Introducing: Basketball, Etc.

Not all wheeling and dealing in Hollywood is done over fancy dinners, at glamorous parties, or in boardrooms. More than you might think is actually done on the blacktop, at pickup basketball games. Comedy writer and Follow Through founder CJ Toledano joins Claire to give the lowdown on the secret world of basketball in Hollywood, and all the rules (written and unwritten) therein.   Special thanks to Alex Moffat  CJ Toledano https://www.instagram.com/cjtoledano/ Follow Through Studio https://www.instagram.com/followthrough/ Claire de Lune https://x.com/ClaireMPLS https://www.instagram.com/clairempls/ https://www.theguardian.com/profile/claire-de-luneSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Any basketball fan with a cursory amount of historical knowledge of the sport probably knows that before the 2025 World Champions were the “Oklahoma City Thunder,” they were the Seattle Supersonics, a beloved team in a town known, in part, for their sports passion. But do you know the whole story about how the city of Seattle was somewhat unceremoniously robbed of their men’s basketball team? Claire is joined by journalist and Seattle native Sarah Enni to revisit a saga that has come back into public consciousness of late, as the rumor mill is churning about the future of men’s basketball in the Pacific Northwest.   Sarah Enni https://www.sarahenni.com/ Scamfluencers, the podcast Sarah produces: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/scamfluencers/id1616682405 Claire de Lune https://x.com/ClaireMPLS https://www.instagram.com/clairempls/ https://www.theguardian.com/profile/claire-de-luneSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mascots have become a quintessential part of most NBA arena experiences— but who are the mysterious people behind the oversized suits? And why do they choose the anonymous mascot life? Intrepid culture reporter Eve Peyser dove deep into mascot lore and even shadowed an NBA mascot to get some answers… And what she found has more profundity than you’d ever expect. Special thanks to: Walt Scher, Douglas Fur, Hudson Hongo, and Josh Lay   Eve Peyser’s website https://evepeyser.com/index.html   Eve’s Twitter https://x.com/evepeyser   Claire de Lune https://x.com/ClaireMPLS https://www.instagram.com/clairempls/ https://www.theguardian.com/profile/claire-de-lune  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Basketball, Etc.: FS1’s First Things First and the What’s Wright podcast’s Nick Wright, one of the brightest and most noteworthy voices in sports media today, joins Claire to talk about a mutual favorite subject of analysis: LeBron James. Nick has selected 23 defining moments from the first 23 years of LeBron’s staggering career, and he breaks them down with Claire in enlightening fashion.   Nick’s Television show, First Things First https://www.youtube.com/firstthingsfirst   Nick’s Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whats-wright-with-nick-wright/id1612694726   Nick’s Twitter: https://x.com/getnickwright   Claire de Lune https://x.com/ClaireMPLS https://www.instagram.com/clairempls/ https://www.theguardian.com/profile/claire-de-luneSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Multi-talented musician Flea (whose new solo album of jazz trumpet music, Honora, is out now),  is obviously most famous for his work as the bassist for multi-time platinum, Grammy award winning band Red Hot Chili Peppers. But he’s also one of the most ubiquitous basketball fans on the planet, often found courtside as a true ride-or-die Laker fan. In a fascinating and wide-reaching conversation, he talks to host Claire de Lune about everything from Kobe Bryant to the flow state.   Flea https://x.com/flea333 https://www.instagram.com/flea333/   Flea’s latest record Honora:  https://open.spotify.com/album/4RsSlnwkUAvEtg0Tk86HnM https://music.apple.com/us/album/honora/1861644307   Claire de Lune https://x.com/ClaireMPLS https://www.instagram.com/clairempls/ https://www.theguardian.com/profile/claire-de-luneSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when the losing team you’ve been loyal to since childhood starts actually winning? Before the New York Knicks went on their storybook Championship run of domination through the 2026 NBA Playoffs, host Claire de Lune went to New York City to talk to one of the most high profile (and funniest) Knicks fans, comedian and late night television host Desus Nice, to find out why it can feel like an identity crisis when your favorite team’s Ls start turning into Ws.    Desus Nice https://x.com/desusnice https://www.instagram.com/desusnice  Desus Pieces on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@DesusPieces Claire de Lune https://x.com/ClaireMPLS https://www.instagram.com/clairempls/ https://www.theguardian.com/profile/claire-de-luneSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever watched a professional basketball player take a free throw? Have you noticed that it seems like they’re….meditating? In the first episode of Basketball, Etc., host Claire de Lune talks to a variety of experts and thought leaders in the field to find out how often basketball players are really practicing meditation and mindfulness, both on purpose and by accident, and makes some surprising discoveries along the way.   George Mumford https://georgemumford.com/ The Mindful Athlete book https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1941529062/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1941529062&linkCode=as2&tag=parapres-20&linkId=723WXOY3NUPSTXXN Hakim Tafari https://www.instagram.com/hakstao/?hl=en Stefan Duvivier https://www.instagram.com/airduvi/?hl=en Claire de Lune https://x.com/ClaireMPLS https://www.instagram.com/clairempls/ https://www.theguardian.com/profile/claire-de-luneSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Basketball, Etc., a new show from iHeartPodcasts, offers an antidote to the hot take shouting matches dominating sports media: a show for the nuance, the et cetera of it all. Host Claire de Lune guides listeners through cool, weird, untold and under-told basketball stories— with guests ranging from players, and insiders, to celebrity fans, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.