This week: throughlines of the pod, class of 1987, He Got Healthy, Mamba work ethic with Bron talent, academy kids, big man on campus, running on one leg, Shaq’tin the WNBA, the wheels fall off NZ rugby (you hate to see it), kids are Messi, Australia’s WT20 weight of expectation, childcare is expensive, live from Cuckfield, an outlier in a sport of outliers, the last spot in the west, our Presti for GM of the year shout sounded better before the Thunder lost by 47 to Giannis, Mike Conley is still owed a lot of money, the Sun goes down, front office by podcast, on Brand, failed statements, CYA, Lakers East vs Bucks West, the season of I don’t believe in you, punishing homers, the second best player in the east, brain-exploding Rockets, managing your load, rejected narratives, compound interest, dormant seeds, significant drug issues, ‘some people have said [ridiculous take you can’t defend saying yourself]’, incredibly patronising and really stupid, Everton’s worst nightmare, Liverpool’s victory lap, limping into El Clasico, everyone is flawed, and many splashy returns. Get more BALLS and After Dark in your ears via Omny Studio, Spotify and Apple Podcasts (make sure to subscribe, rate and review), and feel free to hurl your reckons at us via Twitter, Facebook and email.