Tag: NBA

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Hoops IQ Part 1 – Jalen Brunson vs Luka Doncic – Recorded Live at ASU+GSV

NBA Playoffs 2024

Running It Back recorded live together in person for the first time! Mike Palmer and Tarlin Ray record this podcast live from the 39th floor of a hotel in San Diego while attending the ASU+GSV education technology conference. Despite the non-sports setting, we managed to discuss a variety of basketball topics in our signature free-flowing style.

Our main focus rests on Jalen Brunson’s impact on the New York Knicks and his potential to be one of the most underrated stars in the NBA this playoff season. We debate his elite basketball IQ, leadership qualities that have unlocked teammates like Isaiah Hartenstein, and how his game compares to past greats like Isiah Thomas and Kevin Johnson. Other storylines include our playoff predictions, the Knicks’ chances against teams like the Bucks, Celtics and 76ers in the East, and frequent references to the 1990s Knicks.

Sans our usual prep, and in-person, not in Zoom, the new dynamic brings a fresh energy to the conversation. Don’t miss insights into leadership, life, and more while chopping it up heading into the 2024 NBA Playoffs.

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Jokic, Murray and the Nuggets – Lessons Learned from the 2023 NBA Finals

Jokic, Murray, Nuggets

Tarlin and Mike return to talk Lessons Learned from the 2023 NBA Finals as Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and the Denver “Chicken” Nuggets prepare to close out the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. We start with a conversation about the crazy weather and some (TMI) details about Tarlin’s footcare regimens before digging into what we can learn from the selflessness and chemistry of the 2023 Denver Nuggets. Once again we compare the Miami Heat to the 1999 New York Knicks before going deeper into the connections between the 2023 Nuggets and the 1999 San Antonio Spurs. Are we on the verge of a new dynasty? How does Jokic compare to other legends of the game and what legendary NBA Duo is an easy target for comparison with Jokic and Murray? What does this teach us about leadership, chemistry, and the importance of intangibles? Listen in to find out.

Subscribe to Running It Back wherever you listen to podcasts. Visit us at RunningItBack.fm for more amazing lessons learned from sports.

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Jimmy “Freakin” Butler, Building Culture, and the NBA Coaching Carousel

Jimmy Butler

Tarlin and Mike are back after a couple of months of laying low since our Advice for Ja Morant episode. Tarlin dives right into his takes on “Himmy” Butler’s clutch performance versus Grant Williams in the Boston Garden. Note: some of his prep was done with Hoops GPT. When does it make sense to “poke the bear?” How great is Jimmy Buckets as the playoff competitor as the Heat makes a heroic run reminiscent of the 1999 Knicks? We recall a legendary Game of Zones episode featuring Jimmy “22 Jump Street” Butler and give props to Coach Spoelstra and Darvin Ham as we think about how this all connects to culture, coaching, and continuity.

Then we say goodbye to Coach Budenholzer, Monte Williams, Nick Nurse, and Doc Rivers and argue for some patience and resolve while building culture before concluding with some rays of hope for the Knicks franchise with MSG rocking due to the culture-building talent of Jalen Brunson.

Don’t miss our triumphant return to the podwaves as we gear up to start running it back on the regular.

Subscribe to Running It Back wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at RunningItBack.fm for more lessons learned from the world of sports.

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NBA 2023 Trade Deadline Shuffle Up and Deal Edition

NBA Trade - Kyrie & KD

Mike and Tarlin are back to talk about Lessons Learned from the NBA with the recent team shakeups across the league as we prepare for the stretch run after the All-Star Game. Kyrie and KD are no longer Nets and that has set off ripple effects that have transformed the NBA. We get Mike’s reactions to the new look Knicks and Nets and hear from Tarlin about his revamped Lakers before digging into the new Big 4 with the Suns and how they shape up against Jokic’s Nuggets and the new pecking order in the Western Conference. The leadership in the East is clearly Boston, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia. Mike issues an “Intangibles Alert” with the crafty Jae Crowder heading to the Bucks. What have the experiments with Big 3s and so-called “Super Teams” taught us so far and how does this set us up for the rest of this season? We try to answer this while also reflecting on the sale of the Suns from Robert Sarver to bench player for the 2000 NCAA Champion Michigan State Spartans, Matt Ishbia, and what it means for the league.

Then we conclude by reflecting on LeBron breaking Kareem’s All-Time NBA Scoring record in a wide-ranging romp through the exciting and vastly transformed NBA in 2023. Don’t miss it.

Subscribe to Running It Back wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at RunningItBack.fm for more amazing lessons learned from the world of sports.

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The 2022 Sports Year in Review

Running It Back 2022

Mike and Tarlin are back again. This time to reflect on what we’ve all just witnessed as we look back for lessons learned from an incredible year in sports.

We begin with Tarlin’s shout-out to Aaron Judge for betting on himself and winning with a big contract as something to learn from and be inspired by. This leads us into discussions of football with QBs like Lamar Jackson making similar bets with potentially different outcomes and risk profiles. This sparks a conversation about system quarterbacks versus tailoring the system to the quarterback. After a brief sidetrack to talk about the transcendent World Cup Final we just witnessed and the importance of learning how to shout “MBAPPE!!!” in public, we return to the examples of Justin Fields, Zach Wilson, and Brock Purdy in a free-flowing exploration of identifying talent, building chemistry, and being willing to innovate around the talent you have, not the talent you think you should have. We include quick thoughts on the release of Brittney Griner and how it should make Tarlin watch the Ali Documentary on PBS before concluding with some notes on Chemistry in the NBA and more.

We had an amazing year. Thanks to everyone who is listening. Be on the lookout for more episodes on lessons learned from sports in January of 2023!

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Running It Back – Season 3 Kickoff

Season 3

Tarlin and Mike are back. This time to kick off our third season of Running It Back with a far-reaching crossfade across the various narratives and lessons learned capturing our attention from the sports universe.

We talk about Serena and Roger moving on from tennis and how Roger’s range may be a dwindling resource in an age of early specialization. Hat-tip to David Epstein’s book Range for some of our perspectives there. Then we look to the NFL for quarterback controversy and think through how the Trey Lance and Jimmy G. saga might analogize to CEO succession planning. We touch on the Mets and Dodgers from baseball as well as the Robert Sarver affair in the NBA before a few parting shots regarding the LIV Tour in golf in a free-ranging survey of the topics we’ll be digging into as we come back strong for Season 3 of Running It Back. Thanks for joining us for the ride!

Subscribe to Running It Back wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at RunningItBack.fm for more incredible lessons learned from across the wide world of sports.

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Lessons Learned from the 2022 NBA Season

NBA

Tarlin and Mike are back, this time just ahead of the NBA Finals where two teams will square off for all the marbles. We look for lessons learned from the NBA Season, the end-of-year awards, and what we’ve seen so far in the Playoffs.

We begin by talking about Marcus Smart, the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year. Tarlin runs it back to The Glove as we recognize the energy and other intangibles he brings to the Celtics. Mike explains why he likes the Celtics to take it all as we acknowledge what Ime Udoka, Brad Stevens, and a cohesive, defensively-minded unit from Boston.

From there, we talk Luka and what Jason Kidd and team are doing in Dallas, even though we don’t see them getting past Steph and the Ws. Tarlin fights back the tears as we look back at the disappointing performance of so-called Super Teams like the Lakers, Nets, and Sixers.

We talk about the Suns’ mysterious and embarrassing disappearance in Game 7 at home versus Dallas. We may never know what happened but it doesn’t keep us from speculating.

Tarlin wraps us up with our note of support for the Buffalo community, looking for inspiration from the many successes of Black Coaches in the NBA.

Thanks for listening. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Visit us at RunningItBack.fm for more incredible lessons learned from sports.

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Scottie Pippen’s Last Dance Memoir Unguarded

Bulls Jordan and Pippen

Tarlin and Mike are back, this time to run it back to a new perspective on the legacy of the 1990s Bulls. This time it’s from Scottie Pippen’s perspective based on his recent memoir, Unguarded. What was it like to be Robin to Michael Jordan’s Batman? How did Scottie demonstrate the flexibility and adaptability that are critical to being an effective teammate and collaborator? And where did he go too far and come across as hurt and a little bit petty in his portrayal of the Bulls Dynasty from the perspective of its “Second Banana?”

We explore all of this and learn the importance of good nutrition while cycling in a whirlwind conversation that even includes some of Scotties deep and soulful DJ voice before concluding.

Subscribe to Running It Back wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at RunningItBack.fm for more amazing Lessons Learned from Sports.

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Kyrie, The Vaccine, and the NBA

Kyrie Irving

Tarlin and Mike are back. This time it’s to talk about vaccines and the NBA with the spotlight on Andrew Wiggins, Bradley Beal, and the mercurial Kyrie Irving as we head into the 2021-2022 season. We touch on the comments by LeBron James and Draymond Green in response to the decisions of several players to opt-out of the Covid-19 vaccine despite its impact on their ability to suit up regularly.

What lessons can this teach us about leadership? How does this tie back to Sandy Koufax, Joe Montana, and the 1997-1998 Chicago Bulls? Is Kyrie a latter day heyoka as understood by the Sioux people–one who walks backward much in the way that Phil Jackson famously described Dennis Rodman? And what can be learned by the example of Wiggins who ultimately opted into the vaccine?

We cover all of this and hope to tease out lessons learned from the challenge of vaccine protocols to team dynamics in the world of sports and in our everyday lives.

Subscribe to Running It Back wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at RunningItBack.fm for more great shows like this.

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Space Jam and Space Jam 2

Space Jam: A New Legacy

Tarlin and Mike are back again with a special bonus episode of Running It Back where we look for lessons learned from the Space Jam franchise coinciding with the recent release of LeBron’s new film, Space Jam: A New Legacy. To start, we give respect and a little tunefulness in honor of the late great Biz Markie, RIP.

Then we begin by digging back into the context around the first Space Jam movie which was fleshed out in The Last Dance documentary which we’ve covered on other shows. We bask in a little 90s nostalgia for MJ’s charisma and a cast of NBA Legends at the time including Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, Larry Johnson, Mugsy Bogues, and Shawn Bradley.

From there, we jump to the Summer of 2021 and the release of the new Space Jam vehicle featuring LeBron, Diana Taurasi, Clay Thompson among others. How does the new version stack up against the OG Space Jam? What are our thoughts on Don Cheadle’s performance as Al G Rithm in the WB Serververse? What marketing advice do we have for Warner Brothers and who is Mike’s pick to star in Space Jam 3?

Listen in to find out!

For more great shows like this Subscribe to Running It Back wherever you get your podcasts. And check us out at RunningItBack.fm