Advertise on podcast: All The Smoke

The hardest question we ask on ALL THE SMOKE: Rank MJ, Kobe, and LeBron. It's a question guests fear answering but everyone comes with a different take. We put together a compilation of 20 guests giving their answer and it is fascinating how everyone looks at it from a different perspective. We talked to people who have played against all three and even some who never played in the NBA to see how they view the most debated topic in basketball. What is your ranking? Let us know in the comments! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We officially welcome Michael Irvin to the ALL THE SMOKE family on the latest episode of Unplugged!  The Playmaker and Vernon Maxwell join Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson for a loaded conversation on running Texas from Houston to Dallas, legendary '90s nightlife, football culture, and life after the game. Also on the episode: GOAT wide receiver debates, the rise and downfall of "The White House," Mike Vrabel, Shedeur Sanders, Adam Sandler's advice, his new Netflix show, and why Michael still goes to confession every week. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jalen Duren joins ATS Unplugged with Stephen Jackson and Vernon Maxwell to talk Detroit’s Bad Boy revival, the Pistons’ physical identity, and why this young group feels different. He also opens up about betting on himself after turning down an extension, the summer ahead, Isaiah Stewart, Cade Cunningham, Philly roots, and Detroit practices that sound like real smoke. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first cannabis executive to grace the cover of Forbes pulls up on ALL THE SMOKE. Berner is impossible to put in a box: rapper, entrepreneur, and one of the most innovative minds in the game. From building Cookies with $19k from his mother's inheritance to battling cancer to his next chapter in film, he's always moving. Hear how he spent over $20 million in legal fees fighting for his brand, why he turned down Diddy trying to buy into Cookies, and what's next. This one will have you ready to get up and build something. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Howard Bryant, one of the most respected baseball writers alive, joins Matt in a special conversation on Jackie Robinson Day.Howard breaks down why Black players disappeared from MLB , what it was really like covering the steroid era, and why he believes baseball is at a crossroads right now.Plus, he breaks down his new book King of Pawns, the untold story of Jackie Robinson and Paul Robeson. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CM Punk pulls up to ALL THE SMOKE Unplugged ahead of WrestleMania 42 and gets real about Roman Reigns, Pipe Bomb 2.0, Pat McAfee, Chicago, WWE politics, his 10-year hiatus, AJ Lee, Money in the Bank 2011, John Cena, writing for Marvel, and what’s still left to accomplish in his legendary career. The WWE World Heavyweight Champion also opens up on main-eventing WrestleMania back-to-back years, why the business feels different now, the pressure of carrying the company, and how he still approaches the game at 47. Tap in for one of CM Punk’s most honest long-form interviews yet. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Barnes sits down with businessman, philanthropist, and California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer to break down the largest state in the nation, and discuss his vision for California's future.They cover the housing crisis, a $22 billion corporate real estate tax loophole that's been quietly sitting on the books for decades, and what Steyer would do on day one in office. He also gets into what he thinks the Democratic Party is getting wrong, and why he says fellow billionaires will hate his policies.They also touch on billionaire-elites buying media entities, AI data centers being built in low-income communities, and the Warriors.As we approach the Midterm Elections,  The Smoke Signal  will be bringing prominent voices to the table to have honest conversations about where the country is and where it needs to go. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt & Stak sat down with one of the Bay Area's most underrated rap legends: Richie Rich. He saw how the industry moved and stepped back from the mainstream while others didn't make it out. Expect crazy Tupac & Biggie stories, how Snoop's 213 was inspired by Rich's 415, and the untold story of how he landed on the Luniz classic "I Got 5 On It." Now building his coffee brand The Rolling Bean Coffee, Rich is proof the game never stops. All game, all real, only on ALL THE SMOKE. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Newly minted hall-of-famer CC Sabathia pulls up for his second appearence on All the Smoke. CC gets into everything, most notably his legendary Yankees tenure; from A-Rod recruiting him, Cashman closing the deal, the Astros rivalry, and the current Aaron Judge-era. On Ohtani, CC is all-in: "Ohtani is the greatest baseball player to ever live." Plus, the WBC's rise to must-watch TV, how the Commissioner's office is finally putting players in the room, and what the CAP program is doing to bring legends back to the game. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ahead of Netflix’s Untold: Jail Blazers (premiering April 14), Rasheed Wallace, Damon Stoudamire, and Bonzi Wells join All The Smoke Unplugged to finally tell their side of one of the most misunderstood eras in NBA history. They revisit the loaded Trail Blazers rosters that nearly broke through, the heartbreak of coming up short against the Lakers and Spurs, Damon’s unforgettable first practice in Portland, brutal first-team vs. second-team battles, Scottie Pippen’s arrival, Arvydas Sabonis stories, locker room culture, and why those teams believed they should have won a championship. From the origins of the “Jail Blazers” label to the media narratives that followed those Portland teams for years, the guys reflect on how that era was framed, what the public never heard, and why this documentary matters now. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tyson Chandler and The Game put us on to Compton legend David Hamilton aka Super Crip, and the fans demanded we bring him on. Now he finally got to sit down with Matt Barnes to tell the full story. Shot in high school. Recruited to Auburn. Caught up in an NCAA investigation. Did time in federal prison. Now he's doing motivational speaking and just dropped a new book. The Compton urban legend speaks for himself. You asked for it. Here it is. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The legendary Kenny Lofton joins Matt Barnes and Chris Young for a long overdue conversation. K-Lo was a six-time All-Star, five-time stolen base champion and four-time Gold Glove winner — but somehow was one-and-done on the Hall of Fame ballot. Lofton breaks down why he believes the home run era buried his legacy and what it was really like playing on the greatest teams never to win a World Series. He also opens up about growing up poor in East Chicago, being raised by his blind grandmother, and the promise he made her before leaving for the University of Arizona — where he played point guard on a Final Four team. Plus, Lofton gets into some amazing untold stories, like almost taking out Cal Ripken during his consecutive games streak, chasing Sammy Sosa through the Cubs dugout during the playoffs, getting held up by the third base coach in Game 7 of the 2007 ALCS, and why he believes Shohei Ohtani should never bat leadoff. 00:00 Intro, Hall of Fame Snub, Steroid Era 08:30: Ichiro Stats Comparison  16:55: Slow Death of the Leadoff Hitter, Should Ohtani Bat Leadoff? 22:50: Raised in East Chicago by Blind Grandmother 28:25: Playing Basketball at University of Arizona under Lute Olsen 39:05: Foot Locker Slam Dunk Contest 44:13: Taking only one at-bat at Arizona, Getting Drafted to MLB  55:30: Superpower of the bunt 58:18: First MLB memories with Astros  01:00:46: Traded to Cleveland Indians, Albert Belle, Eddie Murray 01:03:53: 90’s Indians Best Team to Never win it? 01:05:48: Shocking Trade to Braves for David Justice 01:10:58: Golden Era of Outfielders 01:13:13: Journeyman back half of career 01:14:45: Bartman game, almost fighting Sammy Sosa 01:20:00: Signature Shoe with Nike 01:21:00: 3-0 Blown ALCS with Yankees 01:23:45: Held at 3rd Base in Game 7 of ALCS 01:31:28: Quick Hitters 01:35:50: End See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Barnes opens up ATS Unplugged by calling out Patrick Beverley over recent comments about Dwyane Wade, saying the energy behind the debate feels more like clickbait than basketball analysis. Matt and Vernon “Mad Max” Maxwell also break down why Wade still gets the nod over James Harden for many fans, react to Duke’s late-game collapse in March Madness, debate whether Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Dončić, or Victor Wembanyama deserves MVP, and discuss why Joe Mazzulla belongs in Coach of the Year conversations. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Before the rings, before the goggles, before the championships, Horace Grant was a kid in Sparta, Georgia hunting squirrel and raccoon just to eat. Four titles later, he's finally telling the whole story. On this episode, Horace goes deep on the Bulls three-peat with MJ and Pip, the emotional decision to leave Chicago, what Penny Hardaway could have been, getting that fourth ring in LA with Kobe and Shaq, and why after all of it, he has zero regrets. One of the most complete careers in NBA history. Not enough people know it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Two-time World Series champion Tyler Glasnow sits down with Matt and Chris Young fresh off back-to-back titles with the most dominant team in the sport. The Dodgers right-hander pulls back the curtain on what it's actually like inside that pitching staff — the culture, the aura, and why Japanese players have so much success. Glasnow reflects on the long road from Pittsburgh to Tampa to LA, how the Rays' unconventional R&D system helped shape him into an ace, and what pitching coach Mark Prior has meant to his development. He opens up about his relationships with Shohei Ohtani and his Japanese teammates, the real leadership structure in that clubhouse, and whether the Dodgers are actually bad for baseball. Plus — the mental side of pitching, his game-day routine, thoughts on the pitch clock and robot ump, and what he does away from the field. And with two rings already, one question looms: is a three-peat actually coming? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.