The Victory Degree
Big goals. Bigger guests. Real stories from athletes, entrepreneurs, and high-performers chasing greatness — with just enough sarcasm to keep it interesting.
Hosted by Nik Atanackovic, this podcast is all about what it really takes to perform at a high level — in sports, in business, and in life. From deep conversations with athletes and entrepreneurs to honest takes on mindset, leadership, and growth, Nik pulls back the curtain on what drives success. No fluff, no ego — just real stories, lessons, and insights you can actually use.
Latest episodes
Nov 21, 2023 • 54min
Tray Edwards ON Life in a NBA Entourage, Drake's Pool Party & LeBron Icing his Knees in the Club?
In this episode of The Victory Degree, Nik sits down with podcaster, creator, & NBA enthusiast Tray Edwards. Tray's journey starts in Compton, California and leads him to many interesting stops along the way. Everything from working at UPS, playing college basketball at Waldorf University, being a part of an NBA entourage, going to Drake's pool party, and covering the NBA for The Athletic, Tray has a wealth of experiences and stories worth sharing. TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Intro & Tray's life in bullet points 1:10 Growing up in Compton & childhood 6:40 Importance of youth sports9:01 Drake's pool party 11:04 Hanging out with athletes & celebrities 13:28 Life as a school teacher 16:25 Why athletes struggle post retirement 19:01 Life in a NBA entourage 21:48 How do athletes deal with fame? 26:08 Creating a viral Twitter account during the NBA bubble 29:27 Was the NBA bubble a success? 30:55 LeBron icing his knees in the club & NBA players hanging out after games 32:53 Where is LeBron in Tray's GOAT rankings? 34:26 Experience as a NBA journalist and importance of relationships with players 38:41 Most surprising thing about athletes 40:49 Success in the NBA: mostly genetic or result of hard work? 44:54 Tray's frameworks for success 48:32 What legacy does Tray want to leave? 50:25 Tray's advice for the next guest Connect with Tray: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Travonne Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travonneedwards/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tray-edwards-3882268a/ Count The Dings Podcast Network: https://linktr.ee/countthedings Follow Nik:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikatnite97/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nik_Atanackovic
Nov 8, 2023 • 1h 1min
Success at the Highest Level: The Lives of MJ & Kobe | Roland Lazenby
In the first episode of The Victory Degree, Nik sits down with biographer and NBA savant, Roland Lazenby. Roland has written more than 60 nonfiction books and was a sports journalist for decades covering teams such as the 95-96 Bulls and early 2000s Lakers. Some of his most notable work includes biographies written about MJ ("Michael Jordan: The Life"), Kobe ("Showboat: The Life of Kobe Bryant"), Jerry West ("The Life and Legend of a Basketball Icon"), & his newest title "Magic: The Life of Earvin "Magic" Johnson."In this conversation, Roland and Nik discuss topics such as:The long road to success in sports journalismWhy the Phoenix Suns wanted to ruin the triangle offenseWhat made MJ & Kobe different?How much work goes into writing a good sports biography?Difference between today's players and players from the 90s & early 2000sMost important takeaways from studying the lives of Kobe & MJFollow Roland:TwitterInstagramWatch the episode on YouTube:https://youtu.be/ZVN5g6CA2vgFollow me:InstagramTwitter
