All The Smoke

Howard White has been Michael Jordan's right hand at Nike for over 40 years. As Vice President of Jordan Brand and the man Chris Tucker portrayed in Ben Affleck's Air, Howard has been in the room for every pivotal moment in sneaker history.
In this powerful sit-down with Matt Barnes, he tells the full story for the first time. From growing up in poverty in Hampton, Virginia to becoming the person who helped sign MJ to Nike (when Jordan wanted Adidas), Howard reveals the untold stories behind the Jordan 3 design conflict with Tinker Hatfield, the Mercedes-Benz analogy that saved Jordan Brand after retirement, and the moment Phil Knight told him "it's been a good run."
He also opens up about his battle with amyloidosis, his heart transplant in December 2020, and how MJ donated $1 million to establish the Howard H. White Center for Amyloidosis. Along the way, you'll hear never-before-told stories about MJ's competitive fire (cycling in Hawaii, ping pong obsession, staring at a blank TV before The Shot), Kobe telling Howard "I want to sit at the table with Mike," and the mother's wisdom that guided Howard through it all: "Even a dog can wag its tail when it passes you on the street."
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Oscars just wrapped, so we did what made sense: pulled the 20 craziest Hollywood stories from the All The Smoke archives and put them all in one place. Leonardo DiCaprio getting so deep in character on Django Unchained that it changed everything on set. Vince Vaughn actually slapping Snoop Dogg on Starsky & Hutch. Denzel ignoring RZA while quietly giving T.I. the confidence to become an actor. Charlie Sheen juicing for Major League. Tupac and Eazy-E almost starring in Menace II Society. Ryan Coogler breaking down what inspired Sinners. These are the Hollywood conversations nobody else is having
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

One of the most complete players to ever put on a uniform finally pulls up to All The Smoke Dugout, and Eric Davis does not disappoint. From growing up in South Central Los Angeles alongside his childhood best friend Darryl Strawberry, to navigating racism in the minor leagues, to becoming the highest paid player in the state of Ohio — E.D. takes us through a life that was anything but ordinary.

Eric gets brutally honest about Marge Schott, the most chaotic owner in baseball history, and how her racism became the fuel that drove him to demand a $3 million contract and deliver a World Series championship. He opens up about the real Pete Rose — not the headlines, but the man who showed up with $5,000 cash in a rubber band, ostrich cowboy boots, and more swag than anyone in that clubhouse expected. He breaks down what the steroid era actually looked like from inside the locker room and why the Hall of Fame has lost all credibility in his eyes.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vernon “Mad Max” Maxwell joins All The Smoke Unplugged for a hilarious NBA-heavy episode covering Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s MVP run, whether SGA is already better than prime James Harden, Luka Doncic’s revenge stretch with the Lakers, LeBron’s future in LA, Boston’s playoff ceiling, and Houston’s late-season struggles.
Mad Max also reacts to Bam’s controversial 83-point game passing Kobe’s mark, breaks down March Madness contenders, top NBA draft prospects like AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer, and sounds off in classic unfiltered fashion on everything from KD to college hoops chaos.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jon Wexler is one of the most influential figures in 21st century sneaker culture. Matt and Stak linked up with him during NBA All-Star weekend in LA to break down his legendary run at Adidas, how he recruited Kanye away from Nike, and what it was like working with young Kobe and T-Mac. We also got into Steph Curry's sneaker free agency, Anthony Edwards' rise in the shoe game, and where fashion is headed. This one is straight free game from one of the sharpest minds the industry has ever seen.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.