Pro Basketball Talk on NBC Sports podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Magic Johnson is synonymous with the five-time champion Showtime Lakers — the fast-break master with the no-look pass whose infectious smile belies one of the most competitive players ever to lace them up.

In his incredibly well-researched new biography on Earvin "Magic" Johnson, author Roland Lazenby dives into the complex personality of of Magic, the guy who never forgot his roots and always seemed grounded, but also continues to compete with Michael Jordan on the financial front. Kurt Helin of NBC Sports and Lazenby discuss how Magic and Larry Bird — along with David Stern — turned the NBA into a prime-time, must watch show (setting the stage for Michael Jordan). 

They also delve into Magic's HIV announcement and how that was received domestically and internationally, his family and the influence of his mother and father on the man Magic would be, and how Magic the businessman made his billion dollars by focusing on building for underserved black communities in Los Angeles. 

It's a full discussion of one of the NBA's greats with details not often discussed about the Magic man.

The Western Conference is stacked — 12 teams enter the season thinking they can make the playoffs. That will lead to some very disappointed fans (and front offices/coaches on the hot seat) come April, and veteran NBA journalist Mark Medina joins NBC Sports Kurt Helin to break it all down.

The Denver Nuggets are the team to beat and believe they can start where they left off in championship form, despite the loss of Bruce Brown, because they have Nikola Jokic. Chasing them are the Phoenix Suns, a top-heavy roster but one that's a threat if they can find enough depth and defense by the time the playoffs start. The Lakers and Warriors are threats, but both have aging cores — if the Lakers' LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and the Warriors' Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, can get to the playoffs healthy, they are threats.

What about Memphis, without Ja Morant for the first 25 games of the season? Do we trust the Clippers? Does Minnesota figure it out this season with two bigs and the emergence of Anthony Edwards? The Thunder are set to make a leap. Do we trust Zion Williamson to stay healthy and make the Pelicans a threat?

We break all that down and more.

The Denver Nuggets left no doubt who was the best team in the NBA. Not only did they roll through the West, but also the Miami Heat dragged the game into the mud and played much of the Finals on their terms. It did not matter. The Nuggets beat the Heat at their own game.

Corey Robinson and Kurt Helin from NBC Sports dive into the Nugget's win and then tackle the big questions: Can they repeat and win another? Can they turn this into a dynasty?  That tied directly into Corey's jukebox, which compares early Fleetwood Mac to where the Nuggets are right now.

Finally, the duo dives into trade talk — will Bradley Beal be on the move — and the upcoming NBA Draft, where the four picks after No. 1 are available for the right price. Would the Pelicans be willing to move Zion Williamson to land Scoot Henderson? It's not out of the question.

Giannis Antetokounmpo just played a historically great NBA Finals game.

Then, he played an even better NBA Finals game.

Antetokounmpo is enjoying this experience and Bucks fans should, too. He has even gotten Milwaukee within a game of the Suns.

Dan Feldman and Frank Madden of Locked On Bucks discuss the NBA Finals and Milwaukee's longer-term outlook.

Is Phoenix-Milwaukee the ideal big-market NBA Finals?

No.

Do Dan Feldman and Mike Prada care?

No.

The Suns and Bucks are enjoyable teams that play hard, smart and together. This Finals matchup could be excellent – especially if Giannis Antetokounmpo is healthy.

Feldman and Prada preview the series (with a look back on conference finals MVPs).

The shorthanded Bucks just beat the shorthanded Hawks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.

Without Giannis Antetokounmpo, could Milwaukee hang with the Suns in the NBA Finals? Even if Trae Young returns, could Atlanta?

Dan Feldman and Kurt Helin discuss the playoffs ahead and behind (who should win Western Conference finals MVP?).

They also cover the Clippers' outlook with (or without?) Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the Trail Blazers facing complications with Damian Lillard and Chauncey Billups and the Mavericks hiring Jason Kidd.

The Pistons haven't won a playoff game in 13 years.

But their fortunes are changing.

Detroit won the 2021 NBA Draft lottery, getting the inside track to Cade Cunningham (or Jalen Green???). The other big winner: the Raptors, who moved up from the No. 7 lottery seed to the No. 4 pick. Tanking pays, apparently.

On the latest ProBasketballTalk Podcast, Dan Feldman discusses how the Pistons will handle their windfall with James Edwards III of The Athletic and whether Toronto's lottery luck will change the team's trajectory with Eric Koreen of The Athletic.

Wednesday was so insane around the NBA we barely talked about Kevin Durant having a game for the ages the night before. Chris Paul and COVID, Kawhi Leonard and his ACL, Stan Van Gundy out in New Orleans, then Scott Brooks out in Washington, Donnie Nelson out as GM in Dallas, and LaMelo Ball being named Rookie of the Year. It's almost too much to process, but Kurt Helin and Dan Feldman of NBC Sports give it a shot — and they take a couple of listener questions.

The Trail Blazers have reached a crossroads.

After making the playoffs eight straight years, Portland ousted coach Terry Stotts. C.J. McCollum could get traded. Damian Lillard almost certainly won't, but building around him is a major challenge.

And Neil Olshey said A LOT at his end-of-season press conference (embedded above).

Where will and should the Trail Blazers go from here?

Dan Feldman and Danny Marang of NBC Sports Northwest and the Blazers Edge Podcast discuss.

The Celtics just went through a shocking shakeup, Danny Ainge stepping down as team president (though not necessarily retiring) and Brad Stevens getting promoted from coaching to running the front office.

What's happening in Boston?

Dan Feldman and Jared Weiss of The Athletic discuss the Celtics' new structure, whether they'll trade Kemba Walker or Marcus Smart, how they should build around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, comments Ainge made or may not have made on the way out the door and how prepared the Nets' defense – after stifling Boston – is for the Bucks: