Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective — "Our 5th Annual Friendsgiving"

Date: November 26, 2025
Host: Brian Windhorst (ESPN)
Guests: Tim Bontemps, Tim McMahon, Ramona Shelburne, Anthony Slater, Vince Goodwill, Jamal Collier, Om Yung Masuk, Bobby Marks, Michael C. Wright, Malika Andrews

Overview

This special "Friendsgiving" episode brings together ESPN NBA insiders for an expansive, lively, and often off-the-wall roundtable spanning the NBA landscape, with travel tales, personal anecdotes, and deep dives into league trends and team trajectories. Recorded in segments from multiple cities, the episode emulates an NBA Thanksgiving table, blending sharp analysis, reporting, and banter — with sidetracks on everything from airline status to the best ice for beverages.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Miami Heat’s Early Success and New Identity (01:53–14:19)

Main Themes:

• Miami’s strong 12-6 start despite injuries and post-Butler era questions.
• Offense centered on versatility, speed, and "the mechanic" Spoelstra’s tinkering.
• Key contributors include Tyler Herro (after missing 6 weeks, dropped 28 on return), Norm Powell, Jaime Jaquez, Davion Mitchell, and breakout big man Khalil Ware.

Quotes & Notables:

• "The Heat are one of the early season success stories. Probably not getting the attention they deserve." — Windhorst (02:13)
• "SPO…does like to tinker and try different things...he’s finding ways to maximize a lot of those guys…It's a really fun brand of basketball to watch." — Bontemps (03:27, 05:59)
• "They’re playing faster than everybody. Even with some of the injuries, they’ve been able to withstand that by having 10 or 12 solid players." — Bontemps (04:49)
• "Jaime Jaquez is an early six man of the year candidate." — McMahon (07:00)

Tactical Talk:

• Miami’s new offense spreads the floor, minimizes heavy pick-and-roll, and leverages a deep, balanced roster.

Vibes:

• Locker room spirit is greatly improved post-Jimmy Butler. Players like Bam Adebayo emphasize enjoyment in the new (more communal) style.

2. Timberwolves’ Close-Game Failures and Looming Trade Dilemma (15:58–24:33)

Main Themes:

• Minnesota’s back-to-back breakdowns: blowing late leads to Phoenix and Sacramento.
• Internal/external acknowledgment that point guard (Rob Dillingham) is a roster hole.
• Team is capped out (financially), lacking movable assets for a trade improvement.

Quotes & Notables:

• "Wolves are not performing in a manner that they need to be performing at this point." — Windhorst (17:38)
• "Ok, like, you want to say Minnesota needs to make a move, needs to get guard help...it’s a very, very, very complicated equation for Tim Connelly." — Bontemps (17:57–19:47)
• Statistical On/Off: With Dillingham on court, offense is 100 (worst in NBA); with him off, it rises to 120. Net difference: +17. — Bontemps (22:18)

Trade Market:

• Aging stars with high salaries are poor trade chips.
• Wolves front office is aggressive, but financial and asset constraints complicate things.

3. Checking In Around the League: Thunder, Kings, Jazz, Warriors (24:56–39:29)

• Thunder: Jalen Williams update (still out); Thunder depth highlighted. (24:56–25:33)
• Kings: Noted for improbable comeback vs. Wolves. "Beam Watch" anecdotes about Sacramento’s win celebrations. (26:04–27:32)
• Jazz: Ace Bailey, rookie, getting solid experience but still raw/star potential discussed. (27:48–30:16)
• Warriors’ Wobbliness:
  • 3–3 on road trip, 9–9 overall.
  • Aging roster and depth problems; injuries (Al Horford out with sciatica, Draymond Green banged up).
  • "They're probably more surprisingly shaky than I think a lot of people predicted." — Slater (31:33)
  • Warriors' offense craters without Steph Curry; "pretty concerned" about staying in playoff mix. (33:23–39:29)

4. Detroit Pistons: From Laughing Stock to Contender? (39:40–57:28)

Main Themes:

• Pistons’ stunning turnaround (15–2).
• Front office faces classic rebuilding-vs-swinging dilemma: “go for it” or let the young core (Cade, Duren, Ivey, Thompson) marinate?
• Payroll realities loom with extensions coming up; potential trade targets (Anthony Davis, Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr.).

Quotes & Notables:

• "Ownership has an appetite if the front office is willing to go for it." — Vince Goodwill (42:00)
• "I think the Pistons are in a very advantageous position financially right now..." — Goodwill (47:45)
• "The thing Detroit needs...is just a flat out second scoring option next to Cade." — Bontemps (50:50)
• "Do you speed things up with a superstar?...Let's see what we've got, let's see if we've got the star core already in place." — McMahon (55:06)

Big Picture:

• Cautious optimism about quick contention.
• Depth, development, and cap management are keys.

5. Lakers Ownership Drama & Modernization (60:43–71:58)

Main Themes:

• Ramona Shelburne provides rare insight into the Lakers’ deep family politics, Jeanie Buss’ leadership, and the recent sale of team shares.
• Jeanie Buss portrayed as gracious but steely: has fired 3 of her siblings ("She’s not afraid to handle what she thinks is business, even if it means firing her brothers and sisters." — Windhorst, 65:41).

Modernization:

• New Dodgers/Sparks/Lakers cross-pollination in the front office.
• Farhan Zaidi/Andrew Friedman (Dodgers execs) advising on modernization, but not supplanting Rob Pelinka.

6. Federal Court: Chauncey Billups’ Legal Troubles (73:29–80:48)

Main Themes:

• Ramona Shelburne reports directly from federal court in Brooklyn: details on Chauncey Billups’ gambling case and co-defendants.
• Explains high bail, somber courtroom moments as family co-signs bond.
• Looks at personal toll and potential lengthy litigation.

Quotes:

• "His bond was set or his bail was set at $5 million." — Windhorst (73:58)
• "There were some dudes there I would not want to mess with." — Shelburne (75:27)

7. Travel, Airline Status & NBA Life: Lighter Fare (111:18–126:48)

Main Themes:

• SIDEBAR: ESPN crew trade stories about frequent flyer status, best travel hacks, ice/beverage preferences, and navigating post-pandemic travel hurdles — especially for those straddling United vs. Delta hubs.
• Classic Ohm Young Misuk segment on the perfect ice, beverage storage, travel, and impending paternity leave.
• "Ohm is famous for two things: United Airlines and beverages." — Windhorst (120:47)
• "He’s got this custom refrigerator that could maximize beverage storage." — Windhorst (121:08)

8. Friendsgiving Vignettes: Turkey Talk, Side Dishes & NBA Connections (126:38–132:01)

• Michael C. Wright is this year’s pitmaster — sharing his brining routine for turkey and lamenting the demands of holiday travel as an NBA writer.
• Windhorst is skeptical about the value of traditional Thanksgiving food: "I don't think Thanksgiving food is that special. I advocate for something that's...different. Am I going to jail for that?" (130:26)

9. Other League Threads (Throughout & Select Segments)

• Bucks’ season and dependence on Giannis: "This thing is all really being propped up by him on this roster." — Collier (84:25)
• Suns’ remaining tough after the Beal trade; Thunder’s stockpile of picks and possible “Presti Rule” (restricting number of picks you can own).
• Spurs: solid start despite youth, but inconsistency looms.

10. Notable Moments & Memorable Quotes

• "Only a Buss can fire a Buss..." — multiple runs at Lakers family politics (71:58).
• "There's no such thing as a devastating loss in November." — Windhorst (15:58)
• “If you want to know how you beat the aprons, it’s the draft picks. It’s AJ Mitchell on that contract. It’s all those little small deals..." — Bontemps (108:29)
• “He has fired three of his brothers. And she sued two of them.” — Windhorst (65:25)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Miami Heat Deep Dive: 01:53–14:19
• Timberwolves' Late Game Woes: 15:58–24:33
• Trade Deadline/Cap Limitations & Pistons' Options: 39:40–57:28, 101:33–110:02
• Lakers Owners & Family Drama: 60:43–71:58
• Chauncey Legal Update: 73:29–80:48
• Travel Tales/Ohm’s Beverage Saga: 111:18–126:48

Tone & Style

• Conversational, irreverent, and candid—mixing serious reporting with inside jokes, listener asides, and behind-the-scenes looks at NBA media life.
• Contributors embrace their personal quirks (from Ohm’s beverage obsession to Slater’s travel choices), giving listeners a sense of the ESPN NBA beat team’s camaraderie during the festive "Friendsgiving" tradition.

In sum:
The episode is a dense, varied, and highly engaging feast of NBA analysis, insider knowledge, and offbeat storytelling, ideal for listeners hungry for in-season pulse checks — and for a virtual seat at the ESPN NBA holiday table.