All The Smoke

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: EndSee 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.

Howard White has been Michael Jordan's right hand at Nike for over 40 years. As Vice President of Jordan Brand and the man Chris Tucker portrayed in Ben Affleck's Air, Howard has been in the room for every pivotal moment in sneaker history. In this powerful sit-down with Matt Barnes, he tells the full story for the first time. From growing up in poverty in Hampton, Virginia to becoming the person who helped sign MJ to Nike (when Jordan wanted Adidas), Howard reveals the untold stories behind the Jordan 3 design conflict with Tinker Hatfield, the Mercedes-Benz analogy that saved Jordan Brand after retirement, and the moment Phil Knight told him "it's been a good run."  He also opens up about his battle with amyloidosis, his heart transplant in December 2020, and how MJ donated $1 million to establish the Howard H. White Center for Amyloidosis. Along the way, you'll hear never-before-told stories about MJ's competitive fire (cycling in Hawaii, ping pong obsession, staring at a blank TV before The Shot), Kobe telling Howard "I want to sit at the table with Mike," and the mother's wisdom that guided Howard through it all: "Even a dog can wag its tail when it passes you on the street."See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.