Chris Haynes on "Inside the NBA," cultivating relationships in media, LeBron James, and more

Awful Announcing Podcast

Host Brandon Contes interviews TNT and Bleacher Report NBA insider Chris Haynes. Brandon and Chris discuss a wide range of topics including the future of the NBA on TNT and how the "Inside the NBA" guys are, being a local beat reporter and cultivating relationships, how LeBron James had a part in getting him a national reporting job, and more.

For even more discussion, head over to awfulannouncing.com and follow us on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, Threads, LinkedIn, TikTok, Bluesky, and YouTube: @awfulannouncing.

-:36: Second appearance on the podcast

-1:54: Chris Hayes

-3:28: Charles Barkley staying with TNT

-5:33: Where was Chris when Barkley made his retirement announcement?

-7:21: Discussion off camera after the announcement

-9:01: Getting to know the “Inside the NBA” crew

-12:21: Chris making sideline reporting role his own

-15:31: Toughest person to interview

-16:43: What makes “Inside the NBA” so special?

-20:03: What to expect in final year of “Inside the NBA” with the NBA on TNT

-21:09: Chris’ status with TNT

-22:15: Being an independent insider

-23:20: Being a local reporter

-28:30: Chris’ media origin story

-32:26: Odds being stacked against Chris starting out

-37:50: Being perceived by other writers when starting out

-42:58: Building relationships and trust

-46:29: Going to cover Cleveland Cavs when LeBron James came back

-48:35: Trying to build a relationship with LeBron

-53:35: Is it more important to cultivate relationship with players, teams/GM’s, or agents in terms of info gathering?

-54:07: Difference between being a reporter and being an insider in terms of relationships

-56:39: Being in competition with Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania?

-57:58: How Chris gets the stories he breaks?

-1:02:05: How much does Chris report?

-1:04:01: Wildest report that Chris reported

-1:06:25: Being on “Undisputed”

-1:10:53: Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe off camera

-1:13:08: Importance of breaking news

-1:18:26: “Doc Rivers to Milwaukee Bucks” CNN Sports report

-1:22:10: Report Chris is least proud of and most proud of

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