod to talk about the 75th anniversary of the NBA, his go-to players in the top 75, his favorite current players to watch and who he wishes he and The Bad Boys could go up against.

Red Ollero joins the pod to talk about the best TV shows you should be watching (or should be watching again). Plus a definitive report card on PBA team names.

Happy new year!

We're promising more episodes this year! Let's see how that goes lol.
For now, here's Nikko on his own with your questions.

Best questions each mailbag always win cool stuff so keep em coming!

Our country's very own Cassidy Hubbarth joins Nikko Ramos to dish about their favorite Coach Pop stories, the slate of Christmas games, representing the country from the sidelines of the NBA's biggest games, and a lot more!

Fresh off of his ninth PBA championship, Chot Reyes joins the podcast to give us a glimpse into TNTs hard-fought title run, his evolution as a coach and leader, the agility needed to navigate the volatility of the bubble, the emergence of rookie superstar and Finals MVP Mikey Williams, the PBA's response to the B. League, and a whole lot more!

Co-presented by Premytheus.com, the latest episode of the Call to Arms Podcast features a special The Ten: NBA Preview with Mo Twister and sneaker talk with the Unboxing King himself, Jacques Slade.

You know you loved Gossip Girl when it came out in 2007. Or not. But the show is undeniably good 'bad TV'. Do the fancy headbands, the peak before-times soundtrack, and the pilot episode hold up 14 years later? Nikko and Bea are joined by Tin Gamboa and Riki Flores-Reyes to take a peek at the scandalous lives of Manhattan's Elite!

We celebrate Giannis' first championship with one of our biggest episodes ever! Featuring inspirational stories from Paul Lee, Juan, and Javi Gomez De Liano, a deep-dive into the design and technology of the Nike Zoom Freak 3, and a special surprise for six loyal listeners of the pod. 

Nikko Ramos is joined by NBA champion Matthew Dellavedova to talk NBA Finals, his time playing with Giannis on the Bucks, what it was like to win a championship in Cleveland, going for gold in the Olympics, and the five players he'd choose to go on the All-Delly Team.

Nikko Ramos gets on a call with NBA legend Ray Allen to talk about the secret to hitting all those threes, getting coached by Erik Spoelstra, his iconic PEs, and more!

Nikko and Bea navigate questions on movie villains, F1 crushes, and mornings as a married couple in another Open Zoom Call! Co-presented by special partner Grab, which has been the go-to lifeline for pregnancy cravings and last-minute house shopping in the Ramos household.

Nikko Ramos hops on a call with NBA draftee and incoming Filipino super rookie Jalen Green to talk about playing with Kai Sotto on Ignite, the talent of his draft class, his draft night fit, whether or not he was also named after Jalen Rose and a whole lot more.