Hebrews 11:1

The big news within the online basketball community this summer has been Ryne Nelson’s meteoric rise from blogger to Online Editor of Slam Magazine. This weekend Ryne took some time to talk with me about his background as a broadcast journalism major, the story behind why he started the highly successful blog Odenized and how he was able to parlay that into his new gig with Slam.

This interview is one of my favourites and is a must listen for anyone hoping to break into journalism through non-traditional means. Ryne did a great job of explaining how a lot of late nights and hard work resulted in him achieving his goal of becoming a journalist.

Click here to listen to my chat with Ryne Nelson.

With the NBA Draft completed and two blockbuster deals already in the books, I went back into the studio to record the latest Hoops Addict Podcast. Read the rest of this entry »

With the NBA Draft happening in a couple of days I was able to chat with Randy from Rush The Court, Matt from Ridiculous Upside and Darren from Dynasty Sports Reps to give listeners the scoop on the 2008 NBA Draft. Read the rest of this entry »

With the playoff field finally down to two, NBA fans bare witness to the reinvention of the classic Boston Celtics/Los Angeles Lakers rivalry. Though the series appears one of the most intriguing in recent memory, fans of the the league’s 28 other teams have little to get excited about but the upcoming NBA draft and the inherent trade speculation that comes with it. Before the focus completely shifts from postseason to offseason, I caught up with a number of basketball purists from around the online community to discuss the biggest series of the year.

Some of the highlights from this Podcast include:

* John from Red’s Army talking about why the Celtics will Paul Pierce doesn’t get the kind of respect he deserves

* Kurt from Forum Blue & Gold explaining why the Lakers are able to win despite not having a dominant low post player

* Jeff from Celtics Blog sharing how the Ubuntu Theology helped the Celtics this season

* Matt from Hardwood Paroxysm venting about the Pau Gasol deal

Click here to listen to this Podcast.

Photo Credit: Icon Sports Media

With the Conference Finals kicking off tonight I was able to chat with a handful of writers and bloggers to get the inside scoop on the final four teams left standing. With knowledgeable and passionate writers representing three of the four remaining NBA teams, as well as Holly MacKenzie from Slam Magazine providing a league wide perspective, this is one of my favourite Podcasts so far.

Some of the highlights from this podcast include:

* Matt from Detroit Bad Boys and AOL Fanhouse talking about how important stealing a road win early in this series would be for Detroit
* Jeff from Celtics Blog providing some reasons for why Ray Allen struggled against Cleveland
* Natalie from Need 4 Sheed giving the scoop on the bad news Antonio McDyess was given before Game 5
* Kurt from Forum Blue & Gold talking about why Lamar Odom is flourishing as the third option in the Lakers offense
* Holly from Slam Magazine talking about her “rookie season” writing for Slam

Click here to listen to the Hoops Addict Podcast.

Earlier this month I had the chance to read “Give and Go: Basketball as a Cultural Practice”, and after being unable to put the book down until I was finished, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to chat with Thomas McLaughlin about his book.

It’s been a couple of year since I was a university student so I enjoyed the opportunity to read a book that read like a university text but left me unable to put it down like a fiction novel. His ability to jump from topics like the practice of masculinity, basketball, racial identity and how basketball is televised, all while keeping me entertained left me riveted. It was a great book and one I would highly recommend to any baskeball fan looking to pass the lazy, hazy days of summer.

Some of the topics we covered during our chat include:

* His background as a professor of Cultural Studies and English at Appalachian State
* In his book he talked at great length about the community of basketball, but he failed to touch upon the topic of blogs, so I had him give his thoughts on blogs and explain whether he thinks they are a good thing or a bad thing for fans.
* In his book he claims he doesn’t buy into the old adage “Sports build character” so I had him further explain the reasons for his disbelief
* In his book he talked about corporate and marketing forces taking over the NBA and I had him apply that to the Jose Calderon/T.J. Ford point guard situation in Toronto this season
* An entire chapter was dedicated to basketball movies so in honour of High Fidelity, I had him give me his All-Time Top 5 Favourite Basketball Movies

Click here to listen to the Hoops Addict Podcast.

After an eight-month hiatus the Hoops Addict Podcast has finally returned. Due to time restraints as a result of my career and having been asked to cover the Toronto Raptors for HOOPSWORLD this season, I was unable to keep the podcast going during the regular season. But now, with the slower summer months approaching and the Raps having been ousted in the first round of the playoffs, I’m excited to be back on the mic. Look for new podcasts weekly throughout the playoffs and the summer.

Some of the highlights from this podcast include:

* Natalie from Need 4 Sheed admitting Philadelphia’s strong play in the first round gave her a scare
* Kurt from Forum Blue & Gold talking about whether Los Angeles can win a championship without Andrew Bynum
* Ben from Third Quarter Collapse claiming Jose Calderon should have started for the Eastern Conference in the All-Star game this season
* CB Jack from My Utah Jazz giving me the scoop on what the X-Factor will be in Utah’s series against Los Angeles
* Ryan from Hornets 24/7 claiming the Hornets will beat the Spurs in five games
* Rock from Waiting For Next Year giving his thoughts on all the trash talking that went on between Washington and Cleveland

For people who listened to the podcast before, you’ll notice I’m trying out some new things like musical breaks between guests and adding music into the background during the interviews. Feel free to drop me an email (ryan@hoopsaddict.com) with comments or suggestions about things you like or would like me to change in the future.

Click here to listen to the Hoops Addict Podcast.