We're back! You couldn't get rid of us that easily!

In this episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast, Jason and Rich talk about the history of fall trades in the NBA.

We'll discuss Damian Lillard's move to Milwaukee, James Harden's setting sail for the Los Angeles Clippers then dive into NBA history with some of the most famous fall trades ever including:

• The Ewing Era in New York Ends
• The Spurs get Dennis the Menace
• Expansion Franchises Reset
• Iverson goes to the Motor City but Denver revs up
• Golden State Muscles-Up To Win A Title
• Nets get Tiny, lose Doc; Tiny gets hurt
• Cavalier Clyde
• Celtics don't want McAdoo
• Sixers want Mo' Mo' Mo'
• Bucks and Clippers swap rotations
• Ice joins Air Jordan
• Reign Man flees to the Cleve
• Pippen kisses Houston goodbye
• Melo joins Russ and PG in OKC
• The Butler did it (left the Timberwolves)
• Mitchell to the Cavs

On the latest episode of Over and Back, Jason and Rich revisit one of their favorite topics: 50-point games in NBA and ABA history.

The focus this time is on the last four seasons, which have seen 18% of all 50-point games in league history. They discuss the recent surge in 60-point games and new additions to the 70-point game club.

They also explore why there has been such a significant increase in 50-point games over the past few years, whether this trend is unprecedented, who is most likely to break the all-time 50-point game record, and more. 

• 50-point games in the 1950s: https://redcircle.com/shows/daf88270-7ba5-4c13-bbfd-3c8c5d363b9d/ep/e7bc494f-cbe1-4a48-9b4c-334c7b184793
• 50-point games in the Wilt era: https://redcircle.com/shows/daf88270-7ba5-4c13-bbfd-3c8c5d363b9d/ep/8d28ba92-183c-461d-8a2e-49dc33b683b4
• 50-point games in the ABA era: https://redcircle.com/shows/daf88270-7ba5-4c13-bbfd-3c8c5d363b9d/ep/6d93f254-0fae-4040-b349-674a73d3507e
• 50-point games in the post-merger era: https://redcircle.com/shows/daf88270-7ba5-4c13-bbfd-3c8c5d363b9d/ep/bd36e30b-775f-407b-94af-68939cd1255f
• 50-point games in the Michael Jordan era: https://redcircle.com/shows/daf88270-7ba5-4c13-bbfd-3c8c5d363b9d/ep/1bba3806-fc1b-4481-b5e0-53e07a897849
• 50-point games since 2000: https://redcircle.com/shows/daf88270-7ba5-4c13-bbfd-3c8c5d363b9d/ep/ddc43904-a0ec-40fb-a5e4-212d70b5bcc3
• Most unlikely 50-point scorers: https://redcircle.com/shows/daf88270-7ba5-4c13-bbfd-3c8c5d363b9d/ep/537771d4-9624-441c-bb97-a86e3dfb7112
• Surprise! These NBA stars never scored 50 in a game: https://redcircle.com/shows/daf88270-7ba5-4c13-bbfd-3c8c5d363b9d/ep/7725c072-8867-46d0-8652-10e7c2c1f306

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Part 2 of our multi-part series discussing each & every Hall of Fame player to have played for a particular franchise.

In this episode, we'll examine the Hall of Fame players of expansion-era teams:

• Chicago Bulls
• Seattle Supersonics/Oklahoma City Thunder
• Houston Rockets
• Denver Nuggets
• Indiana Pacers
• San Antonio Spurs
• New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets
• Phoenix Suns
• Milwaukee Bucks
• Portland Trail Blazers Blazers
• Los Angeles/San Diego Clippers/BuffaloBraves
• Cleveland Cavaliers

Part 1 (Early Teams): https://redcircle.com/shows/daf88270-7ba5-4c13-bbfd-3c8c5d363b9d/episodes/dae62199-003e-4388-934f-786dc010b9d8?_ga=2.21616445.749597334.1667843031-433710308.1625083894

Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch take a look at the NBA's Silver Anniversary team announced in 1971 and what it says about where the NBA stood at the time in the latest episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast.

Topics discussed on the episode:

The merits of the actual choices of the team (Paul Arizin, Bob Cousy, Bob Davies, Joe Fulks, Sam Jones, George Mikan, Bob Pettit, Bill Russell, Dolph Schayes, and Bill Sharman)

The decision to not include active players like Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, and Elgin Baylor

A deep dive on some of the lesser-known nominees for the team, including Bob Feerick, Tom Gola, Slater Martin, George Yardley, and Max Zaslofsky

The fact that 1971 was the 25th anniversary of the founding of the BAA, not the formation of the NBA in 1949 -- thus ignoring the legacy of the NBL, one of two predecessor leagues for the NBA

The background of the selection committee that chose the nominees for the team, including Celtics coach/GM Red Auerbach, Knicks president Ned Irish, and Warriors owner Eddie Gottlieb, and how their biases may have shaped the selections

Players who seem to have been overlooked in the process, including Cliff Hagan, Jack Twyman, and Larry Foust

Who Jason and Rich would have chosen for their Silver Anniversary teams

Jason and Rich attempt to circumvent Pat Riley's trademarks to discuss failed attempts at winning three NBA championships in a row. We look at each and every team that failed to make it three in a row, what may have caused them to miss out, roster changes in the offseason, internal turmoil and much more. 

Jason and Rich look at notable one-year stints with an NBA team that didn't work out as expected. Examples include Scottie Pippen going to the Houston Rockets, Dwight Howard's run as a Los Angeles Lakers, Paul Westphal's brief run as a Seattle Supersonic and many more! 

Jason and Rich look at the greatest games for 2018 Naismith Basketball Hall of Famers Ray Allen, Maurice Cheeks, Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Grant Hill and Charlie Scott. 

We celebrate the career and legacy of the great Manu Ginobili and look back at his greatest performances in the latest edition of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast.

We talk about how Ginobili's creativity and craft helped redefine the NBA, how odd the Spurs will seem without any of their Big Three for the first time in 21 years, Ginobili's place among the all-time greats, how his low minute total affects how we will be remembered, how many Sixth Man of the Year awards he probably should have won, his dramatic 2004 Olympics game-winner vs. Serbia and his role in Argentina dethroning the U.S., his run-in with a bat, multiple playoff game-winners, and making a dramatic sacrifice for his time.

We also look at his six best games: outdueling LeBron James in Cleveland in 2009, breaking the hearts of Suns fans (on multiple occasions), and stepping up time after time when Tim Duncan or Tony Parker were injured or ineffective. 

Jason and Rich examine the longest tenures with an NBA team in history, discuss Dirk Nowitzki setting the NBA record for most seasons with one franchise, other players who stayed with one franchise for their entire careers and those with long tenures on a team but who couldn't quite finish their career with just one. 

Ben Taylor (Backpicks.com) joins Jason Mann to chat about Larry Bird's last great NBA performance, a 49-point triple-double in a 152-148 double OT win over Clyde Drexler and the Blazers, in the latest episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast.

We discuss a thrilling game with two buzzer-beaters from Bird and Kevin Gamble, how rare it is for two teams to score more than 148 points in the same game, time catching up to the Bird-McHale-Parish Celtics, how the early 1990s Blazers are a bit underappreciated, Bird managing to remain great even with major back trouble, and how both teams enjoyed the running game. We also share some thoughts on Terry Porter, Clifford Robinson, Danny Ainge, Reggie Lewis, and a young Rick Fox.

We also discuss Ben's recent Top 40 Best Careers in NBA History series (http://www.backpicks.com/2017/12/11/the-backpicks-goat-the-40-best-careers-in-nba-history/): ranking Kobe Bryant outside the top 10, LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan, and Reggie Miller and Patrick Ewing being better than perhaps you remember, and talk about some of his other projects.

We're beginning a new series on the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast looking at the last great game for all-time greats in NBA history.

In this multi-part series we will examine and reveal the last great game for each player that made our revised NBA 50 Greatest Players ever list. We begin today with Part 1 looking at the last great games for:

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kobe Bryant
Kevin Garnett
Allen Iverson
Moses Malone
George Mikan
Hakeem Olajuwon
Bob Pettit
Dennis Rodman
Isiah Thomas
Wes Unseld

Topics include how we define a great game, the criteria used in selecting the last great game for these players and what was happening with the player and their team at the time.

More specifically, we delve into Kareem's ability to remain a solid contributor into his final season and what could have happened if he hung around, Kobe Bryant's now-legendary 60-point sendoff, Kevin Garnett's last hurrah with the Celtics, Detroit Pistons Allen Iverson (yes, that was a thing), Moses Malone's Milwaukee Bucks era, George Mikan's final productive seasons, Hakeem Olajuwon's final game in Houston, Dennis Rodman's rare scoring outburst and Isiah Thomas giving the Boston Celtics fits one more time.

Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch continue their NBA 20 Years Ago series with a look at the news, notes and games of the NBA 20 Years Ago. This episode will focus primarily on the 1998 NBA Playoffs featuring an upstart Los Angeles Lakers team, Karl Malone, John Stockton and the Utah Jazz looking to get back to the NBA Finals and Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls' last stand as they try for a three-peat repeat.

In this episode, we cover each 1998 NBA Playoff series including most prominent games, news and notes surrounding the games and top performers in each series. Highlights include Shawn Kemp's stellar contributions to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the New Jersey Nets nearly pulling off a Game 1 upset against the Bulls, Kevin Garnett and the Minnesota Timberwolves giving George Karl and the Seattle Supersonics a scare, the New York Knicks and Miami Heat reviving their playoff rivalry and fisticuffs, a series of boring 4-1 Conference Semifinal matchups, Indiana taking the Bulls to seven games and of course, Jordan's iconic final shot and the highest-rated NBA Finals in history.

We'll also chime in with news, notes and NBA season award winners along the way including the firing of Karl in Seattle, Atlanta's Alan Henderson winning Most Improved Player, Danny Manning's semi-controversial Sixth Man of the Year award, the unknown to us before today IBM Award and how the award winner was determined, All-NBA teams and of course, Most Valuable Player.

Last but not least, we look at the beginning of the NBA lockout, which player was first to miss a game-check and what the rest of the summer could hold for the NBA, its players, its owners and the fans. 

We discuss Hakeem Olajuwon dominating David Robinson in the 1995 playoffs, the much more even career head-to-head battles, and the Michael Jordan-less interlude where big men dominated in the NBA in the latest episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast.

Corbin Smith and John Wilmes of the Take It or Break It! podcast join the show to look at the fascinating 1995 Houston Rockets, Olajuwon's foibles in the early 1990s, Robert Horry's early days of clutch baskets, Vernon Maxwell attacking a fan in Portland, the Clyde Drexler trade, and one of the greatest playoff runs in NBA history.

They also talk about the Spurs in Gregg Popovich's first year with the team (as general manager) and a fun roster, including Dennis Rodman and a bunch of future coaches. They look at whether Robinson was ever considered cool, his feud with Shaquille O'Neal, the theological implications of Olajuwon's dominance over Robinson, and dig into some of the key moments of Houston's Game 2 win over the Spurs, after Robinson had been given the MVP trophy. 

The first part of a multi-part series from Over & Back looks at each franchise's Hall of Fame players.

We'll discuss each & every Hall of Fame player to have played for a particular franchise, Hall of Fame players drafted or acquired but never played for the franchise, all possible future Hall of Fames, what-if scenarios in each franchise's history, and finally the ultimate hipster and ultimate cool-kid Hall of Fame jersey.

This episode focuses on the early teams in NBA history:

• Knicks
• Hawks
• Celtics
• 76ers
• Lakers
• Kings
• Pistons
• Warriors
• Bullets/Wizards

This episode of Over & Back is brought to you by Stathead.com! Use our code BACK to receive $20 off any of Stathead.com's powerful sports research tools. 

We look at the biggest free agent signing in every NBA team's history in the latest episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast.

Adam Johnson of Basketball Pantheon joins us for a wide-ranging discussion -- from the biggest free agent decisions such as LeBron James to the Heat and Cavs, Shaquille O'Neal to the Lakers, and Kevin Durant to the Warriors, to less-heralded but still signifcant signings such as Hedo Turkoglu to the Raptors, Greg Monroe to the Bucks, Kenny Anderson to the Blazers, and Peja Stojakovic to the Hornets.

We also discuss Allen Iverson and Gilbert Arenas' short stints in Memphis, Charles Oakley changing the culture in Toronto, Andrei Kirilenko and Brandon Roy joining the Timberwolves, Horace Grant bringing credibility to Orlando, Al Jefferson becoming the biggest Bobcat, how the Gail Goodrich signing derailed the Jazz, Baron Davis' big move to the Clippers, Tom Chambers becoming the first unrestricted free agent with the Suns, Alonzo Mourning's cursed time with the Nets, Antonio McDyess returning to the Nuggets, Scottie Pippen joining an aging superteam in Houston, a thin history of free agents in OKC, and Derek Anderson's forgotten time in San Antonio.

We also look at Ben Wallace leaving Detroit for Chicago, Gilbert Arenas changing the game in D.C., the Hawks wooing Dikembe Mutombo, Moses Malone putting the Sixers into the promised land, the Pistons finding Chauncey Billups, the Lakers' mixed track record of star free agents, Vlade Divac beginning an era in Sacramento, M.L. Carr being more than a towel waver, Rick Barry returing to the Warriors, and Bernard King finding a fit in New York. 

Check out Basketball Pantheon's Greatest Moments in Pro Basketball History series: https://www.basketballpantheon.com/moments.html

Jason and Rich look back at the 2018 NBA Finals and what history was made including asking if the Golden State Warriors are now a dynasty.

We try to come to a definitive definition of what a dynasty is in basketball, what teams of recent and past vintage would be classified as dynasties, whether or not the Spurs during the Tim Duncan-era could be considered a dynasty, what to make of the early 2000s Kobe/Shaq Los Angeles Lakers and if they had enough longevity to be a dynasty and of course more discussions on where a third title in four years places the Golden State Warriors.

We also delve into LeBron James as a non-team specific dynasty of his own, LeBron's unfortunate entry into the club of Most NBA Finals losses as he approaches Jerry West, Elgin Baylor and others for the top spot. We look at what people would say about the Golden State Warriors had they not lost a 3-1 lead in the 2016 NBA Finals, if Kevin Durant and Steph Curry can be considered Top 25 players at this point in their careers and if Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Kevin Love will eventually make it to the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Additional topics include a discussion on the long-term implications of Kevin Durant signing with the Golden State Warriors, whether the decision was lame or not and how he compares to LeBron James moving to Miami, we look at if the Warriors are boring, re-doing the NBA Playoff structure and seeding the entire league 1-16, if it makes that Steph Curry doesn't have an NBA Finals MVP award and last but not least: are the Golden State Warriors bad for the NBA?

Jason and Rich look at the historical comps for four straight NBA Finals matchups, the history between the Warriors and the Cavaliers as well as LeBron's incredible run of eight straight NBA Finals.

Topics include Golden State and Cleveland meeting in their fourth straight NBA Finals — where does that rank historically? What other NBA Finals repeat matchups have we seen throughout history? We'll look at the Boston Celtics and St. Louis Hawks battling in the late 50s/early 60s, Los Angeles Lakers and Celtics battling throughout the 60s as well as Lakers vs. Knicks, Supersonics vs. Bullets, Lakers vs. 76ers, Jazz vs. Bulls and Spurs vs. Heat. We'll look at how many times these teams faced off in the NBA Finals, what brought them to the league championship and how the franchise fared following their matchups.

We also delve into the teams that went to four straight NBA Finals, a small list including only a few teams (Celtics, Lakers, Celtics, Heat, Cavaliers and Warriors). LeBron's amazing 8th straight NBA Final and how his Finals streak beats almost every team's playoff streak, players with the most consecutive NBA Finals appearances including Bill Russell and of course, James Jones.

Additional topics include players who made it to 4+ NBA Finals over two franchises including James, Steve Kerr and Pep Saul. Players to have made 9+ NBA Finals including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West, Magic Johnson and more.

Lastly, a recap of the previous three NBA Finals matchups including a thrilling early series in 2015 before the Warriors took off and kickstarted their dynasty, the Cavaliers coming back from 3-1 in 2016 NBA Finals to finally bring a championship to the city of Cleveland and Kevin Durant joining the Warriors for playoff and NBA Finals domination in 2017. (Original airdate: 5/30/18)

Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch look at the best and worst playoff performances of LeBron James' career in the latest episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast.

We discuss some of his best games in series from 2009 vs. the Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks, 2016 vs. the Golden State Warriors, 2018 vs. the Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers, 2010 vs. the Chicago Bulls, 2014 vs. the Brooklyn Nets, 2006 vs. the Washington Wizards, and 2007 vs. the Detroit Pistons. And we look at his worst games in 2008 vs. the Boston Celtics, 2014 vs. the Pacers, and infamous breakdowns in 2010 vs. the Celtics and 2011 vs. the Mavericks in the Finals. We also look at his five buzzer-beating playoff game-winners and playoff career highs. (Original airdate: 5/20/18)

Jason and Rich look at the 2018 NBA Conference Semifinal matchups through a historic lens. Jason and Rich look at the history of playoff matchups between the Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics, New Orleans Pelicans and Golden State Warriors, and finally the Houston Rockets vs. Utah Jazz.

Topics include:

An upstart 50-win Raptors team trying to stop a historical run for the Cleveland Cavaliers and prevent the city of Cleveland from winning their first title since the mid-50s.

Easily one of the longest playoff rivalries ever between the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics, a rivalry that began before the 76ers were, the 76ers. Jason and Rich delve into the history of this playoff feud, the transcendent games and players involved in the playoff matchups and their recent battles.

The Pelicans try to avoid a sweep in Anthony Davis' and the franchises assumed coming out party

The surprisingly deep playoff rivalry between the Jazz and Rockets which included four huge NBA Finals determining matchups in the 90s. 

Over and Back's NBA 20 Years Ago project takes us to the final month of the NBA regular season in 1998 with heated playoff races, injuries to some of the game's biggest stars and Michael Jordan's farewell.

On today's episode we spotlight four players: Clyde Drexler, Bryant Reeves, Alonzo Mourning and Jason Kidd. All four are making news in the NBA's final month with Clyde announcing his retirement and subsequent move to the coaching ranks, Reeves emerging as a cornerstone of the Vancouever Grizzlies franchise, Alonzo Mourning dons a mask and Jason Kidd leads a resurgent Phoenix Suns squad.

We also delve into four spotlight teams: Orlando, Charlotte, New York and Phoenix. Orlando is trying to live in a post-Penny Hardaway world with a rag-tag veteran-laden roster but things aren't going well. Turmoil despite success in Charlotte. The Knicks are living without Patrick Ewing as Allan Houston and Larry Johnson step up but Ewing eyes a return before the playoffs. Phoenix came out on fire in April and look to bring that momentum to the playoffs.

Additional stories and topics include four highlighted games including a record-breaking scoring output from the Los Angeles Clippers as well as a dismal record-breaking 55-point performance from the Indiana Pacers, Michael Jordan's regular season farewell tour, mounting NBA labor issues, a slew of terrible basketball and basketball-related movies, a final look at NBA Standings and much more! 

Part two of an in-depth look at the NBA players who have had their jersey numbers retired, as well as notable omissions and future candidates, in the latest episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast, with special guest Reinis Lacis of The Handle.

We talk about whether Carmelo Anthony might get his jersey retired by the Nuggets, Carroll Dawson's contributions to the Rockets, the Thunder not yet giving out any retired Sonics numbers and how they might handle a future jersey retirement, Nate Thurmond and Bingo Smith's runs with the Cavs, the Bucks' somewhat odd inconsistencies in their number retirements, Johnny Moore's years with the Spurs, the Knicks overlooking most of their 1950s stars, "Dr. Dunkenstein" Darrell Griffith leading the Jazz to respectability before the Stockton/Malone era, why the Sixers still haven't raised Moses Malone's No. 2, the Kings handling their history in many cities very effectively, the Blazers honoring nearly everyone from their 1977 title team, the Pistons leaving out Fort Wayne, the Suns' Ring of Honor, the Lakers honoring their Minneapolis years, and the Celtics maybe running out of numbers.

We take an in-depth look at the NBA players who have had their jersey numbers retired, as well as notable omissions and future candidates, in the latest episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast, with special guest Reinis Lacis of The Handle.

In part one, we discuss the teams who have yet to retired a jersey (Raptors, Clippers, and Grizzlies) and who might be the first, players such as Bobby Phills and Malik Sealy who were honored because of tragedy, the Hornets avoiding Bobcat history, why the Timberwolves have yet to honor Kevin Garnett, Pete Maravich having his number raised in three cities, the Magic having their own Hall of Fame instead of retiring jerseys, the Mavs choosing Brad Davis to be their first retired number, the Pacers leaving Freddie Lewis in the cold, the Heat honoring Dan Marino and Michael Jordan before any of their own players, the mystery of precisely when the Hawks retired Bob Pettit's jersey, what the Bulls will do with Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler, the Warriors ignoring their Philly history, and which players in the current Golden State dynasty will likely get their numbers retired. 

Jason and Rich bid adieu to Milwaukee's Bradley Center and discuss historical and upcoming NBA arena changes.

The end of the Bradley Center is significant as it is currently one of the NBA's oldest active NBA arenas only behind the New York Knicks' Madison Square Garden and the Golden State Warriors' Oracle Arena. We discuss some of our memories of the Bradley Center, its history as an NBA arena and what it means for it to be replaced.

We then look at some new arenas coming in the near future including the aforementioned Oracle Arena being replaced by the brand-new Chase Center, the Warriors move back to San Francisco and the historical significance of that as and much more. We also touch on the proposed Inglewood Basketball & Entertainment Center for the Los Angeles Clippers.

Lastly, we dig into recent arena changes including the Detroit Pistons moving from The Palace of Auburn Hills to the new Little Caesars Arena, Sacramento Kings leaving Arco Arena for the state-of-the-art Golden1 Center and Orlando moving from one Amway to another in 2010. Included is an examination of at historical trends for new arenas, what years saw the most arena changes and whether or not we're in a high time or low time for arena movement.

Who remembers who finished in second? We do! Rich and Jason looked at the runners-up in NBA MVP voting from 1956 to 2017 and what lessons we can glean from them in the latest episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast.

We look at how close multiple-time MVP awards like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Bill Russell, and Wilt Chamberlain came to additional awards and if they might even deserve additional MVPs. We discuss players who you might not have expected to finish that high in MVP voting, including Paul Arizin, Dolph Schayes, Nate Thurmond, Lenny Wilkens, George Gervin, Bernard King, Dominique Wilkins, Clyde Drexler, Alonzo Mourning, Jason Kidd, and Dwight Howard.

We also talk about poor, cranky Jerry West's bad luck in finishing No. 2 in MVP voting four times. We look at Shaq's two MVP runners-up a decade apart and wonder what kept him from winning more, and whether Kobe Bryant really has a case for a second MVP. We discuss great seasons by Bob Pettit, Elgin Baylor, Oscar Robertson, Willis Reed, Bob McAdoo, Dave Cowens, Bill Walton, Julius Erving, Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Karl Malone, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kawhi Leonard.

We also dig into some alternate NBA MVP awards of the past, including the Sporting News NBA MVP, Basketball Digest Player of the Year, Sam Davis Memorial Award, and the NBPA Players Voice Award.

On today's show, Jason and Rich dive into some unusual NBA skills and statistical anomalies, including NBA guards who blocked the most shots, NBA centers who passed the most and NBA shooting guards that weren't all that interested in shooting.

This episode of Over & Back is brought to you by Stathead.com! Use our code BACK to receive $20 off any of Stathead.com's powerful sports research tools. 

We look at the events of February and early March 1998 in the NBA.

We look at Tim Duncan coming into elite form as a rookie, Karl Malone passing milestones and making a run at MVP again, Hakeem Olajuwon showing signs of slowing down, Nick Anderson helping carry the Magic, Larry Bird pushing the Pacers, early tension between Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, the Timberwolves and Nets turning things around, the Jazz rallying from 24 down to beat the Bulls, Tracy Murray's 50-point game, Shaq being jeered in his return to Orlando, and the Pacers setting records in routing the Blazers 124-59.

We also discuss Latrell Sprewell's arbitration hearing, the surprise verdict reducing his suspension, David Stern's reaction, Doug Collins' firing in Detroit, All-Star Weekend without the dunk contest, the Raptors being sold and cleaning house, the 4-42 Nuggets firing their GM, and trades involving Damon Stoudamire, Joe Smith, Rony Seikaly, Chauncey Billups, Brent Barry, and more.

Jason and Rich examine NBA players who by age 25 appeared on the trajectory for all-time greatness but for one reason or another fell off track.

Players discussed include early NBA star Ed Macauley, territorial pick in the last BAA draft before the BAA and the NBL merged to form the NBA. Jason and Rich discuss Macauley's early career, the trade he's most famous for and what he did in his post-playing career.

Dwight Howard: one of the NBA's shining stars in his early years that has fallen out of favor recently, Jason and Rich look at his injury history as well as his attitude and whether or not he will be considered an all-time great when he finally hangs it up.

Tracy McGrady: T-Mac put together one of the NBA's greatest seasons in 2003 but just a few years later was unable to get on the court. McGrady was a star that shined bright but ultimately left many underwhelmed.

Elton Brand: Mr. Reliable put together an impressive resume in his early 20s but never reached the next level.

Gilbert Arenas: One of the NBA's best stories turned into one of its worse as Arenas rose up from anonymity to become a star on the Washington Wizards, ultimately though, his career will be remembered for one unfortunate incident.

Luol Deng: The do-everything, jack of all trades for the mid 2000 Chicago Bulls, Deng teamed with fellow youngsters Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon to led the Bulls back to the playoffs.

In addition to examinations into each of the players above, Jason and Rich also delve into players who accumulate a high percentage of stats in their first five years of the league.

In the latest edition of our NBA 20 Years Ago series, Rich and Jason look back at the NBA in January 1998.

We look at how the 1990s are a time of the most of the dominant players being older than 30, including MVP favorites Karl Malone and Michael Jordan, and how unprecedented that was in NBA history. We each pick our favorite mythical League Pass teams, including the Jason Kidd Suns, emerging Kevin Garnett Timberwolves, run-and-gun Shaq-and-Kobe Lakers, and the final year of the Bulls dynasty.

We also look at some of the key events in January 1998, including Scottie Pippen's return to the Bulls, Chris Webber being arrested on drug and traffic charges, the Nuggets tying an all-time losing streak, All-Star game voting, the Maloof family buying into the Kings, Latrell Sprewell's arbitration hearing, Chick Hearn announcing his 3,000th consecutive Lakers game, Eric Snow being traded, Tyrone Hill signing a big extension with the Bucks, Robert Parish's number retirement, Bill Fitch reaching all-time coaching milestones, Kurt Thomas serving as the youngest NBA assistant, Matt Bullard's shot-blocking, Tracy McGrady in the doghouse, the first Sonics-Cavs trade since the Shawn Kemp trade, the NBA reprimanding a referee for calling a foul on the wrong player, and more.

On today's episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast, Jason and Rich look at former NBA and ABA players who suited up for five, four and three teams in a single season.

Players profiled include Bobby Jones, Steve Chubin, Ken Wilburn, Rich Johnson, Rod Higgins, Tony Massenburg, Alex Stivrins, Don Boven, Ron Perry, Reggie Johnson, Sam Cassell, Barry Liebowitz, Manny Leaks, Tom Owens and Jim Eakins. In profiling each player we'll look at which teams and how many games they played, standout games, why they bounced around so much as well as career highlights and recaps. How were they before these prolific seasons and how did their careers chart after?

Special attention is given to a few of the ABA players as Jason and Rich try to shine light on the turbulent league: why so many players moved, the instability of franchises and possible profit-focused reasons for the moves.

The episode also features deep dives into Sam Cassell's movement during the 1996-97 season, a changing of the guard in Dallas and why the New Jersey Nets got a gem as well as the odd careers of Tony Massenburg and Rod Higgins who both bounced around the league before carving out a solid, lengthy career.

Other discussions include Rich's rebounding prowess as a 6'0 7th grader, Jason & Rich's "sports" nicknames and much more.

In the third edition of our NBA 20 Years Ago series, we explore the events of December 1997 in the NBA, including Latrell Sprewell being suspended for choking Warriors coach P.J. Carlesimo, the Wizards opening a new arena, the Mavericks naming Don Nelson as coach, the slam dunk contest being canceled, and Michael Jordan being the victim of a hoax involving his mother's health during a game.

We discuss the initial reporting of the Sprewell scandal and the racial coding in much of the response, the Warriors deciding to terminate Sprewell's contract, the NBA suspending Sprewell for one year and the players union's reaction, Sprewell's first public apology and a press conference involving famed attorney Johnnie Cochran, and how the story became a national phemonenon and affected the NBA's perception.

We also talk about the NBA's first regular season game in Mexico, the Mavericks' dance team being robbed, Penny Hardaway's knee problems, Jordan passing a series of all-time scoring milestones, a hotel fight between Rod Strickland and Tracy Murray, one of the lowest-scoring games in NBA history, Adam Silver being promoted in NBA Entertainment, the NBA cracking down on profanity, Jerry Stackhouse being traded to the Pistons, Patrick Ewing suffering a major wrist injury, Karl Malone being creepy, Corliss Williamson and Derrick Coleman getting into an on-court scuffle, Bubba Wells breaking a record for fouling out the fastest, and much more.

For Over and Back's 200th episode, Rich Kraetsch and Jason Mann watch "Space Jam" with basketball pals Curtis Harris (@ProHoopsHistory) and Reinis Lacis (@LamarMatic) and provide live commentary on the proceedings.

Topics discussed: how the movie frames Michael Jordan's life, how we all were first exposed to the movie and how we feel about it now, the merits of the "Space Jam" soundtrack, the Quad City DJs not being from the Quad Cities, Jordan's willingness to mock his baseball career, was Shawn Bradley really a bad player or just an awkward player, how much we enjoy Wayne Knight, our favorite Looney Tunes characters, the Hare Jordan commercials with Bugs Bunny that inspired "Space Jam," the Looney Tunes hip-hop clothing fad, Bill Murray's wacky 1994 NBA commercials, how the NBA players fare as actors (especially Larry Bird, Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing), who would have been cast in a 1970s Space Jam, did the Monstars choose their stolen NBA talents wisely, why Jordan's real family didn't appear in the movie, how terrible of a character Lola Bunny is, and much more.

We are used to the NBA landscape being what it is. Since 1981, there hasn't been much in the way of massive conference realignment but that wasn't always the case. On this episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA podcast hosts Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch look at the NBA's long history of conference realignment.

We look first at teams that have for the most part stayed in their respective conferences including the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets and more.

After that, it's a look at each and every team's conference realignment throughout history including franchise moves that necessitated the change, favors done for other owners or downright confusing realignments that make no geographic sense. We also look at how each of the realignments may have had an effect on competitive balance and if the championship and title picture would look different without said realignment.

In the second edition of our NBA 20 Years Ago series, we explore the events of November 1997 in the NBA, including Charles Barkley throwing a bar patron through a window, Tim Duncan's first month in the league, players being fined for wearing too-long shorts, A.C. Green setting the NBA consecutive game record, Isiah Thomas leaving his position as Raptors GM, and much more.

We also discuss a rocky start for Michael Jordan and the Bulls, tough negotiations with Chicago and Dennis Rodman, Scottie Pippen trade demands, a pregame fight between Shaquille O'Neal and Greg Ostertag, the first female referees in NBA history, Muggsy Bogues' ugly departure from the Hornets, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar suing a similarly named football player, the Suns and Blazers in a 150-147 quadruple overtime game, Isaiah Rider being suspended for spitting at a fan, Barkley's final 40-point game of his career, excellent starts for the Lakers and the Hawks, Eddie Jones getting some shine, and Dikembe Mutombo doing more than just defense.

We talk to "The Jordan Rules" author Sam Smith about his new book, "Hard Labor: The Battle that Birthed the Billion-Dollar NBA," which documents the labor battles between the NBA and its players in the 1960s and 1970s and shares stories about the key players in that fight, including Oscar Robertson, Elgin Baylor, Rick Barry, Bill Bradley, John Havlicek, Chet Walker, Joe Caldwell, and Wes Unseld.

We discuss Bob Cousy and Tommy Heinsohn's efforts to strengthen the union in the 1950s and early 1960s, how black players dealt with virulent racism, the threatened 1964 All-Star Game boycott by players, the NBA players blocking the planned NBA-ABA merger in 1970, Spencer Haywood joining the pros early and fighting against the NCAA and NBA, the players getting a sympathetic ear in Congress, Barry pitting himself against the NBA players and testifying in favor the merger (to get back into the NBA), the NBA players recently agreeing to fund medical benefits for retired players, and much more.

Original airdate: 11/20/17

Basketball Hall of Famer Bernard King joins the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast to discuss his new book, Game Face, and memories of his career, including his playoff battles on the New York Knicks and overcoming a gruesome knee injury to play again in the NBA after two years of recovery.

He also discusses his analytical approach to basketball from a young age, coming into the NBA in an unsettled era before Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, competing against Julius Erving as rookie with the New Jersey Nets, going through rehab for alcohol addiction, rebuilding his career with the Golden State Warriors and coach Al Attles, joining the Knicks as a free agent, breaking a playoff record for scoring in a classic battle vs. Isiah Thomas and the Pistons, matching up with Larry Bird and the Celtics, becoming the first NBA player to return from a torn ACL, going to the Washington Bullets and becoming an all-star once again, his playing days and friendship with Moses Malone, when he realized his career was over, and much more.

In this episode of Over and Back, we prove once again that there is always a Wilt Chamberlain stat, and this time we take it a step further looking at stats that ONLY Wilt has ever had.

With help from Stathead.com's powerful tools, we can find statistical lines and achievements only accomplished by one player in NBA history: Wilt Chamberlain.

When you search for times in NBA history a player scored 62 points and had 32 rebounds in a game, you'll only get one result: Wilt (https://stathead.com/tiny/PytSC)

When you search for players with 72 points and 20 rebounds in a game, you'll only get one result: Wilt. (https://stathead.com/tiny/3fcmP)

31 points, 40 rebounds: Wilt. (https://stathead.com/tiny/HDEVh)

21 points, 21 rebounds, 21 assists: Wilt. (https://stathead.com/tiny/FbCuf)

You get the idea! Join us as we dive into Stathead.com's tools to find #OnlyWilt stats.

If you want to participate in our #OnlyWilt challenge, please share your #OnlyWilt Stathead results on Twitter or Facebook. Just tag @Stathead and @OverAndBackNBA and make sure you use the hashtag #OnlyWilt so we can share it with our listeners.

This episode of Over & Back is brought to you by Stathead.com! Use our code BACK to receive $20 off any of Stathead.com's powerful sports research tools. 

With Suns coach Earl Watson being fired after an 0-3 start, we look at the fastest firings and shortest coaching stints in NBA history on the latest episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast.

We discuss Dolph Schayes being canned after one game with the 1972 Buffalo Braves, Gene Shue losing his job one year after taking the Philadelphia 76ers to the 1977 NBA Finals, Carl Bennett going from the Fort Wayne Fastpitch Softball League to coach of the Pistons, Paul Westphal feuding with DeMarcus Cousins, Jack Ramsay's final stop in Indiana, the revolving door of coaches for the St. Louis Hawks, Jerry Tarkanian's 20-game stint with the 1993 San Antonio Spurs, Lenny Wilkens taking over the 1978 Sonics from Bob Hopkins, Albert Soar finding success in three major league sports, and Bill Musselman's nightmare year in the ABA.

We also dig into brief pro coaching stints for Kevin McHale, Andy Phillip, Earl Lloyd, Mike Brown, Chick Reise, John McLendon, Don Delaney, Bruce Hale, Ed Sadowski, Paul Westhead, Byron Scott, Mike Farmer, Sidney Lowe, Cotton Fitzsimmons and Roger Potter. And, as a bonus, we look at the murky origins of the Quad City DJs and our plans for an Earl Watson retrospective.

Jason and Rich explore dynasty survivors: the last player from each NBA dynasty to remain with their team even after the glory years.

From Gail Goodrich and Don Chaney to Randy Brown and Robert Parish, we look at each major pre and post expansion dynasty and who hung on through the final days of the dynasty. We examine how long the player remained with the franchise, why he was the last left and of course some fun facts along the way.

We are joined by Curtis Harris of Pro Hoops History in discussing the life and career of Connie Hawkins, the New York City playground legend and ABA superstar who was unfairly blackballed by the NBA until his late 20s.

We discuss Hawkins being one of the first above-the-rim offensive superstars, how his high-flying grace and acrobatics inspired Julius Erving and Michael Jordan, his incredibly huge hands and ball fakes, popularizing the finger roll, growing up in Brooklyn and his success on the playgrounds and at Boys High School, including a legendary battle against Roger Brown.

We also talk about his recruitment to the University of Iowa, getting ensnared in a gambling scandal because of a tenuous association with gambler and former NBA star Jack Molinas, a false confession after weeks of interrogation by New York detectives, and being banned by the NBA despite never being charged with a crime. We also dig into Hawkins becoming MVP of the fledging rival league the ABL at age 19, playing with the Harlem Globetrotters, filing an antitrust lawsuit against the NBA, and winning a championship in the ABA with the Pittsburgh Pipers.

We also discuss the settlement that led Hawkins to finally join the NBA, finding success with the Phoenix Suns, how he shined despite injuries taking their toll on his brilliance, his waning years with the Lakers and Hawks, finding meaning in his life after basketball, his sense of humor, and how much his Hall of Fame induction meant to him. We also play a what-if game for him joining the NBA in 1964 and how history might have changed.

To kick off our new series NBA 20 Years Ago, we look at the 1997 NBA offseason, including the Shawn Kemp trade, the Kevin Garnett extension, Rick Pitino taking power in Boston, and Larry Bird coming home to Indiana, in the latest episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast.

We discus the offseason melodrama surround the Chicago Bulls, a record number of coaching changes, the Washington Bullets becoming the Wizards, a series of unfortunate jersey changes, the 1997 NBA draft with Tim Duncan joining the Spurs, the eternal question of whether Kevin Van Horn or Tim Thomas had a better career, a pretty undramatic free agency period, Shaquille O'Neal's summer flop "Steel", how much Kemp could help in Cleveland, Antonio McDyess being traded to Phoenix, and Garnett reshaping the salary structure of the NBA.

On this episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast, Jason and Rich compare and contrast Oklahoma City's new big 3 (Carmelo Anthony, Russell Westbrook and Paul George) to Boston's famed big 3 formed in 2007-08 when Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joined forces with Paul Pierce on the Celtics.

Topics on this show include where all six men were and are in their careers in terms of accomplishments and success, expectations now and when Boston's big 3 was formed, contract situations, long-term vs. short-term success, how Boston's big 3 gelled so quickly, the importance of role players and much more!

Adam Ryan of the In All Airness podcast joins us to discuss the 1989 NBA All-Star Game, Michael Jordan's "The Shot" against Cleveland, and the Chicago Bulls vs. the New York Knicks in the 1989 playoffs.

We talk about Adam's exposure to the NBA living in Australia, watching VHS tapes of moments over and over again, how much the All-Star Game meant in an era in which fewer games were on national television, big performances in 1989 from Michael Jordan and Karl Malone, an amusing stat line from John Stockton, missing Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, and the final all-star appearances for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Moses Malone.

We also discuss how the 1989 Cavaliers with Mark Price and Brad Daugherty were a rising young power in the East, the exciting moments leading to the famous finale of Game 5 of the Bulls vs. Cavs series, and how Jordan's jumper became known as "The Shot".

We also look at Game 6 of the Bulls' series vs. a rising Knicks team with Patrick Ewing dubbed the "Bomb Squad" for their record-setting three-point shooting under coach Rick Pitino, former Bull Charles Oakley vs. former Knick Bill Cartwright, Scottie Pippen getting ejected for a fight, and more Jordan playoffs. We also discuss at what exact point Jordan became the undisputed best player in the NBA.

On this episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast, hosts Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch explore the topic of franchise leading scorers and what each franchise's all-time leading scorer says about their history.

Jason and Rich break down each team's leading scorer, if said player was the franchise's best player of all-time and where he ranks among other all-time scoring leaders. They also uncover each franchise's active points leader and project their chances to become the franchise leading scorer.

Jason and Rich discuss NBA players who starred in other professional sports in the latest episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast.

They discuss Wilt Chamberlain's post-NBA professional volleyball career with teams like the Seattle Smashers and the Southern California Bangers, The Big Dipper's dominating performance on national TV after a fellow star's criticism, 1993 Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward's decision to pick the NBA over the NFL, Ward's success in baseball and tennis as well, Danny Ainge balancing baseball with the Toronto Blue Jays with basketball at BYU, the legal battle for Ainge to get into the NBA with the Boston Celtics, UCLA star (and good pal of Bill Walton) Bill Lee's prolific beach volleyball career in the 1970s, Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton's career in baseball's Negro Leagues and black pro basketball teams before becoming one of the first African-Americans to join the NBA, Gene Conley balancing a successful major league baseball career with being Bill Russell's backup with the Celtics and winning rings in both sports, as well as his infamous three-day bender where he left a team bus and tried to fly to Jerusalem.

They also touch on the multi-sport careers of Michael Jordan, legendary Browns QB Otto Graham, TV star Chuck Connors, Scott Burrell, Dave DeBusschere, Tim Duncan, Keith Erickson, John Havlicek, Pat Riley, Bill Sharman, Nate Robinson, Allen Iverson and more.

On this episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast, Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch explore some of their favorite "what-if" scenarios in NBA history including Jason Kidd going to the San Antonio Spurs in the summer of 2003, the Philadelphia 76ers traded Moses Malone to the Detroit Pistons in 1986, the Chicago Bulls trading Scottie Pippen to Seattle for Shawn Kemp, Detroit drafting Carmelo Anthony instead of Darko Milicic, Orlando holding onto Chris Webber's draft rights and more.

The Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast examines players that went out on a high note with productive final seasons in the league. Jason and Rich look at which players had the highest points-per-game, rebounds-per-game, Win Shares and PER in their final campaign including Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, John Stockton, Tim Duncan and more.

Next is a deeper dive into some of the more interesting final seasons. Players discussed include Steve Stipanovich, Chet Walker, Jesse Branson, Willie Somerset, Paul Neumann, Alex Groza, Marlbert Pradd, Butch Feher and many more.

Special thanks to Reinis Lacis (@LamarMatic) of The Handle Podcast for this episode's inspiration.

The return of one of our favorite series: the last great game for all-time great players. In this edition, we'll look at the final great games for:

• Michael Jordan
• Dirk Nowitzki
• Kevin McHale
• Dwyane Wade
• Gary Payton
• Artis Gilmore

Plus bonus research on Triple Doubles from our friends at Stathead.com!

This episode of Over & Back is brought to you by Stathead.com! Use our code BACK to receive $20 off any of Stathead.com's powerful sports research tools. 

In celebration of Ice Cube's Big 3 league, hosts Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch draft a Big 3 for each current and past NBA franchise. To make things more interesting, players can only be selected to one team so someone like Julius Erving can't represent both the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn/New Jersey/New York Nets. Throughout the show, Jason and Rich debate who would make the best three-man team, if style of play should matter, where legacy with the franchise fits in and much more.

We examine some of the best non-first round picks in NBA history on the latest episode of the Over and Back Classic NBA Podcast, hosted by Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch.

Combing through each decade of draft classes, we discuss Maurice Cheeks in 1978, Danny Ainge in 1981, Jeff Hornacek, Mark Price and Dennis Rodman in 1986, Toni Kukoc in 1990, Stephen Jackson in 1997, Rashard Lewis in 1998, Manu Ginobili in 1999, Paul Millsap in 2006, Marc Gasol in 2007, Goran Dragic and DeAndre Jordan in 2008, Hassan Whiteside in 2010, Isaiah Thomas in 2011, and Draymond Green in 2012.

Fresh off the conclusion of the 2017 NBA Finals, Jason Mann and Rich Kraetsch look at the best individual NBA Finals performances of all-time.

We begin with a look at three players who had standout performances in this year's NBA Finals including Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Steph Curry. We then take a look at the best historical NBA Finals performances of all time including players such as Joe Fulks, George Mikan, Elgin Baylor, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Walt Frazier, Bill Walton, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade.