Russ Bengtson, author of A History of Basketball in Fifteen Sneakers, joins Vincent Goodwill to talk about some of the most famous basketball sneakers, why sneaker promotion has changed so dramatically, and what sneakers fans should be buying today.00:00 - Introduction03:45 - A History of Basketball in 15 Sneakers19:45 - Air Jordan33:00 - Modern basketball sneakers50:00 - Sneaker cultureOn this episode of the Good Word with Goodwill podcast, longtime sneaker expert Russ Bengtson stops by to talk about his new book: A History of Basketball in Fifteen Sneakers.Before they get to the shoes, Vince talks with Russ about his time as the editor-in-chief at SLAM Magazine and what SLAM meant to basketball in the 90s and 00s. The guys then dive into Russ’ process. How did he settle on these 15 sneakers? Are there any that he had to leave out? Was he always planning on talking about 15? What was most important to Russ was using the sneakers to talk about the full history of basketball without any big gaps, so that the book can be equal parts about the shoes and the game.One of the things that Russ and Vince both miss is the big promotional pieces, posters and TV commercials, that the big shoe makers used to use to hype up a shoe and promote the star player. They talk a bit about what happened to that model and if it will ever come back.Air Jordan, of course, changed the basketball shoe game and hasn’t really let go of it since launching. Russ explains why it had to be Michael Jordan as the one to change the shoe game, why it couldn’t have been Magic Johnson or Larry Bird, and what it has meant for every other shoe manufacturer since.Finally, Vince and Russ talk about current basketball sneakers. The ones coming out now, signature shoes for young players that are still in the league, and why consumers should be buying them instead of getting in line for retro or classic shoes from 30-40 years ago.Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

James Harden has yet to play his first game for the Los Angeles Clippers, but the sparks and the spicy quotes have already started flying. Jake Fischer & Dan Devine kick off this week's episode of No Cap Room with a look at Harden's comments about, "[not being] a system player, [rather] a system." Were these comments shots at former coach Doc Rivers and GM Daryl Morey, and how will Clippers coach Ty Lue balance Harden's offensive identity with three other high-usage players on the court in Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook?Later, Dan & Jake dive into the NBA's In-Season Tournament, which kicks off tonight with seven games. The guys discuss the 30 new courts rolled out for the series, whether it will generate the desired fan interest in November and tweaks they'd like to see made to the tournament in the coming years as year one may just be a beta version of a more fully fleshed-out iteration of the bracket.They also react to Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs beating Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns twice this week, a feat that has Dan exploding with optimism for the French rookie. Also, they take the pulse (or lack thereof) of the Miami Heat, who have started 1-4 after making it all the way to the NBA Finals this summer.Finally, the guys close out the show reading some funny NBA-related press releases that have made it into their inboxes.🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTubeCheck out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Vincent Goodwill sits down with Jake Fischer to react to the news of a blockbuster trade that sends James Harden from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Los Angeles Clippers.00:00 - James Harden traded to the Clippers05:05 - Joel Embiid’s future with the 76ers15:05 - The Clippers’ gamble on HardenAfter waking up to the news of the long-awaited trade that sends James Harden, along with P.J. Tucker, from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Los Angeles Clippers for a handful of veterans on expiring contracts and a handful of draft picks, Vincent Goodwill and Jake Fischer sat down to break down the trade details and implications.How does this move affect the Sixers championship odds this year? Will it make it more or less likely that Joel Embiid will eventually request his own trade out of Philadelphia? Is it possible that it will make the Sixers, and Embiid, even better than they were with Harden?The Clippers, who don’t have any draft picks for many years after doing this deal, are pushing all of their chips to the middle. They need the Kawhi Leonard / Paul George experiment to work better than it has, as they await the opening of the Intuit Dome, and Harden is meant to take some of the physical and play-making burden off of those two superstars in hopes that they can stay healthier this year.Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

ESPN’s Zach Lowe joins Dan Devine on a special Halloween episode of Devine Intervention to talk about his NBA-related fears, giant werewolves and yearbook quotes.00:00 - Welcome to the show, Zach Lowe!04:00 - The Pistons bring us joy08:35 - Zach’s scary story14:10 - NBA fears: Memphis Grizzlies18:10 - NBA fears: Spurs’ big lineup21:50 - NBA fears: KAT & Gobert26:50 - NBA fears: Knicks offense / Julius Randle34:40 - NBA fears: Klay Thompson leaving GSW42:15 - NBA fears: Denver Nuggets45:05 - The Closing Five52:35 - Weekly recommendationsOn a very special, Halloween-inspired episode of Devine Intervention, Dan Devine is joined by ESPN’s Zach Lowe to talk about scary things, the NBA and scary NBA things.First, we start with something that brings us joy. For Zach and Dan, that’s the young Detroit Pistons. And, more specifically, Jalen Duren and Ausar Thompson. This is a fun team and definitely one to keep an eye on.Before we get into NBA fears, Zach tells us about a giant werewolf that his neighbors have in their side yard and how terrifying it is when you’re walking past it at night after a Halloween party.Dan and Zach were each tasked with doing up with 3 NBA-related things that scare them, or scare the rest of the league, and took turns explaining their lists. Listen to find out why the Memphis Grizzlies scare Zach, why the Knicks offense doesn’t make sense, why the rest of the league should be terrified of Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets, and why Zach is afraid of seeing Klay Thompson in another uniform.Before we let Zach go, Dan hits him with “The Closing Five”, five quick questions about himself and his life. Find out what Zach’s yearbook quote was and which sport his daughter claims to be an expert in!Finally, in our weekly recommendations, Zach recommends a book about facial recognition and his 2nd favorite TV show of all time, while Dan finds more podcasts for you to listen to after this one is over.Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Vincent Goodwill is joined by former New York Knicks GM Scott Perry for an episode that looks at the Rasheed Wallace / Ben Wallace championship Pistons team, the current drama in Philadelphia, and the future of the young Detroit Pistons team that has started the season strong.00:00 - Welcome, Scott Perry!05:25 - Rasheed Wallace11:00 - Ben Wallace14:45 - James Harden 26:45 - Joel Embiid36:50 - 2023-24 Detroit PistonsOn this episode of the Good Word with Goodwill podcast, Vincent Goodwill is joined by former New York Knicks GM Scott Perry.The show kicks off with some talk about Scott’s beloved Pittsburgh Steelers before going back in time to revisit the 2004 Detroit Pistons championship team that beat the Kobe Bryant / Shaquille O’Neal Los Angeles Lakers while featuring Rasheed Wallace, Ben Wallace and zero max-contract players.Specifically, Scott talks about how gifted Rasheed is and how Ben Wallace wasn’t actually appreciated for his gifts until he found his way to Detroit, the result of a trade that sent Grant Hill to the Orlando Magic.Scott also has plenty of experience with superstar players demanding to be traded, both with the New York Knicks (Carmelo Anthony) and the Orlando Magic (Dwight Howard), so he dove deep into what the Philadelphia 76ers are facing with James Harden, what might have created the tension between player and front office, and what might happen if Embiid decides he also wants to be somewhere else.Vinnie and Scott, a couple of Detroit natives who grew up rooting for the Pistons, finish the podcast by talking about the young team that has started the season 2-1. They have high hopes for both Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren, and Monty Williams already seems to have this team pointed in the right direction, but it’s very early.Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Jake Fischer and Dan Devine react to everything they’ve seen in the first two nights of the 2023-24 NBA season, including Victor Wembanyama’s first real action and a possible minutes restriction for LeBron James.00:00 - HELLO FRIENDS!01:45 - James Harden vs. the 76ers09:40 - Wembanyama’s 1st game22:10 - Jokic is unstoppable26:45 - LeBron’s minutes restriction31:45 - The new-look Celtics38:30 - Jake’s MagicIn this episode of No Cap Room, Jake Fischer and Dan Devine react to everything they’ve seen in the first two nights of the 2023-24 NBA season, but not before diving into the story about the Philadelphia 76ers refusing to let James Harden join the team on their road trip to Milwaukee.After that, Jake & Dan give the people what they want: More Victor Wembanyama talk! They talk about the good, and the bad, from Wemby’s debut against the Dallas Mavericks and explain why everything that was “bad” is easily fixable for the 19-year old and Gregg Popovich.Nikola Jokic picked up right where he left off, as the best basketball player on the planet, and dominated Anthony Davis and the Los Angeles Lakers. Can anyone stop him on his way to a third MVP award?LeBron James only played 29 minutes against the Denver Nuggets, and it sounds like head coach Darvin Ham is attempting to keep LeBron on a minutes restriction this year. Is it because of his age? Is it to try and get more out of the minutes when he’s on the court? And what the heck are the Lakers going to do when LeBron is on the bench?The Boston Celtics, against the New York Knicks, looked as advertised. They are more talented than they’ve been in recent years, which is saying a lot, but they’re also not very deep. Can this group stay healthy playing big minutes all season long?Finally, after one game, Jake has fallen in love with this year’s Orlando Magic roster. And, more specifically, Cole Anthony. He explains why he already loves this team and how their future can go in almost any direction depending on how they want to construct the team.Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Heading into Wednesday night’s full slate of NBA games, Vincent Goodwill lists 5 players that he believes will have their reputations irreparably harmed if they don’t have a good season.00:00 - Welcome to the Good Word!02:05 - What was your 1st NBA jersey?05:40 - Joel Embiid12:30 - Luka Doncic16:35 - Trae Young19:10 - Kawhi Leonard23:10 - Ja MorantOn this solo episode of the Good Word with Goodwill, Vincent Goodwill lists 5 NBA players that he believes are facing a crucial juncture in their careers and need a good season to save or build their reputation around the league. But not before he and producer John talk about the first NBA jerseys they owned as kids.Joel Embiid, the target of rumors that would send him to the New York Knicks for a package of players and first-round draft picks, finally won his MVP but he’s still waiting on substantial playoff success. The world will be watching, and putting a negative label on him, if he can’t find a way to get deeper in the postseason his year.Luka Doncic is already starting to feel the wear and tear of so much usage, can he learn how to be an effective player without the ball in his hands? The same question applies to Trae Young, who has a new head coach and might need to be used differently than how it has been so far in his career.Kawhi Leonard is one of the 75 greatest NBA players of all time, but can he be the superstar that the Clippers launch the Intuit Dome with? He’ll first have to prove that his body is able to stay healthy through a full NBA season and postseason.Finally, Ja Morant will start this season suspended by the league for 25 games. As long as that’s it and he’s the same electrifying player he’s been once he gets back, he’ll have nothing at all to worry about. However, up until now, Ja has shown enough signs of self destruction to be worried.Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

On the very first episode of Devine Intervention, Dan Devine is joined by Jason Concepcion (Binge Mode, NBA Desktop, Six Trophies, etc.) to talk about their feelings around the New York Knicks.00:00 - Count me in!05:20 - New York Knicks talk25:25 - Fill in the blank36:15 - Who is the best big man ever?39:50 - Weekly recommendationsWelcome to Devine Intervention, a self-help basketball podcast. On the very first episode, Dan Devine is joined by Jason Concepcion so that they can discuss their feelings around the team that they love: The New York Knicks.Both Dan and Jason are hopeful about where the Knicks are and where they are heading, but that doesn’t remove the fear that the team could slip right back into old habits and the whole thing could crumble from beneath their feet.Also, what is going to make this Year 5 different from previous stops where Tom Thibodeau’s Bulls and Timberwolves fell apart and left him on the outside looking in? And didn’t he almost get fired last season? Jason offers up a compelling argument and a bit of hope that things will be different in New York.After talking about the Knicks, we move on to a fun round of “Fill in the blank” to help preview the NBA regular season (starting tonight!), debate who the best big man of all time is and offer up some recommendations for listeners that might help get their thoughts in a better place.We enjoy making the show and we can only hope that you enjoy listening to it.Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

Vincent Goodwill is joined by Bomani Jones for a conversation that travels all the way around the NBA, from Victor Wembanyama to James Harden to the Milwaukee Bucks and more, before Dan Devine shows up to talk through Level 1 of our NBA Levels project.00:00 - Welcome to the show, Bomani Jones!04:25 - Victor Wembanyama19:25 - James Harden31:55 - Terry Stotts leaves MIL35:55 - Youth vs. Veterans43:55 - 5 Questions48:10 - NBA Levels - Level 1On this episode of Good Word with Goodwill, Vincent Goodwill is joined by Bomani Jones to talk about relaunching The Right Time with Bomani Jones and all things NBA heading into an exciting regular season.Vincent and Bomani spend a good chunk of time talking about Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama, who is already doing things in the preseason that feel impossible and might be the best thing to happen to the NBA because many will be tuning into his regular season games.James Harden has been taking personal days away from the Philadelphia 76ers and seems stuck without a way out to the Los Angeles Clippers, who have shown only tepid interest and may not have a spot for him in the starting lineup anyway.Former Portland Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts resigned from the Milwaukee Bucks because he did not want to be answering to rookie head coach Adrian Griffin, leading Vince to wonder if associate head coaches are a good thing to have and leaving Bomani to wonder what Terry was expecting in the job to begin with.After talking about if this is the year that youth finally overtakes the veterans for dominance in the NBA, Bomani leaves and is replaced by Dan Devine, who goes through the six guys in Level 1 of our NBA Levels project. These are the guys capable of being the best player on a championship team this year…so why is Luka Doncic on this list?Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts

After doing their 10 most interesting players in the Eastern Conference last week, Jake Fischer and Dan Devine are back to give you their 10 most interesting players in the Western Conference this week. Later, Dan Devine interviews Shea Serrano and makes a big announcement.00:00 - Hello friends!02:25 - The 10 most interesting players in the West03:15 - D’Angelo Russell08:20 - Zion Williamson13:00 - Peyton Watson17:15 - Chris Paul22:00 - Keegan Murray26:10 - Karl Anthony-Towns33:00 - Jalen Green36:15 - Bradley Beal38:45 - Chet Holmgren42:45 - Ja Morant47:00 - Shea Serrano joins the show!69:00 - Introducing: Devine InterventionOn this episode of No Cap Room, Jake Fischer and Dan Devine run through their 10 most interesting players in the Western Conference heading into the 2023-24 NBA season.Will Chris Paul fit in with the Golden State Warriors? Will Zion Williamson find a way to stay healthy? Will Peyton Watson live up to the hype? Will Chet Holmgren be the thing that finally vaults the Thunder into the playoffs? There are a lot of questions surrounding these guys, and that’s what makes them interesting!Later, Shea Serrano from the Six Trophies podcast joins the show and talks with Dan Devine about what it’s like to be a San Antonio Spurs fan after the team landed Victor Wembanyama in the NBA Draft, as well as which all-time NBA player he wished he could transport into the modern day NBA.Finally, Dan has a big announcement to make about his new podcast, Devine Intervention. He does his best to explain the premise of the show and Jake promises to listen.Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts