House of Strauss

Yaron Weitzman, an NBA reporter and author of *A Hollywood Ending*, dives into the controversial LeBron-era Lakers, shedding light on the team's chaotic dynamics. He discusses Magic Johnson's struggles as an executive compared to his public persona, and how decision-making within the front office often leads to disaster. Legal threats from the team highlight the book's provocative content, especially regarding Jeanie Buss's depiction. Weitzman also critiques LeBron's branding choices, evaluating their impact on his legacy and the franchise's future.

We eagerly await Anthony Mayes’ return from honeymoon for our regular pods, but I was able to do the live YouTube show with 2Way. This was a good one with Ryan Glasspiegel on MLB vs. NBA, Sydney Sweeney vs. GQ journalist, and whatever this week in culture/politics means going forward. Enjoy + like/subscribe…House of Strauss is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.houseofstrauss.com/subscribe

Sharing the audio from the great YouTube live show with Amin (Like and Subscribe!). There will be a Substack pod gap this week, because Producer Anthony Mayes is on his honeymoon. Congrats to Mayes, we’ll be back at it soon, and the next 10 days or so should be more devoted to writing. House of Strauss is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.houseofstrauss.com/subscribe

Bomani Jones, a sharp sports commentator and podcaster, dives into the NBA gambling scandal with keen insights. He questions the silence of the Portland Trail Blazers amid the controversy and discusses the troubling ties between organized crime and team dynamics. Bomani explores media complicity in rationalizing gambling sponsorships and argues that both the leagues and media must reckon with their reliance on gambling revenues post-2020. He highlights that despite the rapid growth of sports betting, many involved aren't actually profiting from the chaos.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.com2Way founder Mark Halperin was a big time journalist in network television media, originally making a name for himself covering the Bill Clinton campaign. The Game Change co-author is now a YouTube success, having produced what was, in my opinion, the best coverage of the 2024 election. I know of no other person better positioned to comment on what’s happened in political media, with a 30K foot vantage. And so I asked him a range of stupid questions, mostly under the banner of, “What the hell is going on?” Topics include but aren’t limited to!* When did the Media drift into party advocacy?* The lasting impact of the 2016 election on media* What killed the earnest practice of “both sidesism”?* Were you nervous on Election Day?* Two entertainment ecosystems, boomer and everyone else* Did the Media used to be better?* Are conservatives more open to debate right now?* News as act of curation (Twitter can spotlight racialized police killings, or it can spotlight immigrant crime)* Graham Platner’s bad week and the new skeletons in candidate closets* What do you make of the male flight from the Democratic Party?* What do you make of potential senior flight from the Republican Party?* What do you make of the No Kings protests?* Why is traditional media still hard to crack for Republicans?

I was talking to The Fifth Column co-host Kmele just as the big NBA gambling/poker scandal broke, and he had questions. So we decided to do a short podcast where Kmele, who’s a huge NBA fan, quizzed me about what the hell is going on with the state of the NBA and this persistent sort of scandal sports writ large is facing. Topics include…* Why would anyone place a bet on Terry Rozier?* How much gambling money is in the NBA and NBA media?* Why is LeBron James getting brought up?* Why we think LeBron is probably innocent here* What the hell is Chauncey Billups involved in?* Political component to Trump’s FBI going after the NBA? * Does the public care? House of Strauss is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.houseofstrauss.com/subscribe

Members of the House of Strauss community are, as noted, invited to do our NBA season over/unders contest over at Sports Predict. Personally, I am agonizing over the Warriors and their O/U of 46.5. We discuss this in the pod with Steve, plus other NBA trend subjects. Topics include…* Shoutout to Sid Kali for winning last week in NFL picks. Email me at houseofstrauss@substack.com if you wish to collect a prize* What’s my overall strategy for making NBA picks now that I’m not deep in the weeds?* Steve is trying to break the NBA with an idea that, in my opinion, broke the MLB* The Rockets’ style is gaining traction, but is it good for the sport? * That Houston Rockets O/U* I have a non analytical reason to love the Orlando Magic OVER* Steve and I disagree on the Lakers* Is weather is a HUGE underrated influence on quarterback performance?Oh, and again, details for entering the contest: The NBA Smart Predictor ChallengeThink you’ve got one of the sharpest NBA minds around?Here’s your chance to prove it — and maybe pocket up to $1,000 while doing what you already love: thinking deeply about basketball.How It WorksThis is the Season Win Totals Challenge — a simple but revealing test of who really understands the league.You’ll see the projected win totals for all 30 NBA teams for the 2025–26 season.Your job: for each team, pick Over or Under. Before the first game begins of the season begins. That’s it.Scoring• Winner: Whoever gets the most correct picks.• Tie-breaker: If multiple people nail the same number of teams, we go to total net wins differential — meaning how right you were and by how much. It’s a clean way to separate luck from skill. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.houseofstrauss.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.comI’ve known Matt Bilinsky for years, knew he had an audience, but didn’t quite understand how big a deal he’d become. Today Matt schools me on how he blew up in the Instagram sphere, but this isn’t the meat of our conversation. Instead, I’m asking this newcomer to right-coded media spaces to explain how and why the Online Right went crazy over Israel/Jews. Yes, to repeat, the conversation touches on Israel, which is a topic I’m wary of for reasons discussed on the pod. Topics include but aren’t limited to…* JEWS* Instagram was jock power invented by nerds* You succeed in the mediums that fit you best* Matt rebuts idea that Twitter monetization is to blame for rise in antisemitism* What motivates Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens? * Why Trump’s victory led some on the right to turn towards Israel* How big is the red shift among Jews* The right’s crackup over Israel/Jews is CRAZY* The appeal of conspiracy theories * Why I think I never got invited back on Megyn Kelly’s show

I don’t think there’s anyone out there quite like Jordan Rogers, so I had to pod with him. The man went from recovering heroin addict to successful sports marketing executive at Nike, and now he’s in the media space, spilling industry secrets. We could have podcasted on these topics for many hours, and perhaps will do so in the future. Topics include but aren’t limited to…* Jordan’s insider perspective on my Nike’s End of Men* “It’s not the consumer who decides. It’s the shareholder who decides”* “Undecided Whale” explains Bad Bunny doing the Super Bowl halftime show* When internal ideology gets in the way of the business* Why Jordan thinks men should work in a female dominated marketing space* What I learned from the women in my industry* Is there an upside to “Enragement is Engagement”? * Why the Kobe 4 is one of history’s most important athletic shoes* Why the successful signature athlete is an impossible feat* If A’Ja Wilson can’t move units now…* How Nike botched the Caitlin Clark moment* The devaluing of “signature athlete”* The awkwardness of corporations marketing a female athlete’s looks* Did Nike actually botch the Steph Curry situation? House of Strauss is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.houseofstrauss.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.houseofstrauss.comKyle Porter, ever thoughtful proprietor of the wonderful golf newsletter Normal Sport, stops by to answer my DUMB golf questions. Topics include but aren’t limited to…* Is golf the most alien of major sports?* Why do Euros CRUSH Americans in the Ryder Cup? * It’s not about wanting it more. It’s that those who want it more prepare more* Are American golf fans…bad? * Is there a political component to recent American fan bad behavior?* Why do pro golfers trend conservative?* What’s with country clubs being SO expensive?* Why isn’t Scottie Scheffler getting sold to us better?* Do we want athletes as ambivalent about success as Scheffler?