Short Corner: The NBA with Paul Shirley and Justin Halpern

We talk to the one and only Steve Nash about ending a career, whether sociopaths make good point guards, and why he's so serious these days.

Uber Successful NBA gambler Bob Voulgaris stops by and tries to convince us Mark Jackson is merely a normal sized bag of crap, versus the gigantic one we believe him to be.

Well known court-side Lakers fan Norm Pattiz gives his take on how the Buss family has let the Lakers slide into the abyss. Then a special guest who says he's Javier Bardem picks his NBA MVP's. Who just happen to all be from Spain.

Why is the NBA would be dumb enough to keep showcasing the disgustingness that is the Bulls, Knicks, and Lakers every Sunday. Also, what career will best suit Carmelo Anthony when he retires? Lastly, more trade deadline talk, and Paul tells the story about when Kareem Abdul Jabbar auditioned for him.

Why do people love to hate Russell Westbrook? Is Kyrie Irving worth anything, let alone a hundred million dollars? Why is no one talking about the guy who signed Jason Collins, Mikhail Prokhorov? Plus, Crushing the Inbox.

Why don't more teams do something before the trade deadline? Are the Miami Heat Gregg Popovich-ing the NBA? What's a diarrhea player?

We discuss the average NBA All Star's reaction to actually having to go to the All Star game. Then we fix All Star weekend, which isn't so difficult because All Star Weekend is terrible. Plus, a reader question about what makes certain sports stories explode in the media.

We're joined by television critic and New York Knicks fan Alan Sepinwall, with whom we discuss Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks' continued awfulness, and the likelihood that someone will ever (successfully) bring fictional sports to television. Plus, what's up with basketball players and illegitimate children?

It's midseason, which means it's time to hand out some awards. That's right, it's the Short Cornies. Categories include Worst Offseason Acquisition, Coach You'd Least Like to Have Pick You Up at the Airport, and the Bakersfield, given to the NBA's biggest disaster. (In honor of Bakersfield, CA, the worst city in the world.) Plus, the MVPOS, the Banana Republic All-Stars, and many more.

Joining the show for a day: Vince Mancini of Filmdrunk.com and Joe Sinclitico of a comedy club near you. We talked about the Golden State Warriors and rumors of relocation to San Francisco. Then, Kevin Durant and comparisons to Carmelo Anthony. Later, NBA shower scenes.

Esteemed sports economist and statistician David Berri joins the show and inspires all manner of discussion surrounding basketball player efficiency and basketball fan inefficiency.

Russell Westbrook AND Chris Paul are hurt. IS THIS THE END? Crushing The Inbox: Should Gregg Popovich be more thankful for Tim Duncan? Plus, the return of F**k That Guy.

Would the NBA be better with a shorter season? What's the deal with Andrew Bynum? Are any Eastern Conference also-rans worth thinking about?

A conversation about the Spurs devolves into a discussion of sportsmanship and its place in today's NBA. An explanation of the Bulls' Gar Forman. And Jason Collins, half a year later.

The season's first guest! Matt Ufford of SBNation joins the show to discuss the poopnado that is the Brooklyn Nets. Plus, Kobe Bryant is back, Rudy Gay got traded - inspiring Paul and Justin to pick their favorite franchise-destroying contracts - and a listener defends Akron, Ohio. (70 min.)