
Hosted by The Black Effect Podcast Network and iHeartPodcasts · EN

Matt Barnes sits down with World Series champion and 13-year MLB veteran Nick Swisher for an unfiltered conversation. From the Oakland A's locker room to the darkest year of his career to winning it all in pinstripes, Swish holds absolutely nothing back. They get into Jason Giambi's infamous team motto, Barry Zito's off-the-field life, and what it felt like to win a World Series with the New York Yankees after hitting rock bottom in 2008. Plus — the real talk on A-Rod, Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano, the death of Oakland baseball, the Dodgers dynasty, and why the Yankees are built different.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eight rings. 32 years. The man who saw every Kobe Bryant practice and game finally sits down. Former Los Angeles Lakers head athletic trainer Gary Vitti opens up on November 7, 1991, the day he realized Magic Johnson was HIV positive before anyone told him. He also revisits the 1985 Memorial Day Massacre in Boston, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s accountability speech, and why HBO’s Winning Time got Jerry West and Dr. Jerry Buss wrong. He breaks down Pat Riley’s famous “12 + 2 + 1” inner circle and why Kareem still has the strongest GOAT case. Then come the Shaq stories: police academy frisking that broke Vitti’s pelvis, wild locker-room pranks, Kobe getting waterboarded by Navy SEALs, the Sacramento suppository moment, Kobe’s Achilles tear, the “F*ck Paul Pierce” walk back to the bench, and the instant Vanessa arrived and the Black Mamba became dad again. This is 32 years of Lakers history told by the one man who was there for all of it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The hardest question we ask on ALL THE SMOKE: Rank MJ, Kobe, and LeBron. It's a question guests fear answering but everyone comes with a different take. We put together a compilation of 20 guests giving their answer and it is fascinating how everyone looks at it from a different perspective. We talked to people who have played against all three and even some who never played in the NBA to see how they view the most debated topic in basketball. What is your ranking? Let us know in the comments!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We officially welcome Michael Irvin to the ALL THE SMOKE family on the latest episode of Unplugged! The Playmaker and Vernon Maxwell join Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson for a loaded conversation on running Texas from Houston to Dallas, legendary '90s nightlife, football culture, and life after the game. Also on the episode: GOAT wide receiver debates, the rise and downfall of "The White House," Mike Vrabel, Shedeur Sanders, Adam Sandler's advice, his new Netflix show, and why Michael still goes to confession every week.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jalen Duren joins ATS Unplugged with Stephen Jackson and Vernon Maxwell to talk Detroit’s Bad Boy revival, the Pistons’ physical identity, and why this young group feels different. He also opens up about betting on himself after turning down an extension, the summer ahead, Isaiah Stewart, Cade Cunningham, Philly roots, and Detroit practices that sound like real smoke.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first cannabis executive to grace the cover of Forbes pulls up on ALL THE SMOKE. Berner is impossible to put in a box: rapper, entrepreneur, and one of the most innovative minds in the game. From building Cookies with $19k from his mother's inheritance to battling cancer to his next chapter in film, he's always moving. Hear how he spent over $20 million in legal fees fighting for his brand, why he turned down Diddy trying to buy into Cookies, and what's next. This one will have you ready to get up and build something.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Howard Bryant, one of the most respected baseball writers alive, joins Matt in a special conversation on Jackie Robinson Day.Howard breaks down why Black players disappeared from MLB , what it was really like covering the steroid era, and why he believes baseball is at a crossroads right now.Plus, he breaks down his new book King of Pawns, the untold story of Jackie Robinson and Paul Robeson.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CM Punk pulls up to ALL THE SMOKE Unplugged ahead of WrestleMania 42 and gets real about Roman Reigns, Pipe Bomb 2.0, Pat McAfee, Chicago, WWE politics, his 10-year hiatus, AJ Lee, Money in the Bank 2011, John Cena, writing for Marvel, and what’s still left to accomplish in his legendary career. The WWE World Heavyweight Champion also opens up on main-eventing WrestleMania back-to-back years, why the business feels different now, the pressure of carrying the company, and how he still approaches the game at 47. Tap in for one of CM Punk’s most honest long-form interviews yet.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Barnes sits down with businessman, philanthropist, and California gubernatorial candidate Tom Steyer to break down the largest state in the nation, and discuss his vision for California's future.They cover the housing crisis, a $22 billion corporate real estate tax loophole that's been quietly sitting on the books for decades, and what Steyer would do on day one in office. He also gets into what he thinks the Democratic Party is getting wrong, and why he says fellow billionaires will hate his policies.They also touch on billionaire-elites buying media entities, AI data centers being built in low-income communities, and the Warriors.As we approach the Midterm Elections, The Smoke Signal will be bringing prominent voices to the table to have honest conversations about where the country is and where it needs to go.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt & Stak sat down with one of the Bay Area's most underrated rap legends: Richie Rich. He saw how the industry moved and stepped back from the mainstream while others didn't make it out. Expect crazy Tupac & Biggie stories, how Snoop's 213 was inspired by Rich's 415, and the untold story of how he landed on the Luniz classic "I Got 5 On It." Now building his coffee brand The Rolling Bean Coffee, Rich is proof the game never stops. All game, all real, only on ALL THE SMOKE.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.