No Dunks Podcast — January 19, 2026
Episode: NBA Weekend Winners & Losers | An Epic Duel, Ja Morant Returns, KD Passes Dirk In Career Points
Main Theme & Purpose
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Skeets, Trey, and Super Producer JD celebrate 20 years of their basketball podcasting journey while breaking down the weekend's biggest NBA storylines. The crew revisits major wins and losses, highlights standout individual performances, and provides essential context around developing narratives—from epic player duels to milestone achievements and team trajectories in the 2025-26 NBA season.
Episode Structure
- [00:52] Show Opens: 20th Anniversary Reminiscing
- [09:44] NBA Weekend Winners
- [43:55] NBA Weekend Losers
- [69:58] Woah Boy of the Night
- [71:26] Pick 'Em & Closing Banter
20 Years of No Dunks: Podcasting Milestone
Nostalgic Highlights
- Celebrating 20 years since their first episode ("The Basketball Jones"), the crew shares memories, jokes about lost episodes and file formats, and reflects on the impact of early fans and podcasting evolution.
- Limited-edition 20th-anniversary t-shirt drop ("no dunks.com... only available for a week and a half" — Skeets, 08:05).
- Shout-outs to comment section lore, early failed hyperlinks, and recurring classic segments like "wedgies."
Notable Quotes:
- "When the three of us started the show 20 years ago, I was just so great to relive." — Trey Kirby (06:26)
- "Will Pat Riley ever change his hairstyle? The answer is still no." — Trey Kirby (06:56)
NBA Weekend Winners
Epic Duel: Anthony Edwards vs. Victor Wembanyama (09:44)
- Game Recap: Saturday in San Antonio saw Anthony Edwards drop 55 (26 in the 4th, 5 threes) vs. Wemby's 39 and 12 in the fourth, including clutch defense and a game-sealing board.
- Rivalry Watch: Trey argues Minnesota should be in the conversation as a new Spurs rival, alongside OKC.
- Character Corner: Keldon Johnson's shaved head and clutch play; the Spurs bench chemistry and Six Man buzz.
- Signature Moves: Trey proposes "The Spacewalk" as the nickname for Wemby's step-through move (“He does the step through a lot. It needs a nickname. I think it should be called the spacewalk. Ooh. Because he covers a lot of space. The man is an alien..." — Trey Kirby, 11:13).
Ja Morant Returns in London (15:04)
- Performance: 24 points, 13 assists—leads Memphis over Orlando, re-energizing the Grizzlies after a rough stretch.
- Trade Rumors: Skeets speculates on whether Ja’s resurgence is purely performance or also a trade showcase.
- Atmosphere: London crowd's enthusiastic support highlighted; importance for Memphis fans and Ja himself.
- Celebration Watch: Ja's new “bazooka” celebration gets mixed reviews for weaponry mimicry (“Come up with a celebration. That's not a weapon.” — Trey Kirby, 18:09).
Kevin Durant Surpasses Dirk Nowitzki — Rockets’ Offensive Revival (23:31)
- Milestone Moment: Durant becomes No. 6 all-time NBA scorer, passing Dirk with a Dirk-esque fadeaway (“The way he did it was basically with a Dirk Nowitzki fall away. Poetic.” — Trey Kirby, 23:56).
- Rockets’ Rebound: Houston snaps their slide with wins over Minnesota and New Orleans, solid offensive showings.
- Injury Woes: Steven Adams’ knee injury tempers the Rockets’ good weekend.
Western Conference Play-In Teams Step Up (27:37)
Phoenix Suns (27:37)
- Gritty road win at the Knicks, with Booker’s 27-point return and the Suns spoiling a New York legends event.
Golden State Warriors (29:04)
- 20-point win vs. Charlotte; 23 threes made by 10 different players for an NBA record streak (“...Golden State now has had at least 10 players make at least one three pointer in three straight games. This is the longest streak... in NBA history.” — JE Skeets, 29:04).
Portland Trail Blazers (30:28)
- Two straight wins (Lakers, Kings), back to .500 for the first time in months.
- Deni Avdija's strong return, Shaden Sharpe’s scoring, and Donavan Clingan’s dominance (“Clingan Cling Kong. Man, this guy's good.” — JE Skeets, 31:41).
Individual Standouts
Jay Huff’s Career Night (34:08)
- 29 points, 9 rebounds, 3 dunks on Friday (“Launched a dunk contest campaign...” — Trey Kirby, 35:06).
- Lighthearted debate on dunk contest candidates.
Jalen Tyson’s Breakout for Cleveland (38:04)
- Career-high 39 points, clutch assist vs. Sixers; becoming a key rotation piece (“He can dribble, pass and shoot... he's got really thick legs like he, he's got, he's got a build similar like Tyson. Mike Tyson himself.” — Trey Kirby, 39:20).
NBA Weekend Losers
Atlanta Hawks’ Slide (43:55)
- Ugly Loss: Blew a 20-point lead to Boston, now on a 3-game skid, slipping to 10th in the East.
- Trade Deadline Clarity: Trey argues the Hawks should play the “long game” and not make a panic move for Anthony Davis or other veterans.
- Coaching Uncertainty: Will this be the end for Quin Snyder? (“I also don't know how long Quinn Snyder is going to want to be in rebuild mode...” — Trey Kirby, 47:05).
Toronto Raptors: In the Zone (50:17)
- Late Collapses: Overtime loss to Clippers (Harden’s 8-0 run) and 13-point 4th quarter vs. Lakers.
- The Zone Problem: Raptors’ inability to solve opposing zone defenses and abysmal 3-point shooting stretch (“I think the Raptors are the worst three point shooting team over the last like 15 games.” — JE Skeets, 52:34).
- Roster Construction Issues: Bad contracts, no size, and poor shooting. Skeets: "You got to address that or you got to address some shooting."
- Deadline Outlook: “Don’t be surprised if the Raptors don’t make moves...your hands are tied because you did it.” — JE Skeets, 54:59
Oklahoma City Thunder Injuries & Miami's Clutch Win (60:57)
- Heat’s Formula: Outrebounded OKC, +33 second chance points, +10 threes, only 4 turnovers. Bam Adebayo’s highlight night.
- Injury Woes: Jalen Williams’ hamstring strain, and ongoing depth concerns.
- Controversial Call: SGA’s late offensive foul, clarified by L2M report as an error (“Thunder fans were saying, you guys are only going nuts because it's SGA and you have it in your head that it's this foul merchant. But this one was wrong.” — JE Skeets, 64:03)
- Fun Fact: First OKC loss when scoring 120+ this season.
Rudy Gobert’s Free Throw Troubles (66:18)
- Lowlight: 2-for-10, including two airballs, in a narrow loss (“You're allowed one airball free throw attempt. In one game, you can't do it two times.” — JE Skeets, 66:59).
- Discussion: Should Gobert switch to underhand?
Standout & Memorable Moments
Best Quotes, Reactions & Fun
- [11:13] “He does the step through a lot. And it needs a nickname. I think it should be called the spacewalk. Ooh. Because he covers a lot of space. The man is an alien...” — Trey Kirby
- [18:09] “Come up with a celebration. That's not a weapon.” — Trey Kirby on Ja Morant's bazooka dance
- [23:56] “The way he did it was basically with a Dirk Nowitzki fall away. Poetic.” — Trey Kirby on KD passing Dirk
- [29:04] “Golden State now has had at least 10 players make at least one three pointer in three straight games...” — JE Skeets
- [31:41] “Clingan Cling Kong. Man, this guy's good.” — JE Skeets
- [52:34] “I think the Raptors are the worst three point shooting team over the last like 15 games.” — JE Skeets
- [66:59] “You're allowed one airball free throw attempt. In one game, you can't do it two times.” — JE Skeets
Timestamps of Key Segments
- 20th Anniversary Stories & Merch: [02:52]–[08:24]
- Epic Duel (Edwards/Wemby Recap): [09:44]–[14:45]
- Ja Morant in London: [15:04]–[19:44]
- KD Passes Dirk; Rockets’ Weekend: [23:31]–[26:59]
- Play-in Team Success: [27:37]–[34:08]
- Jay Huff, Jalen Tyson Individual Highlights: [34:08]–[41:38]
- Weekend Losers Start (Hawks): [43:55]
- Raptors’ Zone Nightmares: [50:17]
- Thunder/Heat Game, Injuries, L2M Controversy: [60:57]
- Rudy Gobert FT Segment: [66:18]
- Woah Boy of the Night (Ayton): [69:58]
- Pick ’Em & Closing: [71:26]
Tone & Banter
- Playful, irreverent, knowledgeable.
- The show is filled with inside jokes, listener nods, and playful teases (from “searching for old episodes on vintage hard drives” to “Clingan Cling Kong” and “airball amnesty”).
- Amidst analytics and topical breakdowns, Skeets and Trey blend personal stories, light skepticism (“Come on, your hands are tied because you did it...”), and wry humor.
Closing
- Upcoming Special: Interview with Brent “Bones” Barry teased for the next episode.
- Listener Engagement: Requests for comments, stream/team input, and ongoing celebratory mood for their 20th anniversary.
For those who missed it:
This episode dives deep into the weekend’s biggest NBA stories—Anthony Edwards vs. Wemby, Ja Morant’s triumphant London return, and Kevin Durant’s latest entry in the history books. There’s analysis of team performance trends, a critical eye on trade season priorities, and plenty of classic No Dunks fun—worthy of any hoops fan’s time!
