The New Twenty Four

Gavriel Wilkins, Torrence Stagger
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Basketball
  • Updated Weekly

The New Twenty Four (TNTF) is an hour-long hoops podcast hosted by writer Gavriel Wilkins & artist Torrence Stagger, where the two friends, Windy City natives and purveyors of game link up each week throughout the course of the NBA season to discuss the latest news & storylines to take shape across The Association. Feel free to like, share or subscribe to The New Twenty Four's official RSS feed at the following link below to make sure you don't miss a single episode: rss.com/podcasts/TNTF Available for listening across all major podcasting platforms. For any information or news regarding future episodes, feel free to follow the official social media accounts for The New Twenty Four on IG and Twitter/X (@TNTF_). Or reach out via e-mail for inquiries at tntfpod@gmail com.

  1. 6d ago

    TNTF Presents The 32nd Team: Ep. 5 - "Opening Up The Doors"

    If Seattle represents unfinished business and Las Vegas represents the NBA's newest frontier, the race for the league's next franchise doesn't end with either city. In Part Five of The 32nd Team, Gavriel Wilkins and Torrence Stagger widen the NBA expansion conversation by examining several North American markets with compelling cases of their own. Some possess deep pro basketball histories. Others have never received an opportunity. And as the possibility of a 32-team NBA draws closer, each presents its own combination of potential, tradition and unanswered questions. The convo begins in Tennessee, where Memphis has represented the NBA for more than two decades while Nashville continues emerging as one of America's fastest-growing metropolitan areas. Gavriel and Torrence discuss why Memphis remains an important NBA market, whether Nashville's growth and economic appeal translate into a legitimate basketball market and, ultimately, whether Tennessee could realistically support two NBA franchises. From there, the focus shifts to one of America's great basketball hotbeds: Kentucky. Despite generations of basketball tradition & the championship legacy of the ABA's Kentucky Colonels, the state has never hosted an NBA franchise. Could Louisville's passion for the game translate successfully to the professional level? How much should the Colonels' history matter today? And what continues to stand between Louisville and the NBA? Gavriel and Torrence then head west to examine two Missouri cities with their own professional basketball histories. Kansas City hasn't hosted an NBA franchise since the Kings departed in 1985, but a modern downtown arena and passionate sports culture raise the question of whether the city deserves another chance. Meanwhile, St. Louis' history stretches from the Bombers and Hawks to the ABA's Spirits of St. Louis—yet the market has remained largely absent from modern NBA expansion discussions. Why have both cities spent decades outside the league, and could either provide a compelling home for professional basketball today? Nashville. Louisville. Kansas City. St. Louis. Four markets. Four different cases. And only so many opportunities available as the NBA considers what its next chapter could look like. But before The 32nd Team reaches its conclusion, one final conversation remains — because the future of NBA expansion may extend well beyond the candidates we've examined thus far. Follow The New Twenty Four across social media on IG and Twitter/X (@TNTF_).

    TNTF Presents The 32nd Team: Ep. 5 - "Opening Up The Doors"

  2. Sep 8

    TNTF Presents The 32nd Team: Ep. 4 - "Have Our Own Residency"

    For nearly two decades, Seattle has waited for the NBA to return. During that same period, Las Vegas has transformed itself into one of the fastest-growing and most prominent sports markets in America. In Part Four of The 32nd Team, Gavriel Wilkins and Torrence Stagger examine two cities that have become central to the conversation surrounding the NBA's next era of expansion. The discussion begins in Seattle, where the SuperSonics may have disappeared in 2008, but the city's passion for basketball never did. From a dedicated fan base and corporate support to the arrival of Climate Pledge Arena, Gavriel and Torrence discuss why Seattle's remained relevant in NBA circles and whether nearly two decades of waiting has helped make their case for another franchise stronger than ever. The conversation also revisits Seattle's unusual role throughout the 2010s decade as a potential destination whenever teams such as Sacramento, Milwaukee & the LA Clippers encountered arena uncertainty. Why did the Emerald City become the NBA's unofficial relocation fallback —and how much did the threat of Seattle help other markets secure the facilities necessary to keep their own teams? Then, the focus shifts to Las Vegas. From UNLV, NBA Summer League and the 2007 All-Star Game to the NBA Cup and the arrival of major professional sports throughout the city, Gavriel and Torrence examine how Las Vegas evolved from an occasional basketball destination into a market increasingly viewed as capable of supporting an NBA franchise of its own. They also weigh the qualities that make Vegas attractive against the questions that remain surrounding local support, an increasingly crowded sports landscape and the sustainability of an 82-game NBA season. With Seattle seemingly positioned at the front of the expansion line, a much larger question begins to emerge: If the Emerald City ultimately becomes home to the NBA's 31st franchise, which market should receive No. 32? And what should matter most when the league makes that decision—geography, market size, television reach, international growth or something else entirely? Seattle has waited. Las Vegas has emerged. Now, the search for The 32nd Team truly begins. Follow The New Twenty Four across social media on IG and Twitter/X (@TNTF_).

    TNTF Presents The 32nd Team: Ep. 4 - "Have Our Own Residency"

  3. Sep 1

    TNTF Presents The 32nd Team: Ep. 3 - "An Opportunity To Audition"

    For two seasons, Oklahoma City unknowingly served as the NBA's audition stage. What began as a temporary solution following Hurricane Katrina ultimately proved that professional basketball could thrive in a market few had previously considered for an NBA franchise. Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away, one of the league's most historic basketball cities was fighting to keep the team it already had. In Part Three of The 32nd Team, Gavriel Wilkins & Torrence Stagger examine the circumstances that transformed Oklahoma City from the temporary home of the New Orleans Hornets into a permanent NBA market. The conversation explores how the city went about embracing the displaced franchise, the role Chris Paul's emergence played in strengthening Oklahoma City's basketball culture and whether those two seasons permanently changed how the NBA viewed the market. At the same time, trouble was brewing in Seattle. as the two friends revisit the arena concerns, ownership frustrations and political disagreements surrounding the SuperSonics during the late aughts before Howard Schultz ended up selling the organization to an ownership group led by Oklahoma businessman Clay Bennett. Was Seattle already on unstable ground before the sale? Could the city have done more to prevent what followed? And at what point did relocation become inevitable? The discussion then shifts to examine the settlement that sent the franchise to Oklahoma City, the significance of leaving the SuperSonics' name and championship history behind in Seattle, and the complicated emotions surrounding a move that simultaneously fulfilled one city's NBA aspirations while devastating another. Nearly two decades later, Gavriel and Torrence consider whether time has changed how the relocation should be viewed—and whether both fan bases can be justified in how they remember it. The Thunder's arrival marked the beginning of a new era in Oklahoma City. But even after the SuperSonics disappeared from the court, Seattle never stopped fighting for another opportunity. Oklahoma City's wait was over. Seattle's was just beginning. Follow The New Twenty Four across social media on IG and Twitter/X (@TNTF_).

    TNTF Presents The 32nd Team: Ep. 3 - "An Opportunity To Audition"

  4. Aug 25

    TNTF Presents The 32nd Team: Ep. 2 - "Relocation"

    Expansion brought NBA basketball to new markets throughout North America. But establishing a franchise and sustaining one proved to be two entirely different challenges. In Part Two of The 32nd Team, Gavriel Wilkins and Torrence Stagger examine the period where relocation began to reshape the league's landscape, raising multiple questions surrounding when moving a franchise becomes necessary. While also discussing how much responsibility falls upon ownership, the market and the NBA itself in times when professional basketball fails to survive in a city. The conversation begins north of the border with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as the duo looks back on the combination of circumstances that contributed to the franchise departing Canada for Memphis just six years after its inception. From ownership instability and attendance struggles to the problems with the Canadian dollar, restrictive expansion rules and difficulties attracting talent. Including whether the franchise could have survived under different circumstances. From there, the focus shifts back to Charlotte, a market that once appeared to be one of the NBA's greatest expansion success stories before deteriorating relationships combined with declining attendance and an increasingly unpopular ownership group culminated in the original Hornets departing for New Orleans. As Gavriel & Torrence examine how Charlotte lost its team, why the NBA moved quickly to give the Queen City another chance with the expansion Bobcats and the challenge of creating a new identity in a market that had already fallen in love with another. Then, one of the most devastating natural disasters in American history unexpectedly alters the NBA's trajectory. Following Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans Hornets become a temporarily displaced franchise that is bought in by Oklahoma City, introducing professional basketball to a market that had never previously called an NBA franchise its own. While a rookie point guard in Chris Paul begins to emerge as one of the league's brightest young talents, as Oklahoma City embraces the displaced Hornets and quietly begins proving that the city may be capable of supporting an NBA team on a permanent basis. Follow The New Twenty Four across social media on IG and Twitter/X (@TNTF_).

    TNTF Presents The 32nd Team: Ep. 2 - "Relocation"

  5. Aug 18

    TNTF Presents The 32nd Team: Ep. 1 - "New Markets To Thrive"

    Thirty teams currently make up the NBA today. Soon, there could be thirty-two. As the league prepares for what could become its next era of expansion, Gavriel Wilkins and Torrence Stagger turn back the clock on The 32nd Team, an exclusive series from The New Twenty Four chronicling the history of NBA expansion, the decisions that shaped the league's map and the markets that could ultimately become part of its future. In Part One, Gavriel and Torrence examine the state of the NBA entering the 1980s and why the decade created the perfect environment for the league to begin thinking bigger. The discussion explores Dallas becoming the NBA's 23rd franchise, what the Mavericks' arrival meant for future expansion and why Miami, Charlotte, Orlando and Minnesota were ultimately chosen to serve as hubs for new organizations as the league grew from 23 to 27 teams during the latter portion of the decade. The conversation also examines the role that Michael Jordan's rise to superstardom played in accelerating the NBA's national and global popularity before turning the clock forward to 1995, when Toronto and Vancouver officially brought the league north of the border. Sharing their own reasonings as to why Canada finally ready for NBA basketball and more. And after an era defined by unprecedented growth, what happens when expansion doesn't unfold according to plan? From Dallas opening the door to the league eventually reaching 29 franchises across the United States and Canada, the opening episode of The 32nd Team sets the foundation for a story that would soon become just as much about relocation as expansion. Follow The New Twenty Four across social media on IG and Twitter/X (@TNTF_).

    TNTF Presents The 32nd Team: Ep. 1 - "New Markets To Thrive"

  6. Aug 13

    TNTF Presents Second Chance Points - "STAT Made"

    Before the injuries began to take their toll, there was a time when few frontcourt players in basketball were more explosive than Amar'e Stoudemire. With Stoudemire preparing to take his rightful place in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, Gavriel Wilkins and Torrence Stagger turn back the clock on Second Chance Points to reflect on the 14-year NBA career of the man known simply as STAT. From his emergence as one of the NBA's brightest young stars in Phoenix to becoming a key centerpiece of the revolutionary Seven Seconds or Less Suns, the two discuss what made Stoudemire such a dominant force at his peak, his chemistry alongside Steve Nash and the numerous playoff battles and what-ifs that continue to define that era of Suns basketball. Before taking a moment to revisit his remarkable return from microfracture surgery, whether Phoenix missed its best opportunity to capture a championship in 2007 and just how differently Stoudemire's career could have unfolded had his body held up. The conversation also examines the impact Stoudemire made upon arriving in New York, how injuries ultimately altered the trajectory of his time with the Knicks and whether his shortened prime has caused his greatness to become overlooked with time. As Gave and Torrence reflect back on their favorite STAT moments before prior to sharing their thoughts on how basketball history should remember him as he officially takes his place among the game's immortals in Springfield. Six-time All-Star. Five-time All-NBA selection. Rookie of the Year. And now, Hall of Famer. STAT made his mark. Now it's time to remember how he did it. Follow The New Twenty Four across social media on IG and Twitter/X (@TNTF_).

    TNTF Presents Second Chance Points - "STAT Made"

  7. Aug 11

    TNTF Presents Passing The Torch: Ep. 6 - "One Nation Under A Hoop"

    After six episodes, dozens of candidates and debates spanning every position on the floor, the time has finally come to put it all together. In the sixth and final installment of Passing The Torch, Gavriel Wilkins and Torrence Stagger turn their attention to the centers competing for an opportunity to anchor Team USA at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. From two-time Olympic gold medalist Bam Adebayo to Evan Mobley and Jalen Duren, the duo examines which big men possess the combination of rim protection, rebounding, defensive versatility and offensive skill necessary to thrive on the international stage. The conversation also turns toward the next wave of American big men, including Walker Kessler, Dereck Lively II, Kyle Filipowski and Thomas Sorber, and share why Donovan Clingan could emerge as a fascinating dark-horse candidate capable of forcing his way on the Olympic roster. With the evolution of positionless basketball continuing to reshape the sport, how many true centers does Team USA actually need — and which skill sets truly matter the most when constructing a roster built to win gold? Then comes the moment the entire series has been building toward. With every position officially accounted for, Gavriel and Torrence bring the six-part journey to its ultimate conclusion by unveiling the 12-man rosters they believe should represent the United States at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Followed by examining the toughest cuts, biggest omissions and difficult decisions that come with narrowing one of the deepest pools of American basketball talent down to just 12 names. Six episodes. Every position. Twelve spots. The final decisions. Follow The New Twenty Four across social media on IG and Twitter/X (@TNTF_).

    TNTF Presents Passing The Torch: Ep. 6 - "One Nation Under A Hoop"

  8. Aug 4

    TNTF Presents Passing The Torch: Ep. 5 - "A Mark Unreachable"

    As the road to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles continues, Gavriel Wilkins and Torrence Stagger turn their attention to the players who will anchor Team USA's frontcourt. In Part Five of Passing The Torch, the duo examines the evolution of the modern power forward before discussing one of the biggest questions surrounding the next Olympic cycle: Should Kevin Durant be viewed as a virtual lock to pursue an unprecedented fifth Olympic gold medal, or is Team USA preparing to pass the torch to the next generation? From Paolo Banchero, Jaren Jackson Jr., Zion Williamson and Chet Holmgren to Jabari Smith Jr., Keegan Murray and Aaron Gordon, the duo evaluates the collection of players best equipped to complement Team USA's established core while continuing to construct the 12-man roster they believe will represent the United States on home soil in Los Angeles. While also continuing to highlight the importance of versatility, rim protection, floor spacing and role acceptance when building a championship-caliber frontcourt. With only one position remaining before unveiling their complete projected Olympic roster, the conversation surrounding Team USA is beginning to take shape. Follow The New Twenty Four across social media on IG and Twitter/X (@TNTF_).

    TNTF Presents Passing The Torch: Ep. 5 - "A Mark Unreachable"
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Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

The New Twenty Four (TNTF) is an hour-long hoops podcast hosted by writer Gavriel Wilkins & artist Torrence Stagger, where the two friends, Windy City natives and purveyors of game link up each week throughout the course of the NBA season to discuss the latest news & storylines to take shape across The Association. Feel free to like, share or subscribe to The New Twenty Four's official RSS feed at the following link below to make sure you don't miss a single episode: rss.com/podcasts/TNTF Available for listening across all major podcasting platforms. For any information or news regarding future episodes, feel free to follow the official social media accounts for The New Twenty Four on IG and Twitter/X (@TNTF_). Or reach out via e-mail for inquiries at tntfpod@gmail com.

Information

  • Creator
    Gavriel Wilkins, Torrence Stagger
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    134
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    The New Twenty Four

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