2013 NBA MVP LeBron James joins Michael Wilbon to reflect on his fourth MVP award in five years. James talks about his plans for improving his game next season, how injuries are affecting this year's playoffs, and whether or not Derrick Rose will play in the Miami-Chicago series.
Larry Bird and Bill Simmons discuss Bird's legendary Celtics career, why he almost retired early, and who he thinks is the best player in the game today. The original podcast aired on February 7, 2013.
Jalen Rose, Bill Simmons, and David Jacoby debate who would get the best table at a New York City nightclub: President Obama, Michael Jordan, Jay-Z, or LeBron.
How pulling illegal wheelies on highways grew into the sport of street stunt riding with the advent of the XDL.
Heading into the playoffs, Bill Simmons decided to break out his iPhone and film in between takes during NBA Countdown tapings. The first batch of results taught us a few things about the Countdown crew: Magic has a penchant for smuggling large quantities of coveted Chicago popcorn for the crew; Wilbon refuses to fill out his own NBA awards ballot because he doesn't like to use computers; Bill has his own crazy theory about why Magic became friends with Larry Bird (and Magic doesn't deny it); and Magic hates it when Lakers starters attend boxing matches right before a big playoff game. Oh, and the room they hang out in on tape days is weirdly dark and a little bit creepy. Keep an eye on our YouTube channel for more "NBA Countdown: Behind the Scenes" videos during the 2013 playoffs. Check out the videos after the jump.
Larry Bird tells Bill Simmons about how Kevin McHale was almost traded from the Celtics and the loyalty that Red Auerbach had for his players.
Colin Cowherd theorizes that fear, adversity, and anger motivate great talents like Michael Jordan and LeBron James. Bill Simmons then claims that Game 6 against the Celtics in last year's NBA playoffs was one of the great "Fork in the Road Moments" in the history of sports.
Related: The B.S. Report with Colin Cowherd
Larry Bird explains to Bill Simmons how injuries hobbled the Celtics of the late '80s, and says that his injuries were so bad that he would have retired and handed the Celtics over to Len Bias had Bias lived to play in Boston.
Jalen Rose and Bill Simmons break down the suddenly tight race for the NBA scoring title between Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant. They also explain how Melo and Durant were born to score baskets the way sharks were born to kill fish.
The street freestyle motorcycle riders of the XDL describe the feeling of losing control of a 400-pound motorcycle mid-trick, and the resulting carnage.
NBA Countdown's Jalen Rose, Michael Wilbon, and Bill Simmons break down how the Bulls ended the Miami Heat's 27-game winning streak.
Larry Bird tells Bill Simmons that he thinks the NBA has taken the flagrant foul thing too far, reviews his career in on-court brawls, and explains why he thinks Bill Laimbeer was a dirty player.
Watch the video after the jump.
At the end of last night's Lakers-Hawks game, with L.A. down two and three seconds to go, Kobe Bryant (guarded by Dahntay Jones) attempted a baseline jumper to tie things up. His shot rattled out and Kobe collapsed to the floor, clutching his leg in pain. In replays of the incident, it appears as if Jones intentionally left his leg underneath Bryant as he landed. Kobe certainly seemed to think that's what happened, tweeting this out after the game:
#dangerousplay that should have been called. Period.
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) March 14, 2013
On our first full day in Houston, Jacoby, Zach Lowe, and I had the pleasure of talking with a few of the NBA's brightest stars. Jacoby spoke with Kyrie Irving about video games, 3-point shooting, and Uncle Drew. I got a chance to talk with Chandler Parsons about the Rockets' rivalry with the Warriors. I also chatted with comic-book fan (and Nets center) (and All-Star) Brook Lopez, who told me about who hogs the stereo in the Brooklyn locker room and where The Dark Knight Rises stands in the Batman canon. Finally, Zach Lowe got an incredibly detailed account of who sits where on the Blazers' team plane from LaMarcus Aldridge and heard from Warriors guard Klay Thompson about what it was like to give up 140 points in one game. Check out the full podcast, as well as the video clips, below.
Listen to the full podcast here.
Bill Simmons, Jalen Rose, and Mike Wilbon break down their strategy for being on TV for more than 13 hours on Christmas Day.
