From Snoop Dogg to Lindsay Lohan, it seems like every famous person ever hosts a podcast. Ranging from celebrity gossip, life advice or an hour of shooting the breeze, the podcast genre has taken over modern culture. Podcasts allow people to get closer to their favorite celebrities, including athletes, and gain an inside viewership into some of the niche details of their lives. In case you missed it, New York Knicks stars Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart just started a show of their own called “The Roommates Show,” and in this article, I will be giving an honest take on the first episode and what listeners can expect for the future.
Many in the basketball community did not see this show coming, especially with the business nature of the game. However, Brunson and Hart are fan favorites and are set to rep blue and orange for the foreseeable future. Before coming to the Big Apple, the duo were teammates on the Villanova Wildcats for a pair of seasons, including the Wildcats’ 2016 March Madness run when they bested the UNC Tar Heels 77-74 in the championship. As the name of their podcast indicates, they were also college roommates. After both went to the NBA, they ended up on different teams for most of their careers until last season, when Hart got dealt to New York right before the trade deadline. Regardless, the two friends stayed in touch and shared many moments, whether on Villanova or Team USA in the FIBA World Cup, and the first installment of this show talked about this and more.
Some people cannot stand certain professional athletes. With the evolution of around-the-clock sports coverage and toxic social media pages, hating a professional athlete has never been easier. In fact, most sports talk shows make a living off critiquing professional athletes, whether for their performance on the court or a 10-second out-of-context clip. With the exception of postgame interviews, we rarely get the athlete’s perspective. It’s not hard to glaze over that and form conclusions without watching the game either. This was a theme that the duo discussed and was a prominent reason why they wanted to start their podcast in the first place; Brunson and Hart want people to get to know the real them, not just the version of them you see on TV.
“Only time you really ever see us is on the court or you see us, you know, doing postgame interviews. You never really see the people’s side of it,” Hart mentioned in the first episode of The Roommates Show. “I think we got a great friendship, great vibe. We want people to get to know us for us.”
While these serious themes were discussed, lighthearted humor was always sprinkled in, making the show much more enjoyable. For the more die-hard Knicks fans, there were also niche stories that gave it an edge over other podcasts. Apparently, you want to avoid playing cards with former Knicks forward Obi Toppin, as he cheats and will take all of your money. The duo also made it known that if you are ever in a fight, you should give 6-foot-7 Indiana Pacers power forward James Johnson a call. They also took time to respond to listeners’ questions and social media posts, which were often unrelated to basketball. This segment helped me see Brunson and Hart as regular people with regular problems and interests, which often gets lost by only seeing these professional athletes in action.
It also wouldn’t be a podcast without special guest appearances. Brooklyn Nets small forward Mikal Bridges came onto the show to reminisce with his former college and FIBA World Cup teammates, as well as poke fun at Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton’s awful taste in fashion. While it may not occur every episode, I wouldn’t be surprised if other athletes, not just basketball, were invited to the podcast for an episode.
Of course, a big storyline this season for New York was the front office’s decision to part ways with RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, which the duo took some time to address. Fans never consider the emotional aspect of the game. Imagine going to work for your shift only to find out that your favorite coworker got transferred to another country — that would suck. Brunson and Hart talked about how this trade affected them, both feeling emotional toward seeing their teammates shipped to Toronto. Hart relates to his former teammates’ situation in the sense that viewers don’t realize that players have little to no say in the matter; players have to pick up and move their lives to another city almost immediately. As heartless as it sounds, no pun intended (‘Hart-less’), both men know that the ultimate goal is to win a championship, and unfortunately, deals like this are a part of the game.
Overall, my review of “The Roommates Show” is a largely positive one. I was pleasantly surprised with how professionally produced it was. It was an easy listen, and when It was over, I couldn’t believe an hour had come and gone just like that. Brunson and Hart perfected the balance between seriousness and humor. “The Roommates Show” was relaxing to listen to, made me think about larger issues in sports and gave me a whole new perspective on my favorite players. I would recommend it to anyone who has the slightest interest in professional basketball or any sports fans seeking to get a quick laugh.