Book Club 020 [NBA] Peaks and Valleys

Book Club 020 [NBA] Peaks and Valleys

Season 2 Episode 02 - West Conference Finals 2026 🎙️ Welcome to another meeting of Book Club, where the books aren’t novels, and the club is just you and two dudes called Nic(k). 📚 Season 2 continues with the first Book of the new era. After reopening the club in Episode 019, Nicky G and Nicko jump straight into the 2026 Western Conference Finals, as the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder the rising San Antonio Spurs. 🏀 2026 Western Conference Finals, Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio SpursThe Thunder arrive as the reigning champs, led by back-to-back league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, and one of the deepest young cores in the league. Waiting for them are the Spurs, unanimous DPOY Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and a team that looks ready to drag the NBA timeline forward by force. We go game by game through a seven-game Western Conference classic, from Wemby’s monster Game 1, to OKC’s championship response, a series that constantly went back and forth, to San Antonio forcing Game 7 and winning the West on the road. ⚔️ The Flame of the WestWemby vs Chet. Shai vs the Spurs machine. Thunder dynasty dreams vs the Spurs prophecy arriving early. We talk through the key performances, turning points, tactics, MVP, MVPooS, and whether this series was the official beginning of the Wembanyama era. 🗓️ Next Meeting ⚽ Football: 2026 Champions League Final and Road to the Final We’ll look back at the biggest club match in Europe, how both teams got there, and where the final sits in the modern Champions League story. 📬 Got feedback, homework suggestions, or want to tell us why our Wemby takes are too dramatic?Hit us up at contact@fellowshipbookclub.com

Book Club 019 [Repilot] Return of the Kings

Season 2 Episode 01 🎙️ Welcome back to another meeting of Book Club, where the books aren’t novels, and the club is still just you and two dudes called Nic(k).  📚 Season 2 begins here. After almost exactly a year away, Nicky G and Nicko return for a new era of Book Club: back in New Zealand, recording in person, weekly meetings, and cracking open one book at a time. Join us for a re-pilot, a comeback, a catch-up, and a reset before the first proper Book of the new season drops tomorrow.  ⚽ Premier League 2025/26 Arsenal are champions. Manchester City win the cups but lose the crown, while Pep abdicates. Liverpool’s title defence falls apart. And Manchester United produce one of the most bipolar seasons imaginable: Amorim out, Carrick in, and Champions League football restored.  We recap the season, settle the long-awaited Book Club Premier League bet, talk through the FA Cup, Carabao Cup and Community Shield, and give the full United fan therapy session from early-season chaos to Carrickball hope.  🏆 Football Catch-Up: Cups, Scandals & World Cup Drama. We also talk Pep’s looming exit, England’s World Cup squad selections, and like everyone else, we chat Tim Payne.  🗓️ Tomorrow’s Meeting  🏀 NBA: 2026 Western Conference Finals, Oklahoma City Thunder vs. San Antonio Spurs  The birth of a dynasty or is the future now old man? 📬 Got feedback, homework suggestions, or want to tell us why our football takes are wrong? Hit us up at contact@fellowshipbookclub.com

Book Club 018 - Something Something Final Hurdle

🎙️ Welcome to another meeting of Book Club - where the books aren’t novels, and the club is just you and two dudes called Nic(k). 📚 Join us this week as we crack open three new books and rant about subscriptions, spatial awareness, and all the other things we think should be illegal.   🏀 ⁠2025 NBA Finals: New Champions⁠ [05/06/2025 - 22/06/2025] Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren look to cap off one of the greatest regular seasons of all time and finally bring a championship to the Oklahoma City Thunder. But who’s standing in their way? Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam, and the Indiana Pacers on the back of one the historic playoff runs in NBA history. This one has it all as we enjoy the first 7-game Finals series since 2016, and watch a franchise win their first chip.   🎧 History of Hip-Hop: ⁠Midnight Marauders [https://open.spotify.com/album/4v5x3Oo3UjQ9YmF3hRAip5?si=gYQKfXTdRXSBBzuYMQFzkg] - A Tribe Called Quest [09/11/1993] We take a stroll down the electric relaxation of one of the smoothest, smartest, and most beloved albums in the history of rap. Tribe’s 3rd album caps off one of the great runs in the annals hip-hop. We go track-by-track, decode standout lines, and appreciate why this one still lives on over 2 decades later.   🔥 Today in Hip-Hop: Joey Bada$$ vs. The West [https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEyRBKSUDLWH_QoBBjWRkNFhGIqrNBTF6&si=lvSr8wkfsuNhM9QK] [01/01/2025 - 22/05/2025] The Brooklyn MC fires shots westward... and the West shall answer. We recap the 2025 JoeyBada$$ beef that dragged in Ray Vaugh, Daylyt, Reason, Ab Soul, and every other rapper trying to make a name for themselves. Who said what, when, and how? What started it? And where do things stand now? Get ready for bars, breakdowns, and Book Club court rulings. We break down an abridged version of the beef, but you can find the whole list of curated tracks here: JoeyBada$$ vs. Everyone [https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEyRBKSUDLWGafddvJ8fVfoAEoO-jfT8Q&si=5pZCwvZaGV6hGlc3]   🗓️ Next Meeting: Homework        HOHH: Doggy Style [https://open.spotify.com/album/5IFOummNcGXY3qCBWRchqP?si=E2uuCjY1QgCwAMOLnIQaRA] - Snoop Dogg [23/11/1993]  TIHH: Auditorium [https://youtu.be/kSQEGE8gKj4?si=LD6TLqLSxDlQ1xq2] - Mos Def feat. Slick Rick [09/06/2009] Victory [https://open.spotify.com/album/5S7fMBF2TiKtLPKgVVAARB?si=ok9n-AerSCyCeQEs0ynzsA] - Slick Rick [13/06/2025] NBA: 2020 Finals [https://www.nba.com/watch/list/collection/nba-finals-2020] - Los Angeles Lakers vs. Miami Heat [30/09/2020 - 11/10/2020]   🎶 Want to follow along with us?        Follow along with our run-through of the ⁠History of Hip Hop⁠ [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GQlU2npVlaoQ6LCrjQsw5GC6o2zNi-O6Dgtd6d_7y88/edit?usp=sharing] Check out our Spotify playlists: ⁠History of Hip Hop 1990-1994⁠ [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1Bn8SZre7kNpIZoXMK3dcO?si=1x1R6BNZSgG30NABAaCZtA]  ⁠Today in Hip Hop 2025⁠ [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/38zSskTSxhqUzIqaO6Dz8B?si=0SS7t6YKQf6Q_5YHYIl0tw]   📬 Got feedback or homework suggestions? We’d love to hear from you! Hit us up at ⁠contact@fellowshipbookclub.com [contact@fellowshipbookclub.com]

Book Club 017 - Something Something War of Attrition | 2019 NBA Finals | Wu-Tang Double Header

🎙️ Welcome to another meeting of Book Club - where the books aren’t novels, and the club is just you and two dudes called Nic(k).📚 Join us this week as we crack open three new books, talk football heartbreak, the AI Revolution, as well as our usual tangents and shenanigans. 🏀 2019 NBA Finals: The fall of a dynasty [https://www.nba.com/watch/list/collection/nba-finals-2019-2] [31/05/2019-14/06/2019]Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Kevin Durant lead the Golden State Warriors into their fifth straight Finals appearance, but face a new challenger: Kawhi Leonard, Pascal Siakam, Serge Ibaka, and the hungry Toronto Raptors, making their first-ever NBA Finals appearance as a franchise.This one’s got injuries, iconic moments, the end of an era, and one burning question; is basketball coming home? 🎧 History of Hip-Hop: Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) [https://open.spotify.com/album/3tQd5mwBtVyxCoEo4htGAV?si=x_LKeSN2TVmmBFknx9iWyA][09/11/1993]We revisit one of the greatest Hip-Hop albums of all time. From Shaolin to your stereo, this 1993 masterpiece by RZA, GZA, Method Man, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa changed the game forever.We go track-by-track, bar-by-bar, Wu-Tang-style. 🔥 Today in Hip-Hop: Wu-Tang Clan - Black Samson, the Bastard Swordsman [https://open.spotify.com/album/7IpGJ5LBqdGNAFEHVcbDZQ?si=GmIbXoLrRh-MuLXaGcnSSA] [12/04/2025]Fast-forward 32 years to Wu-Tang’s newest release with Mathematics on production. We talk evolution, sound, and whether the Clan still reigns in the new era. Check out Dissect Podcast’s breakdown of Kendrick's Super Bowl Show [https://open.spotify.com/episode/3Nkt0o72vyDTUDp1BOUo3Q?si=EY92hh79TqCB92iyaROkdA] as we briefly mention it in this episode. 🗓️ Next Meeting: Homework        HOHH: A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders [https://open.spotify.com/album/4v5x3Oo3UjQ9YmF3hRAip5?si=FfW_D6uNQteWCiBFeT6ntQ] [09/11/1993]  TIHH: ⁠Joey Bada$$ vs. The World [https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEyRBKSUDLWGafddvJ8fVfoAEoO-jfT8Q&si=HG7jEsmmi9vKftKa] - shots fired from both coasts      NBA: We take a break from our regular scheduled programming to bring you breaking news: a live watch of the 2025 NBA Finals as the Indiana Pacers take on the first seed Oklahoma City Thunder. We witness history as a franchise will win their first ever NBA championship. 🎶 Want to follow along with us?        Follow along with our run-through of the History of Hip Hop [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GQlU2npVlaoQ6LCrjQsw5GC6o2zNi-O6Dgtd6d_7y88/edit?usp=sharing] Check out our Spotify playlists: History of Hip Hop 1990-1994 [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1Bn8SZre7kNpIZoXMK3dcO?si=1x1R6BNZSgG30NABAaCZtA]  Today in Hip Hop 2025 [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/38zSskTSxhqUzIqaO6Dz8B?si=0SS7t6YKQf6Q_5YHYIl0tw] 📬 Got feedback or homework suggestions?We’d love to hear from you! Hit us up at contact@fellowshipbookclub.com [contact@fellowshipbookclub.com]

Book Club 016 Kendrick Lamar DAMN.

Welcome to another meeting of Book Club. This week we touch base after our one-month absence and catch up on football, basketball, and other going’s on. Strap in for a long one as we do our deepest dive into Hip-Hop yet as we thoroughly discuss Kendrick Lamar’s 2017 Pulitzer Prize winning album, DAMN.. Follow our run through of the History of Hip Hop [https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1GQlU2npVlaoQ6LCrjQsw5GC6o2zNi-O6Dgtd6d_7y88/edit?usp=sharing]. You can listen along on with the Spotify playlists Historyof Hip Hop 1990-1994 [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1Bn8SZre7kNpIZoXMK3dcO?si=1x1R6BNZSgG30NABAaCZtA] and Today in Hip Hop 2025 [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/38zSskTSxhqUzIqaO6Dz8B?si=0SS7t6YKQf6Q_5YHYIl0tw]. At our next meeting, we have a double-header as we take a look at Wu-Tang Clan’s classic 1993 debut, Enterthe Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) and compare that to their latest collaboration with producer Mathematics, the 2025 Black Samson, the Bastard Swordsman. Head to NBA.com to watch the NBA Finals along with us. This week we’re back with the NBA as we watch the Golden State Warriors take on the Toronto Raptors in their first ever finals appearance in the 2019 NBA Finals [https://www.nba.com/watch/list/collection/nba-finals-2019-2]. If you have any suggestions on what we should listen to next, or just some general feedback for us, we’d love to hear from you. You can write to us at contact@fellowshipbookclub.com [contact@fellowshipbookclub.com]