Basketball, Etc.

Mascots have become a quintessential part of most NBA arena experiences— but who are the mysterious people behind the oversized suits? And why do they choose the anonymous mascot life? Intrepid culture reporter Eve Peyser dove deep into mascot lore and even shadowed an NBA mascot to get some answers… And what she found has more profundity than you’d ever expect.
Special thanks to: Walt Scher, Douglas Fur, Hudson Hongo, and Josh Lay

Eve Peyser’s website
https://evepeyser.com/index.html

Eve’s Twitter
https://x.com/evepeyser

Claire de Lune
https://x.com/ClaireMPLS
https://www.instagram.com/clairempls/
https://www.theguardian.com/profile/claire-de-lune

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Basketball, Etc.: FS1’s First Things First and the What’s Wright podcast’s Nick Wright, one of the brightest and most noteworthy voices in sports media today, joins Claire to talk about a mutual favorite subject of analysis: LeBron James. Nick has selected 23 defining moments from the first 23 years of LeBron’s staggering career, and he breaks them down with Claire in enlightening fashion.

Nick’s Television show, First Things First
https://www.youtube.com/firstthingsfirst

Nick’s Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whats-wright-with-nick-wright/id1612694726

Nick’s Twitter:
https://x.com/getnickwright

Claire de Lune
https://x.com/ClaireMPLS
https://www.instagram.com/clairempls/
https://www.theguardian.com/profile/claire-de-lune
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Multi-talented musician Flea (whose new solo album of jazz trumpet music, Honora, is out now), is obviously most famous for his work as the bassist for multi-time platinum, Grammy award winning band Red Hot Chili Peppers. But he’s also one of the most ubiquitous basketball fans on the planet, often found courtside as a true ride-or-die Laker fan. In a fascinating and wide-reaching conversation, he talks to host Claire de Lune about everything from Kobe Bryant to the flow state.

Flea
https://x.com/flea333
https://www.instagram.com/flea333/

Flea’s latest record Honora:
https://open.spotify.com/album/4RsSlnwkUAvEtg0Tk86HnM
https://music.apple.com/us/album/honora/1861644307

Claire de Lune
https://x.com/ClaireMPLS
https://www.instagram.com/clairempls/
https://www.theguardian.com/profile/claire-de-lune
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when the losing team you’ve been loyal to since childhood starts actually winning? Before the New York Knicks went on their storybook Championship run of domination through the 2026 NBA Playoffs, host Claire de Lune went to New York City to talk to one of the most high profile (and funniest) Knicks fans, comedian and late night television host Desus Nice, to find out why it can feel like an identity crisis when your favorite team’s Ls start turning into Ws.

Desus Nice https://x.com/desusnice https://www.instagram.com/desusnice
Desus Pieces on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@DesusPieces
Claire de Lune
https://x.com/ClaireMPLS
https://www.instagram.com/clairempls/
https://www.theguardian.com/profile/claire-de-lune
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Have you ever watched a professional basketball player take a free throw? Have you noticed that it seems like they’re….meditating? In the first episode of Basketball, Etc., host Claire de Lune talks to a variety of experts and thought leaders in the field to find out how often basketball players are really practicing meditation and mindfulness, both on purpose and by accident, and makes some surprising discoveries along the way.

George Mumford https://georgemumford.com/
The Mindful Athlete book https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1941529062/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1941529062&linkCode=as2&tag=parapres-20&linkId=723WXOY3NUPSTXXN
Hakim Tafari https://www.instagram.com/hakstao/?hl=en
Stefan Duvivier https://www.instagram.com/airduvi/?hl=en
Claire de Lune
https://x.com/ClaireMPLS
https://www.instagram.com/clairempls/
https://www.theguardian.com/profile/claire-de-lune
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.