Your favorite Portland Trail Blazers podcast is back on the air! In Episode 93 of Dave and Dia, Dave Deckard and Dia Miller…aren’t Dave and Dia, actually! This week Dia was off gallivanting somewhere professionally, leaving Dave to his own devices. After twiddling his thumbs for a bit, Dave made an emergency call to Henry Abbott of TrueHoop fame. Henry graciously agreed to join Dave in Dia’s place, making this technically the one and only Dave and Henry podcast!
The title may not be as catchy, but if you haven’t listened to Henry before, you absolutely owe yourself an hour with him. It’s a delight. In this podcast, Deckard and Abbott talk about the beginnings of internet journalism and the NBA, how media coverage has changed since then, and how the league itself has evolved into a whole new state of being since the early 2000’s. You’ll hear about key differences between David Stern and Adam Silver, how team identities are becoming monochromatic mush, and the shifting perspective (and goals) of owners, plus what that bodes for the future of the league.
Dave and Henry also talk about the Trail Blazers, the Neil Olshey Era, Joe Cronin’s approach, and Portland’s outlook heading into 2022-23. They even drop a little Bob Whitsitt chat in there!
The duo went on to discuss how the Blazers look at the league, from the national perspective. Finally, Henry shares thoughts on superstar mobility, the current landscape of the contractual NBA, Damian Lillard’s tenure in Portland, and the concept of player loyalty.
Whether you’re an NBA fan, a Blazers fan, or a media aficionado, this is one podcast you don’t want to miss.
You can download the episode or subscribe to the podcast here. Or just click play on the embed below!
Also don’t forget to check out TrueHoop, where Henry and Coach David Thorpe do everything from breaking down on-court action to opening up the next frontiers of basketball media coverage. If you’ve not read their massive series on NBA ownership and money laundering, you owe yourself an afternoon of catching up. They have their own podcast as well, and all kinds of wonderful stuff. Check it out!