This interview is one of my favourites and is a must listen for anyone hoping to break into journalism through non-traditional means. Ryne did a great job of explaining how a lot of late nights and hard work resulted in him achieving his goal of becoming a journalist.

Click here to listen to my chat with Ryne Nelson.

Some of the topics we covered on this Podcast include:

* Matt from Blog A Bull explaining why Bulls fans are so excited about Derrick Rose
* Sarah Rothschild from The Miami Herald talking about Michael Beasley’s future in South Beach and if the HEAT will deal Shawn Marion this summer
* Geoff Calkins from The Memphis Commercial Appeal breaking down the impact O.J. Mayo will have with the Grizzlies and gushing about how big of a steal Darrell Arthur was
* Adam from Raptors HQ debating with me over the Jermaine O’Neal deal and whether Jose Calderon should have been dealt instead of T.J. Ford
* Frank from Brew Hoop sharing how he scored an exclusive interview with new GM John Hammond and shared his thoughts on the Richard Jefferson deal

Click here to listen to this Hoops Addict Podcast.

Some of the topics we covered include:

* Matt from Ridiculous Upside talking about why Derrick Rose should be drafted by the Chicago Bulls
* Darren from Dynasty Sports Reps explaining what an agent does to prepare a client for the draft
* Randy from Rush The Court justifying why he would take Michael Beasley with the top pick

Click here to listen to this Hoops Addict Podcast.

With the playoff field finally down to two, NBA fans bare witness to the reinvention of the classic Boston Celtics/Los Angeles Lakers rivalry. Though the series appears one of the most intriguing in recent memory, fans of the the league’s 28 other teams have little to get excited about but the upcoming NBA draft and the inherent trade speculation that comes with it. Before the focus completely shifts from postseason to offseason, I caught up with a number of basketball purists from around the online community to discuss the biggest series of the year.

Some of the highlights from this Podcast include:

* John from Red’s Army talking about why the Celtics will Paul Pierce doesn’t get the kind of respect he deserves

* Kurt from Forum Blue & Gold explaining why the Lakers are able to win despite not having a dominant low post player

* Jeff from Celtics Blog sharing how the Ubuntu Theology helped the Celtics this season

* Matt from Hardwood Paroxysm venting about the Pau Gasol deal

Click here to listen to this Podcast.

Photo Credit: Icon Sports Media

Some of the highlights from this podcast include:

* Matt from Detroit Bad Boys and AOL Fanhouse talking about how important stealing a road win early in this series would be for Detroit
* Jeff from Celtics Blog providing some reasons for why Ray Allen struggled against Cleveland
* Natalie from Need 4 Sheed giving the scoop on the bad news Antonio McDyess was given before Game 5
* Kurt from Forum Blue & Gold talking about why Lamar Odom is flourishing as the third option in the Lakers offense
* Holly from Slam Magazine talking about her “rookie season” writing for Slam

Click here to listen to the Hoops Addict Podcast.

It’s been a couple of year since I was a university student so I enjoyed the opportunity to read a book that read like a university text but left me unable to put it down like a fiction novel. His ability to jump from topics like the practice of masculinity, basketball, racial identity and how basketball is televised, all while keeping me entertained left me riveted. It was a great book and one I would highly recommend to any baskeball fan looking to pass the lazy, hazy days of summer.

Some of the topics we covered during our chat include:

* His background as a professor of Cultural Studies and English at Appalachian State
* In his book he talked at great length about the community of basketball, but he failed to touch upon the topic of blogs, so I had him give his thoughts on blogs and explain whether he thinks they are a good thing or a bad thing for fans.
* In his book he claims he doesn’t buy into the old adage “Sports build character” so I had him further explain the reasons for his disbelief
* In his book he talked about corporate and marketing forces taking over the NBA and I had him apply that to the Jose Calderon/T.J. Ford point guard situation in Toronto this season
* An entire chapter was dedicated to basketball movies so in honour of High Fidelity, I had him give me his All-Time Top 5 Favourite Basketball Movies

Click here to listen to the Hoops Addict Podcast.

Some of the highlights from this podcast include:

* Natalie from Need 4 Sheed admitting Philadelphia’s strong play in the first round gave her a scare
* Kurt from Forum Blue & Gold talking about whether Los Angeles can win a championship without Andrew Bynum
* Ben from Third Quarter Collapse claiming Jose Calderon should have started for the Eastern Conference in the All-Star game this season
* CB Jack from My Utah Jazz giving me the scoop on what the X-Factor will be in Utah’s series against Los Angeles
* Ryan from Hornets 24/7 claiming the Hornets will beat the Spurs in five games
* Rock from Waiting For Next Year giving his thoughts on all the trash talking that went on between Washington and Cleveland

For people who listened to the podcast before, you’ll notice I’m trying out some new things like musical breaks between guests and adding music into the background during the interviews. Feel free to drop me an email (ryan@hoopsaddict.com) with comments or suggestions about things you like or would like me to change in the future.

Click here to listen to the Hoops Addict Podcast.

Harold sat down to chat with me about his brothers playing career, his relationship with the legendary Howie Garfinkel and the documentary he is working on called “Both Sides Of The Game” that looks at all of the MOP’s in the history of the camp. Ron Johnson may not be a household name but I assure you that you won’t regret taking 20 minutes to listen to this interview.

Click here to listen to this interview.

Click here to listen to this podcast.

During this part of his coaches workshop Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey talked about:

- the importance of role identification when coaching your team
- the need to constantly reaffirm role players so they stay happy with their roles
- reading the body language of your players
- the benefits of competing in The Big East

Click here to listen to the third and final part of this coaches workshop.