Best NBA Podcasts: Where Hoops Talk Takes Center Stage

These days, you can find podcasts based on a whole variety of different topics from wildlife to popular culture, all the way to politics.

But some of the biggest and most popular podcasts are those that focus on sports, giving us the latest news and updates of recent games along with discussions about current teams and players (also see, ‘How To Start A Sports Podcast‘).

The NBA is one of the most widely covered sports when it comes to podcasting. But with such a vast choice of basketball pods to listen to, which provides the most information and is most worthwhile for true basketball fans?

That’s what we’re taking a look at today as we go through some of the most informative, fun, and popular NBA world podcasts that will keep you up to date with the latest news and developments with each and every episode. 

1) Dunc’d On

Danny Leroux and Nate Duncan host this incredibly in-depth NBA podcast about the ongoings in the NBA that you may have missed while watching the games.

This is the ultimate NBA fan podcast if you care most about the analytics of certain teams and individual players.

Nate and Danny are professional writers from The Athletic who, for 90 minutes each episode, will go incredibly in-depth on a lot of the ongoings in the NBA that you may have missed while watching the games.

This is the basketball podcast to tune in for passionate NBA draft fans to get a better understanding of the modern game, NBA finals, along with what NBA draft players seem the most promising in basketball currently.

Pass rates, field goal percentages, and heat maps are just some of the incredibly deep and intricate analytics discussed for each and every player in this podcast.

Indeed, it is one of the smartest weekly NBA podcast there is with an episode released every week.

If you care about the inner workings of the game and want to better understand why some up-and-coming NBA stars are looking as promising as they are, Dunc’d On is packed full of interesting data and information that will enhance your basketball knowledge tremendously.

2) Fastbreak Breakfast NBA Podcast 

If instead, you want something a little more casual that you can throw on as soon as you get out of bed, the Fastbreak NBA Podcast hosted by the endlessly charismatic Keith Parish is the basketball podcast for you.

Keith, who also hosts a few other basketball shows, hosts one of the funniest basketball podcasts that manages to be both funny and very informative with each new weekly episode.

Made for serious NBA fans, It brings you the latest NBA season, college basketball news, along with a general basketball-related discussion that Keith and his guests often get into. 

Speaking of guests, many of the people Keith will bring onto the show are popular NBA analysts or commentators themselves, so NBA fans can be sure you’re getting real and authentic information from those who keep a close eye and ear to the sport.

Previous guests include the like of popular NBA and hip hop star Roosh Williams, all the way to famed sports podcaster Chris Vernon.

With each and every hour-long episode centering on a new basketball-related discussion, this is a podcast that really imitates the feeling of sitting around and chatting with a few close friends and basketball buds about the most recent games. 

3) Breakaway 

The Breakaway podcast is an interesting case because while it is no longer running, Rob Mahoney focused on 10 players and 2 coaches each time.

Having stopped in June 2018, the Breakaway set out to better understand and discuss their roles, techniques, and position within the team when game time rolls around.

Passionate NBA fans were delighted at every interesting episode discussing players such as the ever-promising NBA player Wayne Ellington, as well as the peculiar but vital role played by Andre Roberson.

With each episode being no longer than an hour, Breakaway episodes were easy, quick listens which can help grant a really deep, intricate, and analytical understanding of some of basketball’s most fascinating players, perfect for both beginners and NBA veterans alike.

4) The Ringer NBA Show

If you’re looking for a podcast packed full of news updates, player reports, and discussions about the league’s biggest games, The Ringer NBA Show manages to cover each and every relevant topic currently going on in the NBA in neat and compact 50-minute episodes.

However, this isn’t just hosted by one or two guests. This is an NBA podcast featuring an entire team of passionate and intelligent commentators who are a delight to listen to.

While they might not go as deep into the analytics and deeper statistics of players and teams, they still provide a great overview that is much easier to wrap your head around on the first listen, so you won’t have to pay maximum attention while you do something else with the pod on in the background.

Whether it’s taking a deep breakdown of Kevin Durant’s career and where he could be headed next, featuring detailed game breakdowns, or predictions for how the season is looking to play out after each and every game, for consistent NBA news that will keep you filled in, you can’t go wrong with the fantastic Ringer NBA Show podcast. 

5) Bald Men On Campus

A lot of the time, commentators on ESPN only get a few minutes to give their true thoughts about a game and even less time to talk about a player. Find out how to Download ESPN Podcasts here..

However, many of these commentators have branched out into the podcasting world which gives them a lot more freedom to chat about all things NBA for as long as they want, and two endlessly charismatic and funny ESPN analysts included in this are Seth Greenberg and Jay Bilas.

Part of the charm of this podcast, and what makes it such a joy to listen to each and every week, is the sheer amount of variety with each episode.

One week, Greenberg and Bilas will have a discussion about the best-dressed coaches in the game while the next, they will get into a lengthy discussion with a Hall of Famer about how basketball as a sport has changed in the last decade.

With each episode ranging between the 30 and 60-minute mark, this is an informative and lighthearted NBA podcast featuring exciting and fresh topics you definitely will want to check out each and every week. 

6) No Dunks

If you can’t get enough of basketball and love the idea of waking up bright and early with a new NBA episode waiting for you to listen to, No Dunks provides daily hour-long episodes with some of the most acclaimed podcasters in the basketball scene.

This daily NBA podcast hosted by Tas, Trey, Skeets, and JD provides a great mixture of discussing recent games and headlines, along with general topics such as which players each of them thinks are locked in for being Hall of Famers. 

With a nice mix of smaller topics that stray outside of basketball throughout each episode, No Dunks brought to you by the original basketball podcasters is an incredibly casual, funny, and easy to listen to podcast to keep up with for when you can’t get enough of the beautiful sport. 

7) All The Smoke

If you know anything about basketball or have been following it for a decent amount of time, you definitely will recognize the names Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson.

They are two of the most controversial players of their time for how outspoken they were, however, over the years they have become highly respected as two individuals who saw the game change drastically during their time on the court. 

Their weekly hour-long episodes largely focus on individual players, both up-and-comers and also seasoned veterans, to try and get an insight into not just their lives on the court, but also away from basketball.

Some of their greatest episodes include a lengthy in-depth discussion with former Celtic and Clipper player Glen Davis where he talked about his rollercoaster career in the spotlight, and an episode featuring the legendary former NBA superstar and Duke basketball icon Grant Hill.

With a behind-the-scenes style format that takes you through the lives of top basketball players, along with some chatter about the current state of teams, NBA history, pro basketball history, and major basketball headlines, All The Smoke is really unique in its presentation and so much fun to listen to every week. 

8) Through The Wire

What makes Through the Wire so fun and engaging to listen to is not only that it can be enjoyed by hoopheads and also those new to the sport.

It’s a casual format with the four childhood friends who host it really makes you feel as if you’re sat around a table with a few buddies discussing all things basketball.

This podcast makes for a fun and casual listening experience, with each episode running just over an hour. The topics are simple and easy to follow but still packed full of information with some great opinions and discussions thrown into the mix.

Some of the greatest episodes include the boys making their draft team composed of only 2000’s era players, and an episode where they discussed which players they felt will become first-time All-Stars. 

Summary

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a seasoned hoophead and have been following the sport closely for a few years, or if you are just getting your foot through the door with basketball and want to learn more.

Each of these podcasts is packed with information in each and every episode, it just depends on the kind of style and information you want out of each episode.

Do you want something a little more casual and fun? Or a podcast that goes into the deeper analytics and statistics of the NBA? The choice is entirely up to you.