Episode Summary: "We Stayed at the NBA's 'Haunted' Hotel — and Discovered Something New"

Podcast: Pablo Torre Finds Out (Le Batard & Friends)
Host: Pablo Torre
Guests/Co-Reporters: Amin Elhassan, Charlotte Wilder
Date: October 31, 2024

Overview

In this Halloween special, Pablo Torre dispatches correspondents Amin Elhassan and Charlotte Wilder on a "talkumentary" assignment to investigate the legend of the Skirvin Hotel in Oklahoma City—the NBA’s most infamous haunted hotel. The team sets out to uncover whether the paranormal tales that have rattled elite athletes for years are rooted in reality, psychology, or clever small-market myth-making. The episode blends ghost stories, firsthand experiences, discussions with paranormal experts and NBA insiders, and some irreverent statistical analysis, all in the signature witty tone of Pablo Torre and friends.

Key Topics & Discussion Points

1. Setting the Scene: Costumes & Skepticism

[00:33–03:48]

• Halloween Recording Vibes: Pablo, Amin, and Charlotte kick off in costumes, with some banter underscoring how seriously (or not) they'll approach the ghost hunt.
• Pablo's Motivation:

  "I would love to see a ghost so that I could then believe fully with my intellectual capacity in God.” — Pablo ([03:23])

• Skepticism & Hope: All agree they’d like to see a ghost—both for the thrill and for existential proof—but acknowledge their rational minds tend to prevail.

2. The Legend of the Skirvin Hotel

[05:59–09:12]

• The Setting: The Skirvin is a 113-year-old, art deco hotel, central in NBA lore due to recurring supernatural claims.
• Skirvin’s Dark Tale: The legend centers around Effie—a housekeeper who, after being impregnated by the hotel’s founder and locked away to contain the scandal, allegedly jumped from the 10th floor with her baby, leading to ongoing hauntings.

3. NBA Ghost Stories: Firsthand and Secondhand

[09:12–10:22]

• Players’ Experiences:
  • Wesley Johnson: Bathtub mysteriously filled with water ([09:38])
  • Paul Pierce: Noises and phantom footsteps on the haunted 10th floor ([09:49])

    "If they're going to come in and get me, come get me." — Paul Pierce (as recounted by hosts, [10:09])

• Pablo’s Mission for Amin & Charlotte: To independently investigate and expense an overnight stay at the Skirvin—the “most irresponsible expense” for content’s sake.

4. Checking In: First Impressions & the Hotel's Response

[12:41–16:10]

• Hotel Aesthetic: Charlotte describes the Skirvin as “old gothic art deco, southern...majestic...but also creepy” ([13:06–13:09]).
• Subtle Haunting: Unlike other historic hotels, Skirvin avoids marketing its haunted reputation; management actively discourages ghost talk.
• Effie’s Room: The only unexplained object is the key to room 1015 (Effie’s room) framed on the wall, with no caption ([15:44]).

5. Paranormal Investigation: Consulting a Medium

[17:16–28:27]

• Enter Dave the Medium: Over Zoom, without knowing the specifics, Dave identifies:
  • Amin’s Room (next to Effie’s): "There's a portal area in that room...I do feel like there's somebody that jumped out a window, a long time ago." ([18:26-18:51])
  • Charlotte’s Room: Detects “saloon, cowboy, prostitute type… a murder… smell of tobacco and perfume.” ([20:07–21:49])
    • Both Charlotte and Amin corroborate a unique fragrance in the room.
• Charlotte’s Nerves:

  “I immediately FaceTimed my husband, made him stay on the phone with me while I brushed my teeth.” — Charlotte ([22:26])

• Medium’s Additional Prediction: One ghost is a prankster who turns on faucets ([25:04–26:09]); Amin had previously heard a similar story from an NBA coach.

6. Their Night at the Skirvin

[22:51–27:37]

• Night Experiences:
  • Amin has an unremarkable night but is intrigued by a mysterious morning noise (attempted to record it, sounded mechanical but unexplained) ([26:09–27:37]).
  • Charlotte is visibly frightened, dreams of being fired, hears dice rolling—later rationalizes it may be mundane noises above.
• Attempt to Contact Spirits: Charlotte tries welcoming the ghosts, and a refrigerator immediately starts buzzing ([28:27]).

7. A Third Witness: Adrian Chavaria’s Detailed Encounter

[29:16–31:41]

• Houston Rockets Broadcaster's Testimony:
  • Describes seeing a glowing female figure appearing at his bed after a late-night bathroom trip; the ghost floats face-to-face, inspects him, and disappears through the wall ([29:57–31:38]).

    “This ghost was literally on top of me, like, floating face to face. ... I guess I wasn’t her type because... she just moved towards my right and went through the wall.” — Adrian Chavaria ([30:27–31:21])

8. Investigating the "Haunted Home Advantage"

[32:33–38:13]

• OKC Thunder’s Home Record:
  • Since moving to Oklahoma, Thunder have the NBA’s 7th best home win percentage (64%).
• Historical Anecdotes:
  • Knicks (2010): Several players lost sleep to hauntings, reported appliances randomly on ([34:12–35:55])
    • “That hotel, I’ll never stay there ever again.” — Nate Robinson (via Amin’s texts, [35:42])
  • Lakers: Lou Williams refused to stay at the Skirvin; still led team in scoring next day ([36:28]).
  • Meta World Peace: Claimed ghosts "touched him all over." ([37:24])

    "I'm taking one of the ghosts to court for touching me in the wrong places." — Meta World Peace ([37:23–37:42])

• Pablo’s Skepticism: He notes teams were generally bad, so results may not be attributable to ghosts.

9. Psychology, Superstition, and “Contagion”

[38:13–41:02]

• Danny Green’s Perspective:

  “When something throws [athletes'] mental and routine off, it definitely has an effect... even if you don’t believe in it.” ([38:49])

  • The consensus: Stories and expectations prime athletes for a bad (or spooky) experience.

10. Closing Reflections: Is the Skirvin Actually Haunted?

[41:02–44:02]

• Charlotte: In the moment, felt terrified and convinced; in retrospect, attributes it to suggestibility and atmosphere:

  “It made me realize... you get into this mindset… It's more fun to believe.” ([41:02–42:07])

• Amin: Emphasizes the lack of other hotel options in OKC forced NBA players into shared stories; now that new hotels are available, “no one is having these issues” anymore ([42:46]).

11. Haunted Hotels: Beyond Basketball

[43:12–44:27]

• Wider Pro Athlete Lore: MLB players like Mookie Betts refuse to stay at Milwaukee’s Pfister Hotel due to hauntings ([43:41]).
• Thunder Security: Recounts mysterious bell ringing at Milwaukee’s Pfister ([44:02]).

12. The Small-Market Advantage & Witty Conclusion

[44:35–46:04]

• Pablo’s (Half-)Joke: Maybe struggling NBA franchises need their own haunted hotel to boost performance and intimidate opponents ([45:13]).
• Amin: “This is a small-market advantage. You can’t do that in New York... Memphis—you need a haunted hotel.” ([45:28])
• Grateful to Go—But Still Skeptical:

  “What I do genuinely believe is that the athletes who stay at these allegedly haunted hotels… are suffering negative consequences because of these ghosts… The way to save any other struggling franchise is to get your own haunted hotel.” — Pablo ([44:35])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Pablo Torre (on faith and ghosts):

  “I would love to see a ghost so that I could then believe fully with my intellectual capacity in God.” ([03:03])

• Amin Elhassan (on ghost logic):

  “If the theory is unfinished business, wouldn’t we be inundated with the ghosts of people who died in the Middle Passage, in the Holocaust…? And yet, it’s always old man Carruthers who lost his sweetheart.” ([05:18])

• Charlotte Wilder (on suggestibility):

  “It made me realize... you get into this mindset… It's more fun to believe.” ([41:02])

• Meta World Peace (quoted):

  “The ghosts were all over me… I’m taking one of the ghosts to court for touching me in the wrong places.” ([37:24])

• Adrian Chavaria (on his spine-chilling encounter):

  “This ghost was literally on top of me, like, floating face to face… I wasn’t her type.” ([30:27–31:21])

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Costumed Cold Open & Skepticism: [00:33–03:48]
• Skirvin Legend Explained: [05:59–09:12]
• NBA Player Testimonies: [09:12–10:22]
• First Impressions/Check-In: [12:41–16:10]
• Medium Zoom & Room Readings: [17:16–28:27]
• Overnight Experiences: [22:51–28:27]
• Adrian Chavaria's Account: [29:16–31:41]
• Statistical Case and NBA ‘Haunted’ History: [32:33–38:13]
• Psychological Explanations: [38:13–41:02]
• Personal Conclusions and Sign-Off: [41:02–46:04]

Tone & Style

Throughout, the episode delivers irreverent wit (“Father Time” and orca costumes), smart skepticism, and openness to the spooky and absurd—a blend of “hard” and “soft” reportage with the group’s signature humor.

TL;DR

Is the Skirvin haunted? The team experienced some chills, unexplained smells, and odd sounds, but found nothing conclusive—while realizing that the true haunting might be in the minds (and performance anxieties) of NBA players. Nevertheless, ghost stories persist, reinforcing small-market mystique and inspiring some of sports’ best locker-room tales.

“Happy Halloween. And if you’re struggling in the standings, maybe try booking a room for your next opponent... in the creepiest hotel in town.”