TBW Media decided to take things to Twitter for the culmination of ESPN and NETFLIX’s documentary, The Last Dance. Writers Bob Bajek, myself and Editor in Chief Joel C. Cordes live-tweeted the finale together as a way to do our periodic roundtable a bit differently. Below you will find a restructured recap of our thoughts…
From Opinion
‘The Last Dance’ Roundtable: Is the Documentary Losing Steam?
We have now completed eight episodes of the ESPN / NETFLIX documentary The Last Dance. The final two episodes are set to air on Sunday (9 PM EST), but before we reach the series’ conclusion, TBW writers Huw Hopkins, Sid Mohapatra and Editor in Chief Joel C. Cordes joined me to catch up on our…
Meet Bob Rathbun: Just a 12-Year-Old Chasing a Broadcasting Dream
Bob Rathbun has been the TV voice of the Atlanta Hawks for 24 years, making him one of the longest-tenured single-team broadcasters in the NBA. Even as the team’s composition and league standing has changed many times over, his dedication to preparation and letting the game be the star never has. But his story starts…
What Daishen Nix’s Decision Means for College Basketball, NBA G League
As Benjamin Franklin once pointed out, “In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” Were he still alive to be quoted today, Franklin might have added: “…And committing to play sports at a major university.” Sure enough, that sure-thing, hard commitment from one of the nation’s top high school…
5 Former Role Players Who Would Stand Out in Today’s NBA
One thing ESPN’s The Last Dance has really hammered home for me is just how stark the contrast in playing styles is between the modern game and even 20-30 years ago. That premise has gotten my mind racing: What players from that era would seamlessly fit in the modern NBA? Remove the brutish post-ups and…
Scottie Pippen was the Robin Who Could Have Been Batman
In 1992, Detective Comics issued #644, the first part of a Batman story called Electric City. At one point, Batman is killed by The Electrocutioner and Robin steps up to beat him into submission. Batman was eventually revived by a bolt of electricity and ultimately saved the day, but the brief period without the leading man…
The NBA I Grew Up Watching: The Jerseys
When I started watching basketball back in 1995, the season kicked off by celebrating the NBA’s 50th anniversary in style. This era brought graphic designers to the forefront, making uniforms pop with engaging images in time for the organization’s golden season festivities. Count me among the legions of kids who became obsessed with NBA jerseys. Cool…
Revisiting 1992-93’s Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley MVP Race
During the 1992-93 season, Michael Jordan pushed his Chicago Bulls to their third straight NBA title. As mentioned in episode five of The Last Dance, the team was slogging coming off two back-to-back championships and finished with 10 fewer wins than the previous season. The media scrutiny was getting out of control, and there were rumors…
How Unionization Will Transform NBA G-League
The NBA’s G-League has gone through a historic transformation over the past few years. With the potential vote of its players to form a union Saturday, the league will continue to grow. The investment of the NBA into the G-League is also evident in the recent signings of top prospects. Because of the presence of…
The NBA I Grew Up Watching: The ‘We Believe’ Warriors
With the emergence of positionless basketball and the increased emphasis on the three-point shot, the days of needing a dominant seven-footer on the low block to win a championship have past. As the NBA continues to transition to a more guard-centric style, the term “small ball” has become quite popular. Teams across the league are…