Episode 87: The NBA Through the Decades

The NBA is a staple of pop culture around the world and is one of the most successful leagues in American team sports. But it wasn't always this way. In light of the NBA playoffs, and recent revelations from the history of the league, Chad and John take a look at the imaging and branding of the NBA through the decades. We first discuss recent Marvel content with episodes 3-4 of Moon Knight (3:15) and Chad confesses to watching Morbius, which he recaps so you don't have to watch it (10:50). Then we discuss some current events in sports, including the Washington Commander's response to the congressional report (17:45) and the controversy surrounding HBO's hit show Winning Time (18:52). For our big story, we dive into the history of the NBA. After getting off to a sluggish start in the 1960s (29:00), the NBA begins a rise into stardom in the 70s (30:07). Magic Johnson and Larry Bird elevate the NBA into an even greater status (31:00), and then Michael Jordan rockets the league into the very heights of American culture (36:10). But when Jordan retired, the NBA struggled for several years (41:20), until LeBron James ushered in the golden age of basketball, the modern NBA (45:36). As always, make sure to share this episode if you enjoyed it, and give us a follow on all our social media platforms!