DJ Wally Sparks on Prince’s Best Era, Best Songs and Wildest Deep Cuts | 04.16

Bomani Jones and Danny Parkins break down a chaotic first round, starting with the Lakers struggling to close out Houston and the moment everyone’s talking about: Reed Sheppard picking LeBron James clean in crunch time. Is this series slipping away… and are we watching a real regression from L.A.? Plus, Parkins makes the case for something wild: trusting James Harden and the Cavaliers in the East. Is Harden actually underrated in the playoffs—or are we setting ourselves up for the same ending? They also dive into: Why the Eastern Conference feels wide open (and kinda shaky) Whether the Knicks, Celtics, or Cavs can actually be trusted The Thunder’s looming dynasty potential 👀 Why modern NBA playoffs feel more unpredictable than ever And to close it out, Parkins shares details on his “Cubs for a Cure” fundraiser supporting brain cancer research. You can donate HERE https://www.mlb.com/cubs/tickets/specials/cubsforacure Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bomani and Vinny Goodwill unpack an NBA postseason that makes no sense in the best way. Bomani Jones is joined by ESPN’s Vinnie Goodwill to talk through why this Knicks team has no excuse not to make the NBA Finals, the delicate balance between Jalen Brunson’s usage and unlocking Karl-Anthony Towns, and whether Boston’s ceiling is lower than people want to admit with this version of Jason Tatum coming off the Achilles injury. From there, they dive into Victor Wembanyama’s terrifying playoff debut, why the Spurs already look ahead of schedule, and how Oklahoma City vs. San Antonio feels like a looming Western Conference war. They also hit LeBron, KD, and the aging superstar class who can still hit the “high notes” for one night even if they can’t live there anymore. Later, Bomani and Vinnie break down Adam Silver’s new anti‑tanking lottery rules, what it means for franchises like Detroit and Orlando, and why conditioning young stars to lose might be the most underrated failure of “The Process” era in Philly. Plus, what the league should actually be embarrassed by, and why Steve Ballmer’s Kawhi situation is way more complicated than internet outrage allows. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bomani Jones is joined by Logan Murdock for Time Machine Tuesday to look back at the Warriors team that changed basketball forever. They break down Steph Curry's rise, the 73-win season, Game 6 Klay, Draymond's chaos, and how Golden State became the biggest story in sports. They also get into why this run hit differently: the shift in how the game was played, the tension between Steph and LeBron, and why the 2016 Warriors felt bigger than just another great team. For a limited time, our listeners get 50% off FOR LIFE, Free Shipping, AND 3 Free Gifts at Mars Men at Mengotomars.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bomani Jones breaks down a wild stretch of playoff basketball, starting with why Kevin Durant keeps catching blame in Houston and what the Rockets’ mess says about the team around him. He also gets into Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets getting pushed around by Minnesota, and the kind of James Harden playoff history that somehow never stops following him. Later, he discusses the impending showdown between the Spurs and the Thunder and why it's both the best and worst thing for the NBA. After that, Bomani hits on the Rams’ surprising Ty Simpson pick and what it says about Sean McVay, the Klay Thompson/Megan Thee Stallion breakup discourse, the strange fallout from the White House Correspondents’ Dinner shooting, and a voicemail segment that turns into a great conversation about Nate Dogg, branding, and why being interesting still matters. For a limited time, our listeners get 50% off FOR LIFE, Free Shipping, AND 3 Free Gifts at Mars Men at Mengotomars.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Ringer's Diante Lee joins Bomani Jones to break down all the storylines ahead of the NFL draft. First, they discuss Fernando Mendoza's ceiling and if he can reach it playing for the Las Vegas Raiders. Later, they break down the impending breakup between A.J. Brown and the Philadelphia Eagles and why it's "loser behavior" on the part of the Eagles. Finally, they discuss Mike Vrabel's latest press conference and the questions he wasn't asked... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bomani Jones is joined by Bruce Bowen to talk NBA playoffs, from the Spurs' chances at a title run after Victor Wembanyama’s concussion to whether the Houston Rockets just embarrassed themselves against LeBron and the Lakers. They also hit Anthony Edwards’ rise as a leader, Rudy Gobert’s redemption, and why CJ McCollum is suddenly playing Madison Square Garden villain against Jalen Brunson.Bomani and Bruce get into: How Wemby has already changed what’s possible on defense, why the paint disappears when he’s on the floor, and how that compares to Tim Duncan never winning DPOY. The Spurs–Blazers series, Wembanyama’s concussion, and what young teams actually learn in playoff collapses. The cheap new vibes in Portland under owner Tom Dundon — from coaching salaries to cutting back on arena T‑shirts. Why the Rockets’ Game 2 performance vs. the Lakers was so disappointing, what accountability really looks like, and how LeBron is still manipulating games at his age. Anthony Edwards’ force-of-personality leadership, how he lifts guys like Rudy Gobert, and what it means for Denver’s title defense. CJ McCollum hunting Jalen Brunson, embracing being “that guy” in the Garden, and what separates elite playoff scorers from everyone else. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s TIME MACHINE TUESDAY on The Right Time with Bomani Jones – we’re going back 15 years to the 2011 NFL Draft, a class that might be the best of all time.They break down Why this was THE Cam Newton draft – and why you’d still take Cam No. 1 overall in a redraft How Cam single-handedly dragged the Panthers’ franchise to relevance and changed how the NFL thinks about QBs Von Miller vs. JJ Watt and what “game-wrecking” really looks like Julio Jones vs. A.J. Green – who had the more Hall of Fame–worthy career,  Tyron Smith and Jonathan Ogden as “alien” offensive tackle athletes Patrick Peterson vs. Richard Sherman, Revis Island, and why corner is a young man’s job Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back from a week of vacation, Bomani Jones reacts to the opening weekend of the NBA playoffs, including LeBron James leading the Lakers over the Kevin Durantless Rockets, Nikola Jokic & the Denver Nuggets taking down Anthony Edwards & the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Knicks fiesty game 1 win over the Atlanta Hawks & much more. Later, he breaks down the discourse around the Dallas Wings drafting Azzi Fudd number 1 overall and whether questions about her relationship with Paige Bueckers are fair. Finally, he discusses the Giants trading Dexter Lawrence to the Bengals, the new Rock and Roll Hall of fame class and listens to a few listener voicemails. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the second part of this 2-part series, Bomani Jones is joined by DJ Wally Sparks for a deep dive into Prince’s catalog, from the early records to the Warner years that made him a legend. They get into Purple Rain vs. Sign o’ the Times, why When Doves Cry feels untouchable, why Little Red Corvette has a real case as Prince’s best song, and which deep cuts and B-sides still hit the hardest. Finally, they have a full-on music nerd conversation about Prince’s genius period, the records that aged best, and the songs that prove nobody else was operating on his level. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bomani Jones is joined by Patrice Jones for the first of a special two-part Prince series on The Right Time. They break down what made Prince different, why 1999 and Purple Rain hit so hard, how his sound changed music, and what his run meant in real time for the people living through it. They also get into Prince’s guitar brilliance, the wild range of his catalog, and why his influence still feels unmatched. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices