No Dunks Podcast Summary

Episode: Lu Dort & Jeremiah Fears Fight, Doc Praises Joel Embiid, Beach Steppin'
Date: January 28, 2026
Hosts: J. Skeets, Tas Melis, Trey Kirby, JD (Producer)
Theme: Breaking down the NBA's latest altercations, insider praise for Joel Embiid, media personalities entering the All-Star Celebrity Game, and listener mailbag fun.

Episode Overview

This episode of No Dunks kicks off with the crew dissecting on-court altercations from the previous night—including the intense Lou Dort vs. Jeremiah Fears incident—before moving on to Doc Rivers' headline-grabbing Embiid praise. They then dive into All-Star Celebrity Game news, a lively Beach Steppin' mailbag with discussion on prospect optimism, player names, and basketball memorabilia. As always, the tone is playful, conversational, and laced with basketball nerdery.

Key Segments & Insights

1. Lou Dort & Jeremiah Fears Altercation

[04:18–10:49]

• Recap: At the end of a Thunder vs. Pelicans game, Lou Dort aggressively confronts rookie Jeremiah Fears, leading to a heated scuffle with both benches emptying but no punches thrown.
• Main Points:
  • Dort initiated the confrontation, pushing and fouling Fears who showed unexpected tenacity standing up to him.
  • “The person to blame is Dort for sure. He went after Jeremiah Fears for no reason. Game over.” – Tas Melis [04:59]
  • Refs may have lost control of the game earlier after multiple altercations, including Jalen Williams vs. Sadiq Bay.
  • Most agree no suspensions are likely since the game was already over when benches cleared.
• Memorable Moment: Skeets and Trey riff on Fears’ fiery attitude: “19 year old has tried to fight half the league and we're not even at the All Star break.” – [07:17]
• Side Note: The podcast discusses how missed shots and trash talk may have contributed to the incident; Fears' reputation as a chirper emerges.

2. Nets-Suns Scuffle & League-Wide Tensions

[11:13–13:48]

• Another late-game altercation between the Nets and Suns led to technical fouls but no ejections; all spurred by a tussle over a loose ball and a humorous mispronunciation of player names by the referee.
• The hosts theorize that winter weather and looming All-Star breaks are heightening tempers across the league.

“Had to check my app—is there a full moon? Nah... We got like a 3/4 going on here.” – Trey Kirby [13:09]

• Fun Segment: The crew jokes about dry throats and how the weather drives people nuts, segueing into hydration routines.

3. Doc Rivers: “Joel Embiid is the Most Talented Player I Ever Coached”

[14:18–20:31]

• Doc's Praise: Rivers, now coaching Giannis in Milwaukee, calls Embiid “the most talented player [he’s] ever coached”, a list including stars like Giannis, Harden, CP3, and more.
  • “Embiid ranks highly on that list, I would have to say.” – Trey Kirby [15:24]
• Debate:
  • The panel explores what “talented” means. Is it skill, athleticism, or work ethic? Most agree Embiid tops the list in pure skill, but Giannis’ incredible drive is its own talent.
  • “Playing hard, though, is a talent. And Giannis has that in spades.” – Trey Kirby [16:54]
• Doc’s Playoff Excuses:
  • The crew calls out Doc for his recurring excuses about Embiid’s injury luck.
  • “It is the second part that is a little bit wrong, in my opinion… I think he was healthy somewhere.” – Tas Melis [16:58]
  • Skeets and Tas review the injury history and cast doubt on Doc’s timeline.
• Context: The hosts reflect on the Bucks’ current struggles and how Doc’s poorly-timed praise lands as odd, given his still-new tenure in Milwaukee.

4. All-Star Celebrity Game: Shams Charania to Play

[34:00–38:09]

• Shams will participate in the 2026 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game, promising a “shooter's” game with handles and floaters.
  • “I’m excited to see what he's like… any time an actual media person gets into the celebrity game, I’m excited.” – Trey Kirby [34:49]
• The crew hopes Woj will join for a Shams-vs-Woj faceoff. They list past celebrity game highlights and riff on the possibility of Shams breaking news while playing.

5. Beach Steppin' Mailbag: Listener Questions, Nostalgia & Fun

a. Takes You Just Believed

[43:44–46:56]

• The group shares personal stories of basketball opinions or predictions they just “felt” were right, but had no proof—some get nostalgic about the Lob City era, “He Got Game” sequel conspiracies, and the legendary Jason Maxiell vs. Danny Granger All-Star debate.

b. RJ Barrett vs. Zion & Ja: Best Career?

[51:47–57:51]

• Revisiting an old hot take: Will RJ Barrett end up with a better career than Zion Williamson or Ja Morant?
  • RJ has played more, but Ja/Zion have higher peaks/All-Star nods.
  • The hosts discuss what “career” means: durability/stats vs. peak performance.
  • “It feels like Ja and Zion haven't come close to living up to their potential, whereas RJ's probably reached his potential.” – Trey Kirby [52:08]
  • They debate who an expansion franchise would pick right now—most still say Zion, but argue it's becoming closer than you’d think.

c. Star Names for Non-Star Players (and Vice Versa)

[72:17–75:35]

• Fun exploration of which NBA player names sound more “star” than their careers, and vice versa.
  • Best star-like names for non-stars: Cindarius Thornwell, Stromile Swift, Daquan Plowden, Johnny Furphy, Bub Carrington, Naquan Tomlin.
  • Boring names for stars: Paul George, Chris Paul, Norm Powell, Andrew Nembhard.
• “Paul George is a good one. Well, it's like Chris Paul, obviously. Chris Paul is so basic.” – J. Skeetz [75:54]
• Alliteration is the squad’s favorite mark of a star-sounding name.

d. Unexpected Finds: Basketball History in the Wild

[66:41–72:17]

• Listeners write in with tales of discovering random basketball relics. The hosts share their own:
  • Trey owns the exact tie-dye Rush shirt worn by Kawhi Leonard in a Spurs parody video.
  • Skeets muses about his Shaq-ripped underwear someday making the basketball Hall of Fame.
  • Tas recounts seeing a Keith Van Horn jersey signed by the entire band Korn.

e. All-In Bets That Paid Off (Non-basketball)

[62:40–66:02]

• The panel reflects on “going all in”—from hair growth to Taco Bell breakfasts to the gamble of starting a podcast before it was cool.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Jeremiah Fears: “19 year old has tried to fight half the league and we're not even at the All Star break...” – J. Skeetz [07:17]
• On Giannis' View of Talent: "I'm not as talented as Steph. I'm not as talented as KD. I'm desperate. I'm obsessed." (paraphrased Giannis, via Tas) [19:34]
• On Shams in the All-Star Celebrity Game: "Can't believe Shams didn't break it though. Yeah, he's the newsbreaker out there, but maybe you want to give somebody else a little scoopy scoop." – Trey Kirby [34:29]
• On RJ Barrett's Growth: “He’s like a really good just average guy.” – J. Skeetz [55:30]
• On the Podcast’s Legacy: “One day we're going to be in the Basketball hall of Fame for having podcasted for 80 years.” – Trey Kirby [69:13]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:18] – Dort vs. Fears fight breakdown
• [11:13] – Nets-Suns fight, league tension
• [14:18] – Doc Rivers’ Embiid praise debate
• [34:00] – Shams & the All-Star Celebrity Game
• [43:44] – Nostalgic “takes believed without proof”
• [51:47] – RJ Barrett vs. Zion & Ja discussion
• [62:40] – "All-in" moments that paid off
• [66:41] – Basketball history finds
• [72:17] – Star-sounding & boring NBA names

Final Thoughts

This episode features the classic No Dunks blend: NBA news breakdown, locker room humor, listener-driven banter, and basketball geekery. The show flows naturally, with recurring jokes and callbacks, as the guys analyze on-court conflict, player praise, and all manner of basketball (and personal) lore—with playful speculation and deep NBA references galore.

For more: Visit NoDunks.com, join the conversation on YouTube, or subscribe to their Substack for exclusive content and nostalgia trips.