Bullseye with Jesse Thorn Folgen

Journalist and author Shea Serrano has covered basketball and pop culture for ESPN, XXL, Grantland, the Ringer and more. His first book, The Rap Yearbook, is a New York Times bestseller and a critical favorite. When we first talked with Serrano in 2017, he'd just followed it up with Basketball and Other Things, a book that is kind of like a written version of a late night party discussion with friends - with cool illustrations. Serrano covers topics like "great basketball villains" and "which NBA players get remembered for the wrong reasons?" He's since released Movies and Other Things - a similar book with movie rankings, hot takes and more ice breakers. This past month he expanded the illustrated series with another entry: Hip-Hop and Other Things. A version of this interview originally aired in October of 2017.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the greatest basketball players of all time: an NBA Hall of Famer, six-time MVP, 19-time All-Star, the master of the skyhook shot and a key part of the Showtime era Lakers. Since retiring from basketball, Abdul-Jabbar has written books, columns and even worked as a writer for Veronica Mars. When we talked with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar last year, he'd just narrated a documentary: Fight the Power: The Movements That Changed America. We'll revisit our conversation with the NBA legend. Kareem discusses playing alongside Magic Johnson, his roller disco days, and so much more. Plus, he shares why he was never able to play a game of Double Dutch as a kid. A version of this interview originally aired in June of 2021Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Bashir Salahuddin is a comedy actor and writer. Alongside his friend and longtime collaborator Diallo Riddle, he co-created the shows South Side and Sherman's Showcase. South Side is a very funny sitcom that follows the stories of everyday people living on Chicago's South Side. The other show they created is Sherman's Showcase. The show's sort of like a sketch show, but with a unique format that's comparable to a variety show. Bashir Salahuddin stops by Bullseye to talk about Sherman's Showcase, and shares how it draws inspiration from shows like Soul Train and The Muppet Show. He also talks about meeting Riddle while in an acapella group at Harvard. Plus, Bashir shares how casting real Chicagoans in South Side has helped make the series even more hilarious.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy