The Old Man and the Three

Cam Johnson -- yes, the active NBA player -- hosts this podcast alongside co-host Tommy Alter, and the fact that a current player is doing a weekly basketball podcast gives it an angle nobody else can replicate. The show blends game analysis, trend breakdowns, and long-form interviews with other NBA players who feel comfortable talking to a peer rather than a media member. That peer dynamic produces conversations with a level of candor and basketball specificity that journalist-hosted shows struggle to match. Players discuss real in-game adjustments, scouting tendencies they've noticed, and the mental grind of an 82-game season in ways that feel authentic rather than rehearsed. With 360 episodes and a 4.8-star rating from nearly 3,000 reviewers, the show has earned genuine respect across the basketball podcast space. There's also a companion show called The Young Man and the Three where Alter interviews rising stars and cultural figures, expanding the universe a bit. The weekly release schedule keeps things manageable, and Johnson's thoughtful, articulate style means episodes don't devolve into hot takes or pointless debates. It's the kind of podcast where you come away genuinely understanding how NBA players think about the game, not just what they think about last night's scores.