With NBA All-Star Weekend upon us and the season starting to take shape, I went looking for an entertaining, fun, and wide-ranging pro hoops show to get my hardcourt heart beating. Then I found Basketcast on NBA TV.
Basketcast is a mix of several podcasts and multimedia NBA-themed shows edited together into one extremely informative program. Nearly every commercial break returns to a clip from a different podcast or production.
I caught a recent episode of Basketcast that opened with The Dunker Spot podcast, hosted by Steve Jones and Nekias Duncan. Jones is an NBA legacy, the son of the late Portland Trail Blazers and national color analyst Steve “Snapper” Jones, a true NBA broadcasting legend.
The younger Jones has made his own bones as a Division I player for UNLV and Arizona State, as well as an assistant coach with the New Jersey Nets and a video coordinator with the Grizzlies. He also coached in the NBA Summer League.
Duncan is a fixture on Yahoo Sports and has covered the NBA since 2015 and the WNBA since 2022.
Like many podcasts being developed today, Jones and Duncan present very casual demeanors. However, their analysis and content are anything but lax. This episode started with a recap of the 2026 NBA trade deadline, focusing on the biggest winners and losers.
As Duncan and Jones discussed the Eastern Conference, a Yahoo Sports graphic showed the current conference standings. The Pistons remain on top and are garnering media love for their youth, toughness, and combination of skill and swagger.
In fact, ESPN NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins recently said that he fears three things in life: healthy food, reality shows, and the Detroit Pistons.
As Jones and Duncan spoke, viewers checked out X post graphics highlighting many of the big trades. While discussing the deal that sent James Harden to the Cavaliers, Jones said that there are some questions surrounding the veteran guard but that opponents still must game plan around him. Jones doubled down, saying that Harden has the ability to both start and end a play and that he helps Cleveland control the tempo at which it prefers to play. Duncan questioned whether Harden would fit into Cleveland’s defensive scheme.
I like the way Duncan and Jones interact with each other. The banter is light, but the discussion carries weight. They dish out their thoughts like Nate Archibald dished out passes—very cool and smooth.
Coming back from the first break, Basketcast shifted to SiriusXM NBA Radio with Justin Termine and former NBA player Eddie Johnson.
Termine is a real talent whose voice is unmistakable. This segment offered a much different tone, fueled by Termine’s excited and powerful delivery. David Aldridge, a columnist for The Athletic and veteran NBA reporter, joined Termine to discuss Anthony Davis. He was asked whether Davis is happy with his trade from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Washington Wizards. Aldridge hesitated before answering. He said Davis is OK with the move. However, as an older player, Davis has questions about Washington’s direction. He also still wants to compete for a winning team.
Following another break, Basketcast returned to SiriusXM NBA Radio with Frank Isola and Greg Anthony. Isola is a multimedia veteran and the de facto top fill-in host on ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption.
The former New York Daily News scribe has transitioned to television terrifically over the years with his straight talk and pointed opinions. I’ve always liked Anthony as an analyst. He played at a high level and enjoyed several strong seasons as a point guard with the New York Knicks. Isola and Anthony also discussed Jayson Tatum being cleared to practice with the Maine Celtics. Tatum is attempting to return from an Achilles injury suffered during last year’s playoffs.
Anthony said it would be good for the NBA to have Tatum back and boldly stated that he believes Tatum will return by March 1. This return, Anthony added, would give Tatum time to reacclimate to the NBA grind before the playoffs. Isola and Anthony, both with hard-edged New York roots, made a nice combo.
Next up on Basketcast was a clip from The Kevin O’Connor Show podcast with the eponymous host and Tom Haberstroh, a national writer who contributes to Yahoo Sports and runs a Substack at TomTheFinder.com. Haberstroh also works on Portland Trail Blazers television broadcasts as an analytics insider. O’Connor, a producer and writer, went back and forth with Haberstroh, again discussing NBA trade deadline moves.
Haberstroh loved the Knicks’ acquisition of Jose Alvarado, saying he will become a very popular player in New York. He also argued that the Knicks can battle with any contender in the Eastern Conference. O’Connor and Haberstroh both liked the addition of Nikola Vucevic to the Celtics.
Moreover, Haberstroh stressed that Vucevic fills a need for Boston as a frontcourt presence.
In addition to the commentary and commentators, another real strength of Basketcast is its variety.
As the show continued, viewers saw clips of the 2006 NBA 3-Point Shootout. The floppy-haired Dirk Nowitzki won that competition, besting Ray Allen and Gilbert Arenas. A graphic then promoted the upcoming NBA 3-Point Shootout, which will air on Saturday.
I’m happy to say that several established NBA stars are scheduled to compete in this year’s event. The group includes Devin Booker, Damian Lillard, Tyrese Maxey, Donovan Mitchell, and Jamal Murray. They will be joined by Kon Knueppel, Bobby Portis, and Norman Powell.
From the promo, NBA TV’s Stephen Nelson and former players Rudy Gay and Iman Shumpert offered their views on the upcoming three-point showcase. Gay picked Lillard to win the competition, Shumpert chose Powell, and Nelson selected Jamal Murray.
In addition to his work on NBA TV, Nelson also serves as a Los Angeles Dodgers broadcaster. The trio then discussed the news that Golden State Warriors legend Stephen Curry will be out through the All-Star break with a right knee injury. Curry has not played since January 30. Shumpert supported Curry’s decision to use the break to get healthy.
In another segment, Gay and Shumpert talked about their favorite coaches, funniest teammates, and the toughest players they had to guard. Gay picked Tracy McGrady, while Shumpert chose Kevin Durant.
Basketcast is aptly named because it offers viewers a cast of excellent basketball pundits all in one basket. The show has intrinsic value because, through the wingspan of NBA TV, it brings these slick pockets of pro basketball intelligence to a widespread national audience.
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John Molori is a weekly columnist for Barrett Sports Media. He has previously contributed to ESPNW, Patriots Football Weekly, Golf Content Network, Methuen Life Magazine, and wrote a syndicated Media Blitz column in the New England region, which was published by numerous outlets including The Boston Metro, Providence Journal, Lowell Sun, and the Eagle-Tribune. His career also includes fourteen years in television as a News and Sports Reporter, Host, Producer working for Continental Cablevision, MediaOne, and AT&T. He can be reached on Twitter @MoloriMedia.
