Sports Spectrum Podcast

Episode 564 Brandon Knight is an NBA guard who has played eight seasons with the Pistons, Bucks, Suns, Rockets and Cavaliers. He was selected in the first round (8th overall) of the 2011 NBA Draft by Detroit. He was named to the NBA's All-Rookie First-Team in 2012 after averaging 12.8 ppg.  Growing up in Florida, Brandon was a 2-time Gatorade National Player of the Year in high school at Pine Crest (Ft. Lauderdale). He made the decision to attend the University of Kentucky with coach John Calipari and in his one season with the Wildcats, he led them to the Final Four and was named First-Team All-SEC in 2011.  After coming to the NBA and spending two seasons in Detroit, he was traded to Milwaukee in 2013. After being traded again in 2015 to Phoenix, Brandon would sign a 5-year deal to continue playing with the Suns. Injuries would limit Knight's play and he was traded again in 2018 to Houston and then again traded to Cleveland in 2019. One more trade in 2020 saw Brandon move from Cleveland to Detroit, where he would finish the 2020 season before the pandemic abruptly ended the Pistons regular season.  Today on the podcast, we talk to Brandon Knight about his NBA season ending because of the pandemic, playing against LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, connecting with Christ during the pandemic through prayer and fasting and how he views success.  Follow Brandon on Instagram: @BrandonKnight For more stories on sports and faith, check out our website http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 563 Niki Noto Palmer is an Atlanta based TV personality. She is currently working as an anchor and reporter on Atlanta's CW covering sports. She's been affiliated with ESPN, SEC Network, HLN, Fox Sports South, CBS Sports Network and many other media outlets.  Prior to her work in television, she worked with the Atlanta Falcons and the Tennessee Titans. Niki has experience appearing as talent for commercials and promotional videos as wetland has covered large events like the NCAA Final Four, the NCAA Frozen Four and numerous Atlanta Falcons home games.  She is currently the host of the Sidelines and Storylines Podcast where she cultivates conversations with people in the sports world on the sidelines and storylines of life. On today's show, we talk to Niki about her desire to serve in teen ministry, her journey of reporting on sports, meeting her future husband, answered prayers in her career, and how she lives her faith out every day.  Follow Niki on Instagram: @NikiNotoPalmer For more stories of sports and faith, check out our website http://SportsSpectrum.com

Today on the podcast we welcome John Bevere, author of the new book "X: How to Multiply Your God-Given Potential."  John and his wife Lisa are the founders of MESSANGER INTERNATIONAL, an organization established to teach, reach and rescue.  He is the author of 22 books including the international bestseller "The Bait of Satan." John and his wife Lisa also host the "Conversations with John and Lisa Bevere" podcast.  Today, we talk to John about his new book, his love for sports, how playing tennis in college at Purdue prepared him for ministry and the craziest food eating experience he's ever had in another nation. Follow John on Instagram: @JohnBevere For more stories of sports and faith, check out our website http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 526 Geremy Davis was selected in the 6th round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the New York Giants out of the University of Connecticut. In college with the Huskies, he set UCONN/FBS records with 165 career receptions and 2,292 career receiving yards. He caught a pass in every game he played in college.  After coming to the NFL, he would spend one season with the Giants before signing with Chargers in 2016. After four seasons with San Diego/Los Angeles, he would sign a new contract in March of 2020 with the Detroit Lions. However he was one of the teams final cuts on September 1, 2020.  He's currently a free agent hoping to land with an NFL team.  On today's podcast, we talk to Geremy about what that uncertain NFL life is like, staying ready for a team to call him, the life sermon he would preach, his struggle with prayer and why he wants to point others toward Jesus on his Instagram page.  Follow Geremy on Instagram: @GDay85 For more stories of sports and faith, check out http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 561 Lauren Sisler is a sideline reporter covering college football for ESPN. She joined ESPN in 2016 after being named Best Sports Anchor by the Alabama Associated Press in 2014 and 2015. The former Rutgers gymnast also covers SEC football for AL.com in Alabama.  In 2003, while a freshman on a gymnastics scholarship at Rutgers, Sisler unexpectedly lost both of her parents, George and Lesley Sisler, to prescription drug overdoses within hours of each other. Today, Lauren is dedicated to spreading awareness about the dangers of addiction and the devastation it can cause for the addict, their loved ones and the community. She currently serves as a board member for the Addiction Prevention Coalition in Birmingham, Alabama and is on the Speakers Bureau for the Shelby County Drug Free Coalition.  On today's podcast, we talk to Lauren Sisler about being a sideline reporter during the pandemic, getting married and being baptized in 2020, the powerful story of losing her parents to addiction and how she came to the realization that her story could help and encourage others. Follow Lauren on Twitter: @LaurenSisler For more stories of sports and faith, check out http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 560 Andre Levrone Jr is a former high school, college and pro football player. He was a standout wide receiver in high school, helping Our Lady of Good Counsel High School win four straight Maryland state championships.  In college, he attended University of Virginia where he would play in 22 games, catching 46 passes for 864 yards and 8 touchdowns.  After finishing his college career, Andre would go undrafted in the NFL but sign a contract with the Baltimore Ravens. He would spend parts of three seasons with Baltimore, Carolina and Jacksonville before retiring at the age of 25 in 2020.  On today's podcast, we talk to Andre about walking away from the NFL dream before the dream could happen, why it's important for him to read God's word out of adoration and not obligation and how his faith in Christ was tested multiple times after suffering injuries in high school and college.    Follow Andre on Instagram: @DreistheWay   For more stories of sports and faith, check out http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Steve Skipper is one of the most prolific artists in the realms of sports, civil-rights, equestrian, portraiture and Christian artwork. He has shattered barriers of race and education in the art world. He's the first African American to complete artwork sanctioned by NASCAR, the University of Alabama, PGS and PBR. His work is hanging on permanent display in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, College Football Hall of Fame, Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and the Lyndon B Johnson Presidential Library.  The upcoming documentary "COLORS OF CHARACTER: An Artist's Journey to Redemption" shares the extraordinary journey of Steve Skipper. You can learn more by visiting http://ColorsofCharacterMovie.com.  Today on the podcast, we talk to Steve and hear his incredible story of growing up in the 1960's as a gang member and drug addict, and how his faith in Jesus Christ led him to a new life as a prolific artist.  For more stories of sports and faith, check us out at http://SportsSpectrum.com. 

Episode 559 Levi Lusko is the lead pastor of Fresh Life Church, a multisite church located in Montana, Utah, Oregon, and Wyoming that he and his wife Jennie pioneered in 2007. He is the author of the bestselling books “Through the Eyes of a Lion” and “Swipe Right.” His latest publication is a devotional rebased in August 2020 titled: "Take Back Your Life: A 40-Day Interactive Journey to Thinking Right So You Can Live Right." Levi travels around the world speaking about Jesus and he and Jennie also host the "Hey! It's the Luskos" podcast. In this episode of the podcast, Lusko talks about his new devotional, why “thinking right” is so important to living right, the injury he suffered on the Fourth of July, how pastors and football coaches are very similar, and why leadership is more than a lifestyle or title. Follow Levi on Instagram: @LeviLusko For more stories of sports and faith, check out http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Episode 558 Phil Murphy is a SportsCenter anchor at ESPN and ESPN International. He has anchored more than 500 SportsCenters for ESPN International and covered four Super Bowls. Phil has also hosted college football and basketball studio shows and reported from countless UFC events, two NBA All-Star Games and the 2019 World Series. On today's podcast, we talk to Phil about broadcasting to audiences on the other side of the world, how he worked his way up to his current role, his awesome story of faith and trusting in God when the storms come.  Follow Phil on Instagram: @Phil_Sports For more stories of sports and faith, check out http://SportsSpectrum.com 

Ernie Johnson is a broadcasting legend. He is the host of TNT’s Inside the NBA and a 3-time Sports Emmy Award Winner. He joined Turner Sports in 1989 and for over 30 years, has been considered one of the best in the business at what he does. His new book titled “Unscripted: The Unpredictable Moments That Make Life Extraordinary” is available now. Today on the podcast, Ernie shares his very personal story of coming to the Christian faith, raising a special needs son, what a typical day is like working on Inside the NBA, and what it meant to speak out on the TNT set the night after the election of President Donald Trump in 2016.  This interview originally aired on May 5, 2017. You can listen to the entire conversation right here.