Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas has been very active on social media lately, regularly commenting on the current trends in the NBA. In a recent X post, he gave props to Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson for their incredible work in the podcasting world. On his Instagram stories, Thomas gave a shout-out to the former NBA champions for leaving a significant imprint with their All The Smoke podcast.
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The former Pistons superstar shared an Insta post from All the Smoke on his stories, which featured the Kirkus Review magazine’s review of the duo’s upcoming book, “All the Smoke: All the Stars, All the Stories, No Apologies”. The magazine argued that the two retired athletes have stood out as hosts amidst several other podcasts by former players.
As per Kirkus Review, their body of work is indeed worthy of a coffee table book, which is a pictorial compilation that fuels conversation between people.
A section of the review reads, “Not every sports programme deserves a coffee table book, but in this instance, NBA legends turned hosts Jackson and Barnes prove they are exception rather than the norm.”
The official Instagram handle of the ATS pod acknowledged the rave review, which Thomas shared on his Instagram story.
Isiah Thomas gives a shoutout to All The Smoke podcast 🙌🏻 pic.twitter.com/Vwq950vq02
— Ballerz Worldwide (@ballaznba) September 1, 2024
The All The Smoke book is expected to hit the market on October 8. The pre-release review by Kirkus Magazine gave a brief outline of the upcoming book. It terms it as a “A lively peek into the room where it happens.”
The book gives an in-depth look at the guests who have graced the ATS pod. It has bios and pictures of the guests along with their memorable quotes on the show. This provides the reader with a solidly built context and expands their knowledge on the same.
The magazine revealed that one of its chapters focus exclusively on Kobe Bryant, which is bound to touch the heart of many readers. Apart from that, both the pod hosts have also chronicled their on-the-court and off-the-court adventures.
A chapter focuses on Jackson and Barnes being unapologetic marijuana users while shedding light on its normalization in the league. But it doesn’t just solely focus upon basketball. Subjects like mental health, parenthood, and hip-hop have also found ample space.
The fact that the book is already earning critical acclaim from an almost century-old magazine speaks volumes about the success of the ATS podcast.
This book can also pave way for renowned NBA athletes-turned-podcasters like Paul George and Jeff Teague to compile a work of their own along similar lines.
